Podcasts about cold sassy tree

Today, I'm welcoming back the wonderful Whitney Boroski to the podcast. Whitney joins me to discuss the Olive Ann Burns southern classic novel, Cold Sassy Tree. You won't want to miss the fun we have sharing this book!

A very short extra on the book 'Cold Sassy Tree', written by a Banks County native and taking place in 1906 Banks County.

Over the past month, Sofia and Ashley have been compiling a list of all the best books and authors to share with the Travel Brats Tribe. We’ve asked friends, family, and our listeners for what books they love and why, so now we have a big list of some of the greatest novels of all time. We’ve got a little bit of everything from nonfiction to historical fiction to mystery to romance, so delve on into our comprehensive book recommendations.Top picks for NONFICTION:Dreams of Eldorado: A History of the American West. By W.H. Brand     This overview of the history of the West is exciting and beautifully written. Lewis and Clark, The Texas Revolution, California Gold Rush, wild San Francisco, Building the Trans-Continental Rail Road, over  the Sierras and across the plains which are  filled with Indians, one-armed John John Westly Powell leading the first expedition down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, John Coulter discovering  Yellowstone and the Tetons( in mid-winter), all incredible, separate stories that, in combination,  depict what the West was like and why it is still so much a part of the American spirit. The Second World Wars By Victor Davis Hanson     You may be wondering how someone could write anything new about WWII. But Dr.Hanson does. He has a commanding understanding of the grand strategy and tactics of each combatant nation, their strengths, and weaknesses, economically and militarily, who had the best weapons, how geography affected battles, and much more. It is just a very creative explanation of  the overall inexorability of the of the Allied victory (as long as they didn’t make too many blunders). If you would like a shorter and lighter example of what an inspiring writer Dr.Hanson is, try The Savior Generals, which shows how important leadership can be(examples in the book are: William Tecumseh Sherman, Mathew Ridgeway, and David Petraeus). A Team of Rivals  By Doris Kearns Goodwin This is about Abraham Lincoln and the brilliant men he chose for his cabinet, nearly all of whom wanted his job. There good mini-biographies of each cabinet member and his relationship with Lincoln. The most revealing is the relation with William Seward, who, brilliant in his own right, initially was Lincoln’s biggest rival and most severe critic. But Seward is smart enough to quickly realize that   Lincoln is in a class of his own and is far and away from the best man for the difficult times ahead. How Seward then becomes Lincoln’s most trusted and valuable advisor one of the great stories in this masterpiece. The Thomas Sowell Reader: By Thomas Sowell    This is a compilation of short essays explaining, with humor, wit, and logic, how economics really works in our everyday lives. No graphs or equations,but clear lessons. Dr. Sowell has written many         other engaging and brilliant books, all recommended..The Aviators By Winston Groom    This is the story of the early days of aviation from before WWI through WWII as seen and lived by three remarkable aviation pioneers. Eddie Rickenbacker was a mechanic then race car driver ,who became America’s WWI ace fighter pilot. After the war , he founded and was president of Eastern Airlines, among other things. Jimmy Doolittle not only led the early air raid on Tokyo in WWII, he was a  pioneer in developing and flight testing aviation instrumentation. Charles Lindberg is known for being the first person to solo the Atlantic, but he also flew 40 combat missions as a civilian in WWII and greatly improved fighter plane engine performance. This is great adventure.    