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waywordsstudio.bsky.social
Steve @ Waywords
@waywordsstudio.bsky.social
Steve Chisnell - Educator, writer, podcaster, book critic, democracy advocate,
Creator of Waywords Studio - Wanderings on Literature and Language
WaywordsStudio.com
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜’𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: "𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗲" 𝗯𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗵 -

Existentialist "socialist" Christian philosopher Tillich in his classic 1952 book on meeting uncertainty and anxiety.

#books #bookreviews #reading #paultillich #thecouragetobe #existentialism #christianity #faith #philosophy #booksky
December 6, 2025 at 3:02 PM
𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑵𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒔 𝑬𝒑𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒅𝒆: 𝑰𝒔 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝑨𝒓𝒕 𝑷𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍? 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝑺𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔, 𝑷𝒕. 1: 𝑴𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒔 -

At least can't we keep art for art's sake? My thoughts & the classic silent film, 𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘴 (1927).

waywordsstudio.com/podcasts/way...

#podcast #literature #books #booksky #edusky
December 5, 2025 at 9:02 PM
𝗧𝗕𝗥 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗲: 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 -

It's Spiritual Literacy Month! And some other titles I haven't gotten to this year. . .

#books #literature #tbrpile #tbrlist #paultillich #thecouragetobe #buddhaslittleinstructionbook #theartofpossibility #hermannhesse #daytripper #vsnaipaul #booksky
December 1, 2025 at 3:04 PM
𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: "𝗣𝗲𝘁" 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝗸𝘄𝗮𝗲𝗸𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝘇𝗶 -

At once a serious look at repressed trauma (personal & societal) & a sensitive examination of diversity & compassion. Wonderful introduction to community & responsibility.

#bookreviews #literature #books #yanovel #utopia #trauma #lgbtqiaplus #booksky #edusky
November 29, 2025 at 3:03 PM
𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑵𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒔: 𝑻𝒓𝒖𝒆 𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓: 𝑳𝒆 𝑮𝒖𝒊𝒏, 𝑷𝒐𝒆, 𝑪𝒂𝒗𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒓𝒐, 𝑩𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑨𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒕 -

We finish our side trail on the implications of Poe's horror by stepping into our own capacity to violence. 𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘺: D𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.

waywordsstudio.com/podcasts/way...
#podcast #horror #booksky #edusky
November 28, 2025 at 9:01 PM
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜’𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: "𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝘂𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗶𝗴: 𝗯𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝗶𝗱𝗿𝗲 𝗞𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗿 -

Chapbook by the former poet laureate of Prince Edward Island, a short collection of serenity and pastoral and reflective works.

#books #poetry #chapbook #pei #princeedwardisland #canadianliterature #canadianpoetry #booksky
November 28, 2025 at 3:02 PM
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜’𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: "𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻" 𝗯𝘆 𝗚𝗶𝗹𝗮 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗿 -

Sher makes a pretty rigorous journey in empiricism & logic, works to align our fuzzy borders & frameworks for knowledge. The first major work I'm taking on in my research for my own next book!

#books #logic #epistemology #nonfiction #booksky
November 27, 2025 at 3:04 PM
𝟯 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: "𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺” 𝗯𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗵 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘁 -

Those looking for quick takeaways are disappointed that Arendt hasn't offered the answers in bullet points. But of course, the contradictory history of the world isn't built that way.

#bookreviews #books #booksky
November 26, 2025 at 3:04 PM
𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: "𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀" 𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲 -

Clarke's original Caribbean hybrid of history and myth is an act of art and decolonialization, of imagination and resistance to the mainstream.

waywordsstudio.com/general/revi...

#bookreviews #books #caribbeanliterature #graphicnovel #booksky
November 25, 2025 at 3:01 PM
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜’𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: "𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀" 𝗯𝘆 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲 -

I know little about this collection of essays and verse except that, since it's Hesse, it's as much reflection as observation; oh, and there's a lot of watercolor paintings by him!

#books #bookreviews #nature #reflection #poetry #essays #booksky
November 24, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Starting research work on my new book project! This "slightly" staged photo has some of the initial reads.
Any guesses on my topic?

#books #booksky #edusky #writingsky #newbook #oldschoolresearch
November 22, 2025 at 4:14 PM
𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: "𝗢𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘀" 𝗯𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗸 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗰𝗼𝘁𝘁 -

Walcott's epic poetic work is at once a refiguring of Homer and the colonial history of St. Lucia, of the indigenous everywhere, of the myths which mark poet and people. An extraordinary layering of all.

#bookreviews #poetry #books #caribbeanliterature #booksky
November 22, 2025 at 3:01 PM
𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑵𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒔: 𝑷𝒐𝒆: 𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓, 𝑷𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒆 -

Deeper still into Poe's narrators & modern horror as psychological and sociological markers, & and it's not pretty.

*𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘺: 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯.

waywordsstudio.com/podcasts/way...

#podcast #booksky #edusky
November 21, 2025 at 9:01 PM
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜’𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: "𝗕𝗮𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯" 𝗯𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝘁𝘆 𝗞𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗲𝗹

"Bad Indians" refuse to renounce their stories for the mass narrative. New NF on how to think about what we read & how to approach lit from margins. A highlight read for me!

#books #nonfiction #politicsofreading #indigenoushistory #booksky
November 21, 2025 at 3:03 PM
𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖𝙝 𝘼𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙩: "𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙊𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙏𝙤𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙢"
𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙍𝙚𝙛𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨

youtu.be/aeLKEnmkmlk

Hannah Arendt: Full video, reading guide, and more on the website.

waywordsstudio.com/project/aren...

#democracy #readingguide #arendt #reflections #history #literacy #booksky #edusky
November 19, 2025 at 9:01 PM
𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬: "𝘼 𝙋𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙖𝙣" 𝙗𝙮 𝙅𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙅𝙤𝙮𝙘𝙚 -

Allow the novel to work on its own terms, quit asking it to meet our expectations of a common coming-of-age story, & find that it reveals itself.

waywordsstudio.com/general/revi...

#bookreviews #books irishliterature #booksky
November 18, 2025 at 3:02 PM
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜’𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: "𝗙𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗻" 𝗯𝘆 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲

A slow journey through all of Verne's major works in chronological order. From an age of the "science novel" & imperialism, problematic adventure!

#books #bookreviews #adventurenovel #imperialism #sciencenovel #booksky
November 17, 2025 at 3:04 PM
𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬: "𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙐𝙣𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙇𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝘽𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜" 𝙗𝙮 𝙈𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙣 𝙆𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙖 -

Kundera's near masterpiece is compelling story, hypnotic characters and interactions, a profound theme, and . . . something else more elusive still.

youtu.be/XmP6fIl-O5E

#bookreviews #literature #books #read #booksky
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November 15, 2025 at 3:01 PM
𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖𝙝 𝘼𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙩: "𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙊𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙏𝙤𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙢"
𝘾𝙝 14: 𝙍𝙚𝙛𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 & 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙨 (𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨)

youtu.be/jPzd8zvhRe8

waywordsstudio.com/project/aren...

#democracy #readingguide #history #totalitarianism #booksky #edusky
November 14, 2025 at 9:01 PM
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜’𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: "𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲" 𝗯𝘆 𝗟𝗼𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗘𝗿𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵

Ever since 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘦, every time I hear of a new title by Erdrich I remember how much I miss her prose!

#books #bookreviews #bookworm #readreadread #tbr #tbrpile #tbrlist #quotes #reading #novel #fiction #indigenousliterature #booksky
November 14, 2025 at 3:04 PM
𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: "𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗴𝗲𝗲𝘀" 𝗯𝘆 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗵 𝗡𝗴𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗻 -

Nguyen's short stories are, each individually, a situation of struggle in identity across generations, gender, economies, traditions, and circumstance; absorbing and revealing.

#bookreviews #literature #books #booksky
November 13, 2025 at 3:05 PM
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜’𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: "𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀" 𝗯𝘆 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗩𝘂𝗸𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗞𝗮𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗮𝗯𝗮𝘄

Brief but reflective, Vukelich suggests the greatest wisdom of Ojibwe people exists within the words themselves. Personal and compelling.

#books #indigenousliterature #ojibwe #language
November 12, 2025 at 3:04 PM
𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: "𝗚𝗶𝗹𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀𝗵" 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗼𝗽𝗵𝘂𝘀 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲 -

. . . elliptical, paradoxical, mysterious, a rollicking tale to kill giants but also a careful meditation on mortality, love, power. Helle's trans returns its power. . . .

waywordsstudio.com/general/revi...

#bookreviews #books #booksky #edusky
November 11, 2025 at 3:04 PM
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜’𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: "𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗺𝗻𝗶-𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘀" 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘆 -

Sorry I was that I couldn't read this along with my book group, but I've been looking forward to finding it again. Ready for some provocation and thought-making!

#books #antiracism #racemythology #booksky
November 10, 2025 at 3:04 PM
𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑵𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒔 𝑬𝒑𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒅𝒆: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 “𝑯𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕:” 𝑷𝒐𝒆'𝒔 𝑨𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝒐𝒇 𝑨𝒄𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚

There really isn't that much to say about Poe, is there? He's just creepy. But wait. What if we could explain the supposed madness in all these stories?

waywordsstudio.com/general/tran...

#podcast #books #booksky
November 8, 2025 at 2:00 PM