I have been finishing books. Since I read many books simultaneously, it’s good to report that I do finish some. This morning I finished Kevin Young’s For the Confederate Dead. It’s a library copy. I’m feeling over indulgent about ordering stuff through the mail. There are two poems in this book that I like a lot. The second of the two, Redemption Song, is online. In searching for it just now, I notice that I bookmarked this poem about a month ago. I didn’t remember this. It was only this morning reading through For the Confederate Dead, that it struck me anew.
I like these lines:
Grief might be easy
if there wasn’t still
such beauty — would be far
simpler if the silvermaple didn’t thrust
its leaves into flame,
trusting that spring
will find it again.
There’s a recording of Kevin Young reading it at the link above. I listened to him read this morning.
The first of the two poems is entitled “Americana.” Here’s a link to google books where you can read it.
I also recently finished Calvino’s Invisible Cities, Leonard Cohen’s Book of Longing, Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, and Lars Gustafsson’s Elegies and Other Poems. All good reads.
NYTimes: Save Money and Reset Your Financial Life With a Shopping Ban
This article led me to consider if I should pare down my book collection some. God knows I could use the shelf space.
Rob Clearfield – Pianist, Keyboardist, Guitarist and Composer
This guy gave a concert yesterday here in Holland. After church I listened to some of his music and decided not to go. I like that Hope Church brought in someone like this. I wanted to like his music, but ended up having to listen to some rock and roll to purge the fluffiness that went into my head from his stuff.
In Search of Virginia Woolf’s Lost Eden in Cornwall – The New York Times
I read a lot of this article while treadmilling today. I guess I’m kind of a life long fan of Woolf. I loved Orlando and To the Lighthouse. I’ve been to Cornwall so it’s fun to learn that the terrain can be found in some of her work.
NYTimes: Uncovering the Secrets of the ‘Girl With a Pearl Earring’
So now they do not need to touch the painting in order to find out about it. Very cool.
This is an odd little report. I’m a “Great Books” fan and think that one only benefits from reading Plato, Homer, and those kind of guys. I am uneasy about the emphasis on economics. I guess I have mixed feelings and would have liked to see more embrace of this stuff from a Humanities curriculum point of view. Some cool comments, however.
NYTimes: America Is the Gun
We need to refund the CDC’s research on guns and violence and create a national registry of guns. Charles Blow (the writer) advocates these changes and others. He also says its not going to happen. I think he is spot on.
NYTimes: The Consequences of Judicial Activism on the Supreme Court
This is happening. I like the headline. He ain’t talking about liberals.
The Mind is Flat: The Illusion of Mental Depth and The Improvised Mind – Nick Chater – Google Books
I heard this guy on Start The Week podcast this morning. His book comes out this month.