[Cross-posted from
The Left Coaster]
I'm currently without a book and I'm hoping that readers can give me some recommendations in the comments. I continue to be dazzled by the intellects in the screens and I'm creased I didn't think of this before--of course liberal blog readers would know of something good to read.
To sorta place an advance on the gratitude karma lever of life on I can recommend the eight titles below. To mercifully spare everyone lengthy reviews of each, I will say they effected me deeply and had me thinking about them for weeks.
Also, please excuse me, if anyone has links to good independent booksellers I could use that too. I'm used to Amazon but I'm not precisely sure I'm doing the right thing here.
Staying in the spirit of things I'd like to say a few words on the phenomenon of blogging. I'm addicted to political blogs for many reasons and they may indeed be the heralds of a new political revolution yadda yadda yadda, but among the primary motivations I read in the screens will always be the simple desire for something good to read.
Something good to read is a great gift and I don't care, I'm gonna get all misty an' all as I recommend the following bloggers. I'm not saying one should read them, I'm not running your life, but I can say they've given many gifts of reading to me.
Billmon. I used to believe in journalism. I used to believe in blogging. I used to believe in the power of truth. I eventually lost my faith in all three, in large part because of the way the corporate media has become both a rented bullhorn for official propaganda and the modern equivalent of a Roman circus.
His Brilliance is back, faithless, it seems, in the power of truth, yet still flinging it around with a roaring power of the pen I could never come close to matching with my own puny text. Sure in the defeat that blogs will not slay the reeking dragon of US journalism but still plunking away in the mt forms. Hmmm-ah-hmmmmmm.
All I'm fokkin' gonna say is that if you don't show up you'll never have a chance. I'll also smoke many turds in purgatory for even thinking I could manipulate Mr. Billmon back to the screens by reminding him of all the donations readers sent him. Jesus, you never owed anybody a thing. Never.
Mathew Yglesias: The point, however, is that you've got to be careful with these polls. They're snapshots into the confused, confused mind of the American electorate and need to be handled with a great deal of care.
Mathew is always good for my humility as I watch this extremely talented, stratospherically intelligent, absurdly sweet soul start a career I fervently hope he does well in and shows the rest of those utter charlatans how it's supposed to be done.
Jeanne D'Arc: I've never bothered to read anything Camille Paglia has written, so I don't know if she's always so dense...
I often think of ancient times and religions where the Goddess of Mother Earth was deified when I read Jeanne. I don't care how this sounds, there's a deep, mysterious female wisdom in this soul and intellect I could never, ever understand or match.
I am often a defiant, skeptical person. It's very hard to explain, but certain rare souls I read earn a calming, instant trust I intuitively listen to--the power in their words has a plane of truth that seems to have been transported down generations. I suppose it's unwise to say I unthinkingly, instantly follow the orders of such humans when I get them, but that's also true.
Deep, sincere thanks in advance for any recommendations that may appear in the comments. I know my recommendation list was all non fiction...it's just since election 2000 I haven't hardly read anything else. It's this overwhelming need to get real and learn, that's all. Unlike other
mental giants I don't read five books at once, so I will refer to this post many, many times in the coming year. Thank you.