The marriage of Celestial and Roy is mediated by bars: prison bars. They are a young black couple who is torn apart when Roy is falsely accused of rape (Celestial was with him when it was supposed to have happened) and he is sentenced to 12 years in prison. After he is incarcerated (a very... Continue Reading →
“The older you get, the less courage you have.” —William Keepers Maxwell I am in love with Maxwell’s writing. They Came Like Swallows (1937) is a reread for me. (And many thanks to my good friend Toni for introducing me to this lovely novel.) So Long, See You Tomorrow (1979) is a new read for me.... Continue Reading →
At the end of each year, many of us reflect on who we are what we did and what goals we may have for the future. I don't tend to set new goals at the start of a new year. I'm not sure why. My life is pretty goal-oriented, so I feel like I just... Continue Reading →
I’ve always thought that Zelda Fitzgerald, wife of American author F. Scott Fitzgerald, was crazy. In a bad way. I dismissed her and often thought negatively of her. This point of view is usually reinforced by what I’ve read about her, mostly fictional appearances, like in The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. But thanks to... Continue Reading →
Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad (2016) tricked me for a moment. It portrays the famous underground railroad, a network of abolitionists and volunteers who helped slaves escape the south and head north in nineteenth century America, as an actual railroad with trains and tunnels. I thought that I had somehow missed something in history classes,... Continue Reading →
I began this novel with a sigh. After reading the first few pages, I thought, “Not another novel written from a female perspective that is all about how important her husband is.” I wanted to read something about an actual wife, not a wife just telling us about her husband. Well, it turned out that... Continue Reading →
American Housewife (2016), a collection of short stories by Helen Ellis, is the Literary Wives bloggers' pick for this month. It is witty, poignant, hilarious, dark, timely, and accessible. Please see more of the Literary Wives discussion at the following blogs. Naomi of Consumed by Ink Kay of What Me Read Lynn of Smoke & Mirrors Ariel of One... Continue Reading →
My friend Amy has been telling me to read Siri Hustvedt for about two years now. I finally borrowed her copy of What I Loved (2003). I borrowed it on a Friday afternoon and by Monday morning I had finished it. I could not put it down. It isn’t a thriller. Yet there are some... Continue Reading →
I saw this in Salt Lake City last week. It is my new favorite bumpersticker. And I have a feeling that the driver and I would be great friends. If you haven't read John Steinbeck, you should. Check out my past posts on Pastures in Heaven, East of Eden, and The Grapes of Wrath. I have... Continue Reading →
This academic study called Our Sister Editors: Sarah J. Hale and the Tradition of Nineteenth-Century American Women Editors (1995) contains historical, cultural, composition, literacy, and rhetorical elements of the nineteenth century. Patricia Okker's research in this book gave me insight into how to approach research on a periodical that was published in Utah from 1872... Continue Reading →
The Bookshelf of Emily J. 