He Remembers Forgotten Beauty.
I thank the
internet for being a repository of old poetry and books; most of my books are in a storage unit, leaving me poetry-less. Which is a problem because I need poetry like how I need air (in big
lung fulls).
While reading several Yeats poems; I came
across a little gem on a website designed for people to discuss poetry. While several discussions interested me, this one comment about
He Remembers Forgotten Beauty really caught my attention:
i love this poem because it reminds me of lord of the rings
Just. Wow. Maybe it's the parts about "sacred corridors" or "jewelled crowns" that did it for the guy. Or maybe it's our ability to take poems and make them our own. I know when I read Emily Dickinson I often think "What a loon!" because that's what Lisa Simpson called her.*
I love it when pop culture meets old culture. And now when I read the poem I think of
Arwen. Or Liv Tyler.
*Lisa's exact words: "Emily Dickinson lived alone, and she wrote some of the most beautiful poetry the world has ever known... then went crazy as a loon."Labels: musings
Who gives a fuck about an Oxford comma?
Not these guys.
Labels: links
Random stuff.
The 100 Must-Read Books for Men (I've read 26).
I don't know if it's
a joke or not but the cover made me chuckle.
And in the completely random stuff category: I saw a girl I knew in high school at a bar. I said to my friend "That's Sarah XXX. She was my white whale in high school." He said back: "I don't think she's that fat."
Labels: conversations, ex-girlfriends, links
Pride & Arrogance (and the asshole way).
I suppose all literary types tend to embellish about how large their collection can be; among academics it can even be a type of pissing contest (I'm just assuming). But bragging about books can piss off the person you're talking to.
Here's why: this person is being presumptuous. Example: "I have 600 books and love to read all the time." The person who spouts this line has actually said: "I have 600 books (I own more than you) and love to read (I probably read more than you) all the time (fuck you)."
Not a very nice thing to throw out there, is it? It's even worse if the person repeats the same line again and again, as if their status as a reader is being challenged. Stating back "Oh, I love to read too" often leads to them saying "Yeah, but I read a lot." At which point this person has said "Yeah, (I think you're stupid) but I read a lot (I know I read a lot more than you and don't state otherwise or I'll tell you how cramped my house is with books and I might even go into vivid detail about how I have to keep some in the fridge BECAUSE I JUST OWN THAT DAMN MANY)."
If you're going to brag about the size of your collection or how many books you can read in a single weekend; be self-deprecating. Simply say "I have no life anymore and do nothing but read." Or, "I love being sterile because it means I won't ever have to buy books for my children."
We should all stick to talking about the books we love and why, as opposed to engaging in a debate over who owns more or who reads more. It's sad when we do this, it's infuriating when we encounter someone who does this, and it's even worse when we find ourselves doing it.
Labels: advice
Whack-a-Moleskine.
A
Moleskine is a tiny black book that writers have been using for centuries, apparently. Before I even get to my next sentence I'm going to go ahead and tell you that I do own one. But there's a difference between owning one and writing in it and owning one and using it in public (for instance, I'm not an attention whore).
The
Moleskine, to me, says "I think I'm a fucking genius who doesn't have to use a laptop or a dollar notebook from
Walmart."* It says "I am so 19
th century and have decided to
rebel against those pricks at Starbucks who use machines that require an outlet. My
Moleskine has a ribbon place holder and you can't plug that shit into an outlet, that's how hardcore I am."
The person who uses a
Moleskine in public wants to be approached! That way they can tell you what they're putting in it! Because it's so damned important for others to know that "I'm a serious writer. Look how serious I am! I'm using an expensive notebook! And it has a pocket!"
Using a
Moleskine makes it appear that you put too much thought into what tools you're using to write, as opposed to just writing. And if that person goes into a spiel about how Neil
Gaiman uses one, well, then, you're not Neil
Gaiman and he can do whatever the hell he wants because he's Neil
Gaiman.
If you want someone to read what you write: don't use a
Moleskine; get a blog and rant about how
Moleskine users piss you off.
*And the pens these people use, oh, the pen can sometimes cost more than the notebook.
Note: Mine was a gift and has never left my house.Labels: life, musings
Writing a book.
I've met several people in the past who have stated that they were writing a book. And of course that fascinates me. It would any avid reader. The first question I ask is what it's about, and it's always "Oh, just a few things I've been thinking of." Which--to me--translates out to "It's an autobiography about my life because I'm a
conceded douche."
And where are the books about people who haven't been abused? Who aren't drunks? Who aren't drug addicted whores? Who aren't politicians? Well, they ain't on the rack because people who aren't those things tend to not be interesting, just like the person who states they're writing a book about their life.
Not only that (yes, there's more); when you ask this person what they're reading they come back with a crap novel or simply say "Oh, I'm not a big reader, I don't like books." And I've always had to say "You must be a big Dean Koontz fan."
Note: Expect more posts. I've been laid off.Labels: life
A book is the ultimate fashion accessory.
Looking bookish is more attitude than fashion. It's bending over to see the cover of a book someone is reading, or perusing
someones stacks at their domicile. It's not about wearing neon pink or a "
Prose Before Hos" shirt*.
The one tip that can be given: be comfortable. Readers tend to wear relaxed clothing (it's reading on the couch that does this to us).**
The book should matter; not the look. Wear what you want.
*That one could help, though.**Readers do come in all forms but I have never seen one in a suit. Us readers tend to be English majors in college and we know where that gets us.Labels: advice
