Comments on: Media Record Day 1

By: christina

christina — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:30:58 +0000

Willow, how I adore you and the way you think. My thoughts exactly, about New Yorker fiction. Why is it like this? The editors? Rose, I am sure, would have insight. Rose?

By: Willow

Willow — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:05:22 +0000

I read that New Yorker story yesterday. The funny thing was the line you quoted was the last line I read before putting it down on my [very urban] BART ride to Berkeley. Then read the rest on my way home. Like most New Yorker fiction I read, I found beautiful turns of phrase and some nice ideas, but an overall blah feeling when I finished it. There was a line in the New Yorker review of the movie Revolutionary Road last fall that said something like “pain isn’t necessarily art” (the reviewer hated the movie). Nearly every time I read New Yorker fiction I think a similar thought– pain/awkwardness/uncertainty/depression and short unfinished-feeling stories don’t make a good piece of fiction in and of themselves. There’s just not enough of an arc for me, of an actual STORY that I can live into for more than the time it takes me to read it.

No sun in this city today. Dreary old fog. I feel you on the dampness.

By: Sam

Sam — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:32:21 +0000

I don’t think I could possibly keep up with my media consumption – I am an addict, my friend. But I did write something for my blog last night – I find it all to easy to read read read and not force myself to string words together.

But! re: memoir & fiction – I go through stages. I try to balance it, one fiction, one memoir/biography or non-fiction (spiritual writings) if that’s what I’m wanting. I read like I eat – what do I feel like I want? I need the balance of imaginary world/real world. I am so thrilled because the Borders just minutes from my house now has a real biography/memoir section – there are dozens I’m DYING to read.

By: tomzgrrl

tomzgrrl — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:30:39 +0000

I’m very into memoirs lately — maybe it’s the impact of reality tv and facebook and all — I relate to interesting or dramatic reality.

Recommend: “Hurry Down Sunshine” by Michael Greenberg (about his daughter’s descent into mental illness) and “An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination” by Elizabeth McCracken (a lyrically, heartbreaking memoir about her stillborn son and subsequent pregnancy).

And since you wish you could dance and I wish I could sing: recommend “A Little Bit Wicked” by Kristin Chenoweth!

By: summer

summer — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:14:03 +0000

I’m feeling similar to you with my consumption of media. I should track it and see where it takes me…am I really benefiting from all those bit and pieces of ideas going in and out?
if you are researching Plath I’m guessing you’ve already read it but Letter’s Home…edited by her Mother I found insightful.
Haven’t checked out the morbid list yet but I have no doubt it will be on my media list today.
I prefer Memoir but for entirely selfish reasons completely unrelated to quality or content really.
I used to think Plath was brave. Now, as an almost 32 year old stay at home mother of 2 trying to pursue my writing and photography on the side I think she was a coward….it takes balls to look at this dichotomy and choose daily to stay in it.