The passing of Elie Wiesel struck me cold. Yes, we’ve read his works. Yes, we’ve written about him. Then, too, like me, you’ve probably pondered the cold realities and controversies of his Holocaust experience. For he was a man. He painted his legacy with slants as he sketched his tales on the page.

I think we must all either love him; or profoundly hate him. His message of peace was profound, but that he was a complex human being (and writer) also means that we all must draw out those threads of meaning that resonate with our experience.

As we stand in memoriam for Elie Wiesel, we see the man as he was — his life, his words, and his stories. But, we also have the ever-more-troubling realization that the world is cruel and barbaric.

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Elie Wiesel was a Holocaust survivor, author, and human rights activist who dedicated his life to promoting peace and justice. His message of remembrance and compassion has profoundly impacted society, inspiring generations to stand up against hatred and intolerance. In this article, we'll explore Wiesel's legacy and the significance of…

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Neil Gaiman is releasing a book about Norse mythology. That news would likely be quickly shuffled aside and forgotten, if it weren’t for Gaiman’s epic, even legendary, status as an author — with short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films already securely under his belt.

Yep, he’s one of the most infamous authors, but this news is just beyond cool. Not wanting to sound sacrilegious, but it would nearly reach the level of news if J.R.R. Tolkien were to arise and pen a retelling of Norse mythology — well, that’s probably overspeaking… but it leaves a feel-good sense and certainly a sense of anticipation.

According to The New York Times, Gaiman was similarly enthusiastic when they first discussed the Norse Mythology book concept, saying: “To get the opportunity to retell the myths and poems we have inherited from the Norse was almost too good to be true.”

Of course, he’s already delved into the realms of myth before, even exploring Norse stories with Odd and the Frost Giants (HarperCollins, 2009). With illustrations from Brett Helquist, how could we help but be drawn into the story of Odd, a 12-year-old boy who must save Asgard, restore peace, and end the long winter.

It’s not really a surprise to anyone that favorite books from Gaiman’s own childhood include: Jack Kirby’s comic, The Mighty Thor (Marvel collection, 2014), and Lancelyn Green’s Myths of the Norsemen (Puffin reprint, 2013).

Such is the news that gives us pause to smile, and then sigh… as we recall that Norse Mythology won’t be released until February.

Are you looking forward to reading more about Loki, Thor and all the other myths of Asgard?

Apple released refunds to all eligible ebook customers this morning, and you may be among the many readers who were both excited and confused. After all, the antitrust case (and eventual $400 million settlement) was way back in 2014. So, today’s refund was a long time in the making…

I know very few readers who are complaining about the refund. (It would be akin to “looking a gift horse in the mouth”.) But, it wouldn’t be surprising if you had no idea what the refund was all about.

If you don’t know about the settlement (or have forgotten the details), here are a few tips you’ll want to review. After all, you may not even know why you’re eligible…

1. If you’re eligible, you likely were already credited to the account where you purchased the ebook.
2. Eligibility is contingent upon purchases that were made between April 1, 2010 and May 21, 2012. So, you must have purchased an ebook during that time.
3. Although most of the hubbub is around Amazon, you could have also purchased from Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
4. The case involves major publishers:
   a) Hachette Book Group, Inc.,
   b) HarperCollins Publishers L.L.C.,c) Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC known as Macmillan,
   d) Penguin Group (USA) Inc., and
   e) Simon & Schuster, Inc. & Simon & Schuster Digital Sales, Inc.
5. You can learn more from Ebooklawsuits.com.

While we didn’t all receive millions in refund/credit, that $6.93 is nothing to sneeze at. If you’ve regularly purchased ebooks in the past, you may have racked up quite a substantial sum over the eligibility period — which means you may also find a nice surprise when you go look at the refund amount.

Here’s hoping the refund money will bring you many more hours of enjoyable reading…

Elie Wiesel has been seen as a voice of the Holocaust. Although he was not the first to speak out (and write) about his experiences, he certainly had a way of rising above the rest — to tell the stories and legends that should never be forgotten. Because he was a survivor of those horrors at Auschwitz, his voice also resonates with authority on all topics of humanity, human rights and indifference.

