Every American generation seems to get a small number of intellectuals that don't seem to care so much that everyone agree with them than that people actually think about what's in front of them. Susan Sontag was one for our generation - a person who could outrage as she changed the terms of the debate through looking at things in new ways. We will miss her and what she did for us.
Current Agenda
Philip Pullman: His Dark Materials Trilogy (The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; The Amber Spyglass)
Some children's stories are not children's stories. (****)Hilary Mantel: Wolf Hall: A Novel
Tough sledding to get through, but brilliant in spots.Anthony Bourdain: Kitchen Confidential Updated Edition: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (P.S.)
If Hunter Thompson was a foodie. (*****)Elizabeth Moon: Command Decision (Vatta's War, Book 4)
Good basic space opera (***)Orson Scott Card: Ender in Exile
Boring in spots, but sprinkled with diamonds of writing. (***)Timothy Ferriss: The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
Tim's a little crazy, but there's lots to chew on here in the area of questioning your basic assumptions. Good for that if nothing else. (****)James Ishmael Ford: Zen Master Who?: A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen
Middle section reminds me of Genesis (begat, begat, begat) but the best up-to-date (2001) explanation of how all those Zennies got here. (****)Soko Morinaga: Novice to Master: An Ongoing Lesson in the Extent of My Own Stupidity
Delightful book about a Zen master's progression. (*****)Linda Greenlaw: The Hungry Ocean: A Swordboat Captain's Journey
Nuts and bolts of swordfishing from the world's only female captain. More fish than polemic. (***)Natalie Goldberg: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within
Best book on interior of writing I've read in quite some time. Great advice for we the writing afflicted. (*****)
« Happy Political Holidays | Main | Susan Sontag, Jerry Orbach, Artie Shaw »
December 29, 2004
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Self Portraits 10/07
- Seems easier to maul my own image than other people's somehow.
Obama 10/22/07
- Barak Obama at the New Hampshire Statehouse Rally, 10/22/07
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