Literally Blogging

So what about this whole thing on foreign novels? I mean, aren’t most of the classics written in a language other than English? No one, bar no one, is more grateful for translations than I am. Without them, we wouldn’t have much of the greatest literature available to us. But wouldn’t it be fun to read a book in the original tongue?
I once spoke Russian. I learned in high school and of course since that was a million years ago and I have since lost all of my stone tablets the lessons were chiseled into, …read more

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It may not be if the “Million Author Project” has its way. Their goal is to create various manuscripts contributed to by as many people as possible. Hence, “million authors.” It isn’t difficult; the rules are simple and you can contribute as little as a sentence.
From the site: “The Million Authors Project is an experiment to test the collective minds of several thousand people, all working together to create a written work. The goal of the project is to end up with a written novel, novella or short story for everyone to enjoy, written one page, …read more

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Barnes Noble has a neat idea for a book club.  They have, within their University online, a selection of books that are being read and discussed each month.  May is approaching quickly.  It is a perfect time to select a book and get involved in discussing it with others.  There is quite a variety to chose from and it won’t cost you anything (except the cost of the book of course, but there is always the library!)
Barnes Noble Book Clubs

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When I realized it was Earth Day (April 22, 2006), my thoughts immediately went to Henry David Thoreau who, “… went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
Thoreau understood all about Earth Day before we had to have a “holiday” claimed for it. He understood about simplicity and living deliberately. And now we read about how to do just that which, at one …read more

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Book clubs are all over the place right now. They are sponsored by private individuals, bookstores, schools, churches, and are even online. If you love to read, you have probably considered joining a book club.
But what if you live somewhere where there isn’t an existing club? Don’t despair. You can still belong to a book club. You will just have to start it yourself. And don’t panic and run the opposite direction.
This easy guide will get you going so you can start your own book club. The two books below will …read more

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Rhys pointed out yesterday how a quilt can teach literature. And because of that, it can inspire others. I have something on the “flip-side.” In this case, literature inspired a craft.
I am a knitting knut (misspelling intended). I love to knit. I also work in knitting so I get to see a lot of neat things. This shawl was inspired by the beautiful classic, “Charlotte’s Web.” I think it is one of the most gorgeous pieces of knitting I have seen in sometime.
See how a book inspired a work of art!

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This was such a lovely story, I just had to share it. When a high school literature teacher found the students bored with traditional projects, and saw a room full of abandoned sewing machines, what did she do? Put the two together to make literature quilts, of course!
Ninth-grade teacher Gwen Thibadeau’s English classes are creating quilts to represent the themes and traits of the novels they read this year. So far they’ve made quilts for Fahrenheit 451, To Kill a Mockingbird, and two quilts depicting ‘heroic traits.’ Next up: Romeo and Juliet.
Just think about what this does: it makes students …read more

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Rhys noted the other day the passing of Muriel Spark, author of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. “The New York Times,” just published their obituary on Ms. Spark, and had some interesting comments.
Her work, unlocked from her innermost memories of her experiences before and after her conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1954, built a canon of short, sometimes macabre, sometimes humorous novels that sought to pare away the absurdities of human behavior. In her writing, evil is never far away, violence is a regular visitor and death is a constant companion. Her themes were generally serious but nearly …read more

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I have no idea whatever came over me the other day. I was thinking back to high school and college, and the kinds of literature I liked. As a side note, I took Russian, and at the time, spoke it fairly fluently. Because of that I developed a fondness for Russian literature. And that led me to reading more about Russian poet Anna Akhmatova.
Akhmatova grew up during a very difficult time in Russia’s history. She learned on a close and personal level, the cost writers sometimes pay when they write within an oppressed society. …read more

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 The Biggest (and Smallest) Literature News From Around the Globe.
One of my favorite Internet writers let me probe his brain.
So long, Miss Jean Brodie. I was always partial to this book and played Jenny in the stage version.
 Maybe this literature professor is a little too friendly with her students? (No, she isn’t having sex with them, perv.)
Want a pen pal?
The debate continues. And the Bible is R-rated!
Literature is dead in Australia. Or maybe people just need to chill.
Reading is fun! (Aw, what a cute lil’ pirate.)
Are you a writing cyclist? Or a cycling writer? Enter the contest!
I haven’t read it; …read more

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