*Light spoilers for The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett* When done well, I love a novel that jumps forward significantly in time with each chapter, often giving us a different characters' perspective as it goes along. This technique functions as a way to look at the novel's facets from different angles, turning the characters and … Continue reading The Wheelhouse Project: Significant Jumps in Time—Brit Bennett’s ‘The Vanishing Half’
Month: June 2020
How to Read More Short Stories (or Essays or Poems or Other Short Form Pieces)
James Joyce's "The Dead" changed how I think about people and human relationships. One of my favorite Tales of Teaching comes from when I taught Ursula LeGuin's "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" to 40 undergraduates. Just the other night, after having finished the Shirley Jackson biopic Shirley, I read the entirety of "The … Continue reading How to Read More Short Stories (or Essays or Poems or Other Short Form Pieces)
Going Off Book: ‘Do the Right Thing’
There's a moment in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing (1989) that sticks with me. It's the hottest day of the summer and Mookie (Lee) sails down the sidewalk, pizza delivery in hand. He's halted by Da Mayor (Ossie Davis), who he first tries to brush off until Da Mayor insists on being listened to. … Continue reading Going Off Book: ‘Do the Right Thing’
Read Books by Black Authors
I am foregoing a normal post this week because the events of the past two weeks mean that now is not the time for me to fill the air with anecdotes from my reading life. Last night I was talking with my partner about the limits of truly understanding what it means to live as … Continue reading Read Books by Black Authors
Dogs, Coffee, & Books 