If we look up the definition of indifference, Webster’s Dictionary tells us that it’s a “lack of concern.” We simply don’t care, which is worse, as Wiesel writes:

“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”

To be indifferent is to lose the very depth of human feeling and understanding. Perhaps it’s been quashed out of us. We may have lost all hope. It’s even true that we’ve seen the empty, indifferent gaze in the eyes of those in the depths of despair. We see them in the war-torn places of the world. It’s across the globe, but perhaps even worse… it’s familiar. It’s next door, down the street, at the local hospital. The eyes tell us more than stories ever could.

With the lack of caring, the turning off of our humanity; we may find it easier to just stop thinking, feeling, hoping or dreaming. One of my favorite quotes from Elie Wiesel is: “Think higher, feel deeper.”

It sounds so simple, even too easy. How could thinking and feeling ever really change the world? How could we ever think to make a difference. Just look at the horrors.

Perhaps it really is as straightforward as opening our minds and hearts (as cliche as that must sound). If we stop turning a blind eye, walk that extra mile to learn what’s really going on in the world (and in our communities).

He’s not the only one who has ever encouraged us to take a stand and make a difference, but his words and his legacy will last long after he’s long gone. And, it can begin in as simple a step as interference. As he wrote:

“Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men or women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must—at that moment—become the center of the universe.”

His speaking and writing have been his acts of interference. Never silent. Never forget. After all, the first loss was enough to all of humanity. He says: “To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.”

James Joyce’s Ulysses is a giant of 20th-century literature. It’s both a celebrated masterpiece and a complex, notorious novel. What makes this complex work so significant? Why does it still captivate readers a century after its publication?

The Odyssey of Leopold Bloom

At its heart, Ulysses follows the journey of Leopold Bloom, an ordinary man navigating the streets of Dublin on June 16, 1904. This date, now celebrated worldwide as “Bloomsday,” becomes a microcosm for the human experience.

Leopold Bloom emerges as an everyman figure, his thoughts and actions revealing the depths of human nature. His wanderings through Dublin mirror Odysseus’ epic journey, but with a distinctly modernist twist. Bloom’s struggles with fidelity, identity, and belonging resonate with readers across generations.

Molly Bloom, Leopold’s wife, serves as a complex counterpart to Homer’s Penelope. The novel’s closing soliloquy is famous. It’s a stream-of-consciousness tour de force. It offers a rare, unfiltered look at female sexuality and consciousness, in literature of the time.

Stephen Dedalus, the young artist first introduced in Joyce’s earlier work A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, completes the central trio. His intellectual wanderings and artistic ambitions provide a counterpoint to Bloom’s more earthy concerns.

Joyce’s Modernist Revolution

Ulysses is renowned for its experimental techniques. It pushed the boundaries of what literature could achieve. Joyce employs a dizzying array of styles, including:

• Stream of consciousness: You’ll experience a character’s thoughts as their world unfolds.

• Multiple narrators: The novel shifts perspectives, giving a kaleidoscopic view of Dublin life.

• Experimental language: Joyce plays with words, inventing new ones and stretching language to its limits.

• Non-linear narrative: Time bends and loops, mirroring the way human minds actually process experiences.

These techniques, though hard, aim to immerse you, while capture the complexity of human consciousness and the modern world.

Echoes of Homer: The Odyssey Reimagined

Joyce structured Ulysses to parallel Homer’s Odyssey. He aimed to create a modern epic that both honors and subverts the ancient work. Each episode in Ulysses corresponds to an adventure from the Odyssey, but it is set in early 20th-century Dublin, making the adventures mundane.

This parallel structure adds layers of meaning to the novel. Bloom becomes a modern-day Odysseus, his journey home fraught with temptations and obstacles. Molly Bloom takes on aspects of both the faithful Penelope and the seductive sirens. Stephen Dedalus, in his search for a father figure, echoes Telemachus’ quest.

By overlaying the mythic onto the everyday, Joyce suggests that heroism and meaning can be found in the most ordinary of lives.

Dublin, 1904: A City Comes Alive

Joyce famously declared that if Dublin were to be destroyed, it could be reconstructed from the pages of Ulysses. The novel serves as a time capsule, capturing the sights, sounds, and smells of the city on a single summer’s day.

This meticulous recreation of Dublin serves multiple purposes:

1. It grounds the mythic elements of the story in vivid reality.

2. It allows Joyce to explore themes of Irish identity, colonialism, and modernity.

3. It elevates the ordinary to the level of art, finding beauty and significance in the everyday.

A Literary Earthquake

The publication of Ulysses in 1922 sent shockwaves through the literary world. Its frank depiction of sexuality led to it being banned in many countries, including the United States and United Kingdom, until the 1930s.

