Non-fiction books

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judih
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Non-fiction books

Post by judih » August 19th, 2004, 8:15 am

i gravitate to non-fiction - biographies mostly.

Autobiography of a Yogi
is a good one.

Now i'm in the middle of Women of the Beat Generation; Brenda Knight ,MJF Books (1996), 366 pgs.

Eileen Kaufman's description of coming together with Bobby has got to be the most evocative falling in love sessions i've ever read.

Excerpt, page 111 (i'm always pulling combinations of '11' these days)

"I was a little scared and kind ofhigh from our meeting and subsequent conversation.
Suddenly, I sat up straight and leaned over Bob, letting my hair fall into his face. He took hold of my long, loose hair with one hand and pulled me down to him. then he kissed me. Except for holding hands or casually putting his arm about my shoulder, that was the first actual physical contact with him.
I shivered, and he pulled my hair a little harder, and consequently me closer. How did I feel? Like sunsets and dawns and balmy midnights and ocean voyages. My pulse was dancing a wild Gypsy rhythm, and I felt alive! We searched each other's mouths for a time. Then, as if we had found an answer there...without a word we broke apart...and each began to undress the other."

(short passage - but you get the idea)

Great book, people!

judih

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abstroint
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Post by abstroint » August 21st, 2004, 5:25 am

right now i'm reading Keith Harring the authorized biography
John Gruen

the book is full of interviews without the questions, just keith and people who knew him, talking about his life. Keith had this gorgeous energy you can see in the words others are saying about his life. i feel energized everytime i pick it up.

and i just started Black Elk speaks but haven't gotten far enough that i feel i can comment on the book itself.

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Doreen Peri
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Post by Doreen Peri » August 21st, 2004, 1:38 pm

i've been reading this really cool book called "Creativity" but I can't remember the author's name and I can't find it to look on the cover and I can't finish it because I can't find it. ;)

it's somewhere around here... phooey...

it has interviews with authors and poets and painters and architects and other creative types, gives biographical information about these people and delves into where creativity comes from and how people create.

i've been reading it off and on for a year :D

I pick it up and open it anywhere and start there... great stories and good insights from the author

when I find it so I can finish reading it inside out in the wrong order (like I do with some non-fiction books), i'll come back to the thread and let you know the author's name... i just tried to look it up at amazon.com to give you all a link but I couldn't find it

anyway, it's a really good book and i recommend it

now, i just need to develop some creative methods of locating it

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Post by lawless » August 22nd, 2004, 8:04 pm

Normally I prefer fiction but have just started reading Margaret Atwood's 'Negotiating with the Dead', in which she examines writing and the writer. It's very good, in her warm personal style with a lot of humility. My favourite part so far has been a collection of writers' answers to the questions: Who are you writing for? Why do you do it? Where does it come from?
Here are a few of the answers:

to satisfy my desire for revenge
because I knew I had to write or would die
to please myself
to produce order out of chaos
to express the unexpressed life of the masses
to thwart my parents
compulsive logorrhea
to demonstrate that whatever is, is right
because I was possessed
to speak for the dead
to create a recreational boudoir so the reader could go into it and have fun

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Post by abcrystcats » August 24th, 2004, 5:23 pm

Right now I'm reading "The Culture of Narcissism" by Christopher Lasch. The book was written in 1979 and the author is already dead, but the insights he's made into human character in the 20th century still seem very fresh.

Also reading (off and on) "Therapy for the Sane" by Lou Marinoff, Ph.D.
Uses philosophical ideas to approach dilemmas in modern daily life and psychology. It's interesting and helpful and easy to read.

Started reading Peter Singer's "Practical Ethics" but I got slightly sidetracked. Will return to that soon, though. It promises to be a real eye-opener! Maybe that's why I'm putting it off!

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judih
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Post by judih » August 27th, 2004, 1:50 am

Great thread.
i love Keith Haring! thanks for the title.
and no, Doreen, don't have Creativity on my shelf - wish i did

reading "Shadow Syndromes" - Dr. John Ratey co-author (Driven to Distraction about Adult ADD)
It's a fine book - relating case studies of those mild obsessions that pass for 'normalcy' but drive people onward into details and repetitive behaviours.
Ratey's great. Pick it up if you wanna know why.

Also, still reading "Still Here" by Ram Dass. Every page is that cool blend of human close to enlightenment. Real life language from a man who's very close to both sides of existence.

judih

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abcrystcats
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ADHD

Post by abcrystcats » August 27th, 2004, 12:08 pm

Dear Judih:

--don't know if you've seen it yet, but we had a hot-to-trot debate going on ADHD on Arcanum. Your name was used in vain several times; we needed your expertise on this topic, badly. Glad your computer is up and running again!

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judih
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Post by judih » August 27th, 2004, 12:46 pm

what! an ADHD discussion and i missed it? o no....
fie on my recalcitrant computer

will have to hyperfocus myself on over there and sniff it out

thanks, abys!

judih

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