BW17: P is for Poetic Prophecy

Courtesy Jeff Golden

Happy Easter!  National Poetry Month is coming to a close and what better way to send it out than with this:

The Nail

by

Laurene H. Bell

The nail is used for many things,

A useful securing tool;

A hammer is taken by the hand

And drives it, that's the rule.

A nail is needed when you build,

It's a necessary thing.

It was also used over two thousand years ago

To hang upon a tree, the King.

He took the pain and suffering

For all mankind, you see.

Yet He took the torture just for you,

And He took it just for me.

You cannot keep a good man down,

Through the years many have said.

He went down a man, and rose a King

To deliver the spiritually dead.

He is on the throne

At God's right hand.

The First, the Last,

The Great I Am.

No nail, no hammer can touch Him now--

The mighty King on high.

What He built is forevermore,

Salvation for you and I.

So when you see a simple nail with it's sharpened end,

And need to build or repair,

Lift up your eyes, your heart and mind

And thank Him with a prayer.


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BW16: O is for Owl

Painting by Donna L. Derstine

Forgive me, but I'm madly working on finishing a paper for my humanities class so keeping it short and sweet this week.   Did you ever have a nursery rhyme get stuck in your head, but then couldn't remember the whole thing.  Has happened many a time to me, particularly with this one. It was published in 1871.   Enjoy!

The Owl and the Pussycat

By

Edward Lear

The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea

In a beautiful pea-green boat,

They took some honey, and plenty of money,

Wrapped up in a five pound note.

The Owl looked up to the stars above,

And sang to a small guitar,

"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,

What a beautiful Pussy you are, you are, you are,

What a beautiful Pussy you are."

Pussy said to the Owl "You elegant fowl,

How charmingly sweet you sing.

O let us be married, too long we have tarried;

But what shall we do for a ring?"

They sailed away, for a year and a day,

To the land where the Bong-tree grows,

And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood

With a ring at the end of his nose, his nose, his nose,

With a ring at the end of his nose.

"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling your ring?"

Said the Piggy, "I will"

So they took it away, and were married next day

By the Turkey who lives on the hill.

They dined on mince, and slices of quince,

Which they ate with a runcible spoon.

And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand.

They danced by the light of the moon, the moon, the moon,

They danced by the light of the moon.

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BW15: N is for Nature

National Geographic: Bamboo Forest, Japan

As I mentioned last week, April is National Poetry Month so I'm going to continue with the poetry theme this week.  I was never a huge fan of poetry growing up and I know the reason why.  When I learned about it in high school and college, it seemed complicated. I really didn't understand the art form and it was just something to memorize, analyze and get through. Instead of appreciating the words, we'd get lost in the verbage - Iambic, anapest, pentameters, blah, blah, blah.   I wasn't taught to appreciate it, because the ones teaching it, didn't seem to appreciate it either.  If you want someone to get excited about something, you have to be excited about it yourself.   I was just reading in A Thomas Jefferson Education that you can have the greatest teacher in the world, but if the student doesn't care about what their teaching, the lesson is lost. And if the teacher doesn't care, well....    In one ear and out the other. 

With age comes wisdom and with wisdom comes appreciation.  I've come to appreciate the art form, love Haiku, love the poets who think out of the box and break the rules.   I was listening to NPR the other day and they were interviewing Billy Collins whom I have never heard of.  He intrigued me so I looked him up on the internet and read a few of his poems.  He's one of those who thinks outside the box.  I spotlighted one of his poems on My Two Blessings.

Inspiration for poetry comes from all forms but it think the main inspiration is nature.  Nature is beautiful, emotional, awe inspiring.   My mouth literally drops open when I see some of the shots National Geographic photographer have taken, whether watching documentaries on the television or wandering about their website.    Makes me want to write a poem myself.   There are many different forms including:  Ballade, blues, cento, cinquain, elegy, epic, haiku, prose and sonnets just to name a few.   Have you ever tried to write a Haiku. Some of the greatest traditional haiku poets are Basho, Yosa Buson, Kobayashi Issa, and Masaoka Shiki.  I learned about Basho when doing Five in a Row with James. Grass Sandals: The Travels of Basho was one of the books we rowed and I fell in love with the Haiku. 

