Author Archives: glenl

Stinkin’ Books!

Tonight I returned a book to the library because of an allergic reaction. Apparently, my respiratory system took issue with the previous reader’s favorite perfume. I will most likely buy the book instead of endangering my existence but … what a silly experience. The good news is that I discovered a Connie Willis book I [...]

EoE Favorite Quotes

At the beginning of Part 2, Steinbeck’s narrator goes on about how horrible the 19th century was, glad it is over, time to wash our hands of it and start fresh. But he repeats this lovely bit before moving on to the thirteenth chapter: Oh, but strawberries will never taste so good again and the [...]

East of Eden

It is Fall of 1952, Dwight D. Eisenhower has just become president of the United States with Nixon as his running mate, the Korean War has not yet ended, and John Steinbeck publishes East of Eden. The Salinas valley is a rich agricultural area, “America’s Salad Bowl,” and most of my memories are of travels [...]

The Door in the Wall

This short story deserves a second reading. It has an interesting narrative voice that relates a story of a friend’s memory. Throughout the reading I couldn’t help thinking that the door in the wall is meant to represent opportunity. It is a peculiar telling.