Around The Web: Virginia Woolf, Charity Auctions and Kids Books Explaining the World
Welcome back, readers! This week we’ll jump right in. For your entertainment, I present: the only surviving recording of Virginia Woolf, a charity auction to support comic book stores, some advice for reading poetry, and a look at children’s preference for books that explain the world.
Virginia Woolf’s Voice
If you ever wondered what the voice of Virginia Woolf sounded like, you’re in luck. Lit Hub shared a rare recording of the prolific writer. The recording, presumed the only surviving audio of Woolf, comes from a 1937 BBC Radio broadcast of a talk titled “Craftsmanship.”
Stranger Things by Gwenda Bond
As you’re likely aware, many stores are facing challenges thanks to physical distancing and the closure of non-essential services. This is especially true of bookstores and comic book shops. One effort to combat these financial hardships is #Creators4Comics, an online auction. Comic book creators, including big names like Kami Garcia, Brian Michael Bendis, and Gwenda Bond, are selling everything from merch, to signed comics, to original art in support of the Book Industry Charitable Foundation. Check out the story from Comicbook.com or follow #Creators4Comics on Twitter for a chance to bid.
Advice for Reading Poetry
It’s National Poetry Month, but even with a lot of love going around for poems and poets, I still see folks who aren’t sure about reading poetry. And maybe bad experiences in school or encounters with poetry are to blame for this, but there’s plenty of good to be found by reading poetry. Check out Book Riot’s advice for folks intimidated by poetry if you’re not sure how to start.
Children Prefer Books With Explanations
A study in which children were read two different books, one that explained information and another that simply provided facts, found that though children enjoyed the experience of reading both, they preferred the book with more explanation. If you have a kid who constantly asks “Why?” this probably isn’t a surprise. Kid’s are curious, after all. But this study may give insight into the kinds of books that’ll engage kids and help them understand cause and effect, which may be useful to folks trying to both entertain and educate children these days.
Once more, I hope you’re all well and that you have plenty of reading material. If you’ve come across any interesting bookish stories lately, please share them with us!
