Time asked several writers what they are reading. This first book sounds disgusting, just to be judgmental. (via Books, Inq.)
All posts by Phil
Settling Down to Read
Where do you like to read? Favorite chair? In the tub? Down on the ccean floor? I have a chair in my house which is cursed with a sleeping hex, I suspect. Whenever I try to read in it, I have to fight off sleep.
Watch the Snark
CAAF is on Snarkwatch. What did James Wood say about Don DeLillo’s use of the “inflationary mode” in Falling Man? Find out today on Snarkwatch.
The Joy of Eight
In which each player lists eight facts/habits about themselves, the rules of the game being posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed, eight people tagged at the end of the post, listing their names. The player then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read his blog.
In this post, I am to list eight facts/habits about myself, and I’m tempted to list such banal observations as my possession of ten fingers and two ears. No matter what you think about me, I do in fact have ten fingers and, though I can’t see them at the moment, I also have two ears. What else is there to know about me?
- Here’s a deep one. Though I believe a newish pair of khakis shrunk an inch in the wash, I still wear them. I look silly in them sometimes, but I am silly sometimes so maybe it fits me perfectly.
- Like Lars, I have read The Lord of the Rings aloud to my wife, children, and sister-in-law–The Hobbit and part of The Silmarillion too.
- I also read The Man Who Was Thursday off the Internet to my fabulous wife, and my oldest girl, who was three or four, heard part of it and asked to hear it again a little later. She is so cute.
- I wear size 11.5 shoes and currently own two pair of ECCO brand. They have been great, comfortable shoes, but when they wear out, I think I’ll buy something cheap. Maybe a penny-loafer.
- I am in the habit of rising promptly with my morning alarm and falling asleep in a chair a few minutes later, sometimes bending over in such a way that my arms or legs go to sleep too. I’m trying to break that habit.
- I work as an in-house graphic designer for CBMC.
- Sometime this year, I hope to start a fight in the steel cage at iStockphoto. I don’t have the skills for it yet. The photo editing I did a little while back–kid’s stuff.
- In college, a friend and I wrote a little murder mystery for our friends to role-play. It didn’t come off the way I wanted, but it was fun, so I supposed we succeeded in our first time at role-playing a story. My co-writer got herself murdered because she knew who the real criminal was and wanted to see all of the action, so she pursued him, not thinking she could easily become a victim.
Tags: Jared of Thinklings (and whatever other blogs he plants)
Mark Bertrand
Scott, who is the nameless warrior
Amy of Books, Words, and Writing
and You. Leave a comment to let me know where you post your list. (Most links removed because they ain’t good no longer.)
“Then the Earth Reeled and Rocked”
Psalm 18 (English Standard Version)
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who addressed the words of this song to the LORD on the day when the LORD rescued him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1I love you, O LORD, my strength.
2The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
4The cords of death encompassed me;
the torrents of destruction assailed me;
5the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6In my distress I called upon the LORD;
to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
7Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
Continue reading “Then the Earth Reeled and Rocked”
Timeless Advice
How To Write The Great American Novel, a video by Vernon Lott. I especially like the part about telling others you’re a genius they won’t understand.
Winnie The Pooh on Writing with Clarity
“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like ‘What about lunch?'” says Pooh. This reminds me of something I said yesterday, that if you need a full article to define one word then you may not understand the word. Simplicity promotes understanding. Roy expands on Pooh’s words and points to more advice from the Bear with Little Brain. This link is to Roy’s blog, “Writing, Clear and Simple.” Roy’s other blog is “Dispatches from Outland”.
Guest-Blogger Makes List
Carrie Frye, who regularly blogs at Tingle Alley, is guest-blogging on About Last Night and she has posted a list of 5×5 books. Make sure you note her departure post on Tingle Alley with photos of Jacob’s Meat Market, a place to get German-style Own Made (not homemade) sausage. I’m not that fond of sausage, but this looks like a great experience.
Prescription for sick church
Dr. Chris Hook says, “To be most blunt, the American church generally . . . can at most charitably be described as apostate, idolatrous, narcissistic, materially self-indulgent, has sold its soul to a civic religion that has attempted to democratize God’s Kingdom, and is the most pathetically ignorant . . . since the English Reformation.”
Christy Award Winners
Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Christy Awards for expressing their Christian worldview in fiction.