The first public library I ever walked into was on wheels. There was an elementary school, more than one synagogue and church, but no nearby library in the Brooklyn neighborhood of my early childhood years. Situated on the edge of East Flatbush and Canarsie, that maze of 20 six-story … [Read more...] about The Bookmobile
Letting Go
The other day I became obsessed with finding two books I could not easily locate. It was a reference to one of them—The Family of Man—in Sally Mann’s wonderful memoir that set me on my mission. The other book, To Be Nobody Else, bears a connection in my mind to The … [Read more...] about Letting Go
Isn’t it just like February?
It hits me every year, just as January rolls into February: the shift in daylight, so incremental until it's suddenly noticeable, particularly around sunset. Groundhog aside, all you need is to pay attention to the light to know spring is on its way. Of all the months in the year, February … [Read more...] about Isn’t it just like February?
Feed the mind. Feed the spirit.
Last week found me a little more adventurous than usual on Instagram. I posted a photo, with a caption, a bit tongue-in-cheek: ‘Cozying up for some inspirational reading. What will I choose first?” If the purpose of social media, in its varied forms, is to let people know what you’re … [Read more...] about Feed the mind. Feed the spirit.
Knitting and writing: what do they have in common?
I recently stumbled on a book, a perfect holiday gift for those of us who love reading as well as knitting. Alice Hoffman, author of so many notable novels (I especially loved The Dovekeepers), joined forces with her cousin Lisa Hoffman, a master knitter, to come up with a book that weaves together … [Read more...] about Knitting and writing: what do they have in common?
What did you read this summer?
Summer reading is a world unto itself. It’s not as if the love of books doesn’t have us immersed in reading all year long. But summer brings with it memories of freedom from school, with all that’s attached to assigned reading, textbook or otherwise. Some things, like the smell of library books, … [Read more...] about What did you read this summer?
