BC Convention - Part II
Woke up a tad late on Saturday, but managed to shower, dress and grab a cup of tea and a scone at the corner coffee shop before the first session, which was Founder's Hour. Heather and Bruce talked a bit about what's going on with the site and the efforts to finance it through other ventures.
Then Ottawabill talked about his mass releasing adventures, how to organize them, how to label the books, how to pick up police officers in the process, etc. He's a card, that one. I understand he is taking his show on the road to the Charleston Convention, so you'll have another chance!
Toronto Globe and Mail journalist John Allemang then talked about his "Book-a-Day" project. Well, not really - four books a week is more technically correct, but, as he pointed out, doesn't have quite the same ring to it! He reads and reviews them for the paper. He talked about how he chooses the book, how it affects his reading habits, etc. Globe and Mail writer John Allemang started an interesting experiment in November of last year.
He began reading a new book each day and then writing a review.
Now, think about that for a minute. A book a day. That means sitting down, cracking open the spine, and, beginning with the prologue, devouring the entire book, every day.
Each week, Monday through Thursday, Mr. Allemang does just that, sometimes reading from noon until late into the night to finish a novel and write a comprehensive review.
His most recent articles include a critique ofwhat he felt was a less-than-impressive effort by child star Mackauly Culkin called Junior, and Party of the Century, by Deborah Davis, about a grand party thrown by In Cold Blood writer Truman Capote following the release of his greatest work.
A quick count of the Globe archives shows that Mr. Allemang has read and reviewed 66 books since November 29 -- an impressive feat.
Is this man crazy?
Join Mr. Allemang now for a live discussion on how writing the column has given him a new perspective on reading, the writing life, and the current book culture.
Scroll down to read the questions and answers.
Please note: Due to technical issues, answers for this discussion were slower to be posted to the site than usual. Apologies to our readers.
Mr. Allemang says the experience reminds him a little of being a child--when reading books was simply about the pleasure of the written word.
He says consuming that many books has indeed changed his view of the presence of, and importance of, books in our daily lives.
Editor's Note: globeandmail.com editors will read and approve each question/comment. Spelling and grammar errors will not be corrected. HTML is not allowed. We will not approve questions/comments that include personal attacks on Globe journalists or other participants in these forums; questions/comments that make false or unsubstantiated allegations; questions/comments that purport to quote people or reports where the purported quote or fact cannot be easily verified; or questions/comments that include vulgar language or libellous statements. In cases of doubt, preference will be given to those who submit questions or make comments under their full name and home town, rather than pseudonyms.
John Allemang is a features writer at The Globe and Mail. Along with his current Book a Day column in the Review section, he also writes topical poetry in the Poetic Justice column that appears each Saturday in the Focus section, and numerous features for other sections of the paper. Prior to that, Mr. Allemang was the paper's television critic and before that, penned a food column called On the Table.
Mr. Allemang was born and raised in Toronto and the surrounding area. He attended the University of Toronto and Oxford where he studied Classics before beginning his writing career, writing restaurant reviews in the United Kingdom. His passion for food and wine has continued throughout his writing career. Along with articles on those subjects in Report on Business Magazine, Gourmet and Toronto Life magazine, among others.
Mr. Allemang also wrote a book in 2000 called The Importance of Lunch, about the pleasures of good food and eating.
Allison Dunfield, globeandmail.com, writes: Hi, John, and thanks for agreeing to come on-line with us for the books discussion today. I'm wondering...has reading all of these books - close to 70 now - changed your enjoyment of literature? I remember all of those days in university when I was taking two or three literature classes at a time and reading the books seemed like more of a chore. Are you still able to enjoy the books, for what they are? And, do you remember the books you've read, or are they all kind of flowing together?
John Allemang writes:Sorry, what were those questions again?
It's true, my short-term memory has taken a hit since I started reading all these books. I sometimes compare what I'm doing to cramming for exams, and if you remember the day-after feeling of that experience, the flushing out of the old and the digesting of the new, you know what I feel like just about now, after finishing the day's book and the day's review and knowing that the relentless cycle keeps on rolling along.
