Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

It's finally spring in Southern California and all I want to do is go to the beach to read in the sun while Sawyer plays in the sand next to me. He is pretty scared of the water, so it's kind of a perfect situation... for me.

Things are getting bussssssy. Friday night is Sawyer's preschool graduation, Sunday we have plans with friends, and Monday I will be at Disneyland all day with one of my best friends chaperoning a school trip (it's pretty awesome- we ride down in the bus, wave at the seniors as they walk away, and count their heads when they arrive back twelve hours later). Then next week is the end of the year- finals, grades, classroom cleaning, etc...

Podcast note #1- listen to the tax cab episode of The Daily. I had no idea how the medallion system worked in NYC and found the whole thing fascinating.

Podcast note #2- I juuuuuust started listening to My Dad Wrote a Porno and I was giggling to myself all the way to pick Sawyer up. This man's older father wrote an erotic story and gave the draft to his son, who then promptly turned it into a podcast with his friends. 

You know what? I still really, really love print magazines. I only subscribe to two, In Style and Shape, but if I had the choice I'd get fifteen.

Have you watched Dead to Me? It's so good. I love half hour shows and this one is the best combination of drama and comedy, Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini totally perfect together. I've been trying to only watch two or so episodes a week to make it last. 

Last night I googled something and FOR ONCE THE RESULTS WEREN'T BAD. I really try to not look things up that are causing my anxiety, but I did and it turns out an occasional dry wall nail poking out is actually more a cometic issue than one of indicating your house is about to fall apart. 

Manageable Chunks

One of the hardest parts of blogging is not over-sharing. Actually, I think that’s sort of the hardest part of living. I always wrestle with this concept- you want to tell people enough about you so that you feel connected and supported, but you also don’t want to be that person. You know, the acquaintance that you haven’t seen in five years but run into at Trader Joe's and all of the sudden they’ve told you their deepest darkest secrets when you really just wanted to get some cheap bananas? I mean that hasn't happened to me exactly, but you know what I mean.

I run into this problem at work all of the time. I teach my students for two years in a row, as juniors and seniors. I want them to respect me as their English instructor, but I also want them to see me as a human who has emotions and has had experiences outside of the classroom. There’s a line, though, and I constantly have to decide what’s okay to divulge and how. I think I do a pretty good job of sharing parts of my life with them, and in return they do the same with me. If you want people to work for you they have to feel emotionally invested on some level.

So, basically, this has been one long preface to say that there have been some really heavy things going on in my life for several months, which is part of the reason why things have been quieter around here and sometimes lacking substance (or at least that's what it feels like to me). Because of the whole boundary concept, I can’t really divulge what’s up, but I will be okay and life will work out, eventually.

Because of this I’ve really had to put safeguards in place to protect, well, my sanity. I’ve been feeling bogged down emotionally but also with the sheer volume of things that need to get done between work and home. I haven’t lightened my load in terms of any of these things or with doing things on the weekend and whatnot. Sometimes I feel like there isn’t enough caffeine in the world to get me through life. I resist relying on others for any sort of support and I also refuse to stop adhering to the whole "fake it 'til you make it" mentality on a day-to-day basis. 

So, in response to this, I’ve really started practicing what I preach to my students: you have to create manageable chunks.

Yesterday this concept drove my entire day and I was able to get so much done. I’d clean for thirty minutes, spend thirty minutes doing puzzles with Sawyer, grade for thirty minutes, go back to cleaning, etc… and by the end of the day everything was crossed off my list. Being productive makes me feel better, so it was a win-win. I felt better and more on top of things that I had in a really, really long time. 

I’ve been using this concept for bigger things as well. When I was doing all of the HELOC paperwork I was pretty stressed out. I felt in over my head at times and was worried I’d missed something in the documents. In order to combat this, I assigned myself a task every day- answer an email to the loan officer, discuss the solar panel balance with the credit union, ask my accountant brother-in-law for clarification on items, etc…. This week I have a ton of insurance claim paperwork to deal with, complete with tracking down some stupid billing codes, so each day I am going to chip away at a different chunk.

