A Poem for New Year's Day & An Acrostic


Last December, Tricia Stohr-Hunt of The Miss Rumphius Effect, did a Poetry Stretch in which she challenged people to write poems about time. I thought I’d re-post the two “time” poems that I contributed to the stretch. A Poem for New Year’s Day still needs work. My second poem is an acrostic.
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A Poem for New Year’s Day

What is time?
The passing of days
as we spin through space
into darkness and then light
through morning, noon, and night…
as we travel ‘round the sun
at a breakneck pace
in and out of months
and ever-changing seasons
till we come full circle.

We’ll begin the trip again
at the starting point
right here…
and follow a well-worn path
as we complete another year.



Clicking
Lock-step…as
One turns—so turn all the other gears…
Clicking, ticking, tocking together
Keeping in time through the years.



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At Wild Rose Reader, I have a memoir poem titled Early Snow.
The Poetry Friday Roundup is at Carol’s Corner this week.

The Year in Tiger Woods - As We Reported it

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AP Photo / Charlie Riedel
2010 was clearly an interesting one for golf writers. It was a year that displayed, like never before, the divergent appetites for news about Tiger Woods.

Early in the beleaguered champion's "annus horribilis" golf media outlets... large and small... formulated their strategies.

There were those who saw it as the perfect time for a segue into TMZ territory... some even set up permanent residency there.  

Others shied away from even the most innocuous mention of Tiger Woods,  having decided that the mere mention of his name evoked to many salacious images.  Golf media consumers were polarized as well; too much Tiger for some, was too little for others.  

And so it went in 2010.  And I would guess that just about anyone writing about golf on a daily basis would find it interesting to review their own coverage of this extraordinary and unexpected golf story as it unfolded over the past twelve months.  I did, and here, in reverse chronological order, is what I came up with:

Golf Fans Have No Desire to Punish Tiger - April 5, 2010
The Awesome Tiger Nike Ad That Most Find Creepy - April 8, 2010
2010 US Open - Tiger Woods Brings Electrifying Back - June 19, 2010
Of Tiger Stalkers, Sex Journalists & Golf Media Guidelines - August 31, 2010
Only Two Things - Of Tiger Woods & Ryder Cup Wives - September 8, 2010
A Western Rush to Judgment on Tiger Woods Dubai? - November 30, 2010
Chevron World Challenge - True Tiger Woods Rivalries in 2011 - December 6, 2010

Which I with sword will open?








Our loyal readers may remember that Grace, Alvina and I learned how to open oysters, because I was writing an article about it for my local PATCH. Here's the article, with videos and photographs by Alvina.

WE were all able to open our oysters on the first try, but they didn't want me to put that in the piece, in case readers couldn't. But I honestly think that if you follow the instructions, especially the crucial first step which tells you how to choose oysters that will be EASY to open, you'll be able to do it, too.

And do slurp them down as soon as you open them: a few of us here in town tested the instructions again last night, and as someone said, eating oysters that fresh is like gulping sea mist. A child who was present and insisted on tasting one said, predictably,
'"Yuck!"

No one was sorry that he didn't like them.

And if this post must be tied more directly to children's books, isn't this a great way to describe someone?

"Secret, and self-contained, and soliatary as an oyster,"
Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

"Only Two Things" - 2010: The Year in Golf & Sex

Back in early June we aired our first episode of "Only Two Things".

Our inspiration was one of golf's most popular quotes: 

"Golf and sex are the only things you can enjoy without being good at them."    

Our formula was a half hour review of the week in golf, followed by a half hour discussion of a "Mars/Venus" topic of the day .  Over the ensuing weeks we covered some controversial topics... and we were often joined by guests who brought a special insight to the issue at hand. 

Liza Churchill, a respected golf media producer and "proud former beverage cart girl" joined us for an episode on "The World of a Beverage Cart Girl" while Christina Ricci author of A Girl's On-Course Survival Guide spoke with us about playing from the correct tees in "Of Red Tees and Big Egos".  We had Ethan Johnson from the popular blog Mister Women's Sports on to talk about the new sports media brand espnW and relations hip coach/former golf instructor Catherine Behan explored with us the potential joys of a golf date.  Recently Donna Tavoso the chief marketing officer at Playboy Golf was on the show to talk about the fun guys and girls can have at  Playboy Golf Scrambles.