Now where was I? Right. It doesn't feel like university in other ways, mostly because I'm enjoying this hugely while in school the anxiety level was much higher - though come to think of it, university should involve more enjoyment than it does. I have the balance a bit more in my favour now. I get to choose my books out of the hundreds piled on my desk at The Globe, and I have a natural inclination to select books that I could enjoy, or at least have a decent argument with. The range is much wider than what course-work allows, and there aren't nearly so many distractions or night terrors or 600-page novels by Henry James. (Actually, I ending up studying Latin and Greek at university, shifting over from Eng. Lit because I really didn't like reading lists full of endlessly long 19th-century novels - with a Greek writer like Thucydides, five or six pages is a good day's work) And to be honest, I feel much fresher now as a reader than I did back in the old days. I've spent so much of my adult life not reading books (while feeling the usual twinges of guilt) that it's sheer pleasure to get to sit and think and marvel at what a writer like (to take one of this week's examples) Allegra Goodman can do in a novel about a cancer research lab.
Jamie Nay from Victoria, Canada writes: Do you only cover fiction in this 'book-a-day' feat? If so, why?
John Allemang writes: Hi Jamie. Sorry to take so long to reply. The Globe's new e-mail system just crashed on me. I'm too bookish, I guess.
No, I'm not doing much fiction so far. Non-fiction is easier to describe in a short review, since the readers are more likely to be familiar with the outline of the story. Fiction is original every time, obviously, and I don't have the space for plot summaries. And personally I'm finding fiction harder both to assess when I choose my schedule and to read in the short time available. But that's just the mechanics of the job - I'll still try to review (shorter) fiction every week.
Maribeth Adams from Kamloops, Canada writes: Hi John. Despite your obvious enthusiasm for the task you set for yourself, do you ever experience an overwhelming desire to skip entire chapters or sections of books either to save yourself the throbbing headache inflicted by bad writing or to satisfy the guilt-inducing urge to know the ending? How often does your mind wander when you are not engaged by the writing, forcing you to re-read passages? By the way, your Saturday stanzas never fail to rekindle my envy of your talent. As a closet poet, I'm amazed by your ability to meet a deadline with wit and metre. Thanks, John.
John Allemang writes:Thanks for the kudos on the poetry - I was never in the poetry closet myself. The Globe is my debut effort. Learning on the job seems to be my style.
I'm choosing books I don't want to skim through, for the most part. Although I used to think I was a typical ADD journalist, I find I can concentrate extremely well on most books (helps that I read in a quiet house and not at work or with kids). I don't re-read much, unless it's 18th-century philosophy, and I suppose at times I might persuade myself it's more important to keep going than to undserstand every last detail. But mostly it feels like pure pleasure compared to all the other things I could be doing.
Keep in mind that I sudied Greek and Latin at university, so in theory I'm game for anything.
Michael Lema from Edmonton, Canada writes: John: I read three or four or sometimes even ten books a day (albeit titles like Are You My Mother?, Caps for Sale, and Green Eggs and Ham, to and with my kids.) Seriously, I admire your stamina, sustaining a marathon-a-day pace for months. I'm wondering how you choose your books and what your favourites have been. Also, what is your personal philosophy concerning the importance of reading? Michael Lema
John Allemang writes: Hi Michael, I've done the kids' books myself, even reading five or six PG Wodehouse novels to my son - highly recommended. I'm looking for a range, which I suppose staves off boredom, and get into things like graphic novels that I knew nothing of before I started. Smart non-fiction with a historical bent probably pulls me in fastest. I loved Michael Harr's The Lost Painting about the search for a missing Caravaggio. Also Woman in Berlin (WW II horrors, but still triumphant) and Allegra Goodman's Intuition about the human side of a cancer research lab. As for stamina, if I can't get out of the house and into a gym more than twice a week, I may not last the year.
Larry from Winnipeg, Canada writes: A book a day, Monday to Thursday? This sounds like a dream job to me! Sure, some of the books you have reviewed are probably terrible, but the exposure to so many different views surely provides you with a vast amount of knowledge and understanding about world events, politics, literature, etc. Where do I sign up?
John Allemang writes: Hi Larry, Yeah, it is a bit of a dream job. I have to tell you that a lot of the drudgery doesn't come across on the printed page: tracking down books, reminding publishers to send you the book you asked for a month ago, wondering why The Star has a book that you never got, getting book covers scanned at out Photo department when I should be reading the books, damn it! And I'm not seeing the light of day nearly enough. But I really do feel like I'm entering a new world every day, whivch is the basis premise of good literature that I'd managed to lose sight of over the years. TV, it turns out, really can't compare with a good book.
