literature

I picked up this book yesterday and have not put it down since! In is a wonderful collection of personal stories, historical tid bits, poems, articles, etc, about Black peoples and how we relate to our hair. I'm 'happily nappy' myself, and it's great just to be able to read some candid stories about my people and our feelings and struggles with our hair. There is a wonderful story about the first woman to go natural at Hampton University that mad me proud and want to cry at the same time; a story about a father who had to learn to braid his daughter's hair that mad me laugh out loud; a woman talking about why she loves her permed hair; Black women, their hair and sex, etc, etc. Whether or not you're natural, permed, texturized, sporting a wig, weave - whatever, this book is a must!!

Hang on to our horse hair, 100% human hair, relaxed, natural, dreadlocked or hot combed tresses. It's time to get down to the nappy truth about all the pros and cons of black hair. Harris and Johnson's "comb-bending collection" is a tell-it-like-it-is compilation of essays which give insight into what we and others think about it, the history behind our hair, and how it affects our lives...

In a society where European-style beauty still dominates, black women and men have had to deal with the fact that their hair is often quite different than the "ideal." We have, for this reason, struggled with our own self-esteem, questioned our beauty and ultimately, found ourselves fighting internalized racism... It is seen when we give special attention to the cute, little black girl with long, wavy hair, over the cute, little black girl with short, "nappy" hair....

The editors look at all varieties of black hair from a sociological and anthropological point of view, combing through how the hearts and minds of our diverse community feel and think about it....

An opinion held by one of the essayists is that relaxed hair is a survival strategy. It is not the pursuit of white beauty, but the pursuit of white power - the power that goes along with having these accepted white characteristics. There is even an essay written by a white woman who expresses her love of black hair and the hurt she felt in realizing that her young black friends were ashamed of their hair.

The book is comprised of diverse ideas including anecdotes reminiscent of African folktales and tidbits of information, like a "Love Drawing Spell to attract the guy/girl you've got your eye on - using his or your own hair"...

Readers will be moved to feel and think, as the book brings buried sentiments to the surface... Althia Gamble

This is a very unique book. I have to say I LOVED IT! My being a young black woman, all the stories hit close to home. This book gave a non-bias look at black women's hair, and black culture all around the world including here in America. It gave many view points, from men women, blacks and even whites. I recommed this book to anyone who is confused about their hair and themselves. Nappy is defiantly Happy!!!! Peace.

It would be foolish not to consider all readers of Borges to be students of Borges. Thus, those fortunate enough to find this book can't help but to glean yet more from the labyrinthine mind of one of the century's great thinkers. These five lectures find Borges in his usual vein: the self-effacing, charming, owlish raconteur. His lectures never betray the rigid pedantry of academia, but rather a great, informal tour through literature, philosophy, religion, semiotics, poetics, intertextuality. A former student of Dr. Mihailescu, I was given an advance copy of the book in the summer. Unsurprisingly, I found his elegant, trenchant edit does great service to a fine work. A must.

An otherworldly snapshot of Jorge Luis Borges, head tilted upward from the lectern with his mouth caught in motion, graces the cover of the slim volume, "This Craft of Verse" (Charles Eliot Norton Lectures). Once in hand, this book is difficult to ignore. Aside from his generous citations of poets, from Homer to Virgil to Coleridge to Keats to Whitman, Borges delivers his received wisdom, distilled from his years of writing. Any one of several passages taken from these five lectures, which have been skillfully edited by Professor Calin-Andrei Mihailescu, is well worth the price of admission. An example: "What does being a writer mean to me? It means simply being true to my imagination" (113).

Borges dissembles as he describes the poetic process. He cleverly tells the audience that perhaps they know more than he does about this subject. Yet his apparent humility before the genius of Homer seems authentic. Further, he proffers lines from Frost and Byron to illustrate the power of metaphor: sleep and night--are they "words" or do they connect to one of the twelve patterns in our collective imagination? For Borges, "Words are symbols for shared memories" (137).

When Borges says (after Whistler) that "Art happens every time we read a poem," (6) he means to tell us that it is okay to live with the mystery, that we don't need to "tinker" with our poetry to make it "right." What we must do is to be faithful to the dream from which the words came. The magic is in the words; thus "the first reading of a poem is a true one" (6). Such good advice from the master abounds--one can hear him speak through the text. (A CD is forthcoming.)

Highly recommended to struggling writers and readers of poetry! This book would be excellent for use in a poetry workshop as an antidote to poison of critical choruses. One does not have to be a disciple of Borges to appreciate these lost but now found lectures.

