I am, as many of you know, a Kate Chopin fan and I therefore tend to keep an eye out for her in the Library of America's (LOA) Story of the Week program. "After the winter", one of her earlier works, was an LOA story in April and so here I am for the fourth time … Continue reading Kate Chopin, After the winter (Review)
Library of America
Elia Kazan, Audience tomorrow: Preview in New Guinea (Review)
In my previous life I worked in a film library and film archive, so I was drawn to this week's Library of America offering, "Audience tomorrow: Preview in New Guinea" by film director Elia Kazan*. My interest was strengthened by two more facts. Firstly, the title mentions New Guinea, which I visited twice in the late 1970s. Secondly, … Continue reading Elia Kazan, Audience tomorrow: Preview in New Guinea (Review)
Bettye Rice Hughes, A Negro tourist in Dixie (Review)
I have plenty to read at the moment, but when I see a Library of America story come through that is set in the early days of the Civil Rights Movement in the American South, well, I can't resist. I've never heard of the author Bettye Rice Hughes, which turns out to be not surprising … Continue reading Bettye Rice Hughes, A Negro tourist in Dixie (Review)
Ana Menéndez, Celebrations of Thanksgiving: Cuban offerings
I love food and I enjoy reading about food. I particularly enjoy reading about food - and food traditions - from other cultures. And so, when Ana Menéndez's story popped up on the Library of America last month I made a note to read it. The last piece of food writing that I read from LOA, … Continue reading Ana Menéndez, Celebrations of Thanksgiving: Cuban offerings
Henry James, Paste
It's been a while since I've read any Henry James though, like many readers, I did a few years ago read Colm Toibin's The master and David Lodge's Author Author. I was pleased, therefore, to see James pop up as Library of America's author last week. The story is "Paste" and it is a bit of … Continue reading Henry James, Paste
J. Herman Banning, The day I sprouted wings
There are a couple of reasons why I decided to read James Herman Banning's (1899-1933) short essay, The day I sprouted wings, which was this week's offering from the Library of America. Firstly, it is about the first male* African-American who achieved his pilot's licence, which ties in nicely with the novel, Caleb's Crossing, that I … Continue reading J. Herman Banning, The day I sprouted wings
Willa Cather, When I knew Stephen Crane
I haven't reviewed a Library of America offering for a while and so have decided it's time I dipped again into its offerings. Willa Cather's essay/journalistic piece "When I knew Stephen Crane", which they published last month, appealed to me because of a couple of synchronicities. One is that Lisa of ANZLitLovers reviewed Crane's The red … Continue reading Willa Cather, When I knew Stephen Crane
Willa Cather, A Wagner matinée
Willa Cather's short story, "A Wagner matinée", was Library of America's "Story of the Week" back in May. However, I was busy then, but I like Cather, so I put it aside to read later. And later has finally come! I've reviewed another Cather short story here, "The sentimentality of William Tavener", which was published in … Continue reading Willa Cather, A Wagner matinée
Kate Chopin, A morning walk
It's been some time since I read (and therefore reviewed) a Library of America offering, but when I saw another Kate Chopin offering pop up a few weeks ago, I couldn't resist it. And so, I printed it off, but have only just managed to read it. Well, what a surprise... I thought about starting … Continue reading Kate Chopin, A morning walk
Mary Church Terrell, What it means to be colored in the capital of the United States
I heard a radio interview this week with Jane Elliott of the brown-eye-blue-eye experiment fame, and she suggested that racism is still an issue in the USA (through the efforts of a vocal minority) and is best demonstrated by the determination in certain quarters that Barack Obama will not win a second term*. It's therefore … Continue reading Mary Church Terrell, What it means to be colored in the capital of the United States
Whispering Gums 