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What do you read when struck down with a winter cold? Run back to the classics of Fitzgerald and Spielberg; learn from the ancients and panic about technology; and try not to look at things that make your eyes fall out.
Our most intriguing book review yet: “my big criticism with The Book of Marvels And Travels is that it’s not very good as a videogame. i found it extremely hard to manipulate the controls through the pulpy binding and the graphics are no good. i tried to visualise about what i was reading and then i started imagining a blue triangle moving through an endless purple void and when i woke up my pillow was gone.”
Once in a while I write a bit of flash fiction. The exercise isn’t the easiest for someone who’s in love with word volume, but it’s terrific for honing skills used to tighten a story, make it crisper, and give it a memorable delivery.
Now that I’ve found a new outlet for flash, I can indulge each day, if I choose, to write short short stories to great visual prompts. This is one story I wrote this morning. If you’d like to check out the site and the prompt, I’ve left the trail of breadcrumbs at the bottom of this post. Enjoy the read, and let me know if I did deliver.
One Last Flyer
Visitors jostled each other, shoving forward to Seaport’s Punta de los Muertos. The village overflowed with contestants and spectators for the first annual “Kite Fly on the Point.” Thousands of feet of light kitecable hung from flyer’s belts throughout the park.
Amelia flexed her already aching hand around the looped cable at her waist. Beside it, dikes rested in their holster if she needed to cut the cable during the extravaganza. It wouldn’t do to get dragged into San Diego Bay during her event.
Too soon, Amelia heard her name. One hand filled with jewel-toned fabric, the other gripping her cable, she stepped to barrier at the edge of the sea. She waited for the nod to let out her kite.
With long practice she played out the ruby pennant sock and its cable, waiting for the next errant breeze. One after another, her jewels fled to the sky; pulling, towing, always reaching for the heavens, her pennants few straight and true on the stiffening breeze. It seemed so long since she’d danced this way.
Twice her flags attempted escape. Twice she pulled them back into line, her control cables requiring all her concentration, all of her strength. She’d only added the one flag, the one for Rachel. And yet, it screamed for release, just as her baby girl had near the end.
Amelia’s right hand dropped that control line, slid her hand to the holster, and pulled out the dikes. A hundred feet of cable or a thousand, it didn’t matter. Some things needed to be let go of, and Rachel’s kite was one of them. Her baby could fly it in Heaven.
After all, wasn’t that really why she’d come here today; to l
6 Comments on Flash Fiction Makes a Statement, last added: 5/6/2012
Glad you like it, Meena. I’m not sure where it came from. It was just there in the picture prompt. I’d remembered so many times watching the flyers on Seaport Point with their many-colored flags and streamers and the battles they had with the wind coming in off the bay. It all came together in about five minutes. I wrote down what I saw.
Thanks for the compliment.
meenarose said, on 5/5/2012 2:31:00 PM
A true flash then!
claudsy said, on 5/5/2012 3:06:00 PM
Yep! So long as I can keep it from being a flash in the pan, I’ll be doing okay.
Andrea Heiberg said, on 5/6/2012 12:20:00 AM
Claudsy, this is great. You create this foundation where the reader wants more – and that’s just wonderful.
claudsy said, on 5/6/2012 8:18:00 AM
Thanks, Andrea. I’m hoping that one of these days, when I’ve got plenty of extra time, I’ll be able to expand a few of these smaller pieces into something for a chapbook. I’m glad you liked it.
In my blog post on Friday, I touched upon the need—or the compulsion, really—to revise my blog entries, and then to revise them again. This blog entry is no different and I'm sure to self-edit a handful of times before I send it off, as I want to leaving a good lasting impression (!) on all of you, because, as Jane mentioned earlier, I'm leaving the DGLM crew to go back to Australia for a short time.
Working as Jane's assistant has been a true pleasure. I started my position knowing only a little about the publishing industry, but I've learned an incredible amount since my time began here (after all, I'm learning from the best of the best), and I've been so fortunate to get as many wonderful opportunities as I have. I've had quite an amazing run with the DGLM team, and it's been a delight to work with such dedicated and passionate people, who truly love what they do; the enthusiasm and drive of each agent has been inspiring.
I'll miss a lot of things about working with the DGLM family. Of course I'll miss the (sometimes) weird and wacky queries that sometimes made my skin crawl; I'll miss reading wonderful manuscripts by talented authors, and there's no doubt I'll miss the morning stampede to the kitchen when breakfast arrives (and of course the eyebrow-raising conversations that take place there!).
So, I might've failed in getting anyone in the office to eat Vegemite, but—as corny as it sounds—I really did succeed in falling in love with books all over again, and making wonderful friends here at DGLM whom I hope to cross paths with in the future. I know Rachel Stout is going to be a great addition to the team and really enjoy working with this incredible group of people.
4 Comments on So long, farewell..., last added: 10/19/2010
You will be sorely missed, Rachel!! I'm sending great thoughts your way!
Gil Wachstock said, on 10/19/2010 8:14:00 PM
Rachel, I'm sorry to hear about your Dad, I hope it's better than it sounds. You struck me as a kind and fair person; I hope the universe treats you likewise.
So there is good news and bad news at DGLM. The bad news first:
Our dear Rachel Oakley has had to depart. Originally from Australia, Rachel was well ensconced in our company and doing a superb job. She had even signed her first client. In short we all loved working with her.
Sadly, about four weeks ago, Rachel learned that her father, who lives in Australia, is critically ill and so she is leaving the States to be with him during this difficult time. Because she doesn’t know how long her stay will be, we were forced to accept her resignation.
And then came the new Rachel—our good news!
Rachel Stout is a graduate of Fordham University here in New York with a degree in English and has always wanted to be in book publishing. After a year working in the retail clothing business (the perfect background for our very fashionable office) and pursuing publishing internships, she has joined our team. We are absolutely delighted to have her, and I hope all of you will welcome her to our staff.
2 Comments on The two Ms. Rachels, last added: 10/18/2010
Whenever I hear that someone's gotten divorced or had some other challenge in their life, I always say, Congratulations! Because, in my life, the things that are the hardest often are also blessings. I've had people say, Thank you for that, although I'm sure others think I'm being flip.
So I say congratulations to you both, from the bottom of my heart, for the new phases in your lives.
(And my thoughts are with you and your father, Rachel.)
Every Friday I sit down and I start to write my weekly DGLM blog, and after writing and revising, revising some more, and then perhaps one more edit, I'm ready to send it off to Lauren (who'll look over it - sometimes suggest more edits - and then post to the blog). When I read my blog posts, I usually think I could've said something more interesting, or would rather have touched on an issue in a different way, so if it was up to me, I'd be revising my blog entries for hours before I turned in the final version (which is why I never start writing them until late Friday morning - so I'm forced to meet a deadline).
Blog posts are one thing, but thinking about the endless self-editing that goes with book writing exhausts me! If I ever had the guts to sit down and write a novel, I know I'd never be able to hand in a finished manuscript because I'd want to rewrite every page, and then make edits on the edits. Take a look at Jean Hannah Edelstein's Guardian article on the dangers of "overcooking" books, and if you're a compulsive self-editor, you'll relate easily to this one.
So, how many times have you revised your manuscript? And, are you ever really satisfied with the end result?
5 Comments on Editing for Eternity, last added: 10/16/2010
When it comes to blog posts, part of their appeal is that you can invite comments to further the discussion, or you can expand on your perspective in a follow-up post.
With print, I see your point. Once it's turned in and published, it's out there. No going back. No reset button. So the urge to self-edit is strong.
But there comes a time when a writer need to be confident enough in their abilities and secure enough in their role to say, "I'm done. Any further edits will only be at the behest of my agent or editor."
I finished my first picture book manuscript in August. After a September SCBWI conference, I joined a critique group. I'm happy with the feedback I got from the group, and made a few minor adjustments. Now I'm in the process of adding in a few art notes here and there before going into the query phase. For me, it's done... until someone else says otherwise.
I think it's one of the arts of the agent to be able to see when a ms needs to go back to author for revision and when it's ready to submit--not necessarily that it doesn't need revision but that it's at the point where said reworking should be overseen by the editor who buys (and, hopefully, loves) the ms. This type of judgement was one of the reasons I chose my agent. BTW, I was going to try to revise this comment to add a cooking metaphor but, honestly, life is short and I've got a new ms to revise :) Still, a useful post and thanks for the link. - Stasia
I think one of my biggest issues with blogging is that I feel the desire to edit after I post. I'll think of something witty I could have said or worry that something I did say will look like an attempt to appear profound that failed, but I feel like it's dishonest to go back and edit now that it's been put out there for the world to see (which is really silly unless people have already started commnting). It's unfortunate that it can keep me from posting; if I don't feel I have the time to sit down and write something good, I don't post at all. It's a habit I need to overcome.