It's been a great six months.  Tomorrow night on "Only Two Things" we'll be reviewing some of the year's best moments in golf... and we'll be revisiting some of the show's most provocative discussions.  Some of our past guests will be checking in with us,  and we'd love to have you join the conversation too... on-air... by using our call-in number, which is: 917-889-9592.  Or, weigh in at the chat room or on Twitter... or just have a listen on the Sport City Chefs network at Blog Talk Radio. We'll be live from 9:30 - 10:30 ET.

Bunker Boost at Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship

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When the world’s top golfers convene at Abu Dhabi Golf Club for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship next month, they'll be greeted by five unique new bunkers on The National Course.
      
The bunkers, which protect holes 2, 5, 6, 13 and 17,  feature the kind of steep faces and well-defined lips that will require players to adapt their games and "think long and hard about club selection.”

For the first time ever outside of the US, all four reigning Major champions will be in the field, along with six of the world’s top 10 players.   The event has taken place on The National Course at Abu Dhabi Golf Club for the past five years,  and a record number of spectators is anticipated at the 2011 sixth edition. ~ To that end the Championship Village has been enhanced and expanded and the spectator experience promises to be better than ever.

Abu Dhabi has become a top tourist destination, and now boasts three world-class, championship-ready golf facilities. In the past, US tourists have been scarce,  however figures recently compiled by "Conde Nast Traveler" magazine for their annual poll of readers indicate a rising number of Americans interested in travel to the Middle East. Tournaments like the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship may encourage these future travelers to see the golf possibilities in the area.

California snowball fight - Episode 132- The Knitmore Girls

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Listen here:
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This week's episode has been sponsored by:

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Give the gift of Abstract Fiber this holiday season! Let your favorite fiber enthusiast choose their own colors by giving an Abstract Fiber gift certificate. You can find gift certificates in our tools and accessories section. They can even be emailed for quick delivery. Happy Holidays from Abstract Fiber!


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Knitter’s Magazine is celebrating a milestone of 100 issues by going digital! Download a FREE copy of K100 -- with more than 50 beautiful patterns -- Go to KnittingUniverse.com/Zinio for your FREE digital copy of K100
AND for details on how you can receive future issues of Knitter’s in print or digital formats.


purllogolarge
The holidays aren't over yet, and the Purlescence Purl Girls still have holiday goodies for late gifts. We are pleased to announce the arrival of three new fiber lines: Frabjous Fibers, Ashland Bay Fibers, and Crown Mountain Fibers. We've also got looms and spinning wheels in stock to help keep your warm this winter. Happy winter knitting!


On the Needles: (00:34)

Gigi has finished knitting the Two Old Bags felted Christmas tree ornaments, but hasn't felted them yet. Gigi is working on Sam's Sharks scarf. Jasmin has cast on a Pogona scarf (in WestKnits Book 1 by Stephen West) out of the 70% Superwash Merino/ 30% Silk (Metamorphosis) from A Verb for Keeping Warm in "Indigo Blue Sky".

Jasmin also mentions the Rick sock by Cookie A. Jasmin has joined the sleeves to the body on her Cece cardigan. We talk about Gigi 2011 and Jasmin 2011. We mention Knitting for Anarchists, and thank Paula from the Knitting Pipeline podcast for getting us to read the Elizabeth Zimmermann books.

More podcast suggestions!

Knit Naturally
Sticks and String
Stringchronicity
The Knits Wits
CraftLit
Stuff You Missed in History Class
KnitCents
Knit Knit Cafe

Contest: (12:35)

Our annual Do Some Good contest has begun! Do some good, post it to the thread, maybe you'll win a prize! But you'll definitely do some good, and that's awesome. The contest will close 1/9/2011, and we'll announce the winners on 1/10/2011.

