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Breif update. I have finished The Wild Iris, An Experiment in Criticism, and The Pearl. I continue to work through The Chronological Bible and The Complete Husband. I have begun Till We Have Faces. I need to spend more time reading.
Back to the rundown.
Phantastes by George MacDonald. This probably should be his collected poems, but I can’t spend the money on that right now, and the Ohio library exchange doesn’t have it, I don’t think. Plus, my kids love the fantasy, and I want to have as many bridges there as possible.
Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. Loved by both Lewis and Bloom. How can I go wrong?
Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis. My oldest and I were discussing allusion the other day and he pointed out that most illusion (as my daughter misspelled it on her lit quiz) is to either Greek Mythology or the Bible. I’ve got a good start on the latter. Not so much on the former.
The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton. Wikipedia describes this as a metaphyiscal thriller. Come on!
Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. Started several times. Never finished.
Things of This World by Richard Wilbur. It seems to me that one ought never judge a poet by his collected or selected works but rather read at least one of his original volumes as well. I wanted to get The Beautiful Changes, but the Ohio library exchange strikes again. Anyway, this one won the Pulitzer, so its a solid second choice. Also, no blackberries!
Rebel Angels ed. by Mark Jarman and David Mason. A whole anthology of the New Formalists. Yummy!?!
Wine of Morning by Bob Jones. I read this in 1984, my eighth grade year and it totally captivated me. Bought it for the kids and I want to see if it is as good as I remember it.
Silas Marner by George Eliot. The next year we were assigned this and I read maybe a quarter of it. Faked my way through the exam. More penance.
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. Rounding out the fantastical stuff. What’s weird is I thought I had read this, but I think it was only a short story homage or something, not novel length. I cannot remember if that was before or after I dreamed of lancing a cyst on my arm and seeing a really large mealworm crawl out of the incision. That might have just been the usual high school angst.
Seriously. A lot more time reading.
From the general to the specific:
1. Calling all would-bes, has-beens, and wish-I-coulds– Wanna be an artist? Steal like one.
2. A. E. Stallings’ manifesto on rhyme. Rather contra mundum.
3. A solid poem on the incarnation. Simple, rhyming, moving.
I was reading Job in my Chronological Bible and was startled by the similarities in the quote below to what is often referred to as the Prosperity Gospel.
21: Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
22: Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.
23: If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.
24: Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
25: Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.
26: For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27: Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.
28: Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
Job 22 (KJV)
Look at that. Verse 28 is almost “name it and claim it”!
In fairness to poor Eliphaz, the ESV translation of the same passage is somewhat less problematic (i.e. it renders verse 25 as “then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver.”), but it still contrasts sharply with Job’s statements:
12: Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
13: But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
14: For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.
15: Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him.
Job 23(KJV)
Which may be somewhat off the mark as well but it seems closer to what we discern in the whole counsel.
Anyway, I found it interesting.
I was going to include this in with another quote and do some whining about a third (related) topic, but I think this one ought to stand by itself.
Literary experience heals the wound, without undermining the privilege, of individuality.
~from An Experiment in Criticism.
God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in mine eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at mine end, and at my departing.
~from the Sarum Primer, 1558
By now y’all know how this works.
The Pearl by John Steinbeck. I really feel like I’ve done my time with the Lost Generation crowd (which I understand Steinbeck wasn’t really in, but I always group them together anyway), but I picked this up at the library for my sons, and Joe read it in about an hour, so I figured I could squeeze it in before it has to go back.
Brighton Rock by Graham Greene. I got about halfway through this one this past summer before the government arrived at my office. Having surfaced from that great undertow, I may now resume my life. And this book.
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. This one is a maybe. The premise intrigues; anyone read it?
So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger. I started this last summer as well, but loaned it to my son who was out of books. Then back to the library. I heartily recommend Mr. Enger.
My Antonia by Willa Cather. This book along with the next two are ones I’ve had in my library and not read yet or all of. Picked this one up cheap when one of the local book stores closed.
The Complete Husband by Lou Priolo. Actually, I have read all of this one. Re-reading it now for my breakfast meetings with the mentor. Good to revisit. I’m sure my wife agrees.
My Life and Hard Times by James Thurber. I cannot believe I’ve not read this one yet. I think I’ve owned it for two years now. Also, if you are the someone that has my James Thurber: 92 Stories–please; it’s time.
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Yep, never read it.
The Triggering Town by Richard Hugo. At some point one probably ought to put down the books about writing and just write. But I’ve peeked at this online, and I think it’ll be helpful.
The City of God by Augustine of Hippo. It’s between City and Confessions. Thoughts?
Other book recommendations, dear reader, may be left in the comment box.
I enjoy Robert Bly. He’s not my favorite poet, although he’s written some very good poems. But I’d say he is my favorite reader. I think it’s that grandfatherly voice–accepting, encouraging, admonishing.
You can hear him here and here.
A tease from the second link:
Our good life is made of struts
And paper, like those early
Wright Brothers planes. Neighbors
Run along holding the wing-tips.
~from “I Have Daughters and I Have Sons.”
Yes, I purposely made the title as confusing as possible. Continuing on.
Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer. I think my dad had this book in his library before he heedlessly dismantled it. One of several I ignored in my philistine pursuits, despite the once easy access. It or he has been recommended by many of the voices I consider significant. Ironically, I secured a copy from my brother.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Finally convinced to do a bit of fantasy by a certain space opera apocalypse artist who helped me realize I’ve wandered far away from home.
Book of Martyrs by John Foxe. I found out today the actual title to this book is Actes and Monuments of these Latter and Perillous Days, Touching Matters of the Church. Even titling is a lost art. One I started in college and never finished.
We by Yevgeny Zamyatin. Since I tend to enjoy the dystopian, thought I ought to read one of the first. And get the toes wetter with the Russians.
