Loveland, Colorado is the site of an international sculpture competition. You can’t tell this from the photos, but we went to visit on a very hot day. Some of the most striking pieces are traditional bronzes depicting wildlife. Standouts among the human figures include this work called “Triangle.” My favorites, however, are the origami ponies. […]
The Magicians
Lev Grossman is the kind of fantasist who refuses to give readers what they want, which probably explains why his brilliant new fantasy novel The Magicians is so polarizing. Some readers hate Grossman’s sobering take on the whole Harry Potter genre: they expect a charming Hogwarts-like school with earnestly heroic young wizards fighting high-stakes battles […]
Rockport shoreline
I was in Boston for the weekend with friends, and on Saturday we took a drive up the coast to Rockport. Because it was beautiful, and because it was there, I had to photograph the iconic red barn on the water.
Poetry Fix: W.S. Merwin
Another Merwin poem, this one filled with visionary longing. Vision What is unseen flows to what is unseen passing in part through what we partly see We stood up from all fours far back in the light to look as long as there is day and part of the night.
The Graveyard Book
I just found out that Neil Gaiman’s riveting novel The Graveyard Book has been awarded the Newbery Medal. Well deserved! I bought my copy in Scotland and read it at Dalkeith House in one gigantic gulp. My UK edition features lovely and delicate drawings by Chris Riddell, while the US editions have darker, more atmospheric […]
Under Three Suns
One of my favorite works of alternate history is Ursula Le Guin’s short story “Sur,” in which a woman reminisces about taking a secret expedition with her girlfriends to discover the South Pole. On a day like today, when the temperature in Wisconsin is -28F and the wind chills are approaching -50F, I find myself […]
The Dream Hunters
I’ve been reading Neil Gaiman’s story The Dream Hunters, both the novella illustrated in 2000 by Yoshitaka Amano and the new graphic novel by Gaiman’s frequent collaborator P. Craig Russell. Both are lovely. The Amano version features 60 beautiful full-page illustrations, illuminating Gaiman’s spare and elegant prose. P. Craig Russell’s version of the fairy tale […]
Arthur’s Seat
My last day in Edinburgh, after a half-day of Christmas shopping, I impulsively decided to climb Arthur’s Seat, the volcanic crag that overlooks the city. It’s an easy hike, which is a good thing, since I was wearing Dansko hospital clogs and carrying a messenger bag stuffed with lambswool scarves, Shetland lace, graphic novels, and […]