On the minus side, a lot of what I've read either sinks into my deep subconscious or drifts into the ether when I turn to my next book. I feel like I should suddenly be much smarter, but the answers on Jeopardy don't come any faster. Maybe I need to read more books on the US Constitution.
Rita H. from Montreal, Canada writes: Welcome to grad school. Why don't you just register for your PhD in literature?... You're not so out of the ordinary as many might think, but it's definitely commendable to prove to disbelievers and cynics that not only can it be done, but reading so much can be worth it sometimes. Why not explicitly make an effort to try some 'Third World literature' or post-colonial titles, authors (many are translated) that are scarcely read in the West, but deserve wide recognition ? Judging poetic merit is a far cry more difficult when the target audiences are diverse, impoverished, informally educated, and oppressed, but intellectual and critical no less....
John Allemang writes: Hi Rita, No oral exams, no know-it-all profs. Grad school without the grief - I like it.
I haven't let myself get too far out of the mainstream, I realize. Though I did write about a book that detailed the life of a Japanese day-labourer, which was fascinating. That said, it's a daily newspaper, not a journal of post-colonial studies, so I don't feel like I have to fight the power everyday. Thanks for reminding me not to be too commercial or predictable, but I still think my range has been pretty good.
John Young from Calgary, Canada writes: Hi John. Being a slow reader, I'm always amazed when I hear about people who can read an entire novel in a day or, as the saying goes, in a single sitting. My poor reading skills go back to public school where I and the other kids who were in the same grade as me were experimented on with a new technique for teaching reading. The experiment was a dismal failure. They tried to correct the damage they'd done with years of 'remedial reading' classes but they didn't work either. Being someone who obviously can read at a pretty good clip, have you any advice for those of us not similarly blessed. I'd love to read more, but I just can't get through the stuff fast enough. John Young, Calgary
John Allemang writes: Hi John, I don't know if it's some genetic gift to read fast, or if it's bad teaching that makes you slow. More likely, at least in my case, the book and the pleasure it brings affect the speed. I'm not trying to rush, and some books finish far too soon, but provided that I'm in a place where I can concentrate and my mind's clear (no worries about computer's crashing), the reading flows easily. I can only suggest that you try out different situations and different books - why not do as I do and sit at your kitchen table with a good book and read during the workday. But you probably can't, and that's part of the problem. We read at night when we're tired and have to get up the next day, or when we know we should be doing something else with the kids or around the house or for the company.
Anyway, slow reading like slow food can also be good. Try poetry - speed is not necessary.
Julian Reid from Toronto Canada writes: Hi John, I was wondering what impact the tight and relentless schedule has on how you judge a book. For instance, might a book that you have to read in a matter of hours make you harder on it than if you read it in a more normal amount of time? It seems to me that some books require more time reflecting on them while not reading. And I know that I tend to be in a worse mood when on the clock, a little less patient with authors' style, long-windedness etc. Keep up the good work - a most impressive feat! Thanks, Julian.
John Allemang writes: I think it works both ways. Read a book in one sitting, and you might have an even better grasp of what an achievement it is (or what a disaster). There are technical works that can't be read fast, and I'm probably not reading them. I know a friend sent me a philosophical work that he thought was pure genius, and I know that I can't do justice to it in a day. And somebody like Henry James, if he can be read at all, needs to be read slowly and haltingly. But generally I'm finding that the speed is part of the exhilaration - it reminds me of voracious reading as a high-school student, bibliomania I guess.
Pierre Levesque from Victoria, Canada writes:Someone in an earlier question mentioned that you seem to have the dream job. You do talk about some of the 'drudgery' involved in your job, but you fail to mention the fact that you get FREE books to read! All kidding aside, how did you establish yourself as a book reviewer? How is the process different from establishing yourself as a journalist? (Or is it different?).
John Allemang writes:Hi Pierre, Yeah, you spotted the flaw in my argument. The thing about receiving (free) books as opposed to cruising a bookstore looking for the one perfect volume (something I've spent many frustrating Christmases trying to do) is that you end up reading books you wouldn't necessarily pick out at a store. By the way, all the review copies go to charity, at least the ones that don't get a new life as birthday presents or hostess gifts or inventive ways to please my much more literate wife.
