Sasha Sagan lives in that uncomfortable place occupied by the families of the famous. She is icon-adjacent. This gives her unusual access and opportunities, but it also means that the public can reliably be expected to have unreasonable expectations of her. Fame is a funny thing, but I think it is important to remember why Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan became famous. In that context, a book written by their daughter about her upbringing and world view is irresistible.
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2021-03-03
Book Report: For Small Creatures Such as We by Sasha Sagan
2016-12-26
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
This book is special. There’s nothing particularly novel about the story. It is a very old story (or perhaps several old stories if you prefer). There’s a wizard in a tower in a valley with a dark, scary forest. The wizard takes young girls from the village to serve in his tower, and blah blah blah, it’s practically a cliche, or several cliches, really. But it is the telling that counts, and Novik tells with remarkable care and detail. She takes classic fairy-tale material and makes it real for a modern reader. Continue reading
2015-07-28
Book Report: The Magus by John Fowles
I am ambivalent about The Magus by John Fowles. I am also convinced it is a Good Book. However, it has convinced me of this through a series of arguments that I am not especially susceptible to. I will explain. Continue reading
