And when it's time to go to bed, I'm still awake inside my head

[sovay]

A meme from setsuled, because it's about books.

What are you reading right now?

If I were reading anything right now, I wouldn't be answering this meme. Books that I'm reading or re-reading in pieces—while taking trains or buses, winding down before bed—are Charles Dickens' David Copperfield (1850), J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion (1977), Kara Dalkey's The Nightingale (1988), Bertrand Russell's The Conquest of Happiness (1930), and probably one or two other things on the dining room table or the couch in the living room. I have recently read two novels by Dick Francis that my mother left around the house, and they weren't bad.

Do you have any idea what you'll read when you're done with that?

My most recent purchase is Jo Walton's Farthing (2006), which I am saving until I am actually done with the next piece of my own. But I have no guarantee that I won't run into something else before then. There'll be an article in The New Yorker, a story linked online, a poem I need to look up. Reading is not an activity I make space for; it's one of the default modes of my brain.

What's the worst thing you were ever forced to read?

I'm not sure I ever was forced to read anything bad. For years I disliked Sylvia Plath, but that was a failure of pedagogy rather than poesy: my tenth grade English teacher discussed her work solely in terms of autobiography, gender, and suicide. (When I rediscovered her on my own some years later, she promptly became one of my favorite poets.) And I have been handed books in which I had no interest by friends who loved them, but usually I have been able to dodge them with a modicum of tact. But I'm not wild about Isokrates, my primary reaction to Saint Augustine is to yell for a therapist, and the plays of Aischylos, except for The Persians, pretty much leave me cold.

What's the one book you always recommend to just about everyone?

I have no idea. Mary Gentle's Ash: A Secret History (2000)?

Admit it, the librarians at your library know you on a first name basis, don't they?

Not anymore. But when I was in elementary and middle school, I practically lived in the Cambridge Library, and there was a librarian who knew me on sight.

Do you read books while you eat?

Yes, although not if I'm in the company of people I want to talk to. Mostly.

While you bathe?

I haven't taken a formal bath—as opposed to showering—in about three years, and while I am sure that at some point I read a book in the bath just for the experience, it hasn't been any time recently.

While you watch movies or TV?

No; I think it would sort of miss the point of both. If I were doing a point-by-point comparion of a book and its adaptation, however, I might spend a lot of time with a published screenplay, the original text, and the DVD remote.

While you listen to music?

Yes; I listen to music most of the time. It doesn't interfere with reading or vice versa, although I am wired to give preference to the visual rather than the auditory. I have always learned better from texts than lectures.

While you're on the computer?

I don't like reading books off the screen: unless there's no other text available, I much prefer printed copies. I think that's a no.

While you're having sex?

The question is not applicable at the moment.

While you're driving?

I have a few self-preservation instincts, thank you!

What's the last thing you stayed up half the night reading because it was so good you couldn't put it down?

Possibly Elizabeth Hand's Generation Loss (2007), but I am usually up half the night anyway; it's not necessarily a mark of distinction. I still highly recommend the book.

Comments

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

I read a fair bit of The lord of the Rings for the first time while writing a bicycle.

Nine

[setsuled.livejournal.com]

writing a bicycle

I guess this is probably a typo, but I can't help wondering if a "bicycle" might also refer to two separate but connected processes of stories or poems . . .

In any case, I envy your capacity for multitasking, assuming you weren't constantly running into things.

[setsuled.livejournal.com]

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion

It's oddly comforting to know you haven't finished it yet. I just read "Of Beren and Luthien", which I thought was quite good and sweet, though I sort of think it would be more aptly titled "Luthien and Her Trouble Prone Sidekick Jimmy Olsen Beren". It was kind of cool watching Luthien beat the shit out of Sauron and Morgoth. I certainly didn't expect the story to take that route.

For years I disliked Sylvia Plath, but that was a failure of pedagogy rather than poesy: my tenth grade English teacher discussed her work solely in terms of autobiography, gender, and suicide. (When I rediscovered her on my own some years later, she promptly became one of my favorite poets.)

I'm glad you were able to discover her properly. The superficial details that seem to dominate most discourse on Plath seem to distract from what seem to me the primary characteristics of her works--the obviously pain-staking construction of vividly sensual scenes illustrating quiet and universal aspects of human perception. But she does it so well and in so many directions, I can see how it would be worrying to someone trying to neatly categorise their lesson plans.

Admit it, the librarians at your library know you on a first name basis, don't they?

I've yet to see anyone answer yes to this question. That'll teach the meme not to have absolute faith in anything.

I haven't taken a formal bath—as opposed to showering—in about three years, and while I am sure that at some point I read a book in the bath just for the experience, it hasn't been any time recently.

Yeah, my answer would be about the same (forgot to answer it in my own post). I remember reading books in the bath as a kid a couple times, but mostly it just sounds inconvenient. I suspect it's something characters do in movies more often than real people.

The question is not applicable at the moment.

I'm not getting laid either, but I can't imagine anyone reading during sex unless they had complete lack of enthusiasm, and no reason to fake enthusiasm, for the experience. It's a really silly question. I guess one could take pauses to read from the Kama Sutra or something.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

I have often been very friendly with librarians, but I don't think I've been so friendly with one that they've addressed me other than as "Mrs Walton" since I was in school. Librarians are formal people, and surnames are very important to them.

