Friday, March 11, 2011

Weekend Reading

My latest adventure is reading a book called "Ecology of a Cracker Childhood." I once recall kissing a carnie so you know trash is in my blood. And now I can actually read about my peeps in a book. I'm not from the south or Georgia. I don't have a junkyard on my property - though one person's junkyard is another person's treasure trove. Or so I've been told.

I've been reading more of these nature-y books about land, pine cones, sky, forest duff, ecology - maybe nature, part memoir, mostly someone paying much closer attention to their surroundings. I live in a remote forested area and try to pay attention though I've yet to find enough taking place to write about. Perhaps a banana slug book is in order. I never knew these books existed for pleasure reading. Always assumed a book about the forest would be for(est) a class or an expedition. I'm finding these books compelling to read. Then I find my recommendations on Amazon in the area of spiritual direction. From crackers to spirituality. Who'd a thunk it!?

My interest in this kind of writing started with books by the author Kathleen Dean Moore, a philosophy professor who lives and works in Oregon. I was not too keen on philosophy either though I understood it and always did well in class. I started reading a book she wrote called "Wild Comfort." I own most of her books now and not a one of them mention the word crackers.

With the word cracker in the title, I somehow knew the book would be a winner, not because crackers are food but because I hail from a long line of po-white trash aka crackers. I've read up to about chapter 7. There's not too much to report except the book reads like a memoir that took place in a junkyard with chapters thrown in about the  and their demise. I can hardly wait to get to the cracker part.

3 comments:

Sassy B. said...

I would read a book titled "Kissing a Carnie." Hey, I think we've found the title for your memoir! I'm going to start The Merry Recluse by Caroline Knapp this weekend.

Levi said...

Where did I put my copy of that? I have it. I have not read it.

Sassy B. said...

I think you sent it to me. You haven't read it? I'll send it back to you when I finish. Thanks for lending it to me...really liking it so far.