I am not sure whether we learn much about the CRAFT of verse from these lectures. But one thing that we do learn from Borges is what a pleasure it is to be able to find beauty in poetry (and prose). Borges was an amazing man - he was almost seventy when he delivered these six lectures, and he did it without the help of notes since his poor eyesight made it impossible for him to read.

For Borges, poetry is essentially undefinable. It flows like Heraklit's river - the meaning of words shifts with time, and readers' appreciation changes over the years. Poetry as he understands it is a riddle because it is beyond rational understanding; it is 'true' in a higher (magical) sense. And what is true in a higher sense remains unfathomable, a riddle: "we KNOW what poetry is. We know it so well that we cannot define it in other words, even as we cannot define the taste of coffee, the color red or yellow, or the meaning of anger, of love, of hatred, of the sunrise, of the sunset, or of our love for our country. These things are so deep in us that they can be expressed only by those common symbols that we share. So why should we need other words [to define what poetry is]?"(18)

Metaphors, according to Borges, are the core of poetry, closer to the magic source of words than any other artistic means of expression. Metaphors are so powerful because for him "anything suggested is far more effective than anything laid down. Perhaps the human mind has a tendency to deny a statement. Remember what Emerson said: arguments convince nobody. They convince nobody because they are presented as arguments."(31)

My favorite lecture is the fourth, 'Word-Music and Translation.' It is a real gem. I will not quote Borges on how word-music can be rendered in translation; just a short quote to illustrate how magnificently language can be translated by an inspired translator of genius. When Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century translated 'ars longa, vita brevis,' (art is long, life is short) he chose a stunning interpretation with 'the lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.' Borges comments that here we get "not only the statement but also the very music of wistfulness. We can see that the poet is not merely thinking of the arduous art and of the brevity of life; he is also feeling it. This is given by the apparently invisible, inaudible keyword - the word 'so.' 'The lyf SO short, the craft SO long to lerne.'"(62) One small word, and it makes all the difference.

And since I prefer translations true to the spirit over translations true to the letter, I was pleased to learn from Borges that all through the Middle Ages, people thought of translation not in terms of a literal rendering but in terms of something being re-created.

I do believe that these lectures speak of the wisdom of Borges; not in spite of, but because of the contradictions in the text. Here we meet a man in full; a man who stresses the irrational in poetry and the immediacy of experiencing it, yet proves by his own example how the experience of poetry grows with the plain, rational knowledge about poetry that we gather over the years. Borges is also a man who lives in literature. He finds new beauty in poetry because he continues to change every day. And this is perhaps the most inspiring message of his lectures: people who continue to enjoy changing with the new things they learn 'turn not older with years, but newer every day,' as Emily Dickinson phrased it.

This is absolutely the most precious book. All the craft ideas use items that are easy to find. And the projects are not only easy to make, but a lot of fun. Definitely recommended.

A savvy friend gave this book to me after discovering that I'd found a Barbie Doll that looked like me (mortifyingly enough, in my mid-twenties). I opened this little hardcover/spiral combo and gasped aloud--exquisite little how-to's on oft-neglected areas of dollhouse fun...a Twister board, a Christmas Tree, flowerpots, wedding cake, croquet, team pennants... Some conceivably Barbie-sized, and many more traditionally dollhouse-sized, like the ballet tableau and the tiny bathtub scene. (There's definitely a scalable quality to the crafts, either way). Best yet, you're not paying $20 a pop in a toy store to have impersonal pink-&-purple logo-labelled uberfeminized fluff. Instead, the book gives you 21 little projects to create with common household/hobby items, and causes you to gaze speculatively at your old tinkertoys, wondering where your glue and paints are.

I highly recommend this for a creative doll-oriented child, and the whimsical adult (who knows better, but starts building a Barbie condo on the pantry shelves).

This book is very cute and creative. Now alot of girls are building little house for little toys like keychains and those kind of things. This book helps them make beds and and lamps etc. This shows them how.

My sisters and I adored this wonderful book when we were kids. I read my dilapidated copy to my own children and wish it was still in print so I could give copies to all the kids I love. It's a wonderful story about a little girl who suddenly gains the power to read minds. She goes on a quiz show to get the money to save a favorite park in her community -- she can "hear" the answers. But of course nothing turns out exactly the way it was supposed to, and of course there is a very happy ending. One of the nicest things about this book is its lesson that we cannot read minds, but we can hear the thoughts and wishes of people we care about if we listen with our hearts. This is a little dated but a lot of fun, and very wise.

i read this book when i was in the 3rd or 4th grade and i still remember it. I now have 2 children of my own and have been searching for this bok for a long time so they could also enjoy it. the book is very good for children and i would consider it to be a must read will make a great book for a summer reading list.

