Sunday drive: Weston to pick up picnic stuff at Peter's Market and then to Putnam Memorial State Park to eat.
Monday drive: Lunch at Panera Bread in Lisbon, CT; then a swim at Hopeville Pond State Park (most likely our last outdoor swim of the season); followed by ice cream at Buttonwood Farms.
Saturday drive: Explored Mashamoquet Brook State Park in Pomfret, CT. On the way home we stopped for lunch at Hank's Restaurant in Brooklyn, CT.
Reading this week:
The "Deal Me In" card is the Two of Clubs; the selection is Muqtatafat: Part two: Arabic language (translated into English). Slop
/ by Magdy el Shafee -- Where our stories collide / by Jana Traboulsi
-- Gauche droite & estamba / by Mohamed el Shennawy -- Nap before
noon / by Barrack Rima -- The bike / by Mohamed Tawfik.
from the library...
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
from my shelves...
Our Woman in Havana: Reporting Castro's Cuba by Sarah Rainsford
Advance review copy through LibraryThing giveaway
Showing posts with label Arab Lit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arab Lit. Show all posts
Saturday, September 22, 2018
Saturday, June 23, 2018
June (fourth week) 2018 Reads & Little Trips
Little trips this Week:
Monday - Picnic & swim (wading, didn't get my hair wet) Day Pond State Park, Colchester CT.
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday - a little trip to do some more exploring in the northwest corner of Connecticut. Stayed in a cabin at Lake Waramaug State Park. This is not a rugged wilderness.
Spent the three days just poking around the area, wandering , seeing few local sites, and just relaxing. Very low-key.
Thur. Morning scenic drive to West Cornwall (covered bridge); afternoon wandering around village of Kent (live music at various outdoor venues)
Fri. Gunn Memorial Library & Historical Museum; Institute for American Indian Studies, both in Washington.
Breakfasts: Wed. home; Thur. Nine Main Cafe, New Preston; Fri. Noel's concession stand at Lake Waramaug State Park.
Lunches: Wed. picnic lunch (food from home) at cabin; Thur. J.P. Gifford Market and Catering Company, Kent followed by Ice Cream at Annie Bananie (note 9/28/19: permanently closed); Fri. Picnic at Black Rock State Park, Watertown (food from Marbledale Citco Quik Mart, New Preston)
Dinners: Wed. at cabin; Thur. Fantastic splurge meal on the terrace at Hopkins Inn on Lake Waramaug.
Reading this week:
This week the "Deal Me In" card is the King of Clubs; the selection is Chung Wenyin, Flesh and Bone Translated from the Chinese by Jennie Chia-Hui Chu
A Taiwanese daughter visits a healer at her mother's insistence.
online....
The Designers Who Made Disco: "The nightclub has always been a fiercely creative and radical architectural typology, a new exhibition at the Vitra Design Museum argues." by Alice Bucknell
Gutenberg finds...
My Year in a Log Cabin by William Dean Howells
Will download this to Kindle and read next time we stay in a log cabin.
The Heptameron of Margaret, Queen of Navarre
Didn't read yet.
from the library...
Murder in the Museum by John Rowland
I picked up this British Library Crime Classic at a library book sale as a relaxing read on a little trip. Perfect choice. I read it in a couple of days and left at a little free library at the campground.
Granada by Radwa Ashour; translated from the Arabic by William Granara
Interesting novel of a Moorish family during the Inquisition.
Knots: Stories by Gunnhild Øyehaug; translated from the Norwegian by Kari Dickson
A little uneven; mostly good.
Welcome to Your World: How the Built Environment Shapes Our Lives by Sarah Williams Goldhagen
Meh.
Monday - Picnic & swim (wading, didn't get my hair wet) Day Pond State Park, Colchester CT.
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday - a little trip to do some more exploring in the northwest corner of Connecticut. Stayed in a cabin at Lake Waramaug State Park. This is not a rugged wilderness.
Spent the three days just poking around the area, wandering , seeing few local sites, and just relaxing. Very low-key.
Thur. Morning scenic drive to West Cornwall (covered bridge); afternoon wandering around village of Kent (live music at various outdoor venues)
Fri. Gunn Memorial Library & Historical Museum; Institute for American Indian Studies, both in Washington.
Breakfasts: Wed. home; Thur. Nine Main Cafe, New Preston; Fri. Noel's concession stand at Lake Waramaug State Park.
Lunches: Wed. picnic lunch (food from home) at cabin; Thur. J.P. Gifford Market and Catering Company, Kent followed by Ice Cream at Annie Bananie (note 9/28/19: permanently closed); Fri. Picnic at Black Rock State Park, Watertown (food from Marbledale Citco Quik Mart, New Preston)
Dinners: Wed. at cabin; Thur. Fantastic splurge meal on the terrace at Hopkins Inn on Lake Waramaug.
Reading this week:
This week the "Deal Me In" card is the King of Clubs; the selection is Chung Wenyin, Flesh and Bone Translated from the Chinese by Jennie Chia-Hui Chu
A Taiwanese daughter visits a healer at her mother's insistence.
online....
The Designers Who Made Disco: "The nightclub has always been a fiercely creative and radical architectural typology, a new exhibition at the Vitra Design Museum argues." by Alice Bucknell
Gutenberg finds...
My Year in a Log Cabin by William Dean Howells
Will download this to Kindle and read next time we stay in a log cabin.
The Heptameron of Margaret, Queen of Navarre
Didn't read yet.
from the library...
Murder in the Museum by John Rowland
I picked up this British Library Crime Classic at a library book sale as a relaxing read on a little trip. Perfect choice. I read it in a couple of days and left at a little free library at the campground.
Granada by Radwa Ashour; translated from the Arabic by William Granara
Interesting novel of a Moorish family during the Inquisition.
Knots: Stories by Gunnhild Øyehaug; translated from the Norwegian by Kari Dickson
A little uneven; mostly good.
Welcome to Your World: How the Built Environment Shapes Our Lives by Sarah Williams Goldhagen
Meh.
Saturday, April 28, 2018
April (fourth week) 2018 Reads
This week the "Deal Me In" card is the Ten of Clubs; the
Yasujiro Ozu (1903–1963) was a film director and screenwriter. These are selections from his prose writing for periodicals. Marunouchi Staffage: A tour of Tokyo’s commercial strip (1933); The Unexpected Pleasures of Riding Trains (1937); and Here We Are, on Narayama: A few words about my mother (1958).
from my shelves...
Sphinx by Anne Garréta; translated from the French by Emma Ramadan
Stunning!
Banthology: Stories from Unwanted Nations by Sarah Cleave (Editor), Anoud (Contributor),
Wajdi Al-Ahdal (Contributor), Ubah Cristina Ali Farah (Contributor), Najwa Binshatwan Contributor), Rania Mamoun (Contributor), Fereshteh Molavi (Contributor), Zaher Omareen (Contributor) , Ruth Ahmedzai Kem (Translator), Basam Ghalayini (Translator), Perween Richards (Translator), Sawad Hussain (Translator), William M. Hutchins (Translator), Hope Campbell Gustafson (Translator)
An anthology of stories from writers from the countries whose people the Trump administration wants to exclude from immigration to the USA. Some of these stories are excellent, one or two are not so great, but all give a very human look at the plight of refugees.
Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson
I enjoyed this charming epistolary novel. She is in England dealing with a so-so marriage, he is in Denmark grieving the loss of his wife.
Free advance review copy
Sleeping Mask: Fictions by Peter LaSalle
Very nice short stories. Definitely a keeper to reread. Publisher sent me a free copy along with an advance review copy of another title (one I requested) through LibraryThing.
Saturday, December 23, 2017
December (fourth week) 2017 Reads
Once again my reading was all over the map: Libya/Italy, Sudan, New York's Chinatown, Chile, and a creepy unnamed fantasy village from a Catalan author.
This week's story: The Past by Ellen Glasgow: In The Best Short Stories of 1921 originally published in Good Housekeeping, October 20, 1920. (The anthology covers the period from October 1920 through September 1921).
This is a gentle ghost story set in a Fifth Avenue mansion.
Card: Queen of Diamonds from a promotional deck printed by B. Dondorf for Saks & Company, New York, late 1920s. Found at The World of Playing Cards.
A picture book from from Project Gutenberg...
My Book of Ten Fishes by Rosalie G. Mendel
from my shelves...
Morning Sea by Margaret Mazzantini; translated from the Italian by Ann Gagliardi
The stories of two mothers and their son are told in this short novel of migration between Italy and Libya. One pair are boat refugees-a mother and her young son traveling from Libya to Sicily. The other story line involves a nineteen year-old son of a woman who was born in Libya of Italian immigrant workers.
Death in Spring by Mercè Rodoreda; translated from the Catalan by Martha Tennent
Weird and compelling world building. This is part of Open Letter Books Two Month Review Project.
Rodoreda is a fine writer. Actually the guided read has another week to go but I couldn't stop myself from finishing ahead of time.
Navidad & Matanza by Carlos Labbé; translated from the Spanish by Will Vanderhyden
Another weird one from Open Letter, this one from Chile. Teenage brother and sister go missing, there is an odd research lab, a group writing of a story. It's all mixed up but worth figuring it out.
Mambo in Chinatown by Jean Kwok
Two American born Chinese sisters live with their immigrant father (a noodle maker in New York's Chinatown). The father and his brother (an herb doctor) are traditionalists. The girls must deal with living an "American" life while trying to respect the views of their elders.
The Book of Khartoum: A City in Short Fiction by Raph Cormack (Editor), Max Shmookler (Editor); translated from the Arabic
Contents:
The tank / Ahmed al-Malik ; translated by Adam Talib --
In the city / Ali al-Makk ; translated by Sarah Irving --
A boy playing with dolls / Isa al-Hilu ; translated by Marilyn Booth --
It's not important, you're from there / Arthur Gabriel Yak ; translated by Andrew Leber --
Next Eid / Bawadir Bashir ; Translated by Thoraya El-Rayyes --
Passing / Rania Mamoun ; translated by Elisabeth Jaquette --
The story of the girl whose birds flew away / Bushra al-Fadil ; translated by Max Shmookler --
The passage / Mamoun Eltlib ; translated by Mohamed Ghalaeiny --
The butcher's daughter / Abdel Aziz Baraka Sakin ; translated by Ralph Cormack --
The void / Hammour Ziada ; translated by Kareem James Abu-Zeid.
| Deal Me In |
This is a gentle ghost story set in a Fifth Avenue mansion.
Card: Queen of Diamonds from a promotional deck printed by B. Dondorf for Saks & Company, New York, late 1920s. Found at The World of Playing Cards.
A picture book from from Project Gutenberg...
My Book of Ten Fishes by Rosalie G. Mendel
from my shelves...
Morning Sea by Margaret Mazzantini; translated from the Italian by Ann Gagliardi
The stories of two mothers and their son are told in this short novel of migration between Italy and Libya. One pair are boat refugees-a mother and her young son traveling from Libya to Sicily. The other story line involves a nineteen year-old son of a woman who was born in Libya of Italian immigrant workers.
Death in Spring by Mercè Rodoreda; translated from the Catalan by Martha Tennent
Weird and compelling world building. This is part of Open Letter Books Two Month Review Project.
Rodoreda is a fine writer. Actually the guided read has another week to go but I couldn't stop myself from finishing ahead of time.
Navidad & Matanza by Carlos Labbé; translated from the Spanish by Will Vanderhyden
Another weird one from Open Letter, this one from Chile. Teenage brother and sister go missing, there is an odd research lab, a group writing of a story. It's all mixed up but worth figuring it out.
Mambo in Chinatown by Jean Kwok
Two American born Chinese sisters live with their immigrant father (a noodle maker in New York's Chinatown). The father and his brother (an herb doctor) are traditionalists. The girls must deal with living an "American" life while trying to respect the views of their elders.
Contents:
The tank / Ahmed al-Malik ; translated by Adam Talib --
In the city / Ali al-Makk ; translated by Sarah Irving --
A boy playing with dolls / Isa al-Hilu ; translated by Marilyn Booth --
It's not important, you're from there / Arthur Gabriel Yak ; translated by Andrew Leber --
Next Eid / Bawadir Bashir ; Translated by Thoraya El-Rayyes --
Passing / Rania Mamoun ; translated by Elisabeth Jaquette --
The story of the girl whose birds flew away / Bushra al-Fadil ; translated by Max Shmookler --
The passage / Mamoun Eltlib ; translated by Mohamed Ghalaeiny --
The butcher's daughter / Abdel Aziz Baraka Sakin ; translated by Ralph Cormack --
The void / Hammour Ziada ; translated by Kareem James Abu-Zeid.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
January (second week) 2017 Reads
Snow, snow, snow
Read, read, read
Eat, eat, eat
Sleep, sleep, sleep
Sun, sun, sun
Read!
This week I finished another of my Christmas gift books, almost finished a second one, continued with Pushkin, and did a lot of online reading. (I found some fun things, much of it through blogs I follow.) I also started a real chunkster--4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster, which weighs in at 880 pages (and this is a paperback ARC). Haven't read very far, but am liking it.
The gift I finished:
Girlfriends, Ghosts, and Other Stories; Robert Walser, Tom Whalen (Translator) (Kindle ed)
Very short stories and sketches (flash fiction?): little nibbles, each a delight to savor and digest.These little morsels are not to be gobbled up, there is a lot of wordplay, gentle satire, sarcasm, and subtlety that requires more than casual reading. To quote Walser himself "To treat food attentively enhances its value" (in Something About Eating).
The translator's Afterword is more like a full meal. It is an informative essay with biographical material, a discussion of Walser's critics, comments on the challenges of translation, and more. The book concludes with a comprehensive list of Walser's works available in English translation.