Prizes include:
Events: (15:23)

- January 6th: Anniversary party at Unwind in Burbank, CA
- January 8-10: TNNA in Long Beach, CA
- February 17-20: Stitches West in Santa Clara, CA

Mother Knows Best: (16:05)

We discuss 60% heels. Jasmin mentions the eggapinne.

When Knitting Attacks: (22:29)

Gigi suffers an attack at the hands of Sam's Sharks scarf. Jasmin needs to take her own good advice and read her patterns all the way through.


Holidays with the Knitmores: (27:16)

We do a holiday wrap-up. (HA! Get it?!) Jasmin mentions the blog post about Gigi's sewing machine. We had a great time playing Scotland Yard.

Happy Holidays!






Sorry for the delay in posting. I'm at my parents' house in California right now, and I can't keep track of the days of the week. I'm so happy to be on vacation! I'm reading for pleasure (am reading and enjoying Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go), playing with my iPad (my brothers and I have discovered the game Fruit Ninja, which is a ridiculously addictive game where you have to slice fruit thrown up in the air):



playing sports (tennis, ping pong, pool, and golf):
my younger brother and I on the golf course
reading the newspaper (hard copy of the LA Times, iPad version of the NYTimes), watching movies (saw TRON: Legacy last night--except I fell asleep during a big chunk of it because I was exhausted from golf), eating (of course! Had In n Out Burger on my first night back)
and just spending time with my loved ones (we played with my brother's XBOX Kinect, which is like the Wii, but without a controller--it uses a sensor.).
My older brother plays a dance game while his wife looks on.
The table is set for Christmas Eve dinner

Before I left work last Wednesday I was determined to reach Inbox Zero, as I knew I would be out of the office for almost three weeks (am on vacation until the ALA conference in San Diego, and won't be back in the office until January 12!).

And, look! I achieved it!!
It was so satisfying that I think I'm going to add "reach Inbox Zero at least once a month" to my work New Year's Resolutions for next year. More on that later...

Happy Holidays, all!

from the BRG archives: Remembering Childhood








Back in the comment section of my post on "What Makes Me so Qualified to Edit Children's Books?", Anna reminded me of this quote from Ursula Nordstrom:


Asked pointedly by Anne Carroll Moore, the New York Public Library's powerful superintendent of work with children, what qualified her (Ursula), a nonlibrarian, nonteacher, nonparent, and noncollege graduate to publish children's books, Nordstrom just as pointedly replied, "Well, I am a former child, and I haven't forgotten a thing."

I'm realizing more and more that this is true for me. And I've been seeing a pattern lately where many things have reminded me of my childhood. A friend recently sent me two mix-CDs she and her husband compiled of 80s ballads that really took me back. Some of the songs included were "One More Try" by Timmy T, "Toy Soldiers" by Martika, "Glory of Love" by Peter Cetera, and "Lost in Your Eyes" by Debbie Gibson. Each song took me back to junior high and high school, each song held a memory of my childhood for me.

And then I've been thinking about New York and how much I love it here and feel at home here, and I realize that part of the reason is that I've found places to go and activities to do that bring me back to my childhood.

For example, one of my favorite after work bars in the city is Bar 9, where the next Kid's Lit Drinks night is taking place on Friday. And the biggest reason why I love it so? They have tater tots on the menu.

Another example is Barcade in Williamsburg, a bar with old-school arcade games, such as Rampage, Tetris, Ms. Pacman, Digdug, Gauntlet, Tapper, etc., all for the original price of 25 cents, unlike the fancy new arcades such as Dave and Busters and the ESPN Zone in Times Square. I wasn't a huge video game player as a kid, but I did a fair share of playing, and many an hour was spent watching my older brother and others play.

And speaking of Tetris, last Thursday I went to Nerd Nite, a monthly event held at a bar in the East Village where two speakers talk for 20 minutes on various nerdy topics. Friday's topics were neurogenesis, and Tetris. Tetris! A true Tetris scholar enlightened us on the history of the game. And as I was somewhat of a Tetris scholar myself in high school and college, I quite enjoyed the talk.

