Mindy Withrow

Clippings 14: celebratory links

My apologies for the radio silence, friends.  The last two weeks have been full of celebratory events: my birthday, a niece’s birthday, a nephew’s birthday, the finalization of a family adoption that has had our hearts in our throats for nearly a year (finally!), another peaceful transition of presidential power here in the US…  I’ve been reading all along, of course, but with no time to report on any of it to you.  But I now have a few reviews lined up, so we will have some more good book talk soon.  

Speaking of the inauguration, I was grateful that the president chose to highlight his big day with the inclusion of original poetry. I wasn’t as impressed by Elizabeth Alexander’s reading as I had expected to be, but looking up the text of “Praise Song for the Day” afterwards, I discovered the piece has quite a bit to recommend it.  Among her sharp observations I like are this one: “We encounter each other in words, words spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed; words to consider, reconsider.”  Read the full text here, and if you’re interested in more info, check out her bio at Poets & Writers.

Came across this review today and immediately wondered:  where have I been?  A medieval nun (who happens to be the grand-niece of Geoffrey Chaucer!) has been solving mysteries for years and I haven’t been following her work?  So now all 17 of Margaret Frazer’s Dame Frevisse novels have leaped onto the TBR list.  If you aren’t familiar with these, do read the intriguing review (and sample chapters of some of the books are available here); and if you have read them, I’d love to know what you think of this sleuth who prays the daily offices.

Like I said, despite all the distracting events of late, I’ve been whipping through my reading stack.  I have now finished the first four of Susan Howatch’s Starbridge novels; I’m ready to start #5, but apparently it’s out of print and none of my fellow Bookmoochers have a copy (I already have the sixth and final one, but I CANNOT read them out of sequence.)  I am almost finished with a review copy of Lily Koppel’s unusual The Red Leather Diary, with plans to to comment on it soon.  I am still deep in the beginnings of research for my new book project, which includes slogging through a number of antebellum manuscripts.  And on my occasional visits to Barnes & Noble, I am reading through Wangari Maathai’s memoir Unbowed, which is quite interesting.  So a good variety of stuff has been churning in my brain.  

What are you all reading (in print or online) this week?

27. January 2009 by Mindy
Categories: Clippings, Currently reading, Poetry, Your turn | 1 comment