The gift I almost finished:
Long Belts and Thin Men: The Postwar Stories of Kojima Nobuo; Nobuo Kojima, Lawrence Rogers (Translation)
American Occupied Japan is one of my favorite areas of reading, so this is a book I'm really enjoying. I've read all but one of the stories. Since I put that story on my Deal Me In 2017 Roster I won't be finishing the book until I pull the six of spades.
More Pushkin: (for a full list of the contents of the volumes I've been working with see my post
From: The works of Alexander Pushkin : lyrics, narrative poems, folk tales, plays, prose; selected and edited, with an introduction, by Avrahm Yarmolinsky. (Random house, 1936)
The Covetous Knight (play, p 412-427) translated by A.F.B. Clark
Lyric Poems and Ballads, (p 50-90) various translators (an oopsie here because I got carried away with reading and ended up reading something from my Deal Me In Roster)
Eugene Onegin (p 111-311) translated by Babette Deutsch
From: The Little Tragedies; by Alexander Pushkin; translated and with introduction and critical essays by Nancy K. Anderson. (Yale University Press, 2008)
A Feast During the Plague (play)
Online (Spent most of Sunday with these gems before getting back to books.
Some days are like that.)
The Giving Up Game by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
A young woman tutors the teenage son of a famous actress. The story was ok, but I'm not sure what it wanted to say. This was my second selection from my Deal Me In 2017 Roster Odd two Jacks in a row.
This weeks card: The Valet de Cour from a pack of French Cards, of the time of Henry IV. Found in Facts and Speculations on the Origin and History of Playing Cards by Chatto (Project Gutenberg)
California by Amanda Fletcher
Asian Pears and Red Azaleas by Gwen Francis-Williams
Two daughters remember their mothers. Fletcher covers a period of years, while Francis-Williams focuses on a single event.Both very good stories.
From Hippocampus Magazine "an exclusively online publication set out to entertain, educate and engage writers and readers of creative nonfiction. "
A Hard-Boiled Slang Glossary for Something More Than Night by Ian Tregillis
Tregilles put together a glossary of over 750 terms as preparation for writing one of the characters in a novel. He has published the document on his website. Such fun to browse.
Nameplate Necklaces: This Shit Is For Us by Collier Meyerson
I'll put this one in my "I didn't know that" file. A friend of mine who died in 2001 wore one of these. She was Latina but I had no idea that nameplate necklaces were an ethnic thing.
Changing of the Tide: The Galician Sisters Chipping Away at the Patriarchy, One Barnacle at a Time. by Matt Goulding, Slate; adapted from Grape Olive Pig: Deep Travels Through Spain's Food Culture, Harper Wave; 2016
I enjoyed this essay about barnacle harvesting so much that I have requested the book from library.
Photo by Michael Magers
The Wards of Old London: Fleet Street - Wordsmiths, Pubs, and an Unexpected Ghost by Mark Patton
This is a series I have been following for some time; it's always interesting and I learn a lot from it. One thing I learned from this post is that the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) maintains an English Broadside Ballad Archive "Making broadside ballads of the seventeenth century fully accessible as texts, art, music, and cultural records."
A Bill of Fare: / For, A Saturday nights Supper, A Sunday morning Breakfast, and / A Munday Dinner, Described in a pleasant new merry Ditie.
A delightful meal--this link is to the recording on the UCSB archive mentioned above. There is also a text transcription of the lyric. What a great resource!
Crawfie and The Little Princesses by Linda Fetterly Root
Linda Root hit the mark with me with this informative essay on one of my childhood favorite books. Like Linda Root, the book made me fascinated with the Royals, but it also made me interested in reading biography.
A helpful librarian aimed me toward another royal biography--one about Queen Liliʻuokalani of Hawaii. I have no idea which bio it was but is was one written for young people.
On the Arab page by Jonathan Guyer
"Much connects art and comics in Egypt and the wider Middle East, even if publishing houses keep fine art and graphic narratives on different shelves." A discussion of the development of Arab comics in Egypt and their connection with fine art. This one had me making a list of things to Google.
Illustration “Self portrait with Spider”, 1945, Adham Wanly
Abushâdy archive
The Long, Unusual History of the Pickled Cucumber by Ernie Smith
The focus here is on the commercial history of the pickle in the USA. There are lots of links to follow if you want to know more about the salty, crunchy snack.
Poor Nancy Young, the Suspected Teen Vampire of Rhode Island A graphic history of an 1827 exhumation by Jamison Odoneby Ernie Smith
Oh my, sometimes the Atlas Obscura email newsletter has nothing of interest to me, then there is a day like Tuesday that brings pickles (above) and gruesome "comics."
The 'Balloon Maps' That Aided Exploration, War, And Tourism by Cara Giaimo
Another from Atlas Obscura. Do they know I love pickles, graphics, & old maps?
The Broomway is known as the most perilous path in Britain – "and is a favourite walk of writer Robert Macfarlane, who describes it in this adaptation from his book The Old Ways." A close up look at one of the features of the Thames Estuary. This one with georgous photographs. (see my post January (first week) 2017 Reads for more on the estuary)
This 3,500-Year-Old Greek Tomb Upended What We Thought We Knew About the Roots of Western Civilization. The recent discovery of the grave of an ancient soldier is challenging accepted wisdom among archaeologists. By Jo Marchant; Photographs by Myrto Papadopoulos. Smithsonian.com
And now--back to Pushkin and Auster....
Read, read, read
Eat, eat, eat
Sleep, sleep, sleep
Sun, sun, sun
Read!
This week I finished another of my Christmas gift books, almost finished a second one, continued with Pushkin, and did a lot of online reading. (I found some fun things, much of it through blogs I follow.) I also started a real chunkster--4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster, which weighs in at 880 pages (and this is a paperback ARC). Haven't read very far, but am liking it.
The gift I finished:
Girlfriends, Ghosts, and Other Stories; Robert Walser, Tom Whalen (Translator) (Kindle ed)
The translator's Afterword is more like a full meal. It is an informative essay with biographical material, a discussion of Walser's critics, comments on the challenges of translation, and more. The book concludes with a comprehensive list of Walser's works available in English translation.
The gift I almost finished:
Long Belts and Thin Men: The Postwar Stories of Kojima Nobuo; Nobuo Kojima, Lawrence Rogers (Translation)
American Occupied Japan is one of my favorite areas of reading, so this is a book I'm really enjoying. I've read all but one of the stories. Since I put that story on my Deal Me In 2017 Roster I won't be finishing the book until I pull the six of spades.
More Pushkin: (for a full list of the contents of the volumes I've been working with see my post
The Covetous Knight (play, p 412-427) translated by A.F.B. Clark
Lyric Poems and Ballads, (p 50-90) various translators (an oopsie here because I got carried away with reading and ended up reading something from my Deal Me In Roster)
Eugene Onegin (p 111-311) translated by Babette Deutsch
From: The Little Tragedies; by Alexander Pushkin; translated and with introduction and critical essays by Nancy K. Anderson. (Yale University Press, 2008)
A Feast During the Plague (play)
Online (Spent most of Sunday with these gems before getting back to books.
