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Dirda on Books
Hosted by Michael Dirda
Washington Post Book World Senior Editor
Thursday, Nov. 15, 2001; 2 p.m. EST
Washington Post Book World Senior Editor Michael Dirda takes your questions and comments concerning literature, books and the joys of reading.
Each week Michael Dirda's name appears -- in unmistakably big letters -- on page 15 of The Post's Book World section. If he's not reviewing a hefty literary biography or an ambitious new novel, he's likely to be turning out one of his idiosyncratic essays or describing his travels to, say, a P.G. Wodehouse Convention. Although he earned a Ph.D. in comparative literature from Cornell, Dirda has somehow managed to retain a myopic 12-year-old's passion for reading. He particularly enjoys comic novels, intellectual history, locked-room mysteries, innovative fiction of all sorts -- just the sort of range you'd expect from a Pulitzer Prize winner in criticism (1993).
These days, Dirda says he still spends inordinate amounts of time mourning his lost youth, listening to music (Glenn Gould, Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Krall, The Tallis Scholars), and daydreaming ("my only real hobby"). He claims that the happiest hours of his week are spent sitting in front of a computer, working. In the fall of 2000 Indiana University Press published "Readings: Essays and Literary Entertainments," a selection from Dirda's Book World columns. He hopes to bring out a companion volume soon.
Dirda joined The Post in 1978, having grown up in the working-class steel town of Lorain, Ohio and graduated with highest honors in English from Oberlin College. His favorite writers are Stendhal, Chekhov, Jane Austen, Evelyn Waugh, T.S. Eliot, Nabokov, John Dickson Carr, Joseph Mitchell and Jack Vance. He thinks the greatest novel of all time is either Murasaki Shikubu's "The Tale of Genji" or Proust's "A la recherche du temps perdu." In a just world he would own Watteau's painting "The Embarkation for Cythera." He'd also like to spend six months in Florida writing a book that would become a runaway best seller, a critical success, and the hottest cinematic property of the year. A guy can daydream, right?
The transcript follows.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Michael Dirda: Sorry to be late starting the discussionl. Had to rush back from a big second hand booksale at the convention center. So on to the questions.
Mt. Rainier, Md.:
Hey Michael!
Interesting war book titles last week here on the chat. Piqued my interest. I had an opportunity to hear the great war historian John Keegan speak at the Smithsonian in '92 or '93. I have two WW1 titles. One written recently and one written decades ago. I've read both but have you encountered them?:
1. "Journey's End," written by R.C. Sherriff. This came out around the same time as the more famous "All's Quiet On the Western Front." "JE" was originally a play but can be found in excellent novelised form on Amazon.
2. "The Pity of War" by Niall Ferguson. This came out in 2000(I think) and is a long but well researched read. Ferguson (whose grandfather was a WWI vet and is pictured as a young trench soldier in the book) shows us how most of the senseless deaths occurred in that first year 1914-1915. Great read which makes one angry at the waste of life.
Michael Dirda: THanks for the leads.
San Diego, Calif.:
Hi Michael,
I just discovered the perfect post 9-11 airport reading: Dickens. "David Copperfield" helped calm my nerves and pass the time during checkpoints and searches. Caveat: I think Dickens can only be truly appreciated after age 30. The humor and sarcasm really flower as a reader ages, imho.
Michael Dirda: As it happens, I'm thinking of going back to Dickens myself. In fact, I nearly bought another copy of Pickwick Papers at the book sale, but at the last moment changed my mind. NOw, of course, I regret myh economy--never my extravagances.
Springfield, Va.:
Afternoon, Mr. Dirda:
Can you give some information on what criteria determines a win for the National Book Award? I found Franzen's book not to my liking -- not that I have any reason to be considered anyone "in the know." Just curious.
Michael Dirda: Like many awards, the NBA is judged by a jury and the winners tend to reflect that jury's taste. In this instance, though, there really hasn't been any big American novel to compare with The Corrections. Unlike, say, the year of Underworld, Cold Mountain and Mason and Dixon, among others. There is also a tendency among prize givers to recognize that certain sorts of book seem prize worthy. THus, Steven Millhauser received a Pulitzer for his novel Martin Dressler, but his-in my view--far better short story collections were probably deemed to light-weight or unfocused or something.