Really, it's sort of a lifestyle, if you think of it. Manageable chunks- if you tackle things slowly and methodically, bit by bit things will happen. 

I highly recommend it. 

Five Reasons Why You Should Read the Theban Plays

I honestly don't even know who I am anymore. Me, the girl who did everything in her power possible to avoid classics classes while in college (as in BC work, not like Bronte), read Sophocles' three Theban Plays for fun this past month (Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone). I actually taught Antigone again, for the fourth time, so I guess that one was obligatory. I had such a good time explaining the backstory, though, that I even sold myself on the whole thing and ordered copies to read for pleasure. I had read Oedipus when I was in high school (didn't we all?), but Colonus was a first for me. I admittedly like Antigone the best, probably because I know it so well and Colonus the least, but really, I can truthfully say I thoroughly enjoyed the process. And now I'm here to convince you to do the same:

The stories- Incest! Death! Suffering! Family drama! This is how I entice my students before they start reading Antigone, by giving them the details on poor Oedipus killing his dad and marrying his mom. They're horrified, but hooked! They went into Antigone being intrigued and were more motivated to tackle the language. I have a ton of kids reading the other plays for outside reading now, since these themes have proved to be so interesting. And really, they are. The way that Sophocles just totally destroys Oedipus' family is horrific- basically the first train wreck people couldn't stop watching (except a chariot... really).

It's accessible (especially with the right translations)- I know we typically think of things written by scholars and great playwrights like Sophocles as incredibly challenging, but I really think with a tiny bit of literary elbow grease anyone can successfully tackle these three books. And then, when you surprise yourself and do, you can be super proud that you're nailing Sophocles.

Sophocles' commentary on power- Creon's progression through various degree of power is such an interesting process and is so timely. Sophocles shows what happens when someone gets too much control and refuses to listen to others- he's left with nothing, no one, and without respect. The church vs state debate is also relevant, the challenging notion clearly a problem that has haunted civilization since the dawn of infrastructure and bureaucracy. 

Fascinating minor characters- I love discussing Ismene, Antigone's sister, with my students. Is she smart in her desire to protect herself from Creon or is she a coward? Teiresias plays such an integral part in the three plays as well, despite not having many spoken lines. Haimon is also a fascinating character, as Antigone's cousin-fiancee who pulls the original Romeo and Juliet sort-of-move at the end of the series. 

The minimalism- I gravitate towards contemporary novels with details, extensive plot development, multiple perspectives, and hundreds of pages. The Theban Plays are quite the opposite, considering Sophocles was really at the forefront of developing a lot of these theatrical advances. Not long before Sophocles' time there were only one or two characters in a play! These plays are still very short on cast lists, don't devote any space to developing settings (except in Oedipus at Colonus, there is some time spent discussing a sort of sacred area he is at), and there aren't a ton of stage directions. It totally works, though, as the reader/audience isn't getting distracted by irrelevant information that detracts from what Sophocles is doing with the characters and their tragic story. 

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

This past weekend was super busy and fun. I started things off with the Strumbellas concert in Orange County with a friend. They were absolutely amazing live- it was probably the most fun I’ve ever had at a show before. If you haven’t heard of them before I highly recommend checking out their last album, Hope, on Spotify. Their newest one is good, for sure, but the one from 2016 is the best.

Sunday Sawyer and I met up with my brother and his wife at the San Diego Zoo. It was raining, but we came prepared with umbrellas and jackets, and had so much fun. There were two particular highlights- getting to see a zookeeper carry a sloth right by us (we naturally followed them) and then seeing a giraffe in labor (the poor thing had the calf’s legs sticking out for hours and hours; we didn’t see the actual birth it took her so long).

