Wednesday, May 12, 2004

I loved this article. I wish it could be true someday. You have to sign up to read it but the article is worth it.

Yesterday I finished reading The Whole Story. A book of short stories by Scottish author Ali Smith. I don't know why the last two books I have read have been by Scottish women authors. I found this book to be a quick read(two days). Ms. Smith has an interesting writing style within the story she speaks in all the characters voices rather than having one central character. She also does not have names for some of her characters. They are called either he or she. I would recoomend this book. The stories are quite quirky.

One of the books I am currently reading is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith(I also did not purposely pick authors who were female or had the same last name). Although it is an old book(1945) it is still well known, but I recently only got the courage to read it. I have read classics for school as a youngster, but reading books such as To Kill a Mockingbird and Of Mice and Men has a different meaning for me as an adult.

I am really enjoying A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. So far in the book it deals with Francie an eleven year old girl, who lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with her mother, father and younger brother. They are a poor family who have to eat stale bread most of the week, but the mother is an inventive cook who thinks of ways to flavor the bread. Francie also does not focus too much on what she lacks, but the future and what good she does have. Francie also does something I used to as a child and sometimes still do. She wonders about the lives of the various people she sees. Such as the old man at the bread store, or someone walking down the street and the tenants in the buildings . Francie imagines entire worlds for them. The next portion of the book focuses on how her parents met. I only have read the first page of this chapter, so I cannot get too much insight into this.

Most of the stores about a block from my office are closing down. I wonder if the rent is getting too high for the Times Square area?

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