Top FICTION PicksOpen Season: By C.J. Box This is the first in a series of mysteries about game warden, Joe Pickett as he solves mysteries in the rugged mountains of Wyoming. Well plotted stories with engaging character development and great descriptions of the Wyoming wilderness.The Black Echo: By Michael ConnellyThis is the first in a series about police detective Harry Bosch. These mysteries are filled with rich, detailed descriptions of the grittier sides of LA, along with police department political intrigue and multiple plots. The have a compelling feeling of authenticity. The author was a police reporter before he started writing fiction.South of Broad: By Pat Conroy He has written so many great books, that it is difficult to pick just one. Most are about the South Carolina coastal region, and all are beautifully written with vivid description of this amazing area. South of Brond is his last and my favorite by an eyelash.The Gods Themselves: BY Isaac Asimov. Dr. Asimov is one of the giants of the Golden Age of science fiction. This book is perhaps even more timely today ( about free clean energy) than when it was published in 1972. It consists of three stories,one the near the future on earth, one a beautifully described alternative universe, and lastly, a very plausible story on our moon after it is colonized. All stories seem totally independent until the end. This is engaging and imaginative writing and would be a great introduction to science fiction.  War and Peace: By Leo TolstoyThis really is a fun and exciting read with sweeping grandeur and lots of subplots. Not at all dull like most books that are” classics”. OK it is long.-even better. A miniseries in one volume.Think of it as Downton Abbey in Russia,in the middle of a war. It will not take you 5 years to read. Promise!Top Picks for Fiction Continued 1.  Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf     This is a story of the relationship between a widower and a widow  who are in their 70's.  They are acquainted as neighbors in a small rural town in eastern Colorado. This is a bittersweet tale of two lonely people who get to know each other better; sharing thoughts and feelings during the night which they agree can be so terribly lonely.  A beautiful story of second chances unfolds in this author's last book before his death.2.  A Painted House by John Grisham     This is a story narrated by a 7-year old farm boy(Luke) who lives in Arkansas with his parents & grandparents in a house that has never been painted. The family has a hard life picking cotton on an 80 acre farm that they rent. They have to hire Mexican  immigrants and hill people from the Ozarks to help them at harvest time. This book is referred to as a  "real slice of Americana" with vivid descriptions of life in the rural South in the 1950's.   Young Luke has a dream of being a Major League baseball player and looks forward to listening to games on the radio.  While this novel portrays some of the mundane experiences of his life, it also includes some harsh realities and a loss of innocence that he experiences.  The author usually writes legal thrillers, none of which I read.  But I found John Grisham to be a superb storyteller.  And I found this book to be a moving story of a portion of a  young  boy's life.3.  Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (Very Highly Recommended)     This is a mesmerizing story of the richness of the North Carolina coastal marshlands and the disturbing story of a young woman who is abandoned by her parents and older siblings as a young child.  As the story unfolds we learn how she adapts and survives in the swamps with very little help from the outside world. And it also includes a love story and a murder-mystery tale.  So this book has a little bit of everything.  This book is so beautifully written and contains poetry and vivid descriptions of the Marsh where the entire story takes place.4.  Just for good measure, I have to mention 3 other books by the author of my #1 selection--Kent Haruf.  They are:  Plainsong,  Where You Once Belonged  and  The Tie That Binds.  All three of these are compelling and compassionate novels set in the High Plains of Colorado. The author is an amazing storyteller who captures the everyday lives of various people in a small rural community.Top Picks For Mystery, Drama, and Historical Fiction: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Ashley’s favorite book of all time, and has a first edition)Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Anne Burns (Suzi S/O)Kite Runner by Khalid HosseiniThe Book Thief & I am the Messenger by Markus ZusakThe Woman in the Window by AJ FinnThe Pilot’s Wife & Last Time They Met by Anita ShreveThe Girl in the Blue Beret by Bobbie Ann MasonThe Tattooist of Aschwitz by Heather MorrisPachinko by Min Jinn Leethe Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks,The