"The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter." —Mark Twain
“In Paris, the evenings of September are sometimes warm, excessively gentle, and, in the magic particular to that city, irresistibly seductive. The autumn of the year 1938 began in just such weather and on the terraces of the best cafes, in the famous restaurants, at the dinner parties one wished to attend, the conversation was, […]
You Can’t Read That! is a periodic post featuring banned book reviews and news roundups. The 30th annual Banned Books Week (September 30-October 6) dominates the news this month. In the leadup to BBW, the American Library Association offers an interactive timeline covering 30 years of book banning attempts in the United States. Nice Banned […]
“I spend the months following my grandfather’s death cycling through a purgatory of beige waiting rooms and anonymous offices, analyzed and interviewed, talked about just out of earshot, nodding when spoken to, repeating myself, the object of a thousand pitying glances and knitted brows. My parents treated me like a breakable heirloom, afraid to fight […]
“Now, as Ross runs up the engines, I remove the safety pin from the gear lever. I watch Ross anxiously. I am pathetically eager to perform my co-pilot’s duties quickly and efficiently. As he shoves the throttles forward and we start down the runway, I place my hand ready on the gear lever. I feel […]
“The Drowned Cities hadn’t always been broken. People broke it. First they called people traitors and said they didn’t belong. Said these people were good and those people were evil, and it kept going, because people always responded, and pretty soon the place was a roaring hell because no one took responsibility for what they […]
Arizona: Tucson Unified School District is still in damage control mode, denying that it banned any books. But the story’s out of the box … unlike the books TUSD rounded up and put in boxes labeled “banned books.” Banned books, cancelled classes, fired teachers — when anti-intellectuals who hold learning and scholarship in contempt take […]
Home again, winding down from the elevated level of tension that comes with staying alert while driving long distances and dealing with traffic. How much distance? About 2,500 miles. How much traffic? Be glad you don’t live or work in Los Angeles. Yes, we were there, and yes, it’s that bad. It’s that bad in […]
You Can’t Read That! is a periodic post featuring banned book reviews and news roundups. Arizona: Here’s a good summary of the prejudices and fears behind Arizona’s ethnic studies ban and the removal of certain books from Tucson high school classes. Elsewhere: “I know up on top you are seeing great sights, but down here […]