I’m reading tonight, Jun 16, at 7:00 PM
Falkirk Cultural Center
1408 Mission Street, San Rafael
as part of the Marin Poetry Center Summer Traveling Show
hosted by Laurel Feigenbaum
Others include:
Joan Gelfand, Alan Cohen, John Hart, James Phoenix and Andrea Freeman
Because I’m reading “Loaves and Fishes” I’m bringing a fruit tart…mango and blueberry—it’s not pear season. So at the very least they’ll be something yummy to eat.
One of the best things about writing a blog is that you plunge ever deeper into the great labyrinth of blogs. Today, via Harriet Devine’s blog, I found The Literary Stew, and this meme to which I’ve added a fourth question. Please answer it below in the comment section or post about it in your blogs and leave a link.
1. What would cause you to stop reading a book?
I start a lot of books—one of the reasons I’m library addict. I abandon them if they bore me, I don’t like the writing style, or I just can’t get into them. Sometimes it’s not the book’s fault, it’s just not the right fit at the moment. Sometimes I can tell there’s going to be too much grief and the writing just isn’t worth it. Usually 50 pages is my cutoff point.
2. Name a book or books you’ve abandoned in the past that you ended up loving later on.
The most significant for me, Madame Bovary. The first time through, I just had no sympathy for the shallow heroine; that changed the second time around. Guess I’ve become increasingly shallow.
3. Name a book you’ve abandoned in the past that you hope to finish someday.
I’ve started Magic Mountain three times. I know it’s a classic. Maybe a John Woods’ translation will do it for me.
4. How often do you stop reading and just skim to the end?
More often than I like to document. I’m impatient, and unless the author is a really good writer, I often find myself flipping along, just to redeem my investment in the characters and their travails.
Anyone have an idea for what we should call this last category? Not exactly abandoned, but not exactly finished, either.