I am nine years old and I just read this book on a long car ride. It was so good I did nothing but read on the whole car ride. I liked Jenny because she was brave and she didn't give up on getting something that was really hard to get.

This is one of the first books I can remember buying as a young girl. I am now 28 years old, and the book is still on my shelf. I will keep it forever, and hopefully pass it on to another young horse lover someday. It is beautifully illustrated and well written. I only wish for a sequel or more information about Vivi or her family and their love of riding.

I used to check this book out of the library every couple of weeks when I was a horse crazed little girl. I wanted to be Vivi Malloy so much when I was young, and I dreamed of being as lucky as she was (she was one lucky kid too!), imagine: parents that support your horse hobby! A cool older sister who rode at the Garden! A new pony every couple of years! I stared and stared at the pictures, and I envied her world so much. Twenty three years later, I still love this book, and would recommend it to all little girls in that phase of "horse love" to whom flying over fences at the Olympics seems downright possible even if all they do is an occasional lesson on a faithful old schoolhorse. This book is also great for us older folks (I'm 33) who remember being Vivi's age in the late 70's, going to horse shows (not quite at her high level though!) in those rust colored britches and check jackets! The only items in the photos that appear dated are the "street clothes" of some of the people, the riding clothes are not really much different today, horses certainly don't look different! The content of the book is not dated at all. I have always wondered what happened to Vivi and Debby also, glad to hear (from another reviewer) that they are still riding! If you are lucky enough to find a copy of this book, buy it. It may be 23 years old, but I bet there are still plenty of girls who would love tangible proof that their pony fantasies can be reality.

As a young horse owner and rider myself - I absolutely adored this book as a young girl. So much so that I actually wrote to Vivi Malloy (how I figured out where to send the letter I can't remember!!) and was THRILLED when she wrote back! I still have my book and cannot wait to pass it along to my baby girl when she is older.

All of the Very Young books are the best - it's a shame they are out of print. I'm so glad that I still have 3 of them!

Bert Ghezzi makes saints interesting. He introduces us to 365 saintly men and women as if they were old friends of his that he wants us to meet. He not only writes about saints with clarity and flashes of humor, he also allows them to speak to us in their own words. Various indexes and cross reference systems make his book even more reader friendly. Voices of the Saints is a marvelous achievement, and I expect that it will be THE book on saints for many years to come.

With gentle wit and solid scholarship, Bert Ghezzi presents 365 of his favorite "friends" whose lives and teachings are still relevant to us today. The two-page-per-saint format offers enough information to give us a personal glimpse into the lives of these holy men and women. And the author offers several ways to read the book -- straight through, chronologically (according to when the saint lived), or according to feast days. Keys at the bottom of the page indicate where readers should turn next. Worth every penny of the cover price!

Every time I open this book I learn about someone new. If I may quote Saint Valerian. "If you desire to see God," he said, "seek out the beggar, receive the pilgrim, visit the sick, hasten to the prison." This is just one of the many great quotes in the book. I have recommended this book to my friends. It is hands down one of the best books I've ever read. Thank You Mr. Ghezzi for this wonderful book.

Ed Two-River's book Survivor's Medicine is an important contribution to the literary world both for Indians and non-Indians. The stories unfold to present a fresh perspective on the human condition in general, and the reality of American Indians specifically. As an educator, the collection of stories explores a spectrum of issues and themes that makes it a dynamic book for teaching in the classroom. Each story broadens the reader's perspective about the reality of American Indians' experience today and challenges the reader to consider and question his or her own perceptions. It grapples with history, politics, and culture in a way that is accessible and poignant to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Survivor's Medicine can be used with students of all academic abilities. The story "Slow Walker: Hero of the Mud Flats Battle" which tells the story of childhood lessons and lifelong memories fought out in the bush in Canada, can be read to a third grade classroom or in a college literature class. I highly recommend this book for educators at all levels and encourage Native educators across the country to use this book with their students. Mr. Two-Rivers is a wonderful and rare role model for young Indians today. I anxiously await his next book.

Surviving.... that's what this book is about. That's what bein Indian is about! Mr. Two-Rivers has pinned the tail on the donkey with this book. He offers a true, honest and reflective insight into real Indian life. Using his own life stories of survival, he weaves a story of Indian experience like a master. The reader will laugh, cry and steam, and come away with a new perspective and understanding of what it means to grow up Indian in America. Miigwetch (Thank you) to E. Donald Two-Rivers for surviving. And for telling us about his 'Survivors Medicine'....

I have thoroughly enjoyed this book that brings back fond memories of my own Ojibwe upbringing. Two Rivers writes with a style that is raw and true to his Anishinaabe people. Gchi Migwetch Eddie!

