Do the A-Z author challenge

I first read Candide in high school and don’t really remember what I thought of it. It was just one of several books that we had to read but that we never devoted any class time to discussing. Awhile back though I saw the edition with the cover by Chris Ware and picked it up because I love the round people. It sat on my shelf, however, unread. Yesterday while doing some dusting I picked it up and read it while sitting in front of my bookshelf, duster in hand. Maybe it was my mood, but I found it incredibly funny. Not the plight of poor Candide but his general attitude of “aw, fuck it” and just slogging through life. Little round Candide.

Many moons ago my wonderful padre got me The Complete Calvin & Hobbes by the genius that is Bill Watterson. I loves me this thing. The only problem is that I’m 3,000 miles away from it. With the nomadic life I lead right now it’s not very practical to have it with me. But it’s actually been kind of perfect being able to go back to the parent’s house and ‘visit’ my books.

X Writings ‘79 – ‘82 by John Cage

Oy. Kids, don’t do drugs.

This doesn’t count as my “x”
I’ll come back to it.

“Selected Poems” from Yevgeny Yevtushenko
Even though Yevtushenko is still kicking around he hasn’t released much new material. I’m happy that Penguin is releasing some of his earlier poems in this new edition, but I think new life (read: “fresh translations”) need to be breathed into this man’s work. Highly under-rated.

“Violence” by Slavoj Žižek
I’m currently reading this, and although I usually devour social commentary books like this, Violence has proved to be slow going for me. I think there may be a few too many pop-culture references for me, and he may be just a little too smart at times (or maybe I’m too dim witted). In any case, Žižek has some very interesting views.