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In an effort to resume more standard programming, there’s a couple bookish items on the horizon as we enter June.
First, Sunday marks the official start of Reading the World 2008. This is the fourth year of the program, which aims to introduce American readers to literature in translation. This year, it features 25 books from 15 different publishers, including five books/publishers that were selected by booksellers. Some are classics (Don Quixote or War and Peace); others are contemporary. A handy list of the books with brief summaries is available here.
I’ve actually read three of the books already, two in the last month or so. Those two were Serve the People!, Yan Lianke’s satire on life in Maoist China, and Roberto Bolaño’s Nazi Literature in the Americas, which I reviewed a couple weeks ago. My favorite, though, is Per Petterson’s Out Stealing Horses, which I read and reviewed in January. It remains one of my favorite books this year. Seven other titles have been featured at three percent. It’s certainly worth checking out one or more of these titles.
The second item is more local. Actor Mike Farrell will be in town Monday, June 2, at the local B&N to speak and take questions about his memoir, Just Call Me Mike: A Journey to Actor and Activist. Farrell is best known for his role as B.J. in the television series M*A*S*H. The book, first published last year, was recently updated and released in trade paperback.
Farrell, who will be appearing at 7 p.m., promises to speak on whatever topics to which the audience leads, whether his acting career, his views as a human rights activist or even the presidential campaign, which might be particularly pertinent with the primary election the next day. He is appearing here part of a grassroots-like book tour in which he and his wife, actress Shelley Fabares, are driving from L.A. to New York and back again, making appearances throughout the continental U.S. along the way.
You hear all this whining going on, “Where are our great writers?” The thing I might feel doleful about is: Where are the readers?
Gore Vidal, Esquire
Just a couple items that came up during and since my NYC trip.
First, the day I left South Dakota Moderate took note of the fact that the Virginia blogger at the Democratic Party-funded Badlands Blue blog was among those protesting the narrow selection of designated state bloggers for the party’s national convention. I do find it ironic that he would sign on to a letter saying the Democratic Party “endangers its own long-term viability when it makes fealty a criterion for inclusion,” given Badlands Blue is funded by the state party. Seems to be the very point I was making.
Second, assuming I vote in the primary, I guarantee Hillary Clinton will not get my vote. While I’m more in the Obama camp any way, recent actions have pushed me over the edge. It may strike some as nonsensical or even asinine but…. I’m tired of the repeated calls from or on behalf of her campaign to my house. If you want to flood television and radio with ads, that’s fine because I usually have them off. If you want to come visit various cities and towns in the state, that’s fine because I don’t have to attend. But the repeated robocalls to my house every day are intruding on my private space. It’s time to remove the exemption for political campaigns from the Do Not Call registry. Voluntary efforts aren’t going to do the trick.
Washington politicians basically view the People as a capricious and dangerous enemy, a dumb mob whose only interesting quality happens to be their power to take away politicians’ jobs.
Matt Taibbi, The Great Derangement
Posting has been virtually non-existent due to a several day trip to NYC with my three daughters this past week. Between what the hotel wanted to charge for internet access and my preferring to roam the city rather than the web, I was virtually cyber incommunicado.
I am still trying to recover from herding and keeping up with the three girls. It was the first trip there for the younger two and seeing how wide their eyes got the first night in Times Square was alone almost worth the cost. I generally served as direction finder/tour guide and financier. A few random observations from the trip:
- I am not a fan of musicals but each daughter got to pick the Broadway show they wanted to see, meaning we saw three musicals. While I couldn’t imagine converting a great Python movie into a Broadway musical but Spamalot was truly enjoyable. Wicked not only strayed from the book (which I didn’t like), it was absolutely stunning. But I still don’t understand the fascination with The Phantom of the Opera, now the longest running musical in Broadway history.
- I almost had to be dragged out of Strand Bookstore. And as might be expected, that was the location of my first personal purchases — three books and a t-shirt.
- My next personal purchases also reflected my interests — several t-shirts from the NHL Store. It opened last October and was just at the end of the block on 47th Street from our hotel.
- Most of the food was exceptional, although what may bother me most at some of the highly praised restaurants isn’t the prices but how pretentious they are.
- As has been the case with every trip I’ve made to NYC, four days or so is about the max of my tolerance. There’s just too many people in too big a hurry to go who knows where. To top it off, it was Fleet Week, meaning there were thousands of sailors and Marines throughout the city.
- Despite the diversity of culture, food and arts, a NYC trip has always refreshed my perspective on life here and this time perhaps more so than before.
I fart in your general direction!
The French Taunter, Spamalot
Finally, what looks to be an absolutely gorgeous weekend. So, in a quick check of e-mails and the like, here’s some various items to consider in your spare time:
- Postville teachers speak out. A fellow lawyer passed along this letter on an immigration law listserv Friday. Like the original post indicates, I don’t know if it is authentic but this teacher’s column is. Both are worth reading and considering.
- Omega Minor by Paul Verhaeghen won the this year’s Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. Because I enjoyed the 2006 winner, Out Stealing Horses, so much, I picked up the local chain bookstore’s only copy of Omega Minor earlier in the week.
- Regardless of whether it’s “terrible” or he “hit one out of the park,” the local chain’s 40 percent off coupon also resulted in James Frey’s latest, Bright Shiny Morning, finding its way into the house. Despite all the controversy, I’m still a fan of A Million Little Pieces.
- Regardless of your language, these pictures are heartbreaking for any book lover. (Via.)
- As I’ll be in Tallinn in July, maybe I should peruse the Estonian Literary Magazine before then. (Via.)
- Hmm, “the gold standard in book reviewing” now pays $25 per review. Evidently freelance book reviewers for the print media better not give up their day jobs (says someone who does it online for nuthin’.)
Some folks trust to reason
Others trust to might
I don’t trust to nothing
But I know it come out right
“Playing in the Band,” Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses)
So the Democratic National Committee has announced the bloggers from each state who will get floor credentials to cover this summer’s Democratic National Convention. And the pick from South Dakota: Badlands Blue.
Guess that shows what the DNC thinks of South Dakota bloggers or South Dakota. As noted a while ago, Badlands Blue was actually operated by a Democratic Party operative out of Virginia. I haven’t been back to the blog since removing it from my blogroll a couple months ago. But I’m guessing it’s still financed and authorized by the state Democratic Party.
Maybe there weren’t any other applicants to be South Dakota’s convention blogger (I sure as hell didn’t apply). Personally, I would rather South Dakota have no blog representation. But evidently the Democratic Party would rather take a mouthpiece blog than someone with party affiliation who might actually dare to express independent thought. A nice way to uphold the party’s professed — but all too seldom practiced — principles.
Just more reinforcement for my disdain and hatred of political parties and politics as currently practiced in the U.S.
Voting only encourages the bastards.
Variously attributed
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Additionally, some links on this blog go to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. There is no additional cost to you. Contact me You can e-mail me at prairieprogressive at gmaildotcom.
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