And last but not least, two Wednesdays ago I went roller skating at the Roxy for a friend's birthday. Remember back when you had your birthday party at a roller rink? I remember going around and around, spending quarters on the holographic stickers in the vending machine, doing the Hokey Pokey in the middle of the rink. This wasn't exactly the same--no stickers, not Hokey Pokey--but it was the same old-school roller skates with the rubber stop in the front. It was the same going around and around the rink to dance music. And it was the same thrill--the awkwardness the first time you go out on the floor, before you get your sea legs. The breeze of speed on your face and through your hair. The adrenaline of going fast while not quite knowing how to stop. Running into your friends as you went around.

I've grown up, for sure. I live an adult life with adult problems and responsibilities. But I remember the child I was, the shyness, the exuberance, the worries, the carefreeness. Viva the inner child!

Originally published February 5, 2007

PITNEY SPIRIT

to me, gene pitney = christmas.
makes me wanna drink egg nog and hang out with the adults while all the kids are creepin' in the stairwell...then someone has too much nog and falls into the fireplace...







Amateurs and professionals: merry Christmas to all!

I love amateur theatricals, especially if they involve children. One of the most intense artistic experiences of my life was attending a Christmas pantomime (in the English sense: a play that takes a VERY familiar story, adds songs and plenty of slapstick, and encourages audience participation) in South Africa, just after apartheid ended. I was the only adult guest at a performance of "Cinderella" -- everyone else in the audience was a school child or teacher. Before the play began, my eight-or-so neighbor reassured me about it:
"It's the funny version," she said. And, when at intermission I leapt for the bathroom she was agonized:
"It's not finished!"

But that wasn't why it was so intense. It was because of the way the audience responded. At first, they were stiff- but pantomime actors are very skilled at getting kids to respond. Cinderella put some cheese on the table, went out - and some children, dressed as mice, danced in and ate it. When Cinderella came back, she asked where the cheese was. No one said anything. She kept asking, and finally someone said:
"The mice took it."

By the middle, when the wicked step-sisters (always played by men, in pantomime tradition) were preening for the ball and asking if they looked beautiful, kids were shouting:
"No, no, you're ugly!"

And by the end, when the prince was there with the slipper and the stepsisters had hidden Cinderella, most of the audience left its seat to scream hysterically:
"In the closet! IN THE CLOSET! Look in the closet@"

So, when I get a chance to attend a Christmas play acted by children, I take it. To celebrate Christmas on our blog: here is a local Christmas pageant. (Warning:my photographs are bad -- but the only way I'll get better is to keep taking them.)

Usually, this pageant uses LIVE animals, but this year (new minister?) the kids played the animal roles.




It wasn't Christmas in South Africa, but Christmas where I live, and I'm glad to be here --and glad children are still celebrating the season. ALL cultures with seasons I've ever heard of celebrate the time of year when the days get longer -- when darkness changes to light and a new calendar year begins -- and their culture's version of the story. Here is a CT church Christmas, in order: first, from while some are waiting to go on
















to when they come down the aisle at the end. Sorry! No pictures of the actual acting-out of the story because I was sitting way in the back. I really wanted to run up and take close-ups, but not one person-- even people whose chidren were in the pageant -- even went into the aisle to take photographs. Everyone (even the young brothers and sisters of the stars) stayed in their seats, unlike the audience in South Africa. But although they were more reserved about expressing it, everyone was into it, and AFTER the service, shook hands and smiled and wished each other:

"Merry Christmas!"

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & Thank You !

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Just a quick post to wish all of our readers a Happy Holiday season!

We'll be around over the next couple of days,  maybe we'll even be able to finish our video message,  but in case we don't we wanted to make sure we said thanks,  many thanks, to our readers here at "Golf Girl's Diary", our listeners on "Only Two Things" and our social network followers.  ~ May you... and yours... enjoy this special time of year.

POETRY FRIDAY: The Christmas Babka






One of my favorite childhood memories is of the time my mother and I drove over to her parents’ house one December night before Christmas. Babci, my grandmother, had taken a big pan of her homemade babka out of the oven just before we had arrived. She sliced a big hunk of the sweet bread for us to take home. My mother and I devoured half of it in the car. It was still warm and soooo delicious!


