I've decided I want to do a little better on my supplemental reading. By that I mean anything other than fiction. I do okay with poetry, and want to stick with that, but I want to maybe get into some non-fiction too.It just seems like this is a good idea. The more we read the more we know the more we have to write about, right? And its not like this needs to be a big project either. I'm thinking maybe a poem or two, maybe a short story, and a chapter of something like Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews or a fairy tale from the Grimm Brothers (though some might say that's cheating.) Maybe some books on Greek or Norse mythology would be cool. Maybe some biographies. Maybe the Qu'ran.
What do you think? Mythologies, folktales and biographies are what sound interesting to me right now, but what other suggestions do you have? Or are there particular biographies/books on mythology that are extra awesome?
Sarah Allen
Go for it! It can't hurt.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to think of the non-fiction that I have read that didn't feel like work or a forced assignment from college.
ReplyDeleteI read a biography about William Shatner. That was good because it had a lot of Star Trek stuff in it.
Only other one that sticks out was a WWII book about Japan and how the education system in the span of a generation created an empire bent on war, then shifted to creating the most passive island nation in the world.
I really liked Sarah Vowell's Assassination Vacation but I know she's had other books out since. Not sure if they count as nonfiction or memoir but since they are about history I count them as non fiction.
ReplyDeleteI also liked the Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman about the couple that were the Zookeepers at the Warsaw Zoo when the Nazi's invaded and all they did to hide people and keep people safe.
I definitely vote for biographies, but then I'm nosy.
ReplyDeleteIf you want a really awesome nonfiction book, you should check out Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.
ReplyDeleteNot really the kind of thing I would ever have seen myself reading but it was amazing! Totally changed the way I looked at things. It will blow your mind! ;)
Raymond Carver's short stories (What We Mean When We Talk About Love or Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?) are excellent. I've heard good things about Patti Smith's Just Kids about pursuing an artistic life, but I haven't read it yet myself. Obviously Hans Christian for fairy tales when you want something slightly less dark than the Brothers Grimm.
ReplyDeleteI've been doing the same thing lately, branching out into non-fiction, short stories, and poetry. It's pretty fun; I hope you enjoy it, and share your recommendations!