The first day of the year:

thoughts come - and there is loneliness;

the autumn dusk is here.

                           --    Basho

A haiku is made up of simple words and grammar about nature, feelings, experiences and consists only of 17 syllables.  The first line 5 syllables, the 2nd line 7 syllables and the 3rd line 5 syllables.  It doesn't rhyme but paints a picture in your head.  I have a challenge for you this week, besides reading poetry and that is to write a poem in any form including a haiku.  Post it on your blog or post it in the comments, but I dare you to try and see what you can come up with.  I  flexed my writing wings a bit and attempted a poem and a haiku from that poem.  Here's my attempt. 

Poem by Robin of My Two Blessings

Unity

We are the branches.

He is the tree.

Stately, strong

All in unity.

One without the other

like dead branches fall

together, three in unity.

Roots stretch deep,

Anchored to the ground.

Branches reach high,

Seek the sky.

There are no bounds.

Flowers bud.

Fragile, but strong.

Green vine cling

tenacious and long.

Deep brown limbs

lift to the sky.

We are the branches.

He is the tree.

Stately, strong

All in unity.

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Haiku

Green vines, cling and twine
deep brown limbs stretch to the sky

fragile flowers bud.

Your turn!

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If you don't have a blog, tell us about the books you are reading in the comment section of this post. 

BW14: M is for Milton

April is National Poetry month so what better way to celebrate poetry than with John Milton.  In our Well Educated Mind quest, poetry is one of the categories.  Most of the poets on the list may be found online. There are numerous site where you may read Paradise Lost or even download it to your e-reader from Project Gutenberg.  

Paradiselost.org is full of information about Milton, his life and his works. Darkness Visible, hosted by Christ's College at Cambridge University, has everything you need to know about Milton and Paradise Lost including plot summary of each of the books, history of the illustrations, Milton's life, religion and politics and his influence on later writers.   It is a wonderful, interesting, educational site for studying Paradise Lost.  You'll get lost for a few hours, in a good way. Believe me! 

The beginning of book 1

Of Man's first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste
Brought death into the World, and all our woe,
With loss of Eden, till one greater Man
Restore us, and regain the blissful seat,
Sing, Heavenly Muse, that, on the secret top
Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire
That shepherd who first taught the chosen seed
In the beginning how the heavens and earth
Rose out of Chaos: or, if Sion hill
Delight thee more, and Siloa's brook that flowed
Fast by the oracle of God, I thence
Invoke thy aid to my adventurous song,
That with no middle flight intends to soar
Above th' Aonian mount, while it pursues
Things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme.
And chiefly thou, O Spirit, that dost prefer
Before all temples th' upright heart and pure,
Instruct me, for thou know'st; thou from the first
Wast present, and, with mighty wings outspread,
Dove-like sat'st brooding on the vast Abyss,
And mad'st it pregnant: what in me is dark
Illumine, what is low raise and support;
That, to the height of this great argument,
I may assert Eternal Providence,
And justify the ways of God to men.

Say first--for Heaven hides nothing from thy view,
Nor the deep tract of Hell--say first what cause
Moved our grand parents, in that happy state,
Favoured of Heaven so highly, to fall off
From their Creator, and transgress his will
For one restraint, lords of the World besides.
Who first seduced them to that foul revolt?
Th' infernal Serpent; he it was whose guile,
Stirred up with envy and revenge, deceived
The mother of mankind, what time his pride
Had cast him out from Heaven, with all his host
Of rebel Angels, by whose aid, aspiring
To set himself in glory above his peers,
He trusted to have equalled the Most High,
If he opposed, and with ambitious aim
Against the throne and monarchy of God,
Raised impious war in Heaven and battle proud,
With vain attempt. Him the Almighty Power
Hurled headlong flaming from th' ethereal sky,
With hideous ruin and combustion, down
To bottomless perdition, there to dwell
In adamantine chains and penal fire,
Who durst defy th' Omnipotent to arms.

Continue it here, here, or here.

