February 4, 2007
Welcome back to Capeside
We’ve been a regular Angst Central over here at Pickle Me This during the past week. Existential, creative, ancestral, you name it. Every day an early episode of Dawson’s Creek, or a page from a Norma Klein book. And now it’s -28 degrees outside, and just as cold in our uninsulated bedroom and so we’re confined to the kitchen with no intention to go out of doors. Luckily I am reading a Kate Atkinson book, Emotionally Weird and so the world is a good place no matter what else. And Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was legend. I didn’t even see it coming. And we’ve had a nice weekend anyway, with dinner at Erin’s on Thursday, the lovely Erica G for supper Friday (and the spicy squash risotto was a success), and then brunch in Kensington occasioned by the marvelous luck of Kate in town, but all the company was wonderful and we both had an excellent time.
February 4, 2007
The End of the Alphabet by CS Richardson
I write my name in all my books, in pencil these days because sometimes ownership is temporary, but it must be asserted all the same. I don’t know why. But I do, write my name, and the date. I used to write my address and telephone number, but that was many years ago (at least five or six) and now I’m usually always in the same place anyway and so it’s unnecessary.
In my new copy of The End of the Alphabet by CS Richardson, I’ve been provided a place to write my name, which I think is brilliant. Inside the front cover, “If lost, please return to ________ “. Which made me vow to never lose this book ever. But I can’t bring myself to write my name, because this book is so absolutely lovely I shant mar it. The only other book that has ever struck such a chord with me is my Snowbooks Edition of Virginia Woolf’s The London Scene. It’s mine, but you’d never know it to look at it. Some books are so absolutely perfect unto themselves that a tiny name in pencil (even mine) would be sacrilege. Even if the space for it comes ready-provided.
CS Richardson is a book designer, and this becomes obvious. But he has also written a beautiful little novel that I read tonight in the bathtub, and small as it is, he’s crammed a whole world inside. I wanted to read it again as soon I was finished. The End of the Alphabet is a lesson in subtlety, love and language. An A to Z in a variety of respects. And I could tell you more, but I think this book deserves reading instead of a summary.
February 4, 2007
Art
Look up there on the shelf, on either side of Hello Kitty in a Kimono (an essential household item). The framed photos, of Blythe and the TTC by Erin Smith and the floating Harajuko girls by Natalie Bay.
I could paper my house with brilliant friends, and actually I intend to– all in good time. This is just the wonderful start.
February 2, 2007
At the end of the words
Courage utterly opposes the bold hope that this is such fine stuff the work needs it, or the world. Courage, exhausted, stands on bare reality: this writing weakens the work. You must demolish this work and start over. You can save some of the sentences, like bricks. It will be a miracle if you can save some of the paragraphs, no matter how excellent in themselves or hard-won. You can waste a year worrying about it, or you can get it over with now. (Are you a woman or a mouse?) – Annie Dillard, The Writing Life
February 1, 2007
Shot to hell
My resolution to read slower has been all shot to hell. I finished Youth this morning, and really enjoyed it. The only book by Coetzee I’d read was Elizabeth Costello, which I enjoyed but I don’t believe it was very demonstrative of his work so far. I’m finishing the last short story in The Portable Chekhov this evening (“In the Ravine”) and I’ve definitely enjoyed my January Classic. I’ve got a head start on February, however, and Huckleberry Finn is wonderful so far.
One thing I’ve noticed is that reading challenges make life appear to go by very quickly.
February 1, 2007
Sites to see
The big news is that echolocation issue six is online and it’s beautiful. The launch is tomorrow night, Thursday, February 1st, 2007 8pm and thereafter at Labspace Studio, 276 Carlaw Ave., Suite 202. www.labspacestudio.com.
Also online, I’ve just found Jennica Harper’s website, where you can find out more about this fabulous poet/screenwriter/comedian/teacher/etc/etc.
And finally, we bring you every book Art Garfunkel has read since June 1968 (via 50 Books). The world has beeen waiting too long.
January 29, 2007
Books Mapped
Stuart has kindly pointed my attention toward books mapped at Google Books Search. Only a few books are mapped at the mo, but the maps are fascinating– in particular those which offer some concretization to fictional worlds.
January 29, 2007
Woolf at Pratt
The EJ Pratt Library at Victoria College, University of Toronto (the library I like to call my own) is home to the renowned Bloomsbury & Hogarth Press Collection, which comprises (in part) The Virginia Woolf Collection. In honour of the 125th anniversary of Virginia Woolf’s birth, the library is currently featuring a mini-exhibition of some materials from the Woolf collection, from first editions to finger puppets, and there is some really great stuff to see if you’re in the neighbourhood.
January 29, 2007
Cell One
Speaking of Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s short story “Cell One” is in the New Yorker this week and you can read it here. It’s wonderful.
