But we Canadians are different. Our story is different and therefore who we are is different. So to remind ourselves of this we often need to point out that _______ (insert famous musician, movie director, novelist) is actually from the Great White North.

In this spirit of claiming our own, I present my 25 favourite Canadian films. The order will not match those already listed in my Top 130 movies list since my opinion has changed since January. (Yes, I’m allowed to do that.)

1. The Man Who Planted Trees (1987, short)

Our CBC tax dollars at their best: this short film, like the more recent Ryan, won every animated short film award available when it was released and was nominated for the Palme D’Or at Cannes. (That’s right, a short animated film was listed among live action features for the best film in the world that year.) And yes, it is that good. Like Ryan, I can present the film in its entirety below. While it runs 30 minutes, I can’t recommend this film enough. You will be encouraged and moved by the end…

2. Big Girl (2005, short)
An elegant short film about a young girl trying to get rid of her mom's new boyfriend.

3. Ryan (2004, short)
See my comments here.

4. Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1992, Doc)
A visually compelling introduction to the ideas of Noam Chomsky.

5. Everything’s Gone Green (2006)
In the spirit of Billy Wilder’s The Apartment, director Paul Fox crafts the quintessential Vancouver movie written by the quintessential Vancouverite: Douglas Coupland.

6. The Dark Hours (2005)
Another perfectly crafted film by Fox, The Dark Hours is an intelligent thriller for the thinking moviegoer.

7. Lonely Boy (1962, Doc)
From NFB’s Unit B department comes this cinema verite look at Paul Anka at the height of his stardom.

8. The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
This devastating film from Atom Egoyan was nominated at the Oscars for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.

9. A Simple Curve (2005)
A lovely story set in the interior of BC about a young man who discovers he might have two fathers.

10. Anne of Green Gables (1985, TV)
This seminal TV miniseries of the 80s will forever be a part of my childhood. Having never read the books, I remember weeping when Richard Farnsworth grabbed his arm and collapsed in field.

11) Le Confessionnal (1995)
12) waydowntown (2000)
13) The Corporation (2003)
14) Solitude (2001)
15) See Grace Fly (2003)
16) Nobody Waved Goodbye (1964)
17) Falling Angels (2003)
18) Jesus of Montreal (1989)
19) The Barbarian Invasions (2003)
20) Manufacturing Dissent (2007)
21) Water (2005)
22) Uganda Rising (2006)
23) Regarding Sarah (2006, short)
24) Strange Brew (1983)
25) How to Make a Canadian Film (2005, short)

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5052742213956049862&ei=oZznSM2FBYTyqAPgjpzWDw&q]

Según la Wikipedia, la Generación X considera rangos que van del año 1965 hasta el de 1984 pero aclara que se debaten las fechas exactas que definen a esta generación, en terminos generales suele afirmarse que la Generación X va del año 65 al 75, aunque también hay quienes lo llevan hasta el 81.

Crecimos viendo caricaturas inmersos en la fantasia de la televisión, la gran mayoria hijos de Baby Boomers (esto en referencia de aquellos nacidos en tiempos de gran crecimiento poblacional), entrando a los 80's nuevamente la televisión pero ahora con MTV como protagonista acercandonos música en video, New Wave, Rock Pesado ligeramente empapado de la esencia del Pop, siendo jovenes con menos manifestaciones ideologicas que la generación anterior, pero con la misma rebeldía de todas las otras generaciones.

Sumando a todo esto, la cinematografía ochentera con Los Gremlins, Poltergeist, Amadeus, Los Cazafantasmas, Footloose, Flashdance, Top Gun, las peliculas de Molly Ringwald...

Además del gran descubrimiento de esa generación: los videojuegos desde su forma más primitiva, el Pong y el Breakout, hasta llegar al Pac Man y al Mario Bros, pasando por Space Invaders, Asteroids y Galaxian, entre otros, al principio por medio de las consolas que habia en los establecimientos y después con el Atari.

Ya después del cubo de Rubik, el walkman y todas aquellas cosas que ocupaban nuestro tiempo en los 80's, llegaron los 90's con un sonido nuevo llamado Grunge, con Nirvana como principal representante, junto a Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Pixies y Sonic Youth.