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If you don't have a blog, tell us about the books you are reading in the comment section of this post. 

 

BW13 - L is for linky love

I'm currently reading an e-book by an author I discovered during ROW80 called Hush Money by Susan Bischoff.  Another one of my blogging authors I stumbled over.  Over the past year, a few aspiring writers I've been following have had their first books published or decided to self publish. Of course, I just had to read their books. Or new to me authors who've been around awhile but I just discovered them.     So today I thought I'd throw a little linky love their way and introduce you to some of them.   Check out their blogs, check out their books.

Jody Hedlund - her debut novel The Preacher's Bride 

Susan Bischoff of Hunting High and Love -  the Talent Chronicles

Kait Nolan (hostess of Row80)  - The Mirius Novella Trilogy

Michelle Davidson Argyle of The Innocent Flower - debut novel "Cinders" 

Karen Harrington's of Scobberlotch - "Janeology "

K.M. Weiland's of Wordplay - "A Man Called Outlaw", plus "Behold the Dawn" and nonfiction writing book:  "Crafting Unforgettable Characters: A Hands-On Introduction to Bringing Your Characters To Life."

C.J. Darlington's "Thicker than Blood" and "Bound By Guilt"

Christine Fonseca - "Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students."  Excellent, excellent book and she's recently released "101 Success Secrets for Gifted Students." 

Susan Helene Gottfried of West of Mars - "Trevor's Song" and "the Demo Tapes Year 1 and Year 2"

Follow them for a while and get to know them.  I have read or have most of their books in my TBR stack waiting to be read.  Happy Reading!

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BW12 - K is for Kane

Ben Kane

Happy Spring!  Do you like historical fiction?    Me, not so much....they often times can be, well, dull, flat and boring.  I am pleased to say I've discovered one author whose writing is excellent. His stories capture your imagination, his characters are three dimensional and the historical aspects are educational to say the least.  I had the pleasure of reading "The Forgotten Legion" last year by Ben Kane and totally fell in like with his writing.   He approached me asking if I'd be interested in reading his book and I'm so glad I took him up on his offer.  

Check out my review of story here, then come on back.  

The Forgotten Legion is book one is a trilogy following several characters:  Romulus, Fabiola, Tarquinius and Brennus in ancient Rome.  The other two books in the trilogy are

Released March 16, 2010

and

U.S. Release date: March 29, 2011

Ben sent me two copies of The Silver Eagle, one to give away, last year. It unfortunately got buried in my bookshelves.   I came across it the other day, slapped myself silly up side the head for losing it and decided to read it.   Coincidentally or should I say synchronicity in the works, Ben contacted to let me know The Road to Rome was coming out in the U.S. and would I like a copy to read and review.   Emphatic yes with a heartfelt apology for forgetting about the other book.   

It all actually works out well since I won't have to wait to find out what happens to the characters in the next book.  I already have it.  :)   So my darlings, I will be reading both books and hosting a giveaway mid April.  If you love historical fiction and you haven't checked out Ben Kane yet, then now is the time to do so.  His parents are Irish, which pretty much makes him Irish so the books can apply to the Ireland Reading Challenge and the Armchair Traveler.

It's that time of year again.  Get your spring reading list together and sign up for the Spring Reading Thing 2011 hosted by Katrina of Callapidder Day's.  If you haven't done it before,  It's a fun, low pressure, set your own goals reading challenge.  I participate every year. 

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J is for Judge

The votes from both the folks on Well Trained Mind board and comments here are as follow:

The Pint Man -  3   (Pub fiction - setting a bar)

Silent Mercy   - 0     (legal thriller)

Comedy in a Minor Key   - 2   (Jewish holocaust type of story)

Where Shadows Dance  -1  (historical detective thriller) 

Bound by Guilt  - 0  (Christian thriller) 

By Nightfall - 2 (relationship story)

The Pint Man wins. Will download it to my nook and let you guys know how I like.  Thanks for playing.  

