Literally Blogging

 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
   Did you know that the temperature to burn books into dust is 451 Degrees Fahrenheit? This is the theme of Ray Bradbury’s masterpiece that involves a dystopia(reverse of utopia) where books are burnt because the government sees them as a tool to disunite society. As you can see, it is a really engaging plot to begin with and I actually bought the book from an online recommendation a few years ago. However, what I want to write about is its conclusion, Bradbury gives readers hope by creating a small society that memorizes books to preserves its ideas before it is burnt. My brain …read more

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One of my biggest regrets in childhood was that I did not have a governess. Yes, I read too many Victorian novels. But really, could I be blamed for turning out such a mess without that faithful role model to guide me with a firm yet kind hand? How could I ever be expected to learn to act like a lady?
If there’s one archetype that rules 19th century literature, it is the governess. She of the tight bun, grim dresses, and unadorned face. The woman so plain, and poor, and alone, that she should’ve been completely overlooked… yet she always …read more

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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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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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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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I enjoy books from other languages, other cultures, and in particular, early Christian writings. Unfortunately, if you can’t read the book in its original language (I can’t), it loses some of its flavor. Much of the intensity and power of these books are due to the writer’s use of language – appropriate to that period of time, but as they say, “It’s all Greek to me.” The key in reading and understanding, as well as becoming emotionally involved with such a book is the translator.
I found a wonderful translator, and in doing so, found a wonderful author …read more

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Few expressions of literature reflect our humanity more than poetry. It has a way of succintly and directly, through metaphor and symbolism, rhyme and meter, that exposes our most innermost selves. It speaks to the individual and it speaks to society. April is National Poetry Month and the 30 days of April barely seem long enough to explore all that poetry is.
If you haven’t explored poetry, thinking it too stuffy or perhaps too vague, take some time to rethink that stand. Poetry has a way of speaking to our hears and souls the way few forms …read more

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About three months ago, I found a wonderful book club online. Well, maybe book club isn’t the best description. It is like a giant wish list that… well, that’s not really it either. Let me try again. This book club had resources to help me find books that I might be interested in… but that wasn’t all. The name of this site is Book Browse and it is a great Web site for readers who need a little organization and love to hear about new books.

Let’s face it. When you go to your “Local Bookstore,” …read more

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