October 27, 2017
by jenniferpuryear
Christmas lurks on the back shelves at Walgreens – have you noticed? Halloween flashes its toothy smile up front, but Christmas will have the last laugh. I take the drugstore merch arrival as a challenge to get all my Christmas shopping done, and early! That makes more time for cookies, carols, adult beverages (oh, and family!) in December. My favorite place to shop is the bookstore, …
September 1, 2017
by jenniferpuryear
August departs in a dreadful deluge. But September arrives – I hope, I believe – with hope and hustle, even in times such as these. September strides in with energy and eagerness, industry and effort. Today’s post features one book, two readings, and three performances perfect for this month – plus tremendous gratitude for a home that is safe and dry and those who help …
May 11, 2017
by jenniferpuryear
Book Title: Pride and Prejudice
Amy Colton’s joyful obsession with all-things-Jane might just make your day, as it did mine. Read her guest post and smile! From Amy: I love Jane Austen. I mean I really love Jane Austen. In my mid-thirties, I was living a fulfilling life in a new city, raising four young children with my sweet husband and working on endless volunteer committees. And then I met …
March 1, 2016
by jenniferpuryear
Book Title: Jane Austen and the Reformation: Remembering the Sacred Landscape
Roger Moore met me at a local coffeeshop in his signature tweed jacket and pocket square: the stylish professor! He brought his boyish good looks and charm and a copy of his gorgeous new book, ten years in the making, Jane Austen and the Reformation: Remembering the Sacred Landscape. Roger is Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Science and Principal Senior Lecturer in English …
January 28, 2016
by jenniferpuryear
Book Title: The Incarnations
The good professor, Roger Moore, brings Vanderbilt to Bacon today with his engaging review of The Incarnations, by Susan Barker. (Thanks Roger! I love it when you do that!) He illuminates a darkly fascinating novel that you’ll want to know about… From Roger: My grandparents believed in reincarnation. The wall of books in their study was filled with theosophical tomes, Buddhist treatises, and …
April 30, 2015
by jenniferpuryear
Book Title: Emma: A Modern Retelling
It’s pretty outside – sure – and we’ve got our own special Sunday, but May is a hot mess for mothers with school-age kids. Coping mechanisms include exercise, an extra glass of wine, and complaining. I’ve tried all three over the years, and maybe you have too! Today I begin a series on an additional way to stay sane in May: have just the right book in …
June 20, 2014
by jenniferpuryear
Book Title: Quartet in Autumn
I met Roger Moore this past Spring at the Ballet Ball; seated next to him at dinner, I couldn’t have asked for a finer evening! Roger is an absolutely enchanting conversationalist. That night, I learned that he is a professor of English literature at Vanderbilt, specializing in early modern English literature and religion. Since then, I’ve learned that he is also Associate Dean for Undergraduate …