Author Topic: Fave Books / Currently Reading  (Read 947433 times)

Shaggy 2 Grote

  • Space Champion!
  • Posts: 3892
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1620 on: June 02, 2011, 05:17:56 PM »
I read "Everything That Rises Must Converge" by Flannery O'Connor, and now I'm reading "The Demon Haunted World" by Carl Sagan.

I don't know what that says about me.

You have good taste and/or are ambivalent about Catholicism.
Oh, good heavens. I didn’t realize. I send my condolences out to the rest of the O’Connor family.

ChipSuey

  • Achilles bursitis
  • Posts: 117
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1621 on: June 03, 2011, 01:10:51 PM »
The thing that I find striking about those two books is that the Catholic sounds like a hard nosed realist who strikes these notes of spirituality involving states of grace, while the dedicated atheist has many moments where he sounds like a total, blissed out mystic mumbling about "Starstuff" and how isn't it lovely that we're all basically interconnected with everything and gosh, isn't it all so amazing!

And they say scientists are a bunch of boring old fuddy-duddys.

Do you think that the fact that Sagan liked to smoke quite a bit of the wacky tobacky had something to do with that?
Sometimes I say stuff here.
http://twitter.com/ThisIsJanic

Shaggy 2 Grote

  • Space Champion!
  • Posts: 3892
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1622 on: June 03, 2011, 04:58:37 PM »
Kinda gross alert!

I heard through some convoluted chain ending (or starting) at Cornell that Cosmos was inspired by stuff Sagan would say to his wife when they showered together. According to this story, he would draw diagrams on the walls with soap. Oh, the 70s.
Oh, good heavens. I didn’t realize. I send my condolences out to the rest of the O’Connor family.

ChipSuey

  • Achilles bursitis
  • Posts: 117
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1623 on: June 03, 2011, 05:20:22 PM »
Kinda gross alert!

I heard through some convoluted chain ending (or starting) at Cornell that Cosmos was inspired by stuff Sagan would say to his wife when they showered together. According to this story, he would draw diagrams on the walls with soap. Oh, the 70s.

I don't doubt this.  Although for some reason, I have a hard time picturing Sagan not wearing one of those awesome sport coat/turtleneck combos, even in the shower.
Sometimes I say stuff here.
http://twitter.com/ThisIsJanic

buffcoat

  • Space Champion!
  • Posts: 6213
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1624 on: June 03, 2011, 06:07:04 PM »
I think it's pronounced "Cossmuss."
I really don't appreciate your sarcastic, anti-comedy tone, Bro!

crumbum

  • Tarsel tunnel syndrome
  • Posts: 470
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1625 on: June 04, 2011, 10:58:54 AM »
Kinda gross alert!

I heard through some convoluted chain ending (or starting) at Cornell that Cosmos was inspired by stuff Sagan would say to his wife when they showered together. According to this story, he would draw diagrams on the walls with soap. Oh, the 70s.

In his writing about his marijuana experiences, which has been posted many places online (the largest piece I could find is here: http://forum.grasscity.com/general/219397-carl-sagans-essay-marijuana.html), Sagan describes making a diagram in soap while high and showering with his wife, but it doesn't have anything to to with Cosmos. It's possible this kind of thing happened other times as well, but I suspect the story you heard may have been based on this essay and got distorted in the retelling.

Shaggy 2 Grote

  • Space Champion!
  • Posts: 3892
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1626 on: June 05, 2011, 10:02:23 AM »
Kinda gross alert!

I heard through some convoluted chain ending (or starting) at Cornell that Cosmos was inspired by stuff Sagan would say to his wife when they showered together. According to this story, he would draw diagrams on the walls with soap. Oh, the 70s.

In his writing about his marijuana experiences, which has been posted many places online (the largest piece I could find is here: http://forum.grasscity.com/general/219397-carl-sagans-essay-marijuana.html), Sagan describes making a diagram in soap while high and showering with his wife, but it doesn't have anything to to with Cosmos. It's possible this kind of thing happened other times as well, but I suspect the story you heard may have been based on this essay and got distorted in the retelling.

