poetically speaking

Danielle is about to read a poetry anthology of Galway Kinnell's. This is one of his most delightful poems from that anthology:

After Making Love We Hear Footsteps

For I can snore like a bullhorn
or play loud music
or sit up talking with any reasonably sober Irishman
and Fergus will only sink deeper
into his dreamless sleep, which goes by all in one flash,
but let there be that heavy breathing
or a stifled come-cry anywhere in the house
and he will wrench himself awake
and make for it on the run - as now, we lie together,
after making love, quiet, touching along the length of our bodies, familiar touch of the long-married,
and he appears - in his baseball pajamas, it happens,
the neck opening so small
he has to screw them on, which one day may make him wonder
about the mental capacity of baseball players -
and flops down between us and hugs us and snuggles himself to sleep,
his face gleaming with satisfaction at being this very child.

In the half darkness we look at each other
and smile
and touch arms across his little, startling muscled body -
this one whom habit of memory propels to the ground of his making, sleeper only the mortal sounds can sing awake,
this blessing love gives again into our arms.

Galway Kinnell

This poem moved into my "pantheon of poems and poets" the first time I read it~

This incredible brush...

I actually posted this one on my other blog a year or so ago, but just found it again, and it is such fun.




The Spirit Gate is excellent. I don't want it to end, but I'm sure getting close; read until about midnight last night and had 3 hours of enforced waiting today. Can't tell you how glad I was I took my book!

Knit the Classics and Paper Dolls

Melanie at tea reads has another blog, Knit the Classics, that makes me wish I could do more than just "knit, purl" in a straight line. They knit something that represents each novel they are reading, and my favorite is Count Fosco's Mouse.

This site is so much fun--a gallery of paper dolls! Here is Mr. Darcy (run the cursor over him and his clothes change) and Mr. Knightley and The Scarlet Pimpernel and Jane Eyre and Emily Dickinson.

A Little ...

More Flannery:

on religion: "The only force I believe in is prayer, and it is a force I apply with more doggedness than attention."

on Freud: "As to Sigmund, I am against him tooth and toenail but I am crafty: never deny, seldom confirm, always distinguish. Within his limitations I am ready to admit certain uses for him."

on reading her work aloud: "I do it whenever I go to Nashville or anytime anybody asks me, which is not often. Usually it works very well; however, the funnier the story, the straighter the face it should be read with and I am the kind who laughs heartily at my own jokes. This weekend I read the first story in the book and disgraced myself in this fashion."

Excerpts from The Habit of Being: Letters of Flannery O'Connor.

Your turn, Susan!

My disappointment in Avi's book may be related to the book that was, I think, a turning point in my reading career - The Secret Garden, which I read at about nine or ten, either the summer before or after the fourth grade. I was an avid reader early, but TSG whetted my appetite for more involved stories. From then on, I was not a hungry reader, but a voracious one. While not all books will capture our imaginations, it is important to have a book like TSG to turn young readers into lifetime readers.

The Book without Words

Avi. The Book without Words: A Medieval Fable. Even if I were ten, I don't believe this book would hold my attention for long. Which is a shame, because it has a lovely cover. :)

The book opens in 1046 in a small town in northern England. Thorston is an old man who has been practicing alchemy, but the false gold he creates is for purposes other than mere wealth. This is a story of greed, the greed for the "gold" and Thorston's greed for eternal life. His servant girl Sybil is thirteen and necessary to his plan. In a little twist on the mythic Sybil, this poor orphan yearns desperately to live, not just to exist in her hand-to-mouth situation.

Other characters include Odo, the talking raven; the monk Wilfred; Bashcroft, the local reeve; Alfric and Damian, two young boys. All of the characters seemed quite flat to me, and the story seemed to plod along. Despite so many elements that could have been charming, it was-- for me-- an empty experience that seemed too pedantic.

Fiction. Fable/fantasy. 2005. 200 pages.

Delirum

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the Cirque de Soleil performance of Delirium. I posted about it here on my other blog with some links. Delightful, fantastic experience!

Started Avi's The Book with No Words: A Fable of Medieval Magic, but wasn't able to get much read. The book is for very young readers, and after the first page which I adored, slowed down a little. The names appear to have some mythological importance - Thorson, Odo (a talking raven), Sybil. I'll refrain from talking too much about it as I've not read enough.

I'm enjoying visiting other blogs taking part in Carl's Once Upon a Time Challenge; hoping to have more time to check on them in the days to come.

