Category Archives: book review

Personal Art: Patti Smith’s Just Kids

Posted on July 4, 2013 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

I finished Patti Smith’s Just Kids late last night.  For a poet, Smith’s prose was decidedly banal, and though I admire her premise — a coming of age/muse and artist/love and friendship story — the memoir read more like a … Continue reading →

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The perks of being sensitive

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

I recently read The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky for a professional development group on young adult literature.  The main character, Charlie, despite his social awkwardness is a compassionate and surprisingly intuitive soul.  He seems to know … Continue reading →

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Imprints: Jeanette Winterson’s musings on adoption

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Jeanette Winterson has just written a memoir.  I’d read her first novel, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, a semi-autobiographic novel that begins with the protagonist’s revelation of her adoption.  I read Oranges in college, and despite Winterson’s memorable protagonist,  … Continue reading →

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Hairstyles of the damned by Joe Meno

Posted on March 17, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Joe Meno’s Hairstyles of the Damned has the best book cover, ever. And not just because the hairstyle is reminiscent of one I might have sported in college. I could try to describe it, but just go look for yourself … Continue reading →

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Winter break reading

Posted on December 31, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

As part of my winter break reading, I decided to tackle a book of essays that seemed, on the surface, interesting.  Zombie Spaceship Wasteland by Patton Oswalt caught my eye because Sarah Vowell said it was great. I love Sarah … Continue reading →

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Mid-life and mixing metaphors

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

I teach and work closely with two 30-something year olds. And I envy their solidity, their self-assurance, their knowledge of themselves. I remember when I was a 30-something teacher; I knew that I had all the answers, that I had … Continue reading →

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By Nightfall: Michael Cunningham

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Michael Cunningham is one of my favorite authors, and his books, The Hours and Specimen Days, are two that I have come back to when I want to think more deeply about the conditions of modern lives. Cunningham’s characters, even … Continue reading →

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A taste of Irish history from Roddy Doyle

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

I just finished reading Roddy Doyle’s The Dead Republic, and it made me realize how little I really know about the details of Irish history. I have the gist, and I recall some of the modern events from my childhood, … Continue reading →

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