June 29, 2006
Picador Shots
Remember Picador Shots, the small, inexpensive books meant to bring the short story to the masses? There was an an article on them in The Observer recently. Oh, such a wonderful idea and particularly appealing due to my newfound love of the short story.* And what do we have in the post today? Well, books of course, which is starting to become a habit for me (which is heavenly, combining my two greatest loves, books and post). Five books, actually; today I received five Picador Shots in the mail from Bronwyn! I got “Sonata” by Jackie Kay, “Small Mercies” by Tim Winton, “My Lord You” and “Palm Court” by James Salter, “Water from the Sun” and “Discovering Japan” by Bret Easton Ellis, and “Powder” by Matthew Kneale. Oh, UK Book Culture, I miss you to the depths of my deep deep soul. What a thrilling surprise.
*Regarding the short story, you know, I didn’t really used to love them. I had read Alice Munro and Margaret Atwood’s short stories, but only because you sort of had to if you liked those authors. They were the poor man’s novel, in my mind. I had no respect for the form itself, only because I was judging it against the novel and it came up short. I didn’t realize that short stories are supposed to do something altogether different. And of course it took Grace Paley to show me what short stories were all about. I am now a convert. Yea yea for Picador Shots!
June 28, 2006
Spell Angel
Here for news on the Harper Lee piece, soon to be published in Oprah’s magazine. Twoarticles on a recent Jamesian preoccupation. John Updike on the end of authorship. But most importantly- play with the online Speak N Spell emulator!
June 28, 2006
Eighty One Books
As the end of June is nigh, I am halfway through my annual reading challenge, and as I don’t foresee finishing The Master and Margarita by Friday night, I’ll finish the month with 81 books read this year. Originally, my plan was to read 200 books in 2006, but full time work is a huge time waster, and therefore I have amended my goal to 175 books. I will be happy, however, if I manage 160. But we shall see. I’ve really enjoyed keeping track of my reading, and the funny relationships I’ve noticed because of the order in which I’ve happened to read books (the connection between Jane Jacobs and Grace Paley, that both Calvin O’Keefe and Jay Gatsby call people “Old Sport” [in A Wrinkle in Time and The Great Gatsby, respectively]). The holes in my reading too (those poor neglected male novelists). I think there is nothing wrong with reading being more systematic. I would also like to stand as living proof that people who have “no time to read” are lying!
June 26, 2006
The Octopus
Last night’s insomnia was brought to you by Jennica Harper’s The Octopus and Other Poems, which was the most compelling collection of poetry I’ve ever encountered. Now, seeing as I have never read this book, it was technically illegal under the rules of The Great Summer Rereading Project, but I thought I could do with a poem or two before bed. Was not meant to go to plan. It was a poem or ten, and then they swam around in my head after that, well into early morn. I would recommend this book to anyone. In fact, I would encourage you to buy it. From “Favourite” she writes: Your mother sits with you/ on a piano bench. You are five;/ you would rather be writing/ words in the evening/ air with a sparkler. Could you imagine line breaks more perfectly? The long poem “The Octopus” is itself particularly exquisite and you can read an excerpt at the first link.
Further, rereading The Book of Laughter and Forgetting has become particularly enjoyable. It’s one of those books, like Carol Shields’ Unless, that I approach years later, more focussed and serious about writing than I ever was before, and it becomes clear that the book was all about writing anyway. The book is far too reaching to be summed up at all; somehow one revelation just leads to another. But it’s so rich and steeped in truth, and I am very glad to know it again.
June 26, 2006
Happy Birthday to a Beloved Friend.
My friend and I.
Have a Happy Birthday!
*Update: Check out the CBC’s archival television footage of the construction and opening of the CN Tower.
June 26, 2006
My Book News
Now rereading The Book of Laughter and Forgetting. Like the last few books I’ve read, I don’t remember being massively affected by it, so the reread has been more of a catch-up than exploration. Though it did spurn on my fascination with Soviet history in first year university, so it is important to me. I like it. I reread A Wrinkle in Time before that- children’s book and sci-fi fantasy, there for all of you who are so annoyed that I won’t read Harry Potter. And no surprise- it didn’t thrill me. I don’t even remember loving it in my youth, but I was profoundly moved by A Swiftly Tilting Planet– the third book in the series- and I still absolutely adore that one, so I wanted to revisit its origins. And it was all right, but I kept wanting to skip by the floaty bits and learn more about the people, and see them interact on their own planet. I really have to say that I am awfully fond of books that take place on earth.
