Check out this article by Malcolm Gladwell (they guy who wrote blink). It's a good display of his writing style and the kinds of smart analytical thinking he does.

But I also think it's a good example of story-referencing, where he refers to a study or anecdote and effectively weaves it into the overall piece.

A lawyer who specialized in trials once told me "It's not who has the better argument -- It's who tells the better story." Of this, Malcolm Gladwell is the master. I often feel like something may be glossed over, but I can't quite put my finger on it because the writing is so effective.

At least I'm thinking. . .(I think that's what I said after the last one)

Eileen has started a book club waaay over there in Halifax and asked me if i had any suggestions for them. So I thought of a new of my favourites and decided to post them here in case anyone is interested in a new book or has read them and wants to comment.

First there is of course "Cereus Blooms at Night" by Shani Mootoo. I also have her book of short stories "Out on Main Street;" for anyone interested in the female, lesbian, Canadian, Trinidadian, postcolonial writing this book is great. For those of you just looking for a great book both of these are greeeeat. She's right up there as one of my favourite writers. I have yet to read the new one ("he drown she in the sea") but i have it and it's in que to be read.

The next one (or fourth one i guess) is "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy. It's also beautifully written, metatextual in conciousness, and interesting. There is lots to talk about after reading this one.

And finally - b/c I should go write a couple papers - there is "Cock and Bull" by Will Self. Hugely great. I love the first one especially and there is a lot of material for discussion.

I should probably have a more involved analysis or at least description of these books but for now the above suits me fine. Let me know if anyone is interested b/c the Maxie Library is Open. I've even put in these slips of paper so that I can keep track of who's read what. yes, I'm a nerd. :)

I just finished reading Memoirs of a Geisha yesterday. I thought it was a really pretty story what do you think?

Requesting a Book

Nice One,can we could meet up sometime so that I can borrow your "Year of Meats?"

I am enjoying that I can post things with pictures ... this entry is purely for the satisfaction that comes with that.

I have been trying to read both for school and for personal enjoyment/interest for almost three weeks now and it has been very slow going. Mostly in bits and pieces, after slipping into a book I come to a point where I remember that I have forgotten - just for a moment - and I get upset. Upset that I had let go for that moment and then upset that I am getting upset over something that is probably for my best interest (escaping for a bit that is).

Reading is slow going and the writing of this paper is even more slow going. Not because I am unsure what to write because I have left it too long or because I can't get my ideas to fit together in an articulate way - but because I am unable to actually sit for longer than an hour. It's the same idea as above. ONE good thing that has come from this experience though, is that I have discovered a pleasure in re-reading and reading slowly. School and my own ambition has gotten me to a point where I can finish a novel in 3 hours. Extending the time for composition and editing has also been good and I am more satisfied with the first 3 pages of my paper (that I have re-written in it's entirety 5 times now) than I have ever been before.

An aside note:
I am now offically a fan of Hawthorne. And for some reason I am kicking and screaming in my head against this idea - hence the public declaration. The 'adult' part is reining the 'childish' part of my self in ... if that makes any sense. Although I LOATH his "Scarlett Letter" (a 1/10 on the Maxie Scale) everything else has been thought-provoking.

Kara, I hope that you are bearing with me; you're not bored by my blog are you? Maybe it's time to focus on a specific theme. Or figure out why things I find interesting are also so boring to so many ppl.

This post was supposed to be an observation and a comment on my December 9th post about how I use writing everyday to maintain my sanity. I think that I was still in shock then - which is not to say I may not be in it now, it seems to be one of those things you can only say for sure in retrospect, but that I definately was then. Now my notebooks are full of angry scribbling in which I write the words 'madness' and 'anger' and occaisionally 'tear/blood/rip/choking' over and over again. Senseless and yet cathartic. Definately not poetic but raw and simple. It is like that in my head and I can't move beyond it. I guess I am stuck in what Frye would call the 'third level of language.' I wonder how this paper is going to turn out.

Currently I am reading several books: Frye's The Educated Imagination (A fabulous Book) and Secular Scriptures (interesting but not as fun). I was also given George R.R. Martin's A Storm of Swords to read by a customer of mine and although I couldn't really get into the previous books I'm going to give it another go because he enjoyed it so much (Which reminds me that I gave my other Martin books to a certain ass - grrr. Now I want them back.) I should stop now... I am actually in the middle of several books...

I am also actively on the prowl for poetry by Ezra Pound (the poet that Andrew dislikes so greatly) and Wallace Stevens. I've wanted to read Stevens for some time now. And of course the ever significant Blake is still on my to do list. I love poetry because you can carry it around...read a poem at a time. Everything is neat and simple yet can be so complex.

What are you reading?/hoping to read? etc.

The effervescence of youth and passion, and the fresh gloss of the intellect and imagination, endow them witha false brilliancy, which makes fools of themselves and other people. Like certain chintzes, calicoes, and ginghams, they show finely in their first newness, but cannot stand the sun and rain, and assume a very sober aspect after washing day.

-- "The House of Seven Gables" pg. 263

When will i start seeing this as amongst the vicissitudes of life?

- A new word. Did I use it correctly?

And a new quest: I've downloaded a e-version of the Smollett translation of Gil Blas. Apparently a must read for a reader of Romance. Anyone interested?

www.globusz.com/ebooks/GilBlas/00000001.htm

I write this post in part because I will forget if I put it aside and to distract myself from this novel ("House of Seven Gables") - it's taking FOREVER to do a close reading.