Half-birthday, favorite books, red nails…

December 3, 2010

I have a thing about numbers and dates. December 3 is yellow, because of the “3.” It’s also a fine day because it’s Friday, and my half-birthday. When I wake the words and numbers float past my consciousness like an old-fashioned ticker tape.

The half-birthday is a great excuse for getting my nails done. New gel polish that is supposed to last two weeks – unlikely on a woman who thinks with her hands, but I can always hope.

April’s great writing authors’ blogpost today (http://www.teachingauthors.com/2010/12/beware-of-books-books-that-have.html) mentioned Bookprints, a kind of Facebook place for book lovers. They’ve been asking folks to post the five books that influenced them. I can’t do it because I won’t join Bookprints, which requires access to one’s friends/contacts on FB or gmail. But I’ll tell you some of my favorite books…

* The Once and Future King, T.H. White (‘58), based on the Arthurian legend. White reinterprets it in relation to WWII - and reviewers say he wrote it the way he wanted the world to be. I read it in 5th grade and treasured it. Really liked the title.

* Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger. It's a good thing I didn't know what a lech Salinger was because it would have taken away some of the identification and utter enjoyment I got out of reading this in 9th grade. The wry humor - I saw me.

* How to Talk Dirty and Influence People—An Autobiography, Lenny Bruce. (’65). When I was 14, I read the book that was making my mother laugh like a banshee in her bed. I still remember the first line to this day, but I can’t share it. For a tall skinny girl who wore prim dresses, reading a provocative obscenity-filled book by a man whose stand-up comedy act challenged free speech limits in the 1950s and 1960s was a way to differentiate myself in junior high school. I also thought Bruce was hilarious and poignant, and as my family knew writers and musicians who were blacklisted during that period, I appreciated his bravery. I never thought of trying to write like Bruce, but I learned how humor can lighten a message.

* He/She/It, Marge Piercy. This woman is a versatile writer - poetry and fiction, I love it all. This was the first semi-science fiction book I liked. Loved the golem.

* Shipping News, E. Annie Proulx. Dense, hard to get into, but the payoff was huge for me.

* Caught Inside, Daniel Duane. Duane's 1997 memoir-ish book of a year surfing on California's north coast, was just what I needed - a thoughtful California view of the world tied into one of my favorite sports. Read it on the recommendation of my son Josh and still think about it.

* The Outlander, Gil Adamson. 1903 Canadian Rockies setting – mentally ill young woman escaping for her life after she kills her abusive husband. Stunning prose, amazing story. One of my favorite spur-of-the-moment book buys - the Honolulu airport.

* Granny D—You’re Never too Old to Raise a Little Hell, Doris Haddock ('03, with Dennis Burke). The 89-year-old who walked across the country to call for campaign finance reform. She died in 2010 at age 100. What a powerful woman and what a fine and thoughtful writer. I keep the book beside my bed, and when I feel empty, hopeless or just in need of a kick in the pants, I pick it up for real dynamite. Talking about why she did her walk, she says," There is an urge to just walk into the desert, away from the road and be done with it. There is also an urge to have some ice cream with chocolate sauce. Life is what we patch together between those competing desires." And how about this one? "Your life is not trivial. It is real." And another, "We are all dying, and we might as well be spending ourselves in a good cause." My kind of woman.

Read on!