Don't forget Remarque:
All Quiet on the Western Front was missing in action from last week's war book discussion. Read it in junior high, and was overwhelmed. Even the boys in the class loved it. This was just before the Vietnam war, too.
Michael Dirda: Thanks for the reminder.
North Tonawanda, N.Y.:
Are you a fan of Donald Westlake/Richard Stark? I just read the latest Richard Stark, FIREBREAK, and it's terrific! I also loved David Mamet's new film, HEIST. Are we seeing a renewed interest in the caper genre? The remake of OCEAN'S ELEVEN will be out next month.
Michael Dirda: I"m a great fan of Westlake/Stark, having reviewed ihs books a half dozen times. My favorite is The Ax, followed by the first Parker novel The Hunter, then the very funny God Save the Mark. Capers are always fun, and no one does them better than Westlake, whether the funny Dortmunder heists that always go wrong, or the lean, mean Parker's where things always go wrong and Parker does what it takes to make them come out right. That is, to his advantage.
Washington, D.C.:
What did you pick up at the Goodwill sale today? I was there too and picked up the following autobiographies: Mother Jones, Emma Goldman, Trotsky and Gandhi. Radical, interesting lives, something to read against the bureaucratic impulses of life in D.C..
Michael Dirda: Bought some classical CDs (Mercury Living Presence--I like their sound), E.R Dodds' edition of The Bacchae; a couple of kid videos, a beat up first of Faulkner's worst novel A Fable, a paperback of a scarce John Dickson Carr locked room myhstery THe PUnch and Judy Murders, and one or two other small things. Nothing valuable. But I didn't go until 12:30.
Lockport, N.Y.:
Our local used bookstore has a sign which reads: YOU ALWAYS REGRET THE BOOKS YOU DIDN'T BUY. I can't tell you how many times that sign forced me to turn back and buy more books! Did you find anything interesting at the book sale? I found a first edition of GRAVITY'S RAINBOW at a library sale last week.
Michael Dirda: Neat find. Was it ex-library? I suppose you didn't pay its actual worth.
Dupont Circle Underground:
So what did you happen to purchase at the book fair? I'm trying to rein in my book-buying habits at present, but I can at least live vicariously through you.
Michael Dirda: See above. I was very chary of buying much of anything, though I'm now eager to go back and scout the place more thoroughly. Alas, I have to work and tomorrow fly off to a conference. So I may have to be more restrained than I care to be.
Chantilly, Va.:
So, Michael, Mr. Franzen now has another sticker he can put over the Oprah Book Club stickers on all those copies of the Corrections that were printed.
I just ordered a copy from Books-a-Million. I wonder what sticker I'll get.
I hope this book is better than Strong Motion.
Michael Dirda: Let us know.
Re: Dickens:
Okay, you've convinced me; I'm going to try something new by Dickens. I had "...Two Cities" and "Great Expects..." long ago in school. Which one do you recommend?
Michael Dirda: Great Expectatioins--arguably his best book. Tale is a bit windy and cornyh, though the ending remains moving: It is far far better thing I do than I have ever done; it is a far far better rest I go to than I have ever known.
Centreville, Va.:
Thank you for your recommendation to the John Irving fan regarding Robertson Davies and "Fifth Business" -- I wasn't that poster, but I took your advice and was rewarded with the wonderful story that is "Fifth Business." Now I have a whole new list of books I want to read, and the library at my disposal. Thanks again!
Michael Dirda: Well, you do know that Fifth Business is actually the first volume of a cycle(albeit the best): The Manticore and World of Wonders round out the Deptford trilogy.
Washington, D.C.:
Speaking of suicidal dames, which important women wrote about suicidal characters? Plath and Chopin lead the charge, but who else?
Michael Dirda: Were we speaking of suicidal dames? Anne Sexton, Charlotte Mew, Virginia Woolf.
Chantilly, Va.:
Micheal: speaking of Steven Millhauser, what do you think of his first book, Edwin Mullhouse (or something like that)? I've never gotten around to it. Is it worth picking up?
Michael Dirda: It's wonderful--the best evocation ever written of what it was like to grow up in the 1950s, (if, that is, you were white and not impoverished).-
Lenexa, Kans.:
Mr. Dirda,
I noticed in Readings you sometimes used fun phrases like "And so to bed." Was that one consciously in honor of Pepys? I know Pepys' Diary but have not read John Evelyn -- do recall a history professor some 40 years ago reading us his description of the great London fire: "London was, but is no more." Are you a fan of both Pepys and Evelyn? Thanks.
