October 27, 2009 – 6:23 am
Ouch:
John Julius Norwich is an earnest and somewhat stiff-backed editor. So it’s not entirely surprising that he reveals in his introduction that he is “braced for objections” over his selections for “The Great Cities in History,” a collection of essays and images. He anticipates that readers will ask, for instance, why Timbuktu is included and [...]
It’s a fantastic experience, especially if, like me, you’ve loved the novel for decades and read it many times.
James Gatz — that was really, or at least legally, his name.
One morning in the low-rent office of a mysterious small business, one employee finds a ragged old copy of The Great Gatsby in the clutter of [...]
Barry Ritholtz reports on a fascinating discussion with his publisher:
What really surprised me was their reactions to two of the quasi-news opinion programs — The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and The Glen Beck Program.
After Oprah, these two are (apparently) amongst the biggest book sellers on TV. Like Oprah, Glenn Beck has a loyal audience, is perceived [...]
Not everyone celebrates the little writing book:
April 16 is the 50th anniversary of the publication of a little book that is loved and admired throughout American academe. Celebrations, readings, and toasts are being held, and a commemorative edition has been released.
I won’t be celebrating.
The Elements of Style does not deserve the enormous esteem in which it [...]
Unbelievable:
Dr Phillip Jensen, Anglican Dean of Sydney, told AAP on Friday he sympathised with Cardinal Pell’s views, but did not believe condoms alone had made society more promiscuous.
“In terms of adultery, in terms of divorce, in terms of grandchildren, yes we are in big trouble as a society because of the sexual revolution,” he said.
“It [...]
Relevant to a whole new generation!
We don’t know who created this, but whoever it is, we’ve got a crush on them! Some crafty classics-loving individual has created a mock Facebook page for the Aeneid. It’s wonderful and hilarious. You don’t have to use Facebook to appreciate it, but you do have to know a bit [...]
February 12, 2009 – 8:15 am
This strange disease afflicts so many of us from the inner-city to the far-flung outposts, like Reg Thomson most of us could hardly imagine a life lived without books:
My earliest memories of my father are permeated by books. They were an integral part of the daily rhythms of his life. Books arrived constantly in boxes [...]
January 31, 2009 – 7:59 am
Zadie Smith, who is an extraordinary novelist and critic, has some fascinating things to say about Obama in this lecture given last month at the New York Public Libray. “Speaking in tongues” is an entertaining speech and insightful on identity in today’s world.
January 26, 2009 – 4:15 pm
One of my favourite authors is John McGahern. In his Memoir, McGahern writes (p80):
I take the belief that the best of life is life lived quietly, where change is imperceptible, where nothing happens but our calm journey through the day, where change is imperceptible and the precious life is everything.
You could hardly imagine a viewpoint [...]
January 2, 2009 – 4:53 pm
Sunday 4th January will be the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille (see also Vision Australia release). Louis Braille was born in Coupvray, 25 miles from Paris. As a small child he was blinded by a mishap in his father’s workshop. Braille was inspired by the ‘night writing’ system of raised dots and [...]
