reading list.....

ok, so my plan on reporting a reading list/books read in any given month has fallen off the mark.....mostly because of the fire.....but also because i hit a disappointment with some suggested books and have yet to recover.......the books by paul queneau...that i went so far as to order from half.com......turned out to be just far enough over the edge of reason as to be unappealing to me......i started out each with belly laughs with regards to absurdities therein....but these wore off in their turn......and each lie unfinished at the bottom of stacks her and there........so what was the problem...was it the author who failed me....or was i a poor reader who let down her half of the bargain......distracted and unappreciative......this brings up my recent reading experience at princeton.....i had noted on-line that there would be a reading on wednesday at 4:30....the only day that we would actually BE in princeton.....and i checked out 2 novels from the local library....nothing availabel by the poet, alas........and read the slimmest volume on the way east......and i hated it.....all flashbacks and bricks of cocaine.......nothing compelling about any of the characters.......i did manage to finish it....and start the second.....and put down the second when it seemed to be going the direction of kkk-like opposition to inter-racial dating.......which i am not in the mood to deal with at this point in my life...not the dating part....the kkk part........those who have read this blog from start to finish will understand.......anyway.....here we were....in the james stewart theatre......THE jimmy stewart, class of 1932.........2 people out of the maybe 30 people present...maybe 2 actual students....and i hated the novelist's first book, and pre-hated the second.......oh vey.....luckily the poet went first.....and i was awestruck at his way with words.....and wished i had bought the other book he had for sale in the lobby.......the most poignant poem was about the space dog......who was pampered and cuddled for her big space adventure......only to be abandoned to her fate...........sent out alone and with no parachute....the poet compared the dog's fate to every child raised by attentive parents.....sent out...with no intention of the child ever returning home.......when i later bought the second book of poems available, and offered it to the poet to be signed.....he asked....how should i address it......to my own space dog....i replied..............anyway...back to the novelist.....he read from one of his short stories.....which was ever so much better than the novels i read/didn't read..........and when he stopped by to sign our copy (purchased shortly before....)he asked if i had read any of his work.....yes....the one with all of the flashbacks.....i should have said that this device was wasted on me........i can handle 1 or 2 flashbacks.....and if they come in movie form i fastforward....i am trying to break myself of past-obession....so why would i care to waste my time reading the tiresome past of others......yes...that is generally hwat novels are made of.....but these flashbacks can become so very annoying.........when i was chatting with the author....joyce carol oates almost stopped to join in....but luckily she turned to speak to a colleague...luckily because i have never read a word she has written.....and also because she looks like a bird....and i was afraid i might just tell her so......no probably not......but the thought did cross my mind......i have spent several off-moments thinking about writing....about where blogging fits into my grand scheme of actually writing something of substance.........short stories seem more to my cadence....as they can be started and finished in a speed that keeps them on track......while novels can become so bogged down in their own weight......from a writing standpoint as well as a reading one.....heck.....i have to read most works 5-6 times to catch it all......i cannot manage to read every word of any passage...such is the level of my inattentiveness.....just ask my family......i pay little attention to many things.......and so i might just attempt sleep........maybe the caffeine has worn off........or maybe i will just read blogs (my own?) until i am lulled into a state of sleepiness........