Philip Pullman and Neil Gaiman

Since the Once Upon a Time challenge is now in play, some of you may be interested in this interview with Philip Pulman, or this (conversation between Pullman and and his former teacher), or this. As usual, following one link over at Endicott Redux is impossible...

Today, Midori Snyder at Endicott Redux has links to Neil Gaiman's trailer for Stardust if you haven't been following Neil Gaiman's blog. I watched it again...just wonderful. (Claire Danes, Robert de Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer)

The Rossetti Letter

Phillips, Christi. The Rossetti Letter. Claire Donovan has the opportunity to attend a conference in Venice that will enable her to complete her Ph.D. dissertation on the Spanish Conspiracy. In order to afford the trip she must agree to chaperone a teenager. As you can imagine, this involves its own set of problems. Then at the first seminar, Andrew Kent, a well-known Cambridge historian announces his forthcoming book debunking the Spanish Conspiracy theory. Claire's approach has been based on a letter written by a famous courtesan of the time, and she must now find proof from primary sources or abandon her dissertation, losing all of the time and effort that she's put into it. Unfortunately, some of the information she needs is reserved for Kent's own research.

The chapters alternate between Claire's 21st century problems and the life of the early 17th century courtesan, Allesandra Rossetti. The reader follows both stories as Claire looks for evidence and Allesandra becomes entangled with the both Spanish and Venetian conspirators.

A light read, but some interesting historical information about life and politics in the Venice. of 1618. There was no Rossetti letter, but the Spanish Conspiracy was an actual event and several of the characters were real people caught up in the affair.

Fiction. Mystery. 2007. 383 pages.

Once Upon a Time...

Carl has posted his Challenge! I'm not sure which Quest (or Quests) I will pursue. The books I have in preparation are listed here, and I can't wait to dive in! Have one book to finish before starting (The Rossetti Letter) and will continue with Flannery O'Connor's The Habit of Being.

I'm combining the Once Upon a Time Challenge with Callapidder's
Spring Reading Thing.

How about a book truck?

I would love to see this truck rollin' down the highway. Of course, I'd be trying to read the titles, the post-it note, and the bulletin board!

In progress - The Rossetti Letter by Christi Phillips. Claire is working on her dissertation on the Spanish Conspiracy and manages to attend a conference in Venice where she can to research using primary sources. The first catch: She must act as chaperone to a fourteen-year-old girl. The second catch: A well-known historian, author, and Cambridge professor is also working on an aspect of the Spanish Conspiracy. O.K. so far. Alternating chapters move from Claire's difficulties in the present to Allesandra Rossetti in 1618.

O'Connor's Influences

I was going to use O'Connor's reading influences in tomorrow's post. However, Susan beat me to it, so go right here, right now and read which authors Flannery O'Connor read. (I still can't believe I almost included it in this evening's post and then found the exact section at Susan's --great minds?)

Very tired as...

I have spent nearly 12 hours today in the yard: weeding, trimming, cleaning up, planting a few marigolds for their lively color. Kept books outside for reading during my breaks, which became more and more frequent as my neck began bothering me. Nevertheless, I've accomplished a great deal and have two wheelbarrows full of junk for the trash people tomorrow. Old plastic pots, old stakes, tree trimmings, weeds. Lots and lots of weeds.

Turned again to The Habit of Being and during my breaks indulged in more letters. O'Connor received many "fan" letters:

to a man who had not read her stories: "[he] doesn't really see how I can say a good man is hard to find. he is an industrial engineer, likes to play bridge, is the active type, 31 years old, single etc. etc. I wrote Mr. Semple that I didn't think I'd like him a bit but he would be crazy about me as I had seven gold teeth and weighed 250 pounds." ("A Good Man Is Hard to Find" is one of her short stories)


on religion: "I believe that there are many rough beasts slouching toward Bethelem to be born and that I have reported the progress of a few of them, and when I see these stories described as horror stories I am always amused because the reviewer always has hold of the wrong horror."

and

"Dogma can in no way limit a limitless God.....For me a dogma is only a gateway to contemplation and is an intrument of freedom and not of restriction."

Her religion and the Catholic Church were paramount to O'Connor so reading some of her thoughts in the form of nonfiction is revealing.

