Remember a few months ago I was quite taken with a short story called “Jeane” by James Hopkin? Well, this week I found his debut novel, Winter Under Water, in the the most unexpected of places. It was a remainder outlet in the city, which had an upstairs area where the books were priced 10 for $10 or $5 each. Of course I went up there and had a look around, but the place itself felt eerily quiet in the midst of the bustling metropolis. There wasn’t much to entice me, but I did find Winter Under Water and Susanna Moore’s In the Cut.
I took the past few days off, an internet sabbatical perhaps you could call it. Maybe it’s just me, but every so often the internet just becomes just too much and I feel myself going slightly screwy with information overload, to the point where it feels like the only possible release is a Scanners style explosion. However, the best remedy is usually to turn off the computer, remove myself from most, if not all, online services, and take some time to rejuvenate. If I were rich, this would probably involve expensive day spas and intensive massages by attractive young men; instead I’ve just hung out with my Dad, worked (a surprisingly effective way to boost my self-confidence) and caught up on some (offline) reading.
In the time before deciding to take some time off the internet, I did come across some interesting links which might, if you’re not already suffering from hyper-information related illness, also be of interest to you.
- David Foster Wallace it turns out was a prolific book annotator. The University of Texas acquired his archive and have put examples of some of the items online. His annotations of a few novels can be seen, including a scribbled addition to a portrait of Cormac McCarthy. Fittingly enough for a man with an impressive vocabulary, there is also a look inside his marked up dictionary.
- I’m not sure how I’d missed this previously, but the Carson McCullers Center of Columbus State University also has a blog, keeping interested parties up to date with the events and happenings organized by the center. One to keep an eye on, perhaps.
- Hey Oscar Wilde! It’s Clobberin’ Time!!! is a collection of visual interpretations and portraits of authors and fictional characters.
- And, finally, Toby Lichtig is determined to do what those of weaker resolve have failed time and time again, to give up book buying for six (6 … 6!! SIX!! SIX!1!?) months. Godspeed Toby Lichtig, godspeed.
[image credit: Virginia Frances Sterret, frontispiece to Old French Fairy Tales, by the Comtesse de Ségur. Philadelphia, 1920, via archive.org, found via Old Book Illustrations]
Book Loot, David Foster Wallace, In the Cut, James Hopkin, March 2010, Susanna Moore, Winter Under Water
Oh the internet sabbatical sounds so lovely!
Sounds like you’re brain has hit the internet reset button
I’ve been meaning to do one for ages. But I can’t tear myself away from gmail.
Even now coming back to the interweb I’m sort of less enthusiastic about it all, in that I’m not obsessively checking twitter/email/whatever so it was a good thing I think. Hopefully I’ll be able to do something more productive with my time, but I doubt it
I LOVE the picture you’ve posted up. It’s beautiful. I must go check out the remainder outlet. I keep passing it but I never go in because I’m never really on Elizabeth St or if I am, it’s at night.
I take internet sabbaticals every so often.
Oops, pressed ‘submit’ before I finished. :-p . I was going to to add that if I was rich, I’d buy a country house and just read all day!