Clerihews

Barack Obama,
an Oxford comma:
some prefer, some attack,
plus it’s black.

---

Joe Biden
needn't widen.
Cheney post-campaign?
Skip that train.

---

John McCain
ended up in the drain.
Don’t know where he went wrong—
fundamentals are strong.

---

Sarah Palin
beat the nail in,
glad to shelve
‘til 2012.

---

George Walker Bush
is out on his tush.
Hope it won’t throb
when he can’t find a job.

Reading Railroad

Holler.  It's a new year--did you notice?  Something in the air.  I'm packing my things up for Wheaton right now, and I figured this would be a good time to put a list of the books I received for Christmas before they get mixed in with all the others.  A few other noteworthy presents: a subscription to Paste Magazine (from Laura), a subscription to Poetry Magazine (from my mom), a nice cardigan sweater, sweatervest, two t-shirts, and two nice pairs of socks (Mom), nice gloves (Mom and Katie, separately), Wall-E DVD (Mom), Bill Evans DVD (Mom).

A neat addition to our Christmastivities this year: my mom decided to participate in the "spend less, give more" attitude Life Church is propagating by spending less on our gifts and letting us choose charities and worthy causes to give to instead.  I hope this is more in line with the true meaning of Christmas than Freddy's idea that "baby Jesus got nice presents and we are supposed to be like him."

Anyway, the books (many of which I found online used or cheap, hence the quantity):

Simply Christian (N. T. Wright) - (read) The best general-consumption book about Christianity I've read in a long time, maybe ever.  It's unfortunate that the people who would benefit most from this (everyone) probably won't read it.  I think it surpasses Mere Christianity as an explanation of the overall story of Christian faith, particularly to those living in a postmodern culture.  I can't say enough good things about it overall, and would gladly lend it to anyone who'll be at Wheaton this semester.  I'm hoping to keep it off my shelf.

Outliers: The Story of Success (Malcolm Gladwell) - (given by Laura) (read) A really interesting account to place side-by-side Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's book Creativity, as it creates a broader picture of success that includes not only personal characteristics but systemic aspects, heritage, opportunities, etc.  This was a quick read, and many of the ideas and anecdotes are still on my mind.  Two of my friends got this for Christmas as well, so I'm looking forward to discussing it further and figuring out how it's relevant to my own life.

Say Uncle (Kay Ryan) - (read twice, flipped through many times) A great book of poems.  I find myself drawn deeper every time I read them, which is a good sign.  How can her approach be so original/unique and so compelling at the same time?

Le Ton beau de Marot: In Praise of the Music of Language (Douglas R. Hofstadter) - (about 1/4 read) From the author of Godel Escher Bach, a book about poetry and the idea of 'translation' as it ties into intelligence and human connectedness.  He is a nerd's nerd, and this is right down my alley; the title alone is a pun about five times over.  My honeymoon is over with him, though: he doesn't understand contemporary poetry, music, or philosophy, and seems a bit more opinionated and hypocritical than I remembered.  Regardless, he gives me plenty to think about, and sometimes you pay better attention when you're looking for an argument.  He makes me want to learn French at the least, and apply myself more generally and passionately to intellectual tasks.

Homage to the Lame Wolf (Vasko Popa/tr. Charles Simic) - A book of poems by one of Simic's favorite poets, translated by the man himself.  I've only read a little of it, but it seems meditative--images that come together and mean not necessarily after lots of "piecing together", but after much reflection.

The Horse Has Six Legs: An Anthology of Serbian Poetry (ed. & tr. Charles Simic) - Again, learning from the master how he master learned.  These are poems with teeth.

Dime-Store Alchemy: The Art of Joseph Cornell (Charles Simic) - Simic sees himself as the poet arranging found objects in little boxes.  A good follow-up to my ekphrastics class, and possibly a good complement to Art Survey this semester.  I probably wouldn't have bought this one on my own, at least not for a while; Merry Christmas to me!

Orphan Factory: Essays and Memoirs; Hotel Insomnia; A Wedding in Hell; Night Picnic (Charles Simic) - Filling out my collection.

Free Verse: An Essay On Prosody (Charles O. Hartman) - an explication, analysis, and legitimization of the tradition of free verse poetry.  Recommended by Charles Simic.  Douglas Hofstadter needs to read this (as do I; I think it could help with my IDS project).

Elephant Rocks (Kay Ryan) - These are poems that give you the feeling that they are good poems.  Simic's are more deeply philosophical and reflexive than sonically playful and overtly abstract.  Kay's are also more openly empathic, encouraging, and hopeful, at least sometimes.  Maybe a cross between Simic and Miranda July?  KR & CS are good poet-parents for me right now.

New Selected Poems (Mark Strand) - I kept picking up his books in the bookstore and getting floored, but not getting to know him in private.  Now I have the chance.

The Harmony of Bill Evans (Jack Reilly) - A collection of articles analyzing Bill Evans' compositions.  From the back cover: "Evans's compositions must be studied and played.  They are rich and full of wondrous invention and genius.  I get much pleasure from playing Chopin, Brahms, et. al. [sic]  From Evans, I get a great deal more.  His music is a synthesis of all western classical music plus the many years of jazz.  He is America's Chopin."  He's some kind of something, that's for sure.

New Years Resolution #31: Read these.

New Years Resolution #32: Still manage to apply yourself and be devoted to every class, especially the philosophy ones.

New Years Resolution #33: Learn to fly.

New Years Resolution #33A: Not on US Airways.