Love and Other Catastrophes: A Mix Tape

This was one of my favorite pieces in The Best American Non Required Reading 2003 edited by Dave Eggers. Found it here, but since no updates to that site have happened since 2006 I’m adding it here. Isn’t it awesome
Love and Other Catastrophes: A Mix Tape
by Amanda Holzer
All By Myself, Eric Carmen. Looking [...]

Book Nerd Specials

I was recently asked what I would recommend to books lovers. Hmm, so here’s some authors and books that I often find myself recommending:
Anything by Jonathan Carroll. I first came across him from a NPR excerpt of something he wrote about skirt chasing and then I picked up “Outside the Dog Museum” and loved it [...]

Side B

A Music Lover’s Graphic Novel?!
Thanks Largehearted Boy, you always point me in the right direction!
And yes, there is a Side A too, woo!

Annual Treasure Hunt

Behold! This year’s library booksale stash! Some lovely gems this year:
A slew of pretty good shape 10 cent records, especially loving the Young Rascals and Jackson 5!
The Pill Versus the Springhill Mine Disaster – Richard Brautigan – So stoked to find this! Love Brautigan and haven’t read this.
Dream Work – Mary Oliver – With my [...]

Wild Geese

Coworker introduced me to Mary Oliver during National Poetry Month. She handed me this poem.
Wild Geese
by Mary Oliver
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, [...]

Pittsburgh, Part Three

Friday overview: Lunch @ Quiet Storm in Garfield. <3 cafe. Great graphic novel shop with author/artist and passionate recommendations. And then Jerry's Records – Amazing prices and quantity! SO GOOD! Battle of wounded knee and feet. Pirogies at Bloomfield Bridge Tavern, so good! Sauerkraut and potato/cheese. Always ask for directions. Night listening to records and [...]

Time to plant books

Please Plant This Book by Richard Brautigan. He’s one of my favorite authors. The Abortion: An Historical Romance 1966 might be my favorite, especially because I love the library in the text and the idea behind it.
My uncle passed away and I’m heading out today to be with family. I haven’t been posting, but there [...]

Missed Connections

I totally want this – an amazing idea! One of my favorite sections of Craigslist – I even saw one for the School Way Bakery in R.V.!

Wild Geese

by Mary Oliver
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the [...]

It’s the Bees’ Knees

Kissing the Beehive by Jonathan Carroll
Quick, intriguing read. Sam Bayer, a bestselling novelist , is experiencing writers’ block and searching for the story to break it. “I started a short story but it was so dreary that even my pen threw up.”
The protagonist is very full, full of the mistakes that come from three [...]