Well, shoot. That hiatus didn't last too long, did it?
Fuhgeddaboudit. I've got two good reasons for violating blogger parole. Number one, I'm trying this whole "post labels" thing. For some unexplained reason, it seems that they won't show up on my posts if I add them in retroactively. So I'm creating this post with labels, and adding it onto the blog to see if they'll show up then. If they don't, there's something rotten in Denmark, and I'll know about it.
Second, I have a story to tell you.
So there I am, sitting in my easy chair, trying to absorb certain key principles of aerodynamics. There's a baleful, blasting rainstorm pounding around outside. It's a nasty, wet, windy afternoon.
Without warning, Dad comes into the room. He has a small cardboard box in his arms. He deposits it on the floor and says, "Hey, I found these books in the garage. Think you might have any use for 'em?"
He has me at "books."
I throw my flight school textbook aside and bend forward to examine the box. It's filled with ten faded, dog-eared, worn volumes. Here's the manifest:
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Flying Saucers - Serious Business by Frank Edwards
The People's Almanac #3 by David Wallechinsky and Irving Wallace
The Reivers by William Faulkner
The Boston Strangler by Gerold Frank
Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin
On the Nature of the Universe by Lucretius
Six Great Modern Short Novels
Pages are bent. Covers are stained, torn or missing. Dust blankets everything. The cardboard box once held twelve bottles of Henry Weinhard's Private Reserve.
In other words, it's a veritable treasure trove, an unbelievable haul. Just when I was wondering what I was going to read after The Epic of Gilgamesh, Pop drops ten unexplored books on my rug. One of them has six novels in it. Another deals with UFOs. I love UFOs; don't believe in 'em, but I love 'em. A third is a reference book that was written to be read for pleasure. If you knew me as well as I do you'd realize just how appropriate that book is for me.
Several of the books are classics. One is a scientific treatise written by a materialist poet nearly 2000 years ago. Another was authored by William Faulkner, a purportedly great author, whom I've never read before and have always meant to. Most of the books concern subjects which I know absolutely nothing about. And I have never read any of them.
My excitement cannot be understated.
Needless to say, there are going to be some jolly good book reviews on the way very soon.
And as if that wasn't enough sympathetic magic for one day, I just recently learned that Hunter S. Thompson and I apparently have similar taste in bourbon. We are both fans (or perhaps I should say "I am and he was a fan") of Old Crow.
Now, if it turns out that Wiley Post liked a whiskey sour, I might just die of empathy.
So does this mean you finished Little Women? I was scrolling through Shelfari's 1001 books to read before you die and it's on the first or second page.
I've used the Autobiography of Malcolm X to teach remedial college English classes. They loved the gang and drug stuff - the religious stuff, not so much.
You're too good of a writer to stay gone long. There are much worse things to be addicted to.
Polly: Actually, I have a feeling that Little Women is going to be in the middle category ("still reading") for a while, and I'll just sort of read other books around it, if you know what I mean. Glad to know I'm reading something so high up on Shelfari's list...
Of course. Nobody ever cares for the gospel anymore. They just go right for the gangs and drugs. Sounds like a microcosm of a class. That's so cool that you used that very book to teach, and did teach. Where institution was it?
Thank you for saying so. But the whole point of this hiatus was to shower my creativity elsewhere...say, travel articles or perhaps the novel. Maybe Helium.com. I'll remember what you said, though.
Mrs. Witzl: Neat! What a small world. I feel much more confident about their quality level. I'll remember what you both said. Worse addictions, worse addictions...ain't that the truth.
I can not believe this! Just guess what I have sitting in my pantry right now? OLD CROW!
Listen, you really upset me when you said you were leaving. I'm very glad that didn't last long.
What Polly said. Ditto. You could be out there smokin' crack, you know.
(I have not had any of the Crow and sadly, I don't think I will. It looks like a headache (maybe migraine) waiting to happen. We have it because Tony's mother used to drink it! All our Christmas guests have razzed Tony about his Crow- yet they all had some nips anyhow.)
No way. That'd be too much of a coinky-dink. Old Crow? When I've only FOUND one liquor store of the dozen or so I've been in that actually sells the stuff? Incredible!
Aw, now why'd you have to go and say something nice like THAT for, huh, EC? I was just getting all primed to overlook this lapse and abstain from blogging until February! Now I can't do it! I'm all warm and fuzzy inside, dammit.
Thank you. From the bottom of my heart.
Yeah, I s'pose. I could be on drugs. Or watching porn. Or going to Yanni concerts. There are far worse things I could be doing...
Yep, be careful, Old Crow crow is mean and beautiful stuff, kind of like a gorgeous foreign secret agent or an old piston-engine fighter plane. But it's good. There's nothing against a shot, or even a double old-fashioned, though...
...and the next time, you tell those razzing guests that, believe it or not, Old Crow is actually named after JAMES Crow, a Scottish immigrant who started the distillery. The "old" part got tacked on when they began aging the stuff.
THAT'S THE FAULKNER BOOK I WANT TO READ THE MOST! "Absalom, Absalom"! I had it on my high school English class reading list and can recall thinking, "Gee, that sounds NEAT." (This was before I learned to swear.)
I'm thinking I'll do "Black Like Me" next. Now the library just has to hurry up and order up The Epic of Gilgamesh for me so I can finish that and move on.
Well, in Malcolm X, it's not the gospel, it's Muslim stuff, and fairly radical Muslim stuff at that, which is even farther from those students' paradigm than Christianity.
