Search

The article discusses author Ali Smith's novel "How to Be Both," highlighting Smith's use of experimental storytelling elements. Topics addressed include Smith's efforts to explore the nature of time and perception through a variety of narratives and viewpoints within the novel, as well as the novel's focus on fresco painter Francesco del Cossa and a young girl dealing with the death of her mother.

To the Editor: I very much enjoyed the article and wish to add another caveat from an actor's point of view: [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

I love strange weather. My bookshelf holds such must-haves as ''Tornadoes, Dark Days, Anomalous Precipitation, and Related Weather Phenomena,'' which chronicles things like giant snowflakes and clouds that hiss like snakes. Not to mention big hail, a personal favorite. As an adult, living in the East, I have suffered hail deprivation, which, from a practical point of view, is just as well, given the damage hail can cause. But still, I have missed it, until recently. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

WHEN it comes to describing places to hear music, here's an adjective that is tossed around a lot: intimate. In New York, that's sometimes a euphemism for ''tiny'' or ''sardine-like'' or, from a musician's point of view, ''unprofitable.'' But sometimes it lives up to what you hope for: cozy, friendly, comfortable, with a sense of interaction with the performers. In other words, a place where your row (say, XX) will not be named after sex-determining chromosomes, or one where a flying drop of guitarist sweat could theoretically land in your drink. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Reflects on the technique of personal narrative, based on the author's own experiences. Explanation of personal journalism as a combination of personal essay and social criticism; Description of the author's visit to Egypt, and how this changed her writing style; Development of a unique narrative voice that provides a more objective and holistic perspective while still drawing on internal experience.