When Julian Barnes writes about losing his wife to a brain tumor, he writes instead about the adventures of 18th and 19th century balloonists. It makes for the most unusual kind of memoir -- and it highlights how truly difficult it is to express what we're feeling when one of our loved ones dies. The … Continue reading Books of death: new in bookstores
Category: Book reviews
Tolkien’s household and poetic places
FAMILY MATTERS: Andrew O'Hehir gives a nice overview of Tolkien's "The Fall of Arthur" in the pages of the New York Times that only stumbles at the very end. A couple of reasons why Tolkien abandoned that poem, which his son Christopher notes in the new book, involved the pressures of work and his family. … Continue reading Tolkien’s household and poetic places
Angels, Neruda, Odom’s poetry and more: a roundup
Coming soon: What begins Michael Odom's book of poetry "Strutting Attracting Snapping" isn't a poem... it's a picture. A sheet of grid paper with a maze written in pencil. The maze has a "Start" and a "Finish" and a lot of twists and meaningful detours in between... and it's much like the experience of reading … Continue reading Angels, Neruda, Odom’s poetry and more: a roundup
Nick Owchar 
You must be logged in to post a comment.