And the Heart Says Whatever-Emily Gould (208 pages)

Usually when an author writes a coming of age story about New York, I feel left out, excluded, purposely kept at a distance by the casual mention of various streets, restaurants, and villages. It's simply a landscape I do not know. Also, a lot of people who write about living in New York are kind of snooty. But not Emily Gould!
I truly loved this collection of essays. Partly because I'm young and confused, and Gould sets up her essays so they're a rocket through her college life and twenties. I don't go to as many parties, and I certainly don't um..."imbibe"...the way she does, but what makes her stories interesting, relatable, and touching is not partying or drinking/smoking, a memoir of which I see walking down the street every weekend called, "I'm A Stupid College Dude."
The way Gould describes her inner confusion, her relationships, and her personal brand of turmoil is honest and jagged and familiar. She manages to identify the little light in ourselves that is completely unique, and thus universal. I sat on a park bench Saturday night reading for hours until I finished her book. And when I did, I was sad. I felt like I had spent a couple hours talking to a friend, and that friend was getting up off the bench and calling it a night.
I wonder what an older reader would think. The writing style is really original and punchy without being some New Agey assault on the English language. I think it's a good read even if your college days are far behind you. Or your just-out-of-college-without-a-job-days. Or your long-term-boyfriend-gone-after-six-years-days. Or "whatever."

Yasmina Reza: Plays (268 pages)

Other than Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt. my favorite French playwright, Yasmina Reza pretty much tops the charts in France. I definitely didn't like her plays as much as Schmitt's, however, comparing them is kind of unfair. Schmitt writes warm narratives with philosophical observations offered at every turn of the page like mental cups of hot coco. Reza, on the other hand, constructs her plays in a very abstract manner, and therefore they present themselves as confrontational, rather than outrightly welcoming, works. All of the plays in this book--'Art,' The Unexpected Man, Conversations after a Burial, and Life x 3--are conversation based. Now that sounds stupid, as reading a play is literally just reading dialogue. But plot and setting are truly secondary or nonexistent in Reza's works. The dialogues of her characters unfold scene after scene, not much happening other than the peeling away of her characters' emotional layers. But this peeling away is really a peeling away at the exterior of ourselves. The ultimate truth of Reza's plays--that our selves are fleeting, complex systems which depend greatly on our relationships with others--reveals itself disturbingly again and again. Each play represents "a man who moves across a space and disappears." Reading this book reminds me that we can so easily lose ourselves, a philosophically induced amnesia that takes my breath away.

Freedom, Love, and Action-J. Krishnamurti (132 pages)

J. Krishnamurti is an Indian religious figure who I know very little about. However, this book is touted as a pretty good summary of his thoughts and teachings. I came to this book hoping that it would give me some kind of spiritual guidance. I left it feeling kind of like I just got yelled at by an obstinate Indian man for a hundred or so pages. That's really harsh. But Krishnamurti's ideas are very difficult to stomach. He believes that ALL thought is bad, that thought is the source of all evil, that every religion and organization of people is not only an illusion, but a terrible idea. Art and poetry aren't even ok. The idea is to completely let go of all attachment, live a life of inaction, and love without needing other people. Marriage is a big no-no. It's not that Krishnamurti offered no wisdom--a lot of what he said was quite interesting, such as that we are more in love with the ideas of people than the people themselves, or that we don't allow ourselves to flower inwardly because we're so hung up with social categories and ideology/dogma. But mostly I felt assaulted. I kept saying in my head, "But I like romantic love. And literature. And...thinking."

The Pocket Emily Dickinson (149 pages)

As an aspiring poet, I had to read Emily Dickinson. She truly has influenced every single modern poet in ways that we don't realize. Her invention of a new type of language, her rearrangement of vocabulary and images, is something that we take for granted--but she did it first. I must admit that sometimes, I get tired to the very sentimental handling of topics like "eternity" and "love" and "death." Those are big words that contemporary poets have to attack in new and exciting ways. Sometimes, Dickinson seems a bit old-fashioned. Oh wait. She is. That's her special brand of amazingness--having such fresh thoughts and verse that she kind of sneaks in among today's greats and gives them a run for their money. Very fun read, if not sometimes disturbing, mind-altering, and contemplative. But that's what good poetry is for. Also, it was the pocket edition, so I totally just kept it in my purse and read a poem when I had a chance. Pocket books are fun :)

Voyager-Srikanth Reddy (127 pages)

Fun fact: the voice that we sent into space on the Voyager 2 to greet extraterrestrial life is the voice of Kurt Waldheim, Secretary General of the UN and former SS Officer. In his amazing book of poetry, Reddy does three erasures of Waldheim's memoir in order to reveal the man he really was. For those of you not familiar with erasures, they are poetic or narrative works created by erasing parts of an original work, thereby liberating the text to make something different. The poetry is definitely a bit dense. I might even say that this is a poetry book for people who read poetry. But really great writing, really unique, and the idea behind it is just so awesome!