What a fabulous book, we love it!!! The author of this book visited my sons school and gave a great presentation on this book to the students. I ordered a copy of the book because as both an educator and a mother it seemed like a great idea and fascinated me. I was not disappointed when the book came home, I looked through it and found it to be both detailed and easy to follow.The pictures are great and the author shows the children how to record their observations with organized charts in the book right there for them while they are out observing. There are many follow up activities with web pages to visit and ways to remain involved with birds in your own backyard so it does not have to end with the walk. This is something to get the kids outside enjoying nature once again in this largely technological world and it does not cost a lot of money, that in itself is hard to find now a-days. I think the book is great for kids of all ages as I have three kids who are 7, 8 anbd 11 and they all enjoyed it. The best part for me was that they were anxious to go talk a hike and look for all the birds we read about and see who could spot the most and be able to name them from what we had read. They did not complain about having to walk away from their Game Boys, Playstations,or T.v.'s. Anything that can do that, in my opinion, is a 5 star book.

Take A Backyard Birdwalk is a fun and informative book for all ages. If you are looking for a way to learn more about birds, finding tips to feed and spot them, or just looking for a fun way to learn about nature, this book is for you! Questions are answered and ideas are given in this backyard book. Illustrations, stories, and journal pages make this book a natural winner!

Caroline, Naperville, IL.

This book is a fun way to learn about birds. My neighbor has a bird feeder and now I can name all of the different kinds of birds I see. I especially liked writing down my notes and learning about how the different bills tell you what a bird eats! This book will help me out a lot in my outdoor education class this year...

I read this book about 4 years ago and it is still one of my favorite books. In fact I reread it at least once every year, whenever I want to return to the world of Sidonie and Kieran or if I need inspiration for my own writing. The characters are real and vulnerable and they stay in your mind long after you've finished the book. Brooks is one of my favorite authors - her talent for description and conveying immense feeling without going overboard is unmatched. It's wonderful and it makes you feel that life can be too.

This book was excellent. It made the emotions of the main character seem so realistic and captured every moment so perfectly. The summer love is so beautiful and you will never think of love the same way again after you read this book. It made me laugh and cry and I read it so fast that I couldn't believe it!! I think this is the best book I've ever read and I would enjoy seeing another sequel to the book soon!! This book was definately a 10. It had everything from the best descriptive writing to realistic emotions!! I loved it!!

This book rocks! I've read this books a million times and it's still as good as the first time i've read it. This book is about family relationships, and love. It's a really good book for mature 12 year olds and up. It's a story about a girl who becomes interested in the boy across the street. Read it and find out what happens.

Yes, you must read it. This book tells about two girls that live 100 years apart that think that life in 100 years or 100 years ago will be better than the life they lead. So, while Amber is transported back in time, Ada is transported forward in time with the help of a mysterious wishing well. Both girls must go to orphanages, as they have no family in this strange time, and both figure out that life in either time isn't what they thought it would be. Now they long for home. But they have one problem. How in the world are they going to get home?
A book filled with suspense and fantasy is the best book, in my mind. The only thing wrong with this one: the author never reveals what creature was in the well. Still, I would highly recomend this book for anyone who loves fantasy.

Unfortunately this is the only book by Peni R Griffin that I have been able to find in my library but it was well worth looking for and made me want to read more of her work. She must have done an awesome amount of research for this story, in which two girls, through the magic in a wishing well, travel to a time which they fondly imagine to be better than their own. Ada from 1891 wishes she lived a hundred years from then when women would surely have the vote and the problems of the world will have been solved, while in 1991 Amber, who has just heard her parents are divorcing, wishes she lived a hundred years ago when parents didn't get divorced and the problems of the world hadn't been invented. Fantasy is such a wonderful medium for probing and highlighting problems of today which, if written as realistic fiction, would be downright boring. Peni R Griffin gives us a wonderful read while giving us much food for thought.

Switching Well by Peni R. Griffin has two main characters. The first is twelve-year-old Ada Bauer, who lives in San Antonio, Texas, in 1891. Women in her time are not considered as important as men, and her father thinks so. Her teacher was tempted to fail her essay about a woman's rights. So she goes to the Haunted Lot and wishes in the well to live a hundred years in the future. The second main character is twelve-year-old Amber Burak, who also lives in San Antonio, but in 1991. Her parents are thinking about getting divorced, and she seems to be the last to know. She, too, goes to the Haunted Lot and wishes in the well that she lived a hundred years in the past. Ada and Amber switch places and are completely confused in their new lives. They try to wish themselves back home, but it doesn't work. The longer they stay a hundred years away, they wonder if they will ever be able to get home.