April 3, 2016
Killing the Butterfly: Facing Failure on the Page
Ann Patchett has this wonderful analogy that compares the writing process to murdering a butterfly. I heard her share this in person years ago at one of her events, and […]
November 4, 2014
Knox Reads Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder
Readers joined the celebration of The Kenyon Review’s 75th anniversary as the annual Kenyon Review Literary Festival took place in Gambier from October 23rd to the 25th. It might have […]
October 22, 2014
Online Book Discussion of Ann Patchett’s STATE OF WONDER: Week Three
Here’s a horrifying little story from this week’s Guardian newspaper for those of us who have been spending our reading time following Marina up the Amazon in recent weeks. (Warning: […]
October 20, 2014
Ann Patchett’s STATE OF WONDER: Week Three
Like Sergei, I find much to unpack in the scene set among the copse of fertility trees. And here I want to introduce a new thread for discussion—the depiction and […]
October 20, 2014
Online Book Discussion of Ann Patchett’s STATE OF WONDER: Week Three
Is Dr. Swenson a visionary scientist or a monster? For me, that question is at the core of this novel for a reader, and David has identified the complex moral […]
October 18, 2014
Online Book Discussion of Ann Patchett’s STATE OF WONDER, Week Two
Sergei and Natalie have offered rich and complex readings of STATE OF WONDER over the last couple of weeks, with some emphasis on the resonance of myth, of the struggle […]
October 13, 2014
Online Book Discussion of Ann Patchett’s STATE OF WONDER: Week Two
“Drink it!” Barbara said sharply. “I’m tired of trying to help you. Drink it all down, one swallow, come on. This is what we do down here in hell.” Picking […]
October 12, 2014
Online Book Discussion of Ann Patchett’s STATE OF WONDER: Week Two
This week, our discussion of State of Wonder moves to the second section of the novel, in which Marina arrives in Manaus and begins her search for Dr. Swenson, unsure how […]
October 5, 2014
Online Book Discussion of Ann Patchett’s STATE OF WONDER: Week One
In his first post about State of Wonder, Sergei Lobanov-Rostovsky posed a series of questions about Marina’s nightmares. As the first section of the book unfolds, we learn that Marina’s childhood […]
October 3, 2014
Online Book Discussion of Ann Patchett’s STATE OF WONDER: Week One
This is the first in a series of posts about Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder. Please click on the links below to access additional posts. Natalie Shapero, Week One Natalie […]
April 19, 2012
Mix Tape: Word for Word
Rachel Zucker thinks “it’s important for poets to occasionally try to articulate ‘what kind’ of poetry they write.” Check out this compilation—part one and part two—of various poets’ responses to […]