With novels, I think I've become aware of over-editing, but also have the comfort of knowing that nobody has to see my manuscript until I'm done and comfortable with it (one of the nice things about being unpublished). I can take as long as I want right now. I usually try to let a month or so pass between my final edit and when I reread it one last time. Time to cleanse the palate, if you will. If it's stale and dry, I can tell I've overedited and can pull up an older draft to try to inject some of the voice I've lost back into the work.
I don't torture myself over my blog posts - just one read-through and a spell check. Being no different from a personal essay, really, I don't want to get caught up in over-thinking and self-doubt.
When it comes to my fiction, however, it's a different story. I subscribe to the Sol Stein method of triage - taking care of the big issues first, then working my way down to line-editing. That takes me through my manuscript three times for structural/plot issues and characterization, then twice more for line-editing. The fifth go 'round, I read it aloud to myself and go back to extinquish unnecessary words that have slipped through, every frakking adverb I can part with and any purple prose lurking about.
If I were to just line-edit again and again and again, I'd have to go through it forever. I'd never stop. This way I have a planned finish line.
It's always good to know when to stop editing. if you find you've changed something and then changed it back to the way it was originally - then it's time to move on!
Ever find yourself writing and then wanting to skip ahead to write the more exciting chapters? Well, author Jennie Nash touches on this in her Huffington Post article, and says that beating the temptation to write ahead is actually working for her.
My uncle, an editor and sometimes-writer, mentioned to me once that his ideal way to write a book is to write whatever comes to mind, and to jump ahead in chapters if you feel compelled to. His reasoning was that writing should come naturally, and structuring it the way Jennie Nash does (by way of Ann Patchett) seems unnatural and forced.
I can't say I've ever had enough dedication to sit down and pen a novel, so I wouldn't know how I'd want to write it, but what method do you prefer? Starting from chapter one, or writing different chapters whenever you get struck with an idea?
20 Comments on Leaping Ahead, last added: 10/11/2010
The first novel I finished was done by writing the parts I wanted when I wanted, then going back and writing all the scenes to join them. However, I was working off an outline, so it wasn't an issue of trying to cram together a bunch of scenes created with no logical connection or sequence in mind. It really benefited the scenes I was passionate to write, and to my surprise, I found the joining scenes weren't too difficult either. If I knew I had two awesome scenes to join, I was eager to make the bridge just as awesome.
I tried writing my second novel sequentially, but that book was a disaster for many reasons.
I'm working on my third now and also writing sequentially, and it seems to be going well. I'm not sure yet if this is because the scenes I want to write are near the beginning. Time will tell when I get to the scenes I anticipate less.
I try to stay with the flow of the novel and make my way toward the chapters that I'm most looking forward to writing. My philosophy is that if I don't pay as much attention to the process of getting to that anticipated chapter then I might as well write a short story because the build-up in a novel is as important as the emotional/sexy/exciting parts.
I've done both...because to me the exciting scenes always call to me first. But I've never finished one of the novels where I wrote the exciting/vivid scenes first, because then there was no reason for me to go back and put the filler/bridgework in. I've found it's tempting to skip around, but easier/more efficient in the end to write it start to finish and get it all on paper at once.
I try to follow my outline, mostly because my outlines tend to be quite sketchy and I need the characters to tell me how they are going to get from point A to point B! However, if there is a scene that is vivid in my head, that won't leave me alone, I will jump ahead and write it. Sometimes I end up not using it, and very often I need to change things in it by the time I get to where it belongs, but I never look a gift-muse in the mouth. When the inspiration is there, I jump on it!
I write in a linear fashion. I might jot a note down about a plot turn or a bit of dialogue, but I write sequentially. And, I'm a pantser. No outlines. It works for me. I'm on my fourth book this year :-)
I wrote my first novel, sequentially. Second WIP, sequentially. Then I took a class called, 'How Movies Work - The Storymaker.' That just blew everything wide open. I felt inspired to skip around in my new novel's world, and write what I was passionate about in the moment. Let's see how it turns out! Thanks for the topic.
I write from exciting scene to exciting scene. (But I lean heavily on outlines, otherwise the scene might not fit when I get back around to it.)
I also hate writing boring bridge scenes. I finally realized that if they're boring for me to write, they'll be boring for readers to read, so I try to find a way to make them more interesting. Once they're interesting, they're easier to write!
I definitely write in order. For me, part of the fun of writing is similar to the fun of reading--I want to turn the page, experience what happens next. The juicy scenes are my reward for writing the less juicy ones--if I wrote all my favorite scenes out of order, I'm not sure I'd have the same drive to write the bridging scenes.
I tend to write straight from the beginning to the end. But I don't -- and can't -- plan the plot out in detail first like Patchett does. I need to find the story and the end as I write.
But I also think if a writer is compelled to write a different part/scene and is too excited to wait to get to that point, they should absolutely write that part first. Nothing bad comes from being eager to write a scene you're really really excited about.
Kaitlyne said, on 10/8/2010 8:09:00 PM
I don't get anything done if I skip around. One of the big motivators to get me through the harder parts is knowing I've got some really great, fun ones coming up that I can look forward to.
I will admit to writing out notes and dialogues in advance so I don't forget the good stuff.
This is a great topic and good thoughts by Nash and Patchett. Thanks, Rachel! I write in sequence. If I don't, I find that the characters lose emotional momentum. (I'm also a non-outliner.)
I have tried to write linearly and can't. I write whatever scene wants to be written. Then I write bridges and connect them as I know where they go in the story. I even write some parts backwards.
Of course I usually don't have a plot or outline when I start either. Just a character who needs to be heard.
Clearly, what works works. I've always called what I do "chunk writing." But I've never had any difficulties bridging the sections together. This hasn't proven to lessen the thrill I get from being an active participant (reader seeking to be entertained). In fact, I think it makes it more exciting. In my first book, my main characters were being put through bloody hell, which made that later chapter the carrot for them. "See, things get better, dears," I reminded them. Ah, the creative mind at work! How do non-writers make it through life?
For me, the most difficult part is the first draft. I don't know the characters. I feel shy. To get around this, I view the first draft as a skeleton. I don't get in too deep. I put the plot together at this stage and write the bones of the story from beginning to end.
When that part is finished, I can go back and begin riff-writing scenes that put flesh on the bones. It's easier once I know who these people are and where they're going. This is where I work on pacing and arcs. It's also my favorite part. The quiet, reflective moments are like chocolate truffles to me. I save them and make myself wait to write them, so I'll always have something to look forward to.
Thanks so much for mentioning my Huffington Post column, The Making of a Novel. I'm glad you found it interesting. I'd be happy to guest blog for you should you need it -- or to run something by you over at HuffPo. You can reach me at [email protected]. Cheers!
Thanks for the post. I have to agree with your uncle --- I write what's bugging me, prodding me, firing me up, first. This is how I figure out what my story is really about. Then I go back and put it all together like a big jigsaw puzzle and fill in the blanks.
Liz Hollar said, on 10/11/2010 6:52:00 AM
I start at the beginning, but will happily jump ahead to the more interesting parts (and avoid the harder parts that are less clear to me). I do have to go back periodically to re-outline. Thanks for the post. It's nice to see how everyone drafts differently!
I made the switch from chunk writer to linear writer, and I'm never looking back! Writing before was a slog, and the relief of knowing where I'm going with a story and what comes next is immense. I'm really enjoying the writing now.
I think, though, that linear is working better for me because plot is one of my weak points. I did not work off an outline as a chunk writer - if I had, perhaps it would have worked better. At any rate, making the switch, and having the entire plot sketched out beforehand, has been a major and good change in how I approach the craft of writing a novel.
For me, I need the discipline of working start-to-finish or I'd never get to the end. That's not to say I don't cheat along the lines of making some notes for future chapters. Still, for me the way to write a novel is to get one chapter on the page, then ask myself "What happens next" over and over and over until I can write "the end"!
Back in May, Jane asked you guys what your biggest query mistakes were, and many of you were quite eager to share your horror submission stories with us. Hopefully reading those horror stories gave you a bit of advice on how to improve your queries.
But, if you’re looking for advice on how to turn an acceptance into a rejection, look no further than the staff over at Writer’s Relief, whose sarcastic tips for failing (or, succeeding—in receiving rejection letters!) are published on the Huffington Post.
My favorite tip for rejection has got to be taking it personally. There’s nothing like an author who gets politely turned down and then seeks payback!
Going through this list, what have you been most guilty of?
4 Comments on How to be rejected, last added: 9/24/2010
I always respond with a thank you when it is an email query. I have possible asked advice of what did wrong. but never attacked the agent i was submittng my work too.
I have used several methods of query samples and all styles have been rejected. I found another from the publishing company I intend to send it too it is so cut and dry it makes me a bit wary. It just doesn't seem like enough information in it to sell the story. I dont I understand agents recieve so many query letters a week but one page with 15 lines to sell your works seems so...cheap. not the word I wanted to say but cant think of anything else. I dont think i have ever had such a challenge as I did when wrting a query letter. most advice I was given was, too much info, not enough info, irrelevent info, but it sounds like the making of a great story. what more can i do?
