Eugenides Adaptations and the Coppolas

The Millions writes about an upcoming HBO series based on Jeffrey Eugendies’ Middlesex.  Oh, that makes me nervous.  I love, love, love Middlesex and would hate to see it ruined.  Although, I don’t have cable, let alone HBO, so maybe I’ll never know.

Thursday night I watched The Virgin Suicides for the first time.  I thought it was a decent adaptation of the book and it seemed to capture beauty in its own way.  Some novels feature technical aspects that can’t and shouldn’t translate on screen, so it’s nice to see a movie preserve what it can and take advantage of film’s techniques.

In this article about Sofia Coppola, there is a great description of what she does versus what her father does.  If you could apply either description to a book, story, or film, I’ll probably like it.

“Where her father’s great themes — the struggles of Man and Patriarchies in the Modern World — are vast and epic, Sofia’s themes, like the happenstance encounters and quiet epiphanies that can haunt the rest of your life, are more intimate, if no less profound. She doesn’t sweep across history or build to dramatic climaxes like her father but rather has her camera search out meaning in small details. She writes scripts that establish, sustain and then gently shift tone and atmosphere — not Tolstoy but Chekhov. Her films are sophisticated and plangently romantic, and the emotions she stirs up linger.”

June Books

I can’t believe June passed by so quickly.  I only finished two books and didn’t really make progress on the several that wait for me half-read.

Great with Child: Reflections on Faith, Fullness and Becoming a Mother – Debra Rienstra

I’m not sure I liked this book.  As a professor, Rienstra’s book is more scholarly than some, connecting her experiences to myths and stories from history, but not as seamless as it could be.  Her story doesn’t cast the most positive light on becoming a mother, though the title is misleading–the book chronicles her third pregnancy, not her first.  Her experience makes pregnancy and parenthood sound daunting, overwhelming, and unbearable.  But maybe some people can relate.  I hope for a better experience.

Girl with Curious Hair – David Foster Wallace

A fantastic collection.  I had read a few of the stories years ago, then started reading through the collection a few years ago, so I just finished the last half this year.  Some of my favorites include “My Appearance,” “Say Never,” and “Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way.”  The latter might classify as a novella, though.  These stories remind me that a story can inspire, relate to life, provide new perspective, etc. and take an innovative shape.  Lately I’ve been torn between traditional and experimental stories.  The traditional ones don’t do much in the way of form though they do capture beauty.  But I’m left wondering a lot of times, why this story, what makes this one any different or better than the next.  And then the experimental ones show that they’re different but I don’t always enjoy them and they don’t resonate with me as much.  So this collection seems to bring the meaning and beauty of traditional stories to new forms.

I’m still not finished with 2666.  I lack the motivation to finish it, but there’s no way I’m going to read 700 pages and not finish the last 200.  And I’ve started (once again) Infinite Jest, but I’m behind in the reading schedule for Infinite Summer.  I’ve felt too panicked by all the work I need to do by the end of this month to concentrate much on reading.  I hope that will change.

Infinite Summer

Join me and all the others at Infinite Summer in reading Infinite Jest this summer, between June 12 and September 22.  This works perfectly for me since I’ve been trying to wrap up my other books so I can start this one soon.  I think it’ll help me to have a group of people to read alongside since my last attempts ended after a few hundred pages.  I was hoping to start on Monday (today), before I found out about this effort, and I certainly am hoping to finish before August 15, give or take a few weeks.  So take the plunge!

Books: May

I keep forgetting to post my book log from May:

The Best American Short Stories 2008 – Ed. Salmon Rushdie, Series Editor Heidi Pitlor

A great collection.  As much as I want to join those who whine that this series always includes stories by writers like Alice Munro and Tobias Wolff, both of their stories are fantastic.  Other stories I enjoyed from this year’s include:  “Man and Wife” by Katie Chase and “May We Be Forgiven” by A.M. Homes.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao – Junot Díaz

I enjoyed this book, but I can decide if it lived up to the hype.  I’m sure I missed a lot of the texture and depth simply because I don’t know too much about the Dominican Republic and I can’t read Spanish.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki

New perspectives on finances always interest me.  This book contains a few ideas/principles and little else.  I wanted to see more practical applications.  I always feel a little squeamish about anything that teaches people how to be rich, but that’s probably a product of my upbringing.  My perspective on money is certainly expanding.  And on what some might consider a superficial level, the typesetting, proofreading, and editing of the text  are atrocious/absent.  So bad that they distract from the content.