Michael Dirda: Yes, I like to stick in buried or quoted allusions. In that case, I think it was the Bookman's Saturday piece, it seemed an appropriate phrase. My whole approach to writing is what you might call playful.
I like diaries--having just reviewed a big compilation of them called The Assassin's Cloak--but have only read a few pages of both Pepys and Evelyn. One of these days.
Washington, D.C.:
So does Franzen want the Oprah controversy to go away? And if so, why does he continue to make snarky comments, like the quote in the Post today: "I'd like to thank Oprah Winfrey for her enthusiasm and advocacy."
(And was that from his acceptance speech or comments to reporters afterwards?) Do you think he's just milking it for all its worth, embracing whole-heartedly his elitist bent? Do you think the book deserved the award?
I do want to read The Corrections, but based on all these interviews, I think the author sounds pretty asinine.
Michael Dirda: I really think this whole controversy has been pretty inane: Oprah just wants to make money for Oprah and earn a little prestige by picking a more literary title for her club; Franzen wants to be regarded as a serious artist. I suppose that we are so desperate for diversion these days that we grasp at any straw.
Re: Dickens:
No, no, I've already read "Tale" and "Great" and want to read ANOTHER Dickens book. Thank you.
Michael Dirda: Bleak House.
San Diego, Calif.:
Dickens:David Copperfield is the best intro to Dickens, especially if you were traumatized by compulsory Dickens in school. Then Bleak House -- for the Smallweeds and other unforgettable characters.
Michael Dirda: There, confirmation for Bleak House.
Potomac:
I'm starting my Christmas shopping and need some help. I have an 18-year-old nephew who is an avid reader. (He recently read The Iliad and The Odyssey in a week.) He likes philosophy and mysticism, but I don't know those fields and am worried I'll pick a book that's really boring and that he'll never read. Will you recommend some novels that are strong on philosophy, yet also entertaining? Would The Tale of Genji be a good choice?
Michael Dirda: No, it's too long and I think you'd be wiser to try something like Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground--a brilliant novella and a foundation stone of existentalism. You might also consider Sartre's Nausea or have him go directly to a philosopher, such as Plato or Hume, who is also a great writer.
Washington, D.C.:
Hello Michael -- On your Monday discussion about LOTR, you mentioned an article by, I think, Cliff Sloan who equated Lord Voldemort in "Harry Potter" to Bin Laden. When did that article appear?
I'd love to read it.
washingtonpost.com:
Deconstructing Harry by Cliff Slaon
Michael Dirda: There you have it below. It's very good.
Takoma Park, Md.:
I've just read Balzac and the Little Seamstress, after returning from China. Superb book, right up to the end. That part felt tacked-on, though it is hard to imagine another specific ending. Were you disappointed at the ending too?
Michael Dirda: Slightly. It had a kind of O.Henry feel to it--but it was right, too. Not least it made the title resonate in a new way--the book is really about how the little seamstress reacts to Balzac, as much as it is about the heroes' feelings for Balzac and the seamstress.
Woodbridge, Va.:
I’d like to respond to the poster who (last week?) on your show stated that he/she would not want to buy a book with the Oprah logo on it. Previously Franzen himself had stated that he felt uncomfortable with her logo on his book. Does this strike anyone else as being the height of silliness?
Don’t these literary snobs realize that there have always been cross-over books, praised by the critics and loved by average folks, and that many of our classics meet this description?
Is it possible that what Franzen really feared was a loss of status that might be incurred because Oprah’s club appeals primarily to women, and novels appealing primarily to women are assumed to be less serious than those marketed to men? Somehow, spy thrillers are accorded more respect than romance novels; adventure stories more than stories about marriage or the family. What Hemingway writes about fishing or London about adventure in the Arctic is granted the respect of the literary establishment, while novels about families are given the same status only if the subject is treated satirically. Franzen probably didn’t want to be seen as a writer of fluff for the gentler sex.
What do you and your audience think about whether there is a gender disparity in the way books are valued? This might be a good subject for discussion.
