Two picks for this month's book club.Byline: SECOND SUNDAY BOOK CLUB By Karen McCowan The Register-Guard The Register-Guard's Second Sunday Book Club faced a dilemma for March: Should we pick a book about the most celebrated female poet of the last century, or one about the defining moment of the new century? Months ago, we committed to joining the Half and Half Book Club in reading "Savage Beauty," a riveting, critically acclaimed biography of poet Edna St. Vincent Millay Edna St. Vincent Millay (February 22, 1892 – October 19, 1950) was an American lyrical poet and playwright and the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. She was also known for her unconventional, bohemian lifestyle and her many love affairs. . But then the University of Oregon The University of Oregon is a public university located in Eugene, Oregon. The university was founded in 1876, graduating its first class two years later. The University of Oregon is one of 60 members of the Association of American Universities. brought to town one of the country's most provocative, unconventional authors: cartoonist Art Spiegelman Art Spiegelman (born February 15, 1948) is an American comics artist, editor, and advocate for the medium of comics, best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel memoir, Maus. . After the Pulitzer Prize-winner packed the Shedd last week to defend his book ``In the Shadow of No Towers'' - a cartoon strip-approach to the horrors his New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of family experienced on and after Sept. 11, 2001 - we badly wanted to get our readers in on the local buzz. We were torn. We couldn't decide. So we didn't. It is March, after all, and spring break means extra reading time for many area book-lovers. So our virtual book club will offer the chance to weigh in on both titles. We'll begin with "Savage Beauty" (Random House, 608 pages, $14.95) by Nancy Milford. Newsweek called the book ``an incendiary INCENDIARY, crim. law. One who maliciously and willfully sets another person's house on fire; one guilty of the crime of arson. 2. This offence is punished by the statute laws of the different states according to their several provisions. cocktail of literary ambition, fame, sexual adventure and addiction.'' Millay predicted her life's short, voracious course in an early poem: "My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh my friends - it gives a lovely light." Milford, who won access to previously unpublished diaries and letters, brings new illumination to the life of an American literary treasure. Register-Guard readers are invited to join members of Eugene's Half and Half Book Club when they gather at 6:30 p.m. on March 12 to discuss the biography. (For directions, e-mail kmccowan@guardnet.com.) Those who prefer to weigh in virtually can post comments on our Second Sunday Book Club blog at www .registerguard.com/blogs/books. The following Sunday, the book club blog will host a virtual-only discussion of "In the Shadow of No Towers In the Shadow of No Towers is a comic by Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic artist Art Spiegelman. Overview The comic evolved from Spiegelman's experiences during the September 11 terrorist attacks. " (Pantheon, 56 pages, $19.95). Join our real-time, electronic discussion by posting comments between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. on March 19. Publishers Weekly calls the oversized o·ver·size n. 1. A size that is larger than usual. 2. An oversize article or object. adj. o·ver·size also o·ver·sized Larger in size than usual or necessary. comic book comic book Bound collection of comic strips, usually in chronological sequence, typically telling a single story or a series of different stories. The first true comic books were marketed in 1933 as giveaway advertising premiums. "inventive and vividly graphic ... an artful rant focused on the events of 9/11 and afterward by a world-class pessimist." But the Washington Post dismisses it as "a colossal wet firecracker, a trifle blown up to enormous size and heft." We'll publish a compendium of reader reaction to both selections on April 9. HOW IT WORKS What is the Second Sunday Book Club? It's a vicarious vicarious /vi·car·i·ous/ (vi-kar´e-us) 1. acting in the place of another or of something else. 2. occurring at an abnormal site. vi·car·i·ous adj. 1. book group. Each month, we pick a different real local book group and allow Register-Guard readers to piggyback piggyback 1. A broker trading in his or her personal account after trading in the same security for a customer. The broker may believe the customer has access to privileged information that will cause the transaction to be profitable. 2. on their selection. Then, on the second Sunday of each month, we'll print a compendium of comments from Register-Guard readers and from the featured book group's members. What's the next book? There are two: ``Savage Beauty'' by Nancy Milford is a biography of poet Edna St. Vincent Millay and the pick of Half and Half Book Club. And ``In the Shadow of No Towers'' by Art Spiegelman, is a comic book-style memoir of 9/11 and the pick of a University of Oregon reading project. How do I participate? Read one or both books and log your comments on The Register- Guard book club blog: www .registerguard.com/blogs/books When will the wrapup appear? It will be published on the Books page on April 9. Wrapup of our previous selection: On the March 12 Books page, we'll have a round-up of comments from last month's selection, ``Crescent'' by Diana Abu-Jaber Diana Abu-Jaber is an author and a teacher at Portland State University. She was born in Syracuse, New York. Her father was Jordanian and her mother was American, descended from Irish and German roots. At the age of seven she moved with her family for two years to Jordan. . What if I'm in a real book group and we want to be a featured group? Contact Karen McCowan at kmccowan@ guardnet.com or 338-2422 |
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