Seen Read Heard: January 2026
Check out some of my latest reads and listens: An Appalachian Tale by Dennis Scifres, Everything’s Tuberculosis by John Green (Audible), and House of Spirits by Isabel Allende (Audible).
An Appalachian Tale by Dennis Scifres
While you can find Appalachian Tale on Amazon as an electronic book, it is not in bookstores or even in print. The “tale” was a book written mostly for a man’s grandchildren. That man, Scifres, is in a book group with me. He is a really clear, concise writer. The tale was told well, hitting interesting details and pithy philosophical musings alike. What a pleasure to learn so much more about a friend and his path from rural Kentucky to Columbia University and, ultimately, to Fort Worth.
As I work with high school classmates on our 45th reunion plans, I found Scifres’s reflections on his journey poignant. In our brainstorming session, a classmate, who became a film producer, tossed out the idea of our class having a gathering in one of our old classrooms as part of the reunion. The idea was to take the reflections and conversations beyond the usual cocktail-party small talk. Inspired by reading this memoir, I backed up another classmate who had suggested we put something in writing before the reunion, maybe creating a sort of dropbox online for Class of 1981 memories.
While we might not ever write a full-length memoir, all of us of a certain age should write at least a one-page biography of ourselves. The exercise of deciding what you would include is valuable, whether or not we have significant readers. And I am especially a fan of grandparents sharing stories in writing for born and unborn grandchildren. Someone in the line of descendants will be thrilled to know how grandma got where she is, the challenges she faced, the failures she overcame, along with the successes she (and her family) can celebrate.
Everything’s Tuberculosis by John Green (Audible)
Green is a remarkable researcher and connector of dots. His path to studying tuberculosis over the centuries (called “consumption” for most of history) and his conclusion that TB has a profound impact on the world while also revealing profound aspects of our world’s priorities made for an absolutely compelling read (or, in my case with this book, a listen).
House of Spirits by Isabel Allende (Audible)
Allende’s writing is poetic. Her creating of characters and weaving of storylines is compelling. I had read many of her previous writings, including her most powerful, Paula, her one nonfiction account of her daughter’s battle with disease. I had not read the fiction book that started it all. I actually listened to House of Spirits and found it especially magical as a story being told by voice actors in my headphones and on my car speakers. Allende has a gift for bringing memorable characters to life and developing them, drawing on fascinating details throughout the tale.
