What are You Reading?

[+ WilliamM]

On 9/27/2021 at 5:05 PM, Just Sayin said:

and this in the September 20 issue of The New Yorker:

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/09/20/how-colm-toibin-burrowed-inside-thomas-manns-head

I bought Thomas Mann's Joseph and His Brothers three days ago at Barnes and Noble. Still have not taken the book out of the bag.

 

About 1500 pages of small print. What was I thinking?

[Rod Hagen]

On 9/27/2021 at 2:16 PM, Just Sayin said:

I just finished "Real Life" by Brandon Taylor, a young black queer author; it's about a grad student from Alabama figuring out where he should be in life; it was shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize; I had read a short story of his in an anthology ("Kink" edited by R.O. Kwon and Garth Greenwell) and I really enjoyed his writing; I must admit the book did not grab me as much as the short story did. https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/flavors-of-freak/

I just finished and enjoyed BT's Filthy Animals, and can't wait to read his other books.

[KeepItReal]

On 9/29/2021 at 9:34 AM, WilliamM said:

I bought Thomas Mann's Joseph and His Brothers three days ago at Barnes and Noble. Still have not taken the book out of the bag.

 

About 1500 pages of small print. What was I thinking?

What were you thinking?  I mean who shops at Barnes and Noble for physical books anymore?! 😋  (Just kidding - I love me a good book store!!)

[+ Lucky]

And who goes to a thread titled What Are You Reading? to talk about what he is not reading?

[+ Lucky]

I did read Bob Woodward's Peril. Most of it was already in the newspapers.

[+ WilliamM]

On 9/29/2021 at 9:34 AM, WilliamM said:

I bought Thomas Mann's Joseph and His Brothers three days ago at Barnes and Noble. Still have not taken the book out of the bag.

 

About 1500 pages of small print. What was I thinking?

Finished Prelude: Descent into Hell and The Stories of Jacob next is Young Joseph.

I believe the books were published separately in four volumes while Thomas Mann  and his family was living in the United States (Princeton and then Southern California). He and his family moved to Switzerland later. Mann was a major critic of Germany and helped other refugees financially  including his older brother

 

(To be honest, Liked "The Magic Mountain" more)

Edited October 6, 2021 by WilliamM

[samhexum]

On 7/11/2020 at 5:56 PM, Epigonos said:

What are You Reading?

This thread (DUH!)

Edited December 2, 2021 by samhexum
Just for the hell of it.

[+ azdr0710]

"Once They Moved Like The Wind" by David Roberts......about the Apache wars in the Southwest US and northern Mexico

https://www.amazon.com/Once-They-Moved-Like-Wind/dp/0671885561

[Danny-Darko]

'The Collected Poems of Tennessee Williams' by Tennessee Williams.

[samhexum]

Texas school teachers told to counter Holocaust books with ‘opposing’ views

A secret audio recording revealed a Texas school administrator warning teachers to balance out classroom books on the Holocaust with “opposing” views.

An official with the Carroll School District in Southlake is heard on the recording, obtained by NBC News, advising educators about what books they should have on their classroom shelves after a local teacher was reprimanded for keeping an “anti-racism” book in her library.

“Make sure that if you have a book on the Holocaust that you have one that has opposing — that has other perspectives,” a voice that is purportedly Gina Peddy is heard saying to groans from teachers.

“How do you oppose the Holocaust?” one teacher responds, according to NBC News.

“Believe me — that’s come up,” replies Peddy, the school district’s director of curriculum and instruction.

The recording was made Friday during a training session said to be related to Texas’ new law that requires teachers to present differing views when studying “widely debated and currently controversial issues,” the TV station reported.

The controversial 3979 bill was portrayed by conservative lawmakers as a ban on “critical race theory,” outlining how teachers can discuss history and structural racism in Lone Star State’s classrooms, the Dallas Morning News reported.

A spokeswoman for the district told NBC school leaders recognize “teachers are in a precarious position” due to new legal requirements. The law is viewed as applying to books available in class libraries — not just those used as part of a lesson, the spokeswoman said.

“Our district has not and will not mandate books be removed nor will we mandate that classroom libraries be unavailable,” spokeswoman Karen Fitzgerald said, according to NBC News.

A state teachers union and state senator have said the school district is misinterpreting the law.

NBC obtained a photo of teachers in an apparent protest of the discussion having stretched yellow caution tape across bookshelves.

Edited October 16, 2021 by samhexum

[+ WilliamM]

Robert Caro, The Passage of Power

Lyndon Johnson becomes president in 1963 concerning  his achievement in passing civil rights bill, Kennedy's tax cut and his relationship with Bobby Kennedy

 

Also

Eunice Kennedy Who Changed The World by Eileen McNamara

 

Joseph P. Kennedy: If that girl had been born with balls she would have been a hell of a politician

Her great achievement was bringing mental retardation in the public square

[+ Lucky]

My Policeman, by Bethan Roberts. This is a British tale about a gay policeman, closeted as hell, of course, who needed a wife. He proposed to Marion, a school teacher and she accepted as Tom, the policeman, was quite the hunk. What she didn't know was that Tom was in a relationship with art dealer Patrick.

In the 50's, especially, gay men often married women to try to keep their sexuality hidden. Marion got a raw deal. Tom couldn't have cared less. But eventually, Marion woke up.

It's a good tale, soon to be a major motion picture starring Harry Styles.

[Danny-Darko]

'Notebooks' by Tennessee Williams

[+ WilliamM]

On 10/20/2021 at 8:26 AM, Lucky said:

My Policeman, by Bethan Roberts. This is a British tale about a gay policeman, closeted as hell, of course, who needed a wife. He proposed to Marion, a school teacher and she accepted as Tom, the policeman, was quite the hunk. What she didn't know was that Tom was in a relationship with art dealer Patrick.