The responses to my queries up until this point have always been polite. I would have no reason to be anything but the same. I just wish that I could figure out how to find my glass slipper and have my happily ever agent. Happy hunting to all, I'll keep trying and I promise to stay polite.
During my last semester of college, I took a “filler class” to complete the philosophy credits of my degree. Philosophy of Art was the name of the course, and topics such as expressionism, moral and aesthetic value, and artistic taste were studied. One question that continually arose during the course was what we really meant when we said a work of art was “good”. Some students agreed that a work of art was “good”, or held significant value, if it was simply aesthetically pleasing. Other students believed that emotion needed to be play a part when art was being evaluated. “Good art,” it was argued, held significant value if it moved an audience.
In Philosophy, there never seems to be a “right” answer to any argument, but I finished the course believing that the emotional connection we have with a masterpiece—the feelings we take away with us after watching a play, looking at a painting, or reading a book—is what gives significant value to art. That’s not to say that aesthetic value is overlooked, but in my opinion, what separates the extraordinary from the average is that extraordinary work has the ability to move us and change our ways of thinking.
Many times have I found myself sobbing like a baby while reading a tragic novel. I remember finding a copy of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood in the back of my brother’s car and reading it from start to finish with tears for every alternate chapter. Murakami was able to help the reader dive into an anxious and uneasy world by way of his young characters and touch on topics such as lost love, mental illness, and death. Other sad and memorable novels I love are The Awakening by Kate Chopin (the last page left me distraught for days), and of course, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Time and again I’ve tried to read Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, but this novel seems to be a little too depressing for me to finish. My favorite writers are those who are able to lure me into their fictional worlds, usually by writing books that make me cry!
Over at the Huffington Post, Jason Pinter gave us the responses from a question he asked on Twitter about books that made readers cry. And although I complain that some novels may be too emotionally-charged to read, I love a good tear jerker and would love to hear what books moved you and had you reaching for the tissues.
A swag of books! Top Sobbers are: Swimming - Nicola Keegan (my husband said I should stop reading it if it made me that sad - he doesn't read a lot of fiction). The Gathering - Anne Enright. The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver. All of Murakami's novels. Carol Shield's novels. I could go on - I can always reread Wuthering Heights if I need a moment.
I sobbed so hard in the last 60 pages I had to keep putting the book down, wipe my eyes and take a deep breath before I could continue. Any book that can do that is awesome in my world.
When I wrote Ella's Dance, there were many times when I cried. I know that it's sad, but it's also happy. And isn't that how life is? I think if novels make us feel and think, love and hate, cry and laugh that's great. But I also need hope, hope that despite all the bad stuff there is good. When I read Alice Sebold's Lovely Bones, I couldn't stop crying. I don't think I ever read a novel that made me feel so much grief and hate. The emotions it was pulling from me were so great that I had to remind myself that it was just a novel, it wasn't true. Thank you for your post today, Rachel. Blessings, Buffy
Recently, Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy. Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns had me bawling my eyes out to the point that I refuse to read The Kite Runner. I don't like crying when I read. It's okay if it's a little bit, but I cried through the last half of A Thousand Splendid Suns.
I much prefer books that make me laugh. Janeine Frost's Night Huntress series comes to mind. Or Terry Pratchett's books. Adventure, action and laughter for me please.
I'm the same with movies. If it made me cry, good luck getting me to watch it again. Even if I loved it.
The first time I read "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" I cried from beginning to end. When my nieces asked me to read it to them, I decided I had to buck up and try not to choke up too bad. I did Okay. But they always look at me like I'm looney when I read them "The Giving Tree" because I just cry and cry every time.
I wasn't such a big fan of Anna Karenina. By page 700 I was like, just throw yourself on the tracks already. It has lead me to coin the phrase 'the Anna Karenina effect' which is when the story drags, and it's enough already, let's have the conclusion! But that's just me!
Jan, that may be the actual reason why I can't finish Anna Karenina. It does tend to drag on. Maybe it's not that it's a sad book, but rather that it goes on for a zillion pages!
We don’t mind a bit of rap here at DGLM, as Lauren pointed out in her recent blog entry. So, if you are a fan of rap and literature also, you’re in for a real treat! Margaret Eby over at Flavor Wire has put together famous rappers and their 20th Century literary doppelgangers. From Ja Rule to Jay Z, Hemingway to Nabokov, you can see which rap artist matches up to which writer. Eby seems to hint that rap is on the rise and reading will soon be outdated by the new tech age, but I disagree—I think there’ll always be just enough space in our world for rap and reading!
So, can any of you match some of my favorite rap artists with their literary doppelgangers: Snoop, Lil Kim, Eminem?
4 Comments on Check yo shelf, last added: 9/13/2010
"So, if you are a fan of rap and literature also, you’re in for a real treat!"
This is an odd pairing, and definately the exception as opposed to the rule. It's kind of like saying "If you like fine wine. . . and crystal meth, you'll never guess what I found."
Thanks for the link. I enjoyed the article though I was a bit disappointed, like some of the other posters about the lack of minority authors paired with rappers. But many of those commenting had good ideas on pairings. I'm basing my pairings on the writings, not the lifestyle.
Snoop Dog - Richard Price, Claude Brown Lil' Kim - Zane, Sister Souljah Eminem - Has to be Steven King
Hmm, I wish it wasn't limited to 20th century because I see Eminem more as a Shakespeare type. Both have work laden with insults (we had a lot of fun in high school making up Shakespearean insults and yelling them at each other), both are incredibly funny, and both often have a message that is missed in a superficial reading (or listening) of the work.
One of the things I loved about living in San Francisco was its close proximity to Steinbeck country. No more than two hours south of the city lies Monterey, where Steinbeck set the scene for his novels Cannery Row, Tortilla Flat, Of Mice and Men, East of Eden—the list goes on. Walking along Cannery Row while smelling the ocean and hearing the gulls, or driving half an hour inland to Salinas (where the National Steinbeck Center is located) was an exciting pilgrimage for me, because, if I haven’t mentioned it before, John Steinbeck is my number one literary hero.
So, I found it fascinating to read Alison Flood’s article from the Guardian, on literary book tours. What a thrill it is to visit locations mentioned in your favorite novels! I have a few favorite New York literary hotspots I like to visit on occasion: The carousel in Central Park (J.D. Salinger’s Catcher In The Rye); Macy’s Santaland (David Sedaris’ Holidays on Ice); Pete’s Tavern (O. Henry’s Gift of The Magi), and Chinatown, Tiffany & Co., and The New York Public Library (Truman Capote’s Breakfast At Tiffany’s).
What are some memorable locations from your favorite books you’d love to visit?
5 Comments on Location, location, location, last added: 9/7/2010
For a short time, I lived just opposite Robert Louis Stevenson's old flat on Bush Street, a few blocks from Chinatown, in San Francisco. That was pretty thrilling.
I always feel a little sad when a place that has become well known through literature suddenly becomes famous -- as though it's lost some of its magic and charm as soon as the crowds start milling. Selfishly, I want the place to remain pristine and undisturbed. When Cannery Row was gentrified and they started selling aromatherapy oils and trendy tee shirts with Steinback quotations, my heart broke a little. No more grit, no more sleeze, no more fishy smells, just boutique fodder, gourmet chocolates and collectibles.
While reading the New Yorker this week, I came across this article by Susan Orlean—author, blogger, and now self-confessed book snoop. While renting a house on Cape Cod, Orlean tries to get a sense of who the home owners are by analyzing their collection of books (and spices!), which made me wonder—how much can you tell from someone’s bookshelves (seriously, her article was simply charming, but I’d never publicly own up to snooping in a stranger’s home!).
If strangers were to come across my current book collection, I’m not sure how they’d analyze me. Most of the books in my apartment right now are gifts from friends or family (who all have very different taste; there’s a lot of self-help and chick-lit—go figure), with a few of my can’t-live-without favorites.
So, if strangers were to rent your home for the holidays, what conclusions do you think they’d draw from your own book collection?
9 Comments on Bookshelf spies, last added: 8/31/2010
If someone were to investigate ALL the multitude of 7-foot high bookshelves in my house, there's only one conclusion they could draw: She's strange. Possibly with a multiple personality disordered mind. Or perhaps a collection of circus freaks lives here.
There's a whole bookcase of classic literature, literary theory, and narratology. Another of religion and philosophy. Another of general fiction with some nonfiction mixed in. Upstairs, another couple shelves of great SF, Jayne Ann Krentz (in all her pseudonyms), Linda Howard, Charlaine Harris, etc., plus some modern literary fiction. And a couple sets of shelves (right across the room from the literary theory guys) on the paranormal, mixed with some VERY deep science, physics, history, stuff like that.
Like I said: STRANGE.
Somehow, I don't think those renters would be too likely to come back...
