J'ai Lu, Octobre 2009

The calendar says it is November 9th. It feels outside like September. I am not complaining about the discrepancy. Reading on the hammock in the sunlight under the bright, fiery leaves on autumn trees, maybe drifting into a nap while the breeze gently rocks you to sleep; I wouldn't mind spending the month of November in this way.

Citizenship Papers (Berry) – A collection of essays on politics, citizenship, etc., recommended by and borrowed from Kyle. Wendall Berry has some really perceptive insights to share, and I really appreciated his thoughts on war/pacifism, capitalism/socialism, and other topics I’ve been wrestling with. I think Berry has an excellent grasp on the elements involved in these issues and he does a fantastic job of defending his positions. Thanks for the borrow, K. (8)

The Great Divorce (Lewis) – I haven’t read as much by Lewis as I wish that I had by this point, but this beautiful and powerful representation was enough to make me motivated to read more, and soon. Lewis’ descriptions of heaven and the entire heaven/hell divide are imaginative and thoughtful in a glorious way. I love hearing human conjecture on heaven and divine things and I think Lewis captures some ideas which continue to paint an image that we can only imagine and wonder on. If any of you have read this and particularly liked or disliked any things I would really love to hear your thoughts and impressions. (9)

The Unlikely Disciple (Roose) – This memoir is actually written by a student who was an intern of an author I recently blogged about as the author of a similar religious-immersion memoir, A.J. Jacobs of The Year of Living Biblically. Essentially, the premise is similar. An atheist student attends school for a semester at Liberty University, one of the most fundamentalist evangelical Christian schools in the nation. Honestly, I liked Roose’s writing better than his mentors’, and I think this book is a really interesting read, especially for anyone who has ever been in a similar environment of Christian fundamentalism. While the Evangelical fanaticism inspired by Jerry Falwell at Liberty is probably further to the extreme than you have experienced, I can link many of the issues and attitudes Roose mentions with events I have seen firsthand. Recommend for any Christians who have any interaction with other people (that’s…most of you..). (8)

Favorites:
How I met Your Mother, Season 4
Band of Horses
October trips to Tulsa, Dallas, and Wichita
November trips to St. Louis and Tulsa
John Mayer Winter/Spring Tour Dates
The Gray Owl opening

Looking forward to:
Not-a-Date
A Parents visit this weekend
RUF Sunday
Battles Studies release 11/17
Thanksgiving
Bedlam

Why oh why is Oklahoma so bad at football these days :/ I'm going to have to have a word with Rob...

Owl Gray

I am currently sitting on a sectional sofa at the back of a long room in a downtown storefront building. Indie Rock plays on the small speakers built into the exposed, stained rafters in the ceiling, where dramatic lighting casts shadows across the room and makes you feel as though you play a part in the art display behind you. The art, by the way, that unexpectedly portrays the same green villain involved in each of the farm or landscape scenes that line the east wall. Yes, you've got to see this to know what I mean.
The Gray Owl is simplistic. It is eclectic. The striking front door is a green gateway into a hipster's paradise, complete with retro used furniture and green OU chalkboard recycled for use as a menu list. It is the sort of place where time can pass without your knowledge, where you can sit, relax, and feel a sort of timelessness and freedom that is so often elusively out of reach. You breathe a sigh of relief knowing that this magical place will not soon sell-out to "the man" as other nearby venues have so disappointingly done (cough). With a cup of smooth, rich coffee in your hand, you can lean back in your consignment-furniture-store chair and thank goodness that you don't have to leave this marvelous place before the clock strikes midnight; and in this Cinderella-esque mindset you cross your glass-slippered feet on the handmade table in front of you, drink deep from your pumpkin latte and hum a bit of "A Dream is a wish your Heart Makes," knowing this very place is your dream come true.

Based on a True Story, although the Names, Places, and Events may have been Changed

Some of you have heard that a couple weeks ago I had an opportunity fall into my lap that I took complete advantage of.
Someone called the office where I work and asked if I knew anyone who coached little league baseball. The person on the line was calling on behalf of someone I had never heard of, Rob Snoops, but since I just so happened to be a skilled former-MLB All-star player with a lot of experience and even some experience coaching, I offered myself as a possible coach for Rob's kids, who were needing some extra help getting ready for tryouts this spring (their father isn't very athletic). After talking to Rob's wife Cheryl several times, we set up a time for me to come out to their trailer once a week and help toss the ball around with their son, Zacky, and twin daughters Blake and Lilac.
Well, today I went for our first practice. All the kids have a little experience, but they have a little trouble remembering which base is which, what the pitcher does (which happens to affect them directly more than they realized), etc. Their trailer (or "mobile home," as Cheryl reminded me on several occasions) is out in this really kind of *trashy* part of Norman.. I'm sure it's kind of embarrassing for the kids, but as long as you stay upwind of the sewage plant you can almost imagine you're...in a nicer trailer park...
Anyway, it's obvious that Cheryl and Rob aren't that well off, because the place was pretty sparsely decorated. A little cross-stitched "Home is Where the Heart is" above the tinker-town piano was about all the "dining room" had to offer. I'm almost sure there may have been a fairly attractive oriental rug in the living room (which appears to have housed their goats for one winter), but you'd probably have to move the fast food wrappers and dirty laundry in order to see it.
All this to say, I have a new job, and even if I catch a mild case of Black Mold Poisoning, I think somehow, this is going to be worth it. Stay tuned.

