It’s a common statement in my family that listening to bluegrass music “brings out our hillbilly blood.” There’s something about its rawness and close ties to folk music that makes us nostalgic and gets our toes tapping and our blood pumping. And of course wherever bluegrass is found, the banjo is sure to be at…
Tag: non-fiction
Review: The Year of Living Biblically
The Year of Living Biblically is, as the subtitle states, One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible. Author A.J. Jacobs is not known for committing to projects by halves; while his year-long quest involves following the “biggies” (10 Commandments, Golden Rule), he also endeavors to follow the stranger, and archaic,…
Review x2: A Sacred Feast and The River Witch
It’s been almost a year since my last big singing, so for the past month or so I’ve had Sacred Harp on the brain in a major way. And since the next best thing to singing Sacred Harp is reading about it, I’ve been doing just that. First came a non-fiction, A Sacred Feast: Reflections…
Review: The Pun Also Rises
What exactly is a pun, and why do they exist? What’s the point of them? And should they be considered the highest form of language…or the lowest? For the answers to these and other questions, look no further than The Pun Also Rises: How the Humble Pun Revolutionized Language, Changed History, and Made Wordplay More…
Review: Better Off
Eric Brende has never totally comfortable with technology. It’s supposed to make life easier, but does it really? Does technology actually save us any time, or does it add complexity that actually makes life harder, and us as individuals less connected and less happy? Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology follows one young couple…