The Hours began as a novel by Michael Cunningham in 1998, then found a wider audience as a movie directed by Stephen Daldry in 2002. Now Kevin Puts and Greg Pierce have adapted it as an opera, which premiered at the Met in November to unusually high interest. Opera has been in the adaptation game […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2023/02/09/arias-of-despair-the-hours-metropolitan-opera/
So the road welcomed the ice. And the ice lay down.Water the bulk of everyblood cell already. Solidarity, sister! When spring comeswe take notice afterwinter’s long fierce sloppy drives through winter.Spring is a forgiveness,a forgetfulness. That old saw—60 percent of us soakedor drunk silly with water? I mean, water!friend for life.At a phone in a public booth […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2023/02/09/ice-marianne-boruch/
In the afternoon four black-throated bluesTossed themselves up from the pavement at nothing.At the rain. And having made a surgeon take backHis stitches early, I lifted my phoneBeyond the shelter of my unsteady umbrellaAnd tapped at their cursive capital Gs.Suddenly I felt ashamed. You could seeI had nothing better to do. I stopped. Four in […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2023/02/09/sallies-caleb-crain/
We are eating a big hole in the middle of the Midwest and sucking up California’s ancient aquifers until the land collapses like an empty juice box. The awe that new arrivals from other countries feel when they see the bounty in a US supermarket is an illusion—more like what one might experience when stepping […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2023/02/09/grim-reapers-american-farming-ian-frazier/
In the Review’s December 22, 2022, issue, architecture critic Martin Filler wrote about the “undulating lines, swirling excesses, and propulsive forms” that characterized the turn-of-the-century movement Art Nouveau. Admiring its “vulgar and on occasion blatantly sexy” qualities, he argued that “this novel aesthetic caught on so completely because it presented modernism garbed in the raiment […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2023/01/21/beauty-and-utility-martin-filler/
In a story that will touch the heart of the readers, Kings of the County League: One Summer, One Team, One Dynasty is a feel-good story that makes one glad to be American. This impassioned story is all about the “Great American Past time,” but not in the way that most would expect.
Author Craig Ohlau has done a marvelous job of immersing the reader into the world of semi-pro baseball; which is his world. In sharing his experience as one of the members of The Kings of the County League, Mr. Ohlau has not only opened up an entirely different perspective of one of our beloved games, but in the process will more than likely convert even some of the most loyal fans of MLB to the semi-pro aspect. He does on excellent job of painting a vivid picture of the differences between the two levels of the game and illuminating the supposed “lower” levels of the game, that most people think players go to die or that they can’t quite cut it in the big league. I beg to differ, and you will too after you read this rousing book.
As this is a real-life story, I can say that the story reads like a good fiction novel. The author does a fantastic job of fleshing out the characters in the story, which were his real-life teammates. The story is a first-hand account of one summer that is told from a first-person perspective, but I suspect that Craig Ohlau is simply speaking from his heart when writing this book, as readers will be able to tell that it came from a place of love.
I highly recommend Kings of the County League to readers who want a feel-good story that shows what amounts to the triumph of “the little guy”. This spirited story may in fact change one’s view that the “little guy” is actually the coolest.
Pages: 259 | ASIN: B08KWQXB74
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/01/21/kings-of-the-county-league-one-summer-one-team-one-dynasty/
The Little Regenerative Farmer and The Dairy Farm follows a little girl and a farmer who, together, share their love of animals, educate one another, and implement a regenerative agricultural practice. What were some sources that informed the development of this book?
We were inspired by Alexandre Family Farm. They are the first certified Regenerative Dairy farm in the US. The dairy industry is a very very hard area and even harder to develop change in. We were so inspired by their journey, we wanted to share just a tiny look into their world.
How can children in an urban environment support regenerative farming?
We hope our story will inspire parents to help connect their kids to whatever their local farm systems are. If that’s community gardens, trips to local farms, whatever is closest to them, we hope they can reach out and experience how amazing farming is. For those who do not have local farms, we are working with others to try to make farm experiences virtual so all children can experience it on some level.
What was a key life skill that was important for you to include in this children’s book?
There’s a few! The first one was to not just accept what others say is bad or good. Most issues in life are somewhere in between and we love showing how Lina showed the other kids at school that dairy wasn’t bad. It could be! but it also could be wonderful.
The second was to look for the good in people. Her unlikely friendship with the older farmer could have been immediately dismissed because of age or because he didnt farm the way she did. Being open to shared experiences with others, even unlikely candidates, we feel is so important.
What can readers expect in the next book in The Little Regenerative Farmer series?
We are very excited to be working with 3 other amazing farms to continue Lina’s stories. Each farm has barriers and challenges and we are excited to tell their stories through Lina. You can expect a garden focused story, goats, and maybe even an underwater adventure in Lina’s future!
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
A must have for those who love the planet and support the regenerative agriculture movement!
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/01/21/how-amazing-farming-is/
The Adventures of Lefty and Righty: The Windy City follows a charming pair of socks on a fun adventure where they experience the sights, sounds, and food of Chicago. How did the idea for Lefty and Righty start and how did that develop into this story?
