Category Archives: Books

Tolkien Treasure Trove

Posted on May 28, 2015 by awtraughber

So it turns out that there’s this website called the Tolkien Gateway, and it links to all kinds of interesting and amazing things.  The trove includes over 100 drawings by Tolkien, many based on Tolkien’s Middle Earth.  Here’s one of … Continue reading →

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Not Marvin the Martian

Posted on May 26, 2015 by awtraughber

A few months ago I finally read Andrew Weir’s The Martian.  Since then, it’s become the work of fiction that I’ve recommended the most.  It’s the simple story of a man abandoned on Mars.  And it was utterly enthralling. Ridley … Continue reading →

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Up Through the First Joke

Posted on May 4, 2015 by awtraughber

From The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis: The Lion, whose eyes never blinked, stared at the animals as hard as if he was going to burn them up with his mere stare.  And gradually a change came over them.  The smaller … Continue reading →

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On Goofy, Mountains, and Magic

Posted on April 29, 2015 by awtraughber

One of the most interesting distinctions that Matthew B. Crawford deals with is the ascendancy of the virtual world as the “real” world for so many.  He uses the “Handy Dandy Machine” from Micky Mouse Clubhouse as a modern counterpoint … Continue reading →

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“That Lack of That Next Big Glorious”

Posted on April 28, 2015 by awtraughber

The Telegraph recently posted an article/interview with Dave Eggers, who I write about here as often as I can.  It’s a good article, focusing primarily on Eggers’ last three novels.  The article is mostly couched in Eggers’ take on technology, … Continue reading →

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The Professional Necessity of Others

Posted on April 28, 2015 by awtraughber

From Matthew B. Crawford’s The World Beyond Your Head: For experiences to become part of the secure, sedimented foundation of a skill, they must be criticized.  Otherwise people (and the resources of language) are indispensable.  Without them, your experiences are … Continue reading →

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Spring Break by the Numbers

Posted on March 30, 2015 by awtraughber

7 books started 5 books finished 1 book checked out of the state library 0 movies watched 2 new cast members on Community 2 groups calling themselves SHIELD 1 day lived twice on The Flash 7 potentially cancerous spots frozen … Continue reading →

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The Tribe is Us

Posted on March 24, 2015 by awtraughber

When Tom McCarthy’s essay about “fiction in the age of data saturation” posted earlier this month on The Guardian website, a number of writers picked up on the image of James Joyce working for Google: If there is an individual … Continue reading →

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In But Not Of, Teaching and Learning Edition

Posted on March 23, 2015 by awtraughber

Reading Alan Jacobs’ biography of C. S. Lewis, I couldn’t help but imagine what it must have been like to listen to the man lecture.  Then I couldn’t help but remember how far most academic institutions have moved from a … Continue reading →

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On Reading the Bible

Posted on March 18, 2015 by awtraughber

C. S. Lewis started his lecture, “De Audiendis Poetis,” with the assertion that “there are more ways than one of reading old books.”  What Lewis said to be true of many works of medieval literature is also and ultimately true … Continue reading →

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