Rise of the Trust Fall-Mindy Nettifee (106 pages)

Mindy Nettifee is a California based performance poet who visited Iowa City a couple months ago. I went to see her read and she was really amazing, so I bought her book (and got it signed!) Of course I only just now read it. But the poems did not disappoint. In Iowa City there's this very distinct culture of poetry that argues against being too overly emotional, too autobiographical, or too up-front and direct. Nettifee is all of these things, but her excess spills over beautifully. Every poem walks up to you and starts speaking without breaking your gaze. Whether writing about "all the things she can't fix" or her last five break-ups, Nettifee offers a fearlessness and wit together equal effortless grace. I highly recommend her book, especially if you're in a bit of a rough patch.

Herzog-Saul Bellow (371 pages)

Saul Bellow is a Nobel Prizing winning author, so it's hard to criticize his book. However, I didn't really like it. This is definitely one of those novels where, although the craftsmanship of the writer is widely recognized, I as a reader did not enjoy the work. Herzog describes the mental state of Moshe Elkanah Herzog (a man with most Biblical name ever), a crazy, emotionally wired Jewish guy who thinks really deep thoughts all the time and works himself into a veritable tizzy while writing mental letters to everyone he knows--the living, the dead, his friends and his enemies. But the letters are actually just Bellow's own intellectual musings, prose that reflects late night conversations he must have had, complete with the snobbish air that accompanies such lofty gibber gabber. Well, I guess it's not gibber gabber--Bellow's thoughts are incredibly complex and of great depth. It's just that he's sort of boasting about his own mental capacity rather than enlightening the reader. He's a hipster from decades past. Also, referencing literal street addresses in New York City and Chicago every five seconds does not make you cool. Neither does including a shocking repertoire of Biblical Hebrew that even a former Orthodox Jew is impressed with. All in all, Herzog is a book of ideas. But unlike writers like Milan Kundera who make me ache from the beauty of the concepts they present, Herzog just kind of kvetches until I say, "Alright, already. I finished the book."

Say So-Dora Malech (77 pages)

Really awesome poetry book by an Iowa City poet :) She plays with words A LOT. Practically every cliche or turn-of-phrase you can think of has been turned upside down and reinvented. Also some very off-beat love poems. All in all, very lovely.

Also Cole Swenson was in town this weekend for the 75th Anniversary of the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Be jealous ;)

Conversations with God-Book 1 (211 pages)

Ok, so I approached and continue to approach this book with a healthy dose of skepticism...

Overall, I found it to be a really cool book, and God sounded pretty legit. That said, it just kind of bums me out that God's new messenger is another middle-aged guy with a beard.

I like the idea...well, I mean I guess it doesn't matter if I like God's ideas or not...but anyways. The idea of human beings being the body of God, and of the unity of our mind/body/spirit, as well as the idea that life is about creation. Those are all pretty cool to me.

I'm definitely going to read the next two, and I would recommend them to anyone, because even if you disagree, I think it's a valuable read and relevant to our time.

The Word Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos (165 pages)

I don't know if you guys will really count this, but it's a cool book, so I thought I would add it to the blog.

Essentially, this book catalogues all kinds of tattoos with literary quotes, symbols, and art contained in them. Everything from Vonnegut sketches to W.H. Auden quotes. Pretty cool stuff. Lots of pictures. This book actually made me consider getting a tattoo, something I have never really been interested it.

If I did get a tattoo it would totally be of this: It's Fernando Pessoa. I am currently reading "The Book of Disquietude."

Anyways, cool yes? Check it out!

Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran/Oscar and the Lady in Pink-Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt (117 pages)

A. Sorry for my lack of blog posts. Miss College Student has been busy with finals and a new job and whatnot.

B. If our library doesn't have Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt translations in it, somebody might want to get on that. (I like how the Iowa City Public Library still isn't really my library...)

C. The actual post:

This book contained English translations of two novellas "Monsieur Ibrahim" and "Oscar." Both are amazing! "Monsieur Ibrahim" describes the tale of a Sufi grocer who adopts a young Jewish boy after his father commits suicide. "Oscar" tells about a boy dying from cancer, who writes letters to God every day for twelve days until his death. Both are incredibly beautiful, gut-wrenchingly so, as is Schimtt's signature.

Two of my favorite quotes:

"Your love for her belongs to you. It's yours. Even if she refuses it, she cannot change it. She isn't benefiting from it, thats all. What you give, Momo [short for Moses], is yours forever. What you keep is lost for all time!"-Monsieur Ibrahim

"For the last three days, Oscar had a sign on his bedside table. I think it's meant for you [God]. On it he had written: 'Only God is allowed to wake me up.'"-Oscar and the Lady in Pink

I honestly believe Schmitt is a divine teacher. Everything he writes is so beautiful, I cry.

