Isabel Allende On Chilean Pessimism

"Among us Chileans, pessimism is considered good form; it is assumed that only idiots go around happy." ~~ Isabel Allende
My Invented Country#FridayReads

— Alex Kudera (@kudera) April 5, 2019

Isabel Allende on Writing

“Writing, when all is said and done, is an attempt to understand one's own circumstance and to clarify the confusion of existence, including insecurities that do not torment normal people, only chronic nonconformists, many of whom end up as writers after having failed in other undertakings.”

 ~~ from My Invented Country: A Nostalgic Journey Through Chile by Isabel Allende

According to Allende, Cholesterol in Chile

"I never heard the word cholesterol mentioned. My parents, who are over eighty, consume ninety eggs, a quart of cream, a pound of butter, and four pounds of cheese per week. They're healthy and lively as little kids."

~~ from My Invented Country by Isabel Allende

USK Poet-in-Residence Don Riggs's 2010 Readings (so far)

Doctor Don was kind enough to include both newbies and rereads in his list of 2010 readings (as far as he can remember):


Allende, Isabel. Zorro.
Gardam, Jane. Old Filth.
Kudera, Alex. Fight for Your Long Day*.
Quick, Matthew. The Silver Linings Playbook.

Books Read or Reread for Class:
Hesse, Herman. Steppenwolf.
Herbert, Frank. Dune.
___________. The Dosadi Experiment.
Willis, Connie. Doomsday Book.
Euripides. The Bacchae.
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit.
Tartt, Donna. The Secret History.
Haldeman, Joe. The Accidental Time Machine.
Wells, H.G. The Time Machine.
Asimov, Isaac. I, Robot.
Dick, Philip K. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.
____________. A Scanner Darkly.

* Well, I had to remind him that he read Fight for Your Long Day.