I'm not sure I ever established myself as a book reviewer, though when I look back I realize I've been doing it on and off for 25 years. In my case, given the odd nature of the job, I think my very broad (or superficial, depending on your attitude) education and journalistic experience makes me a good match for a column that covers an absurd range of book themes and prizes, speed and instant comprehension over a New York Review of Books kind of lofty academic synthesis.
Book-review editors want someone who knows the subject and can write with some flair and deliver an article that is critical, concise and entertaining in some proportion. So I guess it helps to have some specialized knowledge (be the first one they think of when a book about gold-mining comes up) but you still have to be able to hold the reader's attention for 800 or 1,000 words while you synthesize the plot, dissect the style and otherwise keep them from turning the page. Fortunately I've only got 400 words - a surgical strike, in and out, just like George Bush in Iraq.
Karen McIntosh from Hamilton, United States writes: Mr. Allemang--I'm always envious of those who attempt a feat for no reason other than 'because I can'. Is that part of why you are doing this? How has your persistence affected the rest of your life? And what did you read on Christmas day?
John Allemang writes: Hi Karen. You know, there is a bit of the "because I can" quality here, only it's more like "I wonder if I can." By nature, I'm a self-doubter, and the only way I can get myself to do the things I'm capable of are to force myself into these nearly impossible situations. I started writing poetry in the newspaper the same way. How's that for therapy.
It's also a bit of "because other people can't" - always better to do something other people might envy or admire which you find easy than to do something everyone else can do that you find hard or tedious - like investigative journalism or political coverage.
I did work on Christmas Day, though I'd have to check the Globe data-base to find out what I read. But really, what else are you going to do on Xmas besides read a good book. (It looks like either Life's Little annoyances by Ian Urbina, a funny little thing about new ways of getting back at people in impolite modern society, or Close Up and Personal, the oddly revealing diaries of the actress Catherine Deneuve).
Zachary Steffens from Calgary, Canada writes:The Globe should publish John Allemang's poems, they're so funny and biting, maybe they could be published with a little paragraph from a related news article to give a bit of context. Just do it!
John Allemang writes:Thanks for the easy lob, Zachary -- I'm talking to a Canadian publisher and should have a book of poems out in August or September.
And thanks to everyone who wrote in and waited patiently while I tried to sort out my print-era Luddite glitches. I just want to repeat how much pleasure my new life of reading has given me, especially since I've gone years without reading much and started to wonder if I'd become post-literate.
Allison Dunfield, globeandmail.com, writes:And thank you, too, John, for taking WAY more time than we had originally alotted for this discussion and for re-doing the answers for several questions after the computer crash. I think despite the problems, our readers learned a lot about how you go about this task, and it was a good exploration about literature in our lives in general. Thank you again!
After a very nice lunch, we heard writer Warren Dunford, author of Soon to be a Major Motion Picture, Making a Killing and (his latest) The Scene Stealer, all mysteries set in Toronto. I've read the first two, and enjoyed them very much, and am looking forward to reading the third. He's an excellent reader, which isn't always the case with authors.
After that, some folks did a reverse scavenger hunt, though others were, I think, deterred by the wet stuff coming down from the skies. I skipped it because I wanted to go to the Royal Ontario Museum. Much of it is closed due to construction and renovation work, but I got to see the Deco Lalique exhibit, which was fabulous, as well as their excellent collection of art deco furniture. I also, of course, visited the Asian galleries. The building is worth a visit all by itself: check out this photo of the rotunda - http://www.answers.com/topic/royal-ontario-museum
Then I walked over to the Toronto Reference Library to see an exhibit honoring a local opera company's 20th anniversary season. Opera Atelier specializes in 17th- and 18th-century opera, and the exhibit was dedicated to set, costume and prop design over their history. It was delightful. And it's not my fault that the library's used bookstore is right next to the gallery where the exhibition was mounted. ;-))
Rested up a bit at the hotel, and then we were off to the Churchmouse and Firkin for dinner. About 50 Bookcrossers took over their upstairs, and crowded into a bunch of tables and booths. Lively discussion and much eating and drinking ensued, and a good time was had by all. A few of us stopped at Baskin-Robbins on the way back for an ice cream.
