books for calvin

:: back at it ::

2008-09-01T15:20:00.010-05:00

As is typical lately, health issues have given me a run for my money. It's made research a challenge, that's for sure. But I find that God helps me just in the nick of time. Like today ~ sun-filled, hopeful, notable brain activity, and I can't help but see inspiration ....

Mr. Sock Monkey keeps popping up everywhere, never failing to make me smile. That PaperBlanks journal is an eye-catcher, too, filled w/my wretched penmanship. And the book re^mark .... I love visuals:

I'm oh so grateful for my comfy chair:

I'm writing about a poet for my next Curator article, so the left hand inspiration wire is full of beautiful words:

Such as, a handout from an HBU conference I attended ~ "Credo: the Arts as Expressions of Belief." The quote by Marilynne Robinson is on my brain:

"It has seemed to me sometimes as though the Lord breathes on this poor gray ember of Creation and it turns to radiance - for a moment or a year or the span of a life. And then it sinks back into itself again, and to look at it no one would know it had anything to do with fire, or light .... Wherever you turn your eyes the world can shine like transfiguration. You don't have to bring a thing to it except a little willingness to see. Only, who could have the courage to see it? .... Theologians talk about a prevenient grace that precedes grace itself and allows us to accept it. I think there must also be a prevenient courage that allows us to be brave - that is, to acknowledge that there is more beauty than our eyes can bear, that precious things have been put into our hands and to do nothing to honor them is to do great harm."
[from her must-read book, Gilead. I should mention that Marilynne Robinson was at that conference. IN PERSON. She read aloud from Gilead. I stupidly did not talk to her b/c I'm too shy.]

[directly above lamplight]

[L to R] 1. A card from my Mom w/a funny quote by Flannery O'Connor:

"Everywhere I go I'm asked if I think the universities stifle writers. My opinion is that they don't stifle enough of them."

2. A Guerilla Poetics Project broadside with a pretty blue heron (J. and I saw a blue heron while on a neighborhood walk last week). It reads:

Blue Heron

This is what I left behind--a blue heron
in a perfect chaos of trees. An estuary
for wintering. The sweet
old troubles.

A small boat
on the tide.

A long figure
waving.

Tell me this, blue heron:

Can one make a life
small enough to take
anywhere, and live in,
even as it looms
over us
darkly, at times?

--Sharon Kessler

[I am sadly behind on hiding poems]

I'm happy to say that I've nailed down my Curator writing topics through January '09. They are very inspiring subjects, semi-distracting me from this poet-article. Such a lovely problem, though.

:: the curator ::

2008-08-29T13:15:00.002-05:00

[a repeat post from dreams of genevieve]

I'm happy to announce that The Curator launched today! Look to your right for a button to click ~ I'm in love with that logo designed by John Hendrix.

[if you'd like to add a Curator button to your blog or web site, just shoot me an e-mail (see my profile) and I'll send you the code]

Obviously, I'm excited to be published, but even more than publication, I cannot wait to sit down and read the other articles. The Curator is exactly the type of web zine I live to read, so I'm thrilled and thankful to be part of such a great group of writers. The mission of The Curator is right up my alley, too. I agree wholeheartedly with this excerpt from Alissa Wilkinson's editorial, "Why The Curator?":

"Here, we’re providing a place for you to find artifacts of culture which we believe are worthy of your time, either to contemplate as a reflection of the good, the beautiful, and the true, or to cause you to ask important questions about the many dimensions of humanity - thought, expression, faith, citizenship, mortality, recreation, and our relationships with ourselves and each other. Our goal is that you will find the ideas and cultural objects presented in The Curator to be fresh, insightful, and thoroughly worthy of your attention."

Here's the table of contents for this first edition:

Why The Curator?
Alissa Wilkinson
Why do we need another culture magazine?

Three Sanctuaries
Jenni Simmons
A look at the de Menil collections in Houston and the idea of sanctuary.

Mütter Museum’s Gruesome Grace
Rebecca Tirrell Talbot
Seeing the human story in beauty’s ravages.

The Redemptive Power of Forgiveness
Christy Tennant
A cinematic look at revenge, brokenness, and forgiveness.

McCain, Barack, and 30 Rock
Alisa Harris
Timely television for a real-life political circus.

On Being in Strange Places
Wayne Adams
Religion and art collide in an unlikely place.

Vive le Salon!
Samuel Kho
An interview with Los Angeles art salon host, Ryan Callis.

Rethinking What It Means to Be “Made In America”
Sarah Hanssen
Entering a hopeless world to find humanity.

Pay Attention to that Man Behind the Curtain
Kevin Gosa
How one man's creativity can change the course of history - through rock and roll.

Intro to Pastry
Daniel Nayeri
Luxury, necessities, and cake.

Yes, Video Games are Art
Matt Cox
Finding beauty in an unexpected avenue.

Enjoy your reading (and thank you for doing so). I'd love to hear your thoughts.