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

"I remember reading books in the bath as a kid a couple times, but mostly it just sounds inconvenient. I suspect it's something characters do in movies more often than real people."

I don't take a tub bath often, but when I do get the chance, I almost always read during it- otherwise what would I Do while I soaked? And soaking is the point of a bath, and the reason why it's worth the extra tangles in your hair afterwards.

But then, I read while I brush my teeth, too.

[sovay]

But then, I read while I brush my teeth, too.

(I do that also.)

[setsuled.livejournal.com]

I don't take a tub bath often, but when I do get the chance, I almost always read during it- otherwise what would I Do while I soaked?

That's a good point. I guess the ways of the tub bather are simply too unfamiliar to me . . .

But then, I read while I brush my teeth, too.

I think I'd either end up slobbering all over the book or just standing there with paste in my mouth. Again, I bow before the world's many superior multitaskers . . .

[sovay]

But she does it so well and in so many directions, I can see how it would be worrying to someone trying to neatly categorise their lesson plans.

She was probably the worst teacher I had in high school. (Okay, never mind, there were the math teachers: not until my senior year did I get someone who really seemed to enjoy the subject. She was the worst humanities teacher I had in high school.) She was very nice and the literature clearly mattered to her, but I don't remember that she ever conveyed her enthusiasm in any way that translated. She introduced me to Archibald MacLeish, which was good: "Ars Poetica." Because we were reading Julius Caesar and A Tale of Two Cities, my mother insisted that I see the very good film versions. I am fairly certain that Rudyard Kipling's Kim was somewhere in the curriculum. But either I caught fire for the material on my own or I never did, because she told us nothing more than the jacket copy.

[setsuled.livejournal.com]

She was very nice and the literature clearly mattered to her, but I don't remember that she ever conveyed her enthusiasm in any way that translated.

I had a few teachers like that.

She introduced me to Archibald MacLeish, which was good: "Ars Poetica."

That is rather nice. And judging by those criteria, I say you do write poems. Though of course I think it could be applied to all kinds of art--"A poem should not mean/But be." A movie, a book, or painting needs to do the heavy lifting when it comes to communication. It's their job.

Have you seen this recent Onion article; "Poet Takes Extra 5 Minutes To Vague Up Poem" (http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/poet_takes_extra_5_minutes) ?

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Haha--cute Onion article. (Sorry, when I'm in need of distraction I go back and read all the comments on friends' posts and start commenting on them--pleased to meet you!)

[setsuled.livejournal.com]

pleased to meet you!

Konban wa.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

konban wa!

Nihongo ga hanaserun desu ka?

BTW, you have an awesome collection of userpics!

[setsuled.livejournal.com]

Nihongo ga hanaserun desu ka?

Only very little (I'm only guessing, for example, that "hanaserun" means read or understand. I can't seem to find it in my dictionary). I took two years of Japanese classes, and I watch a lot of Japanese shows and movies, but I still have a very long way to go.

BTW, you have an awesome collection of userpics!

Thanks.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

You wouldn't have found it in the dictionary because "hanaserun desu" is colloquial. The proper verb is hanasu 話す (to speak), or, formal, hanashimasu. Then to get the "be able" form, you change it to hanaseru (or formal, hanasemasu). "Nihongo ga hanasemasu ka" means "Can you speak Japanese?" But a colloquial, semi-polite way of asking that same question is "Nihongo ga hanaseru no desu ka"--and then you abbreviate "hanaseru no" to "hanaserun"

@_@ ... sometimes I talk too much! Sorry :-)

[setsuled.livejournal.com]

You wouldn't have found it in the dictionary because "hanaserun desu" is colloquial.

That's what I figured. I remembered "hanashimasu" and vaguely conjectured your meaning . . . Both my Japanese teachers were actually native Japanese speakers, yet they were peculiarly married to their text books. I rather wished they'd mentioned now and then how people usually actually spoke.

a colloquial, semi-polite way of asking that same question is "Nihongo ga hanaseru no desu ka"--and then you abbreviate "hanaseru no" to "hanaserun"

That's good to know, thanks.

[sovay]

And judging by those criteria, I say you do write poems.

Thank you. Although I wouldn't mind finding out that I had been writing, say, universes all these years instead.

"Poet Takes Extra 5 Minutes To Vague Up Poem"

*snerk*

"Juniper glass, my world of 19—. Orion! Orion!"

[setsuled.livejournal.com]

Although I wouldn't mind finding out that I had been writing, say, universes all these years instead.

Hehe. Well, that would present a few moral questions. I'd hate to start seeing you handling them with kid gloves, just to save a few billion civilisations . . .

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Haha, first line of your answer to No. 1 :-)

Cambridge, MA, library? I love that library. So pretty. And a great playground. And convenient to the high school. Then again, maybe you meant Cambridge, UK. Or some other Cambridge.

I prefer not reading things on screen, either. Too bad most of the stuff I'm reading these days is stuff friends send me electronically, or is published in online journals. Sometimes I print it out anyway.

[sovay]

Then again, maybe you meant Cambridge, UK. Or some other Cambridge.

No, I meant Cambridge, MA. Although at the moment their library appears to be resident in a high school while the building is renovated. I used to be able to find anything I wanted without needing to check the card catalogue. I'm sure I won't recognize any of the stacks when they're through.