A continuación DIEZ DIFERENCIAS GENERACIONALES que circulan por la red:

Estas son, de acuerdo con los expertos, diez diferencias específicas de mentalidad:

1. Colaboran más.

"Los integrantes de la generación "X" son más colaboradores. Se toman el trabajo de equipo en serio. Los miembros de la generación "X" crecieron con la idea del equipo, y les gusta". En cambio, en el caso de los ejecutivos tradicionales el concepto de trabajo en equipo se introdujo cuando muchos de ellos ya tenían algunos años inmersos en la empresa. Algunos todavía manifiestan reticencias en cuanto al valor del trabajo en equipo.

2. Dan menos valor a las jerarquías.

Por lo tanto se debe tratar a los miembros de generación "X" como iguales, no como subordinados. Es necesario incluir a los miembros de la generación "X" en el proceso de aprendizaje. Si un instructor le da una orden a un ejecutivo tradicional, probablemente la lleve a cabo. En cambio, es muy posible que el de la generación "X" no lo haga hasta que esté convencido de que es lo correcto.

3. Son más altruistas.

Los miembros de la generación "X" ingresan a las empresas y aceptan participar en proyectos laborales por razones más altruistas que los ejecutivos tradicionales. No consideran que el estatus está necesariamente vinculado con el éxito y la felicidad.

4. Se sienten más a gusto trabajando al lado de mujeres que los ejecutivos tradicionales.

Esta es la primera generación en la cual tanto hombres como mujeres no tienen ninguna preferencia por tener un jefe hombre o mujer.

5. Son más hábiles para la administración.

Más miembros de la generación "X" han estudiado administración formalmente, y tienen un enfoque más profesional que el que tenían los ejecutivos tradicionales a la misma edad". A diferencia, los ejecutivos tradicionales terminaban en puestos directivos sin ninguna capacitación.

6. Son la generación de la informática.

Las computadoras siempre han formado parte de su vida, y las manejan mucho mejor que los ejecutivos tradicionales. Los "X" son la primera generación de la informática".

7. Insisten en equilibrar la vida y el trabajo.

Para un miembro de la generación "X" esto es de suma importancia y generalmente valoran mucho el tener y disfrutar una vida independiente del trabajo.

8. Tienen diferentes estilos de comunicación.

Los ejecutivos tradicionales son poco asertivos y tienen un estilo de comunicación mucho más "diplomático" para hablar, incluso cuando se dirigen a sus compañeros de curso son más indirectos; los de la generación "X" tienden a ser más abiertos y directos.

9. Son menos leales.

Si la lealtad se define como la disposición a quedarse en una compañía en las buenas y en las malas, los miembros de la generación "X" no pasan la prueba. Siempre están listos para cambiarse al próximo trabajo, ya que tienen más confianza en sí mismos que los ejecutivos tradicionales. Cuando un trabajo ha dejado de ser satisfactorio desde el punto de vista creativo, intelectual, emocional o económico, no tienen miedo en actualizar su curriculum e ir en busca de un nuevo empleo. Los miembros de la generación "X" son leales a su profesión, no a su empleador, mientras que los ejecutivos tradicionales mantienen la lealtad a su compañía y sienten que los demás deberían pensar igual.

10. Ignoran las reglas.

Los miembros de la generación "X" siempre están deprisa, luchan para obtener resultados y tienden a esquivar reglas y procedimientos. Están dispuestos a correr riesgos e innovar, incluso cuando ello pueda enloquecer a un instructor.
Los miembros de la generación "X" no dudan en criticar los estilos de administración de los ejecutivos tradicionales y con frecuencia se quejan de ello. Dicen que los ejecutivos tradicionales se saben el discurso pero no lo siguen; ponen poca atención en la participación y el trabajo en equipo.

Es más, consideran que muchas veces los ejecutivos tradicionales y los instructores a menudo piensan: "Estamos en lo correcto, ellos están mal", y tratan de cambiar la actitud de los jóvenes.

Con frecuencia el primer error que se comete al tratar de capacitar a un integrante de la generación "X" es suponer que él o ella se parecen a un ejecutivo tradicional. El segundo error consiste en tratar de cambiar a toda costa su mentalidad. El tercer error es garrafal y tiene que ver con el hecho de dar demasiada importancia a las diferencias generacionales.

