Bridge Books

My favorite of the 11 short stories in ACROSS THE BRIDGE is the euponymous tale set in Paris sometime around the mid-20th Century. One is never sure of the exact date of one of Mavis Gallant's stories as they are so timeless. In "Across the Bridge" the heroine is engaged to be married, and at the last moment persuades her parents to call off the ceremony. The picture Gallant paints of white wedding invitations floating away in the Seine is quite startling and could have taken place at any time over the past 150 years.

Gallant's writing has been compared with that of Alice Munro with some justification. Both authors write short stories, sometimes linked to each other (as are several of the tales in ACROSS THE BRIDGE), frequently told from a woman's point of view, about family matters -- engagements, enduring and/or barely endured marriages, children wanted and unwanted, money worries, daughters whisked off to nunneries or other out-of-the-way place, unrequieted love, revenge -- and faith or lack of it.
Both women are Canadian authors, though Munro tends to write about the non-Gallic mostly Scots-descent Canadians whereas Gallant's stories are most often about French Canadienne or Parisienne protagonists. Munro and Gallant are both frequently published in the New Yorker Magazine, and most of the stories in ACROSS THE BRIDGE appeared in the New Yorker before being added to this collection.

Each of the tales told by Gallant this book is about rejection and acceptance. For example, in "A State of Affairs" the refugee status of a very elderly Polish Jew living in Paris following a WWII Nazi prison camp internment becomes imperiled when 'normal' relations are restored between Poland and France. In "The Fenton Child" a baby is both wanted and unwanted.

Gallant's writing is literate and compelling, and I find myself reflective after reading one of her stories. She does not feel a need to tie up loose ends or make the world seem better or worse than it really is. She has a gift for arousing empathy. Often, it seems to me, her stories include a relatively positive note. In "Across the Bridge" for example, at one point the young narrator says "It was a small secret, insignificant, but it belonged to the true life that was almost ready to let me in. And so it did, and yes, it made me happy."

"Across the Long Bridge" is a well-presented anthology of 133 poems (120 prize-winning and commended entries, plus 13 poems by the judges), attractively spread over 267 pages.

Most entries in poetry contests fail to pass beyond the first round of judging. The initial failure rate can be as high as 90% and the sad fact of life is that a third of these entries are well written. The reason they fail is simply they are inappropriate for that particular contest. The entrant has obviously not read anthologies of previous prize-winning poems and has therefore formed no ideas at all as to the range and type of verse that the judges are seeking, nor any obvious limitations on subject matter.

It's astonishing how many entrants believe that all literary contests are run on much the same lines. But each contest is unique. To have any chance of winning a cash prize, it is essential to study previous award-winning entries and tailor your own submissions accordingly. Anthologies not only provide a showcase for winning poets but are an essential guide for writers who contemplate entering current or future competitions.

As Chief Judge for both the Tom Howard Poetry Contest and the Margaret Reid Prize for Traditional Verse, and the editor of anthologies such as "Across the Long Bridge", I uphold certain standards, but those standards are not necessarily the same as those in place for other contests. For instance, I will accept comic verse as potential prize-winners. Many other contests will not. In fact, one of my favorite poems in this anthology is "Chefosaurus" by Graeme King (whose entry won a High Distinction): "A dinosaur went walking to see what he could munch: Perhaps a small triceratops would make a tasty lunch?"

Still on the humor trail but in a more satiric vein is a short piece, "If Lions Were Smart", by Greg Schwartz (who won a Commended certificate). The opening lines: "If lions were smart, if they had human brains/They'd all look in mirrors and style their manes./Rather than hunting for food, and that's all/They'd hunt zebras for sport and hang heads on their wall."

Contest judges have a hard life, but contestants would make it much easier for both the judges and themselves, if they would only skim through an anthology like "Across the Long Bridge" before submitting their own entries.

"Across the Long Bridge" is a well-presented anthology of 133 poems (120 prize-winning and commended entries, plus 13 poems by the judges), attractively spread over 267 pages.

Most entries in poetry contests fail to pass beyond the first round of judging. The initial failure rate can be as high as 90% and the sad fact of life is that a third of these entries are well written. The reason they fail is simply they are inappropriate for that particular contest. The entrant has obviously not read anthologies of previous prize-winning poems and has therefore formed no ideas at all as to the range and type of verse that the judges are seeking, nor any obvious limitations on subject matter.

It's astonishing how many entrants believe that all literary contests are run on much the same lines. But each contest is unique. To have any chance of winning a cash prize, it is essential to study previous award-winning entries and tailor your own submissions accordingly. Anthologies not only provide a showcase for winning poets but are an essential guide for writers who contemplate entering current or future competitions.

