I love books.
I used to be such a good, voracious reader,too.
No more.
I think it all started to change around nursing school, when all the reading I had time for was comprised of textbooks, textbooks, and more textbooks.
Now, trying to get back into visual art and design, I buy books that I don't read so much as look at: craft books, sewing manuals, artist's books. Like the above books (all Photographs courtesy of Powells). It would be amazing to own those books.
It's shameful. I read one book this year. One. It was good. Not great but good.
Maybe two. I'm not sure if I read The Road this year or last.
But I am currently reading a great book: The Anthologist by Nicholson Baker.
Who knew a book about poetry could be so funny and entertaining? Of course it's about other things too...I came across this passage yesterday, that I thought would be good for this post, because if you are like me, you have so many books sitting on your shelves, that you haven't even really read:
"If we could just-just stop. For one year. If everybody could stop publishing their poems. No more. Stop it. Just-everyone. Every Poet. Just stop.
But of course that's totally unfair to the poets who are just starting out. This may be their "wunderjahr."This may be the year they really find their voice. And I'm telling them to stop? No, that wouldn't do.
But wouldn't it be great? To have a moment to regroup and understand? Everybody would ask, Okie dokie, what new poems am I going to read today? Sorry: none. There are no new poems. And so you are thrown back onto what's already there, and you look at what's on your own shelves, that you bought maybe eight years ago, and you think, Have I really looked at this book? This book might have something to it. And it's been there, it's been waiting and waiting. No squeaky wheel. It's just been waiting."
Click here for more reading.
I used to be such a good, voracious reader,too.
No more.
I think it all started to change around nursing school, when all the reading I had time for was comprised of textbooks, textbooks, and more textbooks.
Now, trying to get back into visual art and design, I buy books that I don't read so much as look at: craft books, sewing manuals, artist's books. Like the above books (all Photographs courtesy of Powells). It would be amazing to own those books.
It's shameful. I read one book this year. One. It was good. Not great but good.
Maybe two. I'm not sure if I read The Road this year or last.
But I am currently reading a great book: The Anthologist by Nicholson Baker.
Who knew a book about poetry could be so funny and entertaining? Of course it's about other things too...I came across this passage yesterday, that I thought would be good for this post, because if you are like me, you have so many books sitting on your shelves, that you haven't even really read:
"If we could just-just stop. For one year. If everybody could stop publishing their poems. No more. Stop it. Just-everyone. Every Poet. Just stop.
But of course that's totally unfair to the poets who are just starting out. This may be their "wunderjahr."This may be the year they really find their voice. And I'm telling them to stop? No, that wouldn't do.
But wouldn't it be great? To have a moment to regroup and understand? Everybody would ask, Okie dokie, what new poems am I going to read today? Sorry: none. There are no new poems. And so you are thrown back onto what's already there, and you look at what's on your own shelves, that you bought maybe eight years ago, and you think, Have I really looked at this book? This book might have something to it. And it's been there, it's been waiting and waiting. No squeaky wheel. It's just been waiting."
Click here for more reading.
wow. such beautiful books !
ReplyDeleteIndeed, those colours!
ReplyDeleteand i wish you more than one book for next year!
Those books look gorgeous! i love that our posts are nearly identical today. xo
ReplyDeleteWow, great post! I have not read as much as I should have either this year... on the other hand, there is Daniel who reads so much - average 2 or 3 a week - egghead sort of books...James Joyce and such. That's why I love him!
ReplyDeleteBonnie & Daan, yes! I subscribe to Powell's email list of items that they add to their special Textiles Collection. Usually the cost is prohibitive on these books, as they are often old, rare, and out of print.
ReplyDeleteBut it's fun to look.
HBT:I was thinking the same thing!!
xo
Janis, thanks!
ReplyDeleteWow- 2-3 egghead Joyce-ish books a week- impressive. No wonder you like him.
Tomory reads far more than I do now.
When he was younger, he had some kind of learning disability (it deems like it was similar to dyslexia) that made reading difficult for him. He seems to have adapted & overcome!
soooo many good things written down, so little time to read them all. I agree. :)
ReplyDeleteI've been pretty slack lately too, but hey, as long as you really enjoy what you can squeeze into your schedule, that should be good, right?
beautiful fabrics!
lovely books. and i love the quote. not so much that poets should stop - i never had any intentions to keep up with them, but that thing about having books you never really got around to. well, next year...:)
ReplyDelete