(bang trims and no makeup make me proud of my eyebrows)
So I'm going to try to act on impulse and actually make blog posts when I'm moved to do so that have nothing whatsoever to do with fashion or with my own, personal style. Because, after all, this is
my space and
my blog, so I can do whatever I want! Ha... ha... (and now a third of you close the window and move on. Such is life. I tried to win you over with a photobooth picture of me, did you see?!)
Ever since I graduated college (yes, I have a Bachelor's degree, whattayaknow?) I don't think I've finished a single book. The first year or two after college, I figured this was due to reading about 20 books per quarter (that's in 10 weeks, 3 quarters per year) in my final year of schooling, or that I was burnt out on educational activities such as reading... but now, after 3 years since graduating, I realized I'm just now out of practice. And I feel bad. I work all the time, for one. So, in my time off I'd rather relax and "vege" in front of a good movie or tv show, or I have to run errands/clean/do responsible things, and lastly... reading takes a lot of energy. But I used to love it so much! And I have a collection of amazing books to read that are collecting dust on my bed stand.
My solution to this problem? I'm going to do a sort of 4-months-in-new-years-resolution kind of deal. Except, not. But it's a resolution nonetheless. I'm going to start reading! Even if it's a chapter a night when I'm settling into bed to go to sleep or just a few pages... I need to get back into it. It makes you smarter, for one. (you can see by that sentence alone I'm lacking in my grammatical and written smarts) And it's just so much better than a mindless TV program. (Although I will not give up Ru Paul's Drag Race... after all, it's only an hour a week.)
I figure if I make this proclamation to the public, it'll hold more weight than if I just say to myself this one random morning, "hey, I should start reading again!" and then quickly move onto my to-do list and forget I ever thought it.
I also think that sharing my love for reading, or rather, what I
have read in the past will help me to be inspired to share more books and readings to you all.
I follow a random Charles Bukowski "quotes" twitter account and it got me thinking about how for awhile in my life, I was really into poetry/prose, especially obsessing over the works of Charles Bukowski and ee cummings. I now realize saying I love both of these poets in one sentence sounds like the craziest mix of opposites in the world of literature, but bare with me as I compare them to illustrate my love for them both.
I have multiple books by both authors, but far more of Bukowski's work than cummings simply because of availability and reach - CB has like a billion books and cummings not so much. I do, however, wish to expand my love for Bukowski by reading more of his books and short stories as opposed to my usual fawning over his poetry.
I am going to share with you my two most recent favorites from each of them... It's strange how I came to love Bukowski, since he is such an asshole and all, but I admire his honesty in all of his writings... it just gets me. And cummings on the flip side is so poetically romantic that my heart swells and aches every time I read his poems about love.
i like my body when it is with your
body. It is so quite new a thing.
Muscles better and nerves more.
i like your body. i like what it does,
i like its hows. i like to feel the spine
of your body and its bones, and the trembling
-firm-smooth ness and which i will
again and again and again
kiss, i like kissing this and that of you,
i like, slowly stroking the, shocking fuzz
of your electric fur, and what-is-it comes
over parting flesh . . . . And eyes big love-crumbs,
and possibly i like the thrill
of under me you so quite new
--ee cummings (from 100 selected poems)
"about the PEN conference"
take a writer away from his typewriter
and all you have left
is
the sickness
which started him
typing
in the
beginning.
--charles bukowski (from "you get so alone at times that it just makes sense")
Lastly, here are the most recent books I've read and LOVED:
No one belongs here more than you by Miranda July
Possible Side Effects by Augusten Burroughs
I was told there'd be cake by Sloan Crosley
Can't Stop Won't Stop by Jeff Chang
Assata by Assata Shakur
And here are the most recent books I've received as gifts or bought for myself that I haven't read yet, or am in the middle of reading/starting:
Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs (started)
If You Have to Cry, Go Outside by Kelly Cutrone (haven't started)
Eros, the Bittersweet by Anne Carson (halfway through)
A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle (have read some of before, want to read again)
It Chooses You by Miranda July (haven't started)
Drive by Daniel H. Pink (haven't started)
What are you reading? Classics? Murder mysteries? Autobiographies? Tell me your favorite authors/books/poets! Let's get inspired by one another! I promise that I'll try to update every month on here how I'm doing, and try to keep up with it by posting on twitter what I'm reading as well.
(this is just for fun, I love converse hi-tops. high tops? I want them in every color.)
Until next time... I look forward to your comments on this!
