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Ken’s 2023 Year in Books
Take a look at Ken’s Year in Books. The long, the short—it’s all here.
Ken Craft’s Followers (1,112)
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Ken Craft
Goodreads Author
Website
Genre
Influences
Thoreau, Dillard, Tolstoy, Carver, Kenyon, Kinnell, Simic, Williams co
...more
Member Since
January 2008
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The Indifferent World
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published
2016
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3 editions
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Reincarnation & Other Stimulants: Life, Death, & In-Between Poems
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Lost Sherpa of Happiness
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* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.
Larkin in the Dark
By definition, an aubade is “a dawn song expressing the regret of parting lovers at daybreak” (Edward Hirsch, A Poet’s Glossary). In his aubade, Philip Larkin had little use for lovers. Maybe it was his state of mind, though. After reading it, I learned this was his final poem. Fitting, that, because in 50 lines, […]
Ken’s Recent Updates
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Ken
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Larkin in the Dark
"
Searnold wrote: "Please forgive me Dylan Thomas!
''Do? Do go gentle into the shine no more Old age, burn out, should welcome the close of day Rage? Rage ...more " |
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Ken Craft
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Ken
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Beata's status update
Beata
is 89% done with Książę. Biografia Tadeusza Boya-Żeleńskiego: What a superbly written biography! I'm surprised by how much I remember about Boy .. So many comparisons with modern times .. not much has changed if you compare interwar period and modern days ..
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Ken
made a comment on
his review
of
The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America
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Kerry wrote: "Like "the Floundering Fathers". Where are the statesmen who personify this type of dignity nowadays? I too would find this hard to read
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Lisa wrote: "I often find with trilogies that the middle volume is the weakest. That said with the sheer number of pages, I understand why you are rel
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Fionnuala wrote: "Ken wrote: "Nick wrote: "You must be furious about something, or many things, Fi."
I have no idea if "furious" still flies for people ...more " |
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Just read an op-ed on this guy claiming this book could "save" the Democratic party (last seen on the rocks off shore, Robinson Crusoe-like). Checking
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| ROCK CRYSTAL, a title out of the NYRB series, is a small (73 pp.!) gem that requires a certain mindset because, well, not a lot happens. Still, if you're into idylls and Christmas stories -- how about the Alps or winter? -- you may find this little f ...more | |
“You see them in the mercury
light of water, the expanding
orbs of silver where trout
breathe. You hear
them in the sleepy kiss
of rainfall on pine
needles, smell them
as if they were snow
to the west.”
― The Indifferent World
light of water, the expanding
orbs of silver where trout
breathe. You hear
them in the sleepy kiss
of rainfall on pine
needles, smell them
as if they were snow
to the west.”
― The Indifferent World
“To a Depressed Friend
Sometimes, to make sure
You're still here,
Look up for cloud sustenance.
Be sure they are
Different from yesterday,
From an hour ago,
From when you were 15
And sky didn't matter
Because only pretty girls did.
Note how cumulus
Will be looking down
And naming what
Kind of human you're
Shaped like: mailman,
Archaeologist, student of rain.
On clear nights, rely on starlight.
Pentacles. Pulses.
Further proof of existence.”
― Reincarnation & Other Stimulants: Life, Death, & In-Between Poems
Sometimes, to make sure
You're still here,
Look up for cloud sustenance.
Be sure they are
Different from yesterday,
From an hour ago,
From when you were 15
And sky didn't matter
Because only pretty girls did.
Note how cumulus
Will be looking down
And naming what
Kind of human you're
Shaped like: mailman,
Archaeologist, student of rain.
On clear nights, rely on starlight.
Pentacles. Pulses.
Further proof of existence.”
― Reincarnation & Other Stimulants: Life, Death, & In-Between Poems
“THOREAU KNOWS
(The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.)
Making sense of things,
Trying to track
Nine pebbles of sadness
To their source.
Sly crows
Stole them a mile back,
But Thoreau knows
I should walk anyway
Under sun-coined trees
Thick with wood-thrush song
Till I reach undergrowth
Dense and itchy with the past
Till the air cools and I am near
Enough to con crow talk
Mouth fulls, stories dark.”
― Reincarnation & Other Stimulants: Life, Death, & In-Between Poems
(The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.)
Making sense of things,
Trying to track
Nine pebbles of sadness
To their source.
Sly crows
Stole them a mile back,
But Thoreau knows
I should walk anyway
Under sun-coined trees
Thick with wood-thrush song
Till I reach undergrowth
Dense and itchy with the past
Till the air cools and I am near
Enough to con crow talk
Mouth fulls, stories dark.”
― Reincarnation & Other Stimulants: Life, Death, & In-Between Poems
“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind. There is no play in them, for this comes after work. But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things..”