An Experiment in Criticism by C. S. Lewis. If not more readily available than Hazard Adams, then cheaper.
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. Another odd one for me, recommended by the friend of a friend. Peeked at the wiki summary, and was totally intrigued.
Gilgamesh: A New Rendering in Verse by David Ferry. Who can resist an author who Merwin says has an “assured quiet tone” and delivers “complexities of feeling with unfailing proportion and grace.”? Not I.
Don Quixote by Cervantes. Not yet picked a translation. Anyone have recommendations?
Paradise Lost by John Milton. Originally in English! And foundational to much of Western thought, I’m told.
The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Other than Ayn Rand (who probably shouldn’t count), the only Russian author I’ve read is Chekhov, and not much of him. Went with this because I just couldn’t face Tolstoy yet.
One of my goals for this year is to read 52 books. That’s not a book a week, but 52 books in 52 weeks. A fine distinction, I know, but this way, no false expectations.
No further adieu.
1. The Chronological Bible. For starters, I’m not sure I’ve ever read every verse of every chapter of every book. Seems to me that as a confessing follower of Him, I probably ought to. I also seem to lose steam in other such reading plans I’ve attempted. I read Atlas Shrugged‘s 1100ish pages in about 3 weeks. Surely I can give this the same effort.
2. Ideas Have Consequences by Richard M. Weaver. I’m about three chapters in already, but may start over. I fit portions of this in between other reading and may start over. And probably ought to reread later this year. Come to think of that, probably ought to revisit #1 about July as well.
3. The Dog of the South by Charles Portis. I went to the library this year looking for True Grit which was in but not in the section I was checking for it (Westerns, really?). Anyway, when I couldn’t find it, I tried Gringos and discovered a Cormac McCarthy peer. Or antecedent. Or close. From the laconic tone to the myriad scripture references (Grit‘s Mattie Ross actually defends the doctrine of election!) his better efforts are a genuine feast. (Masters of Atlantis‘s priceless premise was rather weakly executed, I think, at least compared with his other work.) Looking forward to this one.
4. That Distant Land by Wendell Berry. I really liked Wendell Berry about 3 poems into his Selected Poems. Also loved A Timbered Choir. I’ve started Distant Land already; since it’s a collection of related short stories (fitting in among his novel lore), it’s one you can pick up and put down and not lose too much. Except perhaps fines payable to the public library.
5. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Another I’ve started. Makes me rue my damaged attention span. Youth filled with Bugs Bunny, Atari, and oldies tapes. Not enough time for all the flagellation required. Sigh.
6. Romans by Martin Luther. A kindly older gentleman in my church loaned me this. I’ve only peeked into it, but was prompted to some serious prayer as a result. Reformed theology, old school!
7. The Odyssey translated by Robert Fitzgerald. Did I mention my damaged attention span? Started this one, too. I’m still pondering if I should do The Iliad first. Having this one in hand will probably make the decision for me. I like the idea that Fitzgerald translated it into the English form (blank verse) likely most correlating to the original.
8. Dear Darkness by Kevin Young. Having read this poem, there was no way I wasn’t going to read the collection in which it appears. Made the missus get it for me for Christmas. And started it; it’s about half read.
9. The Wild Iris by Louise Glück. Started. It’s occasionally a little too whitebread and a bit flaccid. On the other hand, some of the poems are this good.
10. The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Finally embracing my inner ninja. Shin Tao warrior? Anyway, an alleged classic of leadership strategy. We shall see, grasshopper.
Yes, it is too much to expect reviews. Or even reports. I’m sorry.
Updated 01/23/12
I have, in the past, generally emailed an ever varying cohort of friends and acquaintances whenever a poem or article of mine is published online. I’ll probably keep that practice up, but, in addition, thought it appropriate to provide a one stop page folks can check if they a)have any idea who I am and b)care to read my crabbed thoughts as inflicted on the nearest available medium. Actually, I guess the only real concern there is letter b.
I’ll list poems from the most recent one(which link will point to the contents of the publication) and work back from there (linking older publications directly). Interspersed between the linked online poems I include my print publication. The order of appearance here roughly approximates the actual publication order.
“Memorial to One Weary of Joy” in Rock and Sling 7.1.
“New Year’s Day” at Right Hand Pointing.
“Chrysalis” at Victorian Violet Press.
“Having Forgotten My Notebook” at Eclectica.
“Alewives” at Foundling Review.
“In Praise of Coffee” at Autumn Sky Poetry.
“Pendulum” in Tar River Poetry.
“The Crucifixion of St. Peter” in Ruminate #21.
Two triolets at Remonstrans.net.
“Aubade” and “New Year’s Day on a Country Road” at Camroc Press Review.
“Reveries While Clearing Snow” and Romanza at Willows Wept Review.
“Sotto Voce” at Canary.
“Memento” and “Coronation” at Hobble Creek Review.
“Muse, Incognito” read (awesomely) by Nic Sebastian at Whale Sound. (I recommend prolonged perusal of that fascinating project).
“The New Earth” in Ruminate #18.
“Wristwatch” at Umbrella.
“Birthing Myths” and “Pseudotriton ruber“ at Minnetonka Review (a print journal, now sadly defunct).
“Death of a Kindergarten Classmate” at The Orange Room Review (on indefinite hiatus).
“Bailout” at Every Day Poets. This was the first poem for which I actually received cash payment– three whole dollars.
“Moving” in Dash.
“Muse, Incognito” and “Mudpuppy” at Eclectica.
“All Out, All Over” in Red Wheelbarrow 2008, National Edition.
“A Weekly Apocalypse” and “Another Flesh” in Ruminate #6.
“Neighbors” in The Courier (Findlay, OH).
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