Here is a poem I wrote more than a dozen years ago about my Babci making her famous babka:


THE CHRISTMAS BABKA
by Elaine Magliaro

We watch Babci make the Christmas babka.

With plump peasant hands

she kneads sweet dough

on the white porcelain-topped table,

places it in a large sky-blue bowl,

covers it with a damp towel,

and sets it on the kitchen counter

near the hissing radiator.


Swelling with bubbles of air,

the dough rises into a pale yellow cloud

flecked with bits of orange rind.


The baking babka fills the house

with the scent of Christmas.


We eat the bread fresh from the oven,

its insides steaming and golden—

a homemade treasure

rich enough to warm a winter night.



I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!




At Wild Rose Reader, I have another Christmas memoir poem titled Remember.

The Poetry Friday Roundup is over at A Year of Reading.



Abu Dhabi Golf Championship & Other Cool Things

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The Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship is tees off a month from now and already it's clear that “Everybody wants to win this championship".  Motivations however, are varied.  

Ian Poulter has vengeance to extract, Martin Kaymer has a trophy to defend and two contrasting Irishmen are focused on an Irish win in the desert.  Oh, and all four 2010 major winners will be there intent on making a solid start to in 2011.  No one doubts that the Abu Dhabi Championship will bring together the best players in the world... and attract a record number of spectators than ever.

However on this side of the proverbial pond, when you ask your typical recreational golfer what he or she thinks about golf in Abu Dhabi, or Dubai for that matter, or you'll often get a look of incredulity, incredulousness disbelief.

This is particularly true for those... of a certain age... who spent time the in the United Arab Emirates during the eighties, but haven't been back since.  I spoke to such a couple at a party last night.  These former expats remember a sparse desert landscape, sleepy fishing villages and small dusty cities. An occasional oasis of date palms and eucalyptus trees provided the only touches of green.  They lived in a compound that they rarely ventured out of,  and longed for their periodic trips home.

But that was before the UAE began spending billions of dollars on infrastructure... and making huge investments in real estate, tourism and leisure.  Much has also been spent on education it should be pointed out, and UAE saw its literacy rate rise from 53.5% in 1989 to 98.8% in 2009.

The suburbanites I spoke to last night had left the Middle East in 1986, and though they'd caught glimpses of the region's development in the media over the years, they were still amazed to find out that one of the biggest events on the PGA European Tour was taking place in Abu Dhabi, staged on a sublime championship course.

Events like the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship are meant to showcase the region as one of the world's leading golfing destinations and to display its international attractions to a worldwide audience and with Phil Mickelson starting his season there this year, it's a good guess that even the more... insular... Americans will be paying attention.

I just sent an email to the incredulous couple from last night. Along with a link to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship site I also forwarded UAE Golf Online's UAE course guide and National Geographic's 10 Cool Things About Abu Dhabi.  I'm hoping this will get them up to speed.

deck the halls...






with birds of jolly!

With our past year's origami ornaments mysteriously missing (perhaps accidentally recycled!) I decided that the decorations of this year's tree should be a bit more durable. So when over the summer, Anna purchased these strings of birds:

I had my Christmas tree inspiration!

With a little internet research I found this lovely (and FREE) pattern from Spool and began to sew (by hand still because I am scared of my sewing machine). It made me quite happy. I used up leftover fabric from my computer case, wedding and old clothes--that bright red fabric with the white flower is from a 70's dress of my mother's!



I let Squatchie stuff the birds which is why they are so plump. I think some of them look like dolphins. But they still looked nice on the tree, don't you think?


fa la la la, la la la LA!

Mercedes-Benz USA & The Twitter-Fueled Tweet Race

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It's the world's first Twitter-fueled race... a remarkable road rally where four pairs of contestants are selected to drive specially equipped Mercedes Benzes to Dallas, the site of Super Bowl XLV.  And the thing is, each duo is competing for a pair of Mercedes Benz 2012 C-Class Coupes and a pair of tickets to the big game

How over-the-top awesome does that sound?

