Monthly Archives: July 2006

Dare you say a book is “bad”?

Posted on July 19, 2006 by Kirsten

Here’s a well-realized piece about book reviews, by Ruth Franklin, in The New Republic (registration required). It ends with her review of Black Swan Green, by David Mitchell . . . Technorati Tags: book reviews

Posted in Book Reviews, Books, Writing | Comments Off

When writers are in the driver’s seat

Posted on July 18, 2006 by Kirsten

Jessica Faust at BookEnds has a post up on her blog that discusses an important turning point in a writer’s search for an agent. When you receive an offer for representation, she writes, you are suddenly in the driver’s seat: … Continue reading →

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Comments are moderated, spammers

Posted on July 18, 2006 by Kirsten

You’re not going to get anywhere by posting here. Technorati Tags: comments are moderated

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

The “rebellious major”

Posted on July 17, 2006 by Kirsten

In the Chronicle of Higher Education, Thomas Benton, “the pseudonym of an associate professor of English at a Midwestern liberal-arts college,” writes about why students choose to major in English. English is, among my undergraduates at least, one of the … Continue reading →

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Awefull update

Posted on July 16, 2006 by Kirsten

Several people nominated awefull books on Miss Snark’s blog after I’d posted my compilation. Here they are. Bangkok 8 by John Burdett Beach Music by Pat Conroy Case Histories by Kate Atkinson Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg THE BELIEF … Continue reading →

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Hover flies

Posted on July 16, 2006 by Kirsten

The other day my daughter and I noticed a small, slug-like caterpillary thing eating aphids that had infested a wild lettuce plant. I looked around a bit tonight online and ID’d the critter: it was a syrphid fly larva. Here’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature | Comments Off

Writing grants & awards resource

Posted on July 16, 2006 by Kirsten

Poets & Writers has compiled a list of writing grants and contests that award at least $1000; a list of all the contests with upcoming deadlines; a list of contest winners; and a list of writing conferences. The banquet begins … Continue reading →

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When life gives you toxic waste . . .

Posted on July 16, 2006 by Kirsten

Not recommended you make lemonade, but it turns out there might be some good that can come of it. Scientists are racing to identify the weird microorganisms growing in Berkeley Pit Lake in Butte, Montana, before it’s cleaned up. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature, Science | 1 Comment

Another alternative to DEET

Posted on July 15, 2006 by Kirsten

Compounds in the leaves of the American beautyberry plant (Callicarpa americana) apparently help ward off biting insects. Here’s hoping they find a way to turn this into a product. Anything has to be better than citronella spray. Yech. Speaking of … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature | 3 Comments

North Korean Art

Posted on July 15, 2006 by Kirsten

An article on opendemocracy.net by Jane Portal, who has written a book on the topic. I wish the captions of the slideshow were more legible. I also wish it included more oil paintings; that first one is quite striking, in … Continue reading →

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