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BW11 - J is for judge

I have a challenge for you this week:  Judge a book by its cover.   Much easy said than done, believe me.  The task is to pick out a book based on its cover.  However, you can not look inside or on the back to see what it is about. Nor can you look up the information online.   Based on its cover, decide what you think its about and write up a little snippet, either here or one your blog.  Read the book and then let us know if you were right, close or not even in the ballpark.  

The first time I ever did this was for another challenge by Jenners of Life with Books who hosted the Take a Chance Challenge.  I went into the bookstore and failed miserably.  I just couldn't keep from checking out the synopsis.  I went online instead to Amazon and picked out books based on their covers. I selected 5 unknown to me authors and then using Random.org selected one of the books.You can read about it here.


Saturday James and I went to Borders and I decided to give it another try.  I browsed through the books and then I saw this one:

There wasn't a whole lot to go on, it was beautifully packaged and captured my attention so decided to buy it.  My guess based on the cover, the title and information provided:  It's a historical fiction mystery, involving an intriguing lady, thorny roses represent death so must have a murder or two and the maze, many puzzles to figure out.  I know that's generic but that's the best I can do.  What do you think? 


I went on to Amazon and picked out a few random books based on their covers.  I know absolutely nothing about them.  Your task, pick one and tell us what you think it is about.  

The Pint Man by Steve Rushin

Silent Mercy by Linda Fairstein

Comedy in a minor Key by Hans Keilson

Where Shadows Dance by C.S. Harris

Bound By Guilt - C.J. Darlington

By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham

They all looked rather intriguing to me.  What about you?  Would you pick up any of them because of the cover?   Pick out which one you think I should read.  I'll read the book that gets the most votes, then report back to you what it was about.  



It's daylight savings time again - hope you didn't forget to set your clocks forward.   

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BW10 - I is for Ireland!

Kylemore Abbey

I just finished reading In the Woods by Irish author Tana French and it was quite good. I'll be reviewing soon.  Since St. Patrick's day is coming up next week, there are some events occurring around the blogosphere you might want to consider joining in on.   Carrie of Books and Movies is hosting a month long readalong of Faithful Place, French's 3rd book in the series.  I've also picked up "The Likeness" as well which continues the character Cassie's story.   The schedule is as follows:

Reading Schedule:

Week One (3/1-3/7): Chapters 1-6
Week Two (3/8-3/14): Chapters 7-12
Week Three (3/15-3/21): Chapters 13-18
Week Four (3/22-3/28): Chapters 19-23

Weekly Post Schedule:

Week One’s reading: March 10th
Week Two’s reading: March 17th
Week Three’s reading: March 24th
Week Four’s reading and wrap-up post or review: March 31st

Carrie will  be posting her thoughts every Thursday along with Mr. Linky for whoever wants to join in and post their thoughts as well.    You still have time to join in if you want.  I'm a bit behind in reading, but will be catching up soon.  

Mel of The Reading Life is hosting a week long event "The Irish Short Story" during the week of March 14 to March 20th.  She'll be posting daily about short stories written by Irish authors:  James Joyce, Elizabeth Bowen, Frank O'Conner, Oliver Goldsmith, Sean O'Faolain,  Oscar Wilde, and Liam O'Flaherty.   Join in the fun and read a few short stories by Irish authors. 

I have a few books on the shelves by Irish authors I will be reading this year including:

Bram Stoker's "The Snake's Pass."  He wrote it back in 1890 and is the only one of his novels set in Ireland. It is his first novel and was published about seven years before  Dracula.  He is an Irish writer and has a few other stories and short stories that he's written besides Dracula.  

Patrick Taylor's "An Irish Country Christmas"

J.D. Robb's "Treachery in Death." One of her characters, Roark, is full blooded Irish so it counts.  :)

Irish mystery author Declan Hughes' "The Wrong Kind of Blood."

Another event I just discovered is the Irish Blog Awards which will be held on March 19th in Belfast. Not that any of us have time to take a trip to Belfast at the moment.  However, the website is interesting and has many links to irish blogs broken down by science/education, humor, personal, youth and newcomer.   I haven't had time to check out all the links yet, so can't vouch for any of them. But will have fun exploring when I have more time.

