Bookends

An interesting day, so far, among all these interesting books, made only the more interesting by the fact that I opened a few and read some number of pages in each, perhaps slightly more intersting still by the fact that I've started four others, more or less, in the past few days, beginning with the Dufresne that I mentioned whenever I mentioned it. First new opening today was The Overcoat, a novella by Nicolai Gogol from a book that contains 7 "short novels." I'll finish T...he Overcoat, maybe tomorrow. The first or second paragraph made me laugh; I've read about half the story and while there's been no humor, there's a tinge of mystery. If you've read it, please don't tell me. Second was the first chapter of a Lawrence Block "Burglar" book which I've read at least once before. There's a certain sameness/comfort in these books; I've read one book from another of his series and I wasn't at all comfortable. I don't expect to finish this one, but the first chapter was right enough for the moment. Then I read a chapter of The Sun Also Rises, which is probably the most recent Hemingway that I read but don't remember all that well. The first chapter is largely about Robert Cohn who had been the middleweight boxing champion at Princeton while also being a Jew at Princeton. I expect that Jews are more common at Princeton now that Woodrow Wilson's name has been at least somewhat expunged. I indvertently saved the best for last, basically because I opened it last and because it has been the most fun read. It's called "13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl," narrated (so far) by a fat girl. It's obviously a book that I wouldn't hurry to buy or to read for myself, but it's a substantial part of my job to buy books for entirely "other" people. So far, I'm thinking that I got this one right. It's pretty funny

I've mentioned that I'm (well, would be) as bad an "artist" as I would be a carpenter; when I last tried to paint a wall, someone didn't criticize it, they just repainted it. So I have a general presumption that everyone I've ever known paints better than I would, wall or portrait or probably drips from a paintbrush. But I do enjoy some painting, and more so, looking at painting (which is to some extent how I feel about reading). The name Sanow came up "in my feed"?; I went ...to religious school with a Robbie Sanow, who is now Robbie Namy and who paints, um, better than I do. Things that I've seen appear to me largely vertically oriented; I wonder if that's done consciously. Here's one. More are accessible on Facebook, through Robbie Namy Paintings.

I have a pretty amazing group of art books in the store, which is kinda inexplicable on one level-- no one draws worse than I do. Still, I find that opening one or more of the books from time to time and leafing through makes my life better. There are a lot of ways to do this. One is to stop at the library and pick up a book, take it home, and look at it for about 10 minutes a day (or a week). (Note: Not all the art is "beautiful," but it may still be interesting.)... Pavel Tchelitchew, Interior Landscape. There are several variations.

I have to say, this reading is as much fun as I remember it being. Little bits of everything, like a Raymond Chandler novella and the origins of the Arab-Israeli conflict (at least, from the 19th Century forward; kicking Ishmael and Hagar out of Abraham's house hasn't been mentioned yet), and Neil Gaiman (a children's story, it seems), and the Dufresne that I may just finish! To help you back into it, I'll lower some prices for the rest of this week. Maybe 4 for 3 or 3 for 2 or some such thing. Bring friends. Still open Sunday and closed Monday, but that may change soon.

Both sides of the science aisle, #Octavia Butler & #Thomas Edison.

Paraphrased from one of the joke books: A guy goes to the grocery store and gets a 6-pack of beer and two boxes of frozen macaroni & cheese. The young woman at checkout says, "You're single, aren't you." The guy responds, "Yes, I am. How did you guess?"... She says "You're really, REALLY ugly."

I picked up a couple of joke books for the store today; here's the first sample: "What do you get when you play country music backwards?" You get your wife back; you get your house back; you get your truck back, and you get your dog back."... "What do you get when you play new Age music backwards?" New Age music. OK, they're not all that funny. I'll do more "research."

Like myself, Escher was left-handed. He said that only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible. I say that only those who attempt the impossible will achieve the absurd. (I love the absurd.)

Perhaps my most significant Bookends post ever... VOTE! Wherever you are, and whomever you vote for, your vote is your voice in government, your opportunity to express the direction you want your country to follow. In 200 and again in 2016, it took very few votes to decide Presidential elections; maybe this year, or perhaps another time, that number will be still smaller.... Wouldn't you hate to have to say, "If I'd only voted." ?

https://www.facebook.com//a.626893623990/831861370160265/ And if you read for 20 minutes a day, you will probably reduce the stress of everyone around you. (Unless you're driving.)

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php

A customer and I had a brief conversation about short stories; he mentioned Amy Hempel, and we found that I have 2 copies of her Collected Stories in the store. I often wonder what I'll think, when I start to read a female author, more so than when I start to read a male author, but I'm ok with short stories. So I opened to a story and read. I loved the story. I found the following in an online piece about Ms. Hempel.... This narrator meets a certain Mrs. Wynn... . Mrs. Wynn, who likes to boast, says that she sings songs in four languages at a local supper club. In four languages? the narrator marvels. Oh, God no, Mrs. Wynn replies. I’m exaggerating so you can get to know me faster. (Abbreviated slightly.) I'll read another.

It's Nora Roberts' birthday, too. Do something romantic. So J D Robb's birthday as well. Solve a crime, if you can.

John Lennon would be 80 today. I had planned to present the album version, but decided on this one; it's so personal. I think he'd be happy knowing that you shared some ice cream and cake, maybe blow out a candle. Plenty of Lennon/Beatles things in the store.

Poetry today. Tagore, Sharon Olds, Denis Johnson, more... "The High Priestess," Anselm Kiefer

Now at Bookends! I can't help it. They just follow me in!