Recent goings-on:
Went to Philadelphia to see old friends. I fraternized with my old pals, supervised a teen car wash, ate a strange and enchanting new recipe that involved chicken flesh and Saran Wrap, and had a great time.
Recent reads:
Fight Club, by Chuck Palahniuk. I'm too early in it to comment in great detail, but it has been funny so far.
A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry. Just started this one too.
Various poems by John Keats, Sylvia Plath, and W.B. Yeats. Keats is thought-provoking but for me, sleep-inducing. Go ahead, call me a redneck. And I find Plath to be intolerable. I hear from Sam that The Bell Jar is great, but Plath's poetry (at least the stuff I read) was downright misanthropic. I don't mind pessimism, cynicism, and dark themes per se, but Plath's seemed to be disengenous. Angst can make for some great art, but moderation and sincerity are necessary components. Go ahead, call me a hick again. I'll read some more to give her a fair shake, but I'm so far unimpressed. Yeats is lovely. Sincere, well-crafted, absolutely lush. Read him, read him, read him.
Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith, by Anne Lamott. This is the third book I just started. So far, Lamott is the usual Lamott. Irreverent. Sometimes cheesy, sometimes profoundly insightful. Theologically amorphous. And of course, funny.
And more David Sedaris. He funny man.
Summer winds to a close. Chances to read non-academic books are fast fading. Any last-minute book recommendations?
Posted by jonsligh at July 24, 2006 12:34 AMJon, thanks for the update!
So, did you watch Fight Club yet? I can't remember if we talked about it or not.
Plath, Keats -- Ok, you redneck. :-) Well, I thought Plath was pretty convincing in her clawing despair. "Daddy" and "Lady Lazarus" are about as bitter as you'll find in poetry, well written at least. Keats, I'll admit, is one of my favorite poets. He was in love with the divine hiding behind every layer of life.
I forgot -- do you like Lamott or not? It sounds like a nay from your lines above.
Jon, would love to give you book recommendations but am having a hard time figuring out what you like to read. Have you read anything by Julian Barnes? (if not, start with A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters) Or Mark Helprin? (if not, start with The Veil of Snows)Or J. M. Coetzee? (if not, start with Waiting for the Barbarians)
Posted by: Will at July 24, 2006 12:46 PMI likes Lamott. Very rarely do I give unqualified praise to an author.
Did read some Barnes. Flaubert's Parrot. I'll try A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters. As for Keats, I'll give him another try. I tried to make it through the entirety of his Lyric Poems in the Cincinatti airport. Not the best reading atmosphere.
Here are some unread ones that have been on my summer reading list. Any yea or nay comments on them?
Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything.
Malcom Gladwell, Blink.
Frederick Buechner, The Hungering Dark.
Frederich Nietzsche, Thus Spake Zarathustra.
reading some reviews of bryson's "S.H.o.N.E.," i get the impression he really didn't research it All (who could, really?) and doesn't come across sounding like he knows what he's talking about. not that i'm against (for entertainment/re-instating my own belief system purposes) reading "how the big bang rEAllY happened," but i would totally rather re-read "the case for the CREATOR" by strobel. pick up travel memoirs or linguistic books by bryson instead.
(also heard "blink" is only good b/c it's common sense stuff you already know, so you can nod along and enjoy it thinking how smart you are and didn't even realize it until he reminded you... but again, just from other people and not my own have-read-it opinion.)
If you're into self-help books, here's a book that may be of value alongside your English M.A.
Posted by: sam at July 24, 2006 11:14 PMI'll keep that in mind, Hallie.
Sam, I think you have pinpointed a book that will be about as useful as an M.A. in English when it comes to finding employment.
Posted by: sligh at July 25, 2006 01:48 AMEver thought of getting a Nintendo DS and taking a break from all this reading business? New Super Mario Bros = huzzah.
Posted by: Brade at July 25, 2006 11:25 AMJon, I would definitely recommend the Buechner, of course.
Push pause on the Nietszche. Wait until you're deliriously happy so he won't push you over the edge.
Have heard good things about Bryson & Blink, so you might check em out.
It's odd, Keats struck me as the kind of poet that you would like. Hmm...
hey jon! i would recommend "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles and "When People Are Big and God is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man" by Edward T. Welch. hope you are doing well.
Posted by: amber dawn freeman at July 25, 2006 03:33 PMCall me a patsy, but I just love "The Tale of Despereaux" by Kate Dicamillo. Charming.
Posted by: JMac at July 25, 2006 06:49 PMThank you all. I have many good recommendations. I still welcome more, of course.
Brad, I had not yet considered that. I'll make a mental note to give that a try...
Amber, yes, I do well. And yourself? Still in G-Ville?
Posted by: sligh at July 26, 2006 01:36 AM"how to leave a message" by delilah bohemian was one of my favs. not sure if it made the times best seller list, but it was up there. that and "four little puppies." quick and easy rea but well worth the effort. i'm currently reading "see jane hit." :)
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