The following article appeared on the opinion page of the January 10 edition of Manila Standard Today. In the United Kingdom, the Department of Innovation, Universities and … [Read more...]
Can you talk about your children without bragging about them?
January 3, 2008 By 15 Comments
Sam and Alex started school at the same time. When Sam entered nursery school, Alex went to pre-nursery. Sam was 3; Alex was 2. Sam was excited about school and she did not … [Read more...]
Stuff movies are made of
January 3, 2008 By 11 Comments
There is only one period of English history that I studied with genuine interest--the reign of Elizabeth I. Because she was the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife, … [Read more...]
Star-struck, celebrity-crazed
January 2, 2008 By 2 Comments
I often marvel at the public's obsession over the private lives of the rich and famous -- the entertainment celebrities, the multimillionaires, the families of politicians, … [Read more...]
Dumbledore was gay — J.K. Rowling
October 22, 2007 By 24 Comments
This is not a joke. This evening, again in New York City, this time at Carnegie Hall, J.K. Rowling dropped a bombshell on the Harry Potter fan community. When asked by a … [Read more...]
Isabel Allende: The House of the Spirits
October 22, 2007 By 15 Comments
I saw the film before I read the book. Cable TV was new in the mid-1990s and one of the first movies I enjoyed was The House of the Spirits. To say that I was mesmerized would … [Read more...]
I rarely say NO when my kids want books
August 21, 2007 By 25 Comments
It was Carol who first told me about Bestsellers, a division of National Bookstore, at Robinson's Galleria. We didn't have the opportunity to visit it until two days … [Read more...]
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: no disappointment
August 14, 2007 By 24 Comments
When you're feeling a lot of strain (like when you're in a rage?), what do you do to relax and to keep you mind off the ugly things? In my case, I read, I watch a movie, go … [Read more...]
Are we what we read?
April 15, 2007 By 16 Comments
A cliche goes: "Show me who your friends are and I'll tell you what you are." Another cliche: "You are what you eat." Can a person really be defined based on his habits and … [Read more...]
Date with Harry
February 2, 2007 By 6 Comments
Ten years after the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (Sorcerer's) Stone, the final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is coming out on … [Read more...]
Pasta, a birthday, a Christmas party and a book
December 13, 2006 By 7 Comments
It's going to be a busy weekend. But I feel energized. Actually, I feel great. For the first time in so many months, I'm writing the way I always wanted to. I finally … [Read more...]
600 books in a year
February 2, 2006 By 11 Comments
Home-schooled 11-year-old Gabrielle Henderson must be holding a world record of sorts by finishing 600 books in one year. Very impressive. And I thought I did pretty well … [Read more...]
My favorite book: 'The Little Prince'
February 28, 2005 By 7 Comments
If anyone should ask me what my favorite book is, my answer wouldn’t be Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings or Rowling’s Harry Potter series. It won’t even … [Read more...]
Still howling "witchcraft" over Harry Potter?
November 1, 2004 By Leave a Comment
When J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books first became popular a couple of years ago, many ultra religious groups campaigned for their boycott calling the books evil as … [Read more...]
Conversations