Some days are like that.)
The Giving Up Game by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
A young woman tutors the teenage son of a famous actress. The story was ok, but I'm not sure what it wanted to say. This was my second selection from my Deal Me In 2017 Roster Odd two Jacks in a row.
This weeks card: The Valet de Cour from a pack of French Cards, of the time of Henry IV. Found in Facts and Speculations on the Origin and History of Playing Cards by Chatto (Project Gutenberg)
California by Amanda Fletcher
Asian Pears and Red Azaleas by Gwen Francis-Williams
Two daughters remember their mothers. Fletcher covers a period of years, while Francis-Williams focuses on a single event.Both very good stories.
From Hippocampus Magazine "an exclusively online publication set out to entertain, educate and engage writers and readers of creative nonfiction. "
A Hard-Boiled Slang Glossary for Something More Than Night by Ian Tregillis
Tregilles put together a glossary of over 750 terms as preparation for writing one of the characters in a novel. He has published the document on his website. Such fun to browse.
Nameplate Necklaces: This Shit Is For Us by Collier Meyerson
I'll put this one in my "I didn't know that" file. A friend of mine who died in 2001 wore one of these. She was Latina but I had no idea that nameplate necklaces were an ethnic thing.
Changing of the Tide: The Galician Sisters Chipping Away at the Patriarchy, One Barnacle at a Time. by Matt Goulding, Slate; adapted from Grape Olive Pig: Deep Travels Through Spain's Food Culture, Harper Wave; 2016
I enjoyed this essay about barnacle harvesting so much that I have requested the book from library.
Photo by Michael Magers
The Wards of Old London: Fleet Street - Wordsmiths, Pubs, and an Unexpected Ghost by Mark Patton
This is a series I have been following for some time; it's always interesting and I learn a lot from it. One thing I learned from this post is that the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) maintains an English Broadside Ballad Archive "Making broadside ballads of the seventeenth century fully accessible as texts, art, music, and cultural records."
A Bill of Fare: / For, A Saturday nights Supper, A Sunday morning Breakfast, and / A Munday Dinner, Described in a pleasant new merry Ditie.
A delightful meal--this link is to the recording on the UCSB archive mentioned above. There is also a text transcription of the lyric. What a great resource!
Crawfie and The Little Princesses by Linda Fetterly Root
Linda Root hit the mark with me with this informative essay on one of my childhood favorite books. Like Linda Root, the book made me fascinated with the Royals, but it also made me interested in reading biography.
A helpful librarian aimed me toward another royal biography--one about Queen Liliʻuokalani of Hawaii. I have no idea which bio it was but is was one written for young people.
"Much connects art and comics in Egypt and the wider Middle East, even if publishing houses keep fine art and graphic narratives on different shelves." A discussion of the development of Arab comics in Egypt and their connection with fine art. This one had me making a list of things to Google.
Illustration “Self portrait with Spider”, 1945, Adham Wanly
Abushâdy archive
The Long, Unusual History of the Pickled Cucumber by Ernie Smith
The focus here is on the commercial history of the pickle in the USA. There are lots of links to follow if you want to know more about the salty, crunchy snack.
Poor Nancy Young, the Suspected Teen Vampire of Rhode Island A graphic history of an 1827 exhumation by Jamison Odoneby Ernie Smith
Oh my, sometimes the Atlas Obscura email newsletter has nothing of interest to me, then there is a day like Tuesday that brings pickles (above) and gruesome "comics."
The 'Balloon Maps' That Aided Exploration, War, And Tourism by Cara Giaimo
Another from Atlas Obscura. Do they know I love pickles, graphics, & old maps?
The Broomway is known as the most perilous path in Britain – "and is a favourite walk of writer Robert Macfarlane, who describes it in this adaptation from his book The Old Ways." A close up look at one of the features of the Thames Estuary. This one with georgous photographs. (see my post January (first week) 2017 Reads for more on the estuary)
This 3,500-Year-Old Greek Tomb Upended What We Thought We Knew About the Roots of Western Civilization. The recent discovery of the grave of an ancient soldier is challenging accepted wisdom among archaeologists. By Jo Marchant; Photographs by Myrto Papadopoulos. Smithsonian.com
And now--back to Pushkin and Auster....
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
November (second half) 2016 Reads
A real mixed bag to end November-
La Superba by Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer; Michele Hutchison (Translation)
Adventures of a Dutch ex-pat in Genoa (aka La Superba). Along with his implausible adventures (often the case when ex-pats spin their stories) there is some history and a lot of tales about the plight of African immigrants. All is told with humor, empathy, and a great love for the city of Genoa. My copy through a subscription to Deep Vellum Books.
Urushi: Proceedings of the 1985 Urushi Study Group by Norman S. Brommelle (Editor)
I've been reading various parts of this since February 2016. The history part was what interested me most, but I did read the entire collection (skimming some of the science). Some of it is very technical, examining methods of identification and preservation of oriental lacquer ware using chemicals, radiography, and other methods. Much of this was fascinating once I accepted that I didn't have to totally understand the science in order to appreciate the studies. I finished it wondering what progress has been made in the thirty years since this was published. The illustrations were numerous and extremely helpful. This is available online, free from the Getty Virtual Library.
The Old King in His Exile by Arno Geiger, Stefan Tobler (Translation)
A true story of an Austrian family dealing with dementia. Beautifully told by a son who learns a lot about his father, his family, and himself.
My copy through subscription to And Other Stories.
The Little Hotel by Christina Stead
This 1973 novel is set in a small, slightly seedy Swiss hotel. There's a thin plot, but mostly it is character studies of an odd set of hotel workers and off-season residents who grudgingly accept each others company. They fret about communist threats, the British limits on taking currency abroad, their personal relationships, their health problems, and boredom. An enjoyable read. Library book.
Miss Herbert (The Suburban Wife) by Christina Stead
This was OK but I didn't like it as much as I liked The Little Hotel. This had more plot but it dragged in places.
News of the World by Paulette Jiles
Following the War Between the States, veteran Jefferson Kidd travels around North Texas reading various newspapers to locals hungry for world news. One night in Wichita Falls he is hired to transport a child recently ransomed from her Kiowa kidnappers. She is ten years old and has been a captive since she was six and remembers little of her life before capture. Kidd is to deliver this orphan to family in San Antonio, a four-hundred mile journey through dangerous territory. A great story full of adventure and a developing relationship. Library book.
The Arab of the Future 2: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1984-1985: A Graphic Memoir (L'Arabe du futur #2) by Riad Sattouf; translated from the French by Sam Taylor.
