Mary Daniels Brown

My mother always insisted that, as soon as I was old enough to sit up, she’d find me in my crib after my nap babbling away, with a Little Golden Book on my lap. I’ve had my nose in a book ever since. I grew up in a small town, with the tiny town library literally in my backyard. As an only child in an unhappy home, I found comfort and companionship in books. As an adult I wanted to be Harry Potter, although I admit I’m more Hermione. My life has been a series of research projects. Reading has taught me that human lives are deliciously messy and that “it’s complicated” isn’t a punchline.

Monday Miscellany

You Are What You Read: 14 Thought Leaders Share Their Bookshelves I admit I’m a book snob. The first thing I look at in people’s homes or offices is their bookshelves. I’ll show you mine if you’ll show me yours: I moved recently and haven’t even unpacked my books yet. These are new ones that […]

Monday Miscellany Read More »

bookshelves: Literature and Psychology

Joseph Campbell and the Hero’s Journey

  Have you noticed how similar are the stories of Luke Skywalker, Frodo Baggins, and Harry Potter? All three of these ordinary fellows set out on a long journey, fraught with danger, to undertake a task with a little help from their friends. When Joseph Campbell examined the mythologies of the world’s major civilizations, he

Joseph Campbell and the Hero’s Journey Read More »

bookshelves: Literature and Psychology

Introducing Literature & Psychology

  Literature & Psychology is a collection of interdisciplinary news items that I aggregate daily (well, almost daily) through ScoopIt. Literature & Psychology is also a new category of blog post here. Of course, there’s a story behind it. About 35 years ago I completed the coursework, though not the dissertation, for a doctorate in

Introducing Literature & Psychology Read More »

Monday Miscellany

The Best Book You’ve Never Read: ‘Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age’ On the Publishers Weekly blog Gabe Habash describes what can be an elusive concept, narrative voice: Books that are voice-driven are, of course, dependent on the strength of the voice. Think about the best character-narrators you’ve read: maybe it’s Scout or Holden Caulfield

Monday Miscellany Read More »

I’m Joining The Classics Club

Update April 2019 I originally put this list together a little over five years ago. I recently looked it over and decided it no longer reflects how I want to allocate the remainder of my life’s reading time.  I have therefore put together a brand new list, which you can find here. If you’re interested,

I’m Joining The Classics Club Read More »

Announcing the L.A. Times Book Prize finalists for 2013 – latimes.com

Announcing the L.A. Times Book Prize finalists for 2013 – latimes.com. The finalists for the 34th annual L.A. Times Book Prizes were announced Wednesday morning: 50 books in 10 categories are in the running to win the L.A. Times Book Prizes, to be awarded in April. Two authors will receive special recognition: John Green with

Announcing the L.A. Times Book Prize finalists for 2013 – latimes.com Read More »

‘About a Boy’: from novel to film to sitcom

‘About a Boy’: from novel to film to sitcom | Entertainment | The Seattle Times. Nick Hornby’s novel “About a Boy” keeps finding new lives. It inspired a well-received movie of the same name starring Hugh Grant, and now NBC has adapted and Americanized a series version. . . . It’s worth a look. More

‘About a Boy’: from novel to film to sitcom Read More »

Monday Miscellany

Author News Last week I happily came across news related to two of my favorite mystery writers: Post-40 Bloomers: You’ve Come a Long Way, Lady James: about British author P.D. James Laura Lippman: By the Book  Why Novel Reading Reduces Anxiety Good stories, then, not only help us relate to the hero’s journey, as Joseph

Monday Miscellany Read More »

Monday Miscellany

The Coretta Scott King Book Awards The Coretta Scott King Book Award was founded in 1969 in honor of the late Mrs. Coretta Scott King, wife of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., for her passion and dedication to working for peace. The awards are given to “outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for

Monday Miscellany Read More »

B&N Discover Finalists Revealed

Barnes & Noble announced the six finalists for its 2013 Discover Great New Writers Awards, which “highlight works of exceptional literary quality that might otherwise be overlooked in a crowded book marketplace.” The winners in each category, announced March 5, will receive $10,000 and a full year of additional promotion from Barnes & Noble. Second-place

B&N Discover Finalists Revealed Read More »

Scroll to Top