Douglas Coupland, escritor canadiense, popularizó el término Generación X en su novela "Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture" publicada el 11 de marzo de 1991, que fue aclamada por la crítica al capturar el momento de la gente de aquel entonces, para la cual el título resultaba especialmente apropiado. Sin saberlo, había hecho popular uno de los nombres de toda su generación (su edad coincidía aproximadamente con la de la Generación X). A raíz de esto, Coupland participó en una serie de anuncios promocionales de la MTV, leyendo fragmentos de su libro. A la "Generación X" también se la conoce a veces como Generación sin nombre. La sucesora de esta generación se conoce como la Generación Y.

"I want to hear some small moment from your life that proves you're really alive"  Douglas Coupland, Generation X

Ever wanted to live on an island, in the arctic, where no one can find you? Say near Greenland, away from civilisation, living a "Waldenesque" existence. Nothing but snow, and ice and seals, and either never-ending darkness or never-ending daylight. Seals, and maybe a caribou. The good thing is, there'll be no people anywhere, and no one will find you, no one will come and visit because it's too cold or too far away. The dynamic between people is non-existant, and following that, the anxiety disappears. That's my dream, and my hope is that, that will be when I truly feel alive. Small problem with my dream, is that it ain't gonna happen. People need people, and people are everywhere, and with people comes a diad or triad making a dynamic that is going to instill in someone like myself, a sense of anxiety, "did I say something wrong", "did I do something to make them use that tone?", "do they like me", "are they mad at me". Like I said, screw the third world, screw people living with cancer dealing with real problems, screw the US economic crisis, in my head, these questions are more important. That's what I hate. Knowing these questions are not an issue, but that it is an issue in my ***damm head, and I just want to take out the wiring, and start again, see life through a different set of eyes and get some perspective.

From now on, I am going to truly try and rationalise a situation and give up caffeine and sugar, in the hope these environmental changes will have some internal impact. Here's hoping.

Etenkin nuorten miesten koetaan voivan todella huonosti, ja niinhän se taitaa tilastojenkin mukaan mennä. Miksi nuoret suomalaismiehet sitten voivat niin pahoin? Missä mättää? Mitä pitäisi tehdä? Kenen johtopäätökset ovat oikeita, ketä tulee kuunnella? Kuka on syyllinen ja kenen on vastuu? Voimmeko ehkäistä väkivaltaa? Mitä tulisi priorisoida, kun kaikkialla tuntuu olevan resurssipula?

MIKSI NÄITÄ ASIOITA TAPAHTUU?

Tähän kysymykseen laadin tämän viikon aikana muodollisesti pätevän vastauslistan. Käytin blogini teeman mukaisesti hyödykseni populaarikulttuuria - tällä erää etenkin tämän vuoden kirjasyksyyn painottuen. Lista on koottu tarkoituksellisen osoittelevasti ja kärjistävästi. Kirjat tarjoavat niin ymmärryksen mahdollisuutta, raakaa tutkimustuloskattausta, konkreettisia ratkaisuja kuin myös syvempää pohdiskelua monista eri asioista. Romaanit ovat listalla, koska niiden avulla omia tunteitaan on suhteellisen hyvä purkaa, jos sellaiseen kykenee. Sanoudun irti kaikista kirjojen syyttämisestä, ja jos joku minun niin luulee tekevän, on ohittanut pointin kirkkaammin kuin [syötä tähän ontuva vertaus].

Linkit vievät kustantajien laatimiin tarkempiin tietoihin listalta löytyvistä kirjoista.

