How to Read Literature Like a Professor, by Thomas C. Foster
I’m sure there are college students nationwide forced to read this book, and I envy them, its awesome. Even though Foster writes the book as if it is preparation for his teaching, it makes for excellent reading. Covering topics from weather to food to the epic journey, he gives you a little taste of what its like to read for understanding and pleasure simultaneously, and does so in a style that’s not only intelligible but enjoyable.
Velvet Elvis, by Rob Bell
A pastor at Mars Hill in MI, Rob Bell is one of those guys that most people either love or hate. He works mainly in analogies, but ones that are intelligible, and that don’t aim to offend. There are a lot of “Christian” writers that I can’t stand, and Bell doesn’t even teeter on the edge of that category. His writing has qualities that most other religious writers lack: frankness, honesty, and openness. That said, I don’t agree with everything he says, but it’s sure nice to hear from someone who isn’t out to judge for once.
May 31, 2008
The Well of Lost Plots, by Jasper Fforde
The third book in the Thursday Next series, which began with The Eyre Affair and continued with Lost in a Good Book, it is truly a spectacular feat of imagination. No one but Fforde could combine parallel universes, literary theory and an explanation for why we see things out of the corners of our eyes into a novel that’s such fun to read.
Belong to Me, by Marisa de los Santos
A follow-up to her first novel, Love Walked In, this picks up three years after her premier novel ends. De los Santos weaves characters that you can’t help but fall in love with, and I was delighted to be reunited with them in this novel. It may be considered “book club literature”, but its more than worth checking out.
Friends, Lovers, Chocolate, by Alexander McCall Smith
McCall Smith is the only modern author I’ve yet read who manages to create intriguing story lines and believable characters all while using proper English. If you’re a grammar freak like me, this is particularly appealing–you don’t have to write any mental notes to the editor condemning the use of split infinitives or an overuse of commas. Set in one of my favorite cities, Edinburgh, this is the second of McCall Smith’s Isabel Dalhousie Mysteries, a series that is both philosophical and mysterious, and will keep your attention. These books are detective mysteries more than anything else, which is why they hold a special place in my heart right up there with Sherlock Holmes.
Girl Meets God, by Lauren Winner
I adore reading books written by well-read authors, and Lauren Winner does not disappoint. The daughter of a lapsed Southern Baptist mother and a Jewish father, Winner gives a lively and literary account of her spiritual journey in this memorable memoir. Winner is at once a person you want to invite over for a cup of coffee and one you want to hate because she is smarter than you. Personally, I also love that she claims my two favorite cities, Asheville and Charlottesville, as home. I appreciate the intellectual way she approaches religion, something I have a hard time dealing with myself.
May 21, 2008
My town just got a new Home Depot. Boy am I glad, because otherwise I’d be forced to shop at a store whose name isn’t plastered over the entire nation. I’ll admit, I’ve been there already to buy more stain for the bookcase I’m refinishing.
But the whole thing has gotten me thinking. We live in a country that not only desires conformity but practically drowns us in it. I have yet to live in a town without a Home Depot, a Starbucks, a McDonald’s. Even the small IA town where my dad lives, population 5,000, has a McDonald’s. We’re told that we’re supposed to hit the gym after work, fear getting old, hate wrinkles, work to prevent global warming, eat burgers but want to be vegetarians, stay thin at all costs, let our jobs be our lives, give each of our children their own bathrooms, attend a top-tier college, and like reality TV.
Even our rebellion is full of conformity. When we rebel we paint our fingernails black, pierce our eyebrows, wear fishnet gloves, smoke pot, skip class, ride skateboards, play the guitar, listen to hard music, and draw skulls on our Chucks.
Every part of my life is full of pressure for me to be just like everyone else. I’m told to straighten my curly hair, wear trousers with less of a boot cut, pluck my eyebrows to a particular shape, desire a job in the corporate world, and name my dog Max.
Fundamentally, I’m not against any of these things. I don’t mind straightening my hair or buying new trousers and whatnot. But the fact that people in my life are actually telling me that I’ll never get anywhere in life if I don’t do these things is simply wrong. If I’m going to get a promotion based on whether my hair is straight or curly then I don’t want it. Keep your good job title and increased salary. I want nothing to do with a culture where my dog’s name can make or break friendship opportunities.
I get it now. I get why people jump out of planes, bungee jump off bridges and do other mildly insane things. You have to. If you want to feel alive or like you’re not just another drone in this place where you can’t tell one Banana Republic sweater from another, you have to do something to escape.
If you’ve never read Brave New World or A Wrinkle in Time, do it now, before they go out of print or something.
May 19, 2008
This week I’m reading How to Read Literature Like a Professor, which is a much better book than the title might imply. Written by an English professor at U. Michigan Flint, it really is (as the subtitle implies) a lively and entertaining read. Usually I go through a book or two a week, but I think I’ll take longer on this book simply because its so fun to read.
