Erica Jong’s website [https://www.ericajong.com] is a cornucopia of captivating things. There is a Zen-like list of 20 rules for writers, ending with the enigmatic: “There are no rules.” There is an interview about her love affair with Italian culture, a video of a Playboy interview (with Jong and her daughter), and another video of an interview on International Women’s day.
Front and center on the site is a link to a news release about Jong’s latest (2019) book of poems, “The World Began With Yes”. And since we are now in the middle of National Poetry Month, I wanted to read and reflect on this book by an author who previously I had known only for her groundbreaking novels, especially the truly wonderful “Sappho’s Leap”, about the loves and conflicts of antiquity’s most celebrated female poet.
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Lapham’s Quarterly Returns in 2025
Lapham’s Quarterly, the esteemed journal of history and ideas founded by Lewis H. Lapham, is set to embark on a new chapter in 2025 under the stewardship of Bard College and its Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities. This transition comes following the passing of Lewis H. Lapham in July 2024, ensuring the continuation of his unique vision.
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Walk the Dark by Paul Cody
Paul Cody has recently written and published a new novel, Walk the Dark. The book is now for sale online, and is probably available at your favorite local bookstore. You can get the paperback edition, or an ebook in various electronic formats.
A few days ago, when my paperback copy arrived, I emailed Paul and said: “Congratulations! … A paperback copy of your book has survived the poaching porch pirates, and is now sitting safely on my TBR desk. Sadly, due to work commitments, it will take me a few months to get to the book.”
I couldn’t wait. The next day I dived in.
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Chess for Children Activity Book
Chess for Children Activity Book
by Sabrina Chevannes
Hardcover, 120 pages
Published by Batsford, 2025
ISBN 9781849949026
Find the book on the publisher’s website:
https://www.batsfordbooks.com/book/chess-for-children-activity-book/
Chess for Children Activity Book will delight chess lovers, children learning chess, and the chess instructors who teach them. The book is written as a dialogue between two young chess players, Jess and Jamie, who are later joined by their friends and stronger players, Marnie and Harry. The book explains more than 40 interesting topics about chess tactics and strategy, chess variants, and chess activities.
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Common Sense Leadership
Common Sense Leadership:
A Practical Guide to Making Leading and Managing Teams Simple
by Joan M. Clark
Published by Guilded Path Publishing, LLC
268 pages. In paperback and Kindle ebook.
ISBN: 979-8991469708
Available from Amazon.com at:
https://www.amazon.com/Common-Sense-Leadership-Practical-Managing/dp/B0DS2W9RPX/
Achieve the Extraordinary with This Extraordinary Book
In Common Sense Leadership: A Practical Guide to Making Leading and Managing Teams Simple, Joan M. Clark provides a roadmap for effective leadership in a world that demands clarity and purpose. Drawing from 30 years of corporate experience and many years of coaching, Clark distills her wisdom into a practical, accessible guide for both new and seasoned leaders.
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The Anxious Generation
The Anxious Generation
How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness
by Jonathan Haidt
The Anxious Generation, by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, explores the alarming rise in mental health issues among young people, particularly anxiety and depression. He argues that this phenomenon is not simply a coincidence but rather a direct result of the profound changes in how children are growing up in the digital age.
Haidt begins by outlining the “great rewiring” of childhood, where smartphones and social media have become ubiquitous in young people’s lives. He explores the negative consequences of this constant connectivity, including sleep deprivation, attention fragmentation, social isolation, and increased exposure to cyberbullying and unrealistic social comparisons.
Here is a list of books (and our summaries) about pornography addiction, sex addiction, or compulsive sexual behavior — and how to heal.