One of the best things I have done for myself is keep a list of what I read. I’ve done this since 1976, and it contains about a thousand titles by now. I commend the practice to others, for the guidance one can get from it, for future choices —but that’s an aside.
The only point of possible interest in the present list from NPR is the Zadie Smith entry. I say that only because I’ve never read her; as far as I know, then, she could be of interest, but more likely not. Meanwhile, there are plenty of much stronger bets to take, and life is short. Please: is NPR’s reading really something for intelligent people to think about? Come on, fellows. The only reason to pay attention to those folks is the reason the hare has for paying attention to the falcon.
Here are a few suggestion of my own: Flannery O’Connor, F. M. Dostoevsky, K. Barth, James Joyce, Thomas Mann –and do them out loud, yes, viva voce. Not to read out loud is like taking in Mozart by looking at dots on a page instead of hearing the performance. Those old monks knew what they were doing, having a brother read to them in the refectory.
Thomas Drew, you should give Zadie Smith a try. My taste in fiction certainly tends towards the classics, but Smith’s [i]White Teeth[/i] is one of my favorite contemporary novels; it’s witty, perceptive, poignant, funny, smart without being pedantic, and a plain old good story. I will certainly be looking for her collection of essays. I’ll be skipping Sarah Palin, though.
While I don’t keep a list of all I have read, I do keep a list of all the books I want to read in the back of my agenda, just in case I happen to come upon a used bookstore or find myself trapped in an airport with insufficient reading material. It’s best to be prepared for these things…
I’ll not be reading anything on NPR’s list. I keep returning to the theme of C. S. Lewis’ introduction to a translation of Athanasius’ [i]On the Incarnation[/i], subsequently published as “On Reading Old Books.” There are too many proven classics I’ve not gotten around to reading yet and life is too short (especially at age 72), to waste time on what’s hot today and cold tomorrow.
One of the best things I have done for myself is keep a list of what I read. I’ve done this since 1976, and it contains about a thousand titles by now. I commend the practice to others, for the guidance one can get from it, for future choices —but that’s an aside.
The only point of possible interest in the present list from NPR is the Zadie Smith entry. I say that only because I’ve never read her; as far as I know, then, she could be of interest, but more likely not. Meanwhile, there are plenty of much stronger bets to take, and life is short. Please: is NPR’s reading really something for intelligent people to think about? Come on, fellows. The only reason to pay attention to those folks is the reason the hare has for paying attention to the falcon.
Here are a few suggestion of my own: Flannery O’Connor, F. M. Dostoevsky, K. Barth, James Joyce, Thomas Mann –and do them out loud, yes, viva voce. Not to read out loud is like taking in Mozart by looking at dots on a page instead of hearing the performance. Those old monks knew what they were doing, having a brother read to them in the refectory.
Best.
TD
Thomas Drew, you should give Zadie Smith a try. My taste in fiction certainly tends towards the classics, but Smith’s [i]White Teeth[/i] is one of my favorite contemporary novels; it’s witty, perceptive, poignant, funny, smart without being pedantic, and a plain old good story. I will certainly be looking for her collection of essays. I’ll be skipping Sarah Palin, though.
While I don’t keep a list of all I have read, I do keep a list of all the books I want to read in the back of my agenda, just in case I happen to come upon a used bookstore or find myself trapped in an airport with insufficient reading material. It’s best to be prepared for these things…
I’ll not be reading anything on NPR’s list. I keep returning to the theme of C. S. Lewis’ introduction to a translation of Athanasius’ [i]On the Incarnation[/i], subsequently published as “On Reading Old Books.” There are too many proven classics I’ve not gotten around to reading yet and life is too short (especially at age 72), to waste time on what’s hot today and cold tomorrow.