Looks like Jeremy Blachman, the not-so-anonymous lawyer, has been reading the same issue of People magazine that I recently read. His editorial in today's NY Times is all about why he thinks it should be OK to blog about certain things about work. Actually, in my opinion, it was kind of a fluff peice that didn't do much besides state some obvious points. I think he only got published because he was recently outed as being the author of the famous blog, Anonymous Lawyer. It was a strange editorial to find on the same page with Maureen Dowd and editorials about New Orleans, but it did make me chuckle to think this guy used the same source as me.
Of course, I read that little editorial at work today and I managed to hold off writing about it until I got home.
31 August 2005
28 August 2005
bildungsroman
bil·dungs-ro·man or Bil·dungs·ro·man
A novel whose principal subject is the moral, psychological, and intellectual development of a usually youthful main character.
That really is a word! I kind of thought Jay McInerney made it up for his New York Times review of Benjamin Kunkel's debut novel, Indecision. Seriously, that is a new one on me.
So is wanderjahr: a year spent wandering or travelling itinerantly; also called Wanderjahr
Etymology: the original German word meant a year taken to travel and perfect one's knowledge or skill after an apprenticeship
The only thing missing from this review was Sturm und Drang. Since when did Jay McInerney start teaching English at Frankfurt University?
OK, all that aside it does seem like Mr. McInerney liked this book so I may need to add it to my "to read" list. Also noted in the review is that a new novel by Mr. McInerney is due out soon. This struck me strange. Is it just me, or does it always seem like Jay McInerney and Brett Easton Ellis always publish around the same time? The last coincidence being the publication of Model Behavior and Glamorama within maybe months of each other. (I could look it up, but I am too lazy. All my energy for google was spent on the GermanGreman lesson. )
Are Jay and Brett locked in competition for most literary figure born out of the 80's Vintage Contemporaries scene OR are they actually the same person and deliberately publishing at the same time to throw us off the scent?
Maybe I am over thinking this...
A novel whose principal subject is the moral, psychological, and intellectual development of a usually youthful main character.
That really is a word! I kind of thought Jay McInerney made it up for his New York Times review of Benjamin Kunkel's debut novel, Indecision. Seriously, that is a new one on me.
So is wanderjahr: a year spent wandering or travelling itinerantly; also called Wanderjahr
Etymology: the original German word meant a year taken to travel and perfect one's knowledge or skill after an apprenticeship
The only thing missing from this review was Sturm und Drang. Since when did Jay McInerney start teaching English at Frankfurt University?
OK, all that aside it does seem like Mr. McInerney liked this book so I may need to add it to my "to read" list. Also noted in the review is that a new novel by Mr. McInerney is due out soon. This struck me strange. Is it just me, or does it always seem like Jay McInerney and Brett Easton Ellis always publish around the same time? The last coincidence being the publication of Model Behavior and Glamorama within maybe months of each other. (I could look it up, but I am too lazy. All my energy for google was spent on the GermanGreman lesson. )
Are Jay and Brett locked in competition for most literary figure born out of the 80's Vintage Contemporaries scene OR are they actually the same person and deliberately publishing at the same time to throw us off the scent?
Maybe I am over thinking this...
24 August 2005
Visiting niece
My niece has been staying with us for the past few days. She is 17 months. I forgot how much more work that age is! You have to watch her every second. I am amazed that I actually forgot what that was like so quickly. Comparatively, I have it a lot easier now.
It has also struck me strange what a different baby my niece is compared to Zoë. She is quiet and timid where Zoë is boisterous and nosy. She is easily amused and a great eater and Zoë is neither. Now I think I understand what parents of more than one child mean when they talk about how different their kids are. My niece will be a big sister in about 6 more months and now I am very interested to see how that baby will be different in his or her own way.
I went to my first bookclub meeting last night and it was a lot of fun. I'm sorry I never did this sooner. It was a very informal conversation and everyone in the club is very smart and very nice and extremely well read. (I did not divulge that I was currently reading a Roasmund Pilcher novel. Although most of them are into the Harry Potter series which I don't exactly think of as high-brow.) No one was particularly argumentative or dominating. It was quite a success. The next book we read is "The Day of the Locust" by Nathanael West. It was published in 1939 and is about Hollywood. Should be interesting.
