Odyssey Online

…the Library of Congress is set to release an edition of the complete poems of Jack Kerouac (as part of the Library of America series).  The Library of American blog is feature an interview with Marilene Phipps-Kettlewell about Kerouac, and about his eternal appeal.  Thinking back on being young, and thinking back on reading, it is hard to think of something more engaging than reading Kerouac in September…that month that for students is all about all anew.  First year students reading Kerouac as they grapple with all on and between the greenswalds of college.  Something to ponder. While we don’t have this book yet (we will), we have extensive holdings in Kerouac.

…ah the warm (perhaps overly warm-near-drought) pleasures of summer were more than my blogging-patience could overcome, but with the academic year anew, blogging resumes.  I’d like to draw attention to two pieces that I happened upon (water strider like) this summer.  The first is a short piece by Neil Wagner on how reading can change the reader, and is that perhaps not the noblest goal for reading? The second essay is “The Slowest Reader” by Benjamin Percy and is an homage to reading slowly, to savoring words.  While college presents itself in so many ways as a harried time, a time of late nights and much assigned, shouldn’t time-stands-still-by-the-desk-lit-bright-page rereading be college?  Be the comment of change?  Read the essay slowly and decide…