Monthly Archives: November 2009

A larger and truer confession
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Posted on November 27, 2009 by

Someone forwarded Ben Stein’s CBS Sunday Morning “Confession” to me by email. Mr. Stein uses the following exchange as a springboard for discussing God’s alleged departure from America: Billy Graham’s daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her ‘How could God let something like this happen?’ (regarding Hurricane Katrina).  Anne Graham … Continue reading →

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Reading the OED
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Posted on November 22, 2009 by

There’s a word for me: Anonymuncule (n.) An anonymous, small-time writer. Turns out there are words for all kinds of things, more words than any of us knew about. Ammon Shea discovered this in his year-long odyssey through the Oxford English Dictionary: If you were to sit down and force yourself to read the whole … Continue reading →

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The Help
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Posted on November 21, 2009 by

Kathryn Stockett’s novel The Help was a bargain at the recent publisher’s book sale in my locale, but it would be a bargain at any price. It leaves me with plenty to think about. Set in Jackson, Mississippi, and rotating among three narrative points of view, The Help brings to life the complex racial tensions … Continue reading →

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Stardust
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Posted on November 16, 2009 by

I thoroughly enjoyed this fairytale for adults. Fast-paced, witty, and full of the off-beat mystery of the realm of faerie, Stardust appealed to me in the same way Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell did. It’s no wonder Susanna Clarke and Neil Gaiman are friends. How I’d love to hear one of their conversations about their … Continue reading →

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The Mouse of Amherst
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Posted on November 13, 2009 by

Some time ago, another blogger mentioned The Mouse of Amherst in a Poetry Friday post. I ordered it immediately, but not until yesterday did the right time come for Elizabeth Spires’ 61-page imaginative introduction to Emily Dickinson, accented by Claire Nivola’s delicate drawings. The ultimate proof came at the end, when my 8-year-old exclaimed, “Let’s … Continue reading →

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