What I Threw Away Today & What I Found

...more books....

In doing so I ran across a title I bought in 1968 or so, The Added Dimension: the Art and Mind of Flannery O'Connor by Melvin Friedman.

I purchased this book at The Peachtree Book Store in Atlanta while attending Georgia State University. Mr. Battle, the proprietor, was an intelligent, extremely literate man who ran a used book store in a narrow, dusty space the heart of what is now called, I believe, Midtown. I spent many afternoons browsing the shelves and picking up obscure books. I bought a beautiful copy of Dante's Inferno, illustrated by Dore there for $25.00. He agreed to sell it to me only if I promised not to shelve in on it's spine, but on its side.

I donated the O'Connor criticism to the Georgia Room. It brought back memories of the dimly lit, insanely organized book store on Peachtree Street, where interesting characters gathered - now long gone, having been paved over for a parking lot or the AT&T building - who knows.

Jhumpa Lahiri

I recently conducted a book review of Lahiri's short story collections, Unaccustomed Earth and Interpreter of Maladies. No one captures the anguish of the human condition than Lahiri. Her work certainly encompasses the struggle of Indian immigrants in America who try to hold on to their own culture while blending into their adopted American one. The problem is compounded if you throw in a few kids who are raised in America with it's seemingly limitless social freedoms, but whose parents want them to respect the more reserved, old-fashioned Indian way.

However, a deeper theme runs through her stories: the basic condition of a lack of human understanding. In "A Temporary Matter" a couple drifts apart after their infant is stillborn; their shared grief is a wedge between them. In the title story in Unaccustomed Earth, a story told from both the daughter's and father's point of view, Ruma struggles with whether to ask her father to live with her family after her mother's death while the father keeps his new relationship a secret from his daughter.

Told with elegance and simplicity, Lahiri opens up the human soul to us. I do not feel sad after reading these stories, but resigned to the fact that as humans we will always (usually) misunderstand each other and wonder, do we ever really connect?

(.Unaccustomed Earth is one of my Notable Books Challenge selections

New Year's Eve

According to my clock, it's only 26 minutes until 2009 and I for one will bid a relieved adieu to 2008.

It was not a bad year until November 5 after which I had a brief melt down and deleted my long time blog, Knitstory (some of you may fondly remember), and a newer one called Bookrage. I regretted doing so almost immediately only because Knitstory contained a list of all the books I'd read or listened to on audio for the entire year. I've since tried to remember them and reconstruct the list but alas, my brain being what it is (Swiss cheese), that's not going so well.

This is going to be a good year, one in which I read more books, quilt more quilts, and turn over a new leaf where my eating habits are concerned. I'm making a concious effort to eat more whole foods, more organic foods (although not exclusively because of the expense), exercise more (will buy that bike rack to make hauling the bike around easier and therefore more likely to be used), and be a more upbeat, positive person. Negative thoughts are toxic.

One bright spot in 2008 was my discovery of Althouse, the blog of law professor Ann Althouse. Her posts are always interesting but the commenters are extraordinary. Once in a while I get up the nerve to post something comparatively inane. I recommend a visit.

It's getting closer and I feel the need for a cup of tea, one of my favorite escapist movies listed below:


1. Local Hero
2. Crossing Delancy
3. I Know Where I'm Going

...and read some of my book, Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri

....and work on those 2009 resolutions.

Plus, this book has really got my attention, and it's what got me thinking about my diet and how it could be vastly improved. So tomorrow I plan to visit Whole Foods and find some of the exotic stuff he talks about in there: acai and quinoa and almonds. I know technically almonds are not exotic but in this house they are.

So Happy New Year, I'm going back over to Althouse where they're having a live blogging (ha, first I typed "love" blogging - is that a 21st century "love in"?) until the water boils for my tea.

Hope you all have a safe and happy New YEar!

Out of the Loop

We've been without the Internet for about 48 hours. AT&T finally sent a technician today to fix the thing but we had somehow locked our modem and couldn't figure out the password. AT&T was kind enough to replace our modem without billing us so we are back online. Funny how lost you feel without this thing these days.

I'm not even going to try & get caught up with the One Minute Writer, I'll start all that over tomorrow.

What I'm reading now: When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson. I read her earlier work, Case Histories and loved it and so far, her latest has already pulled me in. Atkinson's books all make you wonder from the beginning, How does this all add up?

I'm also listening to The Likeness by Tana French. The narration is very well done, and I'm loving the Irish accent.

It's nice to be back online. I have to admit, I did miss the Internets.