In further bookish news, I pruned my shelves today and got rid of books that didn’t need to be there. I am clearing space for new growth of course (and Stuart promised we can get a second bookshelf next year!). I got rid of Ulysses, which I said I kept as a joke, to be ironic, but really in the back of my mind I wanted to read, but I never will. I know I won’t. I am going to stand up now for a live lived without ever having read Ulysses which might indeed be less of a life, how I guess now I’ll never know the difference.
June 26, 2006
Things
Now, I love things, which is a fine thing now that my globe trotting days are behind me, I plan to live in my apartment for many years to come and perhaps live in this city forever. Thingness is such a joy, and if I may celebrate a bit here, please allow me to share with you my magnificent birthday haulage. Includes, a yellow china dish with dragon flies that is a bit Dillardesque from Sk8, earrings from my sister/fashion advisor, an exceptional amount of book vouchers, a tea cosy from Harrods and a Miffy mug from Aunt etc, a copy of The Guardian that I spent the weekend reading (the book reviews- such a pleasure!) from the in-laws, a pink cake stand from Jennie, Miffy magnets and other fine paraphrenalia from my sister in law, a Penguin Room of One’s Own tea towel, and the following books: The Octopus and Other Poems by Jennica Harper, the fun Don’t You Want Me? by India Knight and Kitchen Confidential. Stuart bought me the book bag I wanted from Type Books (with a picture of a bicycle on it) and Olivia, the wonderful children’s book by Ian Falconer. This is not an exhaustive list. I am an exceptionally lucky young lady. Which is not news to me by any means, but still, how absolutely lovely.
June 25, 2006
My Island Birthday Party
This was what the ninety minutes wait for the ferry looked like!
My wonderful friends, who braved a ninety minute wait for the ferry!
This is the cake that Stu built. From scratch!
Stu and I on the boat home.
June 23, 2006
Old Sport
I finished The Great Gatsby, and I’m not going to go into it because everything worth saying about it has been said, but it was a really great book and I think Fitzgerald is terribly underrated. Must admit to cheating a bit. The last two reads have been picked due to their brevity, because I’m a bit behind. Now reading The Turn of the Screw, inspired by this recent article. It is good. Like Gatsby, I read it for school and can’t remember much about it. It will be nice to have it fresh in my mind.
Everything’s been a bit buzzy the last twenty four hours, with good things. My birthday is on Saturday and already, fun has begun. Last night Curtis surprised me with a cake and an amazon gift cert, which were respectively eaten and exercised quite promptly. What a wonderful surprise! I was able to get two Hilary Mantels, the new PEN Book I mentioned yesteday, and Grace Paley’s Collected Stories, which I believe are an absolutely treasure and will be a pleasure to own. So that was brilliant. Moreoever, stuff has been popping up in the post all week and I have a not-unsubstantial pile of prez and cards. And so today, I woke up forty minutes early, thinking of my story, and so I got up and wrote, which was nice first thing. And when I walked to work this morning, men were planting trees in the park and everyone I passed looked beautiful. Midway through today, I got news about my advisor for next year, and it made me very very happy. Lovely surprise from Stuart tonight. And an old friend called, just because he was happy and needed someone to tell about it. Which is an honour as far as I’m concerned. Tomorrow is my birthday lunch at work and we’re going out for Chinese food.
This is my first birthday in Canada since 2001. Since then, I’ve birthdayed in Switzerland, England, Japan and England again, and it’s good to be home proper. (Though last year’s birthday did occur on my honeymoon and resulted in fab red wellington boots from my fab muminlaw, so it’s almost untoppable). We’re spending Saturday afternoon on Toronto Island, and by all accounts, the day promises great fun.
June 21, 2006
Recent Acquisitions
I forgot to list my recent acquisitions, especially from the Prince Edward County Library Branch book sale in Bloomfield, Ontario. Four paperbacks for a dollar. I got a copy of Starring Sally J Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume, which is one of my favourite books ever. I have owned a variety of copies but they always seem to go missing, so I intend to keep my mitts on this one. It’s a fabulous story; a children’s book that reads just as interestingly for an adult, and very differently. There is a lot of depth to it. It is also remarkably similar to Ann Marie McDonald’s The Way the Crow Flies, which I read around the same time. I also got As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner, which I’ve never read, and two Anne Tyler novels. Further, my copy of The Walrus arrived in the mail yesterday. And I think I am going to purchase Writing Life: Celebrated Canadian and International Authors on Writing and Life, the new PEN Collection.