Irishman by Charles BrandtWhiskey Beach by Nora Roberts,A Southern Family Gail GodwinMy sister's Keeper and All the Small Things by Jodi Pidcolut,China rich Girlfriend by Kevin KwanBest Authors Recommended:Pat ConroyJames MichenerErnest Hemingway (Ashley loves him)Willa CatherFerrol SamsTom WolfeCJ BoxJohn GrishamSue GraftonKathy ReichsPeter MayleLeon UrisJames Patterson (Mysteries)Top Series PicksMiss Marple seriesHercule Poirot series --my favorite is Murder on the Orient Express Harry Potter The Alex Rider series by Anthony HorowitzOUR LISTENERS’ FAVORITE BOOKS (Thank you Hannah)Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte19th century Gothic Romance novel that follows the hard life of Jane Eyre in her journey to meeting and falling in love with her employer, Mr. Rochester, but she runs into trouble when she realizes that Rochester is keeping his first wife hostage in their attic.The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis18th century Gothic Horror novel that follows much of the plot of a modern soap opera. This novel details the depraved nature of a monk who sells his soul to his cross-dressing friend who turns out to be a woman, who then turns out to be a demon sent from hell to tempt him. Through his deal with the demon he tries to fulfill his sexual desires toward a young woman in his village who ends up being his long lost sister. Churches burn, people are poisoned, raped, and trampled to death. Pretty saucy for the 1700’s. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradburyset in a dystopian, futuristic society (likely America) where reading is outlawed, anyone who owns a book is arrested, and the book is promptly burned. The citizens are held captive by cool technology and entertainment so they do not realize that the government is completely taking over their minds and stifling knowledge. Waiting for the Barbarians by J.M. Coetzeeset in an unnamed, futuristic society where members of “the Empire” are waiting to be attacked by “the Barbarians”. The main character ends up bringing a Barbarian girl to his home after she is captured and tortured by the Empire. There are lots of really weird, sexual bathing scenes, but ultimately, this novel is a commentary on racial injustice in South African apartheid. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austensuch a popular story, but many people have only seen the movie. If you read the book, you get to see the personalities of Darcy and Elizabeth so much clearer which makes their relationship so fun. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhysthis is a prequel to Jane Eyre that shows the origin story of Bertha, Rochester’s first wife and how she came to be “the mad-woman in the attic.” It made me cry.Dracula by Bram Stokerthe 19th century Gothic/Horror story that many people know so well but have never actually read. Follows a team of vampire hunters led by a Dutch professor after Jonathan iis kidnapped and held hostage by Count Dracula. The team must race against time before Mina is forever un-dead and made to be Dracula’s wife. Super creepy, and uncomfortably sexual, lots of blood, kinda saucy. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronteanother 19th century Gothic Romance novel with a much more sinister and creepy love interest. Lots of Ghosts, some weird love triangles, and lots of useless violence. Rad. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickensarguably the best Dickens book. It’s about two men, one British and one French, fighting over the same girl during the French Revolution. Literally anything by Agatha Christie-- Christie is known as the “Queen of Murder” and she is the most widely published author of all time. She wrote 80 novels and short story collections and 19 plays. Here are my favorite titles of her work and plays:The Mousetrap-the longest running play in historyAnd Then There Were None (also called Ten Little Indians)Appointment with DeathThe HollowWitness for the ProsecutionTowards ZeroVerdictGo Back for Murder Honorable MentionsPrince of TidesHawaiiThe Giver by Lois LowryBetsey, A Memoir with Mark VitulanoMademoiselle ChanelAtlas ObscureA Little Life by Hanya YanagiharaA Moment of Lift by Melinda GatesThank you Sofia’s grandpa, Shelia, Sebastian, Caleigh, Jenny, Rachael, Hannah, and all of the wonderful people who made suggestions and recommendations! We love you! Enjoy and read on. 

