Literature enlarges our being by admitting us to experiences not our own,” wrote C.S. Lewis. “They may be beautiful, terrible, awe-inspiring, exhilarating, pathetic, comic,…
Cloister Walk (Kathleen Norris, 1996)
There is a small monastery a few blocks away from my home and I always pass it with a certain amount of interest. What…
If I Die in a Combat Zone… (Tim O’Brien, 1975)
Words often fail me. Especially when I’m trying to convey an emotion or experience that took me past the edge of my comfortable, everyday…
Someone to Watch Over Me (Richard Bausch, 2004)
One of my favorite stories is only eighteen pages long. A length that is easily read in a single sitting, during quiet moments when…
The Chosen (Chaim Potok, 1967)
Perhaps you can tell by the worn cover of this book that The Chosen is a favorite of mine. I’ve had this copy since…
The Brothers K (David James Duncan, 1996)
Even though I’ve read it half a dozen times, each time I pull my battered copy of The Brothers K by David James Duncan…
Breaking Her Fall (Stephen Goodwin, 2003)
Junior high has changed a lot since I was fourteen, GenXer though I am. I remember in seventh grade, my girlfriends and I were…
Bel Canto (Ann Patchett, 2001)
Bel Canto begins with a kiss that is nearly, but not quite concealed by sudden darkness. A group of people from countries as diverse…
You Can Count On Me (Kenneth Lonergan, 2000)
Some movies settle for being “light entertainment;” others ask profound questions about “life, the universe, and everything” from the first frame. We seem to…
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? (Lasse Hallström, 1993)
Gilbert Grape is a young man living in a small town, struggling with big problems, both literal and figurative. Since his father’s death, Gilbert…