A Progressive on the Prairie

Randomness from the rut race

Things are sparse around this part of the internet because I feel a post-vacation rut. After days of new experiences, new places and new cultures, it’s back to earth. Although my exhaustion has vanished and I’m now basically caught up both at work and home, ambition is sorely lacking as routine life resumes and I realize my daughters will be heading off to school in the next couple weeks.

I could talk about the trip but don’t have the inspiration to do it justice right now. (Although it was quite fun to watch In Bruges, a gangster movie filmed amidst the medieval architecture of the Belgian city we were in only about 10 days before renting the DVD.) The fact War and Peace consumed my reading time has left me hungry for books but coincides with one of those moods where I just can’t settle on what to read. Therefore, I decided to embark on reading some of the books on the recently announced Man Booker longlist (I’ve already checked out one from the library and have holds on two more).

Speaking of books, it appears the demise of the LA Times book review and a related post at the Huffington Post seems to have reignited the book blogger v. traditional media tumult. My post-trip lack of inspiration contributes to not going into great detail, especially given the comments by Ed (in his inimitable style), the Literary Saloon, and Scott Esposito. Suffice it to say the post reflected a lack of familiarity with the book blogs and bloggers with whom I am most familiar — and who never claimed to be a replacement for mainstream book reviews.

In another random book segue, take some time to check out the British Library’s Turning The Pages site. It allows you to explore books hundreds of years old, including a personal notebook of Leonardo da Vinci and a “book” published in China in the 9th century. And it’s also nice to see hope that in the not too distant future I will be able to get my exercise while sitting in the chair reading.

Wouldn’t it be the best damn day if we all took time to breathe?

“Risen,” O.A.R., In Between Now and Then