Thoreau in his Bicentenniel

Somehow, I was never forced to read Walden for any class, in high school or college.  And I never saw that fact fact as a good thing.  Now comes a fine article by William Howarth with a lifetime of wisdom gleaned from teaching Walden, along with some sad comments on the contemporary scene. I've dug out my copy of Walden and am fixing this deficiency. 

An overview of the Google book-scanning fiasco

An interesting (if not entirely agreeable) overview at the Atlantic:

"Torching the Modern-Day Library of Alexandria" by James Somers

Sign of the Times

Credit: The Los Angeles Review of  Books

Islandia, a Forgotten Novel?

I was recently pointed to an interesting article (ignore the silly mistakes) by Charles Finch in the online version of The New Yorker.  Full title and link here:

"The Forgotten Novel that Inspired Homesickness for an Imaginary World" 

Despite some factual errors, it's mostly on target and it's good to see Islandia get some coverage, even if it is hardly a forgotten novel.

The Islandian map (which appears in the article) by Canadian geographer Ted Relph inspired me to look for more about Relph and Islandia, which led to Relph's own website and his essay (with an additional map) "Islandia and Love of Place" 

Both articles are recommended.  

Writing for free?

I find it a bit ironic that this 792 word article by Thomas Vinciguerra about the need to be paid for one's writing should be online, for free, at the website of the Columbia Journalism Review. 

"The long-chronicled decline of print has gored many a writer and editor. It’s hardly a secret that magazines and newspapers are now leaning mercilessly on their dwindling staffs, unable to pay outsiders as much as they once did or take them on at all. . . . But there is something fundamentally obscene about expecting anyone to work gratis. And that applies even to us ink-stained wretches."

Read it all here:  Want me to write for free? I’ve got two one-syllable words for you.

English Majors' Twilight

But for various details, I feel like I could have written this gloomy piece.  (No, even I have little enthusiasm for John Dryden.)  Recommended as food for thought. 

"English Majors’ Twilight: The reality and mythology of an English major"
By Stephen Akey

Stephen King joins hundreds of authors petitioning against Donald Trump

More than 450 writers, including Colm Tóibín, Geraldine Brooks and Lydia Davis express ‘unequivocal’ opposition to his presidential candidacy.

Full story here.