His 2001 Lecture
Naipaul with Charlie Rose about Masgue of Africa
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
2011 One Book, One Bloomington -- Let the Great World Spin = 让大世界旋转吧
Let the Great World Spin announced as the One Book, One Bloomington and Beyond Selection for 2011.
This year’s community selection is Colum McCann’s Let the Great World Spin: A Novel, which won the 2009 National Book Award for fiction. It also was the 2009 Book-of-the-Year on
Amazon.com and Oprah Winfrey’s top recommended read in summer 2009.
The novel hinges on Philippe Petit’s 1974 tightrope walk a quarter of a mile above the streets of Manhattan between the uncompleted World Trade Towers. Below, the lives of ordinary people become entwined in extraordinary ways. The novel captures the spirit of America in a time of
transition, promise, and soon-to-be-ended innocence. Five public discussions of Let the Great World Spin are scheduled from February through April at venues around the community. Local book clubs are encouraged to read and discuss the novel. Starting March 22, Monroe County Public Library will present a free film series featuring some of the incredible events of 1974—President Nixon’s resignation , Patty Hearst’s kidnapping, the illicit high wire walk of Philippe Petit, and Evel Knievel’s jump across the Snake River Canyon in a steam-powered rocket.
The One Book One Bloomington and Beyond website, will include a calendar of events
and resources related to this year’s community read. Monroe County Public Library has multiple print copies in its collection as well audiobook versions. Copies also are available for purchase through local booksellers.
Through the discussion of a single book and the issues therein, the One Book initiative seeks to encourage literary reading and to build community by encouraging conversation and the sharing of ideas by members of the community.
This year’s community selection is Colum McCann’s Let the Great World Spin: A Novel, which won the 2009 National Book Award for fiction. It also was the 2009 Book-of-the-Year on
Amazon.com and Oprah Winfrey’s top recommended read in summer 2009.
The novel hinges on Philippe Petit’s 1974 tightrope walk a quarter of a mile above the streets of Manhattan between the uncompleted World Trade Towers. Below, the lives of ordinary people become entwined in extraordinary ways. The novel captures the spirit of America in a time of
transition, promise, and soon-to-be-ended innocence. Five public discussions of Let the Great World Spin are scheduled from February through April at venues around the community. Local book clubs are encouraged to read and discuss the novel. Starting March 22, Monroe County Public Library will present a free film series featuring some of the incredible events of 1974—President Nixon’s resignation , Patty Hearst’s kidnapping, the illicit high wire walk of Philippe Petit, and Evel Knievel’s jump across the Snake River Canyon in a steam-powered rocket.
The One Book One Bloomington and Beyond website, will include a calendar of events
and resources related to this year’s community read. Monroe County Public Library has multiple print copies in its collection as well audiobook versions. Copies also are available for purchase through local booksellers.
Through the discussion of a single book and the issues therein, the One Book initiative seeks to encourage literary reading and to build community by encouraging conversation and the sharing of ideas by members of the community.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
花样的孤独
在竹林子的带领下，我们翻过《百年孤独》的最后一页。历经两个多月的苦读，是我们生命中一段艰苦而难忘的时光。竹林子老师精心为大家设计问题，颇有耐心地在讨论会上引导大家讨论，深入浅出，激发出每个人的积极性。当然每人的付出都是巨大的, 听一下大家的发言就知道有多少不止一次的研读; 光看一下几位同学做的笔记就令人汗颜.
没有竹林子勇敢承担领读的重任，谁都不会拿起《百年孤独》来做消遣。更不必说现在大家能像如数家珍般地讲述书中的故事，引用书中令人捧腹的箴言。我们由衷地感谢竹林子.
没有付出就没有收获。从此以后你可以自豪地对人说你如何征服这本世界名著。数年后, 你也许会对自已的子孙提起：“ 当年我们读《百年孤独》，眼睛都累酸了，头都搞痛了，笔记不知做了多少， 读了一遍又一遍，终于搞清了这个大家族的来龙去脉 … ”
我们不仅读过这个马贡多， 我们就是马贡多人，我们乔装打扮，走进他们的村庄，与他们同呼吸共患难. 在短暂的两个月里走过他们百年的沧桑. 现在我们终于走出了令人眼花缭乱的马贡多，告别书里行色各异的众多人物。 然而《孤独》就像挥不去，赶不走的影子，它脚前脚后地走进了我们的生活。
大雁公务在身，唯独她知晓孤独生意人苦衷。
雪的偏头疼和家务重任，让她孤独一人早早回家。
做事认真的紫罗兰，高处不胜寒， 万万不要扯起孤独的床单风帆。
Alice酝酿数月的孤独辞呈向我们报警。
老牛知难而进，不向孤独妥协。
水竹的孤独是她不承认有孤独。
潇竹马上要孤独地回家过一个孤独的团圆年。
少女情怀，嘻嘻哈哈的姥姥内心却有无限的孤独。
竹林子解释多种孤独，把孤独作为一种挑战。
萤火虫孤独得无事可干，把孤独分配到户是集大成的孤独者。
没有竹林子勇敢承担领读的重任，谁都不会拿起《百年孤独》来做消遣。更不必说现在大家能像如数家珍般地讲述书中的故事，引用书中令人捧腹的箴言。我们由衷地感谢竹林子.