Despite (or perhaps because of) this controversy, Ulysses has had an incalculable impact on literature. It paved the way for:

• Experimentation in narrative form and language

• More open explorations of sexuality and the human body in literature

• The elevation of “ordinary” life as a subject worthy of serious artistic treatment

Countless authors, from Virginia Woolf to Salman Rushdie, have acknowledged their debt to Joyce’s groundbreaking work.

Why Ulysses Still Matters

In our fragmented, information-saturated age, Ulysses remains startlingly relevant. Its themes of alienation, the search for meaning, and the struggle to connect with others speak directly to modern concerns.

The novel’s exploration of identity – national, personal, and artistic – resonates in our globalized world. Its frank depiction of sexuality and the body feels refreshingly honest in an era of both oversharing and prudishness.

Moreover, the very difficulty of Ulysses offers a unique reward in our age of instant gratification. The novel demands engagement, inviting you to actively participate in creating meaning. In a world of easy answers, Ulysses reminds us of the value of grappling with complexity.

Ulysses is more than just a novel – it’s a literary event, a puzzle, and a celebration of human experience in all its messy glory. Whether you’re a seasoned Joyce enthusiast or a curious newcomer, there’s always something new to discover in its pages.

Join us for Bloomsday! Celebrate Joyce’s masterpiece with readings, walks, and discussions.

Like me, you may have first discovered Willa Cather through My Antonia. Perhaps you learned to love her style and prose, the dark irony, and the sense of place. She captured a story that was both difficult to stomach and even harder to put down. It delves into aspects that are so true to life for us in modern society, with hunger, suicide, and deprivation paired with the (perhaps more basic) longings to return to a past that’s long gone, a sense of place that we can never recover.

My Antonia may have sparked our love for Willa Cather, but it only entices us into the true depths of her works. We get glimpses of why she is so important — particularly today…

• Great Writer: Willa Cather is now recognized as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.
• Regional: She captures a sense of place, as she immerses us in the Nebraska landscape. It’s why she is a master in regional literature.
• Woman Writer: Willa Cather made a living as a journalist long before she turned to fiction. Notably, she worked for McClure’s Magazine, in New York — it was her second job out of college.
• Award-Winning: She was a Pulitzer-Prize winning author for One of Ours, her novel about war. (My Ántonia was nominated but did not receive the prize.)
• Body of Work: Willa Cather has made her place on the literary stage with a body of works that includes novels, poetry, and short fiction.

Her presence as a notable author on the stage of American literature is impressive and unforgettable. And, the controversy abounds far beyond the pages of her books into her life.

Do you remember the first time you read George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion? Perhaps, like me, you too were just out of high school, taking a Theater Appreciation course. Pygmalion paired well with Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, and many other beautiful plays.

From that play, Eliza Doolittle is front and center in our thoughts. She’s introduced as “not at all a romantic figure,” but she soon steals our hearts. We watch her transform from an ugly street urchin to a beautiful lady of class and refinement. But there’s also a very Faustian bargain in play. It was a deliberate bet, designed to prove a point — that  Professor Henry Higgins could take the lowliest human being and transform her. He’d promised that he could improve her speech enough so that she’d be recognized as a duchess at an ambassador’s garden party.

It was no easy task, but Higgins In true Cinderella fashion, she comes into her own, falls in love, and becomes a “pillar of strength”. She’d wanted human kindness. Instead, she was a plaything, a statue to be molded into the facade of a “perfect” woman, — fit, even, for a king.

Retake on Mythic Pygmalion

In ancient Greek myth (Ovid’s Metamorphoses), Pygmalion was a Cypriot sculptor who falls in love with the statue of a woman he’d created out of ivory. Pygmalion offered tribute to Aphrodite, and then wished for a bride, who was “the living likeness of my ivory girl.” Of course, the goddess heard his prayer, and granted his wish.

Far from being made of ivory, Eliza is simply a flower girl — never expected to amount to much. In the end, though, she shows her inner strength, and she re-writes her own story — perhaps not in how we would have imagined, but certainly a metamorphosis that’s striking and unforgettable.