literature

Essays by poets vary widely in scope. Some seek to portray the "revolutionary" nature of the poet's ideas. Others get lost in craft or in the needless pedantry concerning schools of poetics. Jane Hirshfield instead presents the coherent well-written prose of a synthesist. The result provides an effective rumination upon the "mind" (or "spirit") of poetry.

Ms. Hirshfield uses literary and religious allusion freely, but this is no glib new age-ish miracle cure about the artist's "mystic journey". Instead, she uses the symbols of faith and skepticism as a rich metaphoric base to try to explore the goal and inner working of the effort to write a poem.

This work does not pretend to be some Quran of poetics, complete unto itself or changeless. Instead, the author surveys her task like a visitor to the crater of diamonds park, hunting for something shining among the crystal.

What I like about this book is that for all its rich allusion and reflections on symbolism, it's an accesible, affirming and non-saccharine take on why we are poets, and what it means to us.

My only quibble with her work is that the influence of eastern thought on the western American poets comes through much more clearly than the effect of the American experience on these same poets.In the poetry I read, Sandburg, Millay, and Forche spring from very different places with radically different voices, and yet each has an "American" tone that is unmistakable. It's not a matter of "nationalism" per se, but a matter of history and the lasting impression of the American experience. It's not a fault of the book at all, but a perspective I missed.

I think this is a great book to own for anyone who has pondered the "big questions" of poetry--what does it mean? why do I write?
In the abstract, an essay on poetic philosophy sounds filled with dull pretension. This book is anything but dull.

As a professor once said to me, "Puzzles are fun to put together, equations exist to be solved, mysteries are simply our guides to awe."

I unabashadly admit that Jane Hirschfield's book attracted my attention because 1)I've grown increasingly interested in essays about poetry and 2) because I've lately been somewhat obsessed with the number 9 - finding it's way into my own poems more than once. So, what a wonderful surprise - to find this slow, satisfying read of a book unlocking so many gates for me - to things like increased appreciation for the connections between poetry and spirituality, new admiration for ancient Asian poets I'd never known anything about before, and consequently more about the joys of translation.

The dramatic denouement came surprisingly at the end for this reviewer - as she explored again the area of living on the liminal edge. There is so much - so much the other reviewers have all ready praised and recognized. I'm eager - now - to read some of Jane's poetry.

It was especially enjoyable to read "NG" in tandem with "Soulmates" by Thomas Moore, "Poetic Medicine" by John Fox, and David Whyte's "The Heart Aroused."

To the reviewer who queried about the mystery of the "Nine Gates" - it is a curious thing that the title phrase does not receive one reference in the entire book. It seems there might have only been one outside reference - perhaps on the cover or in the preface - alluding to the nine essays themselves to be the nine gates. Someone had to come up with a concrete answer I suppose. For me, this is associated with another fellow reviewer's comment, that roughly read, "The book itself is a poem." Ah, that could be a lead. And of course, there is the hint regarding Memnosyne, mother of muses . . . A lovely mystery that might introduce us to awe.

Jane Hirshfield's "Nine Gates" is probably the most interesting and insightful book I have read on the art and uses of poetry. While Hirshfield's approach to poetry is very much informed by (and often illustrated through) her knowledge of Asian arts and Buddhist philosophy, one need not be a Buddhist or a scholar to understand and appreciate her vision. Hirshfield is most interested in approaching poets and poetry through the essential work that they perform by helping us to understand the natures of, and the relationships between, the self and the world (that is, community in its largest sense). The book's argument is hardly as abstract or fanciful as this might sound, however. Instead, Hirshfield uses this approach to show how the most basic elements of poetry (rhythm, rhyme, image, and so on) function to help the poem build its meaning and fulfill its purpose. "Nine Gates" is an excellent book to strengthen your ability to read poetry, and to deepen your understanding and appreciation of this vital art.

Fran Baker has expanded her writing style from "pure romance", to include the history of a family that begins in World War Two, and follows them through the Viet Nam war until present times. This book begins with the character Mike Scanlon as he sets off to France to fight on Omaha Beach. He meets the love of his life; a frail but brave girl in the French Resistance. The book has wonderfully descriptive scenes of France in the war torn years of Hitler's invasion. The book then leads us to the Viet Nam war, a war that saw so much controversy in the USA. and that tore many famlies apart. We meet Mike's daughter and follow her in her Quest to find out what happened to her husband. Ms. Baker makes us care deeply about the characters; they could be people you know. Set back, curl up by the fire, and let Fran take you on a journey filled with excitement, love, and the pathos of true life, in times of war. This book will keep you thinking long after you have finished the last chapter.