It kills me every time I do laundry and socks go missing. One evening, instead of blaming my kids for losing them, I said sarcastically “It’s their fault. They climbed out the window and went downtown.” Suddenly, the idea was born and the whole family brainstormed all the fun things they could be up to!
The book contains some fantastic comic art. What was the collaboration process like with illustrator Kenn Vidro?
It was a wonderful experience to collaborate with Kenn, who truly has a gift for capturing characters and places with bold color, excitement, and impeccable detail. Kenn is the father of a family friend, and when I saw his artwork all over their house and through social media, I knew he was the one to bring this story to life.
Chicago is a big place. How did you decide which landmarks and experiences to include in the book?
With our family being huge White Sox fans, I knew immediately that the book had to center around the team – and what a fun pun between the socks and Sox. For the other stops, I honed into the places our family loves to visit. There are some nods to our neighborhood in the book as well, with the L stop and the hot dog stand.
Do you have more adventures planned for Lefty and Righty in future books?
Yes! I’d love to see them travel to other cities, and maybe even get lost in the airport! Now that Kenn and I have given personalities to Lefty and Righty, there are so many fun things they could do!
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Facebook | Website
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/01/21/socks-go-missing/
Faith, Hope, and Other Verse is author Thomas Frackenpohl’s interpretation of the wonders the world has bestowed around his life, bound across several dozen short poems in this thought-provoking book.
Frackenpohl’s writing is reflective. An obvious theme across the numerous pieces is the somber opening tone. It generally brings with it a degree of melancholy that provokes the reader to evaluate their own personal circumstances and to uptake the lessons on the page that correlate with the theme of each verse. These, however, end on an uplifting note with an overall message that life is difficult at the best of times – all we owe to ourselves is to serve our souls kindly. Schoolings on the purpose of life, values, and morals alongside virtues are the foundations of this piece of work.
Overall, the structure of these verses results in scenic, quick reads that achieve the claims in the author’s note. Frackenpohl’s writing could have benefitted from being divided into sections with sub-themes for a greater reading experience and optimal impact.
The imagery has been achieved by showing the progressive aspect of the poem’s topic through a series of repeated verbs. The verse Possibilities is structured in such a way that forces the reader to acknowledge that opportunities will not be created without exploring or thinking outside the box. It fashions an urgency that something is happening that will leave the reader behind if they do not act immediately. The push for mental action encourages a revaluation of the reader’s present way of living towards a revolutionized purpose with capabilities ripe for the taking.
Faith, Hope, and Other Verse by Thomas Frackenpohl is the perfect read for those who are dabbling into introspection. With an overall well-rounded summary of life experiences, it is not overly heavy or complex and will suit a broad audience.
Pages: 116 | ASIN : B096T3J7BS
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/01/21/faith-hope-and-other-verse/
The Kitchen and The Studio: Memoirs of Food and Art is a unique blend of memoir, cookbook, and artwork that all combine to tell the story of your marriage and life together. Why was this an important book to create?
John is an artist. I am a writer and an art historian. Our mutual love of good food and wine initially played a role in bringing us together and it has continued to be a mutual passion for more than sixty years! So, our collaboration on “The Kitchen and the Studio” is a true legacy of our life together throughout all the places we’ve been and the people we’ve known. It’s been a constant anchor for us through good times and bad and has sustained our love of life and of each other.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
In the first part of the book, I wrote about one of. our visits to John’s artist friends, Bill brown and Paul Wonner. I had just finished my sophomore year at U.C. and was pondering what direction to go. Should I stay a fine art major or move more toward art history? I had a long conversation with Bill and at the end he told me, “The most important thing is to live the artist’s life.” For a long time I tried to figure out what he meant. What did you have to do to “live the artist’s life?” I finally realized that he was telling me to “open my eyes and see what was there.” And to build my life one stroke at a time, as an artist would create a painting. Our LIFE was meant to be a work of art and we needed to approach it with care and delight and make it as beautiful and as significant as possible. That’s the message imbedded in our book. “Live the artist’s life” and make your LIFE a work of art. And always remember that an artist can take humble materials and transform them into something beautiful and unique. Just as you can with food.
If you had to pick one recipe for your readers to try from your book, what one would it be and why?
I think I’d choose John’s Crab Louie for two reasons. 1. It was the “beginning” of our mutual love affair with food (and with each other) and 2. Even if you’re not a meat-eater, you can enjoy this wonderful mix of fresh vegetables ad seafood. Or even leave the seafood out and enjoy it as a lovely salad. It’s pretty, it’s delicious and it’s healthy. Great combination!
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
Life is a grand adventure. Accept. Learn. Experiment. Enjoy. You don’t need lots of money or expensive surroundings to create a beautiful and meaningful life. Find out what/who you love and let that be your guide. By following the path, you will co-create your destiny.
Author Links: Facebook | Website
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2023/01/21/life-is-a-grand-adventure/