That is probably true.
Oh, good heavens. I didn’t realize. I send my condolences out to the rest of the O’Connor family.

Omar

  • A Recapper/A True Star.
  • Space Champion!
  • Posts: 2007
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1627 on: June 06, 2011, 01:11:20 PM »
"Let's have a device-a-thon, just you and me." -- Montgomery Davies

buffcoat

  • Space Champion!
  • Posts: 6213
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1628 on: June 06, 2011, 02:44:58 PM »
I just started Freedom, having read The Corrections last summer.

The styles are similar, but he is an interesting enough writer to make me want to read at least two very long books.  I still get a little leery when male authors try to write about sex from a female perspective.  Of course, I also don't know what that's like, so maybe they're getting it more right than I think.


Man this dude loves long chapters and long sentences, though.
I really don't appreciate your sarcastic, anti-comedy tone, Bro!

Pastor Josh

  • Achilles Tendon Bursitis
  • Posts: 599
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1629 on: June 06, 2011, 03:45:14 PM »
I hope some general book love is in order on this thread.  We are moving, so we have been weeding our book collection.  Even when we have multiple copies of the same book, it hurts me to get rid of them.  I remember the class I bought this one for, and that one was given to me by a now-dead grandfather.  Of course, I also just agonized over throwing away the case my iPod came in, so maybe I'm just stupid.
Who I don't have chocolate?

dave from knoxville

  • Space Champion!
  • Posts: 5108
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1630 on: June 06, 2011, 11:39:08 PM »

ChrisRawk

  • Tarsel tunnel syndrome
  • Posts: 273
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1631 on: June 12, 2011, 12:26:20 AM »
'To Live's to Fly: The Ballad of the Late, Great Townes Van Zandt' by John Kruth

My Townes kick continues.  I'm about half-way though.  I definitely like it, although the narrative skips around a little.  One chapter it's a first person narrative then the next chapter it's a more traditional bio.  But it's still pretty good.  The author's experience with a drunken Guy Clark was a highlight. 
"Heave Ho!"

@ChrisNeri

break

  • Achilles bursitis
  • Posts: 174
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1632 on: June 19, 2011, 10:46:12 PM »
Bob Mould's autobiography "See a Little Light:The Trail of Rage and Melody".  I'm trying so hard not to burn through this thing in two days flat, but man it's interesting.  He writes that the Zen Arcade sessions kicked off with a pot of coffee that had a gram of crystal meth in it.   

Greggulator

  • Achilles Tendon Bursitis
  • Posts: 789
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1633 on: June 20, 2011, 12:27:26 AM »
Bob Mould's autobiography "See a Little Light:The Trail of Rage and Melody".  I'm trying so hard not to burn through this thing in two days flat, but man it's interesting.  He writes that the Zen Arcade sessions kicked off with a pot of coffee that had a gram of crystal meth in it.   

Does Bob talk about his involvement with pro wrestling at all? He was a booker (storyline writer) for WCW for a few years. I think Bob might be the #1 famous person I want to meet. But as much as I love Husker and Sugar, I'd just probably talk to him about Juvented Guerrera.
Listen to my basketball podcast! www.theholdingcourtpodcast.com

break

  • Achilles bursitis
  • Posts: 174
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1634 on: June 20, 2011, 10:38:10 AM »
Bob Mould's autobiography "See a Little Light:The Trail of Rage and Melody".  I'm trying so hard not to burn through this thing in two days flat, but man it's interesting.  He writes that the Zen Arcade sessions kicked off with a pot of coffee that had a gram of crystal meth in it.   

Does Bob talk about his involvement with pro wrestling at all? He was a booker (storyline writer) for WCW for a few years. I think Bob might be the #1 famous person I want to meet. But as much as I love Husker and Sugar, I'd just probably talk to him about Juvented Guerrera.

From reviews of the book I know he does, i'm not there yet though.  I'm one-third done with the book and HD is almost over.  Based on Bob's description of his drinking problems through those years, i'm wondering if recollections of his more recent sober past might be a little more expansive.  Not that there isn't a lot of good stuff in the HD section.