Yeah, it's World Book Day, whatever the hell that is: I'm sure you'll find other bloggers celebrating away, shredding pages of old books into confetti and urging readers into bookstores with little tin horns.
Not here. (Oh, no, I'm not against the World or Books or even Days. I am just being cranky, pure and simple, about invented celebrations.)
Today is March 1, and that ushers in my Month of Essays. And do I have some beauties!
The London Scene: Six Essays by Virginia Woolf (doubles as a travel guide, too!)
First and the Last by Isaiah Berlin (includes his final essay, My Intellectual Path)
Why Do I Love These People: Understanding, Surviving and Creating Your Own Family by Po Bronson (as I rarely mention my family, you must get an inkling of why this book appeals)
Hundred White Daffodils by Jane Kenyon (I've been inspired by all of the Kenyon poetry bloggers posted in the past year, plus she discusses her battles with depression)
... among essays I intend to read by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Joan Didion and whoever else strikes my fancy.
AND I am expecting delivery this month of a new book of essays on Sylvia Plath.
Not sure I'll make it through the entire list, but that's what I like about essays: You can dip and delve into them, one by one, versus having to devour volumes whole, as novels require.
11 comments:
Sounds like an excellent selection of essays at your disposal! The Woolf sounds especially tempting. :) Enjoy!
I read A Hundred White Daffodils last year and absolutely loved it! I hope you will enjoy it, too.
Andi, I'll let you know how Woolf goes. (I already love the book design.)
Ex Libris, I probably heard about it from your blog. I'm terrible about keeping track of who recommended what -- trying to get better. I am looking forward to reading it!!!
Great list! I'd like to read the Kenyon book at some point.
Thank you to remembering the world books day. It is a fantastic day for book lovers to celebrate., I probably heard about it from your blog.I am looking forward to reading it!!! I saw a Book Searching Site.this Books search engine is full of information and content from all the eBooks available on the Internet. Try at once you may get something for you.
But, you're a nice cranky! Please tell us about your readings as you go! I want to read more essays, too!
*Makes note to read more essays forthwith*
I am currently reading WH Auden's 'The Dyer's Hand', so have inadvertantly joined in the Essay Reading Month.
I was curious about "Why Do I Love These People" actually, but haven't found many people who've read it. I'm curious to find out how you like it.
As for the Virginia Woolf collection, does it include that essay about her going out looking for a pencil? Read about it from Ann Fadiman's "Ex Libris" but can't seem to find the collection.
Happy reading.
You are so right about being able to dip into essays as compared to the commitment of a novel. Though I found first with Montaigne and now with Emerson, that you can't read just one. Woolf too, she is a master at the essay.
Hello!
Hi, I’m Jennifer, and as an avid reader myself, I’ve come across your book blog and thought you might be interested in a new book that’s launching on March 1st. It’s a new young adult novel from Oscar® winning Songwriter of FAME and FOOTLOOSE – The Big One-Oh, which is a fantastic look at growing up and is truly a novel for anyone “who is….ever was…or ever plans to be…10.” It’s the first novel written by Dean Pitchford, who is already an Oscar® winning Songwriter, and has written songs for recent movies like “Shrek 2” and “The Lizzie McGuire Movie”, in addition to the writing songs and screenplays for the movies FAME and FOOTLOOSE, to name a few. If you’d like to read and review this funny and touching novel, we’d like to offer you a chance at a sneak preview before it hits bookstores on March 1st. I’m sure your time is valuable, and so I’ve included a bit more about the book, and the author, and some preliminary reviews. I’m attaching a sample chapter, and if you are interested in reading the whole book, we can arrange to have a free copy sent to you for you to read and review on your blog – and the author is also available for interviews with enthusiastic readers of the blogosphere! The book itself has just launched an accompanying website, geared for kids and young adults, at http://www.thebigoneoh.com/.
The Big One-Oh
Catalog information:
http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780399245473,00.html
The story: Now that he’s turning ten – the big-one-oh-friendless and fatherless Charley Maplewood bravely decides to throw himself a birthday party with a House of Horrors Theme. But one disaster follows another until Charley’s big day ends up a total, complete, utter, full blown catastrophe….and yet, somehow, the best birthday a kid could ever hope for.
Already lauded by Kirkus Reviews as “Sure to be a big hit with readers…” we’d love to share the attached sample chapter with you and the opportunity to interview Dean about the book and his storied and exciting career.
“This book is captivating, hilarious, and occasionally heartbreaking. What fun!”
- John Lithgow, actor and author of Micawber and I’m a Manatee
“The Big One-Oh is a wonderful literary equation: add some birthday party anxiety with a little movie monster magic and it equals a funny and triumphant journey of self-discovery.”
- Jaime Lee Curtis, actress and author of Is There Really a Human Race? and I’m Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem
A little about Dean: DEAN PITCHFORD has written screenplays (FOOTLOOSE, SING) and lyrics to hundreds of hit songs, including FAME, FOOTLOOSE and LETS HEAR IT FOR THE BOY; he has won an Oscar® and a Golden Globe, been nominated for many more Oscars, Grammys and Tonys, and has sold over seventy million records. The Big One-Oh is his first novel. More information about Dean can be found at http://www.deanpitchford.com.
If you’re interested in receiving a sneak preview copy of The Big One-Oh, or scheduling an interview with the author for your blog, I can be reached directly at (310)821-6100, ext. 112 or jfader@terpin.com. I look forward to hearing from you, and thanks for reading!
Very best regards,
Jennifer
Jennifer Fader
Terpin Communications Group
Director of Social Media/Account Supervisor
jfader@terpin.com
4333 Admiralty Way, East Tower Suite 200
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
AIM: jenniferlfader
tel: (310) 821-6100 x112
mobile: (310) 922-7507
fax: (310) 577-9646
"Our Age of Anxiety is, in great part, the result of trying to do today's jobs with yesterday's tools"
Marshall McLuhan
Luckily for me, it escaped everyone that I invented my own celebration, after knocking poor old World Book Day!
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