In the 50's, especially, gay men often married women to try to keep their sexuality hidden. Marion got a raw deal. Tom couldn't have cared less. But eventually, Marion woke up.

It's a good tale, soon to be a major motion picture starring Harry Styles.

Not just gay men, lesbians as well. Janet Ganyor, the first academy award was married several times.

However, her last two marriages were to gay men like designer Adrian

Edited October 23, 2021 by WilliamM

[+ Charlie]

I am currently immersed in a book which I doubt that anyone here has read, or ever will. It is Maynard Mack's magisterial (975 pages) biography of poet Alexander Pope, published in 1986. A good friend of mine, a fellow lover of 18th century British literature, was a graduate student at Yale when Mack started writing the book in the 1960s, and he recommended that I not plan to read the book until I was retired and had a long spell of freedom to read whatever I wanted, so I have put if off for years. It will probably take me at least a few weeks to finish. Last night I was stunned to discover a reference to my friend, long since deceased, in the 109 pages of footnotes at the end.

Many people recognize lines from Pope's works ("To err is human, to forgive, divine...", "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread...", "Hope springs eternal in the human breast...", "A little learning is a dangerous thing...", etc. etc.), but few are aware of the source of the quotes, because hardly anyone reads the full poems anymore.

[BSR]

1 hour ago, Charlie said:

I am currently immersed in a book which I doubt that anyone here has read, or ever will. It is Maynard Mack's magisterial (975 pages) biography of poet Alexander Pope, published in 1986. A good friend of mine, a fellow lover of 18th century British literature, was a graduate student at Yale when Mack started writing the book in the 1960s, and he recommended that I not plan to read the book until I was retired and had a long spell of freedom to read whatever I wanted, so I have put if off for years. It will probably take me at least a few weeks to finish. Last night I was stunned to discover a reference to my friend, long since deceased, in the 109 pages of footnotes at the end.

Many people recognize lines from Pope's works ("To err is human, to forgive, divine...", "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread...", "Hope springs eternal in the human breast...", "A little learning is a dangerous thing...", etc. etc.), but few are aware of the source of the quotes, because hardly anyone reads the full poems anymore.

My favorite Alexander Pope couplet:

Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer 

And, without sneering, teach the rest to sneer

What a snarky bastard.  He's my idol!

Edited October 21, 2021 by BSR

[Danny-Darko]

Some food for thought! 

[+ E.T.Bass]

I'm reading On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong.

 

You guys make an impressive reading list.

Glad to know there is such a literary bunch among the members.

 

[Danny-Darko]

'Here's what we'll say : growing up, coming out, and the U.S. Air Force'

by Lehmkuhl, Reichen

[+ Lucky]

Alpha, by David Phillips, will destroy your image of Navy SEALS, and probably the Navy itself. Eddie Gallagher, a SEALS Chief in Mosul, killed a captive prisoner for no apparent reason, the book says. His fellow SEALS turned him in and alleged that he also shot civilians when on patrol.

Long story short, Trump came to his defense! But the Navy had already fucked the case up badly. Reading about that was so disheartening. You'd think there would be one aspect of the military you could look up to with pride. It ain't the SEALS and it ain't the Navy.

The book is very well-written and almost becomes a page turner. I read it straight through.

[Danny-Darko]

'The Attack on the Liberty: The Untold Story of Israel's Deadly 1967 Assault on a U.S. Spy Ship'  by James Scott.

Edited November 3, 2021 by Danny-Darko

[+ WilliamM]

Baggage by All Cunning.

I found his encounters with Gore Vidal, Liza, and JLo somewhat interesting. JLo's one time husband, Chris, more interesting

[+ FrankR]

“Together we will go” by J Michael Straczynski. Such an interesting read.

 

[Rod Hagen]

On 10/16/2021 at 12:24 AM, Danny-Darko said:

'The Collected Poems of Tennessee Williams' by Tennessee Williams.

I haven't read his poems, I will. 

 

I love his short stories.  One Arm?!  As someone who is a working man and was once a young(ish) working man, I LOVE that story.  It would make an excellent 82-minute film.

https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/arts/article_cee29cf1-5b4f-5c54-8348-548924c98a18.html

Also, I like Desire and the Black Masseur.  Sadistic and beautiful  It was also an ok movie.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091646/

 

 

[+ Charlie]

I am reading Forget the Alamo, a fascinating history of how a relatively inconsequential battle in 1836 became a popular (but in many ways inaccurate) legend, and its site a heavily promoted tourist attraction. It's a collaboration among three Texan journalists, Brian Burrough (author of the best-seller Barbarians at the Gates), Chris Tomlinson and Jason Stanford. Texans like to to speak of the revolt as a fight for political independence, but it was no secret at the time that the only important political issue was slavery: Mexico had abolished slavery, and the Americans in Texas were mostly cotton farmers whose economy depended on slaves, their most important "property." The constitution of the Republic of Texas specifically stated that slavery could not be abolished, and no free Blacks would be allowed in the new country. The most famous "heroes" of the battle, all of whom were killed, were William Travis (a shyster lawyer), Jim Bowie (who had fled to Texas to escape prosecution in the US for numerous crimes), and Davy Crockett (a failed politician who made up outlandish stories about his frontier exploits). They were all whitewashed into heroic figures by Texan patriots, abetted by the entertainment media in the 20th century. Even the site of the battle was not the building that almost any American can easily identify when they "remember the Alamo," but a nondescript barracks nearby that had been turned into a grocery store for years after the battle, and that the curators of the site wanted to tear down because it was not picturesque enough for the memorial they wanted to create. It is a classic American story, and a fun read if you are not a die-hard Texas conservative.