J. D. Salinger archive -- Contrariwise: Literary Tattoos
Salinger passed. I wrote this on facebook earlier:
.... I heard it from you first before work. A sad day in the book world - I was the only one in the megabookstore who seemed aware today of his or of Howard Zinn's passing - made it all the sadder, but ironic and fitting at the same time.
"People never notice anything."
I mentioned it to my son when I got home and he asked if it "was a big day of mourning, all sad in the bookstore..."....
"hrmphf. no."
Friday, January 29, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Listverse list of the top 10 American Short Story Writers
10 Greatest American Short Story Writers - Listverse:
"I must confess, as much as I love British writers, the ones that I always come back to are American. America really has dominated modern English literature – not just in the pulp fiction arena but in serious literature as well. From the moment that America found its voice in the world of writing, it has had an incredibly significant presence. This list looks at ten of the masters of the short story genre from the USA.
10
Chuck Palahniuk
9
Washington Irving
8
Isaac Asimov
7
Ray Bradbury
6
Stephen King
5
J.D. Salinger
4
O. Henry
3
John Updike
2
F. Scott Fitzgerald
1
Edgar Allen Poe"
Some I've read, some not. The piece on Chuck Palahniuk claims the people have fainted upon hearing one of his shorts read aloud! I'll have to pick up "Haunted" soon.
"I must confess, as much as I love British writers, the ones that I always come back to are American. America really has dominated modern English literature – not just in the pulp fiction arena but in serious literature as well. From the moment that America found its voice in the world of writing, it has had an incredibly significant presence. This list looks at ten of the masters of the short story genre from the USA.
10
Chuck Palahniuk
9
Washington Irving
8
Isaac Asimov
7
Ray Bradbury
6
Stephen King
5
J.D. Salinger
4
O. Henry
3
John Updike
2
F. Scott Fitzgerald
1
Edgar Allen Poe"
Some I've read, some not. The piece on Chuck Palahniuk claims the people have fainted upon hearing one of his shorts read aloud! I'll have to pick up "Haunted" soon.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost - Read Print
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost - Read Print: "The Road Not Taken
by 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."
Feeling a bit curious about the other road right now, was nice to see this poem today. Did I choose the well worn path?
by 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."
Feeling a bit curious about the other road right now, was nice to see this poem today. Did I choose the well worn path?
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Marco.org - A lot of the people who read a bestselling novel,...
Marco.org - A lot of the people who read a bestselling novel,...: "A lot of the people who read a bestselling novel, for example, do not read much other fiction. By contrast, the audience for an obscure novel is largely composed of people who read a lot. That means the least popular books are judged by people who have the highest standards, while the most popular are judged by people who literally do not know any better. An American who read just one book this year was disproportionately likely to have read ‘The Lost Symbol’, by Dan Brown. He almost certainly liked it.
— The Economist (via mudd up, peterwknox)"
— The Economist (via mudd up, peterwknox)"
25 Banned Books That You Should Read Today
25 Banned Books That You Should Read Today: "25 Banned Books That You Should Read Today
This list summarizes 25 of the most controversial banned books and tells you where you can read them all online for free. Exercise your rights by reading at least one of these banned books today!"
This list summarizes 25 of the most controversial banned books and tells you where you can read them all online for free. Exercise your rights by reading at least one of these banned books today!"
#1 A Day No Pigs Would Die
This coming of age story by Robert Newton Peck is one of the all-time most challenged books. People just can't seem to get past the graphic description of animal butchery.
#2 American Psycho
After writing a novel about a self-proclaimed serial killer, Bret Easton Ellis received a massive amount of hate mail and numerous death threats. In some countries, American Psycho cannot be purchased by anyone who is under 18.
#3 And Tango Makes Three
Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson's picture book about two penguins enraged homophobes enough to be named the most challenged book of 2006.
#4 Annie on My Mind
A Kansas School Board was so eager to get this novel, which depicts a lesbian relationship between two teenagers, off the school shelves that they deliberately violated the First Amendment and went head-to-head with a judge.
#5 Bridge to Terabithia
Author Katherine Patterson is the daughter of missionaries and the wife of a minister, but that hasn't stopped people from saying that her book, Bridge to Terabithia promotes Satanism through references to magic.
#6 Candide
U.S. Customs officials used to seize Voltaire's critically hailed satire. Apparently, they were not fans of his merciless take on religion, philosophy and government.
#7 Fallen Angels
Walter Dean Myers' novel about a group of young American soldiers in the Vietnam War has incensed so many people that it earned a place on the American Library's Association's list of the most frequently challenged books.
#8 Fanny Hill
The U.S Supreme Court did not clear 1749's Fanny Hill (also known as Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure) from obscenity charges until 1966. People complained about the book's blunt sexual descriptions and the way it parodied contemporary literature.
#9 Forever
Judy Blume was one of the first authors to write candidly about a teenage girl who is sexually active, and she's been the subject of criticism ever since. Her book, Forever, is a constant target of religious and sexual abstinence groups who don't think teenagers should read about a girl who goes on 'the pill.'
