"Reading is the creative center of a writer's life." — Stephen King
March 28, 2020
When I read about “the unexpected joy of repeat experiences” during difficult times, I immediately thought of the pleasure I have in rereading novels by Barbara Pym. Surely one of the ways we can cope with the stress of an international pandemic is to seek out … Read More
March 8, 2020
Before Theodore Roosevelt became president at age 42, he had been a military hero, an author of 16 books, a governor of New York, and a cowboy. This wild mix of experiences and interests made him unpredictable. Was he progressive? Conservative? Sympathetic to workers? Or to the … Read More
February 6, 2020
On page 22 of Where the Crawdads Sing, we discover that Chase Andrews is dead. Was it an accident or a murder? While that’s the question that drives the plot, my main question was: why was this book “the” sensation of 2019? It has sold four-and-a-half million … Read More
January 18, 2020
In Olive, Again there is a lot of waiting and a lot of people dying. And yet, there is an underlying sense of urgency as the main characters struggle to figure things out, which is difficult work because it’s clear that they have more regrets than triumphs. … Read More
December 31, 2019
Here are the five books I’ve recommended most frequently in 2019:
Novel: It appears that Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House is on every “Best of 2019” list. What makes it so appealing? In addition to having likable, open-hearted characters in an interesting situation — which we can … Read More
December 20, 2019
David Gooblar – who teaches at the University of Iowa and writes a column for the Chronicle of Higher Education – has written the book that I wish existed when I started teaching. He tells us what he has learned about college-level teaching, as one who started … Read More
December 5, 2019
Ann Patchett continues “…and the future you mean to land on is not yet in place, and for a moment you’re suspended, knowing nothing and no one, not even yourself.” This is the protagonist’s description of how his life as a teenager changed when his father died. … Read More
November 14, 2019
I hesitate to read novels that are set in places and situations I know because I’ve been disappointed so often by inaccuracies. So, as a person who lives in the great midwest, has owned a Honda Accord, sometimes parks in the minister’s spot, and is upset when … Read More
October 24, 2019
“…so that they might afterwards feel superior to the uneducated people whose emotional journeys they like to read about.” This is how Sally Rooney describes a character’s reaction to a famous author who gives a reading from one of his books. Then, Rooney does something remarkable. On … Read More
September 26, 2019
Katie Rose Guest Pryal taught at the university level for twelve years without ever considering seeking disability accommodations. As a law professor, she knew her disability would have been legally recognized. And yet, she did not “out” herself as a person with a psychological disability until she … Read More
September 5, 2019
Charles Dickens’ famous opening sentence ends with the astonishing idea that the turbulent period leading up to the French Revolution was “like the present period.” The present period! Was he warning leaders against making the mistake of ignoring the horrible conditions of ordinary people? Perhaps. An exhibit … Read More
August 8, 2019
Don’t let the title of this novel fool you. It’s not a simple beach-book about people having fun. Instead, as Jane Smiley observed, it’s an “ambitious and brilliantly written” first novel that is sometimes amusing and sometimes shocking. It’s written from the perspective of seven characters. … Read More
July 15, 2019
Reading about the majestic trees in the northwest corner of the country in The Overstory made me want to learn more about the history of the relationship between the ancient trees and the new settlers who lived and died by the forests. Annie Dillard focuses on the … Read More
June 23, 2019
At the heart of this year’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Overstory, is the question “How important are trees?” What I love about this book is the way it gives eight answers to that question by telling the stories of eight people who have only one thing … Read More
June 3, 2019
Margaret Atwood continues, “The wastebasket has evolved for a reason.” This morning, a student described how difficult writing was for her. She’s not alone. One thing that hasn’t changed over the decades I’ve worked with students is the expectation that writing should be easier than it is. … Read More