As a dedicated interpreter (and reforming practitioner) of clutter, of course I’ve been watching Marie Kondo’s tidying-up show on Netflix. I have thoughts–so many thoughts!–but have been too busy with book work to write them up yet. Soon, soon. To tide you over, read novelist Anakana Schofield in the Guardian on why she reacts so… Continue reading »
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Frankenreads on Camera
If you missed the livestream of the marathon reading of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein at the Library of Congress on (when else?) Halloween, you can now catch all 9+ hours of it on YouTube. Dramatic highlights include my DC writing buddy and neighbor Louis Bayard beginning at 49:20, the Washington Post’s Totally Hip Book Reviewer Ron… Continue reading »
Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” Comes Alive at the Library of Congress
This year marks the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s classic “Frankenstein,” a novel that its creator probably didn’t know would keep its grip on our imaginations for two centuries. To celebrate, the Library of Congress is hosting an all-day marathon reading of the novel in the Main Reading Room of the Thomas Jefferson Building. It’s… Continue reading »
Deep Reading Is Good for You! (But It’s Harder Than It Used to Be)
The ability to re-read long novels might not seem directly relevant to our current political dysfunction, but neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf (Proust and the Squid) makes a strong case that it is in her new book, Reader, Come Home, which I wrote about for The Washington Post: “She makes a sound case that if we don’t protect… Continue reading »
Lullaby in Libraryland
A certain piece of anti-library commentary (now removed) on the Forbes website got a lot of deservedly negative attention the last few days. At least it provided a nice lede for this most delightful story about a stuffed-animal sleepover at the Somerville Public Library. This is such a fun idea–and a reminder, if anybody… Continue reading »
