Holiday Gifts of The Literary Sort

As promised at the debut of this sparkling, sometimes stressful (and for some even sad) month of true and false hope and cheer, my wish is to regale you with gifts -- gifts for the heart and the mind as well as those to be held in the hand.

Today's cadeau combines all of the above and is exceptional not only for the choices of the literary works of the writer below, but also for the sheer beauty of the prose that so eloquently and elegantly tells us why we would love to give or receive these books.

Your second gift post of the season is from the world of Big Little Wolf's Daily Plate of Crazy.

                                                     By: D.A. Wolf

Still looking for just the right je ne sais quoi for a friend or loved one? As much as a beautiful bauble or elegant foulard is always welcome chez moi, there's nothing quite so wonderful as receiving a book at holiday time. And I love loads of them -- whether they're about art, cuisine, style and of course poetry as well as prose.

My tastes are admittedly eclectic, but I wanted to share some literary friends both old and new, perfect for gift giving -- even to yourself.

And here they are:

• Saint Nobody by Amy Lemmon (2009)
• The Shipping News by Annie Proulx (1993)
• My Mistress's Sparrow Is Dead (edited by Jeffrey Eugenides) (2002)
• Le Savon by Francis Ponge (1967)
• Surrealism (Desire Unbound) (edited by Jennifer Mundy) (2002)
• If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff (1985)

Saint Nobody

I'll just say it: Amy Lemmon's Saint Nobody is a breathtaking find. Her poems form an accessible, luminous collection of everyday moments in a life -- epiphanies, lessons, romance, and heartache. These are quiet and startling discoveries of the most private sort, poems to make you shiver and make you cry, to fill you with certainty that we are all vessels of spirit and life, each of us, part of the other.

As a single mother of two, this New York-based writer and educator captures parenting at its most blessed and daunting, passion at its delicate infancy, love in the ether of its disappearance, as well as love that stands strong. Lemmon reminds us what poetry is all about -- emotion layered into language that blossoms, perfect-pitch, in the heart.

The Shipping News

An old favorite, this short novel plunges us into a dark, cold and foreign place populated by a quirky array of characters -- to say the least. If you've seen the movie -- the book is worth picking up for the feats of magic that Proulx accomplishes with gnarly, rhythmic description the likes of which I've never traveled in prose. Yes, I do love my words! And Proulx knots them, twists them, braids them, likens them to the sailor's ropes and leaves us in a startling tangle of stormy seas and strange redemption.

This is a book I pick up every time I want to bathe in language and feel its magic -- I turn to any page and read -- and I could swear, I'm tasting delicacies at a counter at Fauchon. No wonder this one garnered a Pulitzer.

My Mistress's Sparrow Is Dead

Life being what it is -- interruptions, errands, family obligations -- we don't always have time for a slow, luxurious read. So what could be better than a collection of short love stories?

Acclaimed author Jeffrey Eugenides ("The Virgin Suicides") offers us a delicious selection of literary works from recognized masters (William Faulkner, James Joyce, Isaac Babel) to off-beat and sizzling voices (Harold Brodkey, David Bezmozgis). Feast on a lavish platter of love in all its glorious forms and formats -- to be picked-up, set-down, grabbed again frantically (you can't help yourself!), savored in the métro, or after a long day of holiday shopping in the cold. I guarantee -- at least one of these stories will raise the temperature no matter how chilly your wintry climes. So read and re-read these tender (and titillating) literary delights about our most favorite of human emotions -- love.

Le Savon (Soap) by Francis Ponge

A classic by any standard, I will admit I was introduced to the work of Francis Ponge once I had attained my status as a femme d'un certain âge. Moreover, I received Le Savon as a gift from a French friend, and immediately adored it. Les Français who are reading this may be smiling slyly to themselves, well-versed in Ponge's particular magic. But for those who have never heard of this post WWII poet -- trust me -- in "Soap," he turns a simple object into a source of adoration and obsession. He regales and comments (poetically) on the slathering, slippery material that provides him cleanliness, and speaks to us of essentials and simple pleasures often overlooked, and all too fleeting. So douse yourself in a dose of Ponge. You won't regret it.

Surrealism Desire Unbound

More than a coffee table book, this intriguing text on the Surrealist movement is something of a catalog, sumptuously illustrated, and fascinating reading. It traces Surrealism from its origins in Europe (early 20th century) and explores the private lives of the artists themselves. Throughout the book, themes of desire and sensuality are highlighted, as they ripple through the written and artistic legacies of André Breton, Paul Delvaux, Man Ray, Max Ernst, Alberto Giacometti, Hans Bellmer, André Masson, Rene Magritte and so many others. Chock full of essays, letters and photographs, I love this book for the glimpse into a provocative and immensely original world. The visuals are gorgeous, and the information, illuminating.

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie

For some reason, early this morning I recalled a Golden Book I must have had as a child -- Youpi et Caroline. Surely it dates to a time before I spoke French, but a Google search allowed me to find an image, and reminded me how stories shared with us when we are young are lodged in our hearts in the most special ways. And then I remembered a gem I read to my own sons -- now almost men -- and it was If You Give A Mouse A Cookie. I admit (sheepishly) there is une souris audacieuse (a very daring mouse) currently inhabiting a small space behind my stove. And that reminded me of this glorious book that teaches of generosity -- but also of when to say "enough." Because -- if you give a mouse a cookie, he may ask for a glass of milk, and then a straw, and of course, he'll need a napkin after that. . . and so the story continues -- delightfully -- for all of us. We smile as we relive early lessons on manners, behavior, and generosity.

And what better time of year to ponder that, than now?

All of these books are available at Amazon. com and Amazon.fr (I checked.)

D.A.Wolf (c)