Michael Dirda: I think it would be a good discussion topic too. Let's talk about gender and fiction next week. We can take it in any direction. On the whole, I'd say you're right: There is a tendency to think "women's ficiton" is fluffy, inconsequential, etc., despite many examples to the contrary. I myself don't review enough women writers, partly I suspect for an ingrained prejudice. I have to know that the writer is hard or chiseled or witty--George Eliot, Austen, Penelope Fitzgerald, Angela Carter, Dawn Powell, etc.--before I'll read her. I'm not proud of this admission, but I see that it lingers there. On the other hand, the writers I've just mentioned are among my favorites of all time.
books for budding philosophers:
Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Perfect for a late adolescent, AND quite clear on the philosophical issues reviews. Quotes and clarifies lots of the central philosophers.
Michael Dirda: Good lead.
Downtown Washington, D.C.:
Michael: Is there really a book sale at the D.C. Convention Center? I work right across the street, and upon confirmation, might have to sneak out of here. Please let me know. Have any idea what time it ends? Thanks from one reader to another!
Michael Dirda: Yes, there is. ANd isn't the internet wonderful. I think the sale runs through the evening today, probably till 9. But it goes for several days and the stock is replenished regularly until it runs out.
Re: Dickens:
Nicholas Nickleby is great too - one of my favorite books.
Michael Dirda: thanks
Chantilly, Va.:
Michael: have you ever gone down to the Miami book fair? It's being held this week.
My Floridian friend, Miami Mike, is always trying to get me to come down for it.
It sure sounds good.
Michael Dirda: I went two years ago and had one of the best times of my life, though only partly at the fair itself. I hope to go again, probably next year.
Reston, Va.:
Michael,
Since you said Great Expectations was arguably Dickens' best novel, let me argue with you: I don't think there is a funnier Dickens novel than Nicholas Nickelby. It may not reach some of the emotional depths of Great Expectations, but it has everything else, in spades.
Michael Dirda: GE is tight, well worked out, with a variety of scenes, both spooky and funny, and unforgettable characters too. But why argue? Read them both.
Rockville, Md.:
What did you find at the book sale?
Michael Dirda: SEe earlier answer.
Charlotte, N.C.:
I was intrigued with the comment by the poster earlier in the week who said that he didn't get the poetry in the Lord of the Rings until his spouse sang it to him. If I remember correctly -- it's been a generation since I studied it -- that's exactly what the Anglo-Saxon poets did. After all, few people could read, and the way they entertained themselves on cold winter nights was to have poets recite their works musically. Of course Tolkien would have known that.
Gee, I guess I should read the books again. I remember devouring the first on an airplane trip. What a great way to make the time pass. washingtonpost.com:
Dirda's Fellowship of the Ring discussion trascript
Michael Dirda: Thanks. Yes, the Anglo Saxon bards accompanied themselves with stringed instruments and chanted their poems. Three is a record of Tolkien reading--and singing.
New York, N.Y.:
Two Questions: First -- Last Spring, I purchased Chabon's "Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" (having enjoyed "The Wonder Boys" tremendously). Unfortunately, before I started reading I heard from you and another reviewer that the book falls apart in the end. The effect of this "tainting of the well" has been that I can't bring myself to begin the book. Am I missing out by obsessing on the failed ending? Is it still rewarding overall? (If not, anyone out there want a deal on a hardback edition of the book?)
Second -- What do you hear about Jennifer Egan's book "Look at Me"? I have heard varying opinions.
Michael Dirda: Well, I had to say what I thought about the book as a whole, but I stressed that it was wonderful throughout, and onlyu slightly less wonderful in the end. And that it deserved to win prizes, which it did (Pulitzer). You should read it. Lots of fun. Moving. Wonderful scenes of immigrant life.
Can't comment on Egan, as I haven't read it.
Centreville, Va.:
Regarding Dickens: I've always had a great fondness for "Nicholas Nickleby." I love to go back now and then to visit the characters, esp Nicholas and his evil Uncle Ralph. The only thing more enjoyable than the book itself was the Royal Shakespeare Company's multi-hour production back in the mid-80s, with Roger Rees as Nicholas (available on video).
Michael Dirda: More enjoyable than the book itself? That's some endorsement. I'll have to check it out.
Washington, D.C.:
Michael,
In your Readings column a couple of weeks back, you talked about Sherlock Holmes' Apollonian nature. I wanted to point out that Holmes was a drug addict, and there are numerous references to his habit and to his melancholic disposition. Holmes does have a Dionysian side, and it's the tension between the two sides that gives the character its depth and complex.
