If there’s ever been a constant in my life, it’s been books. My grandparents had a massive library and my mother and grandmother regularly took me to the library. I remember the day I was finally old enough to get my own library card. It was exciting, particularly for such a shy and nerdy kid. … Continue reading I like big books and I cannot lie…
In a reading group I’m in, which may have two or four members, we are beginning Hemingway’s novels. His first, Torrents of Spring, is a parody of Sherwood Anderson’s Dark Laughter and, what I would call, High Modernists like James Joyce. Not having read Anderson’s novel, I’m not qualified to comment on the parody itself. Parodies … Continue reading France was a long way off.
Of course, it was an English teacher. We’ll call her Ms. G. Oh, what a crush I had on her in sixth grade. All it took was for her to talk about a book in class and I would go read it. One day she happened to mention a book by Stephen King. I knew … Continue reading Happy Halloween
Woke up early. Before my regular work time. Went straight to a book. Went to breakfast when one of my favorite diner’s in town opened. The first customer. Vegetable omelet, biscuits, hash browns, bacon. The whole time reading a book on reading. For school and for me to improve my teaching. Making chicken stock for … Continue reading Thoughts While Dogwalking and Elsewhere
All year I’ve been planning to read a giant novel or two that I’ve missed. So far, top spots went to War and Peace and Infinite Jest. After an intense year and a thoroughly mushy brain, I’ve decided to dig through our library for novels that I haven’t read, but are the shortest. If we … Continue reading Summer Reading Project
In an effort to unite some of my reading interests and writing subjects, I’ve gone back to the book lists. For most of my life, I have been reading through various “great books.” In elementary school, I found a ditto (before we had “copies”) that presented a list of books “to be read before college.” … Continue reading Great Books and Grecian Glory
As I get older, I read more nonfiction than fiction for pleasure. I’m not sure when this started, maybe even in the last two years. I think teaching literature has something to do with it. My brain may need the switch by the evening. Regardless, I’ve also started watching more documentaries and one that I … Continue reading Old–Like History
Stephen McClurg 