Twitter

I’ve been reading a lot about Twitter lately.  I thought/think it’s dumb, but then I noticed how a lot of websites and literary journals use it, and I don’t want to miss out on those updates (they link to interesting articles!).  And then I wondered if I am going to be one of those people who’s joining the latest technology craze five years after the fact (think: facebook).  I’m too young to be computer and technology illiterate, although I do fit some stereotypes of old people (isn’t it normal to think 9PM is late and what is that loud racket?).  So I joined.

And I promise soon more posts and a new approach to this blog.

Lowering the Bar

I stumbled across this article titled “How Oprah ruined the marathon.”  I’m sure it outrages a lot of people since so many idolize her, but I found it interesting and funny.  Recently I was thinking about Oprah’s finishing time (4:29:??) and was amazed.  Not that that’s a great time, but it’s faster than a lot of people whose bodies are probably better equipped to handle racing 26.2, at least biomechanically speaking.

Anyways, the article goes into how Oprah created a second running boom and suddenly the marathon is on everyone’s life goal list.  I’ve always found it peculiar encountering people who say that they hate running but they want to finish a marathon.  Um, shouldn’t you pick a different goal?

Running, like writing, attracts a lot of people who think they can but settle for less than their best.  Or worse, people who think they’re good but aren’t.  And sure that sounds harsh, but it’s a shame that we’ve allowed the standards to drop.  I don’t want the Boston Marathon qualifying times to be stricter for women (as proposed in a recent Runner’s World issue) because that’s my goal time for my first marathon (though it may be over a year away, maybe more), but maybe marathons should have stricter finishing time restrictions.  If you can’t finish under X hours, then train until you can.  Is it even safe for some of these people to be out there for six hours?  I’m not against the average person attempting something challenging like the marathon, because even finishing is a big feat, but rather, I’m against the mediocrity that goes along with it.

NOTE:  One of the outraged readers of the article linked to this earlier article.  Seems like the one I posted at the top ripped off a lot of ideas and info from this one.  I like his closing:

“We feel good about creating the appearance of accomplishment (emphasis mine), yet aren’t willing to sacrifice for true gains. It’s clear now that anyone can finish a marathon. Maybe it’s time we raise our standards to see who can run one.”

Blogs OR Where Has the Time Gone?

After an early-morning conversation about blogs with my sister, I’ve started thinking about what I’m doing with this one.  I’ve lost steam with any type of blog writing over the last few months, though I’ve been writing more fiction.  The last few weeks (stolen car, staying up to watch the Nuggets, a few personal items) have shaken my routine (or a new one I’ve been trying to establish), so I’m trying to get a handle on time before it all escapes me.  Look for a possible rehaul of this blog soon.  I’m thinking format and content perhaps.

Jeffrey Eugenides on The Book Review Podcast

Check it out here.

Summer of the Short Story

Read about these summer collections of classic short stories here.  Then take a look at some of the stories available online here.

Short Stories, Young Writers, and Literary Magazines

Take a look at what Laura van den Berg writes about publishing in literary magazines at The Review Review.  I saw the link on the One Story blog.  It’s one of those nice pieces that whispers, “keep going.”  If I could afford to, I’d subscribe to dozens of literary magazines.

When you read the essay it sounds like it’s coming from a seasoned writer, someone well into her career.  Then I saw her blogger profile over at the Ploughshares blog, and it says she’s only 25.  Another young writer with a slew of talent and publishing credits.  These days I can’t pick up a short story or book or look online without finding talented writers under 35 (even 30).

I’ve been working my way through The Best American Short Stories 2008 (next up: PEN/O.Henry Prize Stories 2009) and noticing how many stories they chose were written by young writers:  Katie Chase, Miroslav Penkov, and more.  It’s exciting, not to mention motivating, to see so many young people succeeding.  It feels like I’m watching a new generation of writers emerge.

Don’t forget to visit the Emerging Writers Network daily to read about the short stories they’re reading.  It’s a great place to start if you’re looking for some to read.