A History of Me, by Marlene Olin

Pandemic Dispatches Photo by Burgess Milner / Unsplash Winnowing down to essentials during a pandemic, a writer with too much time to think cleans out her closet and immediately regrets letting go of a sweater. We’ve all been there, right? When a sweater isn’t just a sweater and our most rigorous tasks can’t bring the relief we seek. Within weeks the plague had winnowed our world. We kept in touch with only our closest friends. We wore only our comfiest clothes. Life had been pared down to the essentials. But I had nervous energy to spare. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat. And how much CNN could you watch? So one day I decided to clean out my house. What I no longer needed, I’d either trash or give away. First I tackled the kitchen. I dusted off my cookbook shelves. Then I kept the books splotched and spattered from years of use. Tucked in the back, totally neglected, was a row of virgin reads. Not a spine was cracked or a page sullied. The Portuguese Vegetarian. The Sugar Buster. The Yeast Dilemma. Out they went! Then I opened the cabinets and assessed my supplies. Three huge serving platters, five chafing dishes, assorted warming trays and crystal candlesticks. Assorted wedding gifts had been hiding in a hutch for over forty years. A set of aperitif glasses. Shrimp forks. Tablecloths of random sizes. I got married when I was nineteen. And, of course, when you’re nineteen your ambition has no limit. The goal was to look... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'

[ World Literature Today | 2021-09-27 19:31:27 UTC ]
News tagged with: #deep breath #good measure #cookbook

Other Publishing stories related to: 'A History of Me, by Marlene Olin'


Wolfson History Prizes to Harries and Walsham

Susie Harries' Nikolaus Pevsner: The Life (Chatto & Windus) and Professor Alexandra... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Pulitzer Prize for history, but not for fiction

The late Manning Marable won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for history, honored for a Malcolm X book. But no Pulitzer Prize was awarded for fiction. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pulitzer prize


Scholastic to close Horrible Histories virtual world

Scholastic Children’s Books has announced plans to close its existing Horrible Histories... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-03-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #scholastic children #announced plans


Encyclopedia of evil: a catalog of history's 100 worst atrocities

Librarian Matthew White discusses 'The Great Big Book of Horrible Things' and his desire to set the record straight.  Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #horrible things #record straight


Book review: 'Enemies: A History of the FBI' by Tim Weiner

In 'Enemies: A History of the FBI,' Tim Weiner ('Legacy of Ashes') offers a scathing indictment of the FBI, before J. Edgar Hoover and since.Each week, the FBI sends reporters an email of "top ten news stories" that it hopes will hit the headlines. The press releases usually highlight crooks... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book review #press releases


Atlantic buys history of Taiping Rebellion

Orlando Whitfield, assistant editor at Atlantic Books, has acquired Autumn in the Heavenly... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #assistant editor #atlantic books


Metallica history to Faber

Faber has acquired the "definitive" two-volume history of heavy metal band Metallica,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Sykes makes history donation to London schools

Author Adrian Sykes, with his publisher David Campbell, of Everyman's Library, is to donate a... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


History Press makes redundancies, grows digital

The History Press is in consultation with a "small number" of staff over redundancies,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #history press #small number


Whiting takes double history for L,B

Little, Brown non-fiction publishing director Tim Whiting has sealed two "strong" deals... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


The History Press shrinks pre-tax losses

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Wed, 12/10/2011 - 15:35 The History Press has shrunk pre-tax losses to under £1m for 2010, down from £1.4m the previous year. Using an EBITA measure (recorded earnings before interest, tax and depreciation) the company recorded earnings of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #history press


History Press Marches On

In a time of change in the book industry, the History Press, an independent publisher in Charleston, S.C., is doing a brisk business in titles designed specifically for local markets. From 20 books in its inaugural year of 2004, History Press is on track to release 325 books in 2011. The company... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #true crime #hidden history #civil war


Fortune Releases Steve Jobs History E-Book

"All About Steve: The Story of Steve Jobs and Apple from the Pages of Fortune" has been released on Amazon as a Kindle book. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-10-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #steve jobs #kindle book


Natural History Museum launches ebook

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 20/09/2011 - 08:17 The Natural History Museum has launched its first ebook for the iPad, created from the most expensive book ever sold. The ebook of The Birds of America by John James Audubon features all 435 illustration plates of the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


The History of Books Chronicled in ‘Books’

Although book historian Martyn Lyons has already published a half-dozen titles about books and reading, he still uncovered surprises about the subject while researching his forthcoming Books: A Living History, an illustrated overview of books in every form as well as the growth of the publishing... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-09-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #forthcoming books #living history #publishing industry


Horrible Histories hits 10,000 benchmark

Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Fri, 19/08/2011 - 08:45 Around 10,000 people have signed up to Scholastic's Horrible Histories virtual world since its official launch last week and the beta testing period over the summer. Publisher Scholastic intends to develop further "Horribles"... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #official launch


Abrams buys history of Oprah Winfrey's TV show

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Mon, 15/08/2011 - 08:20 Abrams has bought a book looking at the history of Oprah Winfrey's US chat show. Abrams c.e.o. and president Michael Jacobs and editorial director Deborah Aaronson bought world rights from Erik Logan, president of Harpo, Inc,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tv show #chat show #production company #15th november #maya angelou #toni morrison #elie wiesel


Heneage launches history festival

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 02/06/2011 - 12:39 Ottakar's founder James Heneage has launched the inaugural Chalke Valley History Festival, with the likes of Michelle Paver, Patrick Bishop and Peter Snow due to make appearances. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #michelle paver #make appearances


Andrews looks to history for Headline

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Fri, 13/05/2011 - 10:30 Headline has signed a book by its author Lyn Andrews, marking the saga writer's historical fiction début. Director of publishing Marion Donaldson bought British Commonwealth rights (including Canada) to The Border Lord... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #anne boleyn #henry viii


"Bold" Bloomsbury book wins Hessell-Tiltman history prize

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 24/03/2011 - 08:34 Bloomsbury's The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt: the History of a Civilisation from 3,000 BC to Cleopatra has won this year's £3,000 Hessell-Tiltman Prize for History. Written by Toby Wilkinson, the book was commended by... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ancient egypt