tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post7953188592726088109..comments2024-03-14T08:18:20.779-04:00Comments on Sarah Laurence: Oxford Literary Festival 2008Sarah Laurencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00423008641739156182noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-77640572144761057852008-04-21T15:55:00.000-04:002008-04-21T15:55:00.000-04:00Hi Mark,It was nice to meet another book blogger i...Hi Mark,<BR/><BR/>It was nice to meet another book blogger in person. Thanks for the <A HREF="http://tinyurl.com/2skl6z" REL="nofollow">link</A> source. The list makes more sense with the explanation in that Paper Cuts post. The comments that follow are interesting too. <BR/><BR/>I’m not one for black-listing words, but it is true that certain words in any discipline can be over-used or misused. <BR/><BR/>I believe there’s room for both literary critics and book bloggers. I pick books that I think I’ll like after reading reviews (blogs and NYT Book Section) or talking to friends, other authors and my family. Sometimes I just browse in independent bookstores and in libraries. <BR/><BR/>I also read to understand my genre better and to master my craft. A well-written novel is the best writing teacher.Sarah Laurencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00423008641739156182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-42344682232842274102008-04-21T04:58:00.000-04:002008-04-21T04:58:00.000-04:00Hi Sarah,Thanks for this article -- I very briefly...Hi Sarah,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for this article -- I very briefly met you after the blogging talk ...<BR/><BR/>Just so nobody thinks I'm unfairly taking credit for something that I didn't write, I just wanted to say that "my" list of seven words to avoid when book reviewing was actually just a link I posted on ReadySteadyBook.com to a piece in the New York Times (http://tinyurl.com/2skl6z) ...<BR/><BR/>I didn't want to contradict John Carey on the night because I didn't want to look rude or pedantic!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-45704815017305252592008-04-15T04:10:00.000-04:002008-04-15T04:10:00.000-04:00Charlotte, you always make me laugh. Ruth, thanks...Charlotte, you always make me laugh. <BR/><BR/>Ruth, thanks for pointing that out – Curious Incident is a fabulous read for all ages. Teahouse with its strong female characters would be fine reading for a mature teen (it has some sexually explicit scenes.)<BR/><BR/>Lesley, your books sound fascinating, especially your take on geishas. Thanks for the clarification. It sounds like we both agree that Japan is much more complicated than the common generalizations.Sarah Laurencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00423008641739156182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-59574447275073508032008-04-14T11:26:00.000-04:002008-04-14T11:26:00.000-04:00A friend drew my attention to your blog. Thank yo...A friend drew my attention to your blog. Thank you for coming to my event with Ellis Avery in Oxford. Do please read my book The Last Concubine or some of my other books on Japan, such as Geisha or Madame Sadayakko or On the Narrow Road, about my travels in the footsteps of Basho (especially as your husband is a Japan scholar and your sister-in-law Japanese). You’ll see that the Japan I know is more complex than you present it. <BR/>I think you rather misunderstood my words. I was trying to present geisha in a different way - as independent feisty women - rather than repeating the tired old arguments of whether they are or are not prostitutes. In contrast - as I mentioned - I recalled the women I knew when I first lived in Gifu (a city way off the tourist track in Central Japan) back in 1978. (My fifteen years in Japan actually began thirty years ago!) They did fit the description I gave and, kind as they were, had little understanding of who I was, as I discovered living there as a single woman. The geisha, conversely, did. Things have certainly changed since then.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-17423164050684098462008-04-14T05:43:00.000-04:002008-04-14T05:43:00.000-04:00Sarah - I loved Curious Incident, and wouldn't hes...Sarah - I loved Curious Incident, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to all ages - it's not just for the YA crowd. And it sounds as if my daughters and I would like the Teahouse Fire. Thanks for attending so much! (Since I had to miss most of it while being out of town, your blog was very welcome.)rpkellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145609250838657232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-61141871978965970492008-04-11T16:03:00.000-04:002008-04-11T16:03:00.000-04:00Sarah: As always, your blog is poignantcompellingi...Sarah: As always, your blog is poignant<BR/>compelling<BR/>intriguing<BR/>astute<BR/>and<BR/>lyrical....<BR/>Ha! Couldn't resist!Charlotte Agellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13589955947324137234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-17423733078342552182008-04-10T02:56:00.000-04:002008-04-10T02:56:00.000-04:00Howdy Bee,My daughter’s Texan friend here in Engla...Howdy Bee,<BR/><BR/>My daughter’s Texan friend here in England has taught me to say that – is that coincidence number 7? Coincidence number 8 is the author Beth Fehlbaum, who left a comment above yours, is also from Texas. I’ve only been to the state once when a friend, Cullum Clark, got married in the Modern Art Museum in Dallas. I had a fabulous time. <BR/><BR/>Anyway, welcome to my blog! You can click on my label “books” to read other reviews – it sounds like we have similar reading tastes. I liked Anne Lamott's book on writing. I’ll have to check out your blog when I get back from Paris.Sarah Laurencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00423008641739156182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-79517029185413262982008-04-10T01:23:00.000-04:002008-04-10T01:23:00.000-04:00Sarah,Here are a series of coincidences:(1) I rand...Sarah,<BR/><BR/>Here are a series of coincidences:<BR/><BR/>(1) I randomly clicked on Lionel Shriver as "favorite author" and found your site. This is the third time I've randomly clicked and actually left a comment. (I like to occasionally dip into one of the 100 million!)<BR/>(2) Coincidentally, Lionel Shriver was the first thing I read about. What are the chances? Especially since I almost chose Anne Lamott instead.<BR/>(3) Happily, I've been meaning to read Shriver's latest -- and your comments on her talk made me even more excited to dive in.<BR/>(4) I am also an American expat living in the UK. I live outside of Newbury -- exactly a 30 minute drive south of Oxford. My situation is semi-permanent, though, as I am married to a Brit.<BR/>(5) Every year I am sad about missing the Oxford Literary Festival. It always falls during the time I make my annual trip to Texas -- my home state. (I am in Texas now, in fact.) I always read the literary line-up with much envy (for the people fortunate enough to go) and regret (that I'm not one of them).<BR/>(6) "The Curious Incident . . ." is also one my favorite YA books -- and I referenced it in a post not too long ago.<BR/><BR/>Thank you so much for this beautifully detailed post! It made me feel like I was (almost) part of it all.Beehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02375981493145612394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259325291907281485.post-29285792066673653712008-04-09T07:14:00.000-04:002008-04-09T07:14:00.000-04:00Thanks for sharing your experiences from the Oxfor...Thanks for sharing your experiences from the Oxford Literary Festival. I especially enjoyed the section about Mark Haddon and The Curious Incident...<BR/>I liked that book a lot, too. <BR/><BR/>Beth Fehlbaum, author<BR/>Courage in Patience, a story of hope for those who have endured abuse<BR/>http://courageinpatience.blogspot.com<BR/>Chapter One is online!Beth Fehlbaum, Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16401887157741943814noreply@blogger.com