Category Archives: Writing

It is the small everyday deeds of folk that keep the darkness at bay

If you are a regular visitor to TBTP, you are well aware that I am a Tolkien aficionado. I imagine that many of you are also fans. Then you will be happy to learn that the Tolkien Estate has launched … Continue reading

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Who remembers that famous day and year

On this day in 1807, the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born in Portland, Maine. During his lifetime, Longfellow’s poetry enjoyed extraordinary popularity at home and abroad. Many of his poems served as standard recitation pieces in American schools well … Continue reading

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Poetic Visions

Dutch poet Monique Hendriks recently published her latest work in a completely unique way —as a Viewmaster reel. When you purchase her book you also receive a Viewmaster to read it. Hendriks is known for her impressive spoken word poetry … Continue reading

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Monday with Murakami

Regular visitors to TBTP are well aware of my admiration for the Japanese author Haruki Murakami. I recently discovered this list of his five favorite books. Unsurprisingly, they are on my favorites list as well. F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby … Continue reading

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Censorship is as American as apple pie

Although there is much ballyhoo and bluster in the United States about free speech, in reality censorship and book banning have been endemic since first European colonists arrived. The act of censorship, while theoretically limited by the First Amendment to … Continue reading

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Resign yourself to the lifelong sadness that comes from never ­being satisfied.

I recently stumbled upon an interesting take on the “rules for writers” list from the great British author Zadie Smith. Her list offers an excellent balance of the practical, the philosophical, and the emotional. When still a child, make sure … Continue reading

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Follow That Author

Bookfeed.io is a simple new way of following your favorite authors. You provide a list of writers you like, and Bookfeed generates an RSS feed with their new books. The website is a tool that allows you to specify a … Continue reading

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The Enemies of Books

The Enemies of Books is a book on biblioclasts and book preservation by the 19th-century bibliophile and book collector William Blades. The book was first published in 1880 and has been republished in different editions many times since. In the book, Blades, a well-known collector, … Continue reading

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Evil Books

 

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This is the feeling I get before I take a plane

HOW TO WRITE Anne Waldman Perhaps I’m kidding myself about the life I lead Sometimes I feel I’m dying like a lot of things I see around me Then I turn on the TV and understand that everything must still … Continue reading

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