There are genres of literature, there are genres of music, and today, I will make a case for letting the two play together. What I mean is this: What if we used music genres to describe literature? What might such an experiment reveal about the literature?
Here’s a fun music genre to think about: shoegaze, a dreamy genre from 80s Britain which drew a close following with its hazy, melancholic offerings. “It’s a particularly unusual genre in that its name describes neither a sound nor a connection to music history,” Pitchfork writes. Indeed, “shoegaze” originally described a scene of musicians whose heavy use of effects pedals led them to perform in a still, detached manner, clutching their guitars, eyes fixed to the floor.
The internet has some interesting things to say about shoegaze. Wikipedia notes its “ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volume.” One blogger defines the genre by its “dense, shimmering textures of distorted guitars, thundering drums, and dreamy, reverb-heavy vocals,” adding that the performers lacked “the charisma and machismo of big stadium rock acts.” Continue reading “Shoegaze Literature”
Patti Callahan Henry’s charming book about the power of imagination and story, “The Secret Book of Flora Lea,” will be the subject of the “First Thursday Book Discussion” at the Columbia Public Library on Thursday, March 7 at noon.
I know I took refuge in stories as a child and teenager — actually, I still do! In Callahan Henry’s novel, older sister Hazel invents a secret fantasy world shared only between the sisters as a refuge and distraction from the loss and displacement of WWII. When her little sister, Flora, disappears mysteriously, Hazel is shattered. She abandons their fairytale realm.
Twenty years later, Hazel is working in an antique bookshop when she comes across an illustrated book that echoes their shared stories. Hazel is set upon a mission to find the origin of the stories.
“The Secret Book of Flora Lea,” works on many levels. It is a good story of sisters and also a mystery, but also has many themes to explore about growing up, the symbolism of stories, love and guilt.
Join us in March to explore these themes and share your thoughts with other community members.
Of course, we all know about the birds and the bees! We weren’t born yesterday! The birds and the bees talk of love (and, shhhhh… s.e.x.). But in literary terms, birds and bees tell of so much more.
Humans are funny creatures and we like to assign meanings to so many things. Birds, especially, it seems, get to do a lot of talking symbolically. In general, they are often seen as messengers from the gods or from heaven — especially raptors. Birds also evoke “freedom.” And it seems that each species has its own symbolism. The stork brings babies. Canaries can evoke beauty, song or a warning. As for bees, they have been used to symbolize fertility, industry and community among other things.
I have gathered a few birds and bees books for you to fall in love with. Continue reading “The Birds and the Bees”
In May 2023 I was diagnosed with a disorder with no cure and no end — just a few debatable treatment options and a sparse online community. Still, I was relieved to get an answer to a question I’d been asking for about a decade. It’s been over a year since a specialist identified my spasmodic dysphonia (a voice disorder, originating in the brain), and, now, I have new questions to ask: How do I carry my diagnosis with honesty and vulnerability, without letting it flood my identity? How do I stay hopeful through the grueling experiment of treatment? How do I help my loved ones understand?
Books have helped soothe the ache of these questions. Maybe they can do the same for you, whether your diagnosis is one of chronic illness, disorder, neurodivergence or any other ongoing condition. Continue reading “February Literary Links: Making Peace With Diagnosis”
In the 6th Century BCE, the Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “There is nothing permanent except change,” or something to that effect. Not a lot is known about Heraclitus but all these years later, that quote rings true. Change is something you can count on in life, be it good or bad, fast or incremental, painful or joyous. It is constant. How you handle the changes in your life makes all the difference.
