Category Archives: Books

Cast Down in Hadestown

Posted on February 18, 2023 by Kathy

Should I care how Anäis Mitchell, creator of the musical Hadestown, adapts Greek myths to suit her purposes? I shouldn’t. Myths provide us with archetypal stories and characters, constantly shaped and reinterpreted over the centuries. For example, beautiful Helen, the … Continue reading →

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Sumpsimus, Mumpsimus

Posted on February 12, 2023 by Kathy

Another book bites the dust. I check out Reading the OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 Pages by Ammon Shea with high hopes. It seems to have everything. It is about words (I like words), and it is funny (I … Continue reading →

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Only Connect

Posted on February 5, 2023 by Kathy

Governor Ron DeSantis’s website includes a page devoted to his proposed Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees (W.O.K.E.) Act. Florida’s tax dollars are paying for courses that make kids hate America, he says. Critical race theory has invaded … Continue reading →

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A Casual Post

Posted on February 1, 2023 by Kathy

Gum-chewing drives some people to distraction, while split infinitives irritate others. One idiosyncratic bee in my own bonnet is the meaning of casualties. I’ve even taken a stand on the issue. Some years ago, I wrote a letter to National … Continue reading →

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Art out of Trauma

Posted on January 29, 2023 by Kathy

A disadvantage of book groups is that sometimes you have to read books that you never would have picked up on your own and that you don’t enjoy. The upside is that sometimes you have to read books that you … Continue reading →

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That Is Poetry

Posted on January 22, 2023 by Kathy

My husband is reading one of my favorite books, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831). He’s been tackling classics in recent years. I thought that was the reason for this choice, but just discovered he’s showing the 1939 Charles Laughton … Continue reading →

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Question of the Day

Posted on January 14, 2023 by Kathy

Actually, two questions. Do you feel you have to finish a book once you start it, or are you okay with sometimes quitting on a book? If the latter, what are your criteria? How much of a chance do you … Continue reading →

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Little Free Book

Posted on January 1, 2023 by Kathy

Occasionally someone will ask me how I choose what to read. It’s a hard question to answer, because there’s no overriding pattern to my choices. One book group meets once a month, the other every other month. That makes about … Continue reading →

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Another Marvelous Thing

Posted on December 27, 2022 by Kathy

Laurie Colwin wrote memorable, funny novels (Happy All the Time, Family Happiness); ironic, pithy short stories (The Lone Pilgrim and other collections); and two volumes of essays about food: Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen and More Home Cooking: … Continue reading →

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Learning from Chaser

Posted on December 17, 2022 by Kathy

I used to introduce my Latin students to fundamental grammar by telling them about Chaser, the dog who knew a thousand words. Chaser, I would explain, learned the meaning of verbs such as fetch, paw (as in pawing her toys), … Continue reading →

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