bookworm scarfs novels whole

up all night. reading. in the last two days, finished "the heaven-makers" by frank herbert and "the secret life of bees" by sue monk kidd. "bees" is a contemporary fiction, which i read less often (i hear the faint sound of mooing every time i read something immensely popular, especially if it falls remotely near the genre of chick-lit). it was good. i was charmed. the bees, the black madonna, and i admit i'm a sucker for coming-of-age stories.

which reminds me! last week, i read "gifts" by ursula k leguin, and was finally inspired to type her out a letter and mail it off to oregon. i've been meaning to write her for years; i feel glad i got over myself and completed the joyous task. hopefully it will lift her day. she still does all her own correspondence. "gifts" is glorious; i love how coming-of-age stories show us how to accept the parts of ourselves that are stronger, and thus more awkward, especially when we're only just realising these are parts of us. these gifts and this strength is inside of us, even if it doesn't always feel like they are of us (perhaps we are of them?).

oh yes, the herbert novel; four ratty old pocketbooks came through the store a few weeks back, with other herberts i loved and already had (since we're on the subject of teens discovering their gifts, may i recommend "soulcatcher", though not for the squeamish pre-teen) and i've been pouring through them the last ten days or so, stealing brief moments away from obligations and love. "heaven-makers" is the third, i've only "eyes of heisenberg" to go before i have to look around for other intelligent pulp. i enjoy how easy it is to tell old sci-fi that was originally published in serial form. "heaven-makers" is decent, with herbert's usual spin on morality: should we get involved? if we do, because we often cannot help ourselves, how can we interact with others in a way that serves us both and brings the least damage? what can we learn from those we think of as so different from us?

since this is suck a booky entry, may i also brag about reading weather books (just started, i think i skipped this week in science because i find physics easier to understand. but i am learning!) and literary smut put out by these fine folks (almost done, good but the norman mailer interview is kind of boring).

in other news, because i suppose there is other news, i am preparing for a long haul at work (nine days straight) and then a music festival. the caribou show was fantastic! there is something like a cross between a boxing match and church when you witness two great drummers playing onstage, facing and feeding off each other... the opening act, toro y moi, was quite good as well, and i hadn't heard of him. the queen was disappointed in the sound, but i think he is pickier than i, seeing as he has that skill in his repertoire (once as we were jamming, he came over and fiddled with a knob, and i told him it was the absence of this ability that i felt failed me as a musician. he told me kindly that it was actually the skill of a roadie, not a musician. since then i have begun to view the musician as some kind of idiot savant). not that the sound was great; i agree with him, but just adjusted my ear and didn't think of it again.

things with the queen are floating down from cloud nine as we try vainly to adjust to not seeing each other. being royalty is hard work; i don't know if i've already complained about it, but he works ten- to twelve-hour days, six days a week (thus earning his three months off). i am torn between wanting to let him sleep and see his friends, and wanting to suck every minute of his time. i settle for feeding him and occasionally getting so drunk i cry. compromises work in mysterious ways, yes they do.

still, i find myself glorying in this connection, this stroke of brilliance. and in one of the very few redeeming portions of the norman mailer interview i didn't like (it was reprinted from an old sex mag called puritan) he talked about how love is a reward, not our due. he described people suffering for years, and finally the godhead tosses them a bone; lets them meet each other, take some solace in each other's company, warmed by love. an interesting image.

and now i am off to work, my first all-nighter in a while. we'll see how things turn out.