I’ve gotten to the chapter entitled “Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before?”, a look a references and repetition in literature. Honestly, this chapter makes me feel a little more sane. I remember being in undergrad asking my Spanish professor if something in the work we were reading for class was an allusion to something I had recently read for my History class, and he looked at me like I was crazy and said something to the effect of, “that happened hundreds of years before this story was penned”. I stopped asking him questions like this after that. All that is to say though, that I am in love with this book! And that’s something, as I have a harder time falling for non-fiction.
Can I also add that I love how he has a recommended reading list at the end, complete with his thoughts on why these books are worth reading?!
May 19, 2008
The newest post on Stuff White People Like:
White people love rules. It explains why so they get upset when people cut in line, why they tip so religiously and why they become
lawyers. But without a doubt, the rule system that white people love the most is grammar. It is in their blood not only to use perfect grammar but also to spend significant portions of time pointing out the errors of others.
When asking someone about their biggest annoyances in life, you might expect responses like “hunger,” “being poor,” or “getting shot.” If you ask a white person, the most common response will likely be “people who use ‘their’ when they mean ‘there.’ Maybe comma splices, I’m not sure but it’s definitely one of the two.”
If you wish to gain the respect of a white person, it’s probably a good idea that you find an obscure and debated grammar rule such as the “Oxford Comma” and take a firm stance on what you believe is correct. This is seen as more productive and forward thinking that simply stating your anger at the improper use of “it’s.
Another important thing to know is that when white people read magazines and books they are always looking for grammar and spelling mistakes. In fact, one of the greatest joys a white person can experience is to catch a grammar mistake in a major publication. Finding one allows a white person to believe that they are better than the writer and the publication since they would have caught the mistake. The more respected the publication, the greater the thrill. If a white person were to catch a mistake in The New Yorker, it would be a sufficient reason for a large party.
Though they reserve the harshest judgment for professional, do not assume that white people will cast a blind eye to your grammar mistakes in email and official documents. They will judge you and make a general assessment about your intelligence after the first infraction. Fortunately, this situation can be improved if you ask a white person to proof read your work before you send it out. “Hey Jill, I’m sorry to do this, but I have a business degree and I’m a terrible writer. Can you look this over for me?” This deft maneuver will allow the white person to feel as though their liberal arts degree has a purpose and allow you to do something more interesting.
Don’t worry, it is impossible for a white person to turn down the opportunity to proofread.
May 14, 2008
Literophile. Its not in my dictionary. In fact, right now Firefox is telling me that I ought to change it to either necrophiliac or audiophile. It might not be my most ingenious concoction of my linguistic knowledge, but I like to think it would make Jasper Fforde proud. I like language. I love words. I am obsessed with the written word.
I adore wandering around libraries and bookstores, but used bookstores are my personal favorite. There’s something sacred about books that have already been loved looking for new homes. I find my desire to buy used books is pretty much equal to my desire to take home the homeless puppies outside the pet store on adoption days. And that’s pretty bad, just ask my boyfriend. I find it impossible to get rid of books. What if I want to refer back to something in them…someday?? I broke this code when I was moving a few years ago, and every once in a while I set off in search of one of the two dozen or so books I gave away and, when I come up short, kick myself all over again for letting those books go.
If you’re not a book nerd, you probably haven’t made it this far. Although I’m never able to quite put my finger on it, there’s something amazing in the way a good book smells, the rustle of pages in a quiet room, the texture of a spine under your fingers. So I would like to offer my sympathies to those of you out there who don’t experience what my friend Sonya once termed bookgasms.
Literophelia does have its drawbacks, though. Namely this: books are expensive. And heavy. I move a lot, which means that I rid myself of everything unnecessary each time this happens. Furniture (save bookcases) goes, kitchen appliances go, clothes go, TVs and DVDs go, books stay. I think its safe to say I have a problem.
In a modern culture that values literature (and reading outside the computer in general) much lower than ever before, what’s a literophile to do? I have so few friends who read, and I mean really read. I’m not talking Nora Roberts here, I’m talking actual literature. I took my dog to the clinic where my boyfriend works a few weeks ago, and had a disheartening talk with the vet about books. He asked my what I wanted to do with my life (a loaded question to an aspiring professor who works in a bank) and I said I was going for my MA in Comparative Literature. He then proceeded to expound on the greatness of James Patterson. All I could think to say is that Patterson has, indeed, written a great many books. I’m sure this did nothing to make me look intelligent in his eyes, but that’s ok. What strikes me is how common this reaction is, so many people pulling their B-rated movie version of book knowledge out when I say that I want to be a literature professor. It makes me wonder, if I met someone who wanted to be a film professor, would I expound on my love of Scrubs?