YHTEISKUNTA?
- Oksanen, Atte: Haavautuva minuus - Väkivallan barokki kontrolliyhteiskunnassa
- Eriksen, Thomas Hylland: Hetken tyrannia
- Krohn, Leena: Unelmakuolema (romaani)
- Blackburn, Simon: Platonin Valtio
- Wheen, Francis: Marxin Pääoma
- Norberg, Johan: Globaalin kapitalismin puolustus
- Lahdenmäki, Ari & Rantala, Riku: Isänmaan asialla - matkaopas syrjäytettyjen Suomeen

HALLITUS?
- Pernaa, Ville & Pitkänen, Ville: Poliitikot taistelivat, media kertoo - Suomalaisen politiikan mediapelejä 1981-2006

HISTORIA?
- Pernaa, Ville & Niemi, Mari K. (toim.): Entäs jos... Vaihtoehtoinen Suomen historia
- Jokisipilä, Markku & Niemi, Mari K. (toim.): Entäs jos... Lisää vaihtoehtoista Suomen historiaa

NYKYAIKA?
- Gadd, Carl-Johan & Colting, Fredrik: Ultramoderni historia
- Kotro, Arno & Krohn, Minerva: Suoraa ja koukkua - kirjeitä kaikesta
- Wheen, Francis: Kuinka humpuuki valloitti maailman - Harhaluulojen lyhyt historia

SUKUPOLVIEN VÄLINEN KUILU?
- Colting, Fredrik & Gadd, Carl-Johan & Davidson, Karin: Elä, kuolet kumminkin – Mummojen ja pappojen viisauksia
- Hildén, Riitta & Iivari, Ulpu: Suuret ikäluokat luokkakuvassa - mitä meistä tuli?
- Pajamäki, Osku: Ahne sukupolvi - Suurten ikäluokkien perintö
- Uhlgren, Sauli: Urho

KOULU(JÄRJESTELMÄ)?
- Lampela, Anja: Älä koske ope (romaani)
- Kontula, Aino: Rexi on homo ja opettajat hullui! Opettajan päiväkirja (romaani)
- Kontula, Aino: Ei eläinkokeita - käyttäkää mopoja - Oppilaan päiväkirja (romaani)

LUONNOSTA ERKAANTUMINEN?
- Moilanen, Olavi: Elämä puhuu

LÄHIÖELÄMÄ?
- Denezhkina, Irina: Anna mulle! (novellikokoelma)

PAHUUS, JULMUUS?
- Fletcher, Susan: Meriharakat (romaani)
- Kunnas, Tarmo: Paha - Mitä kirjallisuus ja taide paljastavat pahuuden olemuksesta
- Klemettilä, Hannele: Keskiajan julmuus
- Shriver, Lionel: Poikani Kevin (romaani). Katso myös aiempi blogipostaukseni tähän kirjaan liittyen.
- Kant, Immanuel (toim. Hirvonen, Ari & Kotkas, Toomas): Radikaali paha. Paha eurooppalaisessa perinteessä

TYHJYYDEN TUNTEET?
- Pasanen, Kimmo: Tyhjyys itämaisessa ajattelussa ja taiteessa
- Haatanen, Kalle: Pitkäveteisyyden filosofiaa

PINNALLISUUS?
- von Ziegesar, Cecily: Gossip Girl -sarja (romaani)

YLTÄKYLLÄISYYS?
- Hirvonen, Tatu & Mangeloja, Esa: Miksi kolmas hampurilainen ei tee onnelliseksi?
- Gürtler, Detlef: Kroisokset - Rikkaiden historia faaraoista Bill Gatesiin
- Lowe, Steven & McArthur, Alan: Onko minussa jotakin vikaa vai onko kaikki paskaa?

SIVISTYMÄTTÖMYYS?
- Schwanitz, Dietrich: Sivistyksen käsikirja
- Asserate, Asfa-Wossen: Sivistynyt käytös
- Baggini, Julian: Possu, joka halusi tulla syödyksi - ja 99 muuta ajatusleikkiä
- van Boxsel, Matthijs: Tyhmyyden ensyklopedia

INFORMAATIOÄHKY, TURHAUTTAVAN SUURI TIETOISUUS ITSESTÄ JA YMPÄRÖIVÄSTÄ MAAILMASTA?
- Ankowitsch, Christian: Täydellisen tiedon käsikirja
- Stein, Hannes: Vihdoinkin eroon ajattelusta! Käsikirja ylirasittuneille älyköille
- Cioran, E. M.: Katkeruuden syllogismeja