Fran Baker has become one of my all time favorite authors. Her Once A Warrior had me on my toes, crying, cheering and longing for more. I savored every word and can see the settings and characters as vividly as though they were part of my own world. The longing for lost love, the adrenaline rush of lives in peril, the horrors of war and the acceptance of a child left behind but not forgotten, touched me profoundly

Diversity is such a wonderful and refreshing quality to witness in a writer. While we writers are often labeled ' genre wise ' Fran Baker stands out like a beacon in the literary arena. Her crisp, often funny delivery, intelligence, insight to the human heart and soul make her a winner in my book.

Fran Baker's novel may have been written a few years ago, but do yourself a favor order this book. It will move you--if it moved me -- and it did -- then it will move you, too.

What more can you ask from a reading experience? (that's a rhetorical question, by the way).

Many years ago I read the "original" version and thoroughly enjoyed it. This Modern English version is even better because it's easier to read and comprehend, although I have to admit I missed the "Slough of Despond" (now the Swamp of Despondency).

Bunyan has depicted the major pitfalls in the life of the "born again" Christian in an understandable and believable way. Especially helpful are the footnotes which allow the reader to refer to the Scripture passages Bunyan has used to support his allegory.

If you are already traveling in "The Way," read this book for encouragement on your journey. If you are not already a Pilgrim, read this book to find out what you are missing and how to enter at the narrow gate.

This was an enjoyable read for me. The allegory of Christian on the road to eternal life was interesting for the sense of adventure. It was also revealing in its depiction of experiences common to myself. I was surprised to see my own journey described so clearly in some parts. Just knowing that I am not alone in my experience is a great source of comfort in my spiritual relationship. John Bunyan (1628-1688) was a remarkable and courageous individual. He was a tinker inspired to preach the gospel. He was rewarded for his effort with a prison term lasting 12 years. His time in prison was well-spent because he wrote his first book "Grace Abounding" and started "Pilgrim's Progress" during his incarceration. Up until the 20th century, there was hardly an English-speaking household which did not own a copy of this book. It was often used as a reading primer. After the Bible (KJV), this classic allegory has been the best-selling Christian book and has influenced English literature and thought through the four centuries in which it has been in print. There are so many delightful and thought provoking tales in this book, there is not enough room to tell nearly enough of them. I will relate but one example: Presenting the subtle diversion which a desire for worldly success can bring, Bunyan writes, "'First,' said Mr Moneylove, 'becoming religious is a virtue, regardless of the means he employed to be so. Second - it's not unlawful to get a rich wife or to bring more business to his shop. Third - the man who gets these by becoming religious gets things that are good from them who are good by becoming good himself. So then, here are a good wife, good customers, and good gain; and he has gotten all these things by becoming religious, which is good. Becoming religious in order to get all these things, therefore, is a good and profitable intention.'"

To which, Bunyan counters, "Then Christian said, 'Even a babe in religion may answer ten thousand such questions. If it is unlawful to follow Christ to obtain loaves, as shown in John six, how much more abominable is it to make of Him and religion a stalking-horse to get and enjoy the world?'" If you are interested in Protestant preaching as it existed in 17th century England, or you would like to understand what the Christian journey is about, this book will be interesting to you.

What a treat! It's hard to beat the classics and Pilgrim's Progress is one of the greatest Christian classics ever written. I am glad it is now in modern English. I read a few pages every night with my family. It makes a great devotional book and sure beats all gathering around the television. My children are age 17 and 12. One might think they are too old for such a thing, but not so. If you have young children at home, skip the little devotional books for a few weeks, shell out a few dollars, buy the book, and start a new tradition of introducing your family to the classics. Go from this to The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and you may break the TV habit for good!. . . Perhaps . . .

Rosa Parks: My Story is about this lady named Rosa Parks. She refused to move to the back of the bus. She went to jail because she refused to move to the back of the bus. Rosa Parks was born February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee and was named Rosa after her grandmother, Rose. What I liked about the story was that she had the courage to stand up to the white people and policemen. What I didn't like was that the police had to take Rosa to jail, but they didn't want to. They said it was wrong.

