tina, muriel, terrance, edith

Bossypants by Tina Fey (Little Brown 2011); The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barberry (translated from French by Alison Anderson; Europa,2006); Lighthead by Terrance Hayes (Penguin 2010); New and Selected Stories by Edith Pearlman (Lookout Books 2011)

michelle on sheila, virginia on virginia

Here is the review I just read (on Slate) of How Should a Person Be? by Sheila Heti (Henry Holt), which mad me angry for too many reasons to mention. I feel I must read the book, of course, before discussing. In the meantime I am rereading Virginia Woolf's seering autobiographical essays arranged after her death into a book: Moments of Being.

susan, donna, mindy, honorée, james, amanda

The Poet's Freedom A Notebook on Making by Susan Stewart (University of Chicago 2011)is beautifully written and assembled. In her chapter titled Rhyming, Stewart quotes Milton on the unnecessary use of rhyme in poetry: ". . . only in apt Numbers, fit quantity of Syllables, and the sense variously drawn out from one Verse into another, not in the jingling sound of like endings."(p. 150)

Dignity The Essential Role it Plays in Resolving Conflict by Donna Hicks (Yale 2011). Everyone in government or contemplating running for office should read this book. Great for parents, too.

This blog post by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers delves into the important idea that what we do with our hands and say with our mouths is very important in how we express ourselves with friends, opponents, our fellow human beings. If you disagree with the concept and practice of common courtesy, or believe it is okay to wag your finger in the face of anyone who annoys you, I truly feel sorry for you and the people who depend on you.


Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me and other concerns by Mindy Kaling (Crown 2011) was a gift from my niece. Funny, silly, a very good book to take to the hospital or read in recovery to get your mind off of the pain and into her hilarious take on Jewish Guys, the stupidity of One Night Stands or, of course, The Office.

Designing with Type, 5th Edition: The Essential Guide to Typography  By: James Craig, et al (Watson-Guptill 2006, 5th edition). I include the link for my design students. A much earlier incarnation of this book was my typography textbook in Susan Metros' class at UTK in the 1980's. I ordered the latest version mostly out of curiosity, and I have just begun reading. Perhaps it will have great stuff/assignments/stories to share.


Pondicherry Square by Amanda Surkont (Little Pear Press 2009). This is a wonderful book. I will write more on this later, but in the meantime, read it!

catherine

LOS ANGELES REVIEW OF BOOKS | Antielitism Left and Right

arielle

A brilliant and persuasive column by Arielle Greenberg Bywater about African American poetry and authors, history and language. That is a small description for a deep essay.

james and john (not mine)

This is James Wood writing about John Jeremiah Sullivan and how the essay form can mimic fiction.

julianna

Great advice on writing, and great links within.