In the New Yorker...

[Front-Ranger]

That sounds fascinating, friend! I will look for that book, for sure. Life is too short to read depressing novels.

[Front-Ranger]

The fiction issue is out and so far I've read two stories that were pretty good. Shirley Jackson seems to be having the same kind of year that Kate Bush is having. Her "Call Me Ishmael" is good writing and, what's more, it's only one page. The other good fiction piece is "Peking Duck" about a Chinese-American mother and daughter. It's not the usual stereotype.

I really liked the memoirs of David Wright Falud?, called "Mixeded". Three of the four one-page Road Trips articles are good too.

I'm reading a lot because I'm kind of bored, have writer's block, and have to rest between stints in the gardens. Maybe I have the summer doldrums.

[Jeff Wrangler]

I read the Shirley Jackson, but I don't get it. The Rachel Kushner I found depressing; I'll bet it's taken from a novel that will soon be published. I've seen that sort of thing often enough in TNY.

[Jeff Wrangler]

If you want to read some serious gay fiction that is not depressing, I cannot recommend highly enough a novel I'm just about to finish, Changing Tides, by Michael Thomas Ford (Kensington Books, 2007).

Kind of OT, but this novel has really sort-of taken possession of me. The main characters, Ben the marine biologist and Hudson the graduate student, have somehow become as real to me as Ennis and Jack. It's also stirred up memories.

At one point, Ben's daughter mentions Jacques Cousteau (who invented scuba gear), which of course reminded me of the National Geographic specials about Cousteau's work that ran on TV when I was a boy (not to mention the John Denver song). Perhaps more to the point, I remember on at least one occasion, noticing one or more members of Cousteau's crew in the background wearing brief (Speedo-like) swimsuits. Thereafter I watched for glimpses of crewmen dressed like that. (They were, of course, European, so no American male squeamishness about wearing such a swimsuit). The point of this is, I now see this as a very early indication that I'm gay.

The same sort of memory was stirred up when one of the supporting characters mentions that she had to read Of Mice and Men in school and didn't like it, which was exactly my response to it when I had to read it in school. In my case it was in 8th Grade English, and the memory is that the teacher was what I would now call a hottie. I estimate he was in his late 20s or very early 30s. He was tall, with curly dark brown hair and blue eyes. All the girls had crushes on him, and in retrospect I must have, too, otherwise how could I still see him right now in my memory's eye as clearly as if he were standing right next to me as I write this? After all, I had him as a teacher in 1971 or 1972! Dear God, I can still see him in that classroom as plain as day. Anyway, again in retrospect, this would seem to be another early indication that I'm gay.

[serious crayons]

The July 25 Shouts & Murmurs is laugh-out-loud funny.

[Front-Ranger]

You were right! I LOLed three times! And then I read Jill Lepore's piece on the new Volkswagens. Very well written and some amusing, witty asides. The pickleball article was also good. I have several friends who are pickleball fanatics and I couldn't really understand the phenom. I also read about the super- and mega-yachts.

[serious crayons]

I started Lepore's piece, haven't read about pickleball yet. I should, though -- I won a pickleball set at music bingo night in my apartment building. My arm was broken, so I haven't been able to play, but I've lent the set to neighbors and they've played. Can't say I'm too excited about it; I really don't like games (except games like music bingo  ).

[serious crayons]

Two in a row! The Aug. 1 Shouts & Murmurs is LOL hilarious again! You're on a roll, New Yorker!

[Jeff Wrangler]

I started Lepore's piece, haven't read about pickleball yet. I should, though -- I won a pickleball set at music bingo night in my apartment building. My arm was broken, so I haven't been able to play, but I've lent the set to neighbors and they've played. Can't say I'm too excited about it; I really don't like games (except games like music bingo  ).

 

Did your horse get lucky? Did you damage your harmonica, too?

[serious crayons]

Did your horse get lucky? Did you damage your harmonica, too?

Oh, have I not mentioned that? I was out with my son on Mother's Day when I tripped and fell face-first into a brick wall. Broke my arm at the shoulder and an orbital bone. I was lucky -- didn't break jaw, teeth, nose, skull or even glasses. I've been doing PT at a place which is conveniently located at street level immediately below my apartment. Both bones are pretty close to healed now.