Monthly Archives: July 2013

Further Adventures in Reviewing: Margaret Atwood, part 1

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Ellen Akins

When, on reading Margaret Atwood’s new post-apocalyptic dystopian novel for review, I came upon a section called “Girl Stuff,” I knew love.  That a writer who’s so serious, and so seriously sees where we’re going–witness A Handmaid’s Tale and this … Continue reading →

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Further Adventures in Reviewing: Jean Thompson

Posted on July 11, 2013 by Ellen Akins

On Reviewing Jean Thompson’s The Humanity Project I’d begun reading Jean Thompson’s novel, The Humanity Project, for review and at first found the prose so plain that I thought I’d be bored.  Soon I found the book neither plain nor … Continue reading →

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Margaret Atwood’s bad reputation

Posted on July 9, 2013 by Ellen Akins

For a review, reading the advance reader’s copy of Margaret Atwood’s new book, MaddAddam, the last in her futuristic dystopian trilogy, after Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood (which I reviewed here), I recalled my first Atwood … Continue reading →

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On Rules

Posted on July 9, 2013 by Ellen Akins

Today on NPR (“Weekend Edition Sunday“) linguist Arika Okrent was talking about changes in English.  When the host said she could hear her 4th grade English teacher saying such-and-such, Okrent remarked that most of what we think of as rules … Continue reading →

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If It’s Not One Thing It’s Your Mother, Julia Sweeney

Posted on July 5, 2013 by Ellen Akins

I’ve found myself giving or recommending this book to everyone I know who’s adopted a child from China, because Julia Sweeney writes so well and hilariously (and sweetly) about doing so herself.  But adoptive parents are a pretty small and … Continue reading →

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