I'm excited to announce that Yale University will exhibit Cleft Heart: Chasing Normal in Sterling Memorial Library. The book will be featured in the Memorabilia Room of the library starting May 28, 2015. The exhibit will run through the summer into September. Sterling Memorial Library and Cleft Heart. The library is a fitting location for an exhibition since five chapters of the book deal with my life in Trumbull College, the residence hall that abuts Sterling. The exhibit represents a … [Read more...]
Things are looking up for site & Cleft Heart.
Can't complain about millions of site visitors. Just yesterday, my dog* and I were thrilled to learn some stats about this website (KarlSchonborn.com). As of May 1, 2015, over 125,000 readers have visited the website and blog (126,000 to be exact) since it's inception in February of 2013. They're responsible for over 2 million page views. In fact, exactly 2,195, 700 pages or blogs have been viewed—hopefully read. Cleft Heart. This is great news, and I'm cheered by the interest generated by … [Read more...]
Possible origin of “Cleft Heart” & other hearty phrases——a Valentine treat.
In honor of Valentine's Day, we'll look at eight phrases containing the word "heart." Most of this fun-with-phrases is due to the hard work of word sleuths at dictionary.com. Thank you kind souls for this . . . and the ongoing service you provide, esp to book authors. If you break someone’s heart, you cause them great disappointment or sorrow. This often occurs in the realm of love, though heartbreak is not exclusive to romantic endeavors. This expression has been describing sorrow and … [Read more...]
“Heroes, villains and fools” paintings: at Orinda Books this month.
Visitors to my website probably remember the elongated paintings that grace the left margins of most pages. The subjects of the paintings—in keeping with one of the themes of the website—are various American heroes, villains and fools. I intentionally chose well-known personages who force people to take sides since one person's hero is often another's villain . . . or fool. I've explained all this in a prior post which I've reprinted below.* In my memoir, Cleft Heart, I identify among other … [Read more...]
Heart to heart about memoir, Cleft Heart.
As part of the International Authors' Day blog hop hosted by b00kR3vi3ws, I'm going to tackle some of the questions that're asked of me as I do various book events on Cleft Heart book tours. Debdatta, who reviews books at his site, b00kR3vi3ws, claims he's addicted to books. I hope he never goes into rehab. 1. Why now? What made you decide to write Cleft Heart? I finally got some time off from being a professor and decided to have another go at aspects of being a cleft afflicted … [Read more...]
Channeling Malcolm X and Jonathan Trumbull on Book tour
An update on Cleft Heart, the first-ever memoir written about the cleft experience by a cleft. East Coast --North-- book tour. I’m excited that my first East Coast tour for Cleft Heart is about to start. A serious family illness delayed it after my successful West Coast tour last fall. If you live in the northern part of the East Coast, especially in New York or Connecticut, here's a chance to ask me anything about the book face to face. I'll be at the Audubon Med Center Bookstore in … [Read more...]
Cleft Heart Photos – Laura’s friends and SCHONBORN relations.
To give Cleft Heart readers a behind the scenes look at Laura's life, here are photos of some of her friends and Schonborn-side relatives. See, too, companion blog with other friends and Stenerson-side relations. Laura with another sis-in-law, my Aunt Dorothy … [Read more...]