Michael Dirda: Yes, he does resort to the needle when depressed, but you have the sense that it's more from intellectual boredom than from love of the senses. What's more you can see him as an 1890s decadent as well. But for most readers he remains the great icon of pure intelligence applied to the world's problems.
E-Guy:
Michael, during the discussion of children’s books a few weeks ago, you briefly mentioned that you had read Beverly Cleary’s memoir. How was it and what was her life like? I might be interested in reading her book.
Michael Dirda: It's good: Called something like My Own Two Feet. There's a sequel too.
Baltimore, Md.:
Hi Michael. When I buy books I often look for books that have won awards, such as National Book Critics Circle, Pulitzer, PEN/Faulkner, Edgars, and Booker. Which awards do you believe are the best indicators of a great book? Thanks.
Michael Dirda: The Dirda Seal of Approval. In truth, you're likely to get a pretty good book by following these prizes--but you won't necessarily be reading the best books of our time. More often than not, the truly original is thought too extreme for a national award. Compromise is often the name of that game.
Reston, Va.:
Michael,
What is your secret for remembering the details of all you have read? You seem to be able to bring back details of works you read throughout your life, while some of us cannot recall the previous chapter of the book we are reading now. Is it diet or study or do you just read things over and over again?
Michael Dirda: I don't know the answer. I've always thought it was simply because I pay such close attention to what I read. I can't remember a phone number from the time I look it up to the time I need to dial it. I don't in fact reread much. Probably haven't read more than 40 books more than once. This doesn't include poetry.
Alexandria, Va.:
Michael -- For poetry lovers of all ages, try "Love That Dog" by Sharon Creech, a short novel in verse. Nominally for 4th-7th graders, I (age 44) couldn't put it down. Cheers.
Michael Dirda: THanks for the lead.
Washington, D.C.:
Is it also literary snobbishness to hate buying books that have the motion picture poster on the cover?
Michael Dirda: No, I personally like old books because I prefer a full cloth binding and don't really much care for jackets. But I hate to keep them because they can be so valuable. You can buy a first of The Maltese Falcon for under a thousand dollars wihtout a dj; but with a jacket, figure on $20,000 and up. For more on this see Collected Books, by Allen and Pat Ahearn, a marvelous guide to book values.
Washington, D.C.:
Michael, you mention the moving closing lines of a Tale of Two Cities, but the opening lines are pretty memorable as well .It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I remember reading this book in high school and just being completely overwrought. And that Madame Defarge gave me nightmares. I think the only other book I've read with such strong opening AND closing lines is One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Michael Dirda: Well, a lot of books start and close memorably. THe Sun also rises, for example. Proust. But the DIckens lines are world famous.
Washington, D.C.:
Re: a gift for the philosophically/mystically inclined adolescent, skip Zen and the Art of, it's muddled philosophy-lite, give him Nietszche, he's the best writer of the Dead White Philosophy Guys, he's got good criticisms of every major figure who came before him, and he can be brutally funny; for literature, I'd go with Kafka's stories, he's described better than most the moral and spiritual problems of the 20th C., plus he also has a great sense of humor.
Michael Dirda: Good choices. But don't read Thus Spoke Zarathustra; go for the more aphoristic books like The Gay Science or the wonderful autobiographical Ecce Homo. Despite both those titles, N wasn't homosexual.
San Diego, Calif.:
For next week's discussion,
Unfortunately, I think Franzen is right in dissing Oprah selections. I am a 35-yr-old progressive woman, and I find the quality of many women writers today distinctly second-rate. Many Oprah selections by women -- I've read them all -- are poorly written and the plots are predictable. Worse yet, Kingsolver and others are turning women's fiction into an almost socialist-realist catalogue of sexual abuse and other trendy topics. These books will not stand the test of time. Until women's/Oprah-style fiction comes into its own -- and there are bright spots on the horizon -- Franzen is right to shun such "endorsements." Hail to Franzen, Philip Roth and other phallocentric writers who make me think!
Michael Dirda: I tend to agree with you. Would that Oprah had picked a Penelope Fitzgerald book or an Iris Murdoch or Eudora Welty or ...
Too Far Away From The Washington, D.C. Booksale in Mississippi:
I was a regular at that sale for many years and I'm depressed that I've been unable to come back to D.C (for the sale and to spend tourist $) for the second year in a row.
What is your opinion of John Cowper Powys and William Gerhardie?
