Sarah's Lengthy Journal Update and Book Review
Wow. So the holidays are finally winding to a close, and I am pretty much no worse for wear.
I didn't have to visit Arkansas: this was the first blessing of my break. I will not be able to visit my ninety year old grandmother, which is certainly sad, as she is dying . . . but the prospect of my two sisters, both my parents, and me all squished into our family's station wagon for a approximately 106 hour drive (round trip) was a HIGHLY unpleasant one. Coupled with the prospect of having to put up with my conservative, rather racist, and strait-laced Catholic relatives . . . I'm very glad I'm not going. My father is braving the bible thumpers all by himself. If he doesn't kill any in-laws in an argument over politics, we'll be in good shape. Sigh.
Christmas was . . . surprisingly unChristmasy. For the first time in my memory, I did not go to church on Christmas Eve. Yes, I know my friends at college are surprised that I EVER went to church, but I was raised Catholic (was an altar server and aspired towards being a nun, believe it or not), and even through my Pagan and hard-core Atheistic days, I went to church on Christmas, and sporadic Sundays as well. Now that I'm . . . whatever I am . . . my weird, agnostic-theistic-Quaker-mystic-skeptic self . . . I don't go to church. And it makes Christmas seem odd.
Materialistically, Christmas was great. I now have wireless access for my laptop, and a bird feeder to go on my window in Vermont (I'm delighted by that- I could watch birds for hours), bags of Milano cookies, dark chocolate truffles, and plenty of reading material. I got to pick out the reading material for myself via an extravagant gift certificate. I also have quite a stack of other reading material. I haven't read for pleasure in AGES and am delighted. So here is my summarized reading list, complete with recommendations for my viewers at home (sorry I'm odd, it's late and I am revelling in the written word).
For the theologically or philosophically minded:
I'm reading lots of Thomas Merton. Father Merton was a Trappist monk (a type of Catholic monk that's very contemplative, places lots of emphasis on simplicity, hard work, meditation, etc). He was also fascinated by Eastern religion, and the book of his that I am currently immersed in is a collection of essays he wrote about contemplative religions from around the world- Zen Buddhists, Taoists, American Shakers, Trappists, etc. (I'm also reading another of his, this one on contempation in HIS religion).
For the scientifically minded:
Lewis Thomas is an amazing doctor and biologist who writes brilliant essays on all facets of nature, science, etc. He does everything from musing about cloning to the interrelationship of all life to the evolution of medical science to the politics of public health. Right now I'm in the middle of his second collection of essays, The Medusa and the Snail. The Lives of a Cell is probably his most famous book. It's all wonderful.
In my pile is Richard Dawkin's The Blind Watchmaker. In the 1700's a theologian named Paley made a VERY famous creationist argument- that just as a watch is too intricate and functional to be a result of randomness, so too is the universe. The Blind Watchmaker (subtitle: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design) is a biologist's rebuttal, both with science and philosophy. I love evolution, if one can love a theory. I've considered making it the focus of my study. I'm looking forward to gobbling this one up- it's supposed to be a classic of biological thought, and I've seen it referenced numerous times . . . I've been wanting to read it for ages. Now I own it. Yay!
For the Poetically Minded:
Gary Snyder is amazing. He was a Beat poet very focussed on ecology (guess why I love him?) and philosophy. I got an enormous book of his poetry, prose, and translations of various Eastern texts (another Buddhist scholar . . . see what Karate does to me?).
Plus: "Good Poems", edited by Garrison Keillor (yes, that's the Prairie Home Companion guy). He also does "Writer's Almanac" on NPR, and this is a (large) collection of poems that he read on the show. He has wonderful taste, and this is a diverse compilation of poetry spanning many styles and several centuries. Another yay.
For the Politically Minded:
I'm a feminist, and I love Naomi Wolf and Betty Friedan, but I wanted to buy a book on feminism what wouldn't depress the hell out of me and/or be unbearably dry. This book, I hope, is the answer- it's a collection of essays by young feminists who have gone past the "help I'm oppressed" stage to the "let's think of creative new solutions" stage. I glanced through the table of contents, and the subjects of the essays look even more diverse and funky than the names of the authors . . . so I think I'm in for a treat. I'll let you know. It's called "To be real", just in case anyone's still reading and wants to know.
And, lastly, for the Fictional Mind . . .
(Sorry, bad pun, I know . . . )
I love Charles DeLint, the king of modern fantasy. All right, it's mostly Urban fantasy at that, and cities have never done much for me . . . but he writes beautiful prose, and his images are so evocative, and he draws on folklore so well. I got another anthology. Yummmmm . . .
Plus, I went to the local library, and checked out a stack of Laurie King novels about Sherlock Holmes' apprentice. Sounds terrible, but she pulls it off well, and I am a diehard Conan Doyle fan. I practically have the Holmes canon committed to memory.
And finally, there's a Ursula K. Leguin (the queen of epic , philosophical fantasy and sci-fi) novel screaming for me to read it . . . in fact, I think I'll get off line and start reading . . . I was going to talk about Erik's visit and all, but it's late and I want to read before bed.
Cheerio.