This idea of not posting during business hours is going to be hard. I was tempted today, but I managed to hold off.
P.S. Thanks for the comments from my readers. Glad you haven't given up on me. :-)
It has also struck me strange what a different baby my niece is compared to Zoë. She is quiet and timid where Zoë is boisterous and nosy. She is easily amused and a great eater and Zoë is neither. Now I think I understand what parents of more than one child mean when they talk about how different their kids are. My niece will be a big sister in about 6 more months and now I am very interested to see how that baby will be different in his or her own way.
I went to my first bookclub meeting last night and it was a lot of fun. I'm sorry I never did this sooner. It was a very informal conversation and everyone in the club is very smart and very nice and extremely well read. (I did not divulge that I was currently reading a Roasmund Pilcher novel. Although most of them are into the Harry Potter series which I don't exactly think of as high-brow.) No one was particularly argumentative or dominating. It was quite a success. The next book we read is "The Day of the Locust" by Nathanael West. It was published in 1939 and is about Hollywood. Should be interesting.
This idea of not posting during business hours is going to be hard. I was tempted today, but I managed to hold off.
P.S. Thanks for the comments from my readers. Glad you haven't given up on me. :-)
22 August 2005
Return from hiatus
It's been awhile since I've posted. I kind of fell out of the habit when I took my week's vacation. We didn't even go away, but I tried hard to stay away from the computer for most of the week. Coincidentally, there was this article in People magazine that same week about bloggers who have posted about their jobs and consequently lost their jobs. I was then caught up in a little bought of paranoia and I have now decided that it would be prudent to no longer post during business hours. Even if I write an email to myself and post it later, that would be better. There remains some chance of getting caught, I suppose, but my blog hasn't exactly become the talk of the town. I think I average about 2 visitors a day and after the last few weeks of being dry my two faithful readers have probably given up on me any way. Despite that, I shall persevere at blogging.
At the invitation of a colleague, I recently joined a book club. The first selection I read for the club was Train by Pete Dexter. This is not at all the kind of book I would choose for myself. That can be a good thing, but unfortunately, not in this case. For reasons that are unclear to me, this book won the National Book Award. Huh? If anyone can explain to me what is so good about this book, I would be interested to hear it. Tomorrow night the book club meets. I am going to lay low on my opinions and not say that I hated it because I don't want to put everyone off right from the start, but I really hope the next selection is something different.
As an antidote to Train I am now reading Coming Home by Rosamund Pilcher. It is the literary antithesis. Say what you will, the book has 77 amazon.com reviews and four and a half stars.
And now I am off to watch the last episode ever of "Six Feet Under." I tivo'd it last night while I was at the movies seeing "Broken Flowers" with the continues to amaze me with his brilliance, Bill Murray. Its no "Lost in Translation", but it is a good movie -- definitely the best thing I've seen in a long time.
At the invitation of a colleague, I recently joined a book club. The first selection I read for the club was Train by Pete Dexter. This is not at all the kind of book I would choose for myself. That can be a good thing, but unfortunately, not in this case. For reasons that are unclear to me, this book won the National Book Award. Huh? If anyone can explain to me what is so good about this book, I would be interested to hear it. Tomorrow night the book club meets. I am going to lay low on my opinions and not say that I hated it because I don't want to put everyone off right from the start, but I really hope the next selection is something different.
As an antidote to Train I am now reading Coming Home by Rosamund Pilcher. It is the literary antithesis. Say what you will, the book has 77 amazon.com reviews and four and a half stars.
And now I am off to watch the last episode ever of "Six Feet Under." I tivo'd it last night while I was at the movies seeing "Broken Flowers" with the continues to amaze me with his brilliance, Bill Murray. Its no "Lost in Translation", but it is a good movie -- definitely the best thing I've seen in a long time.
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