Now reading...

[Matthew]

GofM:

Alan Wald's TRINITY OF PASSION: THE LITERARY LEFT & THE ANTIFASCIST CRUSADE

Please, pretty please, post your thoughts on this when you're done. I just finished Murry Kempton's: Part of Our Time: Some Ruins and Monuments of the Thirties, and the Wald book sounds like a natural follow up.

[Van Basten II]

The original french version of Life: A user's manual by Georges Perec.

Tremendous and fascinating book that took him 9 years to write, hope it won't take as much time reading it.

Edited June 2, 2007 by Van Basten II

[ghost of miles]

GofM:

Alan Wald's TRINITY OF PASSION: THE LITERARY LEFT & THE ANTIFASCIST CRUSADE

Please, pretty please, post your thoughts on this when you're done. I just finished Murry Kempton's: Part of Our Time: Some Ruins and Monuments of the Thirties, and the Wald book sounds like a natural follow up.

Will do, Matthew. I'm going to start it here in just a little while...Wald's previous book EXILES FROM A FUTURE TIME is very good; it and TRINITY are part of a trilogy he is writing about 1930s authors. The classic early/pioneering work on this topic, Daniel Aaron's WRITERS ON THE LEFT, is still worth reading as well. (Wald's trilogy-in-progress is basically an attempt to write an updated & more-expansive version of the Aaron book.)

[Matthew]

GofM:

Alan Wald's TRINITY OF PASSION: THE LITERARY LEFT & THE ANTIFASCIST CRUSADE

Please, pretty please, post your thoughts on this when you're done. I just finished Murry Kempton's: Part of Our Time: Some Ruins and Monuments of the Thirties, and the Wald book sounds like a natural follow up.

Will do, Matthew. I'm going to start it here in just a little while...Wald's previous book EXILES FROM A FUTURE TIME is very good; it and TRINITY are part of a trilogy he is writing about 1930s authors. The classic early/pioneering work on this topic, Daniel Aaron's WRITERS ON THE LEFT, is still worth reading as well. (Wald's trilogy-in-progress is basically an attempt to write an updated & more-expansive version of the Aaron book.)

Thanks, I might have to check out Wald for my own vacation in July.

[ghost of miles]

Also still reading Merton's journal LEARNING TO LOVE--did I mention this to you, or post it here? Covers the 1966-67 period, including his affair with "M" (Margie Smith); a touching love story that haunts me, for some reason. (She's still alive, but has never written or spoken about her relationship with Merton, save for a phone interview with his official biographer.)

Edited May 20, 2007 by ghost of miles

[ghost of miles]

Well, vacation time has enabled me to resume a not-so-great reading habit... having six or seven books going at once. Just started a novel by a Bloomington literary legend:

...and am rereading the very good biography by Lockridge's son:

[Matthew]

Edwin O'Conner's book The Edge of Sadness. Story about a recovering alcoholic priest set in Boston. Written in 1961, is really is a story of days-gone-by, and the life of the Irish-Americans that were a part of the fabric of the Catholic Church of that era. O'Conner has the whole story and talk based Irish/American culture down, and writes in a traditional style narrative. Enjoyable, though the depiction of the priesthood is a little off -- J.F Powers' book Morte D'Urban is still the most realistic look at the priesthood IMHO, even though it's a comedy/farce, he's dead on about what priests are like.

edit: for clarity

Edited June 1, 2007 by Matthew

[B. Goren.]

[Shawn]

I'm in the mood for a good mystery, something complex. I haven't read any fiction novels in about 10 years (don't ask) so I don't know where to start.

Got any suggestions? Maybe something Noir-ish?

[jazzbo]

Shawn, not sure how much of Chandler, Hammett, James Cain, Horace McCoy, David Goodis or Jim Thompson you may have read, but if there's gaps, fill them.

Edited June 3, 2007 by jazzbo

[Stefan Wood]

Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policeman's Union. Outstanding!

[Kalo]

I'm in the mood for a good mystery, something complex. I haven't read any fiction novels in about 10 years (don't ask) so I don't know where to start.

Got any suggestions? Maybe something Noir-ish?

Ross Macdonald. Try The Galton Case, The Chill, or The Zebra-Striped Hearse

[Kalo]

Shawn, not sure how much of Chandler, Hammett, James Cain, Horace McCoy, David Goodis or Jim Thompson you may have read, but if there's gaps, fill them.

Yeah, those guys too.

[Matthew]

JSngry on Sonny Rollins. Believe me, it's a very interesting read.

[BruceH]

Little Lulu.

[Uncle Skid]

"A Power Governments Cannot Suppress" - Howard Zinn.

[Kalo]

Little Lulu.

You might like to try some Karl Kraus.

[BruceH]

Little Lulu.

You might like to try some Karl Kraus.

Actually, I read a book of his ages ago, on the recommendation of an erstwhile roomate.

[billyboy]

I'm still slowly going through Pynchon's Against the Day (I'm on page 700). At times it's really funny and amazing, but I find there's a lot to trudge through to get to a payoff. I'm not giving up yet.

BTW, Amazon has it on sale for $7. They must have a warehouse full of 'em.

[jlhoots]

Sara Gran: Dope

(For all of you Chandler / Thompson fans)

[Kalo]

Eudora Welty's first short story collection, A Curtain of Green. One of the stories, "Powerhouse" is based on her recollection of seeing Fats Waller perform in person.

[Stefan Wood]

Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Must be read under direct sunlight; a very dark and somber story, but beautifully written.

[jlhoots]

Craig Johnson: Death Without Company

[BruceH]

Eudora Welty's first short story collection, A Curtain of Green. One of the stories, "Powerhouse" is based on her recollection of seeing Fats Waller perform in person.

And here I thought it was based on her recollection of seeing Raymond Scott and his quintet perform.

[Shawn]

Lord Dunsany - The Gods Of Pegana