This has been the summer of the faux Victorian novel for me. It’s a genre that I’ve enjoyed for some time (Think Mr. Timothy, The Poe Shadow, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, etc.), but somehow I’ve chosen to really steep this summer in it. Last week, I took in The Dark Volume, the sequel to [...]

It’s hard for me to believe, and even harder to say out loud, but I’ve actually really enjoyed my contemporary fiction class this semester. As I’m sitting down to write my final paper, I’m realizing that there’s a real liberation in writing about contemporary works, which is that there isn’t an enormous body of critical [...]

I feel compelled to weigh in on the Stephenie Meyer phenomenon, with apologies in advance to those who love the series. I got introduced to it by Amanda, who knew that I was looking for things to pass the time until Nathan’s born. I’ve consumed all of Twilight and New Moon and about half of [...]

As I’m working on my article (which, no, I will not be able to finish today, sigh), I sometimes mistype the Cmd+I to begin italicization on titles, such that I end up just hitting “i.” This leads to titles like iDictionary and iJourney, which are theoretically plausible neologisms in our modern world of iPods and [...]

I was, as usual, doing reading for class over the weekend, and, as is not unusual, I was out in public doing so. I often go to places like Panera or Starbucks to read, but every time I do so, I feel a little self-conscious about my reading methods. See, until graduate school, I never [...]

I can’t tell you how excited I am to have stumbled on the Canongate Myth Series. I was looking for information on Margaret Atwood, because I love her, and one of the most recent books she’s written was a book in this series. Basically the idea is that various authors revisit myths and retell them. [...]

I’ve fallen in love with Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I realize that I’m at least a year or more behind the curve, but there you have it. I had it on my shelf for probably 18 months, and I was daunted that whole time by its size. Having flights and bus rides and all [...]

Erin conveniently provided me with a ready-made Skeletor deflector: purse-sized books. She’s recently loaned me a couple, and one of them accompanied me to Chipotle at lunch today — stowed away inside my purse — with nary a comment from any staff. Thanks, Erin!

Skeletor’s been absent from Chipotle the last several times I’ve been in there, and I ventured back today without Dan. Not only was he back, but he’s grown a goatee. Maybe he’s seen me too often with Dan and thinks that’s what it’ll take … He also picked up my book (Lost by Gregory Maguire) [...]

It’s time for me to come out of the closet: I am a secret English major. I have harbored a passion for Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, and H. G. Wells quietly for too long. I have lusted in my heart for Dickensian prose. You probably know that I was not a real English major [...]