Karis, Heather, John Jackson
Writing down the titles……before the Visiting Writers Series with Minton Sparks…..of all the great books.
At the pre-performance dinner conversation things went to, as it happily often does, what are the good books?
What are the books we must read?
Kate Walbert, OUR KIND– linked stories, with the most amazing point of view manuevers…fabulous fiction.
Anatole Broyard–WHEN KAFKA WAS THE RAGE– memoir, slim, read everything by him.. perfect writing.
Mark Doty–DOG YEARS–profoundly fantastic and hilarious and rich and weighty but in a great way…memoir.
Robert Kurson–CRASHING THROUGH–nonfiction, about a blind man who has sight restored..you’ll stay up reading.
Anne Truitt–DAYBOOK–a singular journal, by famous sculptor Anne Truitt, about creative work and family and the whole process of making life, art, and friendship. Order from Powells.
Gerard Durrell MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS–essentially this is the book I am trying to get all my students to write all the time. He is so sweet and hilarious and radical and the writing is delicious. Plan to read in one sitting. And then again.
Colm Tobin THE MASTER — even if you don’t love Henry James (a fact you should keep to yourself and work on changing) just please read this book and then all his books. If you are hungering for a NovelyNovel Novel, a great one, rich and plotted and fresh and devastating, sign up. You can read it in bed.
Diane Ackerman THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE– This one you need to read first. Of all the books on the list, if you read one, read this. It will change everything for you that needs to be changed right now. I want all my students to read this book. Read read read read this. It’s nonfiction, about a family in Poland who hides fleeing Jews in their Zoo during WWII.
Marianne Boruch — Grace, Fallen From It’s poetry month this month and bike month next month, but how on earth we think in terms of months, I do not know. This is, if you don’t read lots of poetry, your book for this year. You do have to read the poems more than once, of course, and slowly, and maybe with your lover, with some care, but you do not have to work-the poems take care of everything. Cell phones, swimming pools, annoying people–there is a way in. One of my favorite books of poetry.
And EVERYTHING by Minton Sparks, and don’t forget to get her DVD Open Casket.
Remember: support your local independent bookstore and your local library. Sleep well at night!
karis, heather, john listing the books
Many thanks; I’ve been hankering for such a list. Can’t help but notice that so much of it is nonfiction–which I find myself drawn to more and more these days because. . .dare I say, I find it’s better written, manages to combine interesting subject matter with elegant prose more than much of the fiction that seems to find its way to bookstore shelves today.
I read an agent quote from Poet’s and Writers suggesting that there was a lot of “beautifully written” fiction out there but it didn’t “grab” the agent.
Surely, there must be submissions that do both. . .I’m reading The Lace Reader for a book club right now and while the plot is decent enough, I can barely get through the writing. Is it possible that editors/agents are revealing a bias against good writing?
Well, thanks for the inspiration, Heather. Looks like I’ve written enough to copy and paste it into my own blog!