Are We There Yet?

Lord help me, is it the weekend yet? All I want to do is curl up with a crocheted blanket on this couch in this room with this dog (actually, with my dog) and read my library books. My first world problem of the day: All the ebooks I had been on wait lists for became available at the same time and now I have to make sure I read them all in the next 12 days. Poor me, right?

Julia.

Julia Child was one smart, sassy, determined, loving, persistent, focused, joyful, passionate woman. I am not able to put down her memoir, My Life In France. I read it voraciously on the train to and from work and at night before bed, in the morning when I first wake up, and sometimes for a few minutes at lunch. Much of the time I find myself smiling or smirking as I read. Other times, laughing aloud. Many times I have gripped the book tightly with my hands, then almost hugged it. This may be the most inspirational book I have ever read.

I also have a little crush on Paul.

Summer Ending.

A ugust was almost over. The first cool touch of autumn moved slowly through the town and there was a softening and the first gradual burning fever of color in every tree, a faint flush and coloring in the hills, and the color of lions in the wheat field. Now the pattern of days was familiar and repeated like a penman beautifully inscribing again and again, in practice, a series of l's and w's and m's, day after day the line repeated in delicate rills.

Dandelion Wine, Ray Bradbury

Josh Ritter: Keeps His Chickens in the Car.

File this under reasons I love this city. Last night, my favorite singer and new author, Josh Ritter, had a book reading and signing at Politics & Prose. He discussed how he approached writing his novel, Bright's Passage, and how writing the novel was similar to and different from writing songs. Talking about how his writing method, he said he determines the rhythm and meter of a song and builds the lyrics and rhyme to fit. Similarly, he said determining the arc of the story helped him keep his ideas organized when approaching his novel. He recalled a quote by Tom Waits: "Gathering all this material together was like rounding up chickens at the beach." And then noted that he would have to keep his chickens in the car.

photo by Politics & Prose

Having an angel be a major character in the book made him realize how often angels show up in his songs. He played Folk Bloodbath and Galahad as examples.

photo by Politics & Prose

He was just as joyful talking about and reading from his novel and answering the audience's questions as he is when he's playing...which is pretty damn joyful. If you've never seen him live, see Exhibit A, below, to get an idea of what I'm talking about. Then go to his website, see when he's playing near you, and buy tickets. Stat.

Vic Theatre, Chicago, May 15, 2010 (yes, I was there)
photo by eight one seven photography

If you've never heard his music, please take a listen. This is a video from his NPR Tiny Desk Concert. The first song of his set, The Temptation of Adam, is a sweet, romantic song about strangers finding love in a missile silo during a nuclear war. It is one of my favorite songs of his, and favorite songs, period. To read more about this song, read this fantastic interview Josh did with Independent Weekly back in 2007. He also plays Lark, Rattling Locks and Kathleen during the NPR set.

You're welcome.