I have been tracking all my expenditures for a few months now, and it’s been so incredibly helpful for trimming extra expenses. I’ve always been fiscally aware, but it’s amazing how a $10 order from Amazon one day, a $3 treat the next day, and a $18 run in to Target on the third can add up. Just like tracking calories, knowing that I’ll be held responsible really makes me question the necessity of things.

Our weather here in Southern California is ridiculous. It’s almost June and I’m sitting here in long pants, a long sleeved shirt, and a blanket. I know I’ll be eating my words in a few months, but the clouds are what kill me. I need sunshine.

I’ve started reading White Dog Fell from the Sky by Eleanor Morse and so far I am really enjoying it. Morse isn’t herself African, but I do appreciate the increase in novels being published about this continent over the past few years.                      

What You Should Read While Lying By the Pool this Summer

Or, anywhere, for that matter. Just take a break and read something, got it?

Every year I come up with a list of suggestions of “beach” reads for those who are maybe a tad more literary-inclined, books with a little bit of bite but maybe not as much as normal. That way if you’ve had a poolside cocktail, are stuck on the tarmac while traveling to your destination, or are holed up in an office pissed at the world over not having a summer break you can still concentrate.

My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

226 pages

Mystery, international setting, family bonds

This tongue-in-cheek murder mystery set in Africa is written in quick little chapters that make it a perfect traveling companion (especially if you have small kids that CONSTANTLY want to show you something). Braithwaite’s descriptions and development of the sisterly relationship show she has writing chops beyond what your “typical” mystery writer might have, though, which I greatly appreciated.

Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs

383 pages

Memoir, tech, family bonds

In a world consumed with Apple, who doesn’t want an inside peek into the Jobs family? I know there has been some criticism surrounding his daughter’s memoir, but I thought her perception was fascinating and struggled to find any real incentive to lie. The book read like a novel, for the most part, and I couldn’t put it down. 

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

368 pages

Music, interview format, drama

This book was read in anticipation of some serious book FOMO, since everyone read this when it came out. The interview format makes it feel like a Behind the Music episode and the characters were directly inspired by Fleetwood Mac, which classic rock lovers like myself will enjoy. It’s not a book that requires a great deal of concentration and is super easy to pick up and put down, so it’s totally idea for a busy summer schedule.

Alone on the Wall by Alex Honnold

320 pages

Memoir, outdoor adventures, amazing accomplishments

Can’t get away? Want to partake in some outdoor adventures but can’t? Honnold’s account of free-soloing Half Dome won’t necessarily be a substitute, but will help take the edge off your wanderlust. He details his ultimate feat, but also describes many of his climbing expeditions from around the world beforehand.

Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

194 pages

Short stories, race, sci-fi-ish

I find short stories (and essays… see Sedaris below) to be a perfect solution when I know that I’m going to be on-the-go and may not be able to devote a ton of time to a lengthy novel. Enter Friday Black. These are definitely not ordinary short stories, though, there are messages relating to social justice, cultural issues, and humanity in general. The subtle sci-fi layers, and even horror, add a whole layer of complexity as well (and I’m not necessarily a fan of either of these genres; it totally worked for this collection, though).

Calypso by David Sedaris

272 pages

Humor, essays

This was my first dive into Sedaris, almost a year ago, and I found myself laughing aloud constantly! Many of essays center around the beach home he purchases, which totally jives with our summer reading theme. I remember really loving how he incorporates his loved ones into his work; he’s honest, pokes fun, but you can tell her really cherishes them. His astute descriptions and comical realizations are the perfect combination.

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

421 pages

Literary fiction, AIDS epidemic, complex relationships

This is the book for those of you who don’t want something a little easier or slimmer this summer- you want the big book that maybe you wouldn’t normally make time for. This is the one, folks. Spanning over several decades, tackling a tough issue (the AIDS epidemic and intense relationships), and forcing you to engage with a variety of emotions, this your big kahuna.

Happy (almost) summer!