Literature and Poetry
CultureWatch: A Review of Louise Erdrich's The Round House
It is not easy to describe the brilliance with which Erdrich balances humor and anxiety and terrible truths, but somehow she manages to make us smile in the midst of all the angst. The truth of the rape of his mother eventually does come out, and Joe’s mother is somewhat restored to her old life. That truth, however, brings with it an accompanying, new tragedy, one which marks Joe deeply, and changes forever the child’s relationship to his world. more »
When It Comes to Bodies in the Library, US Writers Take the Lead Over UK Rivals
British crime and thriller writers are being bumped off by their American counterparts, according to the latest tabulation of the Most Borrowed Adult Fiction Titles in UK libraries. No less than 17 novels by US-based crime and thriller writers appear in the Top 20 Most Borrowed Adult Fiction Titles list. more »
Advice to Little Girls by Mark Twain —You ought never to "sass" old people unless they "sass" you first
Mark Twain writes in 1865: "You ought never to take your little brother's 'chewing-gum' away from him by main force; it is better to rope him in with the promise of the first two dollars and a half you find floating down the river on a grindstone. In the artless simplicity natural to this time of life, he will regard it as a perfectly fair transaction. In all ages of the world this eminently plausible fiction has lured the obtuse infant to financial ruin and disaster." more »
Crossroads ... Or Not?
Joan L. Cannon writes: I see woods all around, with an unpaved road that forks in a Y. For no reason, it’s always twilight. A traveler can choose to return, or to take one branch of the Y: three choices. No metaphor presents itself — except for the Robert Frost poem, "The Road Not Taken", once again filled with possibilities for our imaginations and especially recollections. My psyche immediately rejects the choice of turning back. more »