Books I'm currently reading

Because I'm not reading Facebook status updates 24 hours a day, I've rediscovered my freedom to read, you know, actual books.  Brilliant.  Here are a few whose pages I'm turning these days:

I totally dig Augusten Burroughs.  Friend A introduced me to him a few years ago, and this book arrived in my life at the perfect time.  I'm reading it slowly, savoring each chapter/essay, and I know I'll go back and read it again when I'm done.  If you've read Burroughs before, you're asking yourself (as I did), "Um, Augusten Burroughs giving advice? Are you serious?" Read the book.  The guy has some seriously profound offerings gleaned from his life of trauma.  You won't be disappointed.

I know, it's shocking. I've actually read this before--I've read the first 3 books of the Dark Tower series...but I've never read books 4-7 and, if I'm going to call myself a King fan, this is a serious hole in my fandom.  So, I'm starting the series over again and, as always, loving it.

Written by a good friend of mine (and I will never tire of saying that!), I'm ashamed that I'm just now getting to read this amazing book.  My only justification is that I wanted to read it during the summer when I would be able to do so uninterrupted.  It's totally delivering as promised--amazing characters (the kind where you find yourself thinking about them during the day and then you're all 'oh, that's right, she's from that book I'm reading...'), great story....totally lovely. 

So, that's on my plate right now.  What are you reading??

Natch!

I write like
Stephen King

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

And yet, I continue to live...

I have an excuse for my silence, this time. Last Sunday a guy turned left into an intersection and creamed me and the late Grand Am. I got transported to HCMC and spent about five hours in the emergency room, but fortunately I was sent home with a few bumps and bruises, an inflamed rotator cuff, and some bruised ribs.

Now, I am really, really tired of laying around. I can do things in increments, but after awhile I have to stop, and that's really annoying. The good news is that I just bought Stephen King's new book Under the Dome: A Novel.

Though it hurts my ribs to lift it, I'm delighted that I have some time now to "relax" and read it.

Dude, it's finally happening...

A year ago, I wrote the following on MinnesotaReads:

If your favorite author came to Minnesota, who would it be and what bar would you take him/her to?

If Stephen King came to Minnesota, after I picked myself up off of the floor and reassembled myself into a solid, I would bring him to Stella’s Fish Cafe in Minneapolis. Good food (though he’d probably scorn our “fresh” lobster) and a great view of the skyline. King is, of course, familiar with the Twin Cities, so he may have his own ideas on where he’d like to go!


Jodi has just informed me that my hero, my inspiration, and someone I'm sure I could never actually meet because I would have a stroke, anurysm, heart attack, complete freakout and die before I could shake his hand IS COMING TO MINNESOTA.

I'm dying. Surely this is me, dying.

*drool*

I'll get you all caught up on my life--primarily devoted to yoga at this time--in a bit. For now, I need to devote my full attention to the man whom I have loved for so long: Mr. Stephen King. Though I Am Who I Am's address is devoted to him, I've noticed a surprising lack of King-ness on my blog. This must change. So, for my first official act of on-line Kingdom, I'm going to strongly recommend you visit

The Stephen King Store, located on CafePress. Kids, I pert-near lost my stars when I saw all of the 'Constant Reader' regalia I can get. If you're looking for gift ideas for me, I'm a medium. And I love everything on that page. Except I probably don't need the bib or the infant bodysuit. Actually, the bib might not be a bad idea, considering I'm sitting her salivating all over the place....

There are shirts and journals and notebooks (oh my!), messenger bags, mouse pads, and pillows and a BBQ APRON! There's no end to the joy!

And the best part is that King is not receiving any profit from the sale of this merchandise. All profits go to The Haven Foundation, an organization that focuses singularly on freelance artists. This organization is near and dear to King's heart since the accident on June 19, 1999 that nearly killed him.

So, go shopping already!!

Why I love that man of mine...

Last night whilst hanging out at Champps with JennScheit, I saw my most awesome Stephen King on tv. The Red Sox are, of course, playing toward the World Series, and King is the number one fan of the Sox. So, I was completely tickled to see the camera pan to him sitting in one of the most spectacular seats in the place, since I wasn't expecting to see my man on the tele.

Then, my heart filled to overflowing when they panned to his lap...to the book that lay open there. See, in King's amazing book On Writing
, he says that writers need to read ALL THE TIME. He says a writer should always have a book with her. In lines, in cars, at the dinner table...and a writer needs to learn to read in "small sips" as well as "big gulps." And to see him practicing what he directed in his book--caught on camera doing exactly what his advice to all of us writers was, well.... what can I say? The man rules.

Well that didn't take long...

Got an email from friend Troy that reads:

Okay, just a little dig ...