没有付出就没有收获。从此以后你可以自豪地对人说你如何征服这本世界名著。数年后, 你也许会对自已的子孙提起：“ 当年我们读《百年孤独》，眼睛都累酸了，头都搞痛了，笔记不知做了多少， 读了一遍又一遍，终于搞清了这个大家族的来龙去脉 … ”
我们不仅读过这个马贡多， 我们就是马贡多人，我们乔装打扮，走进他们的村庄，与他们同呼吸共患难. 在短暂的两个月里走过他们百年的沧桑. 现在我们终于走出了令人眼花缭乱的马贡多，告别书里行色各异的众多人物。 然而《孤独》就像挥不去，赶不走的影子，它脚前脚后地走进了我们的生活。
大雁公务在身，唯独她知晓孤独生意人苦衷。
雪的偏头疼和家务重任，让她孤独一人早早回家。
做事认真的紫罗兰，高处不胜寒， 万万不要扯起孤独的床单风帆。
Alice酝酿数月的孤独辞呈向我们报警。
老牛知难而进，不向孤独妥协。
水竹的孤独是她不承认有孤独。
潇竹马上要孤独地回家过一个孤独的团圆年。
少女情怀，嘻嘻哈哈的姥姥内心却有无限的孤独。
竹林子解释多种孤独，把孤独作为一种挑战。
萤火虫孤独得无事可干，把孤独分配到户是集大成的孤独者。
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Solitude, Continued, Questions
Hello All,
Happy New Year!
here are some questions found on the Internet for us to consider, and feel free to post your questions.
1. What kinds of solitude occur in the novel's last 7 chapters (for example, solitude of pride, grief, power, love, or death), and with whom are they associated? What circumstances produce them? What similarities and differences are there among the various kinds of solitude?
2. What varieties of love occur in the novel in Chapters 10 and 17? Does any kind of love transcend or transform the ravages of everyday life, politics and warfare, history, and time itself? Give examples of two couples.
3. What are the contrast of personalities between Fernanda and Petra?
4. What is the importance of the various inventions, gadgets, and technological wonders introduced into Macondo over the years, and especially in Chapters 10-17? What happened to Macondon in the very end of the story?
5. What types of women (from Ursula and Pilar to Meme and Amaranta Ursula) and what types of men (from Jose Arcadio to Aureliano Babilonia) are distinguishable? What characteristics do the men share? What characteristics do the women share?
6. What dreams, prophecies, and premonitions occur in the novel? With which specific characters and events are they associated, and what is their purpose?
7 How did the end of the story connect with the beginning of the story?
8 Which character you seem to most admire, or despise? Why?
9. Share one or two paragraphs that you feel that was most inter sting, or your favorites.
Happy New Year!
here are some questions found on the Internet for us to consider, and feel free to post your questions.
1. What kinds of solitude occur in the novel's last 7 chapters (for example, solitude of pride, grief, power, love, or death), and with whom are they associated? What circumstances produce them? What similarities and differences are there among the various kinds of solitude?
2. What varieties of love occur in the novel in Chapters 10 and 17? Does any kind of love transcend or transform the ravages of everyday life, politics and warfare, history, and time itself? Give examples of two couples.
3. What are the contrast of personalities between Fernanda and Petra?
4. What is the importance of the various inventions, gadgets, and technological wonders introduced into Macondo over the years, and especially in Chapters 10-17? What happened to Macondon in the very end of the story?
5. What types of women (from Ursula and Pilar to Meme and Amaranta Ursula) and what types of men (from Jose Arcadio to Aureliano Babilonia) are distinguishable? What characteristics do the men share? What characteristics do the women share?
6. What dreams, prophecies, and premonitions occur in the novel? With which specific characters and events are they associated, and what is their purpose?
7 How did the end of the story connect with the beginning of the story?
8 Which character you seem to most admire, or despise? Why?
9. Share one or two paragraphs that you feel that was most inter sting, or your favorites.
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