C.J. and I visited Los Angeles this past week to see the James Kerry Marshall retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art, the same show we saw last summer in Chicago. We’ve become big fans of Mr. Marshall’s work. It was a mad-cap three-day trip–drive down, day in L.A. and drive home–but we managed to visit three bookstores while we were there. We stayed in … Continue reading Sunday Ramble: Travels, Art and Jane Austen Challenge
Visited the local Friends of the Library book sale yesterday, in the rain, where C.J. and I managed to spend much more than we intended. He got several art books and a couple of books full of house plans while I nearly completed my Jane Austen collection. Can you name the book I still have to find. I’ve decided it’s a good time to re-read all … Continue reading Sunday Ramble and Two Books I Didn’t Like. Sorry.
For many years now, I have taught Daoism as part of my 7th grade history unit on China. I wish I could call back my previous classes and correct all the mistakes and misrepresentations I have made over the years. Fortunately, what 7th graders take away from a lesson on Daoism isn’t all that deep, so I probably haven’t done much damage. Still. It’s symptomatic … Continue reading Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu Translated by D.C. Lau
Willaim Sloane’s novel To Walk the Night is the first of two featured in the NYRB edition The Rim of Morning; Two Tales of Cosmic Horror with an introduction by Stephen King. It’s a perfect little read for a dark and stormy night. Mr. Sloane takes his time. As Mr. King says in his introduction things have to simmer before they can boil. Simmer they do. To Walk … Continue reading To Walk the Night by William Sloane
Usually, I make it my policy not to correct people on Facebook, though there are many people who are frankly wrong out there. Except for the occasional stray bit of punctuation, and spelling “a lot” as a single word, I make it my policy to let things slide. Though many people want to make the world a better place through linking, I believe sites like … Continue reading Sunday Salon: I Trolled Someone On Facebook And I Liked It.
I admit, I feel quite pleased with myself for understanding so much of Lao She’s 1932 satire Cat Country. Consider that most of my knowledge of late 19th/early 20th century China comes from movies, The Last Emperor in particular, and a couple of books, Boxers and Saints and The Painted Veil to name most of them. A few teacher seminars over the years. I did pretty well recognizing just what … Continue reading Cat Country by Lao She
The Art of War by Sun Tzu has been heralded as the book everyone in both the military and the business world should read. Adopt the principles of Sun Tzu and you will always win, or so we are told. Some even suggest it will help the average person with daily life. I bring neither experience as a soldier nor as a business person to the … Continue reading The Art of War by Sun Tzu
May Contain Spoilers 