Michael Dirda: Gods--but gods I haven't read. Iris Murdoch and Geroge Steiner have love Powys' Glastonbury Romance and Wolf Zolent and Porius. I've collected first editons of most of Gerhardie's books because MIchael HOlroyd wrote about them and made him seem funny, moving, sexy etc. So, I look forward to starting on Futility one of these days--and wish I'd already read it. Oh, World enough and Time!
Silver Spring, Md.:
I've given up on you guys bringing back the much-lamented and very late Book Bag, but how about repeating some of the old questions or even posting new ones on the Web, just for fun and without the messy prizegiving aspect?
Michael Dirda: Hmmm. Sounds like work to me--especially as I made up about 80 percent of the questions way back when. There is a little paperback called The Book World Book of Literaiyr QUizzes or something like that. But it only draws on the first five or six years of the quiz.
Laurel, Md.:
Hi, Michael.
I was a student of yours at American University. Remember -- you assigned us like 20 books, but it was from that class that I discovered Pauline Kael, John McPhee, and others.
Now I have 2 kids and I know you have devoted a good deal of your time to children's books. What do you think are the most important boks that children should read and why?
Jo Lane (Gregory) Thomas
Michael Dirda: Look for my book, REadings (indiana up)--one section is devoted to my favorite kids books.There are really too many to even start listing here.
Cleary correction:
My Own Two Feet IS the sequel. Girl from Yamhill is the first volume.
First is better, both are terrific. She is as foursquare and funny and serious as you'd expect the author of Henry and Beezus and Ramona (and all the others) to be.
Michael Dirda: Oh yes. You're right. Two feet is the one she sent me. I"ve nver read Yamhill.
Washington, D.C.:
The introductory material at this site mentions your love of comic novels, and earlier in this chat you mentioned Faulkner's novel "A Fable" as his worst.
Have you ever read "The Reivers"? Some think it a very good comic novel.
Michael Dirda: Haven't read it yet.
Fairfax, Va.:
Hello, Michael.
After hearing you sing the praises of "The Red and the Black" (Stendahl), I've taken the plunge. I'm about 3/4 of the way through, and unfortunately I don't understand why this is such a classic.
It's certainly well-written, captures the foibles of the times, and shows a very good picture of what unchecked ambition leads to. But I was expecting something profound. What did I miss?
Thanks
Michael Dirda: How can I answer? Stendhal sometimes loses his magic in English. But pay attention to the differing characters and loves, of the three main figures: Julien, Madame de Renal, and Mathilde de la Mole. It's a subtle book. Note, for instance, why Monsieur de REnal hires Julien as a tutor.
Alexandria, Va.:
Mr. Dirda --
I'm hoping you can help. I lent a treasured book to a family member and got it back with the spine and front cover seperated from the binding and not even an hint of an apology! Can you recommend a good book repair shop? I'd really like to have it back in one piece. Thanks.
Michael Dirda: If the book is truly valuable, you might try the LIbrary of Congress's Conservation Department. They can advise you.
Story Hill, Milwaukee, Wis.:
Re: Children vs. Art. Michael Michael Michael, it is fine with me if your creative urges occasionally conflict with the demands of domesticity. It lends spice to your art. Please stop, however, well short of despair. While you may not have produced the sensation that will last for all time, you have a steady and consistent impact on my life (and I'm sure on the life of your other fan). You literally give me hours of joy and pleasure each month, sharing a literary world through this chat and BW. (I download and print them, put them in a folder, and carry them everywhere I go, along with my novel of the moment.) Just picture "It's a Wonderful Life" but with you missing instead of George Bailey. My life would be diminished; my joy in the world lessened; my mind dulled; my frustration with job and the demands of my own family increased. The World of Letters would be missing a continent. So go hug your kids, squeeze your wife, and give thanks for being alive.
A request: Could your buddies at washington Post.com be so good as to give us fans a notice on this chat whenever your publish something through someone else? You've recently said you would be doing more of this and I, for one, would go track them down.
Michael Dirda: You're too kind. But thank you. If I remember I'll alert you to other things I write. Now, my producer Meredith, has just reminded me that next THursday is Thanksgiving. So we've rescheduled the chat to Tuesday at 2 PM. HOpe that helps people who need their fix of bookchat before dashing off to Grandma's for the holiday.
And, alas, that's all the time I have for today. Must go do some work. Till Tuesday then, keep reading!
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