Tune in later for the report on Sunday!
Then Ottawabill talked about his mass releasing adventures, how to organize them, how to label the books, how to pick up police officers in the process, etc. He's a card, that one. I understand he is taking his show on the road to the Charleston Convention, so you'll have another chance!
Toronto Globe and Mail journalist John Allemang then talked about his "Book-a-Day" project. Well, not really - four books a week is more technically correct, but, as he pointed out, doesn't have quite the same ring to it! He reads and reviews them for the paper. He talked about how he chooses the book, how it affects his reading habits, etc. Globe and Mail writer John Allemang started an interesting experiment in November of last year.
He began reading a new book each day and then writing a review.
Now, think about that for a minute. A book a day. That means sitting down, cracking open the spine, and, beginning with the prologue, devouring the entire book, every day.
Each week, Monday through Thursday, Mr. Allemang does just that, sometimes reading from noon until late into the night to finish a novel and write a comprehensive review.
His most recent articles include a critique ofwhat he felt was a less-than-impressive effort by child star Mackauly Culkin called Junior, and Party of the Century, by Deborah Davis, about a grand party thrown by In Cold Blood writer Truman Capote following the release of his greatest work.
A quick count of the Globe archives shows that Mr. Allemang has read and reviewed 66 books since November 29 -- an impressive feat.
Is this man crazy?
Join Mr. Allemang now for a live discussion on how writing the column has given him a new perspective on reading, the writing life, and the current book culture.
Scroll down to read the questions and answers.
Please note: Due to technical issues, answers for this discussion were slower to be posted to the site than usual. Apologies to our readers.
Mr. Allemang says the experience reminds him a little of being a child--when reading books was simply about the pleasure of the written word.
He says consuming that many books has indeed changed his view of the presence of, and importance of, books in our daily lives.
Editor's Note: globeandmail.com editors will read and approve each question/comment. Spelling and grammar errors will not be corrected. HTML is not allowed. We will not approve questions/comments that include personal attacks on Globe journalists or other participants in these forums; questions/comments that make false or unsubstantiated allegations; questions/comments that purport to quote people or reports where the purported quote or fact cannot be easily verified; or questions/comments that include vulgar language or libellous statements. In cases of doubt, preference will be given to those who submit questions or make comments under their full name and home town, rather than pseudonyms.
John Allemang is a features writer at The Globe and Mail. Along with his current Book a Day column in the Review section, he also writes topical poetry in the Poetic Justice column that appears each Saturday in the Focus section, and numerous features for other sections of the paper. Prior to that, Mr. Allemang was the paper's television critic and before that, penned a food column called On the Table.
Mr. Allemang was born and raised in Toronto and the surrounding area. He attended the University of Toronto and Oxford where he studied Classics before beginning his writing career, writing restaurant reviews in the United Kingdom. His passion for food and wine has continued throughout his writing career. Along with articles on those subjects in Report on Business Magazine, Gourmet and Toronto Life magazine, among others.
Mr. Allemang also wrote a book in 2000 called The Importance of Lunch, about the pleasures of good food and eating.
Allison Dunfield, globeandmail.com, writes: Hi, John, and thanks for agreeing to come on-line with us for the books discussion today. I'm wondering...has reading all of these books - close to 70 now - changed your enjoyment of literature? I remember all of those days in university when I was taking two or three literature classes at a time and reading the books seemed like more of a chore. Are you still able to enjoy the books, for what they are? And, do you remember the books you've read, or are they all kind of flowing together?
John Allemang writes:Sorry, what were those questions again?
It's true, my short-term memory has taken a hit since I started reading all these books. I sometimes compare what I'm doing to cramming for exams, and if you remember the day-after feeling of that experience, the flushing out of the old and the digesting of the new, you know what I feel like just about now, after finishing the day's book and the day's review and knowing that the relentless cycle keeps on rolling along.