J'ai Lu, Septembre 2009

The last two months, as I have mentioned, tended to lack in quantity what they certainly did not lack in quality. This month however, the two classifications reunite (!) as I have finally resumed my 4 a month quota, but at no lack of literary quality whatsoever.
However, I have found that I still don't read fast enough, and my "to read" pile of books gets taller and taller with each both I put back on the shelf...
I have no solution.

Same Kind of Different As Me (Hall) – The story of a wealthy couple and a former slave and what happens when their worlds collide. I found this story moving and powerful and relevant. I also found it slightly predictable. A recommendation from my roomie, definitely worth reading. (8)

Unaccustomed Earth (Lahiri) – This collection of short stories is a strange but beautiful walk through the pains and struggles of life. Lahiri is able to capture the essence of human struggle and make it something that we can relate to and completely empathize with. I can't wait to read more by this author. (8)

The Year of Living Biblically (Jacobs) – A modern day atheist tries to follow the letter-of-the-Old Testament law as an experiment in living as “literally” as possible. What begins as an author’s ploy to win readership while mocking his own ethnic roots develops into a really fascinating struggle between his cynicism and the pervasiveness of the truth that he wrestles with. This is good for some laughs and to brush up on your knowledge of the OT laws, if for nothing else. (7)

Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers (Claiborne & Hartgrove) – I’ve read a lot by Claiborne, and this short study on prayer falls right in line with his other works. The authors, two social and spiritual activists, seek to connect the power of prayer with the power of action. Claiborne challenges his readers to live a life of prayer which will in turn fuel a life of social engagement. If you’ve read anything else by Claiborne, you’ve heard a lot of this before, but if you haven’t, this is a good introduction to what he generally advocates. (6)

In music, this month's winners are:
Bon Iver
Fleet Foxes
(Rediscovering) Sufjan Stevens

Looking forward to:
OU/Texas Weekend Retreat in Dallas
The U2 Experience with H Brew
Ben Folds in Wichita
OU/Nebraska in Lincoln
The Swell Season in Dallas
Battle Studies Nov 17

Home Alone Part 1

Tonight is the first night I will be staying in our 710 casa sans roommates #1, #2, and #3. 1 of 3 has left town. 2 of 3 are overnight babysitting.
I just arrived home after an evening of merriment, and am currently sitting in the center of the red couch, and blogging--not out of necessity, no--but out of sheer inability to choose what to do.
I mean...what could I not do?? The possibilities are endless! I could watch those movies I've been waiting for a chance to pop in, catch up on some online episodes of shows I enjoy, do some reading while the house is quiet, play loud music and sing and dance around the house, throw a raging party and invite everyone I know--I mean, come on! This takes some serious thought.
It's trying to decide which of these things is the best use of this short time where I have full reign of the place, for an entire overnight, that seems such a wonderfully daunting task. All of my options are delightful ones! Do I go to bed early? Wake up in the morning to watch the sunrise and go for a run? Sleep late because no one is here to judge? (Not to insinuate that my roommates are judgmental, for they are far from it) I mean, really, this is an absolutely overwhelming dilemma that probably needed several weeks' preparation in order to take full advantage of.
But instead, I'm sitting in the center of the red couch. There is a seat on either side of me, and a seat to my left in the brown chair. 1+1+1=3. 3=# of missing roommates.
I still don't know what I will decide.

J'ai lu, Août 2009

Unfortunately for you, dear readers, August marked the second consecutive month where I read sub-par quantity of books, but above-par quality. I do believe that being back at my desk-sitting jobs will enable me to meet my quota for the following months (or so I hope). But for now, here is what it is:

Jesus for President (Claiborne) -- The author of The Irresistible Revolution (which has also appeared on this blog) writes again from a slightly different platform, but on similar issues and with a similar agenda (that being to light a fire under complacent Christians to get up and start living). Claiborne speaks through Ancient Israel and Egypt, the Roman Empire, the early Church, and both past and Modern America. He talks about the politics of each. And he talks about the politics of Jesus. Definitely something worthwhile if you have a feeling that the state has lured the church into a destructive love affair of sorts. I found it really helpful in trying to distinguish the politics of Jesus from the politics that have been preached at me--from both the White House and from the pulpit. (9)

You can borrow this if you want. We can talk about this if you want. I've got a list of books that explore this issue more, and I'll continue reading and exploring what life looks like when "my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country or a man."

J'ai Lu, Juillet 2009

My reading habits have begun to lack. But not in quality, simply in quantity.
In July, I read only one book. I read it in about 4 days. And then simply didn't hammer through another one for the rest of the month of July. I really, still, cannot conceive how this is possible, but this is just how it happened.

The Poisonwood Bible (Kingsolver) – A fictional novel about a family who are missionaries to The Congo. Written like journals from the perspectives of the mother and four daughters, Kingsolver effectively transports you to a different place and time, and leads you to connect with these women. This is not a happy ending. But I dare you to read it and find the Gospel in the unexpected places, not where it is expected. And that is what makes this book beautiful. (10)

Read this. You can borrow it from me. You may not like it. We can talk about it.