This school year, I'm immersed in some classics of American literature, like: The Scarlet Letter Billy Budd The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Uncle Tom's Cabin The Red Badge of Courage ...just to name a few from this semester. Once a week I meet with a class of ten students, leading them through discussions about American books, stories, and … [Read more...]
Yann Martel on Life of Pi, Interpretation, Stillness, and Art
A couple of years ago, urged by a friend, I read Life of Pi, by Yann Martel.It left me fascinated, and a little confused. I guess I'm not so good with obscure stuff. So I was quite interested that the Festival of Faith & Writing brought him to speak. Would he explain the book for the slow-of-brain?The evening began with an amusing glitch. Martel was introduced by a … [Read more...]