Friday, October 10, 2008

I love the Writer's Almanac daily email newsletter

Because it's taught me that I love poetry (or at least "accessible" poetry, as some call it). Check out the poem from this past Monday (Oct. 6, 2008), "The Scientist," by Jonathan Holden. Never heard of the poet; never heard of the poem. Loved it.

The Oct. 6 entry also had great info about a couple of Faulkner novels, As I Lay Dying and Light in August.

And then the clincher: a fascinating paragraph about someone named David Dietz, a mid-20th century journalist who was one of the first people to popularize science in America. Who knew?

Here's a great quote about poetry, also courtesy of the Writer's Almanac (for Oct. 13, 2008). Poet and translator Richard Howard wrote, "I do think that many people who say they don't like poetry like the things that poetry can do; they just don't know that it's poetry that's doing them." That used to be me.

Click here for the Writer's Almanac homepage. As you'll see, it's done by Garrison Keillor and is broadcast on various Public Radio stations.

At the homepage, you can read or listen to today's entry, and browse/search for previous entries. You can sign up to get the Almanac by podcast, RSS feed, or get the daily Newsletter, as I do. Here's a direct link to the Newsletter sign-up, which includes lots of other keen ways to clog up your Inbox.

I'm happiest subscribing to the email because I find Garrison Keillor pretentious as a reader. I have a nearly Pavlovian aversion to the sound of his voice. I like some of his writing okay and did enjoy the "Prairie Home Companion" movie.

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