Riad is different from the other children in his school in Syria--he has light hair, his mother is French, and he often doesn't understand what's going on. A difficult family life, serious, but told with a touch of humor. I must read Part 1. There is a Part 3, but I don't think it's been translated yet. Free copy from the publisher.
Returned to library unread or partially read:
Engleby : a novel / Sebastian Faulks.
Work Like Any Other : a novel / Virginia Reeves.
The Nix : a novel / Nathan Hill. Read a few chapters...meh...
Britt-Marie Was Here : a novel / Fredrik Backman
I have enough to read without spending time reading things I don't like. But then again, in a different mood, I may actually like a couple of these. I may give the Faulks and the Reeves another try.
Online
Ode to Canned Fish: A defense By Aaron Gilbreath
Canned fish is more than just tuna.
URUSHI-KOBO Web site of Mariko Nishide, Urushi artist and restorer/conservator
Urushi - Japanese Lacquer in modern Design Text by Susanne Fritz
Illustrated article on some modern artists working with Urushi
La Superba by Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer; Michele Hutchison (Translation)
Adventures of a Dutch ex-pat in Genoa (aka La Superba). Along with his implausible adventures (often the case when ex-pats spin their stories) there is some history and a lot of tales about the plight of African immigrants. All is told with humor, empathy, and a great love for the city of Genoa. My copy through a subscription to Deep Vellum Books.
Urushi: Proceedings of the 1985 Urushi Study Group by Norman S. Brommelle (Editor)
I've been reading various parts of this since February 2016. The history part was what interested me most, but I did read the entire collection (skimming some of the science). Some of it is very technical, examining methods of identification and preservation of oriental lacquer ware using chemicals, radiography, and other methods. Much of this was fascinating once I accepted that I didn't have to totally understand the science in order to appreciate the studies. I finished it wondering what progress has been made in the thirty years since this was published. The illustrations were numerous and extremely helpful. This is available online, free from the Getty Virtual Library.
The Old King in His Exile by Arno Geiger, Stefan Tobler (Translation)
A true story of an Austrian family dealing with dementia. Beautifully told by a son who learns a lot about his father, his family, and himself.
My copy through subscription to And Other Stories.
The Little Hotel by Christina Stead
This 1973 novel is set in a small, slightly seedy Swiss hotel. There's a thin plot, but mostly it is character studies of an odd set of hotel workers and off-season residents who grudgingly accept each others company. They fret about communist threats, the British limits on taking currency abroad, their personal relationships, their health problems, and boredom. An enjoyable read. Library book.
Miss Herbert (The Suburban Wife) by Christina Stead
This was OK but I didn't like it as much as I liked The Little Hotel. This had more plot but it dragged in places.
News of the World by Paulette Jiles
Following the War Between the States, veteran Jefferson Kidd travels around North Texas reading various newspapers to locals hungry for world news. One night in Wichita Falls he is hired to transport a child recently ransomed from her Kiowa kidnappers. She is ten years old and has been a captive since she was six and remembers little of her life before capture. Kidd is to deliver this orphan to family in San Antonio, a four-hundred mile journey through dangerous territory. A great story full of adventure and a developing relationship. Library book.
The Arab of the Future 2: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1984-1985: A Graphic Memoir (L'Arabe du futur #2) by Riad Sattouf; translated from the French by Sam Taylor.
Riad is different from the other children in his school in Syria--he has light hair, his mother is French, and he often doesn't understand what's going on. A difficult family life, serious, but told with a touch of humor. I must read Part 1. There is a Part 3, but I don't think it's been translated yet. Free copy from the publisher.
Returned to library unread or partially read:
Engleby : a novel / Sebastian Faulks.
Work Like Any Other : a novel / Virginia Reeves.
The Nix : a novel / Nathan Hill. Read a few chapters...meh...
Britt-Marie Was Here : a novel / Fredrik Backman
I have enough to read without spending time reading things I don't like. But then again, in a different mood, I may actually like a couple of these. I may give the Faulks and the Reeves another try.
Online
Ode to Canned Fish: A defense By Aaron Gilbreath
Canned fish is more than just tuna.
URUSHI-KOBO Web site of Mariko Nishide, Urushi artist and restorer/conservator
Urushi - Japanese Lacquer in modern Design Text by Susanne Fritz
Illustrated article on some modern artists working with Urushi
Saturday, October 15, 2016
October (first half) 2016 Reads
One of my major projects for this month (and into mid-December) is an online course A Global History of Architecture. It is taught by one of the authors of the text book (right) Mark Jarzombek, Professor of History and Theory of Architecture at MIT.
I'm now in week four of twelve. All materials are online and the class is free (I'm auditing, there is a fee for credit). It takes about six hours a week of video lectures and reading. So far we've made it from huts to Dorian Greece and I'm really liking it.
I still have time for plenty of other reading, most of it very good:
The Sacred Night by Jelloun Ben Tahar; Translated from the French by Alan Sheridan
Dreams? Nightmares? Fantasies? Allegories? It was good. Library book.
The Girl from Venice by Martin Cruz Smith
This takes place near the end of World War 2 in Italy. Venetian fisherman helps a young escaped Jewish woman find her betrayer. A good read, nicely paced. Free advanced reader copy from publisher.
Sylvanus Now by Donna Morrissey
Liked it, but not as much as Kit's Law. Library book.
The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan
I thoroughly enjoyed this multiple viewpoint story of the early days of the Battle of Britain.
Free advance review copy from the publisher through the Library Thing Early Reviewer
Program.
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
This one is also told from multiple points of view but more in a third person narrative style, with some collective first person plural as the older women in an African American church view the activities of the younger generation. Takes place in Oceanside, California and Ann Arbor Michigan.
Library book.
A couple of picture books
A delightful 1907 children's book with teddy bears acting out nursery rhymes. On Project Gutenberg.
Penguin Problems by Jory John, Lane Smith (Illustrations)
Nice whimsical pictures, with a count-your-blessings- and-be-happy-where-you-are story line. Library book
A comic book
Bloom County Episode XI: A New Hope
by Berkeley Breathed
Welcome back Opus. A finished copy won in a
publisher sponsored contest.
Online
"Architecture for Children" Explains Why We Should Teach Architecture to Kids by Ana Rodríguez; Translated by Amanda Pimenta
Zaha Hadid’s successor: my blueprint for the future "Patrik Schumacher preaches the gospel of ‘parametricism’, a system of architecture designed to cut out human error by valuing technology over art and intuition. But does it work?" Rowan Moore interviews Schumacher. They collide a bit and I found the comments as interesting as the interview. Someday I may figure out what they are talking about but my history of architecture class has barely reached the mud brick stage.
The untold story of Japanese war brides by Kathryn Tolbert
Fatherland. The Mountains of Iranian Kurdistan Photographs and a brief essay by Linda Dorigo.
Sagoromo, Co-Winner 2014 Kyoko Selden Memorial Translation Prize Background information and an excerpt from the translated work. Wonderful illustrations.
