Veteran journalist Gay Talese, borrowing his title from the Herman Melville short story about a man who “would prefer not to,” tells three long-form true stories. Part I is “A Story of Wall Street,” which describes the people in his early newspaper life, while Part II deals with his frustrated efforts to interview Frank Sinatra and write a profile for Esquire. The third part, “Dr. Bartha’s Brownstone,” focuses on a building in New York City’s East 62nd Street. Readers learn of the unhappy Dr. Bartha and his decision to destroy his home rather than sell it to accommodate a divorce settlement. Talese is an effective writer and guide to the people around famous people and to the New York of long ago.
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This delightful collection of 31 essays (some previously published elsewhere) edited by Natalie Eve Garrett is grouped into four sections: Growing Pains, Loss, Healing, and Homecoming. Most of the writers were new to me; I don’t read a lot of contemporary material., but found these to be well worth reading. A bonus: every essay includes a recipe, which can range from basic to complicated. The book is attractive, with illustrations that are colorful and remind me of Matisse's cutouts. The subtitle of this book tells it all: "a searing memoir of the battle to integrate Little Rock's Central High."
This isn't my usual reading fare, but my book club assignment was to read a book set in the 1950s. Nothing much in fiction appealed, but a friendly librarian said she had a book in the YA (young adult) section, and went to get it for me. As I read, I was continually horrified by what awful people we can be, even as teenagers, taught to hate difference. But I was also deeply moved by Beals' courage and the faith her family demonstrated. The title of the book comes from something her grandmother told her. Eventually the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education ruling was obeyed. But today I read that hate crimes in schools have increased, and Blacks are the most frequent target. |
What I’m ReadingI began working in libraries as a seventh grader, courtesy of scoliosis. My orthopedic surgeon wrote me a pass to miss gym class, so I began working in the school library to feed my love of reading. Even after my surgery to correct the curvature, I kept getting out of gym to work in my high school library and then in my college library (for pay, at last!).
So began my eventual career as a college reference librarian—after a detour into teaching high school English. Later I worked for an educational publisher before going back to libraries.
I have a reading and writing life now. I devour both fiction and nonfiction, and will tell you about some of my favorite reads, both old friends and new discoveries.
Here's some library-themed music to get you in the mood.
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