WHAT ARE YOU READING?

Alan Lyles, the Henry A. Rosenberg Professor of Public, Private and Nonprofit Partnerships in the School of Public Affairs

The Current recently asked Alan Lyles, the Henry A. Rosenberg Professor of Public, Private and Nonprofit Partnerships in the School of Public Affairs, what he’s been reading lately. Take a look on Lyles’s nightstand and you might find:

Sanford Meisner on Actingby Sanford Meisner and Dennis Longwell. “This book chronicles a year in a class given by one of the foremost teachers on acting. Sanford Meisner was part of the influential Group Theater in the 1930s and subsequently with the Neighborhood Playhouse. A towering presence among teachers of acting, Meisner’s approach is experiential ... to develop actors who, through self stimulation, are capable of ‘living truthfully under imaginary circumstances.’”

Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss. “Astonishingly, this readable book on punctuation became a bestseller despite being written for self-proclaimed sticklers. In it we learn that there actually is an Apostrophe Protection Society, and that there are more conventions for the use of an apostrophe, comma and assorted punctuation marks than most of us are likely to recall. The author’s dry wit, generous examples and clarity of purpose make this an easy read.”

Booknotes: America’s Finest Authors on Reading, Writing, and the Power of Ideas, by Brian Lamb. “Representing approximately 125 guests from C-SPAN’s show Booknotes, the title tells it all. Perfect for a short read at bedtime, a typical segment will include two or three pages, in the author’s own words, discussing the creative process and her or his subject matter.”