Now where was I? Right. It doesn't feel like university in other ways, mostly because I'm enjoying this hugely while in school the anxiety level was much higher - though come to think of it, university should involve more enjoyment than it does. I have the balance a bit more in my favour now. I get to choose my books out of the hundreds piled on my desk at The Globe, and I have a natural inclination to select books that I could enjoy, or at least have a decent argument with. The range is much wider than what course-work allows, and there aren't nearly so many distractions or night terrors or 600-page novels by Henry James. (Actually, I ending up studying Latin and Greek at university, shifting over from Eng. Lit because I really didn't like reading lists full of endlessly long 19th-century novels - with a Greek writer like Thucydides, five or six pages is a good day's work) And to be honest, I feel much fresher now as a reader than I did back in the old days. I've spent so much of my adult life not reading books (while feeling the usual twinges of guilt) that it's sheer pleasure to get to sit and think and marvel at what a writer like (to take one of this week's examples) Allegra Goodman can do in a novel about a cancer research lab.
Jamie Nay from Victoria, Canada writes: Do you only cover fiction in this 'book-a-day' feat? If so, why?
John Allemang writes: Hi Jamie. Sorry to take so long to reply. The Globe's new e-mail system just crashed on me. I'm too bookish, I guess.
No, I'm not doing much fiction so far. Non-fiction is easier to describe in a short review, since the readers are more likely to be familiar with the outline of the story. Fiction is original every time, obviously, and I don't have the space for plot summaries. And personally I'm finding fiction harder both to assess when I choose my schedule and to read in the short time available. But that's just the mechanics of the job - I'll still try to review (shorter) fiction every week.
Maribeth Adams from Kamloops, Canada writes: Hi John. Despite your obvious enthusiasm for the task you set for yourself, do you ever experience an overwhelming desire to skip entire chapters or sections of books either to save yourself the throbbing headache inflicted by bad writing or to satisfy the guilt-inducing urge to know the ending? How often does your mind wander when you are not engaged by the writing, forcing you to re-read passages? By the way, your Saturday stanzas never fail to rekindle my envy of your talent. As a closet poet, I'm amazed by your ability to meet a deadline with wit and metre. Thanks, John.
John Allemang writes:Thanks for the kudos on the poetry - I was never in the poetry closet myself. The Globe is my debut effort. Learning on the job seems to be my style.
I'm choosing books I don't want to skim through, for the most part. Although I used to think I was a typical ADD journalist, I find I can concentrate extremely well on most books (helps that I read in a quiet house and not at work or with kids). I don't re-read much, unless it's 18th-century philosophy, and I suppose at times I might persuade myself it's more important to keep going than to undserstand every last detail. But mostly it feels like pure pleasure compared to all the other things I could be doing.
Keep in mind that I sudied Greek and Latin at university, so in theory I'm game for anything.
Michael Lema from Edmonton, Canada writes: John: I read three or four or sometimes even ten books a day (albeit titles like Are You My Mother?, Caps for Sale, and Green Eggs and Ham, to and with my kids.) Seriously, I admire your stamina, sustaining a marathon-a-day pace for months. I'm wondering how you choose your books and what your favourites have been. Also, what is your personal philosophy concerning the importance of reading? Michael Lema
John Allemang writes: Hi Michael, I've done the kids' books myself, even reading five or six PG Wodehouse novels to my son - highly recommended. I'm looking for a range, which I suppose staves off boredom, and get into things like graphic novels that I knew nothing of before I started. Smart non-fiction with a historical bent probably pulls me in fastest. I loved Michael Harr's The Lost Painting about the search for a missing Caravaggio. Also Woman in Berlin (WW II horrors, but still triumphant) and Allegra Goodman's Intuition about the human side of a cancer research lab. As for stamina, if I can't get out of the house and into a gym more than twice a week, I may not last the year.
Larry from Winnipeg, Canada writes: A book a day, Monday to Thursday? This sounds like a dream job to me! Sure, some of the books you have reviewed are probably terrible, but the exposure to so many different views surely provides you with a vast amount of knowledge and understanding about world events, politics, literature, etc. Where do I sign up?
John Allemang writes: Hi Larry, Yeah, it is a bit of a dream job. I have to tell you that a lot of the drudgery doesn't come across on the printed page: tracking down books, reminding publishers to send you the book you asked for a month ago, wondering why The Star has a book that you never got, getting book covers scanned at out Photo department when I should be reading the books, damn it! And I'm not seeing the light of day nearly enough. But I really do feel like I'm entering a new world every day, whivch is the basis premise of good literature that I'd managed to lose sight of over the years. TV, it turns out, really can't compare with a good book.