― Civil Disobedience and Other Essays
― Civil Disobedience and Other Essays
This group is for word lovers and has topics both serious (grammatical questions and concerns) and not so serious (word play and word games of all sor ...more
July 2024 update: This group is going on hiatus due to low participation in recent discussions. Like a phoenix, however, it reserves the right to fly ...more
A forum for friendly discussion of classics, literary fiction, nonfiction, poetry and short stories. We also love movies and art. Don't ask to join th ...more
Let's talk about poetry books. This group's members read poetry collections, with the goal of reviewing twenty in a year. C'mon. Do it. It's good for ...more
We will be reading the Complete Essays by Montaigne, using both the original text (albeit in a modern French version) and the Penguin Classics edition ...more
On 20 September 2024, Goodreads removed the option for email notifications, without even bothering to tell users (unless they looked at the "help" pag ...more
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Maybe you could recommend some books for me to push on my 12-year old son. He's a semi-reluctant reader, i.e. it's hard labor getting him to pick something up, but if the story is good, onc..."
Butting in here to recommend THE POWER of ONE. I constantly give my non-reading grandsons books they probably never open - but someday, they might!!! So I have queried all my still-living relatives about their favorite books and passed along their opinions to my boys. AND, I have given them a little book by Einstein in hopes the size of the book will intrigue them!!!
Understand completely. Social networks (Twitter, FB, Instagram, et al) are like Sirens that suck you in. It's why I don't bother with a cellphone (the Queen Siren). This is it. GR. And, as you say, it, too, can become a time suck because it's all about my favorite addiction, books!
See you on the boards....
Best wishes from Majenta"
Thank you, Majenta, for all the well wishes and blessings. I like 'em! My books like 'em! I look forward to reading your reviews...
Erwin wrote: "Hi Ken, thank you for the invite and you recommendation.I haven't read Huck Finn yet but it is on my wish list (and is already present in my book case :) )"
What? I found someone who hasn't read Huck Finn? Annus mirabilis, as they used to say. Glad it's on your shelf, though. Good luck with the dialect. When the day comes, I mean.
Best wishes from Majenta
Dzien dobry, Agnieszka! I am 1/4 Polish so know just enough to earn an eye roll from my Polish friends. I look forward to your reviews, comments, etc.
Congrats on the publication!"
Thanks, Miriam. I actually tracked down the whole set of Zelazny's Amber series for my classroom library. Alas, the students who tried it weren't as impressed. Kids these days!
Congrats on the publication!
Winger
Boy Nobody
Runner
[book:Soldier Bo..."
Thank you! Somehow I missed this when you posted it. I will check those all out.
Winger
Boy Nobody
Runner
Soldier Boys
Soldier X
Boy21
Peak
Little Brother
The Recruit
The Son
Unbroken (The Young Adult Adaptation): An Olympian's Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive
Shelter
The 5th Wave
Happy shopping (and reading) to He'll-Be-a-Reader-Yet!
Now there's a woman who gets it. (Hold on, my coffee mug is speaking to me, only I'm not sure I understand its language....)
You make me laugh! You have a dry humor that I appreciate and I suspect your pupils do, too!
Gabi"
Well shucks thanks, Gabs. You're pretty funny yourself at times! And one hella artist!
You make me laugh! You have a dry humor that I appreciate and I suspect your pupils do, too!
Gabi
Thanks for the friends request. I confess that because I follow you, I had forgotten that we weren't already friends. :)
I took many naps on Saturday, and as a result mucked up my sleep schedule. We'll see if I can get back on track.
And my reading progress took a real nosedive last week. I didn't even try to read much - just hung on for the ride. :)
Also, there are more (recs) where those came from. Just shout when you need them.
I wanted to thank you for the book recommendations for my son. He read FOUR of them in April.
Maybe you could recommend some books for me to push on my 12-year old son. He's a semi-reluctant reader, i.e. it's hard labor getting him to pick something up, but if the story is good, once he's into it, he's very happy.
He liked Harry Potter, and just finished the Rick Riordan books with Percy Jackson. It would have to be something fairly popular, since it'll have to have been translated into German.
I'd be grateful for any suggestions.
thanks, sarah
On the Merwin front, try these:
Rain in the Trees
The Second Four Books of Poems: The Moving Target / The Lice / The Carrier of Ladders / Writings to an Unfinished Accompaniment
enjoy.
-- Fellow Hamsun fan
Alex-- Nope. Never heard tell of the Carmody books. Looks like a British publisher. Only a 3.49 rating from 95 reviewers, too. Must be some of the kiddies disagree! (Are the kiddies members of GR, one wonders?)