Afterthefirstchaptersofamysterynovel,Iusuallysailthroughtherest
averagingover200pagesaday.Towardtheclimax,I'devenspeedupmore.
Thecrimeisalwaysgruesomebutthestoryoftenendsinasweetandupbeatnote.
The429-page"IntheWoods,"however,tookmefivedays,andtheendinglefta
bittertaste.
LikemanynativeEnglishspeakers,theauthorwieldedidiomaticproseswith
apparentease.Thefirsttwocha...[
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Aweekago,IfollowedtheStanfordcontinuingstudiesprogramadand,
curious,clickedonthelinktotheMysteryandThrillerWorkshop,taughtby
DeborahJohnson."TheBlackBook"byPattersonandElliswasoneofthethree
requiredtextbooks.
ItwasmyfirsttimereadingPattersonandIverymuchenjoyedit.Thestory
wasgoodand,forme,thewritingwasgreat.Yousee,I'mmoreobsessedwith
language,forareason.
O...[
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"ABendIntheRiver"byV.S.NaipaulchangedHaJin'slife("TheWriter
asMigrant").Theopeningparagraphofbook2wherethestragglersfroma
columnofantslosetheirwayanddiewhilethehordecarryonoblivious,for
Jin,capturesthe"truerelationshipbetweentheindividualandthe
collective"andtherebyenabledhimtoseethroughhisself-deceptive
aspirationofspeakingfortheunfortunateChin...[
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Sofar,I'vereadfourbooksfromthefamousChineseauthorwhowrotein
English.MidFeb,someonepostedintheonlineforum,MYSJ,ashortbioofHa
JinandthenextweekIfinished'Waiting,'Mr.Jin'sNationalBookAward
winningpiece.ItsbackdropissetinthenortheastChinaandIcoulddefinitely
relate.Idon'texactlylikethemaincharacters,somereviewscriticizedthem
as'wooden,'butthatwashowIremembered...[
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Awell-knownauthorsaidthataboveacertainage,men'sheartshardenandthey
losetheabilitytocry.AsIwasfinishingreadingMalcolmX'sautobiography,a
molarwasactingup,whichmustexplainthefewtearsIcouldn'tholdbackat
thispassageintheepilogue:
Here--atthisfinalhour,inthisquietplace,Harlemhascometobid
farewelltooneofitsbrightesthopes--extinguishednow,andgonefromus
forever...
I...[
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EricdroppedbyonFeb1andtaughtthesitdownreversefromtheturtleand
defenseoftheguilotine.Thatday,IlearnedsomemovesfromLance,atallwiry
bluebelt,afterbeingswepttryingtostandupintheguardtopass.Hetaught
mehisbutterflytricksafterhesweptmetwicewithit.
Jiu-jitsuishardasitallowsfullforceinsparring.Whenthefight-or-flight
instinctkicksin,onedoeseverythinginhispower.Theearlydays,themat
remin...[
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Meaning:theconsequenceofthecircumstancesintowhichapersonisborn.
Forexample,aprincewillprobablyhaveadifferentlifetoapauperoran
InuittoaKalaharibushman.Thetermmayalsobeappliedtosomeinnatetalent
thatapersonhasbyvirtueoftheDNAtheyinheritedfromtheirparents.For
example,"LeBronJames'ssuccessatbasketballwas,inpart,duetotheaccident
ofbirthofgrowingto6feet,8inchestall".
...[
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Ifeltsomethingdays,orevenacoupleofweeks,beforeFriFeb16butasmy
energywasgoodandheadcool,Itrainedasusual.Ihadcomeeverydayofthat
weekandrolledwithfiveguysinThu'sclass.Thegymwasclosedforseminar
onFridayjustastheflurampeduptowhereIneededabreak.
Theworstdaysofthefluwerelikeawalkinthepark,however,comparedwith
twoyearsago.IfeltabitweakandhadsorethroatonFriday,slightbodyache
onSat...[
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OnFriday,TimgavemeElieWiesel'sbook"Night,"anassignmentinhis
highschoolHolocaustLiteratureclass."Tellmewhatyouthink."hesaid.
Inthespaceof120pages,theauthormanagedtopackafast-pacednarrationof
hisfamily'sandfellowJews'gruesomeordealsthroughNaziconcentrationcamps.
Theslimvolumetoldnumerousmacabretaleswithoutnumbingorboringthis
reader.
Ifini...[
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2024kickedoffwithablast.Thefirstweek,IenjoyedtheshoulderlocktransitioningtoarmlockfromguardtaughtbyBrendaandthearm-dragfollowedwithheel-triptakedownfromAdam.Wetrainedtheflower-sweepandthesnap-downandusingittoinduceposturingupforthesingleordouble-leg.FranciscotoldmeIcoulddoano-gipapercutteronhimwhenIisolatedhisarmsfromcross-side.Icouldn'tbelieveitandheshowedme.Ipulledabackmusclewhendoingspin-to...[
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