what i’m reading: collected (and amazing) nonfiction by saul bellow
When the author Saul Bellow died in 2005 at the age of 90, I was saddened and disappointed by the scant attention paid to his passing. Bellow was one of…
laura k
what i’m re-reading: the ax by donald westlake and other literary thrillers
I’ve just re-read* one of my all-time favourites: The Ax by Donald Westlake. I’m agog with how much I love this book. But first, the requisite blather. * * *…
things i heard at the library: an occasional series: #29
It’s TIHATL, Summer Reading Club edition! Summer Reading Club is in full swing in Canadian libraries. In more than 2,100 libraries around Canada, kids are earning prizes and recognition for…
in which we do something i thought i’d never do: say goodbye to our vinyl
Through all our years together, and all the different places we have lived, Allan and I have hung on to our large collection of vinyl LPs. Most people I know…
kevin baker in harpers: "the death of a once great city — the fall of new york and the urban crisis of affluence"
Everyone who cares about cities, about privatization, and frankly, about humans and our ability to live on our planet, should make time to read the July cover story in Harper’s…
happy canada day: a wish for a pledge
One unfortunate result of the current ascendancy of white supremacy in the US is the increase in Canadians’ nationalism and self-love — the strengthening of Canadians’ conviction that our society…
from the archives: for millions of american women, roe is already history
With the resignation of US Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, it is very likely that Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion, will be overturned. I’m getting frustrated…
what i’m reading: running the books: the adventures of an accidental prison librarian
I read this book many months ago. I’m still catching up from my involuntary blogging hiatus. Last year I read and wrote about The Maximum Security Book Club: Reading Literature…
rip philip roth
I was literally reading this article in The New York Times about Philip Roth when I heard he had died. It’s a wonderful story: an 85-year-old celebrated author who has…
welcome to the allan and laura new york city history reading club
The theme of this year’s TD Summer Reading Club — a national program (developed by Toronto Public Library) that more than 2,000 Canadian libraries participate in — is Feed Your…
congratulations to the people of ireland! #repealedthe8th
While this blog was offline, an amazing and incredibly important thing happened: the people of the Republic of Ireland affirmed the human right to control our own bodies. In a…
how to help families separated at the u.s. border
As we all sit helplessly agog at the latest spectacle going on in the US, here are some organizations to which you can donate (or volunteer) to help. How To…
vancouver island day eight: nanaimo, qualicum beach, parksville
Our final full day on the island, we did a little of everything. We drove through different areas of Nanaimo, went into more bookstores, went food shopping to make a…
vancouver island day seven: chemainus, ladysmith, nanaimo
Poor Allan, the only non-morning person in our little group, being faced with three high-octane coffee drinkers every morning! In Chemainus I let him sleep in a bit as we…
vancouver island day six: mill bay, duncan, chemainus
After breakfast, we packed up and said a reluctant goodbye to this cozy spot — mostly the deck with the view — and headed north on the Trans-Canada Highway, towards…
vancouver island day five: sooke
Breakfast at the Arbutus Guesthouse was a bit strange, but the lakeside view more than compensated. We went for a walk on a spit with great views of an inlet…
happy birthday to me
We interrupt this retroactive travel diary to wish me a happy birthday. I have been alive on this planet for 57 years. I am now, as they say, “pushing 60”.…