Chris Wolak

Yes, Donna Tartt’s reading is phenomenal!

Chuck Jones on Life and Daffy Duck (Published 1989)

So @mattseybold.bsky.social probably already knows this, but I just learned that Wile E. Coyote's creator, Chuck Jones, got his inspiration for the character from Twain's Roughing It.

Beep Beep!

www.nytimes.com/1989/11/07/m...

Quote from the PEN America article "How Opt-outs in Classrooms Create Educational Chaos and Advance Censorship." The quote reads: "The creation of opt-outs is license to censor the very existence of the LBGTQ+ community and their families. It is not difficult to imagine that other groups might soon be added to the list of those who may not be named." PEN America logo appears at bottom right.

At first blush, opt-outs might sound innocuous. But the result is not simply disruption in the classroom — it is the stigmatization of topics and identities that operates as a gateway to censorship.

More here: pen.org/how-opt-outs... #education #censorship

The book cover features two couples of women embracing, standing in front of a body of water.

Exciting #bookmail today!
TOO GOOD TO GET MARRIED: THE LIFE AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF MISS ALICE AUSTEN
by Bonnie Yochelson @fordhampress.bsky.social
#booksky

They popped in our neighborhood this week, too!

Two types of soda bread slathered with butter, a ginger cookie, and grapes on a green plate next to a copy of Ulysses by James Joyce.

From last week’s Bloomsday celebration at @guilfordfreelibrary. On my plate: two types of soda bread slathered with butter, a very gingery ginger cookie, and grapes. They were all made tastier by the talented actors who read from Ulysses while I chowed down. 😋

#booksky #publiclibrariesrock

That’s so cool! Can’t wait to hear about the conversations it’ll spark.

Maybe the font could be whichever was most popular during your favorite literary decade. Or used in a favorite novel.

Are you on LibraryThing? They have a nifty classification view that you can see on each book and how people have classified the book (image here is for Pym's Excellent Women). There can be variations between each cataloger, but hopefully whatever library you use is consistent with their approach.

My local public library has done away with Dewey when it comes to fiction and just does something like, FIC CATHER

Classification is one of the courses in Library School that made me cry. I'm more familiar with LoC, but I just revisited a note that 823.912 is English fiction from 1901-1945 and 823.914 is 1945-1999. After the 912 or 914, there might be a space and then the first letter of the author's last name.

That's what I'm thinking, too, Jenna. And wondering if perhaps they'll have more indie author giveaways/promotions?

Paula, many thanks for including my Margaret Fuller reading group! 💐

I can’t wait to read it! Hope your search is short so you can spend more time writing.

Great conversation. I agree that the structure works and think critics made too big of a deal that she mashed up two stories. Ivar's issues with hunting and ducks and then the scene when Emil shoots the ducks and Marie is sad is some solid foreshadowing to when they are XXX like sitting ducks.

You can always dip into Colleen’s Cather group at some point this year.

Nice to see you here, Ray!

That's lovely.

Big moves! Wishing you and your family a big, beautiful future.

Thank you for this piece and your leadership. I hope the sophomores you didn't get to speak to read it.

Enjoyed this one very much! Like Paul, I didn’t realize how much historical fiction I read until a listener pointed it out. Thanks for growing my TBR and including some favs like Killer Angels and Lonesome Dove. (Consider this comment my signature on Dorian’s petition)

100%!

Oh, man. So sorry!

I enjoyed So Thirsty. It throws a bunch of tropes together, has good moments and some groaners. One scene in particular toward the beginning still creeps me out when I think about it.

Adding it to ye olde TBR.

Have you read Women, Eating by Claire Kohda? l recently finished and its very different and well done. Made me uncomfortable for probably all the reasons the writer intended.

I'm excited to read something by Due.

Right. I do know a woman who, attempting to exorcise her demons, used to have sex with the most filthy, frightening homeless men she could find. Thankfully, she got help. In the case of vampire lit, there definitely needs to be more attention paid to the human senses and the vampire's magnetism.

I had mixed feelings. I enjoyed the first part more than the second. I felt like I missed something and need to reread it.

Thanks, Wendy!!

I definitely will!