The weather has been fun recently, hasn’t it? Books Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safan Foer was a quirky epistolary that captured the relationship between an American-Jewish tourist and the Ukrainian tour guide who was helping him discover/uncover his family roots. It was violent and vulgar and vulnerable. I enjoyed it immensely and can imagine Tarantino making it into a … More Get Lit – Best of April 2024
Hi friends! Books I’ve been on a reading rampage. Hello, Beautiful – Man can only see himself through the eyes of others. His goodness and his unworthiness only exist because of those around him. William Waters, the protagonist in Ann Napolitano’s novel Hello, Beautiful, is never truly seen—not by his parents, nor by Julia, his … More Get Lit – Best of March 2024
‘Tis the season for thanks. What are you grateful for? Books I read two fantastic books that are totally related, but not directly. Maryanne Wolf’s Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World probes the problems and complexities of our ever advancing technology and posits several points of hope for the future. She worries about … More Get Lit – Best of November 2023
The world is still turning and I hope all is well in yours. Books I read a great book this month. What makes it great is the action-oriented approach. The Tools by psychotherapists Phil Stutz and Barry Michels (with a website to support!) prescribes several strategies for the flounderers among us – those who want to do better and be … More Get Lit – Best of October 2023
The world is going crazy. I hope you’re ending the month with grace. Books Oliver Sacks was a brilliant neurologist who wrote several books about the curious conditions of his patients. In An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales he dives into blindness, perception, and other life changing cases. One man was, “in a sense, preternaturally sensitive—but … More Get Lit – Best of August 2023
Jeepers creepers (and crawlies and slithers)! Books I went to the Reptile Expo this month. Snakes, geckos, scorpions, spiders, and a whole lot of other creatures. It was so cool to see the magnificent diversity that exists on the planet. At the same time, I wonder about mass breeding and keeping these animals in cages with price tags(!). It doesn’t … More Get Lit – Best of June 2023
Goodness me! What a wonderful month. Books I found a rhythm and have been finishing one book each week. There are some noteworthy gems to be found in literature from across the pond. Kazuo Ishiguro’s acclaimed novel, Remains of the Day, forced me to reflect on ideas of integrity. As the narrator, Stephens, recalls his years … More Get Lit – Best of February 2023
We’ve all heard of fight or flight, that is, the two ways of dealing with existential threats. Running towards a problem in order to confront it and running away from a problem in order to avoid it, are both physical in nature and employ physiological and hormonal changes. If you’ve ever dealt with a highly … More Fight, Flight, and Sitting Tight: The Spectrum of Trauma
Art and culture from the East to the West. … More Get Lit – August 2022
Oh, boy! I have some goodies for you… **First of all, my book is on sale at Amazon!** Order your copy of Miscellaneous Madness now. Barbells: I bought a barbell a while ago and it finally arrived. My home gym is complete and I am very happy. Here’s a throwback to an easy to follow workout. You can do it … More Get Lit With Kit – May 2022
Find the balance. 