Category Archives: Writing

Another Tolkien Surprise

As a collector and bookseller, I’ve seen many versions and editions of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved novel The Hobbit over the years. However, it wasn’t until recently that I was aware of Swedish and Finnish language editions that were illustrated by the anti-Fascist … Continue reading

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Heaven is not like flying or swimming

“Seascape” by Elizabeth Bishop This celestial seascape, with white herons got up as angels, flying high as they want and as far as they want sidewise in tiers and tiers of immaculate reflections; the whole region, from the highest heron … Continue reading

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The one where I compare myself with Leo Tolstoy

You may be dubious that a humble blogger, bookseller, and failed author could possibly have anything in common with the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, but hear me out. Both Tolstoy and I have roots in Czarist Russia. The legenday … Continue reading

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Six for Sunday

After reading Moby-Dick for the first time last year, Peter Gorman published a fascinating book called Kaleidoscope Brain that consists of 100 visualizations of Moby-Dick. The graphics, diagrams, and maps were his way of making sense of the iconic American … Continue reading

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Erasing Books for the Sake of Art

I am always somewhat ambivilant when it comes to book art that actually damages or destroys books, however, I am a fan of Vermont-based poet and book artist Mary Ruefle’s decades-long project Erasures. Since 1998, she has amended more than 100 books … Continue reading

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Five For Friday

I just discovered this never before published novel by Simone de Beauvoir. It seems that it was deemed “too intimate” to be published during her lifetime. Inseparable has been described as a story of the power of female friendship and … Continue reading

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Open a Book, Open the World

The Library of Congress National Book Festival  2021 will run Sept. 17-26 this year in Washington D.C.. It will feature more than 100 authors, poets, and writers in a range of formats, including Tana French, Kazuo Ishiguro, and Claudia Rankine.The … Continue reading

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A man like a city…

from Book I, Paterson William Carlos Williams Paterson lies in the valley under the Passaic Falls its spent waters forming the outline of his back. He lies on his right side, head near the thunder of the waters filling his … Continue reading

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Not Applicable To Anyone Here

 

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Chortle at some nonce words and neologisms

Who knew that Dr.Seuss coined the term “nerd” way back in 1950 in his now canceled book If I Ran the Zoo. Well, it seems that Dr. Erica Brozovsky was aware of the origin of the now ubiquitous nonce word. In the … Continue reading

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