VAISTOT JA ALITAJUISET TUNTEET?
- Gladwell, Malcolm: Välähdys - alitajuisen ajattelemisen voima
- Turunen, Kari E.: Tunne-elämä
- Virkki, Tuija: Vihan voima - Toimijuus ja muutos vihakertomuksissa

IHMISYYS?
- Høystad, Ole M.: Sydämen historiaa
- Buzzell, Colby: Minun sotani. Amerikkalaissotilas Irakissa
- Regan, Geoffrey: Päin mäntyä
- Clover, Jonathan: Ihmisyys - 1900-luvun moraalihistoria

IHMISSUHTEET?
- Kast, Bas: Rakkauden selitys

EPÄVARMUUS, PAIKKANSA HAKEMINEN, ULKOPUOLISUUS, YKSINÄISYYS?
- Konstig, Joonas: Ahneet ja viattomat (romaani)
- Harford, Tim: Elämän logiikka - Järjellinen selitys järjettömälle maailmalle
- Silfverberg, Anu: Kung Po (romaani)
- Peura, Maria: Vedenaliset (romaani)
- Hornby, Nick: Poika (romaani)
- Jämsén, Turkka: Mahla virtaa (novellikokoelma)

MASENNUS JA/TAI MUUT MIELENTERVEYSONGELMAT?
- Martin, Philip: Zen - Tie depression läpi
- Airaksinen, Timo: Hulluuden houkutus
- Lehtosaari, Arja & Välipakka, Tuija: Sata tapaa tappaa sielu - Narsismin uhrit kertovat
- Lahti, Pirkko: Hyvän mielen mahdollisuudet
- Marttila, Hanna Marjut: Tulikirja (romaani)

PSYKOPAATIN TAI SOSIOPAATIN PERSOONALLISUUS?
- Müller, Thomas: Ihmispeto

TERVEYSONGELMAT?
- Mazzarella, Merete: Hyvä kosketus - ihmisen kehosta, terveydestä, hoitamisesta ja kirjallisuudesta

LÄHIOMAISEN TERVEYSONGELMAT?
Courtemanche, Gil: Kaunis kuolema (romaani)

MEDIKALISOINTI, ASIOIDEN SAIRAALLISTAMINEN?
- Hamilo, Marko (toim.): Älkää säätäkö päätänne - häiriö on todellisuudessa. Suomalaisen psykokulttuurin kritiikki
- Tammisalo, Osmo: Tavataan ensi viikolla - psykoanalyysin ja sen hoitovaikutusten kriittinen tarkastelu

STRESSI?
- Leahy, Robert L.: Älä huoli - Seitsemän askeleen ohjelma sinulle, jolle monet asiat aiheuttavat huolta
- Keltikangas-Järvinen, Liisa: Temperamentti, stressi ja elämänhallinta
- Ehdin, Sanna: Sisäinen menestys
- Germain, Adriana: Paranna Keho. Itsehoito-opas stressin hallintaan ja elinvoiman lisäämiseen
- Gray, John: Mars ja Venus törmäyskurssilla. Kuinka miehet ja naiset selviytyvät eri tavalla stressistä
- Metropoliitta Johannes: Hiljaisuus

TRAAGISET JA TRAUMAATTISET ELÄMÄNKOKEMUKSET, EPÄTOIVO?
- Hauhio, Elisa & Paakkala, Satu & Sadinmäki, Jari: Suru
- Käcko, Marianne: Tapa minut, äiti!
- Huovi, Hannele: Pesula (romaani)

HUUMEET?
- Ejersbo, Jakob: Pohjolan voima (romaani)
- Frey, James: Miljoonia sirpaleita (romaani)

MUUT RIIPPUVUUDET?
- Poutiainen, Anneli: Rulettipäiväkirja - Kuinka jouduin pelihimon valtaan
- Graham, James: Juoppohullut vallankahvassa - Alkoholismin salattu historia

MENETYKSET?
- Lardot, Raisa: Matkamies maan (romaani)
- Lundán, Tina: Ensimmäinen kesä (romaani)
- Creech, Sharon: Kulje kaksi kuuta (romaani)

ULKONÄKÖPAINEET?
- Beigbeder, Frédéric: Apua, anteeksi (romaani)

