I love the fact that International Short Story Day, June 20th, is celebrated on a solstice.That’s to say: the day the sun (sol) stands still (sistere).
Apart from the rather pleasing philological connection with short days/nights/stories, there might be other affinities too between a solstice and this literary form. Continue reading
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Posted in Smith, Ali
In the last few days, two events have played themselves out.
To be more precise: an almost infinite number of events have occured if you’re willing to squish down to the atomic and subatomic (which I am).
Yesterday, for example, a posse of geo-neutrino particles, 1,800 miles below the earth’s surface, instead of just passing through the gooey core of molten metal with zero interaction (as anti-matter is wont to do), Continue reading
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Posted in Bishop, Elizabeth, MacLeod, Alexander
O Canada.
I’ve been spending a lot of time in Canada recently. Entirely in my head of course. Which is possibly the best place to explore a country, or a city as Calvino Continue reading
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Posted in Rosenblum, Rebecca
I’m always impressed by Big Readers. Not as in girth, though that’s impressive too. No, I’m talking about those people who devour books the ways you and I fritter away time on social media sites for example [insert semi-ironic winking smiley]. Continue reading
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Posted in Fitzgerald, F. Scott
You don’t need another self-help book (apart from this one, perhaps?).
It’s good to know though that you, me, Sarah Salway and David Foster Wallace still buy them. Continue reading
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Posted in Salway, Sarah, White, Kenneth
Unless your hypnotherapist records your sessions, it’s unlikely you will ever hear yourself in a regressed state.
Of course we’re regressing, progressing, digressing at any given moment of the day, and that’s OK if you’re OK with it.
Regression is when we put aside the carefully formulated poses of adulthood and return to something more child-like in our response to the world. Continue reading
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Posted in Potter, Tessa
Here’s a jug of story water to put into your morning kettle.
When I was living in Milan in the early 90s, with all the potential and fear that being a young adult entails, the floorboards of our flat would often chant to me:
Nam-Myōhō-Renge-Kyō, Nam-Myōhō-Renge-Kyō, Nam-Myōhō-Renge-Kyō.
It was quite relentless. Mornings, evenings, a constant reverberating drone of confounding vocalisations. I would put my ear to the floor and feel it (also something in me) shiver. Continue reading
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Posted in Rumi
I’m hoping I might get a few complaints about this podcast.
Firstly, as this is a nominal tie-in with the new Granta 119: Britain issue, nothing really says Britain like a good old whinge.
But also because the internet (as a buzzing, virtual gestalt of ourselves) is often driven and impelled by the energy of expostulation. Continue reading
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Posted in Haddon, Mark
You can learn everything and nothing about a person by the virtual breadcrumbs they scatter across the internet that lead you and the Google bot towards them.
Before meeting Janina Matthewson I already knew that she was damn funny and damn sharp. This is thanks to the 140 character slivers of Janina that pop up in my Twitter stream on a daily basis. Continue reading
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Posted in Austen, Jane
The great thing, for me, about RMSYL is the sheer diversity of readers transmitting their love of reading to me, and the texts they choose to do this with.
This afternoon I was in Brompton Library listening and then later discussing Tim The Terrible Tiger with Jane, a reading volunteer.
Tomorrow morning, I’m meeting Edward Espe Brown (Yes! Tassajara Bread Book Espe Brown: 1/3 Gordon Ramsay, 1/3 Shunryu Suzuki, 1/3 Jack Kerouac.) It’s breakfast and Rumi for me + EEB. Then on Friday Continue reading
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Posted in Ducornet, Rikki
"The title says it all. Read Me Something You Love invites literary lovers to select a piece of writing which excites them. Steve Wasserman, then trundles around to your home with his mobile recording studio in an attempt to translate the pleasure of the reading aloud experience to a wider audience.
“One of the joys of doing this is being open to the experience of how other people’s enthusiasms will wing their way into your life and get you all gee’d up about stories or poems you might never have glanced at twice,” says Wasserman.
Anyone can take part, just email your suggestions to Steve. The only real requirement is that your selection has proved spine-tingling to you in some way. Readings are limited to 20-25 minutes, so a short story, a well-chosen extract or a poem are perfect.
Time to start practicing in the mirror methinks."
"I don’t know about you, but seeing someone read a book on the Tube often gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing that this potentially wasted part of the day is enriched by a good book. The rarity of book lovers gracing the seats of the Underground these days makes me feel both sad and like I’m in a secret club that is only acknowledged by a sideways glance at the books of fellow commuters.
So on discovering the Human Reading Being blog, part of the Read Me Something You Love project, I was terrified that I’d spot a terrible picture of myself reading something embarrassing and then overjoyed that this humble daily habit is being celebrated.
Read Me Something You Love involves Steve Wasserman asking authors and non-authors alike, to read a piece of literature they love before leading a discussion on the piece. If you love submerging yourself in the imagination of others, come and celebrate this dying pastime."