As Chief Judge for both the Tom Howard Poetry Contest and the Margaret Reid Prize for Traditional Verse, and the editor of anthologies such as "Across the Long Bridge", I uphold certain standards, but those standards are not necessarily the same as those in place for other contests. For instance, I will accept comic verse as potential prize-winners. Many other contests will not. In fact, one of my favorite poems in this anthology is "Chefosaurus" by Graeme King (whose entry won a High Distinction): "A dinosaur went walking to see what he could munch: Perhaps a small triceratops would make a tasty lunch?"

Still on the humor trail but in a more satiric vein is a short piece, "If Lions Were Smart", by Greg Schwartz (who won a Commended certificate). The opening lines: "If lions were smart, if they had human brains/They'd all look in mirrors and style their manes./Rather than hunting for food, and that's all/They'd hunt zebras for sport and hang heads on their wall."

Contest judges have a hard life, but contestants would make it much easier for both the judges and themselves, if they would only skim through an anthology like "Across the Long Bridge" before submitting their own entries.

This seventh booklet in the series Bridges to Contemplative Living with Thomas Merton closes with a quotation I would include on my Best of Merton list. The last of three meditations, it reads in part: "We are the Body of Christ. We have found him, he has found us. We are in Him, He is in us. There is nothing further to look for, except the deepening of this life we already possess. Be content." These meditations are designed for use with the eight small-group sessions presented in Adjusting Your Life's Vision. Each session consists of a psalm passage; editor's introduction to the texts; excerpts from two "voices," Merton's and that of another spiritual writer; and reflection questions.

A brief examination of Session 2, Nonviolence: A Vision of Hope for Humankind, shows how the material flows. The opening reflection from Psalm 16 begins with these words: "I have kept from violence because of your word." In their introduction to the texts, the editors describe Merton's determination to practice nonviolence in thought, word, and deed, as foundational to his understanding of contemplative living. Merton's voice comes from an essay, Blessed Are the Meek, in which he writes that every human possesses "radically sound possibilities," which can surface at any time through the power of love and grace. That thought is echoed in Gandhi's words, "My optimism rests on my belief in the infinite possibilities of the individual to develop nonviolence." The closing questions address nonviolent alternatives to human problems and personal beliefs and behaviors related to the topic.

Each booklet opens with background information and suggestions for using the material. A free leader's guide is also provided. The series and individual booklets are carefully planned to help readers develop the contemplative side of their lives, yet any of the books or sessions could be used by itself. And although the primary audience is small groups, individuals would certainly benefit from the entire series.

This was a great book full of wonderful and informative reading.If you plan on going afield with a muzzleloader, don't do it before reading this book!

Truly a complete guide to muzzle-loading rifles, pistols and shotguns-flintrock and percussion. Filled with numerous photo diagrams and 250+ pages of detailed and informative text. Now out of print and becoming quite a sought after reference among vintage gun enthusiasts.

I read this book when it first came out. Prior to that, I was a fair bridge player. Afterwards, I was much better at declarer play. The book includes 139 hands which it presents to the reader in the form of a quiz, with detailed answers. It covers counting, card-placing, good and bad breaks, camouflage, communications, squeezes, match-point play, and percentages.

The 20-page chapter about percentages was particularly instructive. A bridge player does not need to know much about them. The key knowledge is the distributions between your opponents of 2 through 8 card suits. That means memorizing 16 numbers. That's it. With that knowledge, you can choose easily between lines of play that rely on good breaks or rely on avoiding bad breaks.

The other chapter that made a big impression on me was the 30-page one on squeezes. I didn't know anything about squeezes when I first read it. Everyone talked about them, but I'd never intentionally played one. Still, I realized that I'd gone down in a couple of contracts that I could have made had I understood how to play them. I gulped when I read that the author expected the reader to be well aware of how to perform simple single and double squeezes.

Anyway, I tried reading the chapter. And rereading it. And that is how I learned how to perform squeezes (they don't come up all the time, so one can play bridge moderately well without doing them).

If you are a beginner at bridge, this book will be too advanced for you. But if you have played in a couple of tournaments, you'll be able to understand it and profit from it.

This book is a funny, lively, and altogether adorable account of a Pier 39 sea lion's visits to SF landmarks. Fun for adults as well as kids.

I have read this book in Japanese translation. Among many books on recent Pentecostal movement, this book, published 33 years ago, is still aglow with its deep insight into the basic principles in which the Spirit of Jesus inspires and leads each individuals to his/her full growth. Compact,lucid,Biblical and penetrating. A Japanese Reader

every person needs to learn more.,by reading this book you can be closer to this goal.