On the minus side, a lot of what I've read either sinks into my deep subconscious or drifts into the ether when I turn to my next book. I feel like I should suddenly be much smarter, but the answers on Jeopardy don't come any faster. Maybe I need to read more books on the US Constitution.
Rita H. from Montreal, Canada writes: Welcome to grad school. Why don't you just register for your PhD in literature?... You're not so out of the ordinary as many might think, but it's definitely commendable to prove to disbelievers and cynics that not only can it be done, but reading so much can be worth it sometimes. Why not explicitly make an effort to try some 'Third World literature' or post-colonial titles, authors (many are translated) that are scarcely read in the West, but deserve wide recognition ? Judging poetic merit is a far cry more difficult when the target audiences are diverse, impoverished, informally educated, and oppressed, but intellectual and critical no less....
John Allemang writes: Hi Rita, No oral exams, no know-it-all profs. Grad school without the grief - I like it.
I haven't let myself get too far out of the mainstream, I realize. Though I did write about a book that detailed the life of a Japanese day-labourer, which was fascinating. That said, it's a daily newspaper, not a journal of post-colonial studies, so I don't feel like I have to fight the power everyday. Thanks for reminding me not to be too commercial or predictable, but I still think my range has been pretty good.
John Young from Calgary, Canada writes: Hi John. Being a slow reader, I'm always amazed when I hear about people who can read an entire novel in a day or, as the saying goes, in a single sitting. My poor reading skills go back to public school where I and the other kids who were in the same grade as me were experimented on with a new technique for teaching reading. The experiment was a dismal failure. They tried to correct the damage they'd done with years of 'remedial reading' classes but they didn't work either. Being someone who obviously can read at a pretty good clip, have you any advice for those of us not similarly blessed. I'd love to read more, but I just can't get through the stuff fast enough. John Young, Calgary
John Allemang writes: Hi John, I don't know if it's some genetic gift to read fast, or if it's bad teaching that makes you slow. More likely, at least in my case, the book and the pleasure it brings affect the speed. I'm not trying to rush, and some books finish far too soon, but provided that I'm in a place where I can concentrate and my mind's clear (no worries about computer's crashing), the reading flows easily. I can only suggest that you try out different situations and different books - why not do as I do and sit at your kitchen table with a good book and read during the workday. But you probably can't, and that's part of the problem. We read at night when we're tired and have to get up the next day, or when we know we should be doing something else with the kids or around the house or for the company.
Anyway, slow reading like slow food can also be good. Try poetry - speed is not necessary.
Julian Reid from Toronto Canada writes: Hi John, I was wondering what impact the tight and relentless schedule has on how you judge a book. For instance, might a book that you have to read in a matter of hours make you harder on it than if you read it in a more normal amount of time? It seems to me that some books require more time reflecting on them while not reading. And I know that I tend to be in a worse mood when on the clock, a little less patient with authors' style, long-windedness etc. Keep up the good work - a most impressive feat! Thanks, Julian.
John Allemang writes: I think it works both ways. Read a book in one sitting, and you might have an even better grasp of what an achievement it is (or what a disaster). There are technical works that can't be read fast, and I'm probably not reading them. I know a friend sent me a philosophical work that he thought was pure genius, and I know that I can't do justice to it in a day. And somebody like Henry James, if he can be read at all, needs to be read slowly and haltingly. But generally I'm finding that the speed is part of the exhilaration - it reminds me of voracious reading as a high-school student, bibliomania I guess.
Pierre Levesque from Victoria, Canada writes:Someone in an earlier question mentioned that you seem to have the dream job. You do talk about some of the 'drudgery' involved in your job, but you fail to mention the fact that you get FREE books to read! All kidding aside, how did you establish yourself as a book reviewer? How is the process different from establishing yourself as a journalist? (Or is it different?).
John Allemang writes:Hi Pierre, Yeah, you spotted the flaw in my argument. The thing about receiving (free) books as opposed to cruising a bookstore looking for the one perfect volume (something I've spent many frustrating Christmases trying to do) is that you end up reading books you wouldn't necessarily pick out at a store. By the way, all the review copies go to charity, at least the ones that don't get a new life as birthday presents or hostess gifts or inventive ways to please my much more literate wife.