KOPIOINTI?
- Gladwell, Malcolm: Leimahduspiste

PERHEONGELMAT?
- Pulkkinen, J.P.: Kaikki onnelliset perheet (romaani)
- Juslin, Emma: Frida ja Frida (romaani)
- Hanhisuanto, Kari: Isä meidän (romaani)
- Uhlgren, Sauli: Kulissit (romaani)

KASVATUKSELLISET SEIKAT?
- Matilainen, Tuulia: Lapsi elää rutiineista - Helppo ja hyvä arki
- Sinkkonen, Jari: Mitä lapsi tarvitsee hyvään kasvuun
- Blythe, Daniel: Vaippavapaalla - vaihtoehtoinen opas uusille isille
- Wahlsten, Juhani & Tamminen, Juhani: Peli - mitä harrastus ja peli voi opettaa lapselle?

VANHEMPIEN IDEOLOGISET TAI ELÄMÄNKATSOMUKSELLISET SEIKAT?
- Antola, Päivikki: Papinlapset

SUOMALAISEN MIEHEN MALLI?
- Hyrkäs, Seppo & Tabermann, Tommy: Tosimiehen testamentti
- Jouhki, Hannu & Holappa, Pentti: Mies miehelle - tarina ystävyydestä
- Toiviainen, Petri: Eiku

KOULUKIUSAAMINEN, NUORTEN ERIARVOISUUS?
- Reuter, Martina & Holm, Ruurik: Koulu ja valta
- Holmberg-Kalenius, Tina: Koulukiusaamisen jälkeen

ENEMMISTÖSTÄ POIKKEAVA OLEMUS, KÄYTÖS JA AJATTELU?
- Ackroyd, Peter: Edgar Allan Poe - Lyhyt elämä
- Keskisarja, Teemu: Suomen ainoa sarjamurhaaja - Juhani Adaminpojan rikos ja rangaistus
- Hautala, Marko: Itsevalaisevat (romaani)
- Friman, Rainer: Miehen tie

TASAPÄISTÄMINEN?
- Virtanen, Kirsi: Lupa olla nainen

YHTEISÖLLISYYDEN PUUTE?
- Lähteenoksa, Meri: Viisas arki - Opas yhteisöllisyyteen
- Mazzucco, Melania G.: Täydellinen päivä
- Tamminen, Juhani: Teamwork - Menestyksen askeleet ryhmätyössä
- Blanchot, Maurice: Tunnustamaton yhteisö
- Surowiecki, James: Joukkojen viisaus

LINTUKOTO-AJATTELU?
- Taleb, Nassim Nicholas: Musta Joutsen - erittäin epätodennäköisen vaikutus

JENGIYTYMINEN / YHTEISÖLLISYYS EPÄSOPIVINA PIDETTYJEN ASIOIDEN YMPÄRILLÄ?
- Sikes, Gini: 8 ball chicks - Vuosi tyttöjengien väkivaltaisessa maailmassa

KAPINOINTI?
- Hoikkala, Tommi & Laine, Sofia & Laine, Jyrki (toim.): Mitä on tehtävä? Nuorison kapinan teoriaa ja käytäntöä

NIHILISMI, PERINTEISTEN ARVOJEN HYLKÄÄMINEN, INDIVIDUALISMI?
- Martikainen, Jarkko: Yhdeksän teesiä
- Haatanen, Kalle: Ei voisi vähempää kiinnostaa - Esseitä nihilismistä
- Hughes, Josh Amatore: Punkshui - kodinsisustusta anarkisteille
- Blythe, Daniel: Vihaan joulua - Manifesti jouluhömpötystä vastaan

HEDONISMI, NAUTINNONHAKUISUUS?
- Niemi, Mari K. (toim.): Kiitos ei! Kieltäytymisen kulttuurihistoriaa

DEKADENSSI, RAPPIOROMANTIIKKA?
- Thompson, Hunter S.: Pelkoa ja inhoa Las Vegasissa - julma matka amerikkalaisen unelman keskipisteeseen (romaani)