:: the story of edgar sawtelle ::

2008-08-21T11:15:00.004-05:00

This morning, I read an e-mail from a great bookstore here in town: Brazos Bookstore. They mentioned a long list of books that come highly recommended, one of which I've heard a lot about, as in lots of praise. It's a novel called The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski:

From goodreads:

"Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents on their farm in remote northern Wisconsin. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomized by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong friend and ally. But with the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar's paternal uncle, turmoil consumes the Sawtelles' once peaceful home. When Edgar's father dies suddenly, Claude insinuates himself into the life of the farm and into Edgar's mother's affections.

Grief-stricken and bewildered, Edgar tries to prove Claude played a role in his father's death, but his plan backfires spectacularly. Forced to flee into the vast wilderness lying beyond the farm, Edgar comes of age in the wild, fighting for his survival and that of the three yearling dogs who follow him. But his need to face his father's murderer and his devotion to the Sawtelle dogs turn Edgar ever homeward.

David Wroblewski is a master storyteller, and his breathtaking scenes—the elemental north woods, the sweep of seasons, an iconic American barn, a fateful vision rendered in the falling rain—create a riveting family saga, a brilliant exploration of the limits of language, and a compulsively readable modern classic."

And isn't the cover art gorgeous?

:: a poem ::

2008-08-19T19:20:00.003-05:00

[I read this aloud to myself today]

Carol of Brother Ass
by Vassar Miller

In the barnyard of my bone
Let the animals kneel down -
Neither ecstasy nor anger,
Wrath nor mildness need hide longer,
On the branching veins together
Dove may sing with hawk her brother.

Let the river of my blood
Turned by star to golden flood
Be the wholesome radiance
Where the subtle flesh may dance,
Where the only bait to bite
Dangles from the lures of light.

Let the deep angelic strain
Pierce the hollows of my brain;
Struck for want of better bell,
Every nerve grow musical;
Make my thews and sinews hum
And my tautened skin a drum.

Bend, astonished, haughty head
Ringing with the shepherd's tread;
Heart, suspended, rib to rib,
Rock the Christ Child in your crib,
Till so hidden, Love afresh
Lovely walks the world in flesh.

:: september is too far away ::

2008-08-19T11:15:00.005-05:00

I'm a happy camper today. I pre-ordered Marilynne Robinson's novel, Home, which releases on September 2nd. (!)

From goodreads:

"Hundreds of thousands were enthralled by the luminous voice of John Ames in Gilead, Marilynne Robinson’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel. Home is an entirely independent, deeply affecting novel that transpires concurrently in the same locale, this time in the household of Reverend Robert Boughton, Ames’s closest friend. Glory Boughton, aged thirty-eight, has returned to Gilead to care for her dying father. Soon her brother, Jack — the prodigal son of the family, gone for twenty years — comes home, too, looking for refuge and trying to make peace with a past littered with tormenting trouble and pain. Jack is one of the great characters in recent literature. A bad boy from childhood, an alcoholic who cannot hold a job, he is perpetually at odds with his surroundings and with his traditionalist father, though he remains Boughton’s most beloved child. Brilliant, lovable, and wayward, Jack forges an intense bond with Glory and engages painfully with Ames, his godfather and namesake. Home is a moving and healing book about families, family secrets, and the passing of the generations, about love and death and faith. It is Robinson’s greatest work, an unforgettable embodiment of the deepest and most universal emotions."

Anyone else geeked up along with me??

Also, thanks to Alissa, I'm reading this fantastic essay on Cosmic Realism, a literary style written by the likes of Annie Dillard and Marilynne Robinson. Great brain-food. Very inspiring.

:: kaboom books ::

2008-08-14T15:45:00.013-05:00

We visited Kaboom Books yesterday, a small bookstore within walking distance of our Church. I've been dying to visit ever since I spied bookshelf upon bookshelf in a charming storefront we pass every Sunday while driving home. There's a space a few doors down that seems to be transitioning to a café or coffee shop. Oh, please, God! Kaboom's web site will improve soon, but for now you can see a glimpse of just how many books are in that place.

We opened a heavy door into a true book haven. A nice lady greeted us who I believe is married to the other owner - a kind, quiet man. Their two dogs were also very friendly, trotting around the aisles. It took me about five seconds to decide that I'm bound to return often. Kaboom is across town from our house, but since we're at Church 1-2 times per week, more book purchases seem likely. I can hardly wait for the weather to turn cooler this autumn. Our Church's neighborhood is perfect for strolling over to the bookstore; admiring bungalows, crepe myrtles, and oak trees along the way.

Kaboom is a long, narrow store, every wall covered with tall, wooden bookshelves. The interior space is filled with more shelves which create a maze of genres: fiction, poetry, humor, nautical, children's, reference, political science, literary criticism, history, essays, music, art, architecture, first editions, film, and religion. I've been to many a bookstore, but I was truly impressed by the wide variety and bountiful selection. After his wife left for the day, I told the other owner I could stay in his store for hours. He said, "Then you'd have to alphabetize for me." No problem - I used to work at Half Price Books, after all. I still find myself straightening shelves in any bookstore I visit. Sad, isn't it?

