As we begin LTGWS...

Let the Great World Spin is such an incredible book and I'm glad we've chosen it for our next meeting! I finished up what I had left the other night and I loved it. Colum McCann has an amazing attention to detail, background, and an overall sense of the characters. As you read through the book you discover how each person's story is interwoven with the others. Every character is so diverse, and yet there's still a powerful sense of universal community.

In case anyone is interested in learning more about the tightrope walker in the story (Philippe Petit, who walked between the World Trade Center towers in August 1974), he wrote his own book called "To Reach the Clouds", detailing the adventure. In addition, there's a documentary based on that memoir called "Man on Wire."

Depending on the version of the book you get, see if there is a section added on at the end (after the Author's Note and the Acknowledgments) called "Walking an Inch Off the Ground." It's just four pages or so, written by McCann, and offers a great introduction to the book and what inspired him to write it. If you want a little background before reading, without discovering any "secrets" or spoilers, it's very touching. (That said, I wouldn't read the following section "A Conversation with Colum McCann and Nathan Englander" before actually reading the book.)

Lastly, I will leave you with a quote that I absolutely loved! From page 314: "Everything falls into the hands of music eventually."

Recipes online?

Hey Girls,

Great meeting yesterday! Anyone want to write about it? I will post the group photo sometime this week. I was thinking it might be cool to post our recipes on our blog! That way we can find them whenever we want and who knows, maybe we have a follower out there who wants to try some? You can create a new tab/page right at the top of the blog and we can throw all of our recipes in there. I could post mine all together under the title "Recipes from Portrait of an Artist" or something like that... and then they will all be in one place and Solveig can easily snag 'em to throw in a book. Only problem is I can't figure out how to add a new page... I tried and it didn't really work. Any geeksters out there who can help me out?

Carolyn

PS - this wouldn't be taking over the final book product we've been planning on. It would just be an easy way to keep them together electronically. : )