I have been diving into eighteenth century France for some reason (…circumspice) and my reading has veering into the historical, albeit through fiction. No surprise: I learned most of my history from fiction — books, television, films — because Americans are not generally taught history so much as a narrative of Manifest Destiny. Which is…
Tag: books
Recent Reads
ZOFLOYA, OR THE MOOR (1806) – I am sure this was bookmarked due to something or someone (if not Sam herself) over at Romancing the Gothic; while a poor reproduction, this is the version I read with that Fromentin painting (peak orientalism, yes–which is rather the point). I have been dipping into unusual gothics of…
Christie’s Mysteries
I had a little fun exploring some lovely books I haven’t a hope in hell of ever getting thanks to the auction at Christie’s. Hopefully some of these will end up where the public can admire them and not just insufferable rich misers. Radix malorum est cupiditas, as we all know. Pretty books. And another…
Write More in 2025
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Book Sale!
People are always saying they want an alternative to the ‘zon but do they ever use it? Here is a link to my books available via the Smashwords platform with the year end sale discount. BUY MY BOOKS This link leads to all platforms. I’ll be adding the others that I can; I don’t have…
A Blow on A Bruise
“A blow, expected, repeated, falling upon a bruise with no smart or shock of surprise, only a dull and sickening pain and the doubt whether another like it could be borne.” Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited
Charlotte Brontë: The Professor
An impulse at the Oxfam Book Shop — AKA my local kryptonite dealer (must weed some more to donate)! Undoubtedly it’s due in part to the end of my career as a tenured professor (though in this story it is ‘professor’ in the French sense of teacher). Anyway, I always enjoy spending some time with…
What I’ve Been Reading
I had a bunch of things on the go; end of summer, last orgy of ‘fun’ reading before the semester starts and reading tends to focus on what lies ahead both in teaching and other work. Good thing I have cut back on conferences — just one this fall — but the semester is off…
What I’ve Been Reading
Because I have to wait on some things — always irksome — I will quickly (very quickly) mention a few things I’ve been reading so you will not think I am simply lazing around (although some of the books are meant to be exactly that). Also doubtless I will leave out all the research-oriented things…
Spook Racket: Psychic Mafia
Oddly enough in the seemingly endless line of grifters and con artists in and around the spook racket, I had not read this volume. I first ran across the BBC radio series on it — part of their ongoing fascination with grifters like Anna Delvey. Lamar tells his story (with Spraggett’s help) with relish, albeit…