Introduce yourself to Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House (2019) with a book-club discussion of its first line. Texts/authors mentioned in passing: Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto and Truth and Beauty, Lucy Grealy’s Autobiography of a Face, Elizabeth McCracken (author), Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher,” Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The House of the Seven Gables, Arundhati Roy’s God of Small Things, Henry James’s Turn of the Screw, Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited, Bethany Frankel, A Place of Yes, James Joyce’s Dubliners, Willa Cather’s My Antonia, Olive Ann Burns’s Cold Sassy Tree, Noah Saterstorm (artist), Parnassus Books (bookstore) You can also watch this episode on  https://youtu.be/am2Szuy1_Tc Get in touch @profomalley To join the First-Line Book Club click here: https://bookclubz.com/clubs/6404/join/71bf3c/

Music offers one of the most potent spiritual metaphors that exists, and Patrick Summers, the artistic and music director of the Houston Grand Opera, has plenty to say about the subject of spirituality and music. He positions the operatic voice as the expression of a unique sonic vocal print that vibrates atoms between the singer and the listener's ears. In his book, The Spirit of This Place: How Music Illuminates the Human Spirit, he writes, “But precisely because music is both an intellectual and an aesthetic pursuit, it is the perfect metaphor for how I believe one must live: with vast respect for provable knowledge and genuine expertise, but never at the expense of the deep joy and wonder of that knowledge, using what can be learned to marvel at what can never be explained” (2018, p. 147). The science and theory of music notes that an E flat played anywhere at any time in the world is still an E flat, but the infinite ways in which this note can be contextualized and performed open the notes, timbre, rhythm, beat, and melody to communicate that which cannot be reduced to the former collection of sounds and spaces. Patrick is a champion for struggling against the dominance of our culture's tendency to force art and aesthetic practices into a transactional container. As it would appear that the only justification for an arts program today is the capacity to measure the ways in which art increases math skills, which it does; but I would argue that nobody brought to tears listening to a piece of music or by reading a beautiful poem considers the utility of the quadratic formula in that moment. We discuss the fact that while the arts in education may not teach a person how to get a job, they may, and often do, help a person discover who they are and how to be in the world. Summers graduated from the Jacobs School of Music of Indiana University with a bachelor's degree in music in 1986. Upon graduation, he participated in the San Francisco Opera's Merola Opera Program as an apprentice coach in 1986 and 1987, and won the Otto Guth Memorial Award for excellence in vocal coaching both years. Summers' first professional engagement, with San Francisco Opera's Western Opera Theater, was conducting La bohème in their 1986/87 season. In 1989, Summers began his tenure as the music director of the San Francisco Opera Center, a training program for young singers; his first mainstage production, Die Fledermaus, was in 1990. In 1998, Summers was made Music Director of Houston Grand Opera, a position he has held since. 1998 also saw Summers' Metropolitan Opera conducting debut in Johann Strauss's Die Fledermaus. As Music Director of Houston Grand Opera, Summers oversaw the foundation and development of the HGO Orchestra. Prior to the orchestra's foundation, HGO hired outside orchestras for its productions. Since 1998, Summers has conducted over 50 productions at Houston Grand Opera, including seven world premieres (notably Carlisle Floyd's Cold Sassy Tree in 2000). In 2011, following Anthony Freud's move to Chicago Lyric Opera, Summers was named Houston Grand Opera's Artistic and Music Director. In 2002, he won a Grammy Award for his audio recording Bel Canto, with soprano Renée Fleming and the Orchestra of St. Luke's. Summers's book The Spirit of This Place: How Music Illuminates the Human Spirit released in 2018 from University of Chicago Press. https://www.houstongrandopera.org Theme music provided by: http://www.modernnationsmusic.com Band of the Week: Renee Fleming and Patrick Summers, Bel Canto Music Page: https://music.apple.com/us/album/ren%C3%A9e-fleming-bel-canto-scenes/1452542018 Learn more about this project at: http://www.thesacredspeaks.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesacredspeaks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesacredspeaks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesacredspeaks/