I collect anything that feels like it might be useful or interesting for writing. Psychology case studies, a dozen or so books on the occult, witchcraft and demonology, a few more on different religions, history, and an encyclopedia of martyrs and saints. We've got books on sign language, superstition, sex (that word is giant on the spine, but it's mostly about worldwide traditions and laws relating to the subject) and a shelf of programming and computer networking. Husband has a full 7' tall by 3' wide bookshelf of rpg gaming books. Then there are the genre books we love with titles like "For Love of Evil" and "Soulless."
Worse than that, I joked with friends the other day about how many terrorist watchlists I would be on if they check my browser history after I did a search to figure out what different types of explosions there would be and the different set ups for making things explode outward or inward.
But for me, any judgement I'd make on other people's books would be based more on the number of books rather than the type. People with multiple bookshelves of books interest me more than people with nothing more than a small pile -- or worse, people with no books at all. Though I suppose I might be a little wary of anyone collecting only books by those authors spreading fear and hate. :)
And so those reading the above comments -- don't get too worried about my browser search, it was for a short story I was working on. I have no interest in actually blowing anything up.
Don said, on 8/27/2010 1:05:00 PM
They'd look at all the different books, histories, novels, essays, plays; books on art, nature, science, etc., and think: When this guy was young he should have decided what he wanted to study, he would have accomplished more. Probably true, but I love my books. Actually, what I find sad is when I walk into houses and they don't have any books. But I suppose they could have Kindles.
Anyone snooping around my home would be flummoxed by the disparate titles appearing on my shelves. There are books by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michio Kaku and Steven Hawking; and novels of all genres. Then, they'd discover the trove of books, owned, loved, and read voraciously by my late parents. It was they who sparked my loved of fiction, history, and books in general. That is also why I am a writer and editor.
They'd probably tread warily after seeing titles like "Outside the Circles of Time, Nightside of Eden, The Dark Gods, The Devil And All His Works, The Occult, Beyond the Occult, The Strength To Dream, The Mind of the Murderer, (and) Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition."
I don't know if they would be confused or disturbed by the variety of books I have. Most likely it would bother them more that the drawers of the dresser in the guest room are filled with books. I ran out of bookshelves.
As the fear that people are less readers these days and more digital, sadly, when guests drop by, I find them less the browsers of bookshelves and more so ready to expound on the latest movie seen.
Having said that, as a mystery writer, and my wife as an editor for a foodie newsletter, our book shelves reflect our passions--and you are what you read: one bedroom consists of 2,000 cookbooks, one bedroom is our Wild Wild West bedroom with collections of Civil War books, and a Zane Grey collection (also a wall full of signed cowboy movie star photos); another bedroom is the Nantucket Room, full of course, of whaling books, Cape Cod stories, and a first edition 'Jaws'. One hallway bookshelf is signed 'completist' mystery collections of authors who I have personally met and have had present and past communications with: Elmore Leonard, Sue Grafton, Dick Francis, Tony Hillerman, John Dunning, Michael Connelly, among others. Another hallway is of signed culinary mysteries; the den is our "Lord Nelson" room with ships, artwork, and books of the early sailing days of Master and Commanders. Even our exercise room is likewise shelved with our Research Books, including many tomes on "How to find an Agent"! My own office, writing area, consists of current signed mystery writers, with a book shelf on each wall, and framed signatures of authors and handwritten manuscript pages of the likes of Truman Capote, Theodore Dreiser and Ed McBain. People browse less at our house because they are overwhelmed and impacted that they have just enjoyed a museum tour. S.P. Grogan, author, Captain Cooked
Hi blog readers! Now that both Jane and Chasya have so kindly introduced me, it’s my turn to chime in. I guess the best way to begin is to give you a little information on my background here. I may be new to the website, but I’m not entirely new to the blog. In fact, I have actually been puttering around this office for longer than you think.
I began at Dystel & Goderich over a year ago as an intern. I was determined to find myself an internship in publishing, particularly during the latter half of my college career. I hadn’t had much luck early on, so by my third year at NYU, nothing was going to stop me. I applied and interviewed for the internship with DGLM all while living in London, where I was spending the spring semester of my junior year. Fully aware that my geographical gap could create a handicap, I knew I had to be persistent. And luckily for me, according to Lauren, I was persistent enough that it exhibited my determination, but not too persistent that it made her want to burn my application and any remaining evidence of my existence. So with that, I was offered the chance to join DGLM that summer as an intern. The semesters passed, I continued to stay with the agency, and before I knew it about a year and a half had gone by and I had graduated from NYU. Then I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity by Jane and Miriam to take over for Chasya as she looks to begin a new chapter in her life. I knew that the timing was right; I felt comfortable here, and I had spent enough time working on the less essential tasks that I had developed the desire to explore the business further and carve out my own place in it. And as clichés go, the rest is history.
In giving this blog post some thought, I remembered something Rachel had said in her welcome post: “I think the one thing I truly love about working in a literary agency is that I get to see the entire process of publishing, from a rough manuscript to a finished book on the shelves.” I might make fun of Rachel for her love of Vegemite, but her words are very true. I’m very excited to finally get the chance to dive in and take on my own work. My time at DGLM has allowed me to expose myself to an industry I have always wanted to be a part of, and now it’s allowing me to embark on a new journey in my life—one that will allow me to build the career I’ve always wanted.
The bottom line is, I’m excited to take on this new responsibility within Dystel & Goderich, because now I get to hear from you. Yes, you. I look forward to hearing your ideas, your thoughts, your opinions. You all have stories to tell. Trust me, I’ve read a lot of them. But now I’m ready to do something with them. Turn them into the books they deserve to be. There are certain subjects I’m particularly interested in reading, which you can find in my bio on our website. So let me hear from you. I can only rearrange the pens on my desk for so long….
5 Comments on Welcome to DGLM, Stephanie DeVita!, last added: 8/10/2010
Congrats on the promotion, Stephanie! So, considering your interest in the young adult genre, what is your favorite young adult novel? And has there been a book (or books) that inspired you to join the agenting world?
With Lindsay Lohan tucked away in jail, and a renewed interest in life behind bars, I think it’s time to come clean about my fascination with prison (and prisoners). From long drives while living in California to see a teeny glimpse of San Quentin, to thinking Prison Break was one of the greatest TV shows ever made, to spending days watching those Lockup documentaries while visiting family over the holidays—I’m kind of obsessed with what goes on in the pen.
So, I was rather intrigued to read Kenneth Hartman’s article on Huffington Post . Drawing from his 30 continuous years in a California slammer, Hartman gives his readers an exclusive rundown on prison reading—what genre would you expect to be the most popular? The answer might surprise you. What also might surprise you is that Hartman no longer has time to read books; he’s become an avid magazine reader due to the “oddly busy nature” of his life. Fair enough.
I’ve always been a fan of libraries. As a child, school holidays in the summer time meant keeping occupied, and keeping occupied meant either going to the beach, or visiting the library. As I’ve grown older, my love of visiting the library is still there, and one of the first things I did after moving to New York (and after exhausting myself by visiting every possible tourist trap) was to sign up at the library.
Linda Holmes’ NPR article gives us a few more reasons to love libraries and why she thinks they’re the next big pop-culture wave. But, with libraries starting to go bookless these days, do you agree they could still make a big come back? And if so, can you add to Linda Holmes’ list of reasons why?
PS: The Librarians Do Gaga video is mentioned in this article – if you haven’t seen it, check it out!
4 Comments on The Next Big Trend: Libraries, last added: 7/24/2010
Libraries are no longer just a quiet building full of books and shushing women with too-tight buns and an infinite supply of cardigans. They offer computer and internet service to people who would not have access otherwise. They assist the thousands of Americans who are out of work in their attempts to find a job. They have programs for people of all ages that promote information, literacy, and a sense of community. Yes, things will change as technology advances, but libraries have been there before. I mean, when is the last time you flipped through an honest-to-God card catalog? Many libraries already offer the choice of checking out e-books, and I'm sure many more will in the coming years. We will become a place for people who cannot afford an e-reader to get access to a Kindle or Nook or whatever new, better device comes around. And we'll always have our books, because those will never die.
Plus, we're cool like cupcakes. And, like cupcakes, even when we're not the trendiest thing in the world, we'll still be around to make people happy.
[Side note: I lied. Most of us do have an infinite supply of cardigans.]
Just the thought of my hometown library, Lovell Public Library, my heart leaps (and my grade school library)! Pushing through the clear glass doors, my shoulders sore because my backpack is overladen with last week’s choices. The smell of books. The cold water of the drinking fountain on my lips. The great lady librarian sitting at the desk. Oh, the miles upon miles of shelves. Running my fingers along the spines. Riffling the deckled edges. Collecting ten or fifteen books and finding the very back corner hidden among the shelves and just reading the world away. We lived 25 miles out of town on a ranch, and my mom would make it a point to drop us off there when she could. Also, the laundramat was just a couple of blocks away, so I always hoped that Mom would do laundry during library hours. Now, going back, it’s just a small brick building with just two connected rooms of shelves. But to me then it was the world!
