The Turn
Currently reading:
The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver by Mary Oliver [ongoing]
Extracting the Stone of Madness: Poems 1962–1972 by Alejandra Pizarnik [ongoing]
Books finished this week: 1
★★★★☆
Where this book came from: Split Rock Books, last weekend in Cold Spring
Why this book: I saw this book either in an article or newsletter rounding up new summer books. I hadn’t heard of Judtih Jones before reading the summary of this book, but I’m always interested to learn about other editors and publishing in Ye Olden Days.
Thoughts: As someone who works in publishing, I both loved and hated the background this book provides on the business in the 1950s and beyond. Loved, because it was interesting to me; hated, because we have barely moved the needle since then. I also appreciated learning about Judith, her fascinating life, and her ground-breaking career. I especially enjoyed learning about some of her editorial beliefs and practices and seeing that in play with big names like John Updike and Julia Child.
Library updates:
I’ve been using my Sunday Missives as a bit more of a diary than I originally intended. It’s a blog about the books I read, and my life is going to leak into that, of course. But when I set out on the Moratorium Library journey, my plan was to do a brief write-up after any book reviews, just to give context for why I may have rated something especially high (or low). I meant this to be an extension of the reviews, not necessarily a place for me to dump my every thought and emotion. That’s what my private, personal journal and texts with friends are for!
In that spirit, I’m going to work toward broader topics going forward, and especially this week.
Let’s start with the fact that, for the first time in a long time, I DNF’d a book just this past Friday. I finished The Editor one night and picked up Kathy Acker’s Pussy, King of the Pirates. After reading through Neil Gaiman’s introduction, I admittedly felt like Pussy might be a big of a challenge to get into, but I was willing to try.
I tried. I failed. I have set her aside to perhaps try again.
I think I need to just admit that I’m fairly square in my reading tastes and writing techniques and that, most times, anything described as “experimental” is not for me. That’s not a failing on my part or any author’s; it’s personal preference. I think that gets lost in the shuffle a lot, with books and with any media. We can of course call out and criticize things that are actively harmful, but if something just isn’t for you, you can move on and try something that might be more to your taste without telling the entire world that the book or show or movie was terrible and everyone else should hate it, too.
That moment can come at any time—the realization that you suddenly feel differently, that something isn’t working for you anymore. The turn. One moment, you’re pleasantly buzzed on a night out, the next, you’re either drunker than you meant to be and longing to be home, or perhaps you’re no longer drunk enough and you feel a headache coming on while you’re still on your way home. You’re excited to be out in the world, to socialize, and then one crowd too many tips you over the edge and you want to be a hermit. You’re enjoying getting to know a book, doing your best to appreciate the rhythms, but then you realize you’re just really not getting into it and you have, oh, dozens, if not hundreds, of other books waiting for your attention.
So, I’m turning away from Pussy (get your mind out of the gutter!!!) and trying something else. Perhaps you’ll see how that goes next week!
P.S. — To make just one personal life note, I’m fully and completely consumed by Bridgerton at the moment. I’ve watched season 2 twice and am planning to watch it again very soon. If I was between the ages of 15 and perhaps 23, I would absolutely be writing Kanthony fanfic and making fan videos set to illegal downloads of popular angsty songs. I am immersed in a fandom yet again and enjoying the hell out of it.
Closing thoughts:
Follow the turn.