#10 Frankenstein
Mary Shelley's classic book about a man obsessed with creating new life was banned in several countries for being indecent, objectionable and obscene.
#11 Harry Potter (The Entire Series)
Anti-witchcraft proponents everywhere hate the Harry Potter series with a passion. Their main complaints involve Harry's use of magic, but his nasty habit of standing up to authority figures does not go over well, either.
#12 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Maya Angelou's autobiography is one of the most challenged books ever. Controversial issues include drug abuse, profanity and a brutal rape scene.
#13 Lady Chatterley's Lover
D. H. Lawrence's 1928 novel was the subject of numerous obscenity trials in the UK, the U.S. and other countries up into the 1960s. Objections were raised about the book's explicit sex scenes and use of taboo four-letter words.
#14 Lord of the Flies
William Golding's bestselling novel, Lord of Flies, is considered to be one of the best English-language novels of the 1900s. Nevertheless, the book's stance on subjects of human nature has made it a frequent target of censors.
#15 Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck's 1937 novella, Of Mice and Men, is another of the all-time most challenged books. People criticizing the book often cite offensive and vulgar language.
#16 Silas Marner
George Eliot's novel about a reclusive old man redeemed by an orphan girl he raises was controversial when it was first released and is still banned as far as some school districts are concerned.
#17 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Mark Twain's classic tale about the journey of Huck and his friend Jim is yet another of the most challenged books ever.
#18 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Although this book isn't nearly as controversial as Twain's other novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer has been barred frequently from schools and libraries alike.
#19 The Arabian Nights
There are various versions of The Arabian Nights stories and most have been banned at one point or another. To this day there is still a law on the books to prevent the mailing of this book in the U.S.; however, the law is no longer enforced.
#20 The Catcher in the Rye
People have been banning J.D. Salinger's novel since its publication in 1951. The censorship stems from the book's profanity and anti-Christian sentiments.
#21 The Chocolate War
People have been objecting and banning this book since its publication in 1974. Chief complaints involve the 200+ swear words that appear in the story and the scenes that depict violence and masturbation.
#22 The Color Purple
Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel has been challenged and banned around the world for its graphic violence and sexuality.
#23 The Giver
Also known by its nickname, 'the suicide book,' Lois Lowry's 1993 novel is the most commonly banned book in middle school libraries.
#24 The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders
Daniel Defoe's 1722 novel of an irrepressible woman leading a desperate life was banned for lewdness and indecency. What's ironic about this is that Defoe left out the dirtiest of details to make sure he would stay out of jail once Moll Flanders was published.
#25 Ulysses
Ulysses has been called the 20th century's best novel. It has also been called the most vulgar, obscene and blasphemous book ever to be banned in the U.S.
Rare Book Room
Rare Book Room: "The 'Rare Book Room' site has been constructed as an educational site intended to allow the visitor to examine and read some of the great books of the world.
Over the last decade, a company called 'Octavo' digitally photographed some of the world ’s great books from some of the greatest libraries. These books were photographed at very high resolution (in some cases at over 200 megabytes per page).
This site contains all of the books (about 500) that have been digitized to date. These range over a wide variety of topics and rarity. The books are presented so that the viewer can examine all the pages in medium to medium-high resolution."
Over the last decade, a company called 'Octavo' digitally photographed some of the world ’s great books from some of the greatest libraries. These books were photographed at very high resolution (in some cases at over 200 megabytes per page).
This site contains all of the books (about 500) that have been digitized to date. These range over a wide variety of topics and rarity. The books are presented so that the viewer can examine all the pages in medium to medium-high resolution."
Friday, January 8, 2010
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde 2001
Signed First American Edition (signed "Jasper" on Title Page)
Like New in Mylar/Brodart cover
Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair, published in the U.S. in 2001 quickly became a cult classic. Part Mystery, part Science Fiction, The Eyre Affair is a funny alternate reality what if story. What if you could travel into and out of the words created by authors? What if Jane Eyre was kidnapped from the original manuscript? What if dodo birds never went extinct?
This first novel in a series of Thursday Next episodes created an interesting and hilarious world, comparable in ways to Douglas Adams in style, and quickly became one of my favorites.
This newly acquired copy is from our Private Library and is not for sale.
Signed First American Edition (signed "Jasper" on Title Page)
Like New in Mylar/Brodart cover
Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair, published in the U.S. in 2001 quickly became a cult classic. Part Mystery, part Science Fiction, The Eyre Affair is a funny alternate reality what if story. What if you could travel into and out of the words created by authors? What if Jane Eyre was kidnapped from the original manuscript? What if dodo birds never went extinct?
This first novel in a series of Thursday Next episodes created an interesting and hilarious world, comparable in ways to Douglas Adams in style, and quickly became one of my favorites.
This newly acquired copy is from our Private Library and is not for sale.
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