I'm not sure I ever established myself as a book reviewer, though when I look back I realize I've been doing it on and off for 25 years. In my case, given the odd nature of the job, I think my very broad (or superficial, depending on your attitude) education and journalistic experience makes me a good match for a column that covers an absurd range of book themes and prizes, speed and instant comprehension over a New York Review of Books kind of lofty academic synthesis.
Book-review editors want someone who knows the subject and can write with some flair and deliver an article that is critical, concise and entertaining in some proportion. So I guess it helps to have some specialized knowledge (be the first one they think of when a book about gold-mining comes up) but you still have to be able to hold the reader's attention for 800 or 1,000 words while you synthesize the plot, dissect the style and otherwise keep them from turning the page. Fortunately I've only got 400 words - a surgical strike, in and out, just like George Bush in Iraq.
Karen McIntosh from Hamilton, United States writes: Mr. Allemang--I'm always envious of those who attempt a feat for no reason other than 'because I can'. Is that part of why you are doing this? How has your persistence affected the rest of your life? And what did you read on Christmas day?
John Allemang writes: Hi Karen. You know, there is a bit of the "because I can" quality here, only it's more like "I wonder if I can." By nature, I'm a self-doubter, and the only way I can get myself to do the things I'm capable of are to force myself into these nearly impossible situations. I started writing poetry in the newspaper the same way. How's that for therapy.
It's also a bit of "because other people can't" - always better to do something other people might envy or admire which you find easy than to do something everyone else can do that you find hard or tedious - like investigative journalism or political coverage.
I did work on Christmas Day, though I'd have to check the Globe data-base to find out what I read. But really, what else are you going to do on Xmas besides read a good book. (It looks like either Life's Little annoyances by Ian Urbina, a funny little thing about new ways of getting back at people in impolite modern society, or Close Up and Personal, the oddly revealing diaries of the actress Catherine Deneuve).
Zachary Steffens from Calgary, Canada writes:The Globe should publish John Allemang's poems, they're so funny and biting, maybe they could be published with a little paragraph from a related news article to give a bit of context. Just do it!
John Allemang writes:Thanks for the easy lob, Zachary -- I'm talking to a Canadian publisher and should have a book of poems out in August or September.
And thanks to everyone who wrote in and waited patiently while I tried to sort out my print-era Luddite glitches. I just want to repeat how much pleasure my new life of reading has given me, especially since I've gone years without reading much and started to wonder if I'd become post-literate.
Allison Dunfield, globeandmail.com, writes:And thank you, too, John, for taking WAY more time than we had originally alotted for this discussion and for re-doing the answers for several questions after the computer crash. I think despite the problems, our readers learned a lot about how you go about this task, and it was a good exploration about literature in our lives in general. Thank you again!
After a very nice lunch, we heard writer Warren Dunford, author of Soon to be a Major Motion Picture, Making a Killing and (his latest) The Scene Stealer, all mysteries set in Toronto. I've read the first two, and enjoyed them very much, and am looking forward to reading the third. He's an excellent reader, which isn't always the case with authors.
After that, some folks did a reverse scavenger hunt, though others were, I think, deterred by the wet stuff coming down from the skies. I skipped it because I wanted to go to the Royal Ontario Museum. Much of it is closed due to construction and renovation work, but I got to see the Deco Lalique exhibit, which was fabulous, as well as their excellent collection of art deco furniture. I also, of course, visited the Asian galleries. The building is worth a visit all by itself: check out this photo of the rotunda - http://www.answers.com/topic/royal-ontario-museum
Then I walked over to the Toronto Reference Library to see an exhibit honoring a local opera company's 20th anniversary season. Opera Atelier specializes in 17th- and 18th-century opera, and the exhibit was dedicated to set, costume and prop design over their history. It was delightful. And it's not my fault that the library's used bookstore is right next to the gallery where the exhibition was mounted. ;-))
Rested up a bit at the hotel, and then we were off to the Churchmouse and Firkin for dinner. About 50 Bookcrossers took over their upstairs, and crowded into a bunch of tables and booths. Lively discussion and much eating and drinking ensued, and a good time was had by all. A few of us stopped at Baskin-Robbins on the way back for an ice cream.
Tune in later for the report on Sunday!