I owe my hometown libraries, well, not everything, but just about. They were academy and social/political salon, all in one. I look back and think I must have been there every day, but I am sure I wasn't. Maybe I simply would have preferred being there every day. The entire experience was so tactile, both with the books and the people. As much as I love the new social media and electronic readers, there was something delightful about gathering with friends at those sometimes musty libraries which the new media cannot replicate.
A couple of years ago, before moving to New York, I worked as a Kindergarten teacher in San Francisco. I can remember quite well the day before summer vacation began—almost every teacher was complaining that the time spent away from school during the summer would have students forgetting everything they had learned that year. That’s not to say teachers wanted to stay in class and teach all summer, but the “summer slide” was definitely apparent on the first day back at school, and so something to cause a lot of worry. So, come the last day of school, I sent my students home with their backpacks full of books—they thought Christmas had arrived (and how happy I was to see 5- and 6-year-olds excited about reading!).
David Brooks’ article in the NY Times last week was an interesting read, as he touched on the effects of books on a child’s learning, especially in regards to the power of books over the summer period. According to results, students who took home 12 books over their summer vacation had significantly higher reading scores than other students (to be expected, I would imagine), but that having books in the home also produces other significant educational gains.
Another study brought to our attention in the article illustrates the effects of the internet and the declining math and reading scores of students. Though the internet helps one become knowledgeable about current events and trends (and what our friends are up to every second of the day), it is the literary world, says David Brooks, that produces better students right now.
I’m going to agree with Mr. Brooks on his opinion. As I saw with my young students, the class computer was fun (and incredibly popular during free time), but reading books gave my Kindergarteners something more, and there was such pride on my students’ faces when they had finished reading a book that I never saw when they had finished a game on the computer. Seeing my students beaming from taking home a backpack of books on the last day of school—and having a love of books themselves—was definitely worth all the headaches of being a Kindergarten teacher.
While reading the comments following the Times article, it seems there are many people who feel as though the internet has affected our attention span, and so made it more difficult to sit down and enjoy a good book with all the distractions out there—breaking news, twitter updates, constant email notifiers etc.
So, my question is: do you think books and the internet are two different worlds and able to complement each other? Or, do you think the internet really is the downfall of our students and their love of books?
6 Comments on Avoiding the summer slide, last added: 7/13/2010
It really depends on how it is used. Like television, the internet can be used for licentious entertainment, or for real educational content.
What surprised me the most with my own kids (two boys), was that they skipped reading children's books almost entirely. At twelve, my oldest prefers to read Louis L'Amour novels, and the younger brother usually has his nose in a Popular Science magazine or an art book.
They use an internet-based homeschool curriculum, which requires them to read more than play games, and when school is over for the day, they are ready to something other than look at the computer screen.
So, I really think that most kids, given the opportunity to choose, will find books that they like, in spite of having the internet to distract them. If given adequate structure to their internet use, it can be a tremendous tool for developing creativity, and add to their knowledge and skill. Without structure, just like television, they will tend toward the baser nature, and rot their brains. Just like we would...
Somewhere in between? I think the internet makes the sound-byte nature of our culture more prevalent, and that does affect our attention spans. But I think the internet can be used to help learning. For children, I'm sure there are great interactive encyclopedias and the like, and as a library worker, I can attest to the fact that many people of all ages are able to access more information through databases and the like.
But I think we must encourage children to read longer works, and that we need to make sure their curriculum is structured well so that their education does not became based around one tool (such as the computer).
I'm a poster for either side. Or rather my 16 year old son is. He's being playing computer games since he was two and is very much a child of the Internet age. He also has ADHD.
On the other hand, he's been reading at college level since 5th grade, reads a lot of books (and reads a lot), and he's working as an intern at a microscopy lab working with (and adjusting) an electron microscope this summer.
So, he supports both paradigms: "too much" internet "causes" ADHD and reading "a lot" makes kids smarter.
Of course, maybe ADHD kids are drawn to the internet, rather than the internet causing ADHD. Maybe smart kids like reading, rather than reading making kids smart.
I think the younger the kid, the less they need computer time. I would rather that my k'er (and his younger sibs) spend their time reading (or looking at) books, being outside, doing art, and playing board and card games. My kids get very little screen time overall, and I think it's done them a world of good. I've noticed that when we do watch something on TV or play games on the Internet, it has a deleterious effect on their behavior.
My kids are surrounded by books. We regularly bring home massive canvas tote bags filled with books from two different libraries. I love to see the 5 yo, 4 yo and the 1 yo all sitting on the couch in a row, "reading" books (well, really reading in the 5 yo's case :)).
Both of my teenage daughters used to do all the social media to keep up with their friends, but after time it became a lot less important to them. They both enjoy reading (the 13 year old especially), plus both have other interests. My 17 year old plays the clarinet and saxaphone while my youngest is a pretty good artist. If there's anything that they do which I wish they did less of is text message. They are lost without their cell phones.
If you’re anything like me, you’re a little neurotic when it comes to words and you have an entire list of the ones you really hate. Of course this list is never written down, for fear of family or friends finding it and actually using those words in emails or casual conversation for laughs. But what’s worse than a hated single word is an entire sentence that makes my skin crawl!
There have been many times while reading books where I’ve come across sentences and have scrunched up my nose because of how dreadful a sentence was written. I’m sure every reader has been in the same position (especially if you’ve read John Updike). So, I’m happy to know that there’s a contest dedicated to the worst opening sentences. The competition may only be for imaginary fiction, but I’m pretty sure disturbing opening sentences like these exist everywhere.
Have you got a doozy of an opening sentence that made your skin crawl?
4 Comments on It was a dark and stormy night...., last added: 7/12/2010
Steven Brust, fantasy author, once wrote one of the most horrible opening sentences I've ever read. I almost put the book ("To Reign in Hell") down, but then he made fun of himself for doing it:
"Snow, tenderly caught by eddying breezes, swirled and spun in to and out of bright, lustrous shapes that gleamed against the emerald-blazoned black drape of sky and sparkled there for a moment, hanging, before settling gently to the soft, green-tufted plain with all the sickly sweetness of an overwritten sentence."
None come to mind, but the above two are hilarious! I'm going be on the lookout now.
Anonymous said, on 7/12/2010 1:30:00 PM
"It's weird but at the time I was thinking about the dawn-lit sky of a sun's first rising above the buildings, the heart of the world shining its rays of newness sideways across the land at me - an equal in the same horizon as myself, in the same brightness as myself."
Reading Ralph Gardner Jr’s Wall Street Journal article on first editions brought back a memory of when I was younger. I remember my Grandfather’s office being crowded by shelves of antiques, souvenirs from abroad, and of course – books! There was a particular bookshelf filled with random books on world history, genealogy, and sports (in fact, there were too many books on cricket for my liking. No one really needs to know so much about that sport, do they?). In a smaller bookcase in the corner of the room, there was a shelf dedicated to first editions. And of course, because my Grandfather treasured these books, they were kept on the highest shelf where grandchildren were unable to reach!
I don’t own any first editions, but because of my Grandfather’s love of them, I’m always interested to know the titles people own, and whether or not they went out of their way to find them, or if the books were simply passed down through the years.
So, if you’re big on first editions, care to share what titles you own and how you acquired them? If not, do you have a first edition title you’d pay a high price for?
5 Comments on A shelf of firsts, last added: 6/19/2010
We have a few. Mostly Nevil Shute. And yes, we bought them on purpose. We also have one from my mentor, John Rowe Townsend and my friend Arthur Slade's Govenor's Award Winning novel DUST, which he signed for us. At one time we were into it, but when we moved countries, we got rid of most of them. I like books I can read without worry, so I have a complete paperback collection of Nevil Shute's books too.
We have a gazillion books (figuratively speaking), but I have no idea how many are first editions. If I had to guess, maybe one or two. I want books I love on my shelves, that's what gives them value as far as I'm concerned.
I have 8 first edition OZ books. I love them. I love the way they smell. I inherited them from my grandfather, who bought them for his sons, but they didn't stay in love with them after they grew up and joined the army and stuff.
(Or maybe they did love them, but they were afraid the other army guys would laugh at them.)
Anyway, since I was the first grandchild (and a girl) I got them.
I love my Kindle. I really do. But sometimes I miss the smell of my old books.
My great aunt in England would send my mother books when she was a youngster in the early 1900s, and then when my brothers and I came along, more books were sent. My favourite book from her was George MacDonald's The Princess and the Goblin, complete with tissue covered illustration plates. Although it wasn't a first edition, it was published in 1888 in hardcover and in excellent condition.
Susan Petrone said, on 6/19/2010 6:50:00 PM
Most of my first editions are 20th century American authors (because that's all I can afford). At this point, they're mostly my favorites. To mention just a handful--several Vonneguts, Steinbeck's Sweet Thursday, Ferber's Giant, Doctorow's Ragtime, Stegner's Angle of Repose, Love Medicine (which Louise Erdrich signed for me last year at the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards).
A couple of posts ago I mentioned not being able to finish reading Joseph O’Neill’sNetherland, despite desperately wanting to. It always seems like such a shame to begin reading a book and then put it aside mid-way. So, I was quite happy to read Sonya Chung’s article on The Millions which details her personal history of reading: books she has read, books she should have read, books she read but felt she shouldn’t have, books she tried to love but just couldn’t read anymore, and so on.
I thought it was a good idea to analyze my own reading and would like to share with you my number one choices for each of Sonya’s categories (please don’t judge!):
The Number One Book I Did Not Finish But Very Much Want To Try Again Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
The Number One Book That I’ve Already Tried More Than Once But Couldn’t Engage With, I Don’t Know Why The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The Number One Book That I Found Mostly Painful and Likely Will Not Revisit Rabbit at Rest by John Updike
The Number One Book I Shlogged Through and Almost Abandoned, But Kept On; No Pay-off, I Felt, In the End Museum of Innocence by Orham Pamuk
The Number One Book I Struggled Through, Maybe Put Down For a While, But Finished and Am Very Glad I Did Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Now that my taste in reading has been analyzed, care to share your list?
8 Comments on A personal history of reading, last added: 6/7/2010
Ok, call me a coward but I can't disclose the book I have tried several times to read and did not for fear of public flogging. I can, however, relate to much of your list.
The Number One Book I Did Not Finish But Very Much Want To Try Again I pretty much finish any book I start. On the rare cases I don't, it's because I hated the story enough to not want to try it again.
The Number One Book That I’ve Already Tried More Than Once But Couldn’t Engage With, I Don’t Know Why The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkein. Love the movies, don't care for Tolkein's writing style.
The Number One Book That I Found Mostly Painful and Likely Will Not Revisit The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
The Number One Book I Shlogged Through and Almost Abandoned, But Kept On; No Pay-off, I Felt, In the End I wouldn't say *no* payoff, but The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. I really wanted to like it.
The Number One Book I Struggled Through, Maybe Put Down For a While, But Finished and Am Very Glad I Did Nemesis by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverburg.
The Number One Book I Did Not Finish But Very Much Want To Try Again The End by Lemony Snicket (It is so sad to read all but the last book in a series, especially when it has 13 books.)
The Number One Book That I’ve Already Tried More Than Once But Couldn’t Engage With, I Don’t Know Why Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
The Number One Book That I Found Mostly Painful and Likely Will Not Revisit Gossip Girl: The Prequel by Cecily Von Ziegesar
The Number One Book I Shlogged Through and Almost Abandoned, But Kept On; No Pay-off, I Felt, In the End Guitar Girl by Sarra Manning
Linda Johnson said, on 6/5/2010 11:12:00 AM
I just finished shlogging through one and almost abandoned it but kept on and really felt no pay off in the end The Lovely Bones
Number one book that I have already tried more than once and really wanted to read but just couldn't engage with it: The Screwtape Letters Thankfully the radio theater version that came out last year, with Andrew Serkis (Lord of The Rings) doing Screwtape, is phenomenal, and I have finally read it, and it was worth it!
Get excited people! Mark Twain’s (almost) neverending autobiography is finally going public in November. Leaving behind 5,000 unedited pages of memoirs and notes, Twain gave instructions not to publish this mammoth manuscript until 100 years after his death. Right now the manuscript is safely tucked away in a vault in UC Berkeley and will run in volumes for all you Twain fanatics eager to know every single thought that ever crossed his mind.
That’s very exciting, and it will probably be necessary to catch up on my speed reading if I want to read the half-a-million-word memoir in full.
Do we have any diehard Twain fans here? And, will you be reading his 100-year old memoir?
8 Comments on Twain on the Brain, last added: 6/1/2010
I'm a Twain fan but I don't know about 5,000 pages. Could someone's life/thoughts be that interesting? I enjoyed LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI and I'm wondering if this picks up after that or what. I'm sure I'll end up at least skimming it.
I'm a Twain fan. Not only have I read his books but I've acted in a few plays based on them. I'll be interesting to see what he thought and how he perceived himself. Now I know what I'll ask for Christmas.
I’ve got to admit, I only picked up a copy of Netherland last year because I heard President Obama was reading the book. Usually I’d give a book a fair go, but I couldn’t get into Netherland at all—I want to say it’s because the main character’s wife was named Rachel (which kept throwing me off), as well as there being too many cricket references in the book (a sport all-too familiar and exhausting for me!). These were incredibly petty reasons not to love the work, though they were enough to make me stop reading. But coming back to why I picked up a copy in the first place—it was because Obama was reading it; I think it’s fascinating to know what a public figure is reading. And not just any public figure, but a president.
So it’s no surprise that I loved this slideshow on the Huffington Post of some of the U.S. presidents’ favorite books. After evaluating their favorites, I think Bill Clinton sounds like the type of person I’d like to sit down and talk books with. And, George W. Bush—95 books read in 2006? That’s a lot of spare time for reading.
How do you rate the presidents’ book choices? And, have you picked up a book simply because a public figure was reading it?
4 Comments on Presidential reading, last added: 5/22/2010
I've never picked up a book because a public figure was reading it. Not even Oprah winfrey. I have picked up books ABOUT presidents or public figures though. Bill Clinton's wasn't bad. No, I usually choose according to word of mouth or good reviews that I've found on the blogosphere.
Maybe instead of reading books, Obama should start reading LAWS before he goes out and speaks publicly about them.
Caitlin said, on 5/21/2010 11:09:00 PM
I do love knowing what famous people read, ESPECIALLY political figures. In part because I like to imagine what they enjoy and what they are thinking about when they read, and in part because I like to try to figure out what ideological message they are trying to send. I think it's important, however, to keep these two parts separate: books are too complex to assume that the political message being sent is the same as the reason the president likes a book (that is, assuming he reads the book he says he does).
I admit word of mouth does inspire me to read a novel, however I have been dissapointed a few times so now I check out books that I am appealed to for various reason of my own creative mind.
When I was growing up, I played with Masters of The Universe action figures. My sister and I would play with these action figures for hours until a fight broke out over who would play with He-Man and who would be stuck with Skeletor – because seriously, nobody wants to play with Skeletor when you can be playing with He-Man.
I’ve always been a bit of a fan of action figures, and especially now that you can get action figures of literary heroes. I’m not ashamed to admit I have a plastic Virginia Woolf action hero, or a Chekhov finger puppet in my apartment. My love of good writing knows no end, I suppose.
Bronte power dolls! I’ve got to get some, though if I do, I’m calling dibs on Emily Bronte—because seriously, again, why play with the other Bronte sisters when you can play with the writer of Wuthering Heights?
I’d like to see literary characters as action figures, too. Maybe Gregor Samsa from The Metamorphosis. He looks like a regular plastic figurine, but with the switch of a button he easily transforms into a monstrous insect.
Got any literary characters you’d like to see made into action heroes?
6 Comments on Literary heroes turn plastic!, last added: 5/15/2010
I always wonder if my personality reflects my choice in books, and last August, if you were following the DGLM blog, you’ll remember that everyone in the office put together their list of great books and made you—our readers—guess who had created them. Before working at DGLM, I actually read this series of Great Books posts and loved a lot of selections.
It’s difficult to say why I love a certain book and why I can’t get into another. I fell in love with reading Steinbeck novels when I was living in California, so I used to put my love for his writing down to geographical familiarity—Cannery Row and Salinas were places I knew about and so they came alive in his writing—but then I fell in love with Dostoevsky while living in the Midwest, and when I began reading his work there wasn’t anything familiar about his world, yet I couldn’t stop reading.
Anyway, seeing as I’m now part of the team here at DGLM, I think it’s time to give you my best books list. Scrutinize it as you will. I’m up for friendly banter on why you think my choices are terrible, mediocre or just plain brilliant.
John Steinbeck’s East of Eden Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood Kate Chopin’s The Awakening William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying Katharine Susannah Prichard’s Coonardoo J. M. Coetzee’s Disgrace Albert Camus’ The Stranger Luke Davies’ Candy Rawi Hage’s De Niro’s Game Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway Milan Kundera’s Identity Leopold von Sacher-Masoch's Venus in Furs Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451
After reviewing my list, it makes me wonder why I enjoy certain books. I still don’t know what it is that draws me to a particular author, or why I get into one story and not another. Years ago I certainly didn’t think John Steinbeck would be my number one writer—reading about farming and migrant laborers? Are you kidding me? I’m still trying to find out why I love his work so much.
Do you feel at all surprised by your favorite author, or love certain books you never thought you would?
8 Comments on These are a few of my favorite things, last added: 5/12/2010
Of the three on your list I have read, I like Bradbury, love Oscar Wilde, and absolutely hate Mrs. Dalloway (probably because I've had to study it extensively on my modernism course this year). I've just never been able to find Virginia Woolf interesting.
I think one of the greatest books is Wuthering Heights. But I guess everyone has different tastes :)
I, too, love the Awakening. I read it in college (around 2002) and then again a few years ago. In college, I thought it was brilliant. Reading it again, I see that it may not be the best novel ever written, but it certainly gets the point across in a poetic manner.
