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]
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!