Monthly Archives: February 2009

Discovering a writer new to me: Sarah Vowell

For this week’s Thirsty Thursday (yes on Saturday this week) where I explore my continuing thirst of knowledge (no, again sorry, this isn’t a weekly review of beers and wines) I thought I’d go continue to discuss what I’m reading.

I haven’t found Ovid’s Metamorphoses but not just any old translation, but Allan Mandelbaum’s translation, as suggested, not recommended since she hasn’t read it, but thought it looked like a good translation, by Tuesday in Silhouette. I am still waiting on interlibrary loan to get it.

I have yet to start C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia, as re-recommended by Andi at Andi-Lit.com, but will do so in the near future.

I continue to explore Agatha Christie’s oeuvre, for the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge in which I’m taking part with Kerrie from Mysteries in Paradise. I’m in the middle of The Man in A Brown Suit.

And I’m stuck on Edwin O’Connor’s The Edge of Sadness. For more on how I picked up this book, check out my entry from two weekends ago Sunday Salon.

    I also discovered a writer new to me within recent weeks at our library. The writer is Sarah Vowell, whose name ironically is missing both an ‘i’ and a ‘u.’ I saw her 2008 book The Wordy Shipmates on the new bookshelf and thought it looked so interesting that I wanted to see what else our library had. Among the other books of hers that are at our library is The Partly Cloudy Patriot, which I’m reading now.

    I’ll be honest, I even picked up her books after noting she is a contributing editor to “This American Life” on American public radio. Why I say “even” is because my wife and I used to ridicule the show and call it “This American Death,” because it seemed like every time we listened to it, host Ira Glass always had a way of starting out on a happy note and then ending usually with someone dying, usually a relative.

    However, I was surprised to see that by skimming her book, she didn’t seem as maudlin as Glass, or at least as we remember him since we haven’t listened to him for a few years since after being disenchanted with his show. Of course, this is so far. I’m only 30 pages into the book. By the end, she might remember a relative that is died in a very poignant way, and if she does, that’s all right. After all, as I approach 40 this June, I am learning I will have to face my own mortality and that of my parents and other relatives.

    So what are you reading now and what are you planning on reading in the near future? What’s quenching your thirst these days?

    To the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory, by way of River City, Iowa and Claremore, Oklahoma

    It’s Inappropriate Card Day, beyotches!

    In honor of Inappropriate Card Day, dreamed up by that dude, Diesel of The Mattress Police, and pimped out by Bee’s Musings, I give (no, not tag, this ain’t no freaking meme, man) these “cards” (I couldn’t think of just one) to all of you:

    Bawls

    scott-rapid-dissolving-toilet-paper

    kazoo

    Humor-Blogs.com

    Humor Bloggers

    Blogerella

    P.S. Tomorrow: a real post, actually written by me and what not (I’se been busy like, hos). Afternoon, after get stuff done.

    2 X 4 for Tuesday: Ferrante & Teicher AND Ray Coniff & The Singers

    Ferrante & Teicher - The Exciting Pianos of Ferrante & TeicherRay Conniff - Invisible Tears

    The two albums above were two albums that my parents had on record when I was a kid. Ferrante & Teicher actually were very talented, if you’re into this kind of schmaltz, as exhibited on this video…

    but Ray Conniff and his singers are just too over the top:

    Like the shepherd guards his sheep
    Watch your children as they sleep
    Like the potter turns his clay
    Help to shape a better day, and
    Let us sing a song of love

    Blech! And was Ray actually singing there in the middle with his snazzy red jacket?

    Speaking of over the top, but in a good way:

    Harris Bloom, comedian extraordinaire and writer of Why Me? The Life and Times of Harris Bloom, sent me a personal appeal for me to include a link to vote for him here:

    http://www.like2laugh.com/comics/comedian.php?ent=Harris%20Bloom

    I’ve decided that I want to use my blog for nefarious purposes, Harris. ;) Harris says you don’t have to register to vote — takes literally five seconds — and you can vote for him daily. I didn’t believe him, but I tried it and it’s true.

    harris bloom

    For more kudos to Harris Bloom, check out Kirsten’s post at The Soccer Mom Files, which does a much better job pimpin’ Harris than this one.

    Harris is also featured on Humor-Blogs.com along with other funny bloggers and those like myself who sometimes pretend to be funny.

    A whole plethora of funny bloggers also can be found at Humor Bloggers

    …and bloggers of all stripes can be found at Blogerella.

    A real post will be forthcoming later in the week, probably for Flashback Friday on the days in high school I “performed” in musicals. Until then, enjoy this Nanny Goats in Panties post where she remembers her own career in musical theatre.