NAISET?
- Blackledge, Catherine: Vaginan tarina

POLIITTISTEN / FILOSOFISTEN TOISINAJATTELIJOIDEN IHANNOINTI?
- Vadén, Tere (toim.): Linkolan ajamana - Mistä linkolalaisuudessa on kysymys?
- Laari, Jukka (toim.): Nietzschen hämärä - Pieni kirja Nietszchestä ja filosofiasta
- Lehto, Katriina: Ulrike Meinhof - Lähemmäs totuutta, ei todellisuutta
- de Madariaga, Isabel: Iivana Julma
- Thompson, Mel & Rodgers, Nigel: Huonosti käyttäytyvät filosofit
- Shaw, Karl: Hullut diktaattorit
- Maser, Werner: Adolf Hitlerin Taisteluni

"OMA" POLIITTINEN TAI FILOSOFINEN AGENDA?
- Montefiore, Simon Sebag: Suuret puheet, jotka muuttivat maailmaa

MARKKINAVOIMAT?
- Ojajärvi, Jussi & Steinby, Liisa (toim.): Minä ja markkinavoimat - Yksilö, kulttuuri ja yhteiskunta uusliberalismin valtakaudella
- Aitio, Tommi: Lajinsa paras - 200 tapaa viettää ylettömän hienoa elämää

MEDIA?
- Schmidt, Johan: Reality show (romaani)
- Saari, Heikki: Isku tajuntaan! - Suomen iltapäivälehdistön lyhyt historia
- Kuutti, Heikki: Tutkittu juttu - johdatus tutkivaan journalismiin

HUOMIONKIPEYS?
- Blåfield, Ville & Sharma, Leena: Ken leikkiin ryhtyy... Julkisuuden himo ja hinta

USKONNOLLISUUS?
- Jacobs, A.J.: Raamatullinen vuosi - Yhden miehen nöyrä yritys noudattaa Raamatun ohjeita kirjaimellisesti yhden vuoden ajan
- Isä Mitron ajatuksia elämästä, työstä, uskosta
- Gardell, Jonas: Jumalasta
- Virtanen, Lasse: Lähimmäiset - Metropoliitta Johannes
- Armstrong, Karen: Jumalan historia - 4000 vuotta juutalaisuutta, kristinuskoa ja islamia

USKONNOTTOMUUS?
- Enqvist, Kari: Monimutkaisuus, elävän olemassaolomme perusta
- Coupland, Douglas: Jumalan jälkeen
- Swain, Harriet (toim.): Suuret kysymykset
- Ganten, Detlev & Deichman, Thomas & Spahl, Thilo: Luonto, tiede ja elämä - Kaikki mitä tulee tietää
- Dawkins, Richard: Jumalharha

MIELIKUVITUS?
- Topsell, John & Nigg, Joseph: Lohikäärme - hoito ja kasvatus

POPULAARIKULTTUURI?
- Johnson, Steven: Kaikki huono on hyväksi - Miten nykyinen populaarikulttuuri tekeekin meistä älykkäämpiä
- Lindfors, Jukka: Pakko vatkaa - Kirjoituksia popmusiikista
- Rowlands, Mark: Opin kaiken tietämäni televisiosta - filosofiaa sohvaperunoille
- Talvio, Otto: Biff! Bang! Pow! Seikkailuja populaarikulttuurissa

ALAKULTTUURIT?
- Chang, Jeff: Can't stop, won't stop - hiphopsukupolven historia
- Moynihan, Michael & Søderling, Didrik: Kaaoksen ruhtinaat - Mustan metallin messu
- McNeil, Legs & McCain, Gillian: Please Kill Me - punkin sensuroimaton esihistoria

ROCK-LYRIIKKA?
- Lahtinen, Toni & Lehtimäki, Markku (toim.): Ääniä äänien takaa - tulkintoja rock-lyriikasta

MUSTA HUUMORI?
- Simon, Rich: Kusiaistarha ja muita epätoivoisia tilanteita
- Kuula, Taija & Hyyppä, Aki & Toppari, Elina: Seppojormairmeli - etunimen selitys

Kaiken kaikkiaan pointti lienee loppujen lopulta se, että jokainen ongelmatapaus on yksilöllinen, sillä jokaisen ihmisen historia, luonne ja ominaisuudet ovat erilaiset, ