Every time I turn around, there's a topic crying out for development or commentary. Some of these ideas come from within. They include, among other things: interior monologues; random scraps that manage to lodge in my conscious mind long enough to hop on a train of thought; mostly mangled memories . Then there are those topics that I read or hear about in the media, or that one of my kids brings up. Or perhaps it's a question rasied by my husband, such as How many Americans think like us? It was clear from the way he asked that he feared the number was very very small.
I read a lot, but since I'm currently not a member of a book group, what I read goes largely undiscussed, and therefore quickly forgotten. I'd like to talk about books here, what I recommend and why. I'm currently reading a book called The Savage Detectives by a Chilean writer, Roberto Bolaño, which sad to say I've been reading forever. The structure is odd, and there is what seems like a cast of thousands, all bearing foreign names and all turning up in different cities. The main characters never narrate, so you have to piece together their adventures based upon what the other characters describe. More on this novel when I finally finish it, I promise.
Since it's election season, I'll veer off into that risky territory from time to time. One of these days, I promise to deliver a rant about Sarah "Fahrenheit 451" Palin, the GOP candidate for VP.
To the left, you'll see a list of blogs I follow. All of them are written by incredibly strong people who've been battling what we call The Beast. You'll also see a heading called My Word! These are links to essays I've written. I'll be adding to the list once I figure out how to unearth articles I've lost in cyberspace.
Final Arrangements
10 years ago
2 comments:
I've read books like that where you really wish there would be a diagram explaining who everyone is. Too much of the time I read at night, lying down, and then the next day I can't remember what I read and then I have to start all over. I'm in a book group but we haven't picked our next book yet. I like the group, but it is kind of disorganized, and we seem to spend a lot of time choosing the next book and planning a meeting time that most people can make. Now I'm reading "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle," a new novel by David Wroblewski. It's a good read and really easy to follow. I'd probably be getting further if I wasn't spending so much time in the blogosphere and even more time reading all the political news in the New York Times. Hey thanks for your mention of my blog! Does the library sponsor a book group?
PJ,
Before you ski the slopes of risky political commentary, let me recommend a book I finished recently - Presidential Courage by Michael Beschloss.
The author explores presidents from Washington to Reagan who faced crises and made difficult choices, sometimes unpopular and even selfish. He conveys how our leaders' imperfections can be viewed through their convictions and circumstances.
I'm not defending anyone, especially recent leaders, but it is a good read (and easy).
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