Seventeen is no place to be. You want to get out, you want to shake off a self like old dead skin. You want to take how things are and chuck it like a rock. And guess what? If it’s bad for you, the only way to alleviate the pain is to make it that much worse for everyone around you and at that, Dora is a champion. Ida is her birth name but Dora is the name she gives herself. ... Read More...
Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures
From an idyllic childhood near the lakes of Wisconsin to the glamour of Hollywood’s studio days, Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures traces Elsa Emerson’s journey to becoming Laura Lamont.Elsa’s family is in the theater business, running a small company in Door County, Wisconsin. The summer she is nine her father is convinced to give her a walk-on part in a play and For Elsa, ... Read More...
The Song of Achilles
While it’s tempting to adopt an intellectual attitude, in this case I’m going to go with honesty and risk losing everyone’s respect: to date, my greatest interest in the Battle of Troy came when actors Eric Bana and Brad Pitt ran around fighting with no shirts on. There, I admitted it. I’ve never read Homer’s Odyssey or The Iliad. I’m a sexist cretin—until now. Author Madeline ... Read More...
Coming to My Senses: A Story of Perfume, Pleasure, and an Unlikely Bride
Alyssa Harad is a 30-something, self-proclaimed feminist and scholar who finds herself at loose ends when a PhD in English and teaching do not work out the way she thought they would. She fills her time as a freelance writer until discovering a perfume blog that piques her interest. Soon, she is consumed by these blogs and anything to do with fragrance. Coming to My Senses is a ... Read More...
The Map of Lost Memories
The one thing to remember about an adventure is that if it turns out the way you expect it to, it has not been an adventure at all. They traveled at night as it was only then that the heat released its grip enough to make movement through the jungle possible. By 8am the temperature and humidity combined to immobilize every living creature. Despite the difficulties, this is ... Read More...
Planes, Trains, and Auto-Rickshaws
Laura Pederson’s book Planes, Trains, and Auto-Rickshaws is a catch-all of travel information, history lessons, etiquette guidelines, and all things India. The majority of the book covers her travels through the country with a plethora of statistics and useful information about modes of transportation, appropriate garb, and how to protect oneself from Delhi Belly. She also has ... Read More...