So Happy to See Cherry Blossoms: Haiku from the Year of the Great Earthquake and Tsunami by by Madoka Mayuzumi; Hiro Sato and Nancy Sato (Translators) excerpts from the other co-winner of the 2014 Kyoko Selden Memorial Translation Prize. I am purchasing a copy from the publisher, Red Moon Press Oops, just got an email from Red Moon--they no longer have any copies. Sigh...
The Dramatic Life and Mysterious Death of Theodosia Burr by Hadley Meares
"The fate of Aaron Burr's daughter remains a topic of contention."
Friday, September 30, 2016
September (second half) 2016 Reads
People leave home, then come back--but do they stay?
Five excellent novels and a great collection of short stories.
Waterland by Graham Swift
Multi-generational story set in the flat, soggy reclaimed lands of East Anglia. History and geography intermingle with family secrets and tragedies. Library book.
Leaving Tangier by Tahar Ben Jelloun, Linda Coverdale (Translation)
Young man leaves Morocco for Spain and a strange life. Library book.
We need to talk about cultural appropriation: why Lionel Shriver's speech touched a nerve by Stephanie Convery, the deputy culture editor of Guardian Australia.
People on food stamps aren’t feasting on filet mignon by Christopher Dum, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Kent State University; author of Exiled in America: Life on the Margins in a Residential Motel
The Singing Turk at Center Stage: How Europeans once saw themselves through Turkish eyes at the opera by Larry Wolff, Professor of History and Director of the Center for European and Mediterranean Studies at New York University; author of The Singing Turk
Enrique Vila-Matas Takes a Walk a short piece on walking and thinking.
What I Pledge Allegiance To by Kiese Laymon a Black American discusses the flag and more..."The same reason I choose not to stand for our pledge or anthem is strangely why I still haven’t taken down the American flag flying outside my new house. It looks, to me at least, like every American flag on Earth should look: beat down, bleeding, fading, weak, tearing apart, barely held together, absolutely stanky, and self-aware."
Relentlessly Relevant: The Dangerous Legacy of Henry James by Paula Marantz Cohen makes me think it's time to re-read some James.
We Went to the Moon and Brought Back These Cool Photos: On NASA's Mission to Snap Pictures of the Moon. These are beyond cool. Some pictures from The Moon 1968-1972; Edited by Evan Backes & Tom Adler.
High Hitler: how Nazi drug abuse steered the course of history
Rachel Cooke reviews Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany by Norman Ohler.
Poetry is a Pipe: Selected Writings of René Magritte: The Surrealist Master Takes on Another Form
Selections from René Magritte: Selected Writings; Edited by Kathleen Rooney and Eric Plattner; Translated by Jo Levy. This is so much fun to explore. I want the book!
Short Cuts Joanna Biggs discusses Marguerite Duras.
The Novelist Whose Twitter Feed Is a Work of Art by Jonathan Blitzer. How and why writer Rabih Alameddine posts all those amazing works of art (he also does a poem of the day tweet) on Twitter. “I’ve still not been able to go beyond being a writer who just happens to waste time on Twitter.” Well, Mr Alameddine, I just happen to be a reader who wastes a lot of time on Twitter because of people like you. And isn't that what Twitter is all about?
Five excellent novels and a great collection of short stories.
Waterland by Graham Swift
Multi-generational story set in the flat, soggy reclaimed lands of East Anglia. History and geography intermingle with family secrets and tragedies. Library book.
Leaving Tangier by Tahar Ben Jelloun, Linda Coverdale (Translation)
Young man leaves Morocco for Spain and a strange life. Library book.
We need to talk about cultural appropriation: why Lionel Shriver's speech touched a nerve by Stephanie Convery, the deputy culture editor of Guardian Australia.
People on food stamps aren’t feasting on filet mignon by Christopher Dum, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Kent State University; author of Exiled in America: Life on the Margins in a Residential Motel
The Singing Turk at Center Stage: How Europeans once saw themselves through Turkish eyes at the opera by Larry Wolff, Professor of History and Director of the Center for European and Mediterranean Studies at New York University; author of The Singing Turk
Enrique Vila-Matas Takes a Walk a short piece on walking and thinking.
What I Pledge Allegiance To by Kiese Laymon a Black American discusses the flag and more..."The same reason I choose not to stand for our pledge or anthem is strangely why I still haven’t taken down the American flag flying outside my new house. It looks, to me at least, like every American flag on Earth should look: beat down, bleeding, fading, weak, tearing apart, barely held together, absolutely stanky, and self-aware."
Relentlessly Relevant: The Dangerous Legacy of Henry James by Paula Marantz Cohen makes me think it's time to re-read some James.
We Went to the Moon and Brought Back These Cool Photos: On NASA's Mission to Snap Pictures of the Moon. These are beyond cool. Some pictures from The Moon 1968-1972; Edited by Evan Backes & Tom Adler.
High Hitler: how Nazi drug abuse steered the course of history
Rachel Cooke reviews Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany by Norman Ohler.
Poetry is a Pipe: Selected Writings of René Magritte: The Surrealist Master Takes on Another Form
Selections from René Magritte: Selected Writings; Edited by Kathleen Rooney and Eric Plattner; Translated by Jo Levy. This is so much fun to explore. I want the book!
Short Cuts Joanna Biggs discusses Marguerite Duras.
The Novelist Whose Twitter Feed Is a Work of Art by Jonathan Blitzer. How and why writer Rabih Alameddine posts all those amazing works of art (he also does a poem of the day tweet) on Twitter. “I’ve still not been able to go beyond being a writer who just happens to waste time on Twitter.” Well, Mr Alameddine, I just happen to be a reader who wastes a lot of time on Twitter because of people like you. And isn't that what Twitter is all about?
Sunday, July 31, 2016
July (second half) 2016 Reads
Second half of July started off with a winner...
Willnot by James Sallis
I read this excellent book in one day. Author is new to me and I don't know why I never heard of him before. He has a large body of work (going back to the 1970s). Will check availability at local libraries. Library Book.
And then...a loser.
The Crooked House by Christobel Kent
Yuck. Library Book--glad I didn't pay for this.
And then...another winner
Texas: The Great Theft by Carmen Boullosa, Samantha Schnee (Translation)
Wow!
from my personal library
...and some more winners...
The Clouds
by Juan José Saer, Hilary Vaughn Dobel (Translation)
from my personal library.
A Legacy by Sybille Bedford, Brenda Wineapple (Introduction)
from my personal library
Quiet Creature on the Corner by João Gilberto Noll, Adam Morris (Translation)
Vague and poetic. from my personal library
The Curious Case of Dassoukine’s Trousers
by Fouad Laroui, Emma Ramadan (Translation), Laila Lalami (Goodreads Author) (Introduction)
Superb satirical short stories. Some set in Europe, others in Morocco. One of the best of this batch. Happy to be a supporter of the publisher Deep Vellum (which also published Texas). from my personal library.
and a debut YA novel (which I won from bookriot.com)
This Raging Light by Estelle Laure
High school girl has to cope with both her parents missing, a young sister to take care of, and more. A bit uneven but a promising debut.
