Ursula K. Le Guin

For years, I worked as a high school tutor, teaching kids how to structure their writing. But for the more advanced, we got to my favorite topic of all – voice. Ursula K. Le Guin, another of my favorite writers, was always part of the lesson. When I first read the opening of A Wizard of Earthsea, her voice swept me away with its magic and romance.

“The island of Gont, a single mountain that lifts its peak a mile above the storm-racked Northeast Sea, is a land famous for wizards. From the towns in its high valleys and the ports on its dark narrow bays many a Gontishman has gone forth to serve the Lords of the Archipelago in their cities as wizard or mage, or, looking for adventure, to wander working magic from isle to isle of all Earthsea.”

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0547773749

Hers are the rhythms of fables, a sense of timelessness and deeds of import. I, for one, cannot get enough of it.

Because the Book Princess is a Treasure Hunter

Because the Book Princess is a treasure hunter, I found this in my inbox this morning:

It’s worth a watch. First, because to hear books read aloud is a unique pleasure unlike most other pleasures in the world. Second, because it fascinates me that so many truly great books are banned by someone or other. But then, maybe that’s the point. And third, because it’s just so beautifully well done. Thanks for the wonderful find, Book Princess!