Blind Submission

Ginsberg, Debra. Blind Submission. A mystery set in the publishing industry. I haven't seen The Devil Wears Prada, but there might be a similarity of characters from what I've heard. Angel Robinson is hired as an assistant to the head of the Luciana Fiamma Literary Agency. She is immediately caught up in the excitement (ignoring as best she can the ill treatment) and begins reading and recommending manuscripts. Angel is not only clever at recognizing a good manuscript, but she is also able capable of making suggestions for improvement. Then a partial manuscript arrives by an anonymous author; the setting of the narrative is a literary agency. As portions of the manuscript arrive (each new segment improved by Angel's judicious comments), the characters' resemblance to individuals at the Luciamma Fiamma office become more obvious. Lots of twists and turns; lots of tension. A fast read.

Neither bad, nor great, but very tense as the anonymous author knows more than anyone should about Angel and the agency.

Fiction. Mystery. Or chick lit? 2006. 328 pages.

New Books

Went to the library yesterday and picked up several mysteries, most of which are related to books or manuscripts. Started Blind Submission last night, and it is speeding along. When I stop and rest (yard work), I pick the book up and give it 10 more minutes, and since I read over half of it last night, should finish it tonight. Not great, but very tense, especially as I approach the conclusion.

Fee and I had a good discussion about Nelle Harper Lee and Flannery O'Connor last night, and he is itching to read a little O'Connor (I always recommend Good Country People) and the letters as well. He may simply want me to quit reading aloud to him. Who knows?

My neck hurts from planting and weeding. Have not done anything strenuous, but something about the way I hold my head always gives me problems in the spring.

Received an ARC from Harcourt's Children's Books Division yesterday (Thanks, Anna); perfect timing as it should fit into the fantasy challenge. Evil Genius (has not been released, but review is on Amazon.com) by Catherine Jinks is a nearly 500 page YA novel and looks quite interesting. Jinks has won the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award 3 times.

Flannery O'Connor...

was 23 in 1948 when she wrote the first letters in this book, and already in the process of writing Wise Blood. She won the Rhinehart-Iowa Fiction Award for a first novel, with the incomplete manuscript and was recommended for a place at Yaddo, where she worked for a few months with the likes of Robert Lowell. Pretty heady company!

The $750 prize from Rhinehart gave them the option to Wise Blood, but they weren't really pleased with it and suggested that O'Connor revise the parts of the novel that she felt were the strongest. She refused. That must have taken courage, don't you think? At 22-23 years old to stand up to a publishing company with that kind of confidence in her own work? She told John Selby that she would "listen to Rinehart criticism but that if it didn't suit me, I would disregard it."

In a letter to Paul Engle: "Selby and I came to the conclusion that I was 'prematurely arrogant.' I supplied the phrase."

That absolutely delighted me when I read it, and I highlighted and flagged it immediately because this book isn't going anywhere. This is one that will stay on the shelves all highlighted, flagged, and annotated. For me. (I know many of you don't mark your books, but I have a number of nonfiction books that I've marginalia'd to death.)

In 1951, she was reading "Dr. Johnson's Life of Dryden. Dryden 'embraced Popery' but Dr. Johnson is very lenient with him about it and says the measure of his sincerity was, he taught it (Popery) to his children..." That quote is to show Dorothy how well-rounded Miss Flannery was because I'm enjoying D.'s updates on Dr. Johnson.

When Wise Blood was published in 1952, O'Connor wrote Robert Giroux asking for extra copies (that she could get for 40% off) to be sent to several people because "My nine copies have to go to a set of relatives who are waiting anxiously to condemn the book until they get a free copy."

She tells Sally Fitzgerald that her mother is "composing you a fruitcake."

and "My mamma & I are on the way to the polls to cancel out each other's vote."

To Ben Griffith: " Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner, and Bean [ducks] are slated for the deep freeze in August but Clair Booth Loose Goose is going to live a natural life until she dies a natural death."

OK, OK...enough already! This is like having someone read the newspaper to you.

I know there is a copy of Wise Blood (or maybe of Three) boxed up in the garage somewhere, but it might be easier to buy another copy--

O'Connor was strongly influenced by Faulkner (no surprise there), and Bookfoolery and Babble
has several posts and pictures of Off-Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi and here.

A Scathing Review (or two)!

John Scalzi ran a Scathing Review contest on his blog...with some very clever results. John Scalzi is on my list of TBR (Thanks, Carl), but these reviews of his nonexistent book make me more curious than ever. You have to admit that inviting scathing reviews (even if there is no actual book) would be good aversion therapy.

O'Connor continues to charm in her letters. They are revealing a personality I wouldn't have expected from her work and from her illness-- cheerful, wry, whimsical!

