Ah, non-fiction. I rarely read non-fiction, and when I do read it I tend to read biographies and not finish them . . . but I'm currently dividing my time between two fairly enjoyable non-fiction books, The Gay Metropolis and How to Get a Freelance Life. Good times.
Charles Kaiser's The Gay Metropolis: 1940-1996, a history of gay life centered in New York, is packed with tales of writers and literature. Kaiser provides a kaleidoscope of details and stories that create a vision of how gay people lived, and illuminates a culture that had enormous influence on both New York and American society. Kaiser writes about such luminaries as Gore Vidal, Edward Albee, Truman Capote, and James Baldwin, but the real drive of The Gay Metropolis is how gay art and writings transformed the lives of everyday gay people. By the end of the book it is clear that gay artistic influence has transformed the American metropolis for both heterosexuals and homosexuals.
"Gay Metropolis" is GREAT. Charles Kaiser knows his stuff and shows that there was a gay underground in many major cities long before anyone else knew about it. His stuff on NYC is required. A good companion book is "Gay New York" by George Chauncey.
NO NO!! We will not lose sleep! Good god, I'm almost over my QAF addiction - at least, working on it, I refuse to get addicted to anything else, if only a single book.
I'm already appalled at the writing (though the story's great - so that's more than can be said about most fic). That's a good sign, I think.
In the HP 6 that I have, there's a typo (well, maybe more like an oversight on the part of whoever proofread it) on page 10. That threw me off and I didn't pick it up again for months.
YES! I remember now. I read them so fast that I don't notice most errors, but anything big makes me come to a complete stand still. Sometimes it will take me a day or so to get over it.
John Adams was my fave historical biography ever...well, actually it came second to the biography of Dorothy Parker, but I consider that a different Genre. 1776 was also amazing.
If you haven't read it, "dearest Friend" by Lynne Whitney is also amazing and fun to read after the John Adams bio, because it's you know, Abigail's story.
okay, my inner American Revolution geek is showing so SUN.
I almost got that out too but there's only a 3 week reserve, so I figure, next time.
Abigail's story.
I'm kind of reading for informational background for the dissertation work - on Royall Tyler and the period after the Revolution, national/federal formation, etc.
okay, my inner American Revolution geek is showing so SUN.
i'm totally NOT anal retentive about most things, but all my books are categorized, my American History/Biography section is rivaled only by my Psychology/Subtance Abuse treatment books and textbooks.
I'm in the middle of two novels at the moment, but i'm always drawn to a good and well written biography like the ones you're reading.
and I was about to go into why i am so enamoured of the American Revolution but you know, i'll just end with this...
if you get a chance to read Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowel... read it, it's brilliant and funny and now i really am going to stop telling you what to read.
Really, am I the only person in the known world who can't get through an entire Harry Potter book? The writing is... um... not compelling. And the plots -- maybe I've read too much that came before in the area of witches, wizards, and boarding school romances, but it's like "Name That Influence."
To be polite. But, as I said above, it's for kids. Kids only are generally able to focus on plot - stylistics is for a more mature palate.
And the plots -- maybe I've read too much that came before in the area of witches, wizards, and boarding school romances, but it's like "Name That Influence."
Ah, I was never one for the fantasy thing (much) when I was a kid - I stuck to CS Lewis, Frank Baum and Edward Eager for my magical books. Oh, and the Black Cauldron books - though I don't remember a lot about those.
Unless it's Draco/Snape and something that can rival Snape separating himself into three selves, two of which proceed to anally penetrate (at the same time) while the third feeds his cock to a blindfolded and restrained Draco.
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What's the Gay Metropolis about? Besides the obvious.
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Charles Kaiser's The Gay Metropolis: 1940-1996, a history of gay life centered in New York, is packed with tales of writers and literature. Kaiser provides a kaleidoscope of details and stories that create a vision of how gay people lived, and illuminates a culture that had enormous influence on both New York and American society. Kaiser writes about such luminaries as Gore Vidal, Edward Albee, Truman Capote, and James Baldwin, but the real drive of The Gay Metropolis is how gay art and writings transformed the lives of everyday gay people. By the end of the book it is clear that gay artistic influence has transformed the American metropolis for both heterosexuals and homosexuals.
I just finished the section about Studio 54.
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his stuff and shows that there was a gay underground
in many major cities long before anyone else knew
about it. His stuff on NYC is required. A good
companion book is "Gay New York" by George Chauncey.
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I'm already appalled at the writing (though the story's great - so that's more than can be said about most fic). That's a good sign, I think.
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If you haven't read it, "dearest Friend" by Lynne Whitney is also amazing and fun to read after the John Adams bio, because it's you know, Abigail's story.
okay, my inner American Revolution geek is showing so SUN.
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I almost got that out too but there's only a 3 week reserve, so I figure, next time.
Abigail's story.
I'm kind of reading for informational background for the dissertation work - on Royall Tyler and the period after the Revolution, national/federal formation, etc.
okay, my inner American Revolution geek is showing so SUN.
I'm going there, so.
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I'm in the middle of two novels at the moment, but i'm always drawn to a good and well written biography like the ones you're reading.
and I was about to go into why i am so enamoured of the American Revolution but you know, i'll just end with this...
if you get a chance to read Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowel... read it, it's brilliant and funny and now i really am going to stop telling you what to read.
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Adams on HBO. But... here's the thing -- I don't
picture Pauk Giamatti when I think John Adams.
I could be wrong, though.
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who can't get through an entire Harry Potter book?
The writing is... um... not compelling. And the
plots -- maybe I've read too much that came before
in the area of witches, wizards, and boarding school
romances, but it's like "Name That Influence."
Reply
To be polite. But, as I said above, it's for kids. Kids only are generally able to focus on plot - stylistics is for a more mature palate.
And the
plots -- maybe I've read too much that came before
in the area of witches, wizards, and boarding school
romances, but it's like "Name That Influence."
Ah, I was never one for the fantasy thing (much) when I was a kid - I stuck to CS Lewis, Frank Baum and Edward Eager for my magical books. Oh, and the Black Cauldron books - though I don't remember a lot about those.
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http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=rurounihime&keyword=My+fics:+H/D&filter=all
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Unless it's Draco/Snape and something that can rival Snape separating himself into three selves, two of which proceed to anally penetrate (at the same time) while the third feeds his cock to a blindfolded and restrained Draco.
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After the gallons of splooge, I'll just bet. But then again, maybe they have a sooper sekrit magical anti-spore formula.
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