One of the best things about finishing grad school is getting to read for pleasure again. I recently finished one novel - “The Orphan Master’s Son” by Adam Johnson, and am currently about halfway through “All My Puny Sorrows” by Miriam Toews. My Facebook pal Chase recommended the Johnson book in the wake of the … Continue reading North Korea and Canada between covers: A pair of mini book reviews
Tag: book reviews
I hate that young black men in America seem to be heading toward a place on the endangered species list. I hate that police officers who do their jobs honorably and well are reaping a harvest sowed by less competent colleagues too, but that’s another post for another time. First there was the Trayvon Martin … Continue reading The race mess
Last year, Leonard Cohen did something I never thought would happen in a gatrillion years. He played a show in my city. I owe my Cousin-by-Choice Peter a huge debt of gratitude for that, because Peter’s the promoter who got him here. Turned out that Sweetheart had never heard of Leonard Cohen, which I discovered when … Continue reading Leonard Cohen, Suzzy Roche and parties
So, Tuesday was Election Day and we all woke up the next morning here in the US either depressed beyond belief or jubilant. Neither one is a very healthy state to maintain over time. Truth is, the world is kind of a scary place these days. What with beheadings making an unfortunate comeback, income inequality, climate change, the … Continue reading Out from under the bed, with a couple of books
I don't remember life without books. According to my mother, I wore out five copies of "Pat the Bunny" before learning to read - which I did before starting kindergarten. This did not endear me to Mrs. Ferris, my kindergarten teacher ("Kindergarteners aren't supposed to read"). It especially did not endear me to my first-grade teacher, Helen Zoeckler. I spent … Continue reading Me & Books (with a preface about Flying Erasers and other dangers of education)
the sentence factory 