Monday = Hot Links

I have recovered from my grumpy day yesterday and did manage to see a bit of the sun while cleaning my porch and destroying the burgeoning ant colony on our front stones (which I can’t wait to be rid of; both the ants and the stones). And because I’m going to choose not to blog about either book I read, especially not Lipstick Jungle because there’s only so much one can say in a positive manner about Candace Bushnell…

Oh, heck, I’m just going to critique one thing, writing cliches is one thing, but constantly calling attention to them by saying, “She knew it was a cliche, but she couldn’t think of any other way to describe it…”, is just plain lazy. You’re a writer, and that’s your job: to find another way to describe it. But I digress, and it didn’t stop me from reading the entire 400+ pages despite how frustrating I found the novel.

Annnywaay.

A few links for high kicks:

1. Someone at the NY Post is very grumpy about Michael Chabon’s new novel. I’m certainly going to read it. Are you?

2. Margaret Atwood writes a touching, beautiful piece about her mother in the Lives Lived section of today’s Globe. Catch it now before it goes behind the wall.
(props to Zesty for the link).

3. There’s a wonderful essay by Hermione Lee in the NYRB called “Storms Over the Novel,” which includes a deliciously catty quote from Heidegger. I will always remember by second-year university class on Existentialism for two reasons: 1. We had a multiple choice exam which saved my ass because I scored near perfect after almost flunking out of the class (it was a hard year for me) and 2. For making me question Heidegger because he was a Nazi. Now I have another reason to always examine his philosophy in context, should it ever come up again in my life: he hated novelists. Heh.

4. Knopf’s poem of the day comes from Langston Hughes. It’s marvellous. Treat yourself.

5. CBC’s Words at Large has a spectacular section on Michael Ondaatje’s new novel, Divisadero. Once I finish up with The Road, this book is next on my TBR pile, when my copy arrives, of course! I love, love, love the audio they did in support of the title, and if you’ve never heard Ondaatje read, you are in for quite a listening experience. Goosebumps people. Goosebumps.