To be honest, I don’t think so, but I’m not altogether sure. Lately, I’ve started to feel as though I’m very different. And I don’t mean in the cool I-love-her-awesome-haircut kind of way, but rather in the is-there-something-wring-with-that-girl kind of way. I’m pretty sure there’s nothing wrong with me. I’m pretty sure I’m not exactly average either.
May 13, 2008
Fun things to do with your Humanities degree:
1. Write the next great American novel. Regardless of whether you majored or minored in English, or just really liked that British Lit Survey class you took Sophomore year, having an interest in your native tongue makes people think you’re the next Fitzgerald. It doesn’t matter that you don’t want to spend your formative years banging your head against the wall in an attempt to combat writers’ block. It doesn’t matter that you were a literature major and not a creative writing major. However, this is one of the best ways to shove that liberal arts degree in the faces of your friends who are sitting in med school classes trying to name diseases they’ll likely never encounter.
2. Wow people in everyday conversation with your stellar grasp of the English language. Just remember that this can have the adverse effect of others thinking that you’re a grammar nazi/general snob.
3. Create a position for yourself as a post-grad writing lab. Your friends who are still in school continually email you papers, speeches, and other emails to spell and grammar check. Yes, they expect prompt replies. Hey, you might not be able to balance your checkbook, but at least you can articulate your ignorance in a beautiful manner.
4. Become one of those people that other people hate. You know the ones. We look at you as the credits are rolling in the movie theater and say, “The book was so much better”. We know its annoying. But its usually true.
5. Become a starving artist. Let’s face it, the Humanities are less than appreciated these days.
6. Find a grad school and earn another (only somewhat) useless degree.
That’s all I’ve got.
Ideas? Please?
May 12, 2008
I found this article on WikiHow: How To Survive Your Dream Job Without Starving. All in all, I think its pretty good, but they do recommend cutting your monthly expenses by getting rid of Internet. Did they really think this one through? Maybe its just because I’m an Internet junkie. But they’d get a lot less traffic on their site if more people got rid of their Internet.
That aside, I think there’s something to be said for doing what you love. That’s my dream. If, like me, you’re still doing something you really hate, check out this WikiHow: How to Enjoy Your Job. I put a lot less stock in this one, some jobs you can only survive. That’s not pessimism, its honesty.
May 12, 2008
I found this really awesome blog that is totally making me laugh. The list for May 1st was Unfortunate Company Logos of the Day. My personal favorites are the Kidsexchange (very top of the list) and the Anthony Byrne logo (fourth from last).
Do people really not look at these things closely? You’re advertising your business here, people, not attempting to tell the world how you violate children…
May 12, 2008
Scrubs is my favorite show. Stupid, I know, but its just so funny…So there are all these rumors going around that last week’s episode was the last Scrubs ever, but then I read this article on Wikipedia that says its moving to ABC for an eighth season.
Regardless, all I have to say is that, if “My Princess” is the series finale, I’m sorely disappointed. Although they do get my props for making Todd a fairy. But seriously, making the series finale a poorly done fairy tale flashback was less than ingenious.
Here’s to them making an eighth season.
May 12, 2008
Esquire recently published an article entitled “The 75 Skills Every Man Should Master“.
These are a few of my favs:
21. Argue with a European without getting xenophobic or insulting soccer.
Once, in our lifetime, much of Europe was approaching cultural and political irrelevance. Then they made like us and banded together into a union of confederated states. So you can always assume that they were simply copying the United States as they now push us to the verge of cultural and political irrelevance.
32. Describe a glass of wine in one sentence without using the terms nutty, fruity, oaky, finish, or kick. I once stood in a wine store in West Hollywood where the owner described a pinot noir he favored as “a night walk through a wet garden.” I bought it. I went to my hotel and drank it by myself, looking at the flickering city with my feet on the windowsill. I don’t know which was more right, the wine or the vision that he placed in my head. Point is, it was right.
49. Say no.
58. Avoid boredom. You have enough to eat. You can move. This must be acknowledged as a kind of freedom. You don’t always have to buy things, put things in your mouth, or be delighted.
73. Caress a woman’s neck. Back of your fingers, in a slow fan.
May 8, 2008
According to a BBC News release, the US airline system…well, sucks.
I’m shocked.
You mean all the recent safety concerns, canceled flights, unhappy customers (etc.) haven’t been imagining things?
We need a good train system.
May 8, 2008
First of all, it’s not “roundabout”, it’s rotary.
Rotaries were created before traffic lights, so this should give you an indication as to their intended use. If you have two streets coming together, you don’t need a freaking rotary! Just get some stinking stop signs! This is their intended use!
Rotaries are very popular now, I can only assume it is because they were developed by the French, and (aside from the actual French people) we love all things French. Haute couture, good wine, a snobby yet beautiful language, Amalie, the list goes on. People, teach your children to eat les haricots verts, and then worry about poor traffic navigation patterns. No one seems to be able to drive as it is, so please, let’s keep it as simple as possible.
Seriously.
May 8, 2008
