What I’m sending this New Year will be the first two lines and last stanza of a poem titled ”Begin” by the Irish writer, Brendan Kennelly
Begin again to the summoning birds
to the sight of light at the window….
Though we live in a world that dreams of ending
that seems always about to give in
something that that will not knowledge conclusion
insists that we forever begin.
Salient words considering what will occur today at the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
And to begin a new year of blogs, I would like to list the books the RCC-RILL-EFI book club chose for our four meetings this year. The eleven members are all former students from my college literature & writing classes. They and I suggested double- novels and then voted on them, choosing four sets from eight. This is the order for this year’s selections:
Huckleberry Finn and James by Mark Twain and Percival Everett
Burma Sahib and Burmese Days by Paul Thoreau and George Orwell
The Magician by Colm Toibin and Death in Venice by Thomas Mann
Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy and The White Guard by Mikhail Bulgakov
Lastly, I whipped through a book I received from daughter Michelle for Christmas. One of those I opened and could not put down until I finished it.
Next week I will write about The Wildes: A Novel in Five Acts by Louis Bayard. Until then, my best thoughts to you…Gail
I am reading all of Niall Williams. His latest is Time of the Child. check it out! Beautiful writing!