Autobiograpy of Red-Anne Carson (149 pages)

So, this is like only one of the most important books of poetry I've ever read. Jeez louise. Carson takes the story of Hercules and Geryon and turns it into this poetry-novel about Geryon, his life and challenges. So. Amazingly. Beautiful. Every single image she creates rings so true and is so original it breaks my heart. Read this. Even if you're not a poet. For realsies.

Bare-Bones Meditation: Waking Up from the Story of My Life-Jane Tollifson (239 pages)

Omigoodness, this book could have been a bit shorter and no one would have missed out on anything. I really liked this book, but it definitely has bad moments, which is not surprising considering the fact that it is based mostly on journals. Tollifson voices many of the thoughts that we have, and by we, I mean New-Agey folk who are constantly thinking about enlightenment and stuff like that. Still...I rushed to finish the book and at the end, I felt the the kind of love and repulsion that I reserve for my own journals. So I guess you could say I identified with it. Tollifson, a New-Age, one-handed lesbian goes back and forth between California and New York, between Zen and "bare-bones meditation." Her challenges and her thoughts are illuminating, but probably only because we've had them all before. It's like, "Wow, someone else has all my thoughts!" All in all, a good book, but it gets a bit old after awhile.

Manoleria-Danny Khalastchi

So living in Iowa City has perks, and one of those perks is getting to see your old poetry teacher give a reading at the local bookstore. That said, I purchased Khalastchi's book and after a careful and contemplative reading can say I truly liked his work. Manoleria is incredibly disturbing. Most of the poems include torture, if not spontaneous agony. Lots of play with syntax. Lots of horse imagery. I don't know that this book is available in St. Louis, and certainly not at your local Barnes & Noble (though perhaps I am wrong?). If you ever get your hands on it, I don't think you'd be disappointed.

Psychiatric Tales-Darryl Cunningham (139 pages)

This is an amazing book. Written by Cunningham, a former nurses aid in a psychiatric ward and himself a sufferer of depression, Psychiatric Tales is a "stigma-busting" book about the ins and outs of mental illness. It is also a graphic novel, and the art that accompanies the text both increases one's understanding of various illnesses as well as being itself completely breath-taking. For anyone who knows someone mentally ill, is interested in mental illness, or needs a companion for their own craziness, a great read. I highly suggest the UCPL get this into its YA and Adult Graphic Novel sections. I think it could help a lot of people and is very accessible, to boot.

I Remember Nothing-Nora Ephron (135 pages)

This is just a great book. Not that long, and a page-turner at that. So authentic and true to life, Ephron's essays and anecdotes read like they're your own life. Also, the last two lists, "Things I Won't Miss" and "Things I Will Miss" made me choke up. Just beautiful.

Siddhartha-Herman Hesse (122 pages)

I felt so intellectual reading this. Basically, the main character Siddhartha goes on an epic spiritual journey, from the home of his Brahman father to the city where he indulges in every lustful activity. In the end, he ends up listening to the voice of the river, rejecting all doctrines and teachers, and becoming one with the universe. Having taken a couple classes about Buddhism, I found this book interesting, respectful, and thought-provoking. Kind of dry, but a philosophical text, and a short one at that. A must-read, because, as I've heard, it's a must-read.

The Surrendered: Chang-Rae Lee (484 pages)

What's that? I get extra participation points for this post? Score :D

Ok, so not only did I read this book BUT I GOT TO GO TO A READING AND HEAR CHANG-RAE LEE HIMSELF READ FROM THIS BOOK. Oh my goodness...it was amazing.

This story is absolutely beautiful. It follows the lives of June Singer and Hector Brennan, both of whom fall in love with a missionary named Sylvie Tanner during the Korean War. Nearly thirty years later, they reunite to remember their past and find June's son who has disappeared after traveling to Europe. Beautiful writing, seriously some of the most carefully crafted prose you'll ever read.

Love Letters of Great Men, Vol. 1 (138 pages)

Great book! Omigoodness, if UCPL doesn't already have a copy, get one and stick it in the 800s dudes! :D Reading the love letters of Mozart, Beethoven, Keats, Yates, Churchill, Churchill's dad, Napolean, Henry VIII, and countless others is totally cool and totally poetic. Oh my like gawd!

But seriously. My favorite were those of Gustave Flaubert. Super awesome.

My Spiritual Journey-The Dalai Lama (304 pages)

Since going to college, I've been on quite the East Asian/Buddhist philosophies kick.

Anyways, this was a decent book, although hardly a biography. More like a briefing on the Dalai Lama's early life, and then a series of speeches he has given since the occupation of Tibet. Also, this French lady translates for him and sticks in all this extra explanatory text which gets really repetitive and also makes the book sound kind of like a "yay, isn't the Dalai Lama a saint?" kind of deal, which I don't really mind because I love him, but he's really humble and the book isn't.

Overall, a good read but somewhat repetitive. Looking forward to reading some of his other books, which will hopefully include more of his voice.