Rosa Parks was a Black woman who lived in a time of unequality. Blacks were being treated as though they were lower and were lost of the many priveleges that white people had. Well, Rosa Parks didn't let what they thought get in her way. She stood for what she believed in and stuck by it all the way. By refusing to sit at the end of the bus, Rosa showed me how strong, independent, daring, and brave she was. She knew of the consequences yet it didn't stop her. I really admire her.
This book came across me after my friend Catherine read it and recommended it to me. She told me that it was a good book and that I should read it. She told me that it would touch my heart and would help me see Rosa Parks in a different way. Seeing the cover, I knew that it would talk about one of the most important events of her life-the incident at the bus.
I enjoyed this book very much. My favorite part was when she refused to sit at the back of the bus.She demonstrated acts of bravery and courage. She showed them that she was equal and that no one had the right to treat them differently. That event also proved that small acts can make big differences in the world. One little protest made a positive change in the way of the world. This helped me want to be more active in our world. I realized that the blacks had to go through so much to be where they are today. It helped me appreciate them more. This book should be read by everyone!

This story is about a black women in the days of segrigashon who was sent to jell for not following the rules. It all started when rosa parks refused toget up for a white man and the polic decided to take this inisent lady away. But not any black person blame her for what she did but they did say it was her falt she was in jailin the first place. But you can't realy blame her she was tired of giving in to the whites because they were so cruel to blacks and she was not going to take it any more so she broke the unfear rules and she dicided to make her own. Later on rosa parks started a boycotand changed the lives of millions of black people and thats A great african americn moment.

Children ask many questions about death and this book explores some of the common ones that children are interested in knowing. Hard to get through without bringing a tear to your eye. Illistrations are wonderful and eye catching to a child's imagination.

This book is wonderful. We are sharing them with all of the children at our grief and loss camp and we hope it gives them comfort during such a difficult time. It is important for children to know that they are not alone in their grief and we will use this book to open up dialog so they can begin to understand. We will keep copies of the books at our hospice for all of our families to read.

I knew by the title that this book had something powerful to say, and it didn't disappoint. The first thing you see when you open it is a photograph of Libby... and a picture of a caterpillar that will soon have wings, as Libby's brother, the author, imagines Libby does. In typical kid fashion, brother Jack wonders about what it's like to be dead. He poses sweet questions, funny questions.... Jack lets us know there is plenty of life left in us after we die. This is a book I'll read over and over again... and will give to elementary counselors and teachers. This book is a great comfort to those who have lost someone and those who wonder about death.

If you are seeking a nice, concise yet not superficial discussion on Gothic, Old Norse, Old Saxon, Old High German, Old Low Franconian and Old Frisian then you simply have to buy this book. It explains the main differences between these early Germanic languages, and contains and discusses texts that have come down to us for each language. And it reads like a novel.

I particularly appreciate the discussion of Old Low Franconian (= Old Dutch, Old Netherlandic), the predecessor of modern Dutch that is the mother tongue of more than 20 million speakers in the Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium). Although there are very few extant texts in OLF this language has undergone few sound changes (compared to e.g. OE or OHG) and therefore is very well suited for the comparative linguistic discipline.

If you are seeking a nice, concise yet not superficial discussion on Gothic, Old Norse, Old English, Old Saxon, Old High German, Old Low Franconian and Old Frisian then you will find this book very interesting. It explains the main differences between these early Germanic languages, and per language it contains and discusses texts that have come down to us. And it reads like a novel.

I particularly appreciate the discussion of Old Low Franconian (= Old Dutch, Old Netherlandic), the predecessor of modern Dutch that is the mother tongue of more than 20 million speakers in the Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium).

Although there are very few extant texts in OLF this language has undergone few sound changes (compared to e.g. OE or OHG) and therefore is very well suited for the comparative linguistic discipline.

An overview of the surviving tongues of the Germanic peoples. There are chapters on Frankish, Old English, West Goth, Norse, Old German, etc.
Easy to read. Layman friendly. Short and to the point.

If you liked M.M. Kaye's "Far Pavilions" of TV miniseries fame, you may find this earlier work by the author even more enjoyable. A romance novel to be sure, but non-fans of the genre (I am usually amongst their number) will find it a very pleasant surprise, especially if you can get a copy of the early editions, which were considerably shorter than those that came out after the success of the "Far Pavilions". Ms. Kaye's outstanding attention to Indian historical and cultural detail surrounding the Great Sepoy Mutiny supplements the central love story wonderfully. Actually, the reader soon becomes aware that "Shadow of the Moon" is a tale of two love stories - one between Alex and Winter and one between Ms. Kaye and the people, culture and land of India. If you like a good love story, lots of action, many interesting secondary characters, and a generous dose of education about a fascinating and pivotal time in Indian and British history, this book is a must read.