 SUMMARY In her memoir, The Gift of an Ordinary Day, Katrina Kenison becomes a voice for all women who begin motherhood blowing bubbles and tickling tiny toes but are all-too-soon pulled into the tumultuous years of teenage angst. Looking back, Kenison is surprised to find her most precious memories are “the ones no one ever thought to photograph.” Fortunately, she had the good sense to slow down enough to relish "the gift of an ordinary day.” Then, while transitioning from mothering teens and emptying her nest, Kenison simultaneously experiences physical upheaval as well. For three years, her family lives in a state of “constant impermanence” as they leave one house, tear down another, and build a new one. In this “Mother’s Memoir,” Kenison gives us a front-row seat to her intense, maternal emotions while “stumbling through the intricate dance of holding on and letting go.” KEY MENTORS Olive Ann Burns: after being newly diagnosed with cancer, this author of Cold Sassy Tree teaches Kenison how to live in the moment Krishna Das: leads the only retreat Kenison ever attends; in spite of traveling 300 days/year, he proclaims he is “always home” Kenison’s parents: offer to let Kenison and her family live with them for three years during their home construction; help her “pick her battles” while raising teenagers QUOTES FROM KENISON “The idea of an ordinary day as a gift was profoundly powerful to me, and it didn’t change the way I parented in any way my sons would particularly notice, but it changed everything for me because I didn’t want to miss a single minute. I didn’t want to find myself looking back someday with regret because I’d been too busy racing through my life when I could have been enjoying it and savoring it.” “My job [as a mother] was to make sure that my family was always ‘home.’ So, when we were feeling a little uprooted and at loose ends, I realized ‘home’ was something we could create wherever we were.” “[To bring love into our home], I did a lot of work on myself, my own 'soul aerobics.'" “We have so much practice with “lasts,’ and they begin in infancy…so by the time we send them off to college, we’ve had a lot of experiences with ‘lasts,’ and yet that is such a huge transition.” “It’s about process, not product….The more we can let go of attachment to outcomes, the happier we are.” BUY The Gift of an Ordinary Day Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; Reprint edition RECOMMENDATIONS BUY Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry BUY Magical Journey: An Apprenticeship in Contentment BUY Moments of Seeing - Reflections from an Ordinary Life BUY Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids Watch Kenison read a chapter from her book, "The Gift of an Ordinary Day." Connect with us! Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Website Special thanks… Music Credit Sound Editing Credit  

Southern Episode II!! We start by discussing Area 51, Henry Cavill, and Crackers! Then we jump into our Lit questioning the week! Then we talk southern books! Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Color Purple, A Confederacy of Dunces, Cold Sassy Tree, Obsidian, Call Your Daughter Home, & Where the Crawdads Sing! For Where Crawdads Sing, we start of spoiler free then discuss it afterwards in full with spoilers! Until next time, happy reading! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/litchicks/message

Meredith is on a leadership retreat this week, so Kaytee is joined by her friend Morgan Tallman to chat books this week. You’ll hear a “bookish moment of the week” from each host: busting out of a reading slump (and some tips), and a bookish resolution from a young family member. Next, we discuss what we are currently reading, and this week includes some fantasy, a funny thriller (is that a thing?), and a few non-fiction picks. This week’s deep dive is a conversation with Morgan about re-reading. Since Meredith and Kaytee rarely re-read, we are chatting with someone who really loves to re-read books about what she gets from those re-reads. Morgan talks about the books she loves re-reading as well as the frequency of her re-reads. As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we’d like to press into every reader’s hands: a book to add depth to your Harry Potter love, and a sweeping historical novel with trigger warnings. As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you’d like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don’t scroll down!  .  .  .  .  .  3:04 - Endling: The Last by Katherine Applegate 3:09 - The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate 3:49 - Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik 3:58 - Uprooted by Naomi Novik 6:48 - My Sister The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite 9:13 - Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman 10:12 - Stardust by Neil Gaiman 10:13 - The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman 10:29 - The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman 10:31 - Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman 11:24 - The Eternal Current by Aaron Niequist 13:44 - Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes 15:02 - By the Book Podcast 16:32 - Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns 17:33 - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 20:43 - Harry Potter Series 22:26 - Morgan counted up last year’s re-reads for me and found that she had had 55 re-reads of the 232 books she read in 2018 (including 3 re-reads of the Harry Potter series). 23:38 - Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank 23:44 - Books by Brene Brown 23:51 - Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens 24:26 - This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel 24:32 - Louise Penny Inspector Gamache Series 28:43 - Snape: A Definitive Reading by Lorrie Kim 34:48 - The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah 34:59 - The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!*  

