The Death of the Novel, or Worse

by | Nov 29, 2009 | Uncategorized

I’ve been thinking on and off all week about Zadie Smith’s article, “The Essay v The Novel,” in last Saturday’s Guardian. Basically, Smith talks about her new book of essays, and how more and more fiction writers are turning away from the...

Thanksgiving Thoughts: Mostly Mushy

by | Nov 25, 2009 | Uncategorized

I just looked back at last year’s Thanksgiving post, and what a happily mushy post it was. I fear this one may get a bit mushy as well, so if that sort of thing annoys or offends you, turn away now…  I feel a bit more melancholy this year — it seems...

Music, This Time

by | Nov 21, 2009 | Uncategorized

I was feeling sorry for myself last night.  It has been a very busy, crazy couple of weeks.  I’ve been fighting a cold for most of it, plus I have somehow wrenched my shoulder out of place and am fitting physio appointments into everything else.  And there I...

"Too Many Magpies" Takes Flight

by | Nov 19, 2009 | Uncategorized

Tuesday night saw the launch of Elizabeth Baines’ new novel, Too Many Magpies.  I can’t wait to read it.  It looks like a small-gem-of-a book.  Elizabeth read from the beginning, then took questions, and then read some more from the end.  The audience was...

In Awe of Translations and Translators

by | Nov 15, 2009 | Uncategorized

Long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away (or so it seems), I was a Classicist, studying and teaching ancient Greek, with a bit of Latin thrown in for good measure.   Even then many asked why I would be pursuing such a line of study, what it could ever possibly do for...