M. M. Kaye's extraordinary novel "Shadow of the Moon" combines historical fact with a wonderful love story set against the beauty and complexity of India during the British Raj. One of Ms. Kaye's gifts as a writer is her ability to create three-dimensional characters and plausibly insert them into historic events. Here she intertwines her cast of characters with history and through the microcosm of their lives we view the dramatic events of the past.

The action in M. M. Kaye's novel pivots around the Mutiny of 1857," also called the "Sepoy Rebellion." Indian soldiers in the Bengal army of the British East India Company rose against their British rulers in May 1857 and the violent uprising quickly spread throughout British ruled India. "Shadow of the Moon" is the love story of an Anglo-Spanish heiress with vast land holdings in India and a political officer of the East India Company. The author intertwines the lives of these two central characters, and a large supporting cast, with historical events to create a wonderful epic novel.

Ms. Kaye has written more than a historical novel here, although the book is full of romance, intrigue and the extraordinary colors of India. The author is the daughter of Anglo-Indians and writes with an obvious love of the country and all its varied cultures. She portrays many of the colonialist characters with the arrogant and superior attitudes so prevalent at the time and juxtaposes them and their narrowly focused lives against the realities of the world which surrounds them. These Victorian colonial attitudes, beliefs and zeal to spread their culture and religion appear to have made the uprising an inevitability.

I couldn't put this novel down and can't recommend it highly enough!
Jana

Read this one. It's the best romance I've ever read and is full of adventure, bravery, suspense and history.

My mother pitched this paperback to me and now I won't part with it. (It's survived many spring cleanings!) It's one of the best fictional tales I've read. Set in nineteenth century British India, M.M. Kaye describes a world with which she and her family for many generations were intimately familiar.

For a long book of 799 pages, (I loved the ending), I actually regretted that there were not more pages!

This book was great; it was about Ruby Briggs experience being one of the first colored children to integrate the elementary schools in the south. It gives a wonderful perspective about how this young girl viewed racism. It also shows the reader that she did not completely understand why some many people were mean to her. It is an extreme eye opener to how strong racism was in the south, at one point it talks about grown women throwing and yelling at Ruby.

I'd not read such a well-written book about the racism of the 60s for children, until now. Prefaced by Harry Belafonte, the book is remarkable on a number of levels. Off the bat, it is written particularly well for small children. The style is clear and concise without being patronizing. Large full pictures of the people and events of the time are placed on each and every page. While these photographs are effective, they are not violent or frightening in a visceral way. The pictures of racists yelling at Ruby and other black children are images that stand on their own. At the bottom of most pages are quotes from some of the major players of the time. A quote from Ruby's mother explains that she was unaware that Ruby would be the only black child attending her school. Another notes that standardized tests given to black children were biased in favor of white middle-class children with the hopes of failing the black. The story has a clear linear feel to it and children reading it will recognize the characters. Ruby herself is a remarkable child, her photographs becoming the most powerful in the book. It is made clear to the reader that Ruby was just like any other child you might meet. This thought is expressed more fully in the back, where a Ruby B. jump-rope rhyme has been written. The repeated phrase "Ruby B., Ruby B., You were a little girl just like me", drills the thought home. All in all, the book is wonderful. I recommend it to any parent, teacher, or librarian struggling to explain the civil rights movement to their kids.

Freedom
Though my eyes
By Ruby Bridges

This book is about a true story of a pivotal event in history as Ruby Bridges saw it unfold around her. It is also about a black six year old girl.
An exciting/interesting part is when Ruby Bridges talks at the end of the book and says "I know that experience comes to us for a purpose, and if we follow the guidance of the sprit with us, we will proubly find that the purpose is a good one."
If you like reading about nonfiction books then this is the book for you.
When I read this book I always give it a thumbs up!

Calvino's fascination with the Middle Ages seems almost satirical in these two very tongue-in-cheek novellas. In no way a beach read, these two pseudo-existential stories deal with basic principles of existence (or non-existence) after the fashion of a parable with omniscient narration.

The characters are colorful, although sometimes the development is somewhat open-ended. Calvino molds his characters is such a way that one is not sure with whom to have sympathy. This perhaps is the novelist's greatest statement in showing the definitions of "good" and "evil" to be somewhat grey.

