Monthly Archives: November 2022

“Observe, observe perpetually.”

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Kate Stover

More than 400 years ago, Michel de Montaigne of France invented a new literary tradition of close inward observation. “It is a thorny undertaking,” he writes, “to follow a movement so wandering as that of our mind.” Scholars, such as … Continue reading →

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“For what could be more peculiar than a crowd of grown-up people . . . discussing scholarly niceties that meant nothing to most of the world?”

Posted on November 22, 2022 by Kate Stover

One of the things that I love about Barbara Pym’s novels is that her characters never set out to impress anyone. They acknowledge that their choices – for example, attending an academic conference as treatment for a broken heart – … Continue reading →

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“I felt there was a lot more I could say about the subject of danger.”

Posted on November 11, 2022 by Kate Stover

In Half Broke Horses, Lily Smith faces many dangers, from flash floods in rural Texas, to bankruptcy during the Great Depression, to medical emergencies that didn’t always end well. This convincing, unprettified narration doesn’t glorify “grit” – rather, it shows … Continue reading →

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