Oh, I've got to stop staying up so late. In the morning, when I get up around 5:45 or so, I think "I really need to go to bed by 10 or 10:30." Then that evening, I often don't even pick up my book until 9:30 or so. If I want to get any reading done, I have to stay up til at least 10:30.
Last night, I finished Zadie Smith's latest, On Beauty. I'm pretty impressed/jealous of her talent, this young Brit who has come out of nowhere to write three decent novels that are totally crammed with people and humor and uncomfortable moments.
I may prefer White Teeth at this point, but I'm still digesting On Beauty. I think it was a happy ending, happier than Howard probably should have had. It's also a very visual ending, as though Smith were writing something for the screen: the art history professor used to talking his way through life and art without enjoying it but finally gives some big lecture but choosing, at the last second, at the podium, not to speak at all, but to simply click through his power point presentation, letting the Rembrandt slides speak for themselves. Now that I think about it, it is an improbable end, but still worth a smile. I remember laughing more at White Teeth, I think.
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2006
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January
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- I stand corrected
- Action packed
- Jeff Mangum is back
- Pedro, in a landslide.
- Murderball!!
- this is a test
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- Darn you, PBS
- A few recent snaps.
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- Chips.
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- A moment of uncomfortable silence
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3 comments:
I'm in the guidance office second period as you know from me delivering you passes, and we are left in a small room to do whatever we want. When the announcement comes on every day, I usually disregard the pledge and moment of silence - not to be disrespectful, but being free of authority (and because I am still asleep and most of the time don't notice I'm supposed to be standing until half-way through). Plus, we're not provided a flag to honor, just a lousy blackened TV screen. I love our country, but I just don't see the need to do the pledge every morning, considering I haven't done it since about the beginning of 5th or 6th grade. It's caused so much controversy and people would be very angry that I do not give respect to my country, but then there are the people who get mad that everyone says the pledge (especially in school). I just don't really find a need either way, I still respect it the same.
What is the silence for? Who died?
-Mark C.
I remember totally loving The Illustrated Man, but I can't remember many of the stories now. "The Nursery" came back to me pretty vividly when you described it, though. Good stuff.
Mark, man, that cracks me up. What? You're too good to say the pledge to a darkened television screen? Would it be easier for you if we turned it on "Cribs" or "Laguna Beach"? I bet you'd pledge to that, you ungrateful American.
My Language Arts teacher in 8th grade had us read "The Illustrated Man," and I fell in love with it. I made sure to buy the book for my little brother after he went through middle school without reading it. Ray Bradbury rocks.
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