Flannery O'Connor's Letters

Yesterday, I had to go over Laddie's and wait for the locksmith to arrive, wait for him to re-key all of the locks, and pay him. He was a nice, shy, and efficient young man. During my enforced wait, I need something to read, so I grabbed Letters of Flannery O'Connor: The Habit of Being. I've hesitated to begin this because there are so many books in the various stacks, and this one is over 500 pages, but for some reason, I grabbed that particular book before starting out.

I've fallen in love with Flannery O'Connor! Will have to reread her works with a fresh, new outlook when I've finished. Sometimes I read the introductions before reading a work, sometimes, after. Usually, I glance at the first two paragraphs and make a decision, and this introduction seemed necessary as a review of O'Connor's life before getting into the letters themselves. Fitzgerald's introduction is a pleasure; a useful and necessary preface to the letters.

And the letters! Oh, I have so many little portions marked already...so funny, so dry, so Southern! O'Connor has absolutely charmed me with her wit, her view of life, and her relationship with her mother.

This will be my April biography, as I plan to enjoy this a little at a time and will not likely finish it this month. It is the perfect thing to read as counterpoint to all of the fantasy that I'll soon be delving into. Like short stories and essays, you can read a little, put it down and come back later without losing a narrative thread.

Mockingbird

Shields, Charles J. Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee. As I mentioned earlier, I liked the introduction very much and the first chapter not at all. The second chapter improved my attitude, and eventually I settled in and became quite absorbed. Nelle Harper Lee was a private person, who after 1964 avoided interviews, making this biography quite difficult--especially as she also had requested that close friends and family members not grant interviews. Although there was no direct contact with Lee, Shields' research appears to have gathered almost anything that was ever printed about her.

What Shields has accumulated does present a more unified version of Lee than can be found elsewhere; his attitude is respectful and his interest genuine...even if he adds nothing much new to the story Nelle Harper Lee.

I enjoyed the sketchy information on her childhood and friendship with Truman Capote. Her attitudes about writing and her efforts in taking the short stories she wrote and forcing them to coalesce into a novel with a central theme are very interesting, as are her friendships with the Browns and with Maurice Craine and his wife, who provided both emotional support and the opportunity for periods of uninterrupted writing. Without the support of these friends, To Kill a Mockingbird might never have existed.

The sections dealing with the research for In Cold Blood, and Lee's ability to get people to open up and talk show were particularly interesting to me. I read In Cold Blood when it was first published, and still have some vivid memories all these years later. It was Nelle's personality that won people over, and enabled Capote to develop friendships with people like Al Dewey and his wife. To Kill A Mockingbird won the Pulitzer before In Cold Blood was completed, andCapote was, not surprisingly, intensely jealous. In many ways, Capote's own success led to his downfall through drugs and alcohol, while Nelle's success led to a decline in their friendship because of Capote's jealousy.

Shields also had some interesting information on the making of the movie version of the book. Lee was not initially in favor of Gregory Peck in the role of Atticus; she not only came around, but was convinced that Peck "was" Atticus. The friendship between Nelle and Gregory Peck continued long after the film; he asked her to join him as a member of The National Council of the Arts where she spoke seldom, but what little she said gained the respect and attention of the other members.

There are no huge revelations in the book, no startling revelation about why the second novel never materialized, but it was an interesting and enjoyable read about the author of one of my favorite books and one of my favorite films. While there was nothing earthshaking, the gradual accumulation of details kept me interested.

Nonfiction. Biography. 2006. 285 pages + extensive bibliographic Notes.

New Challenge (links added)

Spring Reading List:

Summers at Castle Auburn - Sharon Shinn
The Silent Tower - Barbara hambly
The Amulet of Samarkand - Book One of The Bartimaeus Trilogy - by Jonathan Stroud
Godmother Night - Rachel Pollack
Coraline - Neil Gaiman
The Book Without Words - Avi
Spirit Gate - Kate Elliot

I'm combining this Challenge by Callapidder Days
with Carl's Challenge (will link when he posts the final info).

A New Stack

Here are my books for the upcoming Fantasy Challenge. Carl is going to post details this week, I think.


Some are young adult novels. All should of these should be fairly quick to read. One other one that I have is Inkheart, but it didn't make it onto the stack. A total of 8 possibilities!

Does anyone else know what they are reading?

I'm almost through with Mockingbird, and I'm relieved to say that after the first chapter, things get more interesting. After the 2nd chapter, I found myself on better terms with the work.