And since Lent is coming up on Wednesday, and I'm Irish and Catholic, I'll leave you with a bit of Irish humor: 

An Irishman moves into a tiny hamlet in County Kerry , walks into the pub and promptly orders three beers. The bartender raises his eyebrows, but serves the man three beers, which he drinks quietly at a table, alone.

An hour later, the man has finished the three beers and orders three more. This happens yet again. The next evening the man again orders and drinks three beers at a time, several times. Soon the entire town is whispering about the Man Who Orders Three Beers.

Finally, a week later, the bartender broaches the subject on behalf of the town. "I don't mean to pry, but folks around here are wondering why you always order three beers?"

"Tis odd, isn't it?" the man replies. "You see, I have two brothers, and one went to America , and the other to Australia . We promised each other that we would always order an extra two beers whenever we drank as a way of keeping up the family bond."

The bartender and the whole town were pleased with this answer, and soon the Man Who Orders Three Beers became a local celebrity and source of pride to the hamlet, even to the extent that out-of-towners would come to watch him drink.

Then, one day, the man comes in and orders only two beers. The bartender pours them with a heavy heart. This continues for the rest of the evening. He orders only two beers. The word flies around town. Prayers are offered for the soul of one of the brothers.

The next day, the bartender says to the man, "Folks around here, me first of all, want to offer condolences to you for the death of your brother. You know-the two beers and all"

The man ponders this for a moment, then replies, "You'll be happy to hear that my two brothers are alive and well. It's just that I, meself, have decided to give up drinking for Lent."

 What books on your shelves by Irish authors or with Irish characters will you be reading?

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BW9: H is for Hitchockian

"There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it." - Alfred Hitchcock

H is for Hitchcockian.  I have Alfred Hitchcock on my mind today.   We were going through some boxes in the garage last weekend, cleaning up a  bit.  One of the boxes contains books we inherited from my late mother in law.  We currently have no room on our shelves, so there they sit waiting until we buy some more. Which is going to happen soon, I'm positive.   Periodically I go through the box and find something different that sparks.  I found 39 Steps written by John Buchan.  It was originally written in 1915 and Hitchcock made it into a film in the 1930's.  Which is why I have Hitchcock on the mind.  


Growing up, I loved Alfred Hitchcock movies.  They gave me the chills, entertained and creeped you out at the same time.  The first time we were allowed to watch "The Birds", I ended up sitting around the living corner, peeking out and ducking back at the most scariest scenes.  I think I was about nine at the time.  I could probably have buried my face in my mom or dad's lap, but instead distancing myself from the tv screen seemed to work better.   I've grown to love suspenseful, psychological, scary movies.  Not the blood and guts gory type, nor the explain it all because the audience is too stupid to understand and get it kind of movies and books.  Ones that leave it to your imagination.  The action just off screen.  Heart pounding, hand clenching, break out in cold sweat, jump in your seat, make you squeal stories. Speaking of squealing, my dad is the nervous sort and can't sit still during intense scenes.  He'd leave, come back. (now I know where I got it from)   When my sisters and I would watch a movie, just when we'd get totally wrapped up in it, he'd sneak up behind, grab us and yell boo.  Honestly -- pee in your pants moments.  I managed to get him back a few times.  :)


So how does this relate to books.  Can you get the same thrill out of books?  Oh yeah!  If they are done right.  I'm a visual learner - think in images and have a very active imagination.  When I read, if the writer really knows how to paint a story, I'll be totally drawn into the story, see it.  

What elements are considered hitchcockian?  According to the website Mythical-Buddies.com

