October 22, 2006
Mochi sick
I thought Leah McLaren used her platform for good this week. On orgies of prizes. And the Hungarian Revolution is all over the news.
This weekend has been quiet and rainy, and I’ve been working all day since I woke up this morn. None of this bodes well for an interesting summation, but we did have sushi yesterday and it was delicious. Afterwards, we went to the Korean grocery store and got meron pan, Japanese curry and so much mochi we made ourselves sick. Friday night our basement neighbour woke us up at 4:30 screaming and crying. I could tell you more, but it only gets duller. Such is life, at the mo.
October 16, 2006
Homesick
bMay I introduce the incredible Laura Conchelos, who has become blogolicious of late. Mainly just cuz she’s moving to the South Pole this week. If you know Laura Conchelos, you are probably not altogether surprised to hear that, and if you don’t know Laura Conchelos, you should. Sometimes she comes to my house bearing organic non-perishable goods she canned herself. I adore her. In addition, the ever-brilliant Erin has moved blogs, so update all links accordingly!
André Alexiswrites that the best English book in Canada probably shouldn’t be French, and that translators are getting shafted. India Knight has edited an anthology called The Dirty Bits for Girls: “And of course one of the marvellous things about finding out about sex through books was that it instilled a love of reading”. On growing up on MOR radio. The Governor General’s shortlist– and no women! oh my. Now reading Barometer Rising and Nixon in China: The Week that Changed the World.
October 10, 2006
Shore Tweak
Now rereading Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood (for school), and enjoying it as I always enjoy meeting Atwood’s work again. It changes just as I do. Coming up is Blue Angel by Francine Prose, because I am fond of fictional creative writing workshops (as in Mean Boy and Finishing School).
Fabulous pieces by writers I admire: Lionel Shriver on on the weirdness of Christ-loving teens; Heather Mallick from an atheist’s point of view; and Ms. Mallick again with a kick in the pants for women, feminist and otherwise. Lynn Crosbie on a certain lack of puissance in the pro-choice movement. The Booker Prize is awarded to Kiran Desai. All the nominees digested. On Hungarian cinema. Penelope Lively likes the new Mary Lawson in The Guardian. Jenny Diski has a blog. Apparently, only one of the ten best British novels of the past 25 years were written by women.
October 5, 2006
Shine On
Hooray for productivity! Because I was so good yesterday and did all that had to be done (reading, writing, laundry), I got to go to bed with Shine On Bright and Dangerous Object by Laurie Colwin, which has been an absolute pleasure to read so far. And it’s brilliant to read for pleasure when you’ve earned it.
Learn how to write an ekphrasis. Russell Smith on tenses. Here for Random Acts of Poetry.
October 4, 2006
Magyar
Like most girls, I went through my Hungarian Revolution phase, and though I am less obsessed than I once was, it’s still my favourite Cold Ward Historical Moment. And it’s on my mind lately, as well as all over the news, due to its 50th anniversary this month. (It’s interesting that it’s also 50 years since the Suez Crisis, which so overshadowed the Hungarian Revolution, and yet I’ve heard much less about that). Anyway, I was directed to www.reimaginefreedom.org, by the Hungarian Cultural Center in New York, and it’s a fascinating website. I’ve decided to have a Hungarian Freedom Fighters dinner on the 23rd, with chicken paprikash and the rest of the menu tba.
October 4, 2006
Such is the life
The book people outdid themselves and my copy of The Sea Lady arrived yesterday, but I can’t bring myself to read it. I remember finishing The Red Queen last winter, and the terror of having all the Margaret Drabbles behind me, and I don’t want to face that again. I will savour the prospect of this novel for a while I think, seeing as I am up to my elbows in CanLit and won’t have the time to savour the actual reading anytime soon. But I am so looking forward to reading it, and inevitably adoring it. And don’t think my expectations are set too high; Ms. Drabble has never failed to meet them.
I am writing this entry on a break from writing, which today is devoted to. I have been reasonably successful at resisting the urge to google Tina Yothers and other relevant pop culture figures (this is a lie; this morning I watched Family Ties clips on YouTube, but such acts have been kept to the minimum. Damn wireless internet) and I am being pretty productive. Laundry has just been installed in our basement, so no more trips to the laundrette for me, though there is a rumour that the dryer is broken already we shall see. Am a bit tired, as thunderstorms awoke us and ours at 6:30 this morning for the second day in a row. Now reading Green Grass Running Water by Thomas King, and I’m really enjoying it. I’ve never read anything by him before.
Plenty of book news: The Giller Shortlist is announced. Coverage at CBC. Book City’s founder’s favourite books. Top ten fictional poets. The problem with literary how-to guides.
Must go wash dishes and then investigate dryer situation. Such is the life of a student/housewife.
October 1, 2006
Dip Surfeit
Oh, a most pleasant weekend has been mine. I met with Katie on Friday evening so she could assist me in a shoe shop; I needed black heels to accompany my bridesmaid’s dress for her upcoming wedding. I got a pair I adore, and then we shared a dessert, and had a wonderful while together. Last night, we had a small gathering at ours, and I was in a determinedly hostessy state of mind and cooked for four hours in preparation. Unfortunately, I’m not a brilliant hostess and it was too late when I realized that my menu consisted of various dips and dippers, which hardly constitutes variety, no matter how scrumptious my roasted red pepper/white bean dip was. So I made mini bruschetta-like pizzas, and cupcakes too, and drank enough wine that I forgot to worry about it. Topic of the evening focussed mainly upon what must have been going on back in Gomorrah. Sodom- pretty straight-forward- but I can’t imagine what they must have got up to down in G-Town. I missed Nuit Blanche, but that’s because I couldn’t figure out what it was. And now we’re about to embark upon an autumnal walk. It’s not raining at the mo, which is strange for a Sunday.
Nick Hornby on public reading. Belinda likes sex.
I’ve displayed excellent restraint this weekend, and have saved myself from the Victoria College Booksale. I am going tomorrow, which is half-price day, and then I can spend spend spend without a hint of remorse.
