Monthly Archives: August 2016

Lagniappe

Posted on August 31, 2016 by

Stitcher is a website that features podcast series.  One of them is Footnoting History.  The podcasts in this series, which vary in length, include “The Rise of the British Spy Novel,” “Sherlock Holmes in Popular Culture,” and “The Eleven Lost … Continue reading →

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Readings I’ve Enjoyed

Posted on August 29, 2016 by

One of the most beautifully constructed short stories I’ve ever read is “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl.  I don’t want to tell you anything about it (just in case you’ve never read it before), but I assure you … Continue reading →

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Talking About Books . . .

Posted on August 22, 2016 by

We recently discussed Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart in my Reading the Classics book club.  In it Achebe tells the story of a Nigerian indigenous society from the point of view of its members, and then describes what happens when … Continue reading →

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Words at Play

Posted on August 16, 2016 by

A portmanteau is a suitcase that opens into two compartments.  In another sense a portmanteau is a word made up of two words joined together.  And finally, the word portmanteau is itself a portmanteau – being constructed from the French … Continue reading →

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Ten Days in a Mad-House

Posted on August 11, 2016 by

I first heard of Nellie Bly many, many years ago when I listened to Jimmie Rodgers’ version of “Frankie and Johnny” (composer and lyricist unknown).  The song tells the story of a woman, Frankie, and her unfaithful lover, Johnny.  Frankie … Continue reading →

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Quotes of Note

Posted on August 5, 2016 by

“They would ask me what actors I saw in the roles.  I would tell them, and they’d say ‘Oh that’s interesting.’ And that would be the end of it.” – Elmore Leonard on his experience with movie makers planning to … Continue reading →

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Who Narrates Audio Books?

Posted on August 2, 2016 by

A few months ago I wanted to listen to Charles Dickens’ novel The Old Curiosity Shop.  I went to Librovox, the website where volunteer-produced recordings of books in the public domain are available for free, and found two complete recordings … Continue reading →

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