Because you purchased Duma Key from Amazon, and for months -- months, I say -- Amazon has had a side by side comparison running of the Tin House story and the first chapter of the book.

:-)

Enjoy!

I checked it out and Troy speaks the truth. So I stand corrected, and humbly apologize to King for my earlier outburst. I should never have doubted you, Stephen.

A little warning, if you please, dear Mr. King

Last night I was knocked slightly off-kilter when Jessie grabbed Blaze by Richard Bachman/Stephen King and said, "Hey, what's this about?". I looked at it, took it from her, began turning pages, read the back, read the inside flap, and finally gave up. "I have no idea," I said. "I don't think I've read it." As I allowed the shock of the idea that an unread King book has sat in my house for God-knows-how-long, I remembered that Duma Key was sitting on my front step, freshly delivered from Amazon.

Today after Jessie left, I cracked open Blaze and began to read. As I did, flickers of familiarity came over me and I realized that I had, in fact, read this book. Though it bothers me that I cannot remember the book, it's a consolation to know that I read it in a day. I'm not becoming addle-brained.

The unease stuck with me, though, as I cracked open Duma Key. That same tone of familiarity was sticking in my head as I read the first few pages of the first chapter. I kept thinking "I've read this. I KNOW I've read this." But of course that would be impossible, since the book has only recently come out.

Then I read this line: "It was what happened to Monica Goldstein's Jack Russell Terrier, Gandalf" on page 20. And I remembered. Monica Goldstein's Jack Russell Terrier, Gandalf, met an untimely end in a battle with a mustard colored Hummer in King's story Memory, which appeared in the summer 2006 issue of Tin House. I read it and it maintains its place in my world as the most emotionally horrific story I've ever read.

I was not prepared to re-read the most emotionally horrific story I've ever read, sitting here on a Sunday night when my ex-boyfriend got married yesterday and my favorite neighbor stopped over today to say goodbye because he's moving away. I was looking forward to some good old-fashioned horror. So please, Mr. King. Stephen. May I call you Stephen? Please, when you're going to repeat a story that is downright psychologically damaging, a story where a Jack Russell named Gandalf might as well be a Cavalier King Charles named Gatsby, a story that I vowed to never read again even though I loved it so, please give me a little warning. I don't need a phone call or a personal note or anything, but maybe something along the lines of "First chapter published as Memory in Tin House Vol 7 No 4"....think about it next time, would you? This Constant Reader would appreciate it.

Just as an aside, I'm on page 35 of Duma and, even with the emotional scarring, it's promising to be one Hell of a book. Pick it up, yeah?

Quite a month for my two favorite men, and a few lessons for me.

Stephen King has finally gotten his "literary due" in the form of being asked to be the guest editor for The Best American Short Stories 2007. King has been working his way into the literary clique for about the last twenty years, and hopefully his choice of stories will shut up some of the critics that think that King couldn't identify a good story if it snuck up behind him with a knife.

King's preface is noteworthy. I read it last night as I prepared to delve into the treasured book, and I found myself nodding, laughing, grimacing, and, finally, nodding again. Considering I had done one of the exact same things King described (it involves one's butt in the air and nose in the carpet, although I had cold tile rather than carpet) earlier in the day, it was accurate. Additionally, it helped me during this time of utter writerly confusion by reminding me what it is I should truly be trying to do with my writing.

I put down the BASS today to watch the Packers throttle the Vikings here in "Viking territory." Brett Favre became the record holder for most passing touchdowns at 421 with about five minutes plus some change left in the first quarter. He still meant business in the second half of the game when he threw pass #422.

I think about the last two years when Favre's name was always uttered in conjunction with the word 'retirement.' And I think about how, if he had, he would not have had today. Favre is obviously a model football player, a role model to his players and to players across the NFL, even to players in college and high school, but he's also a role model to those of us who simply watch the game. He is strong, hardworking, and determined. He sets goals and he achieves them. When things get rough for him, he fights harder rather than curling up and whining "It's too HARD!".

Though Favre is not a writer, he taught me a lot about writing today. He and Mr. King...who'd of thunk it. Professionals who love what they do work their asses off regardless of talent, of publicity, and of popularity. They work out of a continued desire to be the best. Favre didn't sit out the rest of the game today after he achieved the record in the first quarter. He kept working, as he always does.

Oooooooohhhhhhhh Yeahhhhhhh

I am now in possession of Stephen King's latest novel, Lisey's Story. I went to the huge stack of them at Barnes and Noble and dug until I found an unmarred copy, and was pleased that the cashier handled it with the same reverence I was carrying it with.

When I brought it home, I looked at the outside, then gently opened the cover for the first time. I took off the cover and admired the color and black/white image, then basked in flipping through the pages.

Tonight I am avoiding all work, television, phone calls and email. I have a date with Mr. King and I know he can go all night.