The great German writer, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 – 1832), summarized the mantra of our reading community when he said, “We must plunge into experience and then reflect on the meaning of it. All reflection and no plunging drives us mad; all plunging and no reflection, and we are brutes” (Becker 199). The mantraContinue reading Madness and Brutes
At 9:00 a.m., the Mayor for our little town blew the foghorn and a mass of children ran onto baseball fields to collect thousands of Easter eggs dumped in the grass. I thought it would take quite a while to pick them up, but those kids swarmed the field and stripped it clean in lessContinue reading The Swarm of Children
There are five words that keep invading the books and conversations of my life. I hear them on YouTube as well, and I realized that I don’t actually know what they mean. I researched them this morning and thought you might find them helpful. I don’t know about you, but learning a few words seemsContinue reading 5 Words I Thought I Understood, But Didn’t.
My alarm goes off every morning at 6:30 a.m., and my first thought is always the same thing: What am I reading today? I’m so excited to get up, find my books, and get lost in my thoughts. I have no predilection toward drugs or other distraction because reading fills every gap in my life.Continue reading The Drug of Reading Books
I’ve been an Agatha Christie nut my entire life, and Hercule Poirot is one of my favorite fictional characters. I first heard about the detective in fifth grade, when Chris Porter (the smartest kid in the class) sat reading The Big Four while the other kids ran outside for recess. When I asked him aboutContinue reading Hercule Poirot
The best part about reading is that you find shelter in great ideas. Cicero (106 – 43 BCE) was a Roman statesman, orator, and writer. Today, I bumbled into The Six Mistakes of Man which is generally attributed to him. Have a look, and let me know what you think. The Six Mistakes of ManContinue reading The Six Mistakes of Man
I love personality tests. I’m always curious to know which type of “human” I am. That’s why, when I came across The Four Types of Readers by Samuel Coleridge, my curiosity spiked. Coleridge was an 19th century English poet, critic, and philosopher which helped the Romantic Movement, and was a member of the Lake Poets,Continue reading The Four Types of Readers
For the past few days, warblers have sung from my trees. The tulip bulbs my daughter planted last fall sprouted and the grass turned from pale yellow to hopeful green. Yesterday, I dug out the sunscreen and flip-flops to do some work in the yard. It was glorious. And now it’s snowing. This happens everyContinue reading Oh, Darn.
If you’re interested in reading Walden by Henry David Thoreau, feel free to review my book notes before you get started. I’ve collected 19 of the best direct quotes from the book including: P.7 – “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.” P. 286 – “IContinue reading Annotated Notes on Walden
On August 31, 1837, a speech was delivered to the Phi Beta Kappa Society of Harvard University that would become famous. The address was titled, The American Scholar, and it was given by Ralph Waldo Emerson. He challenged the students of Harvard, along with all future thinkers (which include you and I), to realize thatContinue reading Dear Reader, What Do You Think?