Highly recommended read...think Italian Beckett.

These are wonderful novellas. Written as fables, there appeal lies on one level as simple fictional tales about knights and castles, so it could be something that children could enjoy quite easily. From there, it grows. Calvino packs so much wisdom and inquisitiveness into these stories, that it takes on the form of a metaphysical inquiry into morality, epistomology, and science. In "The Nonexistent Knight," the penultimate hollow man shuffles through Charlemagne's Europe maintaining some kind of external order, at least. That's all he has to offer to the world, of course, because there is nothing inside the shell. Don't you know people like that?

Then in "The Cloven Viscount," a parable in an ethical style, Calvino splits a person in two and takes the reader on the journey of exploring all the ramifications of that fissure.

I believe these could be taught in a philosophy course, a literature course, read at the bedside with junior, and taken to the beach for summer reading, and an easy book to talk about at a dinner party or in a book group.

Calvino rarely, if ever, disappoints. This book includes two early stories, both of which have everything you would expect from Calvino: surrealism, wisdom, fabulism, and poignancy derived from bizarre and unexpected sources. Reading them is a unique experience, much like reading anything Calvino has written; these stories, being earlier works, are slightly more conventional (for Calvino) in that they follow a plot line and a story unfolds linearly (contrasted with later works such as "Invisible Cities" or "Cosmicomics" where there's a story, but not in a completely conventional sense).

"The Nonexistent Knight" is about just that: a knight in Charlemagne's army who doesn't exist, but "inhabits" an empty suit of armor. The knight, Agilulf, is an exemplar of chivalry, and annoys almost everyone. When the validity of his knighthood is brought into question, a great chase ensues between the main characters of the story, which, when the smoke clears, culminates in a "confession" of the narrator. The story's mood is a strangely profound tongue-in-cheek. It is moving, funny, and intense.

"The Cloven Viscount", by contrast, is a harsh and violent story that includes enough whimsy to keep it from sinking into a hopelessly depressing tale. After the mostly upbeat feel of "The Nonexistent Knight" the brutal imagery of this story is shocking. The story involves a Viscount who is in fact cloven, that is, literally cloven in two by a Turkish cannon. He is not only cloven physically, but in other more interesting ways. The implications this story presents are numerous and incredibly thought-provoking. When the two halves of the Viscount occupy the same town, the feelings of the townsfolk are summed up in this brilliant passage: "...our sensibilities became numbed, since we felt ourselves lost between an evil and a virtue equally inhuman."

This short book is another incredible example of the writing of Italo Calvino. It may not be his absolute best work, but even Calvino at his worst makes for engaging and unforgettable reading. His stories defy description and stretch the boundaries of literature beyond what is usually expected. After reading one of his books, you just want to read more.

La historia es imaginativa, creativa y tiene la cualidad de transportar al lector a aquellos parajes solitarios de Chile, a viajar por el mundo del viejo continente, caminar entre los olores y el tumulto en Chinatown, a encerrarse en los silencios del campo y de los andes, a trasladarse a la época de finales del siglo 19 y a vivir cada uno de los pasajes de esta historia llena de gracia y añoranza. Aunque quiero aclarar que para mi preferencia Eliza Sommers debio seguir siendo el personaje principal de la historia y hacerse más incapié en su vida, Eliza Sommers tiene más cualidades de heroína, que la misma Paulina del Valle. De todas formas e independientemente del cambio en la historia, en este libro se demuestra una vez más la gran capacidad narrativa de la autora, su imaginación sin límites y su audacía, especialmente en la caracterización de sus personajes femeninos llenos de fuerza, independencia, sobriedad y altanería...

Esta novela es parte de la triología que completan La Casa de los Espíritus y La Hija de la Fortuna. Realmente es otro ejemplo de la narrativa fácil y a la vez entretenida de Isabel Allende. Aunque no llega a ser una historia tan rica y completa como La Casa de los Espíritus, y en ciertos pasajes puede llegar a ser repetitiva de dicha novela, Retrato en Sepia cumple con absorber completamente al lector en una fascinante historia con personajes muy reales.

Esta es la primera novela que leo
de la escritora Isabel Allende, me
parecio una obra genial, la manera
y el estilo de Allende son tan originales
que me dejan sin aliento y sin nada
mas que agregar,lo unico que se puede
decir es que la lean.