Johnny initially said I could choose one book which was fine by me, but when I revealed my finds, he looked at the inexpensive prices and said, "Heck, they're cheap. Let's get all three." 3 + his own choice = 4.

For Johnny:
Grendel Archives by Matt Wagner.

For Jenni:
The Best American Spiritual Writing 2006 edited by Philip Zaleski.
[includes work by Wendell Berry, Scott Cairns, Michael Chabon, Alan Jacobs, Richard John Neuhaus, and John Updike, among several others]

For both:
-The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy L. Sayers, introduction by Madeleine L'Engle.
-Brendan: a Novel by Frederick Buechner.

I also considered Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver, The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot, and The Professor and the Madman: a Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester, but those will have to wait for another shopping spree. I really wish I had searched for novels by Ron Hansen.

After we finished shopping, we drove less than a minute over to Church, just in time for the potluck dinner. I carried my lunch box packed w/yeast-free eats, and much to my happiness, a friend cooked a delicious navy bean soup full of safe ingredients. For the past several Wednesdays, our pastor read an Epistle aloud. I've read Paul's letters and such fairly often, but it was a treat to hear them as the early Christians did - a letter in the mail, full of good news, read out loud. It also reminded me of what a lame letter-writer I am (I owe at least four people a handwritten letter).

However, our pastor wanted to do something a little different last night. We read the entire book of Esther the same way Jews do every spring during the Feast of Purim. Adults and children volunteered to read the parts of different characters: Mordecai, Esther, King Xerxes, Haman, and the King's and Queen Esther's servants; our pastor read the in-between narrations. Not only that, but Rev. Ellisor brought along toy horns and his son's noisiest toys - to make a boisterous racket whenever Haman's name was mentioned (he was "the bad guy", wanting to wipe out the Jews - Esther's people and God's chosen people). You can imagine what a blast the kids had making all that noise, and their glee was pretty contagious. I felt very reserved amidst all the silliness, yet I couldn't quit laughing. Just so you know, Johnny read the part of Mordecai. He also contributed to the noise-making by drumming on the table and creating inappropriate sounds, even with his armpit. Oh, Lord.

Back at home, I read in bed, and as I turned off the lamp, I fell asleep mulling over Buechner's description of Jacob's Ladder in The Son of Laughter. It was such a fun day full of books, the Bible, childlike frivolity, laughter, and in the end, vivid writing which brought that particular Jacob-story to life. As I said on dreams of genevieve, stories cover me like a healing balm, especially the good and true ones.

:: a poem ::

2008-08-14T13:20:00.002-05:00

Renewal
by Vassar Miller

I, like a stone
kneel while the waters
of prayer wash over me.

Like a hare havened
in its own stillness
I freeze against Thy whiteness.

Once more myself,
I feed upon
Thy manna of the minutes.

:: book re^marks ::

2008-08-13T12:30:00.005-05:00

My new favorite reading/writing aid? A Woodcut Alphabet book re^mark:

[photo courtesy of buyolympia]

It's a bookmark + 8-page notebook! Perfect for reading and taking notes. If you don't fancy that alphabet, there's also Space Journey, Rosy Rose, Majestic Mr. Owl, and Circle Code. Only $2.50 each and letterpress art to boot.

These All in Good Time file folders are brilliant as well:

[again, photo courtesy of buyolympia ~ one of my favorite online shops. Click each image to see larger.]

The folders read:
-Yesterday
-Today
-Tomorrow
-Next Week
-Next Month
-Who Knows

Perhaps the Procrastinate set is more appropriate to my behavior. Yes, I'm afraid so.

:: keep calm and carry on ::

2008-08-09T20:40:00.005-05:00

One more ~ another page I love from The Principles of Uncertainty:

[courtesy of The New York Times. Click the image to see larger.]

Very good advice for me in particular. At some point, I'll buy it in black & white to hang in our house where I can easily see the wisdom.

:: the principles of uncertainty ::

2008-08-09T13:13:00.015-05:00

Um, I've used that photo twice on my other blog, but I don't feel like snapping another pic today - how do you like that? See, I needed a photograph to show you that I'm digging Maira Kalman's book, The Principles of Uncertainty. Those two books up there were prizes for braving a TMJ appointment way back in January. I'm a w-i-m-p when it comes to most anything-dental, so rewards are necessary. I'm not that grown up yet.

I flipped through Kalman's book in January and 'twas lovely, but I set it aside for a long while, until yesterday. I sent a copy to a friend for her birthday and last night, she flipped out with excitement. So much enthusiasm that although it was past my bedtime, I stayed up reading 134 pages! I laughed, oohed, and ahed over Maira Kalman's writing and illustrations. I love her creative, eclectic, ever-asking brain.

Here's a partial description from goodreads:

"The Principles of Uncertainty is an irresistible invitation to experience life through the psyche of Maira Kalman, one of this country's most beloved artists. The result is a book that is part personal narrative, part documentary, part travelogue, part chapbook, and all Kalman. Her brilliant, whimsical paintings, ideas, and images - which initially appear random - ultimately form an intricately interconnected worldview, an idiosyncratic inner monologue. Kalman contends with some existential questions - What is identity? What is happiness? Why do we fight wars? And then, of course, death, love, and candy (not necessarily in that order)."

This book is also a compendium of columns that Maira Kalman did for The New York Times. You can view every single column on the newspaper's web site, but really, I believe her book is worth owning ~ to read again and again. For example, here are two of my favorite pages so far:

[these two images courtesy of The New York Times. Click each to see a bit larger.]

It is, as they say, a beautiful book. And now, I'm dying to re-read one of my favorite writers' resources - The Elements of Style, the edition illustrated by Maira Kalman. Maybe I'll go ahead and add some of her children's books to my future-kids' collection, too.

What an inspiring lady.

:: two by jane kenyon ::

2008-08-06T19:09:00.001-05:00

From Collected Poems ~

Afternoon in the House
by Jane Kenyon

It's quiet here. The cats
sprawl, each
in a favored place.
The geranium leans this way
to see if I'm writing about her:
head all petals, brown
stalks, and those green fans.
So you see,
I am writing about you.

I turn on the radio. Wrong.
Let's not have any noise
in this room, except
the sound of a voice reading a poem.
The cats request
The Meadow Mouse, by Theodore Roethke.

The house settles down on its haunches
for a doze.
I know you are with me, plants,
and cats - and even so, I'm frightened,
sitting in the middle of perfect
possibility.

Drink, Eat, Sleep
by Jane Kenyon

I never drink from this blue tin cup
speckled with white
without thinking of stars on a clear,
cold night - of Venus blazing low
over the leafless trees; and Canis
great and small - dogs without flesh,
fur, blood, or bone ... dogs made of light,
apparitions of cold light, with black
and trackless spaces in between....
The angel gave a little book
to the prophet, telling him to eat -
eat and tell of the end of time.
Strange food, infinitely strange,
but the pages were like honey
to his tongue....

:: deadline ::

2008-08-01T18:05:00.016-05:00

My first Curator article was due today and I met the deadline, yippee. Yesterday, I felt pretty good about the article. Today, not so much. I know this tension is every writer's dilemma, but since health issues sometimes interfere with my brain's function, I just hope the editor won't hate my writing. Gulp.

But I had plenty of visual/cranial fuel up in my cozy writing room:

[a good dictionary and Makoto Fujimura's book, River Grace (5/5 stars)]

[my bird-camouflage tote bag from Target. I use it to transport items up and down the stairs.]

[a nice, big window]

[pretty things. Our cat, Harley, attacked that iron bird a few days ago, totally thinking it was real.]

[a framed photo of baby-me and my grandmother, Nina, and a cool straw purse my Mom gave me (from The Blue Hand here in Houston - a shop to die for)]

[History of Art by H.W. Janson. I left it open like that due to the Rothko page on the right; I mentioned him in my article. That's de Kooning on the left there.]

[one of my favorite oversized books ~ Churches by Judith Dupré (introduction by Mario Botta). I snatched it from our coffee table because it contains a page on the Rothko Chapel which I also mentioned in my article.]

[another page in the book ~ Basilica San Marco in Venice, Italy. Seriously, Churches in America: get with the program.]

[yet another page ~ Borgund Stave Church in Borgund, Sogn, Norway. I love this Church because it whisks me away to one of my all-time favorite books, Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset, set in medieval Norway.]

As for tonight, I'm gonna get lost in some reading and a cup of tea. Or watch a movie w/Johnny. Either way, time well spent.

:: more wendell berry ::

2008-07-31T12:10:00.002-05:00

I relate:

A Warning to My Readers
by Wendell Berry

Do not think me gentle
because I speak in praise
of gentleness, or elegant
because I honor the grace
that keeps this world. I am
a man crude as any,
gross of speech, intolerant,
stubborn, angry, full
of fits and furies. That I
may have spoken well
at times is not natural.
A wonder is what it is.

:: every writer needs a stapler, right? ::

2008-07-28T18:13:00.008-05:00

A few minutes ago, I stapled together articles that I printed off the web for research. Our black plastic stapler is OK, but at some point, I need this wooden stapler:

[photo courtesy of The Curiosity Shoppe]

It suits me very well.

:: what i'm reading ::

2008-07-27T17:05:00.006-05:00

-Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith & Art by Madeleine L'Engle.
-The Son of Laughter by Frederick Buechner (some of the best writing I've read in a long while).
-The newspaper.

I finished Makoto Fujimura's River Grace in one night. It's a short read, but 21 pages full of greatness - one to be read again and again.

I'm re-reading parts of The Quotidian Mysteries: Laundry, Liturgy, and "Women's Work". So good. One of my life-manuals.

I've also been reading fan-tastic quotes lately (thanks to goodreads), such as:

"The silence is all there is. It is the alpha and the omega, it is God's brooding over the face of the waters; it is the blinded note of the ten thousand things, the whine of wings. You take a step in the right direction to pray to this silence, and even to address the prayer to 'World.' Distinctions blur. Quit your tents. Pray without ceasing."
[-Annie Dillard]

"What a hideout: Holiness lies spread and borne over the surface of time and stuff like color."
[-Annie Dillard. I love her brain.]

"The writer should never be ashamed of staring. There is nothing that does not require his attention."
[-Flannery O'Connor. I love her brain, too.]

"If grace is so wonderful, why do we have such difficulty recognizing and accepting it? Maybe it's because grace is not gentle or made-to-order. It often comes disguised as loss, or failure, or unwelcome change."
[-Kathleen Norris. Need I say I love her brain?]

There were many others, then I ran across this amazing poem:

Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front
by Wendell Berry

Love the quick profit, the annual raise,
vacation with pay. Want more
of everything ready-made. Be afraid
to know your neighbors and to die.
And you will have a window in your head.
Not even your future will be a mystery
any more. Your mind will be punched in a card
and shut away in a little drawer.
When they want you to buy something
they will call you. When they want you
to die for profit they will let you know.

So, friends, every day do something
that won't compute. Love the Lord.
Love the world. Work for nothing.
Take all that you have and be poor.
Love someone who does not deserve it.
Denounce the government and embrace
the flag. Hope to live in that free
republic for which it stands.
Give your approval to all you cannot
understand. Praise ignorance, for what man
has not encountered he has not destroyed.

Ask the questions that have no answers.
Invest in the millennium. Plant sequoias.
Say that your main crop is the forest
that you did not plant,
that you will not live to harvest.
Say that the leaves are harvested
when they have rotted into the mold.
Call that profit. Prophesy such returns.

Put your faith in the two inches of humus
that will build under the trees
every thousand years.
Listen to carrion - put your ear
close, and hear the faint chattering
of the songs that are to come.
Expect the end of the world. Laugh.
Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful
though you have considered all the facts.
So long as women do not go cheap
for power, please women more than men.
Ask yourself: Will this satisfy
a woman satisfied to bear a child?
Will this disturb the sleep
of a woman near to giving birth?

Go with your love to the fields.
Lie down in the shade. Rest your head
in her lap. Swear allegiance
to what is nighest your thoughts.
As soon as the generals and the politicos
can predict the motions of your mind,
lose it. Leave it as a sign
to mark the false trail, the way
you didn't go. Be like the fox
who makes more tracks than necessary,
some in the wrong direction.
Practice resurrection.

:: another poem ::

2008-07-13T13:09:00.001-05:00

From IMAGE #57:

Conversation at Heaven's Gate
by Kelli Russell Agodon

I

When my father meets God
he says, Let me introduce myself....

When my father meets God
he says, Am I too early? Too late?

When my father meets God
he says, Do you serve drinks here?

When my father meets God
he says, It was easier not to believe.

When my father meets God
he says, I can see my house from up here.

When my father meets God
there is only the sound of my father
falling.

When my father meets God
he says, I can breathe again.

When my father meets God
rain returns to the city.

II

When God meets my father
He says, Let me introduce myself...

When God meets my father
He says, Right on time, right on time.

When God meets my father
He says, Could I offer you an Irish car wreck?

When God meets my father
He says, It gets easier now that you're here.

When God meets my father
He says, I can see your house from up here.

When God meets my father
there in only the sound of God
catching him.

When God meets my father
He says, Welcome to your lungs.

When God meets my father
the city is cleaned for a new life.

:: a poem ~ normal ::

2008-07-11T11:53:00.005-05:00

Last night my husband and I watched the first half of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. We'll finish the movie tonight, but so far we are very impressed with the cinematography; and Casey Affleck's, Brad Pitt's, and Paul Schneider's acting. In fact, I really think Pitt should've received an Oscar nomination along with Affleck.

This morning I remembered the movie is based on a novel of the same name by Ron Hansen. I read Hansen's Mariette in Ecstasy a few years ago and liked it for the most part (4/5 stars). I also recalled that a back issue of IMAGE - #57 - contained an interview with Ron Hansen. I skimmed the Q & A, and now I want to read The Assassination of Jesse James, Atticus, Exiles, Hitler's Niece, and A Stay Against Confusion: Essays on Faith and Fiction.... I just have a feeling that Ron Hansen will be one of my favorite writers. My literary hunches are usually correct.

As I flipped through IMAGE #57, I discovered the following poem. It is worth sharing:

Normal
by Richard Jones

Tent Revival, 1957

When things get back to normal
God will put on black robes
and ascend to the mercy seat
to judge the world, the ruined
cities, the devastated hills,
the living and the risen dead.
When things get back to normal,
He'll open the Book of Life
and read what each man has done,
said, and written, reciting our words
and deeds to the angels to see
if there is any forgiveness
like honey on our tongues.
When things get back to normal
all will stand before God
and be burned like dead branches
or blessed with the incomprehensible fire
of mercy. When things get back to normal,
we will be standing on the threshold of heaven,
a kingdom of singing where at last we will learn
the meaning and purpose
of poetry.

:: slow reading ::

2008-07-01T12:49:00.010-05:00

I loved Peggy Rosenthal's blog entry about slow reading over on Good Letters. You see, though I read a lot, and often many different books & periodicals at the same time, I'm a slow reader. God made me this way, and also, I simply enjoy reading slow. I do read some books faster than others, but more often than not, I take my time - soak in the words, the sentences, the story, the visuals, the ideas, and so on.

A long time ago, I worried that my slow reading made me dumb or of a low intellect. But in the fourth grade, I was placed in an advanced reading class. I felt all special because I got to visit a fifth grade classroom every week, huddle around a wooden table with a few other advanced classmates, and learn along with older kids. I suppose if I was "so dumb" those teachers wouldn't have selected me for such a class.

In more recent years, I read an article by an author (I wish I could remember....) who basically said that good writers learn from what they read, so they ought to take it slow - not scarf down a book like a fast food meal. Allow the book to nurture you, feed you. That cheered my writer-wannabe soul.

All of that to say, I've enjoyed the art of slow reading this week:

-I had trouble reading The Maytrees a few months ago. This greatly troubled me because Annie Dillard is one of my all-time favorite writers. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek changed my life. After reading Rosenthal's blog entry in which she mentions The Maytrees, I figured out that I was trying to sprint through the book instead of savoring. I am almost finished and now that I've slowed down, I'm in awe of Dillard's writing once again. Her way with words is precisely why I joined the facebook group, "If Annie Dillard writes it, I will read it."

-Much to my happiness, the July/Aug. 2008 issue of Poetry arrived. Have I mentioned that I love when a poem complements the weather going on outside our windows? Houston has been quite rainy and stormy the past week, yet the sun shines today. I found the following poem to be lovely:

The Storm is Over
by Jason Guriel

But now it's raining
below the greener clouds
of trees that were absorbent
but only up to a point.
And these raindrops
strained by treetops
should (you would think)
be filtered and finer
and therefore pure
(and not Chinese
water torture's
fatter, darker drops
that always pick out
of all possible bull's-eyes
your bald spot).
But these are late, last drops
and a little bloated
like late, last poems
by name your poet.

[that poem is fun to read aloud ~ most of it sounds exactly like the aftermath of rain]

-My friend Matt kindly sent us a subscription to The Sun. I used to subscribe to this magazine full of beautiful photography, interviews, essays & memoirs, short stories, poetry, liberal politics (I'm conservative), and the Readers Write section - I mean to contribute one of these days. But I chose not to renew my subscription last time to save a few bucks. So you can imagine my wide smile when I discovered Matt's gift in our mailbox! Issue 391 contains an interview with the great Wendell Berry. His brain fascinates me. I didn't agree with everything he said, though he is full of wisdom. I loved this quote:

"Real reading, of course, is a kind of work. But it's lovely work. To read well, you have to respond actively to what the writer's saying. You can't just lie there on the couch and let it pour over you. You may have to read with a pencil in hand and underline passages and write notes in the margins. The poet John Milton understood that the best readers are rare. He prayed to his muse that he might a 'fit audience find, though few.'"

-My friend Brett urged me to read Hinds' Feet on High Places - one of her favorite books. At first, I didn't want to because I decided it wasn't "my kind" of book. But I trust Brett implicitly, so I read a few pages of the Christian allegory, read a few more pages, and then I was hooked. I totally relate to the character "Much-Afraid." Not only that, but I realized with horror that at times, I might be a literary snob! I can't have that. Hinds' Feet is turning out to be both a good read for adults, and one I'd love to read to my future children.

-Oh, and the above photo is my end table next to the upstairs sofa (I love Audrey Hepburn movies). Here is my husband's end table with one of his heroes:

[the coasters are gifts from my Mom-in-law]

:: the invisible cure ::

2008-06-29T15:13:00.003-05:00

I subscribe to the Sunday edition of The New York Times, and I always read the Book Review first. Today, a particular book caught my eye in a small mention on page 24 ("Paperback Row"). The book? The Invisible Cure: Africa, the West, and the Fight Against AIDS. Here's an excerpt from this New York Times review, dated July 29, 2007:

"Halfway through 'The Invisible Cure,' Helen Epstein writes about finding a long-forgotten document in a small research library in Canada. Reading through the paper, Epstein says, 'I felt as though a small stick of dynamite had gone off in my head.' Epstein had unearthed a rare copy of a detailed study on the sexual behavior of Ugandans in the late 1980s and early ’90s, a period that coincided with the country’s historic drop in H.I.V. rates. In short, Epstein knew, the research done by Maxine Ankrah, an African-American academic, would give invaluable insights into what had halted the epidemic — insights that could then be applied to other countries with high rates of H.I.V. and AIDS.

Before Epstein’s discovery, Ankrah’s research seemed destined for oblivion. A United Nations AIDS researcher had read it, failed to understand its significance or to credit it and, Epstein recounts, wrongly concluded that an increase in condom use was responsible for the decrease of the H.I.V. rate in Uganda. In reality, according to three later analyses of Ankrah’s study, the primary reason for the decline was completely different: substantial numbers of Ugandans had ended affairs and remained faithful to one partner."