• The cool platinum blonde (often a central figure of Hitchcock's films).
• The presence of a domineering mother in her child's life (e.g. Psycho).
• An innocent man accused (again used in many of Hitchcock's films).
• Restricting the action to a single setting to increase tension (e.g. Lifeboat, Rear Window, Rope).
• Characters who switch sides or who cannot be trusted.
• Tension building through suspense to the point where the audience enjoys seeing the character in a life-threatening situation, such as the windmill scene from Foreign Correspondent.
• Average people thrust into strange or dangerous situations, such as in North by Northwest or The Man Who Knew Too Much.
• Bumbling or incompetent authority figures, particularly police officers.
• Use of darkness to symbolise impending doom (dark clothing, shadows, smoke, etc.)
• Strong visual use of famous landmarks (Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, Forth Rail Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge, Albert Hall, British Museum, Piccadilly Circus, etc.)
• Mistaken identity, such as in North by Northwest and The Wrong Man.
• The use of a staircase as a motif for impending danger or suspense.
• Use of a macguffin or plot device that remains unexplained, such as the microfilm in North by Northwest.
• Referring to crime for mystery rather than explicitly showing it (e.g. Dial M For Murder, Alfred Hitchcock Presents)

Most of the movies Alfred Hitchcock produced were taken from books:  

• Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
• Lifeboat was an unpublished short story by John Steinbeck
• Rear Window was based on Cornell Wolrich's 1942 short story  It Had To Be Murder
• Psycho from a 1959 novel by Robert Bloch
• Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith 
• Suspicion was based on Before the Fact by Francis Iles
• 39 Steps taken from the novel by John Buchan  
• Vertigo written by Boileau-Narcejac

Just to name a few.  It would be interesting to read the books and compare them with the movies.  I'll be doing that with 39 Steps.  What about you? 

What book have you read lately that has had Hitchcockian elements to it?  Have you watched an Alfred Hitchcock movie lately?   

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BW8: G is for Greece

Hotel "Homeric Poems", Firostefani, Santorini.
Courtesy of Klearchos Kapoutsis

Our armchair travels take us this week to Greece.What do you think of first when you think of Greece.  The architecture, art, theatre, mythology, or  the great philosophers? One of my favorite paintings is The School of Athens by Raphael.

School of Athens by Raphael

When we think of ancient Greece, we think of the philosophers Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.   Plato learned from Socrates and continued his ideas when he died and started his own school. Aristotle learned from Plato.  Who did Socrates learn from.   The first Greek philosopher and scientist who became known as the founder of philosophy was Thales of Miletus.  He was one of the Seven Sages of Greece. The sages were 7 men who were statesmen, lawgivers and philosophers known for their wisdom and responsible for such sayings as:

Solon of Athens - "Nothing in excess"
Chilon of Sparta - "Know thyself"
Thales of Miletus - "To bring surety brings ruin"
Bias of Priene - "Too many workers spoil the work"
Cleobulus of Lindos - "Moderation is the chief good"
Pittacus of Mitylene - "Know thine opportunity"
Periander of Corinth - "Forethought in all things"

From the ancient Illiad and the Odyssey to the modern, there is a wide array of books about Greece or set in Greece.   I'm not in the mood to read ancient literature this week so let's go in search for something modern, entertaining.   Our starting point since it's the only book I can think of is Zorba the Greek. 

Discovered it was written by Nikos Kazantzakis, who had a very interesting life.  In addition to Zorba, his works include:  The Last Temptation of Christ which actually sounds intriguing and nearly got him excommunicated from the Greek Orthodox Church. Plus he wrote a new Odyssey which picks up where Homer left off.   

Discovered through Matt Barrett's Travel Guides is an interesting book called Uncle Petros and Goldbach's Conjecture: A Novel of Mathematical Obsession by Apostolos Doxiadis.

On Packabook's post about Through the World Party Reading Challenge, discovered (how could I have forgotten about this one) Corelli's Mandolin.  Remember the movie, Captain Corelli's Mandolin with Nicholas Cage and Penelope Cruz.  Yeah, I forgot about it too.   It is an adaptation from the movie.  Haven't seen it yet, although I'm a Nicholas Cage fan. Packabook has some other great suggestions, so go check it out. 


Crime Writer Paul Johnston has written a new series set in Greece:  Crying Blue Murder, The Last Red Death, and the Golden Silence.

I'm finding all kinds of cool books including the debut novel of Gary Corby called The Pericles Commission about a murder mystery in ancient Athens which looks quite interesting and it's available in book or e-book.   



And for all things Greek - travel, food, history, politics, languages and customs check out these books on Matt Barrett's Travel Guide.   

