Joie de Linking in Lincoln!

“Over the years I have developed a distaste for the spectacle of joie de vivre, the knack of knowing how to live”.

New this month from the University of Nebraska Press is Against Joie de Vivre: Personal Essays by Phillip Lopate. This rejoinder to the cult of hedonism and forced conviviality moves from a critique of the false sentimentalization of children and the elderly to a sardonic look at the social rite of the dinner party, on to a moving personal testament to the “hungry soul.” This week Linking in Lincoln will try our own hand at the “Joie de Vivre” and see how we fare. Care to join us?

Our first order of business should be to introduce the writer. Ladies and Gentlemen, by way of his own website, may I introduce Mr. Phillip Lopate of Brooklyn! For his bio, and extensive collection of books please check out philliplopate.com

The personal essay is nothing new….or is it? Check out this great new website, Fresh Yarn.com. This online salon for personal essays features some of the best and brightest. If I’m not mistaken I may have seen one from the writer of Mad About You ( you know in case we have any fans…).

Mr. Lopate takes a “sardonic” look at the dinner party. Well, as luck would have so has Seinfeld. For the funniest 42 seconds of your day head to youtube.com for a fun clip of the episode cleverly named The Dinner Party.

Phillip Lopate worked with students for 12 years as a “writer in the school”, and one of his most famous books “Being with Children” derived from those experiences.  Now there are some things only a teacher can understand, some skills and behavioral quirks that only they will possess. So to get in on the joke head to teachingheart.net for “How to Tell if You’re a Real Teacher”.

Painter Henri Matisse had his own interpretation of Joie de Vivre. For a look at his epic painting The Joy of Life- go here.

Uncle Vanya is a book by Chekhov, a play in which Mr. Lopate produced with a group of pre-adolescents AND a restaurant in NYC. For a review of the restaurant (you’re on the own with the rest) check out nymag.com.  (Psst…their trademark drink is infused vodka- can you tell it’s a Russian restaurant)

Well bloggers, that’s it for today. Is your quality of life looking slightly up? We here at the press sincerely hope so! Check back tomorrow for This Week in History.