I like your comment about re-reading books. I am now in my late 50s and I have started re-reading old books sitting on my shelves that I first read and enjoyed in my 20sā¦ What a difference 30 years of life experience makes on the impact of a story, on how it is interpreted, understood, and enjoyed or not. š¼
I always feel guilty when I leave a book; as if I abandoned it. Soooo, Patti, your leaving a book unread gives me a push to guard my time. I struggled through Cloud Atlas by Wallace but I was ultimately happy to finish it. Relieved, but happy.
Imagine a man who demonstrates not a scintilla of courage, learning or moral understanding ā as Lawrence says: āUneducableāā thinking that he could act out his jealousies, his resentments, and yes, his āretributionsā ā pointing that god-awful finger to whom the I Ching describes as āthe superior man.ā And that respected gentleman nonetheless attempted to penetrate the brick wall of stupidity occurring in that amphitheater of verbal and gestural violence, literally ganging up on him in their highly addled confusion of such rampant bestiality of conduct; the barbarity of several of the Seven Deadly Sins for all to see. Yet, not even the brilliantly adept Kurt Weill could have arranged onto paper what he might have heard. Best avoided: please donāt let the children watch! The frenzied ruckus preceding the boorish effrontery in terminating, intruding upon what is typically a one- to-one meeting between heads of state (in this case, between an exceptional mind and an empty skull) ā you know, the kind of meetings Don and Vlad have shared for hours at a time with no read-outs, and with the translatorās notes quickly taken.
Hello, you dazzling mind! I could write piles of paragraphs in response to this video visit. Iāve been gravitating toward books lately too - thanks in significant measure to āJust Kidsā. Iām still reading it as slowly as possible so it wonāt end. But because it will, I bought Jim Carrollās āThe Basketball Diariesā. Iāve connected to his world before, so Iām ready.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about all those books. Edward Gorey! I love his drawings and books. Pre goth creepy but funny too. How fun to celebrate his 100th year. Sweet dreams.
āSo much so that I could almost taste the sand in my mouthā immediately followed by āsorry, I seem to have ā¦. ā and my mind screamed āsand in your mouth!ā And this, in a nutshell, is why I love Patti Smith. She can hold two places in time simultaneously and be unaware of it. Like all great artists
Iām new to Substack and your poem was the second thing I read - wow! I did not expect to be reaching for a tissue. Your words are amazing - thank you xx
Oh, yes, Patti, please do continue to āramble onā about whatever stream of consciousness you are bathing in at the moment. We need the simplicity, the normalcy of one anotherās day to day observations as a break from āmatters of consequence (The Little Prince).ā Iām so glad I found you - at age 69. Sending love and gratitude for your continued health. š
I'm so excited for more of your recommended books for my reading list. Thank you also for providing a picture below that I can compare to my messy scribbles of titles and authors! Even "The Laughing Policeman" by...? I'll find it!
I suffer from terrible claustrophobia, & it gets worse the older I get, so totally sympathise, bless you Patti š
I like your comment about re-reading books. I am now in my late 50s and I have started re-reading old books sitting on my shelves that I first read and enjoyed in my 20sā¦ What a difference 30 years of life experience makes on the impact of a story, on how it is interpreted, understood, and enjoyed or not. š¼
you are a gift, Patti.
Patti, I loved your audiobook reading of Jo Nesbo's Blood on Snow, thank you xx
ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø the book reviews!!
https://johnshanewayofthepoet.substack.com/p/5-how-many-categories-of-poetry-can?r=4max28
I always feel guilty when I leave a book; as if I abandoned it. Soooo, Patti, your leaving a book unread gives me a push to guard my time. I struggled through Cloud Atlas by Wallace but I was ultimately happy to finish it. Relieved, but happy.
Patti Deer - a bit off-topic, but not really. On everyoneās mind . .
From WaPo - where I post as āThumbelinaā
The trumpian and entranced Vanceās servings of cruditĆ©s of stroganoff ā served warm, then cold, then heated on dry ice ā conceived and planned by the Voldemort of St. Petersburg, that most unsaint-like phenom (Oh! How vexed are the Cherubim and Seraphim!) whose specialty, when not plugging someone in the back or baptizing oneās underwear with poison, assassinsā holy water, is defenestration, obviously planned and orchestrated the one-night only premier, SRO, rehearsing his players who attempted to provoke, insult and inflame a much-beloved leader, a man of all (twelve) seasons, a president of an āallyā whose army and civilians are under daily attack (some 250 drones at the capital city daily); these performers tainting the oval office, and the country, demonstrating the oh-so-ignorant-of-fact that this courageous, intellectual, on-task, on-time historical giant, has seen too much, has witnessed and endured too profound a cataclysm of suffering and wanton cruelty as to have been other than inured to their preposterous One-Act play, the players wearing their garish royal-blue suits, ācostumesā all, horrifying the country and the world. Acts II & III, with ENCORE! To follow. (āHey, you aināt seen nuthin yet!ā)
Imagine a man who demonstrates not a scintilla of courage, learning or moral understanding ā as Lawrence says: āUneducableāā thinking that he could act out his jealousies, his resentments, and yes, his āretributionsā ā pointing that god-awful finger to whom the I Ching describes as āthe superior man.ā And that respected gentleman nonetheless attempted to penetrate the brick wall of stupidity occurring in that amphitheater of verbal and gestural violence, literally ganging up on him in their highly addled confusion of such rampant bestiality of conduct; the barbarity of several of the Seven Deadly Sins for all to see. Yet, not even the brilliantly adept Kurt Weill could have arranged onto paper what he might have heard. Best avoided: please donāt let the children watch! The frenzied ruckus preceding the boorish effrontery in terminating, intruding upon what is typically a one- to-one meeting between heads of state (in this case, between an exceptional mind and an empty skull) ā you know, the kind of meetings Don and Vlad have shared for hours at a time with no read-outs, and with the translatorās notes quickly taken.
Hello, you dazzling mind! I could write piles of paragraphs in response to this video visit. Iāve been gravitating toward books lately too - thanks in significant measure to āJust Kidsā. Iām still reading it as slowly as possible so it wonāt end. But because it will, I bought Jim Carrollās āThe Basketball Diariesā. Iāve connected to his world before, so Iām ready.
Thank you for you, as always. Laura š
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about all those books. Edward Gorey! I love his drawings and books. Pre goth creepy but funny too. How fun to celebrate his 100th year. Sweet dreams.
āSo much so that I could almost taste the sand in my mouthā immediately followed by āsorry, I seem to have ā¦. ā and my mind screamed āsand in your mouth!ā And this, in a nutshell, is why I love Patti Smith. She can hold two places in time simultaneously and be unaware of it. Like all great artists
Iām new to Substack and your poem was the second thing I read - wow! I did not expect to be reaching for a tissue. Your words are amazing - thank you xx
Where can I buy your book - Iām in Australia
Fee
š
Oh, yes, Patti, please do continue to āramble onā about whatever stream of consciousness you are bathing in at the moment. We need the simplicity, the normalcy of one anotherās day to day observations as a break from āmatters of consequence (The Little Prince).ā Iām so glad I found you - at age 69. Sending love and gratitude for your continued health. š
I was just looking for a new book to read, so thank you for your recommendations! All added to my list.
I'm so excited for more of your recommended books for my reading list. Thank you also for providing a picture below that I can compare to my messy scribbles of titles and authors! Even "The Laughing Policeman" by...? I'll find it!