My poor wish list is starting to creak and groan from all the books I've added today. 


Your goal this week - do some armchair traveling and discover Greece.  Check out the books I listed or do your own search. You just may be surprised and pleased with what you find. 

Authors Birthdays this Week - Choose one and read one of their books in honor of their birthday.

• 01-20 Sylvie Kurtz
• 01-20 William Bayer
• 01-21 Anais Nin
• 01-22 Sean O'Faolain
• 01-23 W.E.B. DuBois
• 01-24 Rupert Holmes
• 01-25 Frank Bonham
• 01-26 Elizabeth George
• 01-26 Victor Hugo

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Link to your reviews:  No matter what book you are on, whether it is 3, 6, 8 or 12 link to your reviews here. Please include the name of the book or multi if you have multiple reviews in parentheses after your name.  Link to the specific review or just your general url if you have multiple reviews.  

Please note: Mr. Linky will be doing maintenance and upgrading starting on February 23rd, so may be unable to link temporarily. 

BW 7: F is for Frost

I'm currently working on my short story final and having computer issues as well so will leave you with a lovely poem by Robert Frost, one of my favorite poets.

The Road Not Taken 

Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

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BW6: E is for Essays

Michel de Montaigne

Essays?  What exactly are they and what genre do they fit into and why do we care?  I think in the quest for self enlightenment and education, it's imperative we expose ourselves (not literally, but literarily -  *grin*) to all forms of literature and ideas.   Surprisingly, when I first started thinking about the idea of essays, I went on line and found very little. The search for essay brought up scores of hits on how to write an essay. I grabbed my newish 2003 World book encyclopedia and found nothing in the E book about Essays.  Hmm!   Delved into our trusty old 1958 edition and found plenty of information.  Once I did my research the old fashioned way, I had plenty of information to use to research online. Sometimes you just have to ask the right question.

In an old book I found on the shelves called "Junior Modern Essays" selected and edited by Guy N. Pocock, I found this explanation which I just loved:

"Literally it means "an attempt"--a shot at hitting the mark--a blow on the head of the literary nail that pins an idea into permanence.  Your essay may be compressed or diffuse, terse or discursive, grave or gay--but in every instance it is a literary gadget--a cameo-a frog in amber-or whatever small, clear-cut, and finished object you care to compare it to.  It belongs to a different plane from that of the great literary forms--the drama, the novel or the epic, and it is in prose rather what the lyric is in poetry."

The essay gained its name as a literary form in the renaissance period with Michel de Montaigne, a french writer who called his written conversations essai which means "an attempt" or "to try".   Sir Francis Bacon was responsible for the first works in English to be named Essays. Essayist Sir Richard Steele launched the first periodical dedicated to essays in "The Tatler" in the 1700's  and later on "The Spectator" which he co-authored with Joseph Addison.  

In the early 1800's, many periodicals began demanding essays to fill their pages. Soon authors began producing essays such a Charles Lamb, William Hazlitt, followed by American essayists Matthew Arnold, Thomas Henry Huxley, John Cardinal Newman and Robert Louis Stevenson to name a few.  Among the British essayists were G.K. Chesterton, Aldous Huxley and Virginia Woolf.   I found a  list of essayists on Wikipedia which seems pretty accurate. Explore at your own risk. 

My challenge for you this month.  Check out the list, read an essay or two and tell me what you think.  The Well Educated Mind challenge suggests you read Michel de Montaigne. His works may be found online and/or in ebook format available at your online resources for free such as Project Gutenberg.   May I suggest:


Margaret Atwood's Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on writing

John Locke's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding

Alexander Pope's An Essay On Man 


Charles Lamb's Essays of Elia

John Dryden's Essay of Dramatick Poesie


Andrew Lang's Essays in LIttle


G.K. Chesterton's Utopia of Usurers and other Essays

Ralph Waldo Emerson's Essays

Oliver Wendell Holmes's The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table 

Edgar Allan Poe's Philosophy of Furniture 

When I am attacked by gloomy thoughts, nothing helps me so much as running to my books. They quickly absorb me and banish the clouds from my mind.

- Michel De Montaigne

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