Saturday, November 17, 2007

What's on the list?

I avoided one of my miserable wandering tours of the library today just by dropping off my books and heading straight to the gym to read what I had, like it or not -- another 'women's fic' book, this one about the events leading to Pope's Rape of the Lock. I always liked Pope.

But someday, when I finish this chapter and pause to read for real again (i.e., not at gym), I had better prepare myself for an efficient library trip. What am I going to read?

Monica Arac de Nyeko is a name that's come up. I like reading modern foreign literature, and African lit is perpetually overlooked.

Junot Diaz just gave a talk here that I couldn't go to, so I think Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.

Denis Johnson(?)'s Tree of Smoke about the Vietnam War. I got that one to try to read it on the treadmill, and boy, was that a mistake.

Some Harold Pinter.

That'll do for now. I could use some good nonfiction as well, but don't have anything in mind. Took a look at Freakonomics but decided that I already knew that crappy apartments were described as 'charming.' Maybe some history?

Time for Rushdie's East, West (need to prep lesson plan). What's on your list?

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