I hardly remember birthdays. But come August 15, I can’t help asking “Who remembers Jellinek?” In an editorial for the Jellinek Special Anniversary issue of the CAS Information Services Newsletter, we (co-authors Judit H. Ward and William Bejarano) cited an article written in 1982 by Mark Keller, editor of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol, with … Read More
Rutgers Today, published by Rutgers University Communications and Marketing, recently featured a Douglass Alumna in its Alumni News. Author of the popular Stephanie Plum series, Janet Evanovich graduated from Douglass College in 1965, and was named to the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni, the highest honor given to Rutgers graduates of the University. This prestigious … Read More
Please note: This post discusses abusive relationships. If you or someone you know needs support regarding domestic or dating violence, please go to The National Domestic Violence Hotline or Rutgers Counseling Services. Carmen Marie Machado (the first author being examined in our Summer Tales program) doesn’t pull punches when exposing the grotesque realities of humanity. … Read More
Although published pre-COVID, Ling Ma’s brilliant debut novel Severance eerily mirrors the pandemic that has upended our world for the past year and a half. In Severance, Shen Fever is the devastating disease, a bizarre syndrome that induces a zombie-like feverish condition, which proves fatal for anyone infected. Main character Candace Chen, a twentysomething first-generation … Read More
With no kids in the house for a long time, I can only imagine how difficult it is for parents with small children in these days. The first day my friend’s kids were back in school last week, I got a text saying TIME TO CHAT. Did that mean it’s time, I have time, or … Read More
It’s actually not that hard: find one and start reading! OK, that was a little glib––when we talk about how to read a poem, we’re talking about how to process a poem as we read it. Often people worry that they’re missing something when they read a poem, some decoder ring that would help them … Read More
As a project and as a blog, we here at Books We Read have been very interested in what––and how––people are reading during the pandemic. Are people taking the time indoors to tackle classics that they’d always wanted to read, or falling back on the authors or genres (or even the same novels) that have … Read More
“Not all our food history is set down in cookbooks” (James Beard, American Cookery) The backbone of American cookery rests squarely on the shoulders of the late, great James Beard. A culinary arts foundation that recognizes chefs, restaurateurs, authors and journalists with prestigious awards is named in his honor. His life and experiences are extremely … Read More
My pick for a spring break book isn’t something that was recently written, or even a book that I’ve recently read. Instead, John Steinbeck’s 1945 novel Cannery Row is the basis of one of my most vivid reading memories: in middle school I picked it up one evening and simply didn’t stop. I was spellbound … Read More
A much-needed spring break is coming up. I’m one of those people who dreams of traveling. But right now, traveling is dangerous and highly discouraged. Reading books helps scratch that itch, allowing me to visit different places and even time periods. And if you’d also like to travel without leaving the comfort of your couch, … Read More