Tony Diaz, El Librotraficante talks with Mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte, and Chicana poet Ire’ne Lara Silva. We also address the havoc created by Trump's Deportation Force as experienced by activist and artist Karen, whose father was recently detained by Immigration Officials. Mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte created the role of Renata in Cruzar la Cara de la Luna, premiered by Houston Grand Opera in 2010 and revived in 2013. She has toured with this production to Paris, France; Lyric Opera of Chicago; San Diego Opera; Arizona Opera; Fort Worth Opera; and most recently, New York City Opera. She has been active in the circle of contemporary music, giving life to new roles such as Gracie in A Way Home (HGOco world premiere, 2010), Jessie Lydell in A Coffin in Egypt (HGO world premiere, 2014), First responder/Harriet in After the Storm (HGOco world premiere, 2016), Alicia in Some Light Emerges (HGOco world premiere, 2017), as well as chamber pieces. She can be heard in the most recent CD recording of Daniel Catán songs, Encantamiento. An early music enthusiast, Duarte sings often with Ars Lyrica Houston, Merury Houston, the Bach Society Houston, the Festivalensemble in Stuttgart, Germany, and the Festival de Musica Barroca de San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Other opera roles include Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Sarelda in The Inspector, Tituba in The Crucible, Loma Williams in Cold Sassy Tree, and others. Duarte is also an active jazz singer. Ire’ne Lara Silva is the author of furia (poetry, Mouthfeel Press, 2010) and Blood Sugar Canto (Saddle Road Press, January 2016) which were both finalists for the International Latino Book Award, as well as flesh to bone (short stories, Aunt Lute Books, 2013) which won the 2013 Premio Aztlan. She and poet Dan Vera are also the co-editors of Imaniman: Poets Writing in the Anzaldúan Borderlands, (Aunt Lute Books, 2017), a collection of poetry and essays. Ire’ne lara silva is the recipient of a 2017 NALAC Arts Grant, the 2014 Alfredo Cisneros del Moral Award, the Fiction Finalist for AROHO’s 2013 Gift of Freedom Award, and the 2008 recipient of the Gloria Anzaldua Milagro Award, as well as a Macondo Workshop member and CantoMundo Inaugural Fellow. Board operators: Leti Lopez. Producer: Marlen Treviño. Co-host Lupe Mendez-Librotraficante Lips Mendez. NP Radio airs live Tuesdays 6pm-7pm cst 90.1 FM KPFT Houston, TX. Livestream www.KPFT.org. More podcasts at www.NuestraPalabra.org. Tony Diaz Sundays, Mondays, & Tuesdays & The Other Side Sun 7am "What's Your Point" Fox 26 Houston Mon Noon "The Cultural Accelerator" at www.TonyDiaz.net Tues 6pm NP Lit Radio 90.1 FM KPFT, Houston 24/7 The Other Side TV

Carlisle Floyd talks about his extensive career in opera, including writing some of his most famous pieces, Susannah, Of Mice and Men, Willie Stark, and Cold Sassy Tree. [29:55]

Carlisle Floyd talks about his extensive career in opera, including writing some of his most famous pieces, Susannah, Of Mice and Men, Willie Stark, and Cold Sassy Tree. [29:55]

Carlisle Floyd talks about his extensive career in opera, including writing some of his most famous pieces, Susannah, Of Mice and Men, Willie Stark, and Cold Sassy Tree. [29:55]

Carlisle Floyd talks about his extensive career in opera, including writing some of his most famous pieces, Susannah, Of Mice and Men, Willie Stark, and Cold Sassy Tree. [29:55]