book and web talks by deborah evans

November Hiatus for National Novel Writing Month

deb321 — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:21:09 +0000

No, I haven’t gone away forever. I’m taking a break from podcasting to write during November.

I am participating in National Novel Writing Month, with a goal of writing a 50,000 word novel before December 1, 2009. I will post a podcast about the experience when I return at the beginning of December.

It’s not too late for you to join!

National Novel Writing Month

Morrison’s A Mercy: Completed, With Thanks

deb321 — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:54:18 +0000

This is Deborah’s response to her completed reading of Toni Morrison’s A Mercy. This novel, Morrison’s latest, was the partial subject of the previous episode in which Deborah offered tips and suggestions for reading and enjoying “difficult”, or challenging, authors.

A Mercy: Lessons For Reading Morrison, Learned From Reading Dostoyevsky

deb321 — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 03:20:53 +0000

This is the final episode in Deborah’s series of summer reading reviews.

Here, she discusses how to read and enjoy (and finish!) authors who may be considered “difficult” or “less approachable.”

King’s Russell and Holmes: Better Than Conan Doyle?

deb321 — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:36:22 +0000

This is the third in Deborah’s series of end-of-summer reading reviews.

Today, she discusses Laurie R. King’s Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes mystery series. Is it better than Conan Doyle? Listen, read the books, and make your own decision. You can learn more about the series at laurierking.com

bell hooks and “Belonging: A Culture of Place”

deb321 — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:41:03 +0000

This is the second in Deborah’s series of end-of-summer reading reports. This episode contains a discussion of Belonging: A Culture of Place, by bell hooks.

bell hooks is a writer and cultural critic. Currently, she is Distinguished Professor in Residence in Appalachian Studies at Berea College in Kentucky.

Patricia Spadaro Teaches How To Honor Yourself

deb321 — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:10:41 +0000

Join Deborah for her end-of-summer reading reports on books she enjoyed during June, July, and early August.

The first in this series is Patricia Spadaro’s Honor Yourself: The Inner Art of Giving and Receiving. Why is balance such an important part of mental, physical, and emotional health? What do Eastern and Western spiritual traditions have to teach us about true wellness? Spadaro’s book answers these questions and more, while giving guidelines for restoring and sustaining the healthy balances that make life peaceful and powerful.

You Need The Artful Nuance Because Everything You Know About English Is Wrong!

deb321 — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:57:15 +0000

Is English a needlessly and unavoidably frustrating language? Native and non-native speakers make the case for an affirmative answer to this question. Listen to Deborah’s discussion of two books, The Artful Nuance by Rod L. Evans, Ph.D. (no relation to Deborah) and Everything You Know About English Is Wrong, by Bill Brohaugh. These two resources will guide you in resolving the sticky issues around English grammar and usage.

Using about.com’s Guide to Web Searching

deb321 — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:00:13 +0000

Are you an experienced, expert level web searcher? Are you a novice? Are you somewhere in between? Are you curious about what’s “out there”? Need help using online people finders? Want to know how to use search engine optimization? You need to make your way to the about.com web search site . Listen to Deborah’s discussion of the site, hosted by Wendy Boswell since 2004. Regardless of your level of expertise, you will find something useful at websearch.about.com .

Utne Reader Points To Best American Essays, 2008

deb321 — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:23:32 +0000

Buzzards. Are they a topic of interest? It is possible to write an interesting essay about buzzards? Yes! Listen to Deborah’s discussion of Lee Zacharias’ essay “Buzzards”, originally published in the Southern Humanities Review and republished in The Best American Essays, 2008. Also referenced is an article on essays from the July/August 2008 Utne Reader.

Worldcat.org: A Home For List Lovers

deb321 — Sun, 03 May 2009 20:27:09 +0000

Are you a lover of lists and bibliographies? Would you like to make your book reviews and lists available to other researchers, or perhaps to just your family, friends, students, or colleagues? Listen to Deborah’s discussion of worldcat.org, a place you may come to love.

In The Author’s Voice

deb321 — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:14:29 +0000

Is the author always the best voice and the best choice for narrating an audio book? Maybe. Listen to Deborah’s review of two excellent audio book presentations: Angela’s Ashes, read by the author Frank McCourt and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, read by actor Kristoffer Tabori.

Blood Dazzled

deb321 — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:59:15 +0000

Does anyone read poetry these days? If you are not a poet or a student, why read poetry? If you cannot create rhymed, symmetrical, or rhythmic arrangements of words, should you attempt to understand a poet’s work?

Patricia Smith’s Blood Dazzler(published by Coffee House Press of Minneapolis in 2008) answers these questions. Smith’s poems capture the energy, longing, anguish, and angry power of the experience known as Hurricane Katrina. After reading these poems, you will wonder how the world has managed to forget what this event meant to people everywhere. Listen to a brief commentary and exceprts from the book.

The Magic of The Alchemist

deb321 — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:02:57 +0000

2008 was the twentieth anniversary of Paulo Coehlo’s modern classic fable, The Alchemist. This story of a Spanish shepherd in search of his life’s purpose is an international bestseller. It presents the question: do dreams torture us or transform us? Listen to an assessment of this book’s message and answer the question for yourself.

Reading the OED? Yes, yes…

deb321 — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 20:20:29 +0000

There is a certain delight in reading about something you imagine to be interesting, but know you would never do. Ammon Shea’s reading of the entire Oxford English Dictionary and his book about the experience fall into this category. Listen to a personal response to the book Reading the OED: one man, one year, 21,730 pages.

Lewis B. Smedes’ Case For Forgiveness

deb321 — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:59:03 +0000

Lewis B. Smedes (1921-2002), a Christian scholar in the Reformed tradition, makes the case for forgiveness. Listen to an excerpt. Regardless of your religious beliefs, you will find something useful in his work.

Maya Angelou’s Letter To My Daughter

deb321 — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:07:22 +0000

Yes, she really does have something new to say!

In her introduction to Letter To My Daughter, Angelou writes of her lack of biological daughters. When you read her book, you will join her family, sample her wisdom, and become energized by her love of life.

A New Favorite: Sherman Alexie

deb321 — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:25:23 +0000

Sherman Alexie, a Spokane/Coeur d’Alene Indian, creates powerful, funny, and life-wisening characters in his short stories and novels. Here is an overview of some of his recent work.

Meeting God at The Shack

deb321 — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:23:23 +0000

Booktalk on William P. Young’s bestselling book, The Shack. Why is evil so persistent in human history? If you could meet God “face to face”, what would “she” look like and why would it matter? Young addresses these questions with intelligence, sensitivity, and unflinching honesty.

Baby Be-Bop

deb321 — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:00:34 +0000

Class assignment podcast is here (Baby Be-Bop by Francesca Lia Block). Comments are welcome!

Jane Eyre

deb321 — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:53:24 +0000

Booktalk for Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Comments are welcome!