Online
Storytelling Series: Tom Abba on Defining Unknown Narrative Formats
Nigeria Prize for Literature Names 11 Authors to Longlist
Willnot by James Sallis
I read this excellent book in one day. Author is new to me and I don't know why I never heard of him before. He has a large body of work (going back to the 1970s). Will check availability at local libraries. Library Book.
And then...a loser.
The Crooked House by Christobel Kent
Yuck. Library Book--glad I didn't pay for this.
And then...another winner
Texas: The Great Theft by Carmen Boullosa, Samantha Schnee (Translation)
Wow!
from my personal library
...and some more winners...
The Clouds
by Juan José Saer, Hilary Vaughn Dobel (Translation)
from my personal library.
A Legacy by Sybille Bedford, Brenda Wineapple (Introduction)
from my personal library
Quiet Creature on the Corner by João Gilberto Noll, Adam Morris (Translation)
Vague and poetic. from my personal library
The Curious Case of Dassoukine’s Trousers
by Fouad Laroui, Emma Ramadan (Translation), Laila Lalami (Goodreads Author) (Introduction)
Superb satirical short stories. Some set in Europe, others in Morocco. One of the best of this batch. Happy to be a supporter of the publisher Deep Vellum (which also published Texas). from my personal library.
and a debut YA novel (which I won from bookriot.com)
This Raging Light by Estelle Laure
High school girl has to cope with both her parents missing, a young sister to take care of, and more. A bit uneven but a promising debut.
Online
Storytelling Series: Tom Abba on Defining Unknown Narrative Formats
Nigeria Prize for Literature Names 11 Authors to Longlist
Thursday, December 31, 2015
December (second half) 2015 Reading
According to Goodreads I more than met my goal of 200 books this year (read 209). Nice, but not too difficult--I do love retirement! The other goals, the challenges, reviews, blog entries, etc. pretty much fell by the wayside. I'm not especially concerned about that. I don't feel compelled to review or otherwise blog about every book I read. But I do try to make some brief comments. When I look back at this blog for March through June of this year, I'm sorry that I didn't say something about all those books. Spring was difficult this year. Sigh.
On to my final reads of the year and a kind of New year resolution: When I really like the cover art, I will try to give the artist credit and a link (if I can find one).
After the Circus; Modiano, Patrick; Mark Polizzotti (Translation)
Not going to attempt any mini-review or comment other than it's Modiano and Modiano's Paris, which I love.
Library books.
Left Cover Photo: Ghislain & Marie David de Lossy/Stockbyte/Getty Images; Right Cover illustration: Paris at Twilight. Getty Images Mel Curtis
Short stories. I liked most of them. "I Smoked Very Well" is a gem. "Thank You" is a quirky tale about a kidnapping and theft in Mexico City. The final story was the one I liked least, a good story but the sex element was too graphic. Library book.
Contents: Part 1. My documents -- Part 2. Camilo -- Long distance -- True or false -- Memories of a personal computer -- Part 3. National institute -- I smoked very well -- Part 4. Thank you -- The most Chilean man in the world -- Family life -- Artist's rendition.
An appropriate cover design by Sunra Thompson
Blue Bamboo: Tales, Dazai Osamu; Dazai, Osamu; Ralph F. McCarthy (Translator)
The stories are good. Many are based on folk tales and other traditional literature--including a retelling/continuation of Rapunzel. My copy, from publisher via a win on Tony Malone's 2013 January in Japan event. It's about time I got around to reading it. Actually I started reading it in August; I often set story collections aside to intersperse with other reading.
Cover: 'Bamboo and chrysanthemum under the moon' by Hara Zaichū (1750–1837); Ota Collection, Fukuoka Art Museum.
Why does it bother me that the cover of a book with "blue" in the title is green? See note under online reading below.
Postcards from the Past; Willett, Marcia
After their respective marriages end, a brother and sister return to their childhood home to a comfortable retirement near friends. Their contentment is disrupted when postcards start arriving from a half-brother they haven't seen or heard from for 50 years. A nice story about good people facing unpleasant memories. There are also some nice dogs and maybe too much description of trivial objects and peripheral characters. Library book.
This charming cover is by Vitali Komarov, a Russian born artist who lives in the Czech republic.
Newport; Morrow, Jill
I didn't get much of a sense of place or time with this. It is set in Newport, Rhode Island during the 1920s but it could have been set in any wealthy enclave at any time. Secrets, seances, sinister siblings, and a few surprises. An OK read. Library book.
Cover has a soft gold sparkle which doesn't show up in the web image. Photograph by Hungarian photographer Peter Zelei /Getty Images
Infinite Home; Alcott, Kathleen
I had no idea that I wanted to read this book. I picked it up from the library new book shelf the other day and devoured it! Perfect! Well developed characters and elegant writing. I am tempted to end my year with this one, but I picked up several other books that day and....Library book.
Jacket design by Alex Merto
As with many anthologies some of these stories are better than others, but they all give a sense of place. Of course, because it's noir, the place can be bleak, scary, and downright creepy. I've had this book on my Kindle for over a year, reading it in various waiting rooms. Finally finished it the other day while my car was being serviced. This series is great waiting room stuff--makes the time go quickly.
Contents: Lust & vengeance. The tongue of the flames / İsmail Güzelosoy; Hitching in the Lodos / Feryal Tilmac; The stepson / Mehmet Bilâl; An extra body / Bariş Müstecaplioğlu; Pushing limits, crossing lines. The smell of fish / Hikmet Hükümenoğlu; All quiet / Jessica Lutz ; Around here, somewhere / Algan Sezgi̇ntüredi; The spirit of philosophical vitriol / Lydia Lunch; In the dark recesses. One among us / Yasemin Aydinoğlu; Black palace / Mustafa Ziyalan; So very familiar / Behçet Çelik; The bloody horn / Inan Çetin; A woman, any woman / Tarkan Barlas; Grief & grievances. Ordinary facts / Riza Kiraç; Burn and go / Sadik Yemni; the hand / Müge İplikçi.
Cover Photo: Deniz Oğurlu
Rachel, a young Englishwoman, is trying to make ends meet as a governess in France. Called home when her mother dies, Rachael discovers that she is not who she thought she was. She takes up a disguise in order to meet the man who she believes deserted her and her mother. Everything backfires but, of course, it all works out in the end. A pleasant, undemanding diversion with some interesting twists. A little bit better than the other book I read by this author (That Summer). Library book
I liked this, but not as much as I liked The Three. The cruise setting was great for a horror story (almost as good as the Ikea-like setting for Grady Hendrix's Horrorstör). This is more a paranormal/disaster story than it is horror, but the whole genre thing is a mishmash of definitions. Another novel set on a drifting, lost ship is George Barr McCutcheon's West Wind Drift (1920, available on Project Gutenberg). A very different kind of story, but there are a few parallels--enough to make me think of it whilst reading this one.