This book doesn't seem to espouse Christianity, yet it does encourage partner fidelity. To take it a step higher, marital fidelity is one aspect of God's design for human life. And seeing as the Gospel is spreading through Uganda like wildfire, it makes The Invisible Cure all the more intriguing. I do believe Ms. Epstein is onto something true.

:: siringo ::

2008-06-29T13:02:00.002-05:00

Well, I finished So Brave, Young, and Handsome, and just as I expected, I fell in love with Leif Enger's characters once again. I will admit this book starts out slower than Peace Like a River, but I promise that if you stick with it, you'll be hard-pressed to put the book down, dying to know just how Glendon's and Monte's journey ends.

As I read So Brave, Young, and Handsome, I was thrilled to find a subtle nod to Peace Like a River in this description of Charles Siringo:

"His sentiments for the most part were vengeful and emerged from experiences so long at a simmer that he spoke in what amounted to strong verse about those who had wronged him. I was surprised to learn he had been fired by the Pinkerton Agency years before; he gave an eloquent screed on the decayed character of Allan Pinkerton, whose 'spine went missing at birth.' To a cowardly pard who had fled gunfire he gave a scorching epitaph. Strangely his softest words were for certain of the outlaws he had hunted: Butch Cassidy, whom he never saw in the flesh through four years of pursuit; the surgeon and gentleman gunsmith Howard Cawley, whose talent for baking cinnamon rolls made him welcome at Hole in the Wall; and Glendon, whom Siringo referred to as 'that gentle bastard.'"
[pages 148-149]

I think Leif Enger should share the exact cinnamon roll recipe, don't you?

And, I'm proud to say that my husband is finally reading Peace Like a River (after I bugged him to death). He now understands why I'm so geeked up about Enger's stories. Johnny is reading quite fast, and loves Swede's poems.

:: bookish podcasts ::

2008-06-21T13:19:00.007-05:00

I do love a good podcast, especially if it involves the arts. I like to listen in our home while sipping tea, cleaning, or resting my eyes. Or load up my iPod for driving around town. I don't know about your locale, but Houston radio sucks other than KUHF which features many NPR broadcasts. Even then, it's hard to catch those programs at the right time, so podcasts are much more convenient.

Seeing as this blog revolves around all things literary, I thought it would be a good idea to list my favorite bookish podcasts, for you fellow listeners:

-The Writer's Almanac.
-The New York Times Book Review.
-Audition (from Mars Hill Audio).
-NPR's Fresh Air. This is one of my favorite podcasts in general, and Terry Gross often interviews great authors.
-NPR's Book Tour. Alissa hipped me to this one, specifically because it's all about Leif Enger this week. He talks about writing Peace Like a River, reads from his newest book - So Brave, Young, and Handsome - etc.. It is time well spent.
-Lindsay mentioned the Poetry Foundation's Poetry Off the Shelf which I now love, and then I discovered that the P.F. offers several other poetry-related podcasts. Oh, goodie.

I get terribly behind on my podcast-listening, but it's good to know they're around, for my ears' sake.

Do you have a favorite bookish podcast you'd like to share?

:: books & culture ::

2008-06-20T14:32:00.010-05:00

I subscribed to Books & Culture: a Christian Review several years ago with no complaints. The publication was right up my intellectual alley; full of eloquent, lengthy book reviews spanning literature, poetry, politics, philosophy, Christianity, history, the arts, science, etc.. Of course, it fed my book addiction, but there are worse cravings in life. At some point, I decided to cancel my subscription, and it was an extremely difficult choice for me. I dwelt alone in an old, charming studio apartment behind one of my favorite cafés in Houston (Empire), and well, my budget was tight. I missed finding Books & Culture in my mailbox, but somehow I found the strength to go on. Mostly through inexpensive paperbacks from Half Price Books.

Fast forward to now - I'm married, live in a house, and our budget is not so lean. And, I recently received a writing opportunity made of the stuff of my dreams. I can't share much about it yet. What I can divulge is that it's a forthcoming online magazine called The Curator, it's tied to IAM, Alissa Wilkinson is the editor, and I'm one of the writers. While I'm slightly intimidated, I'll get to write about most of the eclectic, artful things my brain leans toward - books most definitely included. I am grateful and excited.

All of that to say, I honestly believe it was important to renew my subscription to Books & Culture. I did so a few weeks ago, and since then, I've impatiently awaited the arrival of my first issue. Really, patience is not one of my top five virtues. Yesterday, finally, the May/June 2008 issue was folded in our mailbox. Oh boy, oh boy! It felt great to hold the oversized periodical in my hands again. Here's a glimpse of this incredible issue:

-Philip Yancey on pain.
-Rayyan Al-Shawaf on headscarves.
-Jon Shields on hippies of the religious right.
-Lauren Winner, Heather Curtis, and David Graham on healing.
-Chandra Mallampalli and Robert Frykenberg on India.
-An interview with Christian Wiman - poet, essayist, and editor of Poetry magazine.
-A poem - "Celan" - by Marly Youmans.
-A long, fascinating review of a movie I want to see ASAP: There Will be Blood.
-And so on.

