Tag: books

Paris 2015 | Paris 1943

This week my book group was immersed in Paris. We planned it back in June. While it isn’t uncommon to have current events creep into the discussion, it is rare to have the past and present echo so strongly. Our book was The Paris Architect, Charles Belfoure’s first novel about a French architect in occupied Paris in 1943 – 1944 who is persuaded to use his talents to create extraordinary hiding places for Jews. The book is not a conventional Holocaust novel. First, it takes place entirely in Paris, after the round-up and barely references the trains or camps. None of the major characters in the story are Jewish.

Screen Shot 2015-01-16 at 9.19.21 AM  An overriding theme of the book discussion was the importance of empathy and the recognition of shared human interests despite differences. Continue reading Paris 2015 | Paris 1943

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Library = Community; Amazon, not so much

Community-CalendarAlmost 60 years ago, Charles Tiebout put forth a theory of political economy that individuals select where live by the mix of services provided and costs associated with them. People may move, vote with their feet, when their requirements are no longer met. Through the 20th century, “regular” folk often included in that mix good local schools, libraries and houses of worship, nearby transportation (either roadways or public), and ready access to groceries, drugstores, hardware stores and clothing stores. Jobs were sought, houses purchased and families raised based on these choices, the localities that provided the governmental services and the costs to attain the whole package.

As our wireless connectivity has increased, many of these interpersonal and neighborhood connections have loosened considerably. Continue reading Library = Community; Amazon, not so much

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Not Closing the Book on 2014, Just Turning the Page

Screen Shot 2014-12-30 at 10.27.06 AM  There’s no escaping that one year is ending and another beginning.  My personal philosophy is to embrace all new years as they occur since a reboot, not a do over, is often needed. So many aspects of my life are tied to books and readers that I’ve decided look at this transition as turning the page. Continue reading Not Closing the Book on 2014, Just Turning the Page

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