Library book.
didn't get cover info
Non Fiction
Schubert's Winter Journey: Anatomy of an Obsession; Bostridge, Ian
This is an amazing discussion of a Schubert song cycle, about the meaning of the words (by Wilhelm Müller), the music, and the Romantic movement.
Library book.
Building Art: The Life and Work of Frank Gehry; Goldberger, Paul
Interesting, but not critical either of Gehry's life or his work. Author is a friend of Gehry.
Library book.
Cover: Photograph by Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty; Drawings by Frank Gehry early sketch of Walt Disney Concert Hall; Cover design by Peter Mendelsund
Online reading
The next two were read in conjunction with reading The Art of Flight by Sergio Pitol (George Henson Translator), which has a critical essay, "The Great Theater of the World," discussing the Galdós novel. The next essay is on Chekhov, it may take me a while to finish this book--one thing leads to another.
The Court of Charles IV: A Romance of the Escorial; Pérez Galdós, Benito; Clara Bell (translation).
Read online at the Internet Archive
The Young Lady's Consent Translator/Author: Christopher O. Kidder; Publication: University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations a translation of El sí de las niñasis a play by the Spanish playwright Leandro Fernández de Moratín.This translation is the only one I could find. It has problems, but at least it gave me an idea of what Pitol and Galdós are talking about.
From the BBC a fascinating piece on archaeology in the Orkney islands: Were These Remote Wild Islands the Centre of Everything? Illustrated with beautiful photographs. Makes me want to go there.
My question about the cover of Blue Bamboo led me to this Wikipedia entry: Distinction of blue and green in various languages
Arabic Literature (in English) offers links to some poetry in translation:
A Holiday Gift: Ten Poems from Iman Mersal
Stories from post World War II japan always interest me. Here from From The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus is Muddy River by Miyamoto Teru; Translated and with an introduction by Andrew Murakami-Smith. This story won the Dazai Osamu (s Blue Bamboo, above) literary award in 1977. It is set in Osaka in the 1950s. The 1981 film Doro no kawa (Muddy River), directed by Oguri Kōhei, is based on it. There is a discussion of the film (illustrated with stills) on Cinema Talk. I'd like to watch this film, but it doesn't seem to be available with English sub-titles. It is on YouTube in Japanese. There are sub-titles available separately online, but coordinating them with a video is not ideal.
New (to me) words:
kintsuba: a regional name for a sweet treat made of a batter and filled with sweet bean past (or other sweet filling). More general term: Imagawayaki.
ragworms: Nereididae, a family of polychaete worms, about 500 (mostly marine) species. They may be commonly called ragworms or clam worms. Used as bait.
Monday, December 14, 2015
December (first half) 2015 Reading
Tram 83; Mujila, Fiston Mwanza; Roland Glasser (Translation)
Set in a made-up African city-state somewhere in the Congo region. Gritty tale of a mix of locals, ex-pats, and wanderers: the exploiters and the exploited. A great read. Personal copy.
Providential; Channer, Colin
This book of poetry is difficult for me. I've read several books set in the Caribbean area, but none that contain so much in the Jamaican vernacular. Because it is poetry, it is a little harder to pick up meanings from context than it is with a prose narrative. But the writing has a definite rhythm and several of the poems read almost like short stories. I keep returning to it and enjoy it more with each visit. Free advance review copy of this book from the publisher through the LibraryThing early Reviewers program.
Thirteen Ways of Looking; McCann, Colum
Short fiction. The title story is a novella (158 pages) set in New York City. Then there are three short stories, one set in Ireland, one in New York/London, and one in an author's head as he attempts to write a short story. All four have Irish roots and all were fine reading. Library book.
Snow in Amman: An Anthology of Short Stories from Jordan; translated and edited by Ibtihal Mahmood and Alexander Haddad
I like this selection of eleven stories. Some are very dark and violent. Not a lot of humor (but some irony) here. There is an interesting introductory essay, but I wish there was more information about the authors of the stories. Personal copy
Where You Once Belonged; Haruf, Kent
I don't know why I've never read any Haruf, but I really liked this. I'll try some more.
Love this cover! It really fits the story, which is set in a small town in Colorado.
Library book.
Charlie Martz and Other Stories: The Unpublished Stories; Leonard, Elmore
Some reviewers are suggesting that this is for hardcore Elmore Leonard fans, an interesting read for seeing his development as an author, blah, blah, blah. Of course it is all that but it can still stand alone as a collection of good stories, especially for those who like their westerns and crime fiction in small doses. Library book.
Days of Awe; Fox, Lauren
This book deals with serious matters: friendship, death, marriage, mother/daughter relationships. At times it's funny because the protagonist often covers up her emotions with sarcastic (sometimes witty) observations, often voicing aloud remarks that she should keep to herself. Chick Lit? Women's Fiction? I'm not sure what the distinction is. Is one more serious than the other? Is Chick Lit more frivolous? Are these categories made up by men? Library book.
Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter's; Scotti, R.A.
A really great story. But it's not fiction. It's full of intrigue, scandal, quarrels (both large and petty), financial irregularities, power struggles, and amazing achievements. You can't make this stuff up. Library book.
Writing the Garden: A Literary Conversation across Two Centuries; Rogers, Elizabeth Barlow
This is a discussion of several notable books on gardens and gardening. It gives background information on the authors and an overview of the writings, with many excerpts and some illustrations. It is highly readable (more readable, I suspect, than some of the books covered). One doesn't have to be a gardener to appreciate this gem. Library book.
Christmas in Connecticut; Smith, Diane
Lots of pretty pictures and Connecticut lore from a local writer who has done a series and some specials for Connecticut Public TV. Book was published in 2001, but here in the Land of Steady Habits most of the annual displays and events are still observed. Since I'm a newcomer (only been here for fourteen years) I'm still learning the local customs. Library book.
Online Reading
My last read of the year and my first read of the new year may both be by Patrick Modiano. I put in library requests for three of his titles. Meanwhile here is a special treat from the Yale University Press blog: Patrick Modiano on Childhood an excerpt from Pedigree: A Memoir by Patrick Modiano, translated from the French by Mark Polizzotti.
The website Arabic Literature (in English) has: 5 By and About Edwar El Kharrat, 1929-2015
And here is a new online lit magazine: Litbreak "an online literary journal that publishes fiction, book reviews and essays of five hundred to five thousand words and poetry. We may also include thousand word excerpts from new novels or other material."
Two Stories by Lauren Becker from WhiskeyPaper are paired with links to related songs. The link for Exactly is Nina Simone's rendition "Exactly Like You" (Jimmy McHugh-Dorothy Fields). Victoria Williams singing "Crazy Mary" is the choice for Collecting. This is a new-to-me online magazine, one I will follow.
A short story from Tor.com The Log Goblin, by Brian Staveley. With a wonderful illustration by
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