Category: Books
Martha Beck uses The Divine Comedy as an Allegory for Finding Authenticity
Martha Beck’s book The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self illustrates how honesty and freeing ourselves from cultural expectations opens up our lives to our true nature. The book is structured around Dante’s The Divine Comedy, using Dante’s journey down into the Inferno, up the Mount of Purgatory, and eventual rise ...
Five Books for the Holidays
December is very much upon us, which for bookish types means escaping the chaos of gift shopping, parties and relatives by curling up with a good read. During the holidays, I love to tuck into old and new favorites. Faithful tales that bring me joy. Here are some of my favorites. Little Women, by Louisa ...
Essay of the day: “Autumnal Tints” by Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau loved the natural world and held a deep respect for the organic changes brought by the seasons. This essay is a perfect read as fall sets in and we admire the multi-colored foliage. Thoreau enjoyed a good leaf-peeping as much as many of us do now, confused by his neighbors in Concord, ...
Five Classic Reads for Fall
Each season inspires in its own unique way, but there’s something special about fall. The air cools down to a crispness, making us want to wrap up in a cozy sweater and sip on something warm. Certain classic books have this cozy, crisp quality about them, pairing well with the weather. Some of these books ...
Elon Musk and Victor Frankenstein
Waking up Saturday morning, trying to decide whether to stay in bed or begin checking off my to-do list, I picked up my phone and scrolled through the news app. A New York Times interview with Elon Musk topped trending stories, a frank confession of the Tesla CEO’s recent downward spiral due to overworking and ...
Completing Jane Austen’s Six
I read part of Pride and Prejudice in high school and it did nothing for me. I watched the BBC mini-series in my British Literature class and I thought, Okay, dancing, letter writing, guy bathing… entertaining enough, but not worth examining outside of class. Years later, during my last year of college, I finally decided ...
Literary and Bookish Places in Atlanta
Atlanta might not seem like a literary city, but the home of Margaret Mitchell and a slew of independent bookstores offers many attractions, events and activities for bibliophiles. Georgia State University and Emory University both have highly regarded English programs, growing the city’s bookish population each year. On any given week, established authors can be ...
Eight Books that Informed my Writing
“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.” -Stephen King Sometimes it feels like storytelling must be mixed with my blood because I’ve been doing it my whole life and I can’t seem to shake it. Maybe there is something inherent that inspires me to write, ...
The Mirror of Erised: What is Your Heart’s Desire?
The Mirror of Erised presents one of the most notable and symbolic moments in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Harry stumbles upon the mirror one night, stowed in an unused classroom. When he looks in the mirror, he finds the image of is parents standing with him. Returning night after night to view the ...
Beryl Markham’s West with the Night: A Tale of Africa and Aviation
Reading Beryl Markham’s memoir West with the Night, I was swept up in a fantasy of a dream life in early 20th century Kenya. The book paints images of a childhood running through the farms and plains of Africa, hunting with indigenous people of the region, an independent young adulthood as a horse trainer and ...
Neptune Your Dial 