Back in 2013, I think it was, I joined an online reading group to read Infinite Jest. David Foster Wallace's 1996 novel that blew the minds of readers and critics alike. It's still doing that! The Infinite Jest is now more than ever. Because I've been seeing YouTube videos from many BookTubers claiming the novel is … Continue reading The Infinite Jest: Now More Than Ever
Tag: Infinte jest
The Last Dream
The last dream I had was March 17, 2022. It was about a friend, an old friend, one of my best friends. In the dream, he was digging a swimming pool foundation with a backhoe. As it came to pass, that was the night after he died. I had called three days before and he … Continue reading The Last Dream
My Favorite Books: ranked by others
was something I looked into the other day, over the holiday. Because I am curious and think this way. How do my favorite books, 83 so far, rate with others on Goodreads? I've been a member of the popular online booksite since 2006. Everyone can list the books they read, rate them (1 - 5 … Continue reading My Favorite Books: ranked by others
George Bernard Shaw: “a Tolstoy with jokes”
It's true! Or a David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest 100 years 'prior to'. I was introduced to Shaw's play Pygmalion (1914) sixty some years ago. When my mother took me by the hand and made me accompany her to My Fair Lady, a modern version of the theater performance, staring Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison. I can't recall … Continue reading George Bernard Shaw: “a Tolstoy with jokes”
Metrics for Year End Review
It's coming on Christmas and then the new year. That means it's time to start reflecting on the year past. I've done this for a number of years now and have come up with a new, quantitative way, to systematically, synthesize my analysis and reflection. Hopefully this will lead to better, or at least improved, … Continue reading Metrics for Year End Review
Hunger of the Pine: Teal Swan
What is the hunger of the pine? And who is Teal Swan? That all depends. Hunger of the Pine is both a song and a book. According to the author, Alt-J, and Miley Cyrus, of the song - it's a metaphor for the yearning, or pining for love or a loved one. The author of the … Continue reading Hunger of the Pine: Teal Swan
The Magpie Cafe: Summer Update
I still haven't given names to my new friends - the magpie birds who I share this habitat with. There are at least a dozen nests, nestled in all manner of trees, that surround the apartment complex where I nest. The birds are more reliable and stable than my human neighbors. Friendlier, too. Despite having … Continue reading The Magpie Cafe: Summer Update
The Perfect Storm
The Perfect Storm was a phrase made popular by journalist Sebastian Junger, with his 1997 novel and subsequent major motion picture. The subtitle is: A True Story Of Men Against The Sea. I think the phrase applies now as then. You can read my review of the book here. The perfect storm describes a confluence of circumstance … Continue reading The Perfect Storm
What Happened to Education?
What happened to education? is a great question. Certainly books have been written, and will be written (maybe), regarding answers. My answer is both simple and extremely complex. Survival and greed, in other words: Life at work, or biology on planet earth. My Favorite People are progressives. (see them here and here and here.) However, … Continue reading What Happened to Education?
Krystal Ball is wrong
Krystal Ball is wrong and Donald Trump is right. Stay with me, I'll make this brief. I watch Krystal daily. For three reasons: She and I share a birthday, and thus some general personality traits. Krystal is an attractive, young, expressive, and smart woman. Ball is fun and entertaining (because she is naive?) Ms Ball … Continue reading Krystal Ball is wrong