By the way, you ought to read the following by editor John Wilson:

"In the very first issue of Books & Culture, September/October 1995, I quoted from an interview with the Native American poet Joy Harjo that appeared in the Spring 1995 issue of the Indiana Review. 'There's no sense engaging evangelical Christianity,' Harjo said in that interview. 'You can't engage something like that, because they don't encourage interaction and thinking for yourself.' In one respect, Harjo was dead on. Not only evangelicals but all orthodox Christians share a sense of our fallenness. We need help. 'Thinking for yourself' is a prideful delusion.

But that doesn't mean we stop thinking, period. And it shouldn't mean that we retreat from engagement with others who think differently - like Joy Harjo, whom I've read with interest for years now - though that temptation is one to which evangelicals have sometimes succumbed. Retreat into a cozy enclave? Not at all. We hope that readers of Books & Culture glimpse in our pages the largeness of Creation, God as maker, as artist (not least as musician), God as gratuitous giver, God as always exceeding our grasp. The unpredictability and many-sidedness of things. The need for historical perspective, whatever the subject."

If Books & Culture appeals to you, too, visit their web site to sign up for a free trial issue. How 'bout that?

Now I'm anxiously waiting for my first issue of Poetry magazine. Yep, I subscribed to that one as well. I love to read good poetry. My friend Allison gave me a back issue with a lovely cover, and then I was hooked:

Who agrees that good cover art is essential for books and periodicals alike?

:: the bookworm shop ::

2008-06-05T17:54:00.006-05:00

[Milo]

An excerpt from my other blog:

"As you can see there, I did find two books at The Bookworm Shop. My brother strongly urged me to read Hiroshima, and my aunt did the same with The Year of Magical Thinking. They say those two are hard/sad reads, but important ones, and both were inexpensive, used copies. As the name implies, The Bookworm Shop was a charming place. Not too small, yet not oversized, either, and full of new & used books. There were chairs and couches, and fun gift items, too."

Also, I received an e-mail from The Brazos Bookstore about an upcoming author event with Jeannie Ralston. I don't know if it's my love for lavender or Texas, or both, but I really want to read The Unlikely Lavender Queen.

From goodreads:

"Jeannie Ralston had a flourishing career in her beloved New York, but meeting the love of her life would change all that. Robb, her husband-to-be and a photographer for National Geographic, hated the city and longed to settle down in the country. Jeannie was loath to leave her urban lifestyle — until they struck a bargain: she'd move to rural Texas if he would agree to start a family.

The Unlikely Lavender Queen is Ralston’s memoir of her life as an urban settler in rural Texas. She chronicles the experience of converting a dilapidated barn into a livable home, records with wit and bemusement her nostalgia for everything from lattes to liberals, lays bare her loneliness during Robb’s frequent National Geographic photo assignments, and raises the doubts that plague so many women of her generation — has she given up too much?

When Robb returns from a trip to Provence with a plan for starting a lavender farm on their land, Jeannie, a mother of two, is skeptical. But much to her surprise, in the course of managing the farm she discovers a new side of herself. By selling blooms to local florists, opening the farm to the public, and developing a number of lavender-related products, Ralston turns Hill Country Lavender into a thriving enterprise — and her life into an unexpected adventure."

I think I could live on a lavender farm ~ how 'bout you?

:: waiting for september ::

2008-05-31T12:08:00.005-05:00

After you fall in love with Housekeeping and Gilead, y'all can join my excitement over something I read yesterday.... A new Marilynne Robinson novel will be published in September 2008! I read on Wikipedia (and elsewhere), "Home is a companion piece to Gilead, focusing on the Boughton family during the same time period that Gilead covers."

Normally, I'd be nervous if an author tried to follow up such a rich story as Gilead, but I trust Marilynne Robinson, much like I trust Leif Enger. I loved Gilead so much that with confidence in this author, I'm excited to be reacquainted with the Boughton family. And I'm [selfishly] relieved that Robinson did not wait another 20 (or so) years to write her 3rd novel. God is good.

FYI, Marilynne Robinson also wrote two books of essays. I own a copy of The Death of Adam, sitting on a shelf upstairs, but I haven't read it yet. Will soon.

P.S. - [on my other blog, read towards the end of "she & him (and more)" and "upstairs" to see how musician Lori Chaffer persuaded me to read J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey ASAP, and actress/musician Zooey Deschanel did likewise with Ernest Hemingway's A Moveable Feast. There's so much to read in the world.]

:: marilynne robinson interview ::

2008-05-28T15:38:00.006-05:00

The Rabbit Room (one of my favorite blogs) posted an NPR interview with Marilynne Robinson (one of my favorite authors). Terry Gross asked Robinson about her second novel, Gilead. The interview is a worthwhile listen, and you already know I believe Gilead is a must-read book.

But did you know that Marilynne Robinson and I share the same birth date - November 26th? I think that's important somehow.