Category Archives: General

10,000 Sing "Ode to Joy"

Posted on February 19, 2017 by smellincoffee

How incredible this is to watch; the look on the conductor’s face is utter rapture.  While this video has nothing to do with books, aside from the complementary nature of literature and the other arts, including music, it was too … Continue reading →

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Podcast of the Week: Lewis, Tolkien, and the Great War

Posted on February 1, 2017 by smellincoffee

This week I’m highlighting #272 of the Art of Manliness podcast, an interview with the author of A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War.  This book examines C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien’s role in the Great War and delves … Continue reading →

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Podcast of the Week: EconTalk discusses "Dreamland"

Posted on January 25, 2017 by smellincoffee

On Monday, Russ Roberts of EconTalk sat down to talk with Sam Quinones about his book, Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opium Epidemic.  That book has been on my radar for a couple of years (and was how I … Continue reading →

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Brief note

Posted on January 24, 2017 by smellincoffee

My wireless adapter failed over the weekend, and I’m expecting a new one in either tomorrow or Thursday. (I’m a typing terror with a keyboard, but my tablet key-fu is only fair.) In the meantime I’ve been reading, so expect … Continue reading →

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Dynamite from a Film Student

Posted on January 18, 2017 by smellincoffee

Last night I discovered a series of video “essays about art”, or artistic case studies, commenting on various films of the last few decades.   So far I’ve enjoyed nearly ten of them, and have been utterly impressed with the … Continue reading →

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Related Vids: In the City of Bikes

Posted on January 13, 2017 by smellincoffee

Welcome to the entry in my Related Vids feature! Jordan’s book gave fine form to the history and culture of cycling in Amsterdam, but the above video shows off another side.  After a brief history of the bike vs. cars … Continue reading →

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2016 Cumulative Reading List

Posted on January 1, 2017 by smellincoffee

…whew.— January —1. How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had it Coming, Mike Brown (Science)2. Stagecoach:  Wells-Fargo and the American West,  Phillip Fradkin (History)3. Picking Up:  On the Streets and Behind the Trucks with the Sanitation Workers of New York City, Robin Nagle4. Defeating … Continue reading →

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Classics Club: Year I

Posted on December 31, 2016 by smellincoffee

Twenty-sixteen was my first full year in the Classics Club challenge, and I’m off to a good start. Virtually everything came from my American Lit and English Lit specials in April, June, and July, though. 2015:Emma, Jane Austen (12/29/2015) 20162001: … Continue reading →

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2017: The Discovery of Asia

Posted on December 28, 2016 by smellincoffee

For several years now I have dared myself to take on a formidable challenge:  Asia.  Prior to the 20th century, it is a historical black hole for me. I have caught glimpses of it from time to time, but have … Continue reading →

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Top Ten Reads, 2016

Posted on December 27, 2016 by smellincoffee

This week the Broke and the Bookish  invite readers to think about their top ten books for the year. Twenty-sixteen started off with a bang: no less than five top-ten contenders appeared in January, and four of them survived to … Continue reading →

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