I want to have Robert Adams internet babies.
He just totally rocks.

http://www.tvo.org/TVOsites/WebObjects/TvoMicrosite.woa?bigideas_robertadams

I found the delightful and eloquent Mr. Adams via TVO's Big Ideas, (www.tvo.org)
A great little show featuring taped ramblings of some of the best lecturers around.

If you like books, and you like intelligent, articulate thoughts on some of the best books out there, then Robert Adams is your 'go to' guy.

Follow the link to hear/see Mr Adams.
And be prepared to fall in love...

*****

For more info check out his book:
A Love of Reading

ABOUT ROBERT ADAMS
Every year, Robert Adams prepares a series of five reviews of contemporary novels, to be delivered alone on a theatre stage to sold-out audiences in Toronto and Montreal. In A Love of Reading Adams has now gathered 18 of his most brilliant reviews, from Jack Maggs by Peter Carey and The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, to A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry and Barney’s Version by Mordecai Richler. In them he skillfully interweaves a nimble and entertaining discussion of plot, theme, and characterization with fascinating historical, biographical, and literary context. He is repeatedly drawn to the spectacle of less-than-perfect humans making their way in a hostile world, and as a result a review by Robert Adams is almost always a hugely satisfying mix of rich pathos and abundant humour.

Famously, Adams reads a book a day, from which he selects only those novels that are truly extraordinary, that have made him see some part of the world or some aspect of the human condition in a new light – because for Adams, the best books always take the reader on a journey, with a destination very distant from the point of departure. It should be not only a journey of discovery – an exploration of the author’s vision – but also of risk. By matching one’s own vision to that of the author, says Adams, the reader enters an exciting negotiation to produce a new vision of his own. This joint enterprise between reader and writer, the shared risk and the wonder of discovery, is the foundation of A Love of Reading.

• Quill & Quire, noting the jump in sales of any book reviewed by Adams, has called the phenomenon “The Adams Effect”

A buddy of mine, Natalie, has written a great response to an irate letterwriter in the Las Vegas Sun, which is to be published this sunday in her local paper, and I have reprinted this with her permission.

Her reply struck a nerve with me since I do have friends and family members of many faiths and cultures. I have also recieved many chain emails from the "Keep Christ in Christmas" camp, which I generally do not past on, for the reasons Natalie has so elequently expressed below.



(link to the letter mentioned below:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/dec/10/parent-should-not-bow-political-correctness/

I would like to reply to the letter published December 10, 2009 regarding elimination of Christmas activities in public institutions.

I am a rather devout Catholic; I would like nothing better than for everyone to believe as I do, but the simple fact is they do not. Some have no spiritual beliefs at all. I certainly believe in freedom of religion, but I also believe in freedom from religion.

My view of this type of thing is to put ourselves into the shoes of others. Suppose the Taliban got their wish and conquered this country? Would we like to be forced to wear burkas, among other dogma of the Muslim faith? My guess would be no. Ms. Goodin says this country was founded on Christian values. That may have been the original plan, but it became a country that conquered its native citizens, and forced them to either conform or live separately from the general population. How Christian is that? Not very.

I don't need to see schools, courtrooms, etc. decorated for Christian holidays. The malls and such do more than enough of that, anyway. I wear my crucifix and medals, which indicate my faith, but I respect the faith (or lack thereof) of other people.

I don't believe any taxpayer should have to pay for decorations, celebrations, etc. of something they do not even support. I firmly believe church and state simply must be separate, and the situation in Afghanistan is a shining example of why.

So yes, I say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" to strangers, because I think to assume they share my faith is arrogant and rude. There are quite a few Jewish folks as well. Anyone can see my religious jewelry, and often reply "Merry Christmas" to me. As much as some would like to think so, Christianity is not the center of everyone's universe; I wish that it were, but it isn't, so I accept that others have the freedom to believe as they see fit.

Nobody can take Christ out of your life but the individual him/herself. However, we have no right to force Him into the lives of others. Christ always practiced what He preached. Remember that He consorted with the poor, the filthy and the faithless, without judgment, without proselytizing. He reached others by example, and they made their choices accordingly. So "showing" that you're Christian isn't only wearing the symbols, and trying to push your beliefs on everyone else verbally, or with public displays. It's doing good things for others; it's behaving as Christ would, and I feel certain that He wouldn't mind our not doing Christmas pageants, putting garland on the capitol buildings, or nativity scenes in the park. He would rather see you, me, and everyone treating each other with respect and kindness.

THAT is the very best Christmas display.

Natalie Cantrell Larkowski

Helga Bitter has asked me to proxy her blog.
Feel free to check her blog out via my profile.

As her ghostwriter, I suppose I have to do my bit.

http://helgabitter.blogspot.com/

**Sigh**

Come early. Come often.

www.literaryreview.co.uk/badsexpassages

Yup.
Writing a good sex scene is hard.

Pun Intended.