Category Archives: Books

Object Permanence?

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Kathy

I was thinking about the disdain we sometimes express toward objects. “Those are just things,” people might say about their belongings. “I care more about people.” Christianity promulgates this attitude, unless it’s pushing affluence and abundance, a la certain TV evangelists. … Continue reading →

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Nutty Name, Crazy Ideas

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Kathy

A long time ago, I watched an Oprah episode I never forgot. At the time, I thought the guest and his theories were wacky – so farfetched as not to be believed. I’ve always had trouble remembering the guest’s unusual … Continue reading →

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Serendipitous Reading

Posted on August 28, 2011 by Kathy

I just finished Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer. It’s a study of what scientists know about memory and what wise people through Western history have thought about it, along with the author’s involvement … Continue reading →

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Causes, Again

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Kathy

I’ve been reading How Dysfunctional Families Spur Mental Disorders: A Balanced Approach to Resolve Problems and Reconcile Relationships by Dr. David M. Allen, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Dr. Allen asserts that drug … Continue reading →

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Splitting

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Kathy

I’ve just finished a new memoir, Loud in the House of Myself: Memoir of a Strange Girl, by Stacy Pershall, who’s been diagnosed with both bipolar and borderline personality disorders. It’s a harrowing account of self harm and suicide attempts, miserable … Continue reading →

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Phonemic Awareness, Etc.

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Kathy

One of my favorite writers, James Herndon, wrote this in How to Survive in Your Native Land (1971): “What stops you [from reading] is people teaching you skills and calling those skills ‘reading,’ which they are not, and giving you … Continue reading →

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Stigma Redux

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Kathy

I just finished reading Sara Gruen’s bestselling novel Water for Elephants. It’s an enjoyable read, and she did an impressive amount of research. It’s fun and dumb. Thinking over the ending, I was reminded of my redemptive violence post. Since … Continue reading →

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Waiting for Godoprah

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Kathy

Yesterday I had an amusing point/counterpoint experience. I saw Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot for the first time. Then I watched the last episode of Oprah. Seeing these two back to back is enough to give you whiplash. Nobody knows … Continue reading →

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Acedia and Mom

Posted on March 18, 2011 by Kathy

I just finished reading Acedia & Me: A Marriage, Monks, and A Writer’s Life (2008) by Kathleen Norris, a spiritual writer known for her meditative memoirs Dakota, The Cloister Walk, Amazing Grace, and The Virgin of Bennington. In this most recent book, Norris spends a … Continue reading →

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Check It Off — Lord Jim

Posted on February 27, 2011 by Kathy

Back-to-back classics. I just read Joseph Conrad’s Lord Jim for the first time. It’s been sitting on the shelf lo these many years, reputedly one of John’s favorite books, and I finally took it down to read. I wonder if … Continue reading →

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