There are different kinds of change, of course. There are changes we make purposely and changes that are thrust upon us. Along the lines of the former, human behavior specialist BJ Fogg, PhD brings us “Tiny Habits: + The Small Changes That Change Everything.” The book recommends tackling habit change through baby steps. According to “Library Journal,” “Throughout are a multitude of practical exercises and more than 300 recipes for tiny transformations categorized by various situations and challenges (e.g., work/life balance, destressing, healthy eating and sleeping well)… Fogg’s method has great potential to promote altered behavior in those who have sought help in other ventures with little success.” Continue reading “Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes”
Below I’m highlighting some nonfiction books coming out in February. All of the mentioned titles are available to put on hold in our catalog and will also be made available via the library’s Overdrive website on the day of publication in eBook and downloadable audiobook format (as available). For a more extensive list of new nonfiction books coming out this month, check our online catalog.
Top Picks
“Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out” by Shannon Reed (Feb 6)
We read to escape, to learn, to find love, to feel seen. We read to encounter new worlds, to discover new recipes, to find connection across difference, or simply to pass a rainy afternoon. No matter the reason, books have the power to keep us safe, to challenge us, and perhaps most importantly, to make us more fully human. Shannon Reed, a longtime teacher, lifelong reader, and New Yorker contributor, gets it. With one simple goal in mind, she makes the case that we should read for pleasure above all else. In this whip-smart, laugh-out-loud-funny collection, Reed shares surprising stories from her life as a reader and the poignant ways in which books have impacted her students. From the varied novels she cherishes (“Gone Girl,” “Their Eyes Were Watching God”) to the ones she didn’t (“Tess of the d’Urbervilles”), Reed takes us on a rollicking tour through the comforting world of literature, celebrating the books we love, the readers who love them, and the ways in which literature can transform us for the better. Continue reading “Nonfiction Roundup: February 2024”
Presenting two women after my own heart: Lindsey Jordan (of indie rock solo project Snail Mail) and Maggie Nelson (author of, among many other breathtaking works, the prose-poetry collection “Bluets”). These two artists write about devotion, longing and self-revelation in ways that cut to the core. So, I’ve done the logical thing: Listed all 10 tracks on Snail Mail’s sophomore album “Valentine,” along with lyric highlights and emotional descriptors, and assigned each song a related quote from “Bluets” to guide your reading and/or listening. Happy yearning!
Continue reading “A Book and an Album: Valentine and Bluets”
“You?! You’re reading an Ali Hazelwood book?”
“Um, well, it is set around chess, so… yeah?”
Full disclosure, “Check & Mate” is the first Ali Hazelwood book I have read. I heard she generally writes steamy romance and that’s not exactly my preferred genre. This title is YA, and while there is romance and language, and even mentions of sex (fade to black), it is pretty tame. Whew.
So, why am I writing about this title you may ask? Chess. I love chess and have been playing for more than 25 years. Chess players generally can’t help themselves, we have to critique every mention of our game and we are perpetually frustrated by simple inaccuracies.
Oh, there will be spoilers, you have been warned. Continue reading “Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood”
Lisa Kinser is a Columbia, MO author whose debut book is “I Am the Night.” It’s a poetry book written over a 15 year period that chronicles a younger, more free time in her life — a past of longing and searching for both adventure and true love. Kinser is an Integrative Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach and End of Life Planner. She was kind enough to take the time to be interviewed via email. Continue reading “Q&A With Lisa Kinser, Author of “I Am the Night””
Music plays an important role in most people’s lives. I myself attribute many songs to specific points in my life and hearing them can trigger a specific emotional response. And, although most people love music, I recently learned that up to 5% of the world’s population doesn’t like music. This phenomenon is called musical anhedonia. For those who do enjoy music, or at least are interested in learning more about it, consider checking out some of the books below.
I grew up in the ‘90s so cassette tapes are very nostalgic for me. My first car only had a tape deck, and I remember listening to Nirvana’s album “Nevermind” over and over again on my drive to and from school. Marc Masters explores the history of cassette tapes in “High Bias: The Distorted History of the Cassette Tape.” He charts the journey of the cassette tape from its invention in the early 1960s to its Walkman-led domination in the 1980s to its decline at the birth of the compact discs to its resurgence among independent music makers today. Continue reading “Literary Links: The Science of Music and Sound”
