Tobias Wolff is a prolific writer of contemporary short fiction. Though, most readers are familiar with his memoir This Boy’s Life (which will endure as a masterpiece). In any genre, Wolff cuts to the bone. His prose is bright and precise. The characters in his short stories are most often in the process of shedding …
Eyes to See Otherwise is a careful selection that offers a precious panoramic view of Aridjis’ poetry in Spanish from 1960 to 2001, with English versions by thirteen well-known translators. It documents the spiral progression from the clean free verse of “Unfolded Eyes”, Aridjis first book in 1960, to the complex meditative tone of his …
White Privilege, by Paula Rothenberg, is a book that is dedicated to discussing less popular topics in regards to race relations in America. It is a collection of articles that addresses the veiled privileges that white Americans possess. In an effort to mobilize whites to use white privilege as an invaluable weapon against racism, both …
Trond Sander has moved to “a small house in the far east of Norway,” beside a lake. Here, with his dog Lyra, he plans to live the remainder of his life alone, mindfully filling his days with tasks and chores, and keeping himself company. Per Petterson’s Out Stealing Horses offers a rewarding journey with Trond, …
This book is an account about a fascinating condition, synesthesia, in which music can have color, words can have taste, and time and numbers float through space. Ward takes the most recent research and uses it to develop theories of why it is certain people’s experiences with the world is extremely different from the normal …
John Newhouse’s Boeing Versus Airbus introduced me to the fascinating and dangerous world of air industry: the inside story of the greatest international competition in business. As America’s most succesful and admired corporation from inception, Boeing aircrafts dominated the commercial airplane market until the European startup Airbus entered the game in 1980s. Since then, it …
Though lesser-known than his masterpieces The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Kafka on the Shore, After Dark is another of Murakami’s brilliant novels with imaginative and thought-provoking prose and an unpredictable plot line. The story begins near midnight at a Denny’s in Tokyo with Mari, a quiet student who feels overshadowed by her attractive, popular sister. …
More than any other of the great opera composers, Wagner studied philosophy, and he was greatly influenced by the main philosophical currents of mid-19th century Germany. Three philosophers in particular had an effect on his thinking and his work: Feuerbach, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, although the latter was perhaps more the influenced than the influencer. But …
To me, this book is the Walden of running literature. As I was preparing to run my first 5K in about 10 years, I searched for this book but was sad to find it had gone out of print. Luckily, the Library had a copy. There is wisdom and advice to be found on every …
Halldór Laxness’ Independent People is a timeless tale of poverty and pride. Set in early twentieth-century rural Iceland, this epic novel tells the story of Bjartur, a sheep farmer, who is determined to escape the bonds of peasantry regardless of the cost to himself or his family. Bjartur’s brusque stubbornness often repels first-time readers, but …