PS-
Erik, don't think you're spared . . . I'll discuss you next time.
I didn't have to visit Arkansas: this was the first blessing of my break. I will not be able to visit my ninety year old grandmother, which is certainly sad, as she is dying . . . but the prospect of my two sisters, both my parents, and me all squished into our family's station wagon for a approximately 106 hour drive (round trip) was a HIGHLY unpleasant one. Coupled with the prospect of having to put up with my conservative, rather racist, and strait-laced Catholic relatives . . . I'm very glad I'm not going. My father is braving the bible thumpers all by himself. If he doesn't kill any in-laws in an argument over politics, we'll be in good shape. Sigh.
Christmas was . . . surprisingly unChristmasy. For the first time in my memory, I did not go to church on Christmas Eve. Yes, I know my friends at college are surprised that I EVER went to church, but I was raised Catholic (was an altar server and aspired towards being a nun, believe it or not), and even through my Pagan and hard-core Atheistic days, I went to church on Christmas, and sporadic Sundays as well. Now that I'm . . . whatever I am . . . my weird, agnostic-theistic-Quaker-mystic-skeptic self . . . I don't go to church. And it makes Christmas seem odd.
Materialistically, Christmas was great. I now have wireless access for my laptop, and a bird feeder to go on my window in Vermont (I'm delighted by that- I could watch birds for hours), bags of Milano cookies, dark chocolate truffles, and plenty of reading material. I got to pick out the reading material for myself via an extravagant gift certificate. I also have quite a stack of other reading material. I haven't read for pleasure in AGES and am delighted. So here is my summarized reading list, complete with recommendations for my viewers at home (sorry I'm odd, it's late and I am revelling in the written word).
For the theologically or philosophically minded:
I'm reading lots of Thomas Merton. Father Merton was a Trappist monk (a type of Catholic monk that's very contemplative, places lots of emphasis on simplicity, hard work, meditation, etc). He was also fascinated by Eastern religion, and the book of his that I am currently immersed in is a collection of essays he wrote about contemplative religions from around the world- Zen Buddhists, Taoists, American Shakers, Trappists, etc. (I'm also reading another of his, this one on contempation in HIS religion).
For the scientifically minded:
Lewis Thomas is an amazing doctor and biologist who writes brilliant essays on all facets of nature, science, etc. He does everything from musing about cloning to the interrelationship of all life to the evolution of medical science to the politics of public health. Right now I'm in the middle of his second collection of essays, The Medusa and the Snail. The Lives of a Cell is probably his most famous book. It's all wonderful.
In my pile is Richard Dawkin's The Blind Watchmaker. In the 1700's a theologian named Paley made a VERY famous creationist argument- that just as a watch is too intricate and functional to be a result of randomness, so too is the universe. The Blind Watchmaker (subtitle: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design) is a biologist's rebuttal, both with science and philosophy. I love evolution, if one can love a theory. I've considered making it the focus of my study. I'm looking forward to gobbling this one up- it's supposed to be a classic of biological thought, and I've seen it referenced numerous times . . . I've been wanting to read it for ages. Now I own it. Yay!
For the Poetically Minded:
Gary Snyder is amazing. He was a Beat poet very focussed on ecology (guess why I love him?) and philosophy. I got an enormous book of his poetry, prose, and translations of various Eastern texts (another Buddhist scholar . . . see what Karate does to me?).
Plus: "Good Poems", edited by Garrison Keillor (yes, that's the Prairie Home Companion guy). He also does "Writer's Almanac" on NPR, and this is a (large) collection of poems that he read on the show. He has wonderful taste, and this is a diverse compilation of poetry spanning many styles and several centuries. Another yay.
For the Politically Minded:
I'm a feminist, and I love Naomi Wolf and Betty Friedan, but I wanted to buy a book on feminism what wouldn't depress the hell out of me and/or be unbearably dry. This book, I hope, is the answer- it's a collection of essays by young feminists who have gone past the "help I'm oppressed" stage to the "let's think of creative new solutions" stage. I glanced through the table of contents, and the subjects of the essays look even more diverse and funky than the names of the authors . . . so I think I'm in for a treat. I'll let you know. It's called "To be real", just in case anyone's still reading and wants to know.
And, lastly, for the Fictional Mind . . .
(Sorry, bad pun, I know . . . )
I love Charles DeLint, the king of modern fantasy. All right, it's mostly Urban fantasy at that, and cities have never done much for me . . . but he writes beautiful prose, and his images are so evocative, and he draws on folklore so well. I got another anthology. Yummmmm . . .
Plus, I went to the local library, and checked out a stack of Laurie King novels about Sherlock Holmes' apprentice. Sounds terrible, but she pulls it off well, and I am a diehard Conan Doyle fan. I practically have the Holmes canon committed to memory.
And finally, there's a Ursula K. Leguin (the queen of epic , philosophical fantasy and sci-fi) novel screaming for me to read it . . . in fact, I think I'll get off line and start reading . . . I was going to talk about Erik's visit and all, but it's late and I want to read before bed.
Cheerio.
PS-
Erik, don't think you're spared . . . I'll discuss you next time.