My heart broke when I came across the story about Adrienne Rich’s passing. She was an amazing women, artist, and poet. In honor of her many accomplishments and contributions to the world of poetry, this weekend will be all about her.
Please enjoy the below videos of some of her poetry being read aloud:
What are some of your favorite Adrienne Rich poems?
Filed under Adrienne Rich, American Poetry, Poetry
It’s time for a weekly round-up of some of the stuff that is happening in the world of books! Enjoy!
Adrienne Rich
Title: The Covenant (Book #1 – Abram’s Daughters)
Author: Beverly Lewis
Length: 320 pages
Ehhh…. kind of slow-paced
Ever since I first learned about the Amish community, I have been fascinated. Pair this with the fact that, for some reason or another, the covers of the Abram’s Daughters have always been appealing to me. And, as I’ve mentioned in the past, I am guilty of judging books by their covers. So, on my last trip to the library, I wanted to pick out a book in addition to The Stepford Wives and stumbled across the first book in the series!
Book 1 of Abram’s Daughters series from bestselling author Beverly Lewis. Years of secrecy bind the tiny community of Gobbler’s Knob together more than the present inhabitants know, and the Plain folk who farm the land rarely interact with the fancy locals. So when Sadie is beguiled by a dark-haired English boy, it is Sadie’s younger sister, Leah, who suffers from her sister’s shameful loss of innocence. And what of Leah’s sweetheart, Jonas Mast, sent to Ohio under the Bishop’s command? Drawn into an incomprehensible pact with her older sister, Leah finds her dreams spinning out of control, even as she clings desperately to the promises of God. The Covenant begins a powerful Lancaster portrait of the power of family and the miracle of hope.
First, I will say that I am both proud and happy that I powered through this book to the end. The story is very slow-paced and the majority of the first 150 pages or so feel more like a lesson on the daily lives of the Amish more-so than the beginning of a riveting fictional tale. But, as I said, I’m fascinated by Amish culture and was determined to not abandon this book halfway through.
My perseverance paid off the closer I neared the end – the pace picked up, MAJOR drama unfolded, and there was even a little bit of romance sprinkled in there. The story leaves off at the perfect time for leaving the reader wanting to leap into the second installment. Yes, in fact, the last half of the book makes you forget just how slow the beginning was. THAT much happens.
While I will hold off a few months or so before getting started on the second book, I’ll definitely give it a try. I foresee enjoying it, especially if the pace mirrors the second half of The Covenant and not the first half.
The Covenant on Amazon.
Filed under Abram's Daughters, Beverly Lewis, Books, Fiction, Series, Women Writers
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…
Oh, The Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Suess
GO and catch a falling star,
Get with child a mandrake root,
Tell me where all past years are,
Or who cleft the devil’s foot,
Teach me to hear mermaids singing,
Or to keep off envy’s stinging,
And find
What wind
Serves to advance an honest mind.
If thou be’st born to strange sights,
Things invisible to see,
Ride ten thousand days and nights,
Till age snow white hairs on thee,
Thou, when thou return’st, wilt tell me,
All strange wonders that befell thee,
And swear,
No where
Lives a woman true and fair.
If thou find’st one, let me know,
Such a pilgrimage were sweet;
Yet do not, I would not go,
Though at next door we might meet,
Though she were true, when you met her,
And last, till you write your letter,
Yet she
Will be
False, ere I come, to two, or three.
Read (in a perfect-for-poetry-voice) by Richard Burton:
Filed under John Donne, Poetry
macerate – verb (used with object)
Filed under Definitions, Friday Word
Thank you to Stephanie at Misprinted Pages for nominating me for this award! ALSO, I know that many months ago Becoming Madame nominated me, as well, only I didn’t discover until quite recently that there are some things that I’m supposed to do after being nominated. So, my apologies for the obscene delay, Becoming Madame!
Both of these ladies maintain very impressive blogs, so I’m beyond honored that they read and follow mine… and enjoy it enough to nominate me for this award. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
The rules:
Seven factoids about me:
Awesome blogs that I love (in no particular order):
I’ll be making my “HEY! I love your blog!” comments over the weekend, but, in the meantime, I highly recommend scoping out all of the above blogs. Most of them are book related, but there are a few in there that are not. Expand your mind! And thank you, again!
Filed under 2012
A weekly round-up of stories, reviews, lists, and, well, anything about books, words, and literature! Enjoy! AND if you’d like me to cover anything that you post on your own blog, please feel free to reach out to me at: nootherappetite@gmail.com
Title: The Stepford Wives
Author: Ira Levin
Length: 144 pages
Creepy and amazing!
The beautiful weather got me wanting to escape the confines of the office building last week, so I took one day and went over to the library. My “adventure” actually allowed me to walk away with not one, but TWO, books to give me a good amount of fiction between non-fiction titles.
The first book that I dove into was The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin. A title that I have wanted to read for quite some time — also, a movie that I have never watched, but it’s always sorta kinda been on the list “to see”. The first thing about this book that is impossible not to notice is that it’s short – there are no extra, flowery descriptions between its covers and that’s just fine with me.
The description:
For Joanna, her husband, Walter, and their children, the move to beautiful Stepford seems almost too good to be true. It is. For behind the town’s idyllic facade lies a terrible secret — a secret so shattering that no one who encounters it will ever be the same.
At once a masterpiece of psychological suspense and a savage commentary on a media-driven society that values the pursuit of youth and beauty at all costs, The Stepford Wives is a novel so frightening in its final implications that the title itself has earned a place in the American lexicon.
Paired with the Simone de Beauvoir quote preceding the tale:
Today the combat takes a different shape; instead of wishing to put a man in a prison, woman endeavors to escape from one; she no longer seeks to drag him into the realms of immanence but to emerge, herself, into the light of transcendence. Now the attitude of the males creates a new conflict: it is with a bad grace that the man lets her go.
Made me realize that the time had come for me to finally dive into this.
Despite being a quick read, the story, the characters, and the eerie events of Stepford will stick with you. It’s almost a week later and I’m still thinking about Joanna and the other towns women who seemed to once have so much spark, creativity, and will. All of that was stolen away by the men in town who would prefer to have perky, flawless, unthinking cleaning machines to come home to.
And, despite knowing what’s coming, each of the women walk straight into their complete loss of self – with some kicking, screaming, and fight – but, nonetheless, when it comes down to the end, each of them winds up going past the point of no return.
Prior to reading The Stepford Wives, I had no idea who Ira Levin was. However, now I will definitely seek out some of his other titles (including Rosemary’s Baby) and, quite probably, write about them on here.
Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi - Bilinmiyor
Every object, every being
is a jar full of delight.
Rumi
No Other Appetite 