The Stick

I have been passed the stick -- twice! So here goes:

You’re stuck inside Fahrenheit 451, which book do you want to be?

As I recall, folks in this story memorized books to save them (to save the books) from the fire; they became the book they memorized. My memorization skills were never strong, even before time began to erode them. So I would choose a book my body could remember -- poems, by Pattiann Rogers, maybe, or Maxine Kumin. Both of these writers make my body sing.

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?

I think I usually have a crush on whatever character I am reading about at the moment. I tend to sink pretty far into fiction.

The last book you bought is:

• Year of the Snake, Lee Ann Roripaugh                  
• The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger                

[same order]

The last book you read:

• The History of God, Karen Armstrong                
• Blue Dusk, Madeline DeFrees
• The Spiral Dance 20th Anniversary Edition, Starhawk [again]
• a book of poems by Philip Larkin, which I can't put my hand on at the moment, and I don't remember the title Breath, by Philip Levine
• Weaving the Visions: New Patterns in Feminist Spirituality, Judith Plaskow

[simultaneous]

What are you currently reading?

• Blue Pastures, Mary Oliver [again]
• A Poet's Work, Sam Hamill
• Peace Is Every Step, Thich Nhat Hahn
• Open Season, C.J. Box

Also several poetry books; I am always reading poetry. And, of course, blogs.

Five books you would take to a deserted island:

I choose these on the grounds that each should provide endless readings, with new revelations every time.

• The Complete Shakespeare
• The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson
• Essential Haiku, Robert Hass
• The Four-Gated City, Doris Lessing

And, oh yeah:

• How to Survive on a Deserted Island in Comfort & Luxury With Minimal Effort (someone must have written this by now)

And since this is a fantasy, I'm taking music, too (I'll just happen to have with me one of those new- fangled music players, with a solar cell battery):

• The Goldberg Variations [probably the earlier recording by Glenn Gould]
  

Who are you going to pass this stick to (3 persons) and why?

• moos
• Daisy

Because they will provide interesting  answers, and because they said I could . . .

. . . and a third not yet chosen -- I have a request still out there, and if he says no, I'll open it up for volunteers.

Thanks, Patia and Pearl, for passing it to me.

Comments

[Pearl]

Hm, I didn't realize the become the book aspect. I'll ahve to rethink my Fahrenheit answer.

Peace is Every Step sounds wonderful. I'm queued in 4th position at the library waiting list for that now that I've heard of it. I just picked up Gift from the Sea by Lindbergh so waiting is fine. Mary Oliver sounds like a wonderful poet to check out too.

[Jazz]

I've gotten one of those questions before, and never fail to disturb myself by being honest with my answer. "Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?" Yes. Nero Wolfe. And that's probably just wrong, but I do.

[SB]

Pearl, Mary Oliver is wonderful, do go find her books.

And Jazz, I didn't only have a crush on Nero Wolfe, I wanted to be Nero Wolfe.

[Daisy]

Blimey, that took much longer than I thought (and I've cheated, left a few blank while I think about it)!