Fictionalized biographies of famous people seem to me a risky endeavor. One could drown herself in years of research and still be at a loss when it comes to telling their story first-hand. But I can understand the fascination—especially with the legendary Fitzgeralds. Told from Zelda’s perspective, Z gives readers an up-close re-imagining of this [...]
“Haven’t you already watched that movie?” Hubby points to the DVD of An Education on the coffee table. Yes, and this afternoon I fell in love with it again. Carey Mulligan is perfect, the story brilliant. Glimpses of London and Paris in the 60’s, the fashion– it’s all stunning, elegant, and entirely alluring. Side note: [...]
I’m a sucker for stories of unlikely pairs. Especially ones that turn out to be unlikely heroes, and in this case, better because of the other. But not in that predictable teeny-bop way. Far from it: Eleanor and Park are two of the best-drawn characters lifted from teen book pages. I believed them. They’re unique, [...]
Job perk: getting to write book reviews on the clock. My recent review of Sheila Heti’s How Should A Person Be? is currently up on the library’s Staff Picks page. While you’re there, scroll down a bit to check out a review by my fellow friend and AG, Austin, who makes a convincing sell for [...]
On the Saturday before Easter, the hubby & I went to the Humane Society to look at puppies. We weren’t planning on getting one that day, but after holding a sweet pup in our arms, we decided definitely soon. We fell for one fluffy little girl in particular (you had me at lick). Cute attacks were plentiful. [...]
The Sketchbook Project: “It’s like a road trip, but with sketchbooks.” This initiative is just one of the light bulbs floating above the brilliant minds of Art House Co-Op and Brooklyn Art Library. Sign up, get a sketchbook, fill it up, send it back, see it off, share it with the world. And then be inspired [...]
Hazel Grace, 16, likes watching ridiculous TV, reading the book An Imperial Affliction, and being around Augustus Waters. Augustus Waters, 17, likes Hazel Grace, video games, and really good metaphors. They both dislike cancer. In fact, they would tell you it sucks. Hazel’s lung cancer, diagnosed at age 13, became more manageable after a medical [...]
You know you’ve made it as a writer when Thomas Freaking Pynchon leaves his endorsement on your book’s cover jacket. Which is the case for George Saunders and his latest collection of stories, Tenth of December. Pynchon says Saunders has an “astoundingly tuned voice.” Indeed: Tuned into the layers and intonations of culture and social [...]