Friday Watch/Listen/Read (Oct 22, 2021)

Erika Writes: Daylight hours are noticeably fewer here in Orlando, lately anyway. The cooler, longer nights mean frogs on my windows sometimes, which excites the cats (especially Big Cat who would probably be the worst hunter around if he had to actually catch something, because his excitement is audible.) It also means more hours forContinue reading “Friday Watch/Listen/Read (Oct 22, 2021)”

September Wrap Up/October Preview

September has just flown by. It’s a month filled with so many holidays for some people, the unofficial end to summer (and the beginning of the Rabbit Season/Duck Season style debate between the pumpkin crowd and the apple crowd.) We spent the month in the Boiler Room observing holidays and heading Back to the Books,Continue reading “September Wrap Up/October Preview”

Banned Books Week

By Adam Katz Banned Books week starts Sunday, September 26, and runs through Saturday, October 2. Check back here in a few days for more content! When we talk about banning books, what are we actually talking about? I can think of a lot of books that should be (or that, in effect, are) bannedContinue reading “Banned Books Week”

Adam’s Big Think #5: Sticking Your Nose in a Book

By Adam Katz Do you think books mind when we read them? Here they are carrying on with their lives, being beautiful or terrible according to how they were written, and we come along and literally stick our noses into their business. There are some people—scholars, philosophers, authors—who treat books as if they were alive.Continue reading “Adam’s Big Think #5: Sticking Your Nose in a Book”

Back to the Big Think

This week’s Big Think is a bit of a special edition. This month’s theme is Back to the Books, and we wanted to celebrate (in slightly punny fashion) by going back to our favorite passages from our previous Big Thinks about reading and about books in general. Of course, if you find one of theContinue reading “Back to the Big Think”

Finding Myself on the Shelf: Uncovering My Own Identity through Queer Literature

By Erika Grumet “We dance around in a ring and suppose But the Secret sits in the middle and knows” -Robert Frost No one knows what you’re thinking when you’re wandering the library shelves. For me, they were a safe space when I had the kind of questions that no one could answer for me…evenContinue reading “Finding Myself on the Shelf: Uncovering My Own Identity through Queer Literature”

(Podcast Release) Broadview Press and The Closet in the Library

Adam and Andrew sit down with editors Jason Rudy and Kate Flint to discuss the upcoming release (July 13) of Broadview Press’ Victorian Era anthology. We discuss how this new edition amplifies queer, BIPOC, Jewish, and female voices. Jason and Kate engage with all different readers of this anthology including educators, students, Victorian Lit. enthusiasts,Continue reading “(Podcast Release) Broadview Press and The Closet in the Library”

Some Thoughts on The Color Purple: A Postscript to Adam’s Big Think #2

By Adam Katz First of all, what an awesome book. I find it interesting when an author goes all in on accents and dialects, as if to demonstrate that it can be done without compromising the respect the reader owes the characters. As if to say: it’s not how a person speaks that should determineContinue reading “Some Thoughts on The Color Purple: A Postscript to Adam’s Big Think #2”

Midweek Teaser, June 6 2021

What a week it’s been here in the Boiler Room. And if you’re listening to our podcast, you’re extra lucky, because you get a double dose. (If you’re not already listening, fix that. We’re available all over the podcast universe, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding us on your favorite platform, plus there areContinue reading “Midweek Teaser, June 6 2021”

Author Kyle Lukoff Spoke about being Censored

By Adam Katz I met Kyle in college, before he was a recognized author. It’s been weird watching this controversy roil around him. I may say more at a different time. But for now: Kyle just gave the following speech about his books being banned from schools in Utah, Texas, and presumably elsewhere. The speechContinue reading “Author Kyle Lukoff Spoke about being Censored”

%d bloggers like this: