This is one for you, my loyal readers, to create with your comments. What is your theme song for summer '07?
Mine? Glad you asked. It's Rufus Wainwright, Going to a Town.
It feels good getting back to my radical left-wing roots.
This summer has been anything but restful.
I have been working 60-80 hours a week, and I'm not even teaching. Madness. Insanity. What have I accomplished? In truth, not much tangible (at least where 'tangible' is defined operationally as 'grants received and manuscripts published') (though actually I have had a manuscript published and I did get a grant from NSF). I'm ->this<- close to going coo-coo-ka-ka.
This summer distinguishes itself in that I have never read so many excellent books in one summer. Truly. And they were...
1. Kafka on the Shore. Put this one down on "top 10 novels EVER." It's a good thing Karla McGregor though to lend this to me...18 months ago. Karla, as soon as you send me your home address, I'll send it back, I swear. I almost considered sending it to the U of Iowa or to the Prairie Table just to get it (and the associated guilt) off my hands. As for the novel, let me say two things. Number 1: Tons of very explicit scenes about you-know-what. Number 2: TALKING CATS. Needless to say, the cats are a much bigger selling point than the other. Also, a harrowing murder scene. Harrowing.
2. On Chisel Beach. Ian McEwan could poop on a piece of legal paper and I'd think it was brilliant. Fortunately, this novella is far superior to poop paper. Indeed, it's brilliant. It's also a 2-hour read (which I did atop a hotel in Lisbon, thank you very much.) The best part? When Kevin and I were flying from Lisbon to Amsterdam, we flew along the French coast, and could actually SEE Chisel beach (in the distance, yes) from the airplane. Sublime.
3. After Dark, Haruki Murakami. Haruki Murakami could poop on a piece of...oh never mind, you get the gist. Again, this one is way better than poop paper. Way WAY better. And it takes place in a Denny's! Remember Denny's?
4. Underground, Haruki Murakami. Non-fiction about the Sarin attacks on the Tokyo subway in 1995. The 60-odd interviews with people who survived the attacks were exceptional. The commentary in the middle was good, and the interviews with people in aum in the second half of the book were uneven.
5. After the Quake, Haruki Murakami. Six short stories. All very good.
And, the very best...
6. god is not great, Christopher Hitchens. Reading this book helped me to organize my thoughts and beliefs about religion and society in a way that I found immensely useful. I recommend it to everyone.
Two HUGE disappointments were:
1. The Kite Runner. While the events surrounding the narrative are compelling, the story itself is faux Dickensian in a way that just feels sholocky. And yes, it has a strong thread of homophobia throughout it.
2. Michael Tolliver Lives. I love Arminsted Maupin--I met the guy once--but this one was a bit of a let-down.
This summer I have so far read four Murakami books: Kafka by the Shore (which Karla McGregor lent me about 18 months ago), Underground (BRILLIANT!!), After Dark, and After the Quake.
All Brilliant. He is the reigning living fiction-writer.
The Kite Runner, on the other hand, is grossly over-rated. The thread of homophobia that runs throughout it is so off-putting.
Is anyone else disgusted by how conservative NPR has become? It's disgusting. If I want to listen to bland, centrist pap, I'll listen to CNN. Now the only left-of-center alternatives I have are entries on Indymedia written by "Kayak Biker." Of course, I love Kayak Biker, but I want to hear more than just the latest news from rural Luzon...
Are there ANY truly liberal media outlets left? I think not.
I have been holding back.
Everyone else in the 'blogosphere' has been using their blogs to complain. Why have I been holding back? I hereby give myself one week to write a gripe a day on my blog, after which time, I will go back to periodic pictures of my nephew, etc.