Restricted Section: Term XXVI - Read, Reading, To Read

[sanalith.livejournal.com]

Activity: Read, Reading, To Read
Points: 10 points for your initial comment, 2 points for every substantial response, max 30 points
Deadline: August 30 @ 11:59PM UTC (Timezone Converter)

Details: Since this will be my only activity of Term XXVI, I wanted to both do something relatively simple AND take the opportunity to get to know you guy, so we're going to have a discussion post about our recent reading habits. For your initial comment, write at least 150 words talking about books you've recently read, are currently reading, and/or what you plan to read next. You can talk about any aspect of the books you wish, but some ideas would be why you selected the books, what you liked/didn't like about them, whether you'd recommend them to others, etc. For your responses, you'll need to write at least 50 words. Make sure you're saying something more than, "I read that book and liked/hated it!" Try to open a dialogue about what was good or bad, or even why you chose NOT to read it. Anything goes, as long as there's substance to it.

If you have any questions, direct them to the appropriate thread. As always, don't forget to sign each comment with your name/house or a sigtag.

Also, do remember that I wiped the roster clean, so if you have bonus items, make sure you register them HERE as soon as possible to earn your extra points. I won't be giving grace periods, so please double-check that you're good to go!

Comments

[passerine.livejournal.com]

It seems most people dislike the Beats, but I'm really fond of them. I understand why people don't like them, though, and I think the criticisms are valid (of course, most of the criticisms I hear are, "Julia, you only like them because you're a hipster" and I don't think that's a very valid one, personally).

I kind of got into the Beats in the same way Ginsberg found himself there (this is incredibly loose and really reaching, I'll admit). In the same poetry class I mentioned before, we read A LOT of Whitman and I fell in love with him another one everyone else hated maybe I am a hipster I also like Dickens sooooo. From there, I got really, really into Ginsberg and Kerouac, and others slowly started to endear themselves to me and now I just love them all for different reasons.

Julia // Slytherin

[wasureneba.livejournal.com]

Ha, that's so odd to me -- I grew up in a place where everyone loved the Beats, like Kerouac was this god. And since I now live in the SF Bay area, there's definitely a ton of Beats lover. (Calling the hipster argument not a very valid one is being kind to it, I think. The criticisms about sexism and misogyny are the ones that affect me, and they're the reasons why I tend not to enjoy the Beats as much.)

I like what I've read of Whitman; Dickens is good when I'm in the mood for long-windedness.

Anieclaw

[passerine.livejournal.com]

Those things actually bother me a lot too, and I'm not entirely sure why I'm able to look past them. I don't think "yes, these are the best ideas and I am very socially inspired by them", but I like the style in general and a lot of other ideas they present (like homosexuality, alternate views of "the Human Condition", etc).

I can definitely imagine a lot of Beat lovers in SF. Not so much here in Toronto (not that there aren't any, but I guess they're kind of passe for the English major douchebags at UofT - they also thought Sylvia Plath was overrated). Honestly, a lot of it I think has to do with the attitude here in Toronto. This city so desperately wants to be world-class and the next NYC, so people here roll their eyes at "the classics", etc and uggghhh how am I the hipster one in that situation? lol

I had another point but I totally lost it, sorry, haha.

Julia // Slytherin