On Reading Abroad

Since the end of June, I have been to Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, London, Glasgow and Edinburgh. At the moment, I’m writing to you from Bangkok, Thailand. It certainly has been quite a journey — by turns ecstatic, overwhelming, hilarious and challenging — to say the least.

I’ve written a bit about my adventures for Ebony and will continue to do so as I go along, but I just wanted to take a moment and note all of the wonderful books I’ve been reading along the way. Earlier this year, I was able to see Toni Morrison read from Home. During the Q & A that followed, she remarked that “words are [her] home.” As readers and writers, I’m sure many of you feel the same way.

I certainly do and have found that reading novels while traveling has allowed me to create maintain a sense of familiarity while surrounded with the unfamiliar. In any case, here’s what I’ve been reading:

My Dear Friends in America by Daisaku Ikeda

Big Machine by Victor LaValle

Pym by Mat Johnson

Black Cool edited by Rebecca Walker

Erasure by Percival Everett

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Beautiful Tiny Things by Cheryl Strayed

The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle

Most Recent Reading Diary Entries

by Guido Mocafico

April 10, 2012 

• “The Problems of Language in a Democratic State” by June Jordan via Some of Us Did Not Die
• Slow Lightning by Eduardo C. Corral

April 11, 2012 

• “Waking Up in the Middle of Some American Dreams” by June Jordan via Some of Us Did Not Die
• “Do You?” by Sophie Klahr via The Rumpus

April 12, 2012

• Sula by Toni Morrison
• “Understanding Al Green” by Adrian Matejka

April 13, 2012

• Sula by Toni Morrison

April 14, 2012

• Sula by Toni Morrison

April 15, 2012

• Sula by Toni Morrison
• “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” from The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

April 16, 2012

• Sula by Toni Morrison
• “Stockings,” “Church,” “The Man I Killed,” “Ambush,” “Style” and “Speaking of Courage” from The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
• “Three Tripitaka Priests Pray for Rain” from the Writings of Nicherin Daishonin (Volume 1)
• My Dear Friends in America by Daisaku Ikeda

April 17, 2012

• The Liars Club by Mary Karr
• “Dear HPV” by Jennifer Sky via The Rumpus
• My Dear Friends in America by Daisaku Ikeda

Reading Diary: Day 7 -16

Sorry for the delay. I’m just getting over a nasty stomach virus that owned me for the last week. Also, I’ve decided that trying to record every news article I come across will in fact will be the death of me. Seeing as how I’d prefer to be eternally youthful, just assume that up to date on current events thanks to publications like Mother Jones, Think Progress, New York Times, The Economist, etc.

Day 7: March 31, 2012

• Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Day 8: April 1, 2012

• Post-Nativity by Joe Hall
• Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Day 9: April 2, 2012

• The Black Ocean by Brian Barker
• Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Day 10: April 3, 2012 

• Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Day 11: April 4, 2012

• You Are Not a Stranger Here by Adam Haslett

Day 12: April 5, 2012

• You Are Not a Stranger Here by Adam Haslett

Day 13: April 6, 2012

• You Are Not a Stranger Here by Adam Haslett

Day 14: April 7, 2012

• You Are Not a Stranger Here by Adam Haslett

Day 15: April 8, 2012

• You Are Not a Stranger Here by Adam Haslett
• “Life After Lebanon by June Jordan via Some of Us Did Not Die
• “Nicaragua: Why I Had to Go there” by June Jordan via Some of Us Did Not Die

Day 16: April 9, 2012 

• “Report from the Bahamas” by June Jordan via Some of Us Did Not Die
• Slow Lightning by Eduardo C. Corral
• An Atlas of the Difficult World: Poems 1988-1991 by Adrienne Rich

Reading Diary: Day 3

Karl Blossfeldt, Nigella Damascena Spinnenkopf, c. 1932.

Day 3: March 28, 2012

• Wild by Cheryl Strayed
• “The One Essential Phrase” by Nicherin Daishonin (1278) via The Writings of Nicherin Daishonin Volume 1
• “Your Village” by Elana Bell from Eyes, Stones
• “Diving into the Wreck” by Adrienne Rich
• “When We Dead Awaken: Writing as Re-Vision” by Adrienne Rich

Reading Diary: Day 3

by Mathilde Roussel-Giraudy

I’m just gonna go out on a limb here & bet that most of my day will be devoted to reading Cheryl Strayed’s memoir. Really, I can’t help myself. I’ve been waiting for this book & had no idea until I read the first page last night.

Day 3: March 27, 2012

• Wild by Cheryl Strayed
• “Letter to the Lay Priest Nakaoki” by Nicherin Daishonin (1279) via Writings of Nicherin Daishonin (Volume 1)

Reading Diary: Day 2

by Lisa Congdon

Trying to faithfully record everything I read is trickier than I thought mainly because it’s difficult (and a bit tedious) to record every news article I come across.  In any case, here’s what I’ve got for today so far.

Day 2: March 26, 2012

• “Wall Street Owns the Country” by Mary Elizabeth Lease (1890)     via History is a Weapon
• “The Queer Nation Manifesto”  via History is a Weapon
• “Studying the World” via The Economist
• “The Lowered Bar Still Looks High” via The Economist
• “The 21st Century Samurai” via The Economist
• “Zombie Followers and Fake Retweets” via The Economist
• “Enemies of the State” via The Economist
• “Not Light’s Version” by Michael Klein via The Rumpus
• “Santorum Swears at Reporter” via The Atlantic Wire
• “A Boy to be Sacrificed” by Abdellah Taia via New York Times
• “Expat Lit: Abdellah Taia” via Interview Magazine
• Wild by Cheryl Strayed

I’m Keeping a Reading Diary

Recently, after I complained about my less than admirable eating habits, a friend suggested that I keep a diary of what I eat. The idea is that the process of recording my meals would allow me to become more conscious of what I’m taking in and, presumably, push me toward better eating habits. This is a great idea.

I’m not doing it.

Instead though, I’ve decided to keep a Reader’s Diary  of the various poems, essays, news articles, book chapters and blog posts I consume on a daily basis. Sure, I could use Good Reads, but the thought of joining one more social network is just more than I can take. I don’t know if keeping this diary will make me read “better,” but – at a minimum – it will be interesting to see if, in retrospect, I’ll be able to identify direct connections between what I read and what I eventually write. I’ll try to provide links to what I’ve read when possible.

The individual diary entries will initially appear as blog posts, then appear on the “Reader’s Diary” page as a kind of archive. I’m excited! Are you excited? I mean, it’s okay if you’re not excited, but – honestly – you probably should be.

Day 1: March 25, 2012

•  “Woman Shot by Off-Duty Officer Dies” via ABC Local
• “June Jordan Speaks Out Against the 1991 Gulf War” via History Is A Weapon
• “You Who are the Bureacrats of Empire, Remember Who We Are” by Don Mitchell via History Is A Weapon
• “On Sentimentality & Complexity” by Kevin Prufer via About A Word
• “In the Poem” by Ross Gay via About a Word
• “Craft Note: The Aubade: Poem of Beginnings” by Jake Adam York & Tarfia Faizullah via the Kenyon Review Blog
• “Aubade” by Lynda Hull via Sweetney
• “Aubade” by Philip Larkin
• “Aubade with a Book & a Rattle from a String of Pearls” by Oliver de la Paz via From the Fishouse
• “Waking, 2:34” by David Wojahn via Poetry 365