You're probably wondering where Twitter comes in... and how a road race becomes a tweet race... and what exactly is meant by Twitter fuel.  I was too.  The Mercedes Benz USA Facebook page gives you a basic overview, and what's clear is that this elegant and iconic brand is very serious about incorporating social media into its Super Bowl marketing mix.  It's an uber-social campaign that, not surprisingly relies heavily on Twitter and Facebook.

You start out by "liking" on the Mercedes-Benz USA Facebook fanpage. Then you enter with your Twitter handle.  You must be 21-years-old, but beyond that, the only two requirements are a valid driver's licence and US citizenship (hopefully they'll do similar campaigns in other countries).  On December 24 the finalists will be notified via direct message on Twitter.  Then they'll need to create a short video.

The "Twitter fuel" comes into play... and the road rally becomes a "Tweet race"... on the way down to Dallas, when miles will earned with the acquisition of new Twitter followers, and Tweets will fuel the trip.  But... if want a chance to play, you've got to enter before December 23, as in, the day after tomorrow.

Oh... and a note to golfers: I hear the 2012 C-Class Coupe has ample of room in its spacious trunk for all your equipment and accessories.  And I know how important that is.

What Not To Read on Your Caribbean Vacation






When writing my last entry, “What We Talk About When We Talk About Picture Books,” I believed I was resurrecting an already laid to rest discussion about the New York Times’ obituary for the picture book. My post was uploaded on December 14th. The day AFTER Publishers Weekly’s cover asked “Did the New York Times get it wrong?”


What timing.


Grace can attest to the fact that I actually wrote my entry weeks prior. It was one of the last things I checked off of my “to-do” list before I went here:


Me & My Sister, Rachel and a boat of Epic proportions


Yes, for the first time in my tenure as an agent I took an honest-to-goodness, no access to email vacation.


And what does, a literary agent do during an honest-to-goodness vacation?


A little of this…


A bit of that…

(My mother, sister, and I in front of an Ice Bar does denote a bit of drinking)


A whole lot of this…

It was a cruise. There was a lot of eating. Just after the picture was taken, I probably dove for that dinner roll.


And a good dose of this…

A new Hunger Games reader is born, while I remain puzzled about my choice of reading material.


Yes, on a vacation, a literary agent reads. For eight whole days I would not read emails or manuscripts. I loaded my kindle with published, adult books. On deck chairs, on beaches, on a balcony off of a very small room I shared with my mother and sister, and on an elliptical machine overlooking the ocean we were moving through on a very large ship, I read…


Freedom by Jonathan Franzen and Little Bee by Chris Cleave


What is wrong with me?


Just to be clear. Both books were wonderful, and I would recommend them for sure…but they are not the kind of book that you read on a beach or on a cruise. I think I would have liked each so much more if I had read them on a cold New York day like today. I must admit that I have a tendency to read books in inappropriate places. I once read Lolita on a car trip and as a (slightly?) pretentious teen I tried to read Joyce at overnight camp. You would think I would have learned my lesson by now.


Of course, there are books that I have read in just the right place, in just the right time of my life. In my eyes, part of being a literary agent representing children’s books is championing work that is pivotal in a child’s development, and that they will remember well into their adulthood. I know that middle grade and YA fiction can be read by a pre-teen or teen at the very moment when they need it, when it can open their eyes, show them a place they never knew possible, change their perspective, or affirm what they are feeling inside. So much of children’s and young adult literature succeeds because it reaches a child or teen at the most fitting moment of their lives.


While Freedom and Little Bee both had an impact on me; I can’t help but feel my reading of them was somewhat skewed by the setting I was in. I would love to hear about books that you read in both the wrong and right places in time. (I’m a new blogger. I thrive on comments!)


I now realize that I should have been reading a book like this on my most recent vacation:


Pointing to a book by my colleague, Merrilee Heieftz’s bestselling author, Laurell K. Hamilton.


I have learned my lesson and given the opportunity (read: I don’t think I should wait another 9-years to take a manuscript and email free vacation), I promise to do better. Well, at least I can look at the glass half full…after Little Bee, at least I was smart enough not to read the next book on my kindle… Room by Emma Donoghue.


Wishing you all Happy Holiday reading!