Readin’ & Writin’ Friday

I/ve posted links to the latest Flip magazine updatess. The thing is, they’re updated the minute I read the articles, but it makes sense to me just to promote them when there’s a new amount of critical mass. Needless to say, what with Syria and all, there’s been plenty of transmutable fodder for Sept-Oct PF on the Debate Etc. side, plus there’s just stuff that it strikes me debate people will be interested in. As for The Other Stuff, there’s always plenty of that.

Meanwhile, if you follow me @jimmenick on Twitter, you get a marginal sense of my overall book reading, most of which is for the DJ and doesn’t really engage me. When I tell people what I do for a living, they ooh and aah and say how great it must be to read books all day and get paid for it. They don’t necessarily understand that most of the books I read, it’s only because I am getting paid to do it. Of course, the books I actually choose for the series, even if they are not necessarily something I might seek out for my own personal pleasure (romances, for instance), I enjoy. So that means that I read about 30 or so books a year for the DJ that I enjoy, and all the rest that I don’t. All the rest probably adds up to another 150-200 (although not cover-to-cover; I am paid to select books, not to mindlessly plod through the rejects). All this pouring of words into my head does have its effect on my ability to read at home, needless to say. Someday I’ll be able to read only what I want. The thought is magical.

Along those lines, I am finishing up Camille Paglia’s Glittering Images, which I’ve enjoyed immensely, and recommend to anyone interested in art history, especially those new to the subject. It’s a nice production with full-color illustrations, and short essays on each piece, going back to ancient times up through today. On the one hand, it’s a good, digestible little survey that anyone can get something out of. At a higher level, it’s got some wonderfully controversial readings that, if you already know a little bit, you might be inclined to disagree with. I mean, not to put too fine a point on it, but sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. I felt the same way about her poetry book, Break, Blow, Burn. I’m no expert on Paglia and haven’t read anything but these, but she’s a good writer, regardless of what she’s saying. She’s in my virtual queue for the rest of her books. She makes me think about stuff.

And finally, if you haven’t read The House on Summer Street, have you at least tried the audio sample. Don’t decide that it must suck unless you’ve proven it beyond the shadow of a doubt.