D.G. Myers picked up on the story Lars linked to yesterday, saying the word slave doesn’t have the humanity needed to communicate the story in Huckleberry Finn. If this scrubbing of the text flies, Hemingway’s Sun Also Rises may be next. We can’t have a character described as “superior and Jewish.” What would the Greeks say? (via Books, Inq)
All posts by Phil
Lemony Snicket on Reading Poetry
Author Daniel Handler writes about reading and loving poetry.
If you were to walk into my living room on some weekend night, that would be creepy. But before I stood up alarmed and demanded to know what you were doing there, you would see me in a big black leather chair that, I’ve been told, is too big for the room. I’d be all dressed up, and reading poetry.
Looking Forward to 2011 Books
Sherry has some interesting books coming in 2011. (via Out of the Bloo)
Writing Is Like Driving Sheep
C.S. Lewis on those who are born to write and how writing is like driving sheep down a road. “If there is any gate open to the left or right the readers will most certainly go into it.”
Toasting the Professor
Today at 9:00 p.m. local, we (meaning me and whoever wants to join me) are toasting Professor J.R.R. Tolkien on his birthday. There’s a Facebook page about it and you can read other laudatory comments at the Tolkien Society site.
Fairy Tale as Crime Fiction Contest
John Kenyon has a short story contest announced on his blog, Things I’d Rather Be Doing. He calls for stories that update a fairy tale as crime fiction. This could be pretty good. Many fairy tales would make crime stories without any alteration at all. Snow White has at least two counts of attempted murder. Another story with Snow White and Rose Red has stalking, bribery, and a manhunt. Rumpelstiltskin has kidnapping. Many of them have what amounts to drug abuse.
Not to mention gnomes, the scariest, most wicked creatures in the whole forest. If you see a tiny cone-shaped hat while walking in the woods, don’t wonder, don’t call out, don’t get out your camera. Just run. Run like you’ve never run before.
Reading Poll – L.A. Times
The L.A. Times Jacket Copy blog asks how many books you’ve read (this year (Sorry for the omission, Michael (2 more demerits for you))). Not many answers yet. Perhaps the left coast is still waking up. The highest percentage of votes has been in the 101-150 category, followed by 51-75. I don’t keep a clear number of books I’ve read, but comparatively, it isn’t that many.
Let me ask for your comment on this idea. Not all books need to be read completely, that is from cover to cover, to be considered read. Some readers may take them in completely, but many readers should feel no compulsion to read all of a book they don’t like or don’t need to read. I’m reading The World Encyclopedia of Coffee
2010 Book Lists, Recommendations
The Millions has been summarizing the year in books with a month’s worthy of posts. Here’s the month long index with scads of links.
I doubt any of the books praised here by Aaron Armstrong are in the posts above. He has focuses on Christian theology, living, and biographical books.
Author Mary Demuth has a different list for 2010, one of regrets.
The Tattered Covers blog has several author recommendations, by which I mean recommendations by authors. Click the Older Posts link to read more posts in this category. This is getting to be like a big literary party, without the spiced eggnog, by which I mean spiked eggnog.
Spiked eggnog may be the reason The Thinklings have not posted a 2010 book recommendation list, despite their claims of tee-totaling. They could be innocent, but where’s the list, I ask you? Where’s the list?
Patrol's 14 Worthy Writers
David Sessions of Patrol, having given us ten writers in Christian media whom he considers unworthy, provides a list of 14 worthy writers for our consideration: Ross Douthat, David Gibson, Matthew Lee Anderson, James K.A. Smith, David Bentley Hart, and others. (link defunct)
G.K. Chesterton on Film
Terry Teachout links to Alec Guinness’ portrayal of Father Brown and to Chesterton receiving an honor from a large crowd of admirers.