The Monday Morning Books Blogging Post: The Stick Meme

Yeah, a "meme." It's a word that's taken on a new meaning in the world of weblogs. And now Ambib has passed one onto me, which means I have to answer the following very personal questions or else face dire weblogging consequences. It's like what happens to you when you show up at the doctors' office with a fancy new virus. In fact, I think I'll just close my eyes and pretend it's not happening.

You're stuck inside Fahrenheit 451, which book do you want to be? Picking a single book to be seems very hard to do. When you get right down to it, I'd rather be a library. The large university libraries at St. Louis University, where I went to school, and the University of Missouri, where I worked for about a year, both have a lot of special meaning to me. I guess I'd be one of those libraries, except someone else can be the restrooms.

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? I think it happened with Sophie of William Styron's Sophie's Choice. I read my parents' copy in high school. That was before the movie version, in which Meryl Streep played Sophie. It was an odd casting decision that dashed all hope that we'd ever move past our infatuation to something more lasting.

The last book you bought is: Google Hacks: Tips & Tools for Smarter Searching (Tara Calishain & Rael Dornfest). I bought Google Hacks last Thursday and browsed through it over the weekend. There's nothing funny to say about it except that you should feel sorry for my family.

The last book you read: Powers of Attorney by Louis Auchincloss. I read it for an upcoming post on this site. Since the book is five months overdue from the library, I better get working on the post.

What are you currently reading? Vladimir Nabokov: The American Years (Brian Boyd); Home Land (Sam Lipsyte); Lincoln (Gore Vidal); The Thurber Carnival (James Thurber); and Chronicles Vol. 1 (Bob Dylan). I could list some more, but I probably seem obnoxious enough already.

Five books you would take to a deserted island: The Stories of John Cheever (John Cheever) (I never get tired of this book); Gravity's Rainbow (Thomas Pynchon) (at one time, Gravity's Rainbow was the only book I cared about; it would be interesting to read it again to see if it still holds its strange attraction); The Civil War: A Narrative Vols. 1 - 3 (Shelby Foote) (it took me ten years to get through this massive work the first time, guaranteeing that I'd forgetten most of it by the time I finished, so I figure it's time to start again); Mencken Chrestomathy (I can never be separated from Mencken for long); King of Torts (John Grisham) (Grisham's good at what he does, but this book's not, and I'll need something to start a fire with. Not that I advocate burning books, but a guy's got to have a way to stay warm and cook a rat or two).

Who are you going to pass this stick to (3 persons)? And Why? Although I thank Ambib for infecting me with this blog virus, I can't bring myself to pass it on to any other unwilling victims. Therefore, I'm going to take a hint from Steve at Half-Cocked and ask for volunteers. Three brave men or women should step forward and make themselves known in the comments. I'll then put their names in an update along with a link to their weblogs.

UPDATE: That was easy. The three volunteers are Tony of Parenthetical Statement, Jim of Jim's Polka (who's already completed his assignment), and Jeff of Coyotelaw.

Comments

[tony]

As "Avenue Q" asks, what do you do with a BA in English?

I guess the only thing I'm qualified to do is write a meme on books.

[Evan]

Tony: Does that mean you're volunteering? And to answer your question--you become a lawyer.

[Jim]

OK, I'm in. I love getting links from Evan.

[Jeff]

I'm game Evan.

[tony]

Yup, it means I'm in. I need something to distract me from finals.

[Jim Milles]

Ah yes, the Library at Saint Louis University. I worked there for many years--and graduated in the same class as Evan. Drop by my blog sometime: http://ublawlib.blogspot.com

[Evan]

Jim: Thanks for the link. How many other former classmates are weblogging? My guess: zero. But who knows? (Of course, Lanny Darr has been on this weblog quite a bit, but I don't know if that counts.)

By the way, when I mentioned the SLU library, I wasn't very clear--I meant the university library, Pius XII Memorial Library. That's where I spent a lot of time as an undergraduate majoring in English. I wasn't talking about the law library. I mean, really--you thought I'd want to be a law library? No offense--I realize I'm speaking to the Director of the Law Library at the University at Buffalo Law School--but ugh. I'd rather be a federal courthouse--which, by the way, is not a bad gig in St. Louis if you can get it.

[Jim Milles]

I'm partial to Pius XII Memorial Library too. I was an English major at SLU before law school, and I used to work at Pius a long time ago.
Actually, law librarian can be a pretty sweet gig too.

[jeff]

Mission accomplished.

[Beldar]

Foote's trilogy is definitely worth a re-read. I enjoyed it the first time through, but enjoyed it more on the second pass.