Well,
it’s a new year,
and,
I need to get back into,
creative,
and,
thinking,
mode.
I have,
lots of pre-occupations,
but,
sitting around in a daze,
in front of the computer,
distractedly gazing at,
face book,
isn’t going to help,
or make things,
magically fall into place,
reading won’t either,
but,
it will keep my mind,
busy,
supple,
(May My Mind Stroll About Hungry And Fearless And Thirsty And Supple-e.e cummings)
acquiring new,
knowledge,
and,
ideas.
I have finished my first book,
of the year,
and,
am well on my way,
to finishing,
the second.
The first book of the year,
is part of my great ideas project-
A Room Of One’s Own,
by Virginia Woolf.
I have to say,
all three of the books,
I have read,
in my great ideas project,
so far,
have been,
stellar.
This essay by,
the handsome and impressive,
Virginia,
is definitely worth your time.
I imagine tons of you,
are thinking,
“B.B I read that in college, years ago, where have you been? living under a rock???”
Well, not,
under a rock,
precisely,
but,
I must say,
I am perplexed that an almost,
fifty year old butch,
such as myself,
reasonably well read,
without a college education,
but,
still,
has managed to have,
not,
read this essay.
It is considered one of,
the great feminist essays.
Who knows,
not enough Women’s Studies classes,
I guess.
I liked it a lot,
and I will write about it,
more,
soon.
For the time being,
I need to sit with it,
in my mind,
digest it.
The other book I am,
reading is a classic,
of the LGBTQ canon,
a memoir,
a coming out story,
Becoming A Man by Paul Monette,
beautifully written,
blood and guts stuff,
reminds me of the Hemingway quote,
about writing being easy,
all you need to do,
is sit at the typewriter and bleed,
I paraphrase,
but,
that is the gist.
Monette’s book,
is,
shockingly honest and raw,
and,
angry,
at the way,
gay men and women,
sometimes live half a life,
because,
of their attempts to,
pass,
and lots of time spent in,
the closet.
Now,
to be sure,
that isn’t the experience,
of all gay men,
especially not,
the younger generation,
but,
the feeling of otherness,
that is true and real,
for all,
well,
I think it is.
🙂
I am only one third in,
but,
so far,
it feels like,
one of those books,
that changes you,
like Stone Butch Blues did,
like Bastard Out Of Carolina did,
the naked truth,
of,
feeling,
of hurt,
of surpassing.
I have had this book,
on my shelf for a long time,
this is the year,
I read it.
I am following some,
reading advice,
from Austin Kleon,
I find that Austin,
has inspired me,
in many ways,
with his books,
and his excellent blog,
it isn’t touchy feely,
his blog,
but,
it isn’t,
dark and brooding either,
practical advice,
for getting things done,
for creating and reading again.
Here is the link,
to the post on how to read more,
his advice on logbooks,
is pretty darn good too,
and,
reading Austin’s advice on reading more,
brought me to,
Ryan Holliday and his,
recommendations,
http://ryanholiday.net/how-to-read-more-a-lot-more/
I think both are well worth checking out,
and,
perhaps incorporating some,
of their advice,
into our daily grind and ritual.
So, I have on,
the night table,
the desk,
a bunch of books to read in,
January,
a couple of fiction,
a couple of non-fiction,
I look forward to all of them,
and sharing my thoughts,
with you.
Be well.
I’m off to read
🙂
Later girls,
BB