I used it at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, and it actually wasn't my choice. It worked pretty well, though.
EC - My favorite Faulkner is As I Lay Dying. Never read Absalom, Absalom. Maybe we should do some Faulkner for our book club. He's definitely better read in a group than solo, I've found.
I read As I Lay Dying in the best class I've ever taken. It was with the Professor of Comedy - I believe I've mentioned him to you? He's one of those people you either love or hate. Offensive if you take him too seriously, etc. Cradle Catholic turned Buddhist. That sort of thing.
Teaching at Highlands was great. Teaching, in general, is great.
Yes, you have. The Professor of Comedy sounds like the bestest best professor ever. I envy you. Them Catholics-turned-Buddhists are the best.
Agreed. Teaching, in general, is great.
Light in August, eh? I haven't run across that one. I'll have to see if the library has it; if not I'll just buy it. Let's see what EC says and then we can start up the book club!
10 comments:
Well, something's rotten in Denmark all right. I don't see any labels anywhere...
So does this mean you finished Little Women? I was scrolling through Shelfari's 1001 books to read before you die and it's on the first or second page.
I've used the Autobiography of Malcolm X to teach remedial college English classes. They loved the gang and drug stuff - the religious stuff, not so much.
You're too good of a writer to stay gone long. There are much worse things to be addicted to.
What a blast from the past: I've actually read four of those books and heard of a few of the others!
Books divert my attention all the time. But Pollinatrix is right: there are worse things to be addicted to.
Polly: Actually, I have a feeling that Little Women is going to be in the middle category ("still reading") for a while, and I'll just sort of read other books around it, if you know what I mean. Glad to know I'm reading something so high up on Shelfari's list...
Of course. Nobody ever cares for the gospel anymore. They just go right for the gangs and drugs. Sounds like a microcosm of a class. That's so cool that you used that very book to teach, and did teach. Where institution was it?
Thank you for saying so. But the whole point of this hiatus was to shower my creativity elsewhere...say, travel articles or perhaps the novel. Maybe Helium.com. I'll remember what you said, though.
Mrs. Witzl: Neat! What a small world. I feel much more confident about their quality level. I'll remember what you both said. Worse addictions, worse addictions...ain't that the truth.
I can not believe this! Just guess what I have sitting in my pantry right now? OLD CROW!
Listen, you really upset me when you said you were leaving. I'm very glad that didn't last long.
What Polly said. Ditto. You could be out there smokin' crack, you know.
(I have not had any of the Crow and sadly, I don't think I will. It looks like a headache (maybe migraine) waiting to happen. We have it because Tony's mother used to drink it! All our Christmas guests have razzed Tony about his Crow- yet they all had some nips anyhow.)
Ooooh, great books!
I love, "Absalom, Absalom" by Faulkner.
Can you review "Black Like Me" soon?
No way. That'd be too much of a coinky-dink. Old Crow? When I've only FOUND one liquor store of the dozen or so I've been in that actually sells the stuff? Incredible!
Aw, now why'd you have to go and say something nice like THAT for, huh, EC? I was just getting all primed to overlook this lapse and abstain from blogging until February! Now I can't do it! I'm all warm and fuzzy inside, dammit.
Thank you. From the bottom of my heart.
Yeah, I s'pose. I could be on drugs. Or watching porn. Or going to Yanni concerts. There are far worse things I could be doing...
Yep, be careful, Old Crow crow is mean and beautiful stuff, kind of like a gorgeous foreign secret agent or an old piston-engine fighter plane. But it's good. There's nothing against a shot, or even a double old-fashioned, though...
...and the next time, you tell those razzing guests that, believe it or not, Old Crow is actually named after JAMES Crow, a Scottish immigrant who started the distillery. The "old" part got tacked on when they began aging the stuff.
THAT'S THE FAULKNER BOOK I WANT TO READ THE MOST! "Absalom, Absalom"! I had it on my high school English class reading list and can recall thinking, "Gee, that sounds NEAT." (This was before I learned to swear.)
I'm thinking I'll do "Black Like Me" next. Now the library just has to hurry up and order up The Epic of Gilgamesh for me so I can finish that and move on.
Well, in Malcolm X, it's not the gospel, it's Muslim stuff, and fairly radical Muslim stuff at that, which is even farther from those students' paradigm than Christianity.
I used it at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, and it actually wasn't my choice. It worked pretty well, though.
EC - My favorite Faulkner is As I Lay Dying. Never read Absalom, Absalom. Maybe we should do some Faulkner for our book club. He's definitely better read in a group than solo, I've found.
See? This is why I need to read the book. I keep forgetting Malcolm X was Muslim. I thought he was Christian.
Wow! Glad to hear it worked out. What was teaching at NMHU like???
I've heard of "As I Lay Dying" too, but balked. I agree. Let's do some Faulkner for the book club.
I read As I Lay Dying in the best class I've ever taken. It was with the Professor of Comedy - I believe I've mentioned him to you? He's one of those people you either love or hate. Offensive if you take him too seriously, etc. Cradle Catholic turned Buddhist. That sort of thing.
Teaching at Highlands was great. Teaching, in general, is great.
I'd like to do Light in August, I think.
Yes, you have. The Professor of Comedy sounds like the bestest best professor ever. I envy you. Them Catholics-turned-Buddhists are the best.
Agreed. Teaching, in general, is great.
Light in August, eh? I haven't run across that one. I'll have to see if the library has it; if not I'll just buy it. Let's see what EC says and then we can start up the book club!
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