Thanks

Thank you God for,

My family. My brothers who are so funny and who are visiting!
The mountains and the incredible silhouettes they make at night.
My beautiful, beautiful friends. Having known deep friendship.
A good job. It's meaningful AND it pays the bills.
You.

Everything

is beautiful.

4 and counting

Magnum opus since April.
1,076 pages.
I am on 533. Still lost in Russia. Has been for about 200 pages.
Penned by the author of my favorite book. Recently released.
An exercise in patience. Resisting my American inclination to desire everything quickly.
Savoring it.
Pondering the broader question of the purpose of reading.
Does one have an obligation to the author to finish a work if one is not entertained?
A great debate the ones whom I love and I take up every so often across the dinner table.

In the meantime, I finished A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis (paperback, yellow) and Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon (autographed in red sharpie). Find your nearest bookstore.

Lorca at dusk

Cactus I found at the place where I go when I need to cry. 

Cancion otonal                                                                                     Autumn Song 

Noviembre de 1918                                                                             November 1918 

(Granada)                                                                                            (Granada) 

   Hoy siento en el corazon                                                                      Today in my heart 

un vago temblor de estrellas                                                                 I feel a vague tremor of stars, 

pero me senda se pierde                                                                       but my path is lost 

en el alma de la niebla.                                                                         in the soul of the mist. 

La luz me troncha las alas                                                                    The light clips my wings, 

y el dolor de me tristeza                                                                        and my sorrow 

va mojado los recuerdos                                                                       is dipping memories 

en la fuente de la idea.                                                                          in the fountain of idea. 

3

Ender's Game
Upon the suggestion of my kid brother Ender's Game was March's book. I am hard pressed to name another Sci-Fi book I've read (or even name one at all). Its good for people, I think, to stretch their literary pallet. Head to your nearest bookseller, this one is worth a read.

2

Awake and Sing! by Clifford Odets.

"Awake and sing, ye who dwell in the dust and the earth shall cast out the dead".
If you're in your 20's read this play.

Or Not

I just read Sarah Ruhl's Melancholy Play so let's go ahead and count that for January, hmmm? Ok!
It's a farce. Ironically, it cheered me up. Definitely worth a read- witty, insightful, funny.

1

Happy new year!

In an effort to become more well read...(?) better well read (...?)... more better well read (!) I have resolved to read a book or a play every month in 2012.
January's pick is "A Map of Life" by Frank Sheed.

If you haven't read it I invite you to read along with me. We can have a psudo-cyber book club. Or even a REAL cyber book club. I would also love to hear recommendations, so if you have any of those please feel free to comment. I will then read the book and promptly judge you as a person based on how well I liked it. No pressure. Jk jk. I await your suggestions with open arms. I'd love to know what you like! And/or what you think would be advantageous for a thorough tromp through literature.

Let the reading COMMENCE.