Feminism is for Everybody was a good read. Not much that I didn't know or believe already. For the most part hooks doesn't concern herself with evidence, sticking with unqualified declarations. That's fine for the most part -- it makes the book easy to read and comprehend, which is a big part of her stated aim, and many of her observations are common-sensical enough not to need much backup -- but she makes some questionable assertions. These are irritating because they rarely do anything to strengthen her arguments, even at face value, and they serve to weaken the book by causing even a very sympathetic reader to doubt her.
Now I'm in the midst of reading The Gifts of the State: New Afghan Writing, a collection of short stories by Afghans under 30 years old, which came out of a series of workshops held in Kabul by an American writer whose name I forget. So far, they are wonderful. More on that when I'm done. I'm also going to start picking my way through a collection of landays, traditional Afghan poems, called I Am the Beggar of the World, as I continue to work my way through the Auden collection next to the bed.
Yesterday, I took off work and did a bunch of stuff. Among that stuff was going to Kramerbooks while waiting to get my hair cut, and buying four books. So I'm now re-reading A Wizard of Earthsea, because it has been too long. Frankly I'd forgotten a lot of it. I was going to pick up the second and/or third book(s) in the trilogy but decided I should reacquaint myself with Ged first.
Also got:
- The Lathe of Heaven, which I started listening to on tape with Mom many (10+) years ago, but which I don't remember finishing. It's on the "best titles/names" list. Lathe, what a beautiful word. What can I say, I was in a Le Guin mood yesterday.
- Murphy, by Samuel Beckett. It's about time I read me a Beckett novella. Don't know much about any of them but the first page of this one was wonderful so there you go.
- Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? by Raymond Carver. Same as the Beckett: It's just time. I loved Appointment in Samarra, which is contemporaneous with Carver and which I imagine to be similar. Should be interesting to see whether my pre-formed impression of Carver as being in O'Hara's company.
Now I'm in the midst of reading The Gifts of the State: New Afghan Writing, a collection of short stories by Afghans under 30 years old, which came out of a series of workshops held in Kabul by an American writer whose name I forget. So far, they are wonderful. More on that when I'm done. I'm also going to start picking my way through a collection of landays, traditional Afghan poems, called I Am the Beggar of the World, as I continue to work my way through the Auden collection next to the bed.
Yesterday, I took off work and did a bunch of stuff. Among that stuff was going to Kramerbooks while waiting to get my hair cut, and buying four books. So I'm now re-reading A Wizard of Earthsea, because it has been too long. Frankly I'd forgotten a lot of it. I was going to pick up the second and/or third book(s) in the trilogy but decided I should reacquaint myself with Ged first.
Also got:
- The Lathe of Heaven, which I started listening to on tape with Mom many (10+) years ago, but which I don't remember finishing. It's on the "best titles/names" list. Lathe, what a beautiful word. What can I say, I was in a Le Guin mood yesterday.
- Murphy, by Samuel Beckett. It's about time I read me a Beckett novella. Don't know much about any of them but the first page of this one was wonderful so there you go.
- Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? by Raymond Carver. Same as the Beckett: It's just time. I loved Appointment in Samarra, which is contemporaneous with Carver and which I imagine to be similar. Should be interesting to see whether my pre-formed impression of Carver as being in O'Hara's company.
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