Recent Reads

I feel every good book is like a vitamin, a work out, a healthy meal or anything else you'd put in your body to make it stronger. Like all good habits, effort and patience is required and you won't notice the results right away. But over time, there is a noticeable improvement. In the case of books, the improvement is not in your physical body, but in your thought process and mental well being.

It took years to discover this. As a youth, the impersonal structuralism of the Berkeley Public School System offered little incentive to read, other than for the purpose of fulfilling requirements. A few great authors were encountered (Hawthorne, Dickens, Twain), but the entire concept and purpose of being a literate and independent thinker was left out of the curriculum, as was literature's place in contemporary life.

As an adult, free to choose my own reading material, I've found there is nothing quite like bonding with a good book, one that doesn't just tell a story but challenges conventional ways of thinking and makes an attempt to rise above the sea of mediocrity in which, as a society, we are all drowning. For me, it is these books that inspire, challenge and lift.

Here then, are several I've read lately. All of them were read on my most recent tour over the course of six weeks, with the exception of "Look Homeward Angel" which I read earlier and "Norwegian Wood" which I've read since coming home. There is a short commentary on each.


"Look Homeward Angel" Thomas Wolfe

(No relation to 'Tom Wolfe,' a great living author who I'm a huge fan of).

This book was my main companion in the month of June while on tour in the US this Summer. Words of warning: this is an Epic! A fat magnum opus of ink and wood. It's not a story you can easily rip through. Try to do so and you will rob yourself of experiencing the depth and artistry of the language.

But it's more than worth the time and effort. Every page is glistening with poems, used as threads to weave together a detailed story that is enriching and enlightening. I had to look up some words but enjoyed it as part of the process.

I was inspired to read this by Henry Rollins. who has referred to this novel's main character, Eugene Gant, as a kindred spirit. I felt the same about Henry, and now feel it about Eugene as well.

Tragically, Thomas Wolfe passed away in 1938 at the age of 37.

"Her brown eyes darkened into black as if a bird had flown through them and left the shadow of its wings."


"Seducing The Demon" Erica Jong

I know, I can't seem to shut up about Erica Jong. And don't expect that to change anytime soon. I'm working on reading everything she's written. The reading material for my recent European tour began with two of her books simultaneously.

In this one, she sheds light on various aspects of her life, as a young lit student (who happens to be a really hot chick) and stuggling poet, to overnight success and sudden celebrity. From there she becomes a serious writer wrestling for artistic credibility against the shadow of her initial smash success as well as a public and media which attempts to typecast her.

The book is filled with reflections of the creative process, something all artists at all levels can learn from. Ripe with pearls of wisdom throughout, 'Seducing The Demon' opens the curtain on the real Erica. Reading this, I kept thinking "Erica is metal!"

"Most days I sit at the machine or the yellow pad, doodling and feeling like an abject failure. Ecsatcy eludes me. Even clarity and simplicity elude me. Then one day the cadenzas come. But they only come because of the days of doodling."



"Fanny" Erica Jong

It is an adventure story from the point of view of a female heroine in 18th century England. It is set up like a Shakespearean play, complete with 'Dramatis Personae' and a quick preview of each chapter. The old English tone and vocabulary of the narrative may be intimidating at first, but you get used to it very quickly and find that Fanny's ideas are very modern and relevant to life in the 21st century as we know it.

Like a lot of Erica's work, there are many life lessons throughout. Despite the sensationalism of the story, involving pirates, witches, royalty and famous historical figures, there are many situations where the reader can apply these lessons to their own lives.

I've defended Erica against being overshadowed by the eroticism found in her work, and will continue to do so. But in all honesty, there were a few moments in "Fanny" that were so steamy, I had to put down the book and take some slow deep breaths (in lieu of a cold shower).

"Twas only when I idly toy'd with Fate, instead of fretting and anguishing o'er it, that Fate dropp'd all her most glitt'ring Jewels in my Lap"



"Songbook" Nick Hornby

This was my first book by this author, best known for his novel 'High Fidelity,' which was turned into a well known Hollywood film. Here, a collection of essays is presented, each one describing a favorite song or album. They are the notes of a passionate music fan sharing intimate details of his own life to show why the songs connect to him. Admittedly a lot of these are songs I don't know by indy rock/ alternative artists (Paul Westerberg and Ben Folds Five for example). But his essays inspire a curiosity which makes me think that there could be something for me in these songs too, even if much of it wasn't music I was initially drawn to.



"Couples" John Updike

An incriminating view of marriage in the early 60's, this book caused a firestorm for it's eroticism and frankness. The most memorable scenes take place at a series of parties involving typical suburban neighborhood couples in New England. At these parties and gatherings, the mixing and mingling of males and females occasionally leads to affairs. Although it's a different time period, there are many recognizable behaviors here. Many of us have witnessed or experienced situations where the mixing of males and females causes tension. It is a timeless, poetic novel, but, like "Look Homeward Angel," you'll need to set aside some time to read this, as well as a dictionary.

A great word I learned from this: 'Uxorious,' which is what many of us refer to as 'pussy whipped.'



"The Hours" Michael Cunningham

I had seen the film with Nicole Kidman (who is all but unrecognizable as the main character, author Virginia Woolf). but it hadn't occurred to me to read the book until I received it as a gift. It was a quick read, but very fulfilling. While most novels take place of the course of years, this one takes place in a few short hours, on different days, in three different time periods. They way the stories are woven together are incredible as is the way this author breaks down a scene by describing the most minute details. It is based on a Virginia Woolf novel, 'Ms. Dalloway,' which I'm planning to pick up, read and then re-read "The Hours." Unknowingly, this was the first of three books I would read with suicide as the main premise.



"A Long Way Down" Nick Hornby

With two weeks left to go on the just completed European tour, I needed a new book. We'd just arrived in the UK and I could finally pick up some books in English. I found this in a used bookstore in NewCastle. Having liked "Songbook" so much, I figured I'd give Mr. Hornby's fiction a chance. Besides, there was a quote from actor Johnny Depp saying how much he loved it.

I was not disappointed. It is possibly the funniest book I've ever read. There were times I just couldn't read it in my bunk for fear of waking up the bus with my laughter. And yes, it's all about suicide. Go figure. You'll just have to read it for yourself to believe it.



"Norwegian Wood" Hiruki Murikami

I've come to find out that some fans of Hiruki Murikami's early work regard this book the way early Metallica fans view the "Black Album:" as the first 'mainstream' work by an artist who initially went against the grain. This book turned him from author with a cult following to a multi-million seller and uber-celebrity in Japan, so much so that he had to flee his country for several years.

Nonetheless, I truly enjoyed this story, which centers on a tragic suicide of a friend which causes the narrator to rethink his life. The main character is someone I relate to a lot: a young sensitive, intellectually curious soul who appreciates rock and jazz and doesn't understand the behavior of his peers or fit in with their cliques. Despite it being a coming of age tale in the late 60's in Japan, there are many behaviors described which could take place in present day America. The herd mentality of ignorant youths living in groups is universal.



"What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" Hiruki Murikami

This is the author's essays and journals about running and its connection to his writing. A perfect book for me. It has inspired me to write more and run farther. I'm looking forward to reading many more of Hiruki Murakami's books.