The AP has a brief survey tour of unique bookstores in the United States, places like Powell’s, City Lights Books, The Stand, and Tattered Cover. (by way of the Wordsmith)
All posts by Phil
New Words
The Wordsmith has new words for the new year, such as adultescent (an adult who acts like a teenager) and commentariat (a group which analyzes or comments on the news).
I Will Put Back to Sea
I feel the winds of God today; today my sail I lift,
Though heavy, oft with drenching spray, and torn with many a rift;
If hope but light the water’s crest, and Christ my bark will use,
I’ll seek the seas at His behest, and brave another cruise.
It is the wind of God that dries my vain regretful tears,
Until with braver thoughts shall rise the purer, brighter years;
If cast on shores of selfish ease or pleasure I should be;
Lord, let me feel Thy freshening breeze, and I’ll put back to sea.
If ever I forget Thy love and how that love was shown,
Lift high the blood red flag above; it bears Thy Name alone.
Great Pilot of my onward way, Thou wilt not let me drift;
I feel the winds of God today, today my sail I lift.
These words are by Jessie Adams in 1906.
Eloquence: Most Powerful When Mixed with Truth
In the Wall Street Journal, Ian Brunskill writes, “Eloquence is a quality as much mistrusted as admired.” He goes on to review Denis Donoghue’s book, On Eloquence. “Mr. Donoghue, as teacher, essayist and author, has often been in the front line of the resulting “culture wars.” “On Eloquence” is his latest broadside. . . . [He believes] the main attribute of eloquence is gratuitousness: its place in the world is to be without place or function, its mode is to be intrinsic. Like beauty, it claims only the privilege of being a grace note in the culture that permits it.”
Alan’s Seven Books
Alan of Thinklings recommends seven books he read last year, including this one from Wendell Berry:
The Unsettling of America. There are certain authors about whom I have to say, “but of course I don’t agree with everything he says.” Wendell Berry is one of those guys. He probably wouldn’t approve of the time I spend commuting in my truck, my fancy phone that keeps me hooked up to the office 24/7, or my fondness for frozen pizzas. By the same token, I think he could stand to read a few books on economics. But he is a good corrective to many of the more/faster/now obsessions of contemporary life.
How To Write a Book. No, No, For Real
H.S. Key blogs, “Everybody wants to write a novel or a screenplay. If you don’t, you’re lying to yourself. And if you lie to yourself, you might just make a great writer.” He cites an article by George Singleton on what to do if you want to write.
Writers on Film Strike Try Kid Lit
Some of the writers locked out of their film and tv jobs by the Hollywood union strike are working on children’s books for a more personal creative outlet. Steven Zeitchik reports:
“It’s kind of a nice way to do something creative at a time when we’re having a hard time doing our bread-and-butter work,” said David N. Weiss, a “Shrek 2” and “Rugrats” writer who recently turned in a first draft of “Carl the Frog,” about a cannibalistic amphibian. . . .
The writers are realistic about the financial rewards of a children’s book . . .
“I don’t think anyone thinks they’re going to make a lot of money on it,” Weiss said. “But creatively and emotionally, the chance to work on something that’s personal without the presence of a massive corporation is special right now.”
Neville Shute Norway!
Hey! Did you know that Neville Shute Norway is an anagram for Easy Hull vote-winner? It is! Not only that, but “Norway, the land of the viking” is an anagram for “Heavily farted know-nothing!” Can you believe it?! My source, for our friends in the press.
Reading Help
Lifehacker points out a post on reading above your comprehension level. The first commenter makes a good point about using Cliff Notes or similar study material to help get through the classics. That reminds me of something my English professor said about some books being difficult to read without help. If you have a group with whom to discuss certain books, you can get more out of them, possibly enjoy them more, than if you read them alone.
Great Dinosaur Pop-up Book
Happy New Year (again)! I told you that one of my daughters thought this was the best Christmas ever. Part of that assessment came from the gift of this book, Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs. This is an incredible book. If you can find a display edition somewhere, it’s worth spending ten minutes flipping through it. The primary illustrations leap off the page, and one of the secondary ones wrestles with itself. Of course since we are evolution-deniers, I shed doubt on certain age statements, and I criticized the section on why the dinosaurs died. What else can a father do? Now my girls throw around dinosaur names they can’t pronounce.
Another Christmas book which excites my older two girls is Starfinder, a neat book with a star chart on the cover. We tried to use this last night, while my oldest kept identifying constellations that weren’t there. I want to sit out in the back yard with them one night when the sky is clear. We’ll have to study this book ahead of time.