November 24, 2008

Tag


Choose books for each of the following categories and explain why they are must-reads in 30 words or less. (Or, as in my case, 30 words exactly for maximum fun.)
Fiction: Shogun by James Clavell
The story line is almost unimportant compared to James Clavell’s storytelling. His ability to develop characters and to describe places is what makes this novel such a quick read.
Autobiography: Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph by T. E. Lawrence
A compilation of history, an ode to the desert, an honest account by a victim, an apology, a litany of regret, and astounding moments of clarity amongst the swirling sands.
Non-fiction: Outwitting History by Aaron Lansky
Any literary geek or history buff or sentimental fool can’t help but love a tale such as this: saving Yiddish literature from woes of time. It’s a cultural survival story.
Any book of your choosing: The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
Historical fiction tends to be romances in costume, but this novel is the hard, thoroughly researched, facts of the Battle of Gettysburg humanized and accessible through the precepts of fiction.

November 5, 2008

Sea Change


sea change: a marked change, transformation

this: that which is existent, now, complete, here
is: the am, the are, the great gloriousness of be
my: that which is own, defined by its relation and its comparison to self
country: place defined, precisely and particularly, as symbolic representation of a quality of being, belonging, begetting of a culture, home, heart, ambition, and other words imbued with a meaning much greater than themselves because sometimes it (that which is which wells which gathers and splays) cannot be defined with just words