We were hooked after reading the first chapter of The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason during a one-night getaway to a B&B near Jacksonville, Oregon. We immediately put the book on reserve at the library, and once it came, Mason’s intriguing plot, tantalizing imagery, and mesmerizing style kept us turning the pages late into several nights. Ultimately, though, the book left us unsatisfied (warning: plot revelation ahead). Continue reading
Category Archives: Uncategorized
The Great Game, by Peter Hopkirk
I must have slept through the unit on the 19th century in high school World History. Until I read Peter Hopkirk’s The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia, I was woefully ignorant of the events that took place in Central Asia during that era, despite having lived in Pakistan for two years after college. Continue reading
Filed under Uncategorized
Baby Catcher, by Peggy Vincent
When I was about eight months pregnant, a friend who had given birth a year before recommended Peggy Vincent’s Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife. She said it was the most helpful book she had read during pregnancy because it reassured her that babies can be born anywhere, under any circumstances: by the toilet, in a closet, on a boat (and we’re not talking about a cruise liner). Continue reading
Comments Off on Baby Catcher, by Peggy Vincent
Filed under Uncategorized
Sadriddin Aini and The Sands of Oxus
Sadriddin Aini
It could be said that prior to Sadriddin Aini (1878-1954), the history of Tajik literature and the rich history of Persian literature, encompassing famous poets such as Firdawsi, Rumi, and Omar Khayyam, were one and the same. Mutually intelligible regional dialects of Persian existed alongside various minority languages throughout much of present-day Tajikistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and parts of Uzbekistan. But dramatic developments were about to give birth to a distinctive modern Tajik literature, of which Aini, a Tajik from a village in present-day Uzbekistan, is considered the father (Perry and Lehr 3). Continue reading
Filed under Uncategorized
Persepolis Film
We recently learned from PowellsBooks.Blog that Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis has been made into a feature-length animated French film. An English version is purported to be on the way. Variety has a review here: Variety review of Persepolis film
Comments Off on Persepolis Film
Filed under Uncategorized
Southern Oregon Retreat
We recently retreated for a quick overnight getaway to Southern Oregon, where we stayed in a delightful B&B. The house is straw bale construction, built by artists Dennis Meiners and Leslie Lee. The ambience is refreshing, the hospitality warm, and Penny the resident canine affectionate. We enjoyed discussing alternative construction, books, linguistics, and international travel. Dennis and Leslie gave us a tour of their adobe studio, where they make their ceramics, and told us about their experiences with alternative construction. They also have a nice selection of books for browsing. We started reading The Piano Tuner, by Daniel Mason, and are looking forward to continuing it as soon as we can obtain a copy.
The Hummingbird is conveniently located for fans of the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland or visitors to the historic mining town of Jacksonville. We particularly recommend it for those interested in ceramics, art and/or alternative construction. Dennis and Leslie also offer classes and the opportunity to work in their studio. Learn more here: Hummingbird Bed and Breakfast
Filed under Uncategorized
Khaled Hosseini’s New Release
Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns went on sale yesterday (May 22). His Kite Runner was a bestseller and one of our all-time favorites (see our review, posted May 7, ’07.) We can’t wait to read his new novel, this time about women in Afghanistan.
Visit Hosseini’s site to learn more about the author and his books: Khaled Hosseini
Read an excerpt and listen to an NPR interview here: NPR interview with Khaled Hosseini
Buy a signed copy from Powell’s bookstore here: A Thousand Splendid Suns
Comments Off on Khaled Hosseini’s New Release
Filed under Uncategorized
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth
Since I’ve been reading so much on birth and parenting in the past six months, I thought I would share some of my findings. Ina May Gaskin is one of the “greats” of contemporary North American midwifery, and her Spiritual Midwifery has become a classic.
As the title suggests, the primary concern of her Guide is the culmination of pregnancy, but the sections about nutrition, choosing a practitioner, and ultrasound and other prenatal tests make it valuable reading in early pregnancy, as well. A practitioner’s approach–midwifery or “techno-medical”–will affect a woman’s prenatal care, as well as her birth. Continue reading
Comments Off on Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth
Filed under Uncategorized
Soul—Russian Writer on Central Asia
Rather than a novel about Central Asia, Soul seems, in reality, to be a mythic novel that happens to be set in Central Asia. Author Andrey Platonov (1899-1951) traveled to Turkmenistan in the 1930s; he was taken with the region and later set the action of this book there. Continue reading
Comments Off on Soul—Russian Writer on Central Asia
Filed under Uncategorized
Iran and America
This post isn’t about a book, but it does include some articles. Brian’s recent post on our Birds’ Words blog concerns ties between Portland, OR, (where we used to live) and Iran. At the bottom are links to two articles I wrote following our 2003 trip to Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz. Click here to view Brian’s post: Iranian-American friendship
I should note that an Iranian friend I met with today reported that in the past few months the political climate has become much less tolerant than the situation I describe in “Americans in Persia.”
Comments Off on Iran and America
Filed under Uncategorized