A friend of mine just took a brain-killer of a test, one those exams smart people study for and still flunk. None of the test is easy but she dreaded the essay portion. These essays test a student’s knowledge of the subject and his/her ability to communicate on paper. My friend put a great deal of time and effort into her preparation and I won’t be surprised when she passes but the only advice I could offer on the essay part was, “Write Like Hemingway.” Of course I didn’t mean she should write about hunting big game or creating a reason to live. (Frankly, Ernest’s, machismo and existential angst is part of what sours me on his novels. Half the time I want to yell at him to drop the attitude and pick up the baby – nothing cures existential woes like caring for somebody else.) No, I admire Hemingway’s style, how he stitched together phrases and words. If I didn’t like everything he had to say, I still love the way he said it.Direct, the man was direct. Hemingway started out as a journalist, wedded to the simple sentence and the fewest details that paint a picture. This excerpt for his…
With my sister away on vacation, she asked me to fill in for her. Since I have known her, she has had the gift of words. She always had a book in her hand, remembers everything she reads, recalls lines at the drop of a hat. Mention a book or author and she’s either read it and read it, deeply and can somehow relate to it. Reading seems effortless for her. I am jealous. I have to work at my reading, starting and stopping a book because my interest wasn’t hooked. I think of myself as an “Attention Deficit Reader”. So when I was asked to write something for this blog… I decided to write about what I know best. Finding the book that can capture you. Barbara Z. Goyda First, I think how you are feeling makes a huge difference in what you choose to read. I often choose books that portray the opposite of what the state of my life is at the moment. If I am sad, I want a happy book. If I am bored, I want an adventure. If I feel I am in a rut, I want a biography. Not everyone will chose this “opposite” course, however. Some…
I love the idea of mashups. Two separate but familiar works get slammed together to create an idea that has elements of both. (Sounds familiar, no?). The results can be kind of fun. These title mashups came from my bookshelf. Which ones do you have? Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince of Tides Harry hates being the last member of his family until he’s stuck with the Wingo clan on Melrose Island for an entire winter. By Spring, he sends Voldemort a thank-you note. Gone With the Wind in the Willows A southern belle recovers from the Civil War by hanging out with some English vermin and a Toad with ADD. Fiddle-dee-dee, what’s a lil ‘ole war between friends? The Lilies of the Field of Dreams It doesn’t matter how whack-a-doodle your idea sounds. If you build it, they will come and you’ll be a better person for going the distance. (Hey, I know this one is stretching, but don’t they really say the same thing? Faith + hard work can do anything.) Howard’s End of the Affair It’s England, of course, and Henry or his wife have strayed from those marital vows. In either case, affection gets muddled up with the…
Revisionist tales can be slippery. We love them because they tell the tale we already know from a perspective that gives the story new meaning. Sometimes a revisionist history promotes a fairer review of the past, like The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty. Wide Sargasso Sea, is revisionist version of Jane Eyre but the new story is brilliant enough to stand on its own. Most of these tales aren’t that good. However, Gregory Maguire’s Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister brings something new to the table. It isn’t just a send-up of Cinderella – it’s a meditation on the difference between perception and the truth. Cinderella is one of the stories that teams beauty with goodness. The poor, pretty orphan is mistreated by those who should love her, which makes her royal rescue all the more grand. But Maguire’s Clara is a hostage to her own good looks who chooses kitchen life from spite and agoraphobia. Her mother preached that a lovely face was in danger if exposed to the outdoor world. Her father attracted customers with her seldom seen beauty, associating her face with his wares in a painting. The combination has turned this Clara (this book’s Cinderella)…
Full disclosure: The love of words brought my late mom and Liz Kennedy together. I’m glad Liz stayed in touch with me because she’s someone I admire. After taking her B. A. in English Lit. at Brown, she earned an M. S. at Emporia State University. She’s also been a teacher, a museum educator, a mom and for the last several years the resident expert in children’s literature at the website, about.com. Her column, (http://childrensbooks.about.com/) is a must-read if you want the skinny on current kid-lit. She was kind enough to (virtually) sit down with me and talk about one of our favorite things : books. Me: Liz, you’ve created an amazing career as an expert in children’s literature. What journey brought you to this point? LK: Serendipity and my love of reading and learning were factors. I love to read, libraries and bookstores are my favorite places, and I have a background in education. However, what particularly helped at the beginning is that I also knew html, which when I got started 15 years ago, was very important to writing for the Web. My husband taught me. Me: What were your favorite books as a child? Do you still re-read any…