keltzster, Author at Karen Keltz https://karenkeltz.com/author/keltzster/ Writing, gardening, and commentary about life in general Sat, 15 Nov 2025 18:56:42 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 182946241 Eddie’s Excuses https://karenkeltz.com/eddies-excuses/ https://karenkeltz.com/eddies-excuses/#comments Sat, 15 Nov 2025 18:55:13 +0000 https://karenkeltz.com/?p=688 One of the most fun things about my Swedish Death Cleaning project right now, is finding files of things my former English students have written. Some of my biggest problem students were also endearing and one of those was Eddie K. He hid the fact he couldn’t read by acting out in class and he… Read More »Eddie’s Excuses

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]]> https://karenkeltz.com/eddies-excuses/feed/ 2 688 Fall reads https://karenkeltz.com/fall-reads/ https://karenkeltz.com/fall-reads/#comments Wed, 12 Nov 2025 20:07:12 +0000 https://karenkeltz.com/?p=684 I have three books to share with you this time around. The first is Autobiography of a Sea Creature: Healing the Trauma of Infant Surgery by Wendy Patrice Williams. I learned about this book after meeting its author and talking over lunch.. I was shocked by what she told me. Before the 1980’s, infants up to three… Read More »Fall reads

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]]> https://karenkeltz.com/fall-reads/feed/ 2 684 The Emperor of gladness https://karenkeltz.com/the-emperor-of-gladness/ Wed, 24 Sep 2025 18:16:07 +0000 https://karenkeltz.com/?p=662 I kept reading about a fabulous newer author and his new book, so I ordered the book, The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong, to see what all the noise was about. I read it but it was a hard go because it was so sad and depressing. In the midst of all the chaos and destruction… Read More »The Emperor of gladness

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]]> 662 songs for other people’s weddings https://karenkeltz.com/songs-for-other-peoples-weddings/ Wed, 24 Sep 2025 18:12:03 +0000 https://karenkeltz.com/?p=680 Songs for Other People’s Wedding by David Levithan with songs by Jens Lekman The main character of this novel by one of my favorite writers (read Every Day!) is a special kind of wedding singer, one who interviews his clients before he writes a song he will sing at their wedding. A song just for… Read More »songs for other people’s weddings

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]]> 680 two dystopian novels https://karenkeltz.com/two-dystopian-novels/ Sat, 30 Aug 2025 18:40:16 +0000 https://karenkeltz.com/?p=656 This summer, even though I have been extremely occupied with keeping up the gardening required on our two-acre property, I’ve had time to read quite a few books. Two of them were recommended to me and in turn, I’m recommending them to you if they seem to be something you’d like to read. I’ve noticed… Read More »two dystopian novels

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]]> 656 go straight to the bookstore and buy these books! https://karenkeltz.com/beautiful-writing-great-reading/ https://karenkeltz.com/beautiful-writing-great-reading/#comments Mon, 26 May 2025 22:08:27 +0000 https://karenkeltz.com/?p=653 Or go straight to the library and check them out! Or… This month I’ve read two books that are among the best books I’ve ever read and I’m full of gratitude. Both of them were a story within a story, both written by two of my favorite authors, Matt Haig and Fredrick Backman. They touch… Read More »go straight to the bookstore and buy these books!

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]]> https://karenkeltz.com/beautiful-writing-great-reading/feed/ 3 653 After the parables https://karenkeltz.com/after-the-parables/ https://karenkeltz.com/after-the-parables/#comments Mon, 24 Mar 2025 18:06:46 +0000 https://karenkeltz.com/?p=650 When I finished reading The Parable of the Talents, I saw that I had turned down the corners of four pages. I’ve been taught that’s a very naughty thing to do to a book, but since it’s my own, I did it anyway. I remember as a college student, using used texts to save money,… Read More »After the parables

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]]> https://karenkeltz.com/after-the-parables/feed/ 1 650 The parable of the sower and the parable of the talents https://karenkeltz.com/the-parable-of-the-sower-and-the-parable-of-the-talents/ https://karenkeltz.com/the-parable-of-the-sower-and-the-parable-of-the-talents/#comments Sat, 15 Mar 2025 18:21:31 +0000 https://karenkeltz.com/?p=645 I am just finishing up the second in a series of science fiction novels by Octavia L. Butler, so amazing because reading them felt like being plunked down in the middle of, oh, maybe next year or the year after, if things keep going the way they are. Because of that, they are terrifying. The Parable… Read More »The parable of the sower and the parable of the talents

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]]> https://karenkeltz.com/the-parable-of-the-sower-and-the-parable-of-the-talents/feed/ 4 645 Velvet https://karenkeltz.com/velvet/ Mon, 24 Feb 2025 20:12:20 +0000 https://karenkeltz.com/?p=641 This week, post surgery, I’ve been relegated to mostly sitting or lying about which usually drives me batty. I’m not a sitter by nature, but pain meds and healing have necessitated repose. I have enjoyed my sedentary self, however, thanks to streaming from PBS. I have especially enjoyed one series in particular, which I recommend… Read More »Velvet

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]]> 641 diversity cinema https://karenkeltz.com/diversity-cinema/ https://karenkeltz.com/diversity-cinema/#comments Fri, 31 Jan 2025 23:28:27 +0000 https://karenkeltz.com/?p=637 In my quest to watch as many awards-nominated films as I could before The Oscars, I recently watched Queer. Daniel Craig did a sterling job of acting. I felt the heat with him and could feel the sweat trickling down his back. I felt his sadness at being not needed and his propensity for being clingy.… Read More »diversity cinema

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