Essays

November 11, 2011

The Pleasures and Perils of Rereading 29

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Whether we go back again and again to a classic or pick up an old favorite to see how it has fared or dig deep into the treasures of our youth, rereading is an experiment that is bound to change us, and to change our impressions of the books we read.

November 10, 2011

Three Readings, A Bag of Ritz Sandwich Crackers, and Some Serious QT with my Number One Fan 1

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Now, I don’t normally do this sort of thing. But my publisher wasn’t planning much for the paperback tour, so I figured why not? Isn’t that what publishing is all about these days — doing-it-yourself, sleeping on couches, Facebooking and tweeting your little heart out?

November 9, 2011

De-Romanticizing Rome 6

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Judging by the bookshelves, Rome has been condensed into a mere repetition of themes: what tasty food, passionate people, beautiful art, ancient ruins, and history! Is that all there is to Rome?

October 25, 2011

Celebrating St. Crispin’s Day 6

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We need more literary holidays. For what it’s worth, I want to claim today (October 25) for readers. Who’s with me?

October 24, 2011

The End of the End of the Frontier 3

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Americans don’t really look for Mexico in Mexico — they look for a more perfect America, at once free of materialism and more conducive to it.

October 17, 2011

How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Write ‘The Marriage Plot’ 23

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The irony was clear: here I was, cheating on a novel that had once been my mistress!