I read "The Stranger" in high school, think I was the only one who loved it - my classmates had already threatened to outcast me for enjoying "The Scarlet Letter" and anything by Faulkner. I'm with Sangu on Virginia Woolf, I've tried, but...eh...just not for me. My fav book is "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway - there was always something sorta simplistic and beautiful about that story to me - no big, flashy scenes, just this sort of quiet reflection.
Definitely agree with the Steinbeck love. I'm not sure why I like him since what he writes about is completely different from my own experiences, but there's something gritty and real about his writing that keeps me interested.
I started reading Murakami really wanting to hate him, but I couldn't. It's the simplicity of how he writes and how that reveals so many different aspects of life.
Of the books on that list, the only one I'm really familiar with that I know I enjoy is The Picture of Dorian Gray. I really liked that one, especially the ending of it. It was quite clever.
I had to read The Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck when I was in high school, and I never really cared for the book, myself. The migrants plight was so heartbreaking, and the stillborn baby at the end of the book really upset me. I was hoping for a happier ending with all the hardship, even though I know it doesn't always happen like that in real life.
Your list makes me feel as if I'm not well-read enough :-) I am glad Murakami made it on to your list. He is one of my favorite writers. I am not sure what draws me to him but I don't question it.
I think most people who love literature have a to-read pile of books waiting for them, but Kirsty Logan takes it to a whole other level in her article for The Millions, where she proudly boasts owning 800 unread books. Yes, 800, unread—I don’t think 800 books could even fit inside my apartment!
I can understand Kirsty’s reasoning behind not reading a book because she knows she’ll end up loving it—though nonsensical, I do this all the time, too. I buy books knowing from reviews, word of mouth, or simply because of its author, that I’ll love reading it, and so I leave them on my shelves for months before I sit down with them. A reader’s comment on her article puts it perfectly: it’s like “savoring the thrill of the unopened present on Christmas morning,”—I get that. But, I do eventually read these books.
What I don’t understand is Kirsty not reading books because she simply worries they’re not the books she thinks they are. I think when it comes to reading, it’s good to have certain expectations, but choosing not to read books because we have expectations and fear disappointment, seems to me, to be a little drastic. Kirsty Logan’s article is titled "The Joy of Unread Books," but I see no joy in collecting shelves full of books and refusing to read them.
Do you side with Kirsty on this one? Have you ever not read a book simply because you thought your expectations were too high? And if so, what book was it?
25 Comments on The unbearable lightness of not reading, last added: 5/10/2010
Okay, now, I'll freely admit that my To Read shelf is ridiculously huge--490 books and counting, now that I've started buying digital--but I almost always read everything I purchase. (Eventually: my record for longest time spent on my To Read shelf is nine years, so far.) There are exceptions, but they are rare. And if I DO ditch a book I've already purchased and haven't read, I will always take it to the used bookstore near my house and trade it in so I can get something else.
Wow - buying a book without reading it? I didn't know anyone really did that. My problem is I read too fast. It's torture when the husband says I have to make a book last several days (though I give it my best and only allow myself to read in like 20-minute increments from whatever book it might be, the most recent example being Cemetary Dance).
I can understand buying collectable books and letting them set. I used to collect Edgar Rice Burroughs first editions and there's no way I would read those. But a book is meant to be read. If you're not buying it to escape to another world, another time--why waste the money?
NotThatPJ said, on 5/7/2010 12:58:00 PM
I admit to also having a rather immoderate TBR pile, but I don't believe I've never NOT read a book because I feared my expectations are too high. Maybe because I fear it will break my heart, but not that. Most of them do get read eventually, but sometimes it takes a very long time. I do understand the feeling of being surrounded by all that *potential* reading material. It's a good feeling, knowing those books are waiting for me to read them.
As an avid reader, finding and buying new books is so hard NOT to do. It's quite addictive, really. You want to have it so that when the time is right to read it, the book is at your fingertips. I agree with the idea that they are like presents waiting to be opened, whenever that time may come. There's a stack at my bedside now and I have every intention of reading them. I'm not so sure I identify with hesitating to read a book for fear of being disappointed. I usually can't wait for the adventure to begin!
I'm a self-professed 'book addict'. Like some people are with shoes or stamps or coins, I am with books. I have close to a thousand and have read probably a bit more than half. So I 100% see where Kirsty is coming from. I just love the way books look/feel/smell that I can't help myself! And finding some on clearance or FREE...get outta here!
If a book sits on my tbr shelf for too long, I find it loses its shine and I'm more inclined to pick something new up from the library, or the bookstore. This usually happens after about a year--that is, if I don't pick it up after 3 vacations (e.g. winter, summer, winter), I usually take it to the used book store for credit. I don't know why this happens...maybe the guilt of not reading it overpowers the initial interest in reading it. Or just that after that period of time my interests change enough that it doesn't fit my taste anymore. This is not to say that my taste won't cycle back around to it when I don't own it and see it again in a library or bookstore.
Hm, I must be behind the times, as I only have 98 books on my shelves that I have yet to read. Well, 98 fiction books. I also have 22 non-fiction books that I've collected (mostly from classes) that I have yet to read. Of course, many MANY of these are series that, if I don't like the first book, I will most likely trade-in the whole series. It's just a matter of finding time and motivation to delve into that particular trilogy/quartet/quintet/series. You know, the whole 'what do I feel like today?'
Now, I don't think I would EVER let my collection get THAT large. And none of these are books that I don't think I'll like. So, I'd say Kirsty is a bit crazy, and needs to find a school or organization to donate some books to.
The only books that sit for long on my TBR pile are those I know I "should" read, but don't necessarily want to read. The book my cousin wrote was there for over a year--and actually turned out to be pretty good. Others are from book clubs or a trilogy I read the first 2.5 books of before stalling out. I don't buy many books, so those I do I've either already read or simply have to read RIGHT NOW!
I want to know what she's reading if she's buying so many books she ISN'T reading. Surely she's reading SOMETHING?
I don't even own 800 books period, and yet people are always commenting on the number of books I have! I probably need to buy another bookcase soon for all my TBR books. Of course, being a librarian-in-training, I do borrow books on occasion. ;-)
I've read books and been disappointed because they weren't what I expected, and in some cases it did make me a little nervous to read other books for which I had high expectations. I don't let this keep me from reading them, though. And like Caitlin, I find my TBR pile grows if I let a book sit there too long. When I get to it, I'll decide I'm not really in the mood for it anymore and go purchase/borrow newer things. So half the collection just sits there for a few years. I've still got books from BEA 2008 that I haven't read, but I think those are the oldest, and I'm glad for it.
I have over 1600 books in my private library at home and sometimes I love to just sit and look at my books. That said, I've read about 98% of them. I try to keep my TBR pile rather small and I have a nice system of catagorizing everything by author and subject so that I don't end up buying the same book twice, which has happened more than once!!!
Not read a book that I've bought, for any reason.....it's beyond my comprehension!
I have an embarrassingly large TBR pile (thanks to a few online swapping sites), but there are a few standouts that I'm holding off reading. #1 is Spook Country by William Gibson. I'm a huge Gibson fan, and I'm not holding off because I fear disappointment, but rather because you can only read a book for the first time once. I devour Gibson's books far too fast, and I'm not ready for it to be over (even before I begin).
Thanks for linking to my article; I'm glad it's encouraging such debate!
Caitlin, I'm fascinated by your comment. I absolutely agree that books lose their 'shine' after a while – I've always put this down to my tastes changing, but now I'm thinking about your other reasons too.
Vicki, the thought of giving all my books away fills me with horror. If I give them away, I won't be able to read them! I think perhaps I should have used the phrase 'pre-read books' rather than 'unread', because I will read every book I own at some point. Sometimes I like to leave it a while (whether that's a week or a year), just to enjoy the anticipation of it.
Robin, I certainly do read a lot of books! I have to read for my work (writing, teaching, book reviewing) but I mostly read for pleasure. I tend not to keep books I've read, though; I keep my favourites, and give the rest to friends or second-hand bookshops.
Kristi, I love your point about only reading a book for the first time once. I think that is the core of my joy in unread books.
I wish I had the money to have a shelf of 800 tbr books! I have about 20 unread books on my shelves but mostly they are books that I bought and after a couple of pages I found that I just didn't really like them. I definitely have a very long virtual list of tbr books but being a poor post grad I buy books in twos or threes and read them when I get them.
I just bought a house in Massachusetts in addition to my flat in Moscow. I couldn't bring all my books back to the US, but I don't feel good without some particular books on my shelves. So, I'm having a blast going around used book sales and hunting for my old friends, as well as finding some new ones. My rule is never to pay more than 2 USD a pop, and I'm itching to get them all on the almost-completed bookshevles!! I have a lot of books I INTEND to read (I intend to read Proust) but I don't think I have ever not read a book because I was scared I wouldn't like it. Tell me this, do you think it is okay to abandon a book in medias res?
And I thought my TBR pile was groaning! I read most of what I buy within a few months of buying it, but I admit I've been hesitating on the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - for a couple of reasons. It's come highly recommended, the reviews rock, and I've been told that once I get past the first few chapters I'll not want to put it down. But, it's a BIG book and I promised myself I'd read every book I start to the end this year - my friend and I are doing a 100 books in 2010 challenge. So, what if I DON'T like it? That's a big commitment. Instead, I stare at it lovingly every time I reach for a new book.
800 books is pretty extreme, but I DO understand the logic behind this. I've had Vikram Seth's 'A Suitable Boy' on my shelf for far too long along with a couple of others that look great, but a bit daunting. But I've also had a Cadbury's fruit and nut bar in my freezer for the past six months.
Jennifer, I operate a strict 50-page rule. If I get to p50 of a book and I still don't like it, I get rid of it. There are too many amazing books out there to waste time on one that's not doing anything for me.
Incidentally, I don't think that giving up on a book is the sign of a bad book or of a lazy reader. Sometimes it's just not a good match.
No, but I've put off reading books because I felt like other people's expectations were too high. It's snobbish, but it kind of bugs me when someone shoves a book in my face and says I have to read it because it's the best book ever. (Please. I've read the best books ever. They start with Harry and end with Potter.)
Twilight sat on my shelf for six months because my mother-in-law compared Stephenie Meyer to J.K. Rowling. Sacrilege.
After I finished Twilight, I twiddled my thumbs for about thirty minutes, then I told my husband I needed to go to the store. I went to the store and bought the next book...
I'm still kind of annoyed at my mother-in-law for the Meyer/Rowling comparison, but I forgave her when she gave me The Hunger Games.
I always read my TBR books, regardless of my expectations. I expect much from all of them anyway or they wouldn't be on my list.
Maybe Kirsty is borderline hoarder...? Some people can be obsessive about books.
Anonymous said, on 5/10/2010 5:10:00 AM
Frankly I find that kind of thinking a bit disingenuous. Makes for a controversial article and it worked. Here we are discussing it. Metinks she exagerates a bit on the number of books purposefully unread and the reason thereof. Balderdash comes to mind.
I'm a skinflint; I keep my TBR on Goodreads. I can't remember the last time I purchased a book that I hadn't already read and loved. The books I own are ones that are like family to me - familiar, comfortable, and always there for me.
Unread books used to actually cause me anxiety! I used to feel guilty that I bought them or were given them and they just sat there, unread, on the shelf -- mostly because I devoured new books immediately for the vast majority of my life.
I got over that very quickly.
Now I have a small pile of unread books at home, many more at the library waiting to be devoured, and a long list on Goodreads. I'll get there, one by one! But it's nice to always have a great book to look forward to, and I've learned the joy of waiting to read a book til it suits my reading mood exactly.
Matt Stewart’s call for a literary draft, posted on the Huffington Post, sounds like an excellent idea! With the enormous amount of money being thrown around in the NFL draft, why not take a fraction of that money to discover the next literary superstar? Matt asks us to humor him with this idea, so let’s do that.
The LitDraft, he says, is more than a recruitment tool. He envisions this event going on TV, with running commentary, red carpet interviews, and “nifty segments on writers’ fascinating stories.” Matt believes this will get people excited about new voices, as well as getting those not so interested in reading, interested in reading.
The article may be all tongue-in-cheek, but I love the idea of a LitDraft. So, why not go one step further and hold the Literary Olympics? It could be a cross between Iron Chef and Wipeout. I’ve already though of one event: The Write Splash. Authors get one hour to come up with the synopsis of a story; the contestants are then judged on character and plot development by famous authors; one winner goes onto the next heat, the losers have to sit through a reading of bad celebrity biographies as they’re being pelted with water balloons.
Any other ideas as to what events could be held?
12 Comments on Literary Olympics, last added: 5/2/2010
A banquet hall filled with tables. An NCAA-tournament-type bracket. Five three-minute rounds. Writers go head-to-head exchanging witty barbs, subtle putdowns, and faint praise that damns.
well i think the judges have to be blog agents! someone from dglm (of course),jessica from bookends, query shark (there's a contest in there too somewhere) and nathan bransford!
Turning a chapter of a standard bodice ripper into literary fiction. Composing a series of haiku on a given theme. Writing the best possible excuse for not handing in homework on time.
@Rachel Shouldn't the synopsis writing be reserved for the losers??? BTW, congrats on the WD Top Blog listing though we all knew you guys were tops already.
One of the things I love to do when I have spare time on the weekends, is to sit in cafés and read. There’s nothing quite like a lazy Sunday afternoon spent with a good book and hot coffee, surrounded by other readers with good books and hot coffee. So reading this BBC News article made me appreciate my lazy café reading time even more.
According to the article, today only 10% of Argentina’s population buys and reads books because of repeated blows to the publishing industry including the banning of books in the 1970’s, the economic crisis in the early 2000’s, and the recent boom in electronic media which has proved to be stiff competition for publishers. In contrast, a NY Times article from 2009 indicated that 50% of adults in the U.S. had read books in print or online within the previous 12 months.
Wanting to promote reading across the city of Buenos Aires, the government has set out to furnish cafés with books by great writers such as Pablo Neruda and Julio Cortazar. Other schemes are also in place to promote reading, including the giving away of books to school children so they can start to build their own collections at home, and large book purchases for school libraries. This is definitely something I like hearing about!
There’s a long list of authors I’d suggest to promote reading--perhaps Dickens? Camus? Twain?
Which books would you give to encourage new readers?
10 Comments on Read Argentina!, last added: 4/26/2010
I agree that the 50% statistic in the US is depressing, and also that the Best 100 list is a good place to start.
I'd probably start with books I've given to reluctant readers that have worked out quite well. Most things by Vonnegut; I'm thinking CAT'S CRADLE might work nicely. THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN. Lots of classics, but also books with lots of action and excitement to pull the reader in. I'm not too familiar with many South American authors, but I'd definitely add some in so it's not just a pile of books by white males.
Dickens? Good god, they may never want to read again.
I think we should hit them with DIRTY HAVANA TRILOGY by Pedro Juan Gutiérrez, follow it up with THE FEAST OF THE GOAT by Mario Vargas Llosa, and finish them off with THE WAR OF DON EMMANUEL'S NETHER PARTS by Louis de Bernieres.
Well, I gave a 12 year-old girl the complete set of Vesper Holly stories by Lloyd Alexander I also give books to kids at church---I make it my duty to "feed their heads." While she was growing up I gave my daughter books written by and/or about strong-minded women. (You should see her now--an educator and opera singer). I'm maintaining my tradition with my granddaughter. I make sure there's a good balance of history, biography, sci-fi, mystery, science, and so on.
My 16-year-old daughter reads like crazy now, but a few years ago, she went through a stage wherein she wouldn't touch a book. I tried my damnedest to get her back into it. I tried the Harry Potter books, but they were too long. After watching the movie, Girl, Interrupted, I bought her the book & it worked; she loved it! Then she moved on to Crank & Impulse - novels in a journal form. Now she's back into reading (thank God!) and she's read all the Twilight books and more. Now she wants to read White Oleander, after seeing the movie. I'm thrilled - my baby is finally into Woman's Fiction!
What David said. I've really enjoyed Dickens, but I don't think he's a good starter author.
Depending on the person's tastes, I'd go for Robert B Parker's detective series or Janet Evanovich's funny books, because they are sheer fun. Then I'd recommend Amy Tan's or Barbara Kingsolver's books because they are both accessible and compelling, and then maybe John Steinbeck, Terry Pratchett, and Bill Bryson. After that, I probably wouldn't have to recommend anything, they'd have seen the light.
Charles said, on 4/25/2010 1:56:00 PM
I like Buddhadeva Bose's "My Kind of Girl" as a nice book to consider.
It's short and yet wonderfully evocative of a particularly kind of gathering.
Ken said, on 4/26/2010 9:16:00 PM
... while serving time in Siberia, Dostoevsky devoured David Copperfield and Pickwick Papers I believe. Dickens must have a lot of draw for even the most reluctant of readers, as such, if a guy doing hard labor in a prison camp could get into reading his works. So I think Dickens is a good pick. I enjoyed his works, myself, particularly Oliver Twist.
Wow, Claudsy… what a powerful, powerful scene!
Glad you like it, Meena. I’m not sure where it came from. It was just there in the picture prompt. I’d remembered so many times watching the flyers on Seaport Point with their many-colored flags and streamers and the battles they had with the wind coming in off the bay. It all came together in about five minutes. I wrote down what I saw.
Thanks for the compliment.
A true flash then!
Yep! So long as I can keep it from being a flash in the pan, I’ll be doing okay.
Claudsy, this is great. You create this foundation where the reader wants more – and that’s just wonderful.
Thanks, Andrea. I’m hoping that one of these days, when I’ve got plenty of extra time, I’ll be able to expand a few of these smaller pieces into something for a chapbook. I’m glad you liked it.