Life in Kana-text (er… CONtext)
I'm re-reading Robert B. Parker's 'Spenser' novels, stories narrated by a wise-cracking Boston private eye. Parker is long gone, but the series has been continued by writers appointed by his sons, and I continue to enjoy them. One of the things I've always liked about the Spenser novels was how he described people---and specifically, how … Continue reading Spenser “With an ‘S,’ Like the Poet”
I've always been drawn to the aesthetic of collage, and my office door in our house is a perfect example. Actually, two examples---the door to the room that used to be my office (now our guest room) is entirely collaged with stickers about books and reading and travel and ocean and prayer, with some photos … Continue reading Wall of Heroes
I've been undecided as to whether I should begin with or finish with this author's age. Because here's the thing: his writing is GOOD. No qualifiers needed, this guy writes well. And what makes it all the more extraordinary (ah, I've made up my mind) is that he's only fourteen years old. The reason I … Continue reading A Virtual Sit-Down with Author Keshav Porwal
Journal entry from December of the year 2000: I'm about to embark on a week-long sailing trip, and I'm agonizing over what book I feel like taking. It has to "fit the mood," it has to have at least the possibility of sparking poetry-writing... and it has to last the week. Correction: It has to … Continue reading Welcome to the Future
Usually, when you read a book, it's easy to tell how far along you are, and how much you have left. Not so with Dan Beachy-Quick's A Whaler's Dictionary---at least, not if you follow its instructions. Usually, when you read a book, you don't need instructions, but this one comes with a "How to Use … Continue reading A Virtual Sit-Down with Author Dan Beachy-Quick
WordPress used to have a widget I loved. I love maps in any case---I'm a certifiable cartophile, and this map I loved in particular. A blogger could put this widget on the side of the page, and its map showed all the countries in which the blog had been read. SO cool. I can still … Continue reading The Lost Map
I used to hate poetry. Really hate it. Like its-existence-made-me-angry hated it. So you'll laugh when I tell you I have a Master's degree in Creative Writing, Poetry. How was that turn-around effected? Two words, from my undergrad years. Walt Whitman. I had a flashback to my old way of thinking, recently, when I bought … Continue reading Poetry Ambush
Kana's Chronicles 