In between coverage of the Phillies (glowing) and the Eagles (tepid), the Philadelphia Inquirer's books section ran a terrific review of Peter Stothard's ON THE SPARTACUS ROAD this weekend. Penned by Frank Wilson, the paper's former book review editor, the review really captures what we feel to be the spirit of this book. Click here to read the review in its entirety, or scroll down for a few excellent excerpts.
Peter Stothard's account of his journey along that road makes for an extraordinary book...
It is indeed "a classicist's notebook," and it is this, more than anything, that makes it so extraordinary. Time, for Stothard, is less a linear continuum than a palimpsest.
...
By the time one has finished Spartacus Road, one has learned just about all there is to know about the slave leader, his victories, and his final defeat - his body was never found. One also has learned about a good deal else besides, from Frontinus the aqueduct maker to the poet Statius and his epic Thebaid to the word latifundia, "first used in the time of Pliny for giant sparsely populated tracts."
But what one learns of most of all is a sensibility, all too rare these days, that enables someone like Peter Stothard to sense how, at least in certain locales, the distant past interpenetrates the present and immeasurably enriches it.
"Returning to old books," Stothard says in his prologue, "is like returning to old friends." Anyone who becomes acquainted with this book is bound to find himself making one return visit after another.
Happy Monday to you all, and safe travels back this week from Frankfurt from any of you who were lucky enough to be there!
Our hat is off today to Frank Wilson, who retires today from his post as the venerable Book Editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer. One of the best and brightest in the book reviewing world, Frank was always a great supporter of Overlook and independent publishing. And, I wonder, if there's anyone in the U.S. who knows more about the great John Cowper Powys than Frank?
I'm happy to be a part of the Blogging Chicks Blogroll! A few weeks ago, I was surfing along, reading different blogs, when I ran across the Blogging Chicks Blogroll. Well, seeing that I'm a woman, or chick, (It feels silly saying chick) it caught my attention, especially since I'm a supporter of everything promoting sisterhood! Well, that would certainly be the Blogging Chicks Blogroll, since it's entire purpose is to promote woman's blogs! Written by stay-at-home mom, Michele, who says she is never home, since she's usually in the car, driving 15 and 11 year old daughters around. She also manages to go to school part- time and put up with what she refers to as her "long-suffering husband".
I was attracted to the The Blogging Chicks Blogroll, because it promotes sisterhood, but also since I'm a new blogger and I need the friendship, and colleagues that I spoke of when I accepted the Schmoozer Award in my last post.
So at the risk of repeating myself, I believe blogs offer more than an avenue where web surfers are allowed to examine the world’s social, political, or cultural climate; they offer a platform for communication between writer, reader, and blogger, thereby developing a way for the creation of rewarding friendships, in an otherwise lonely profession.
The writing profession is lonely; since writers work alone, they don't enjoy the same sense of belonging as people who work in an office, or around others everyday. There is no water cooler where you can share your opinion of the latest world gossip; or find out the latest scoop on a book, movie, celebrity, or politician. Blogs have become the worldwide web's water cooler; I think it’s this characteristic that gives them such a presence on the Internet.
Womens blogrolls, and social organizations on the internet, help with establishing this camaraderie, by supplying them with an instant list of blogs by woman, from many different, social, political, and cultural backgrounds, with a variety of belief systems.
The Blogging Chicks Blogroll promises to deliver friendship, in addition to an increase in search engine rankings! I thought it was a pretty nice deal, in addition to offering such an attractive announcement image! Check out the link, and see what you think for yourself! Come join and let's increase our presence on the web, one woman at a time, although I think we should still keep our male bloggers around, since men are pretty good friends, (although, they can be "long suffering") most of the time they provide quite an interesting challenge!
Well, I'm a chick too. Old one, but still a chick. I'll check it out. :)
For some reason I felt silly saying chick, I don't know why? I really don't know how to be an old lady! Thanks for stopping by :)
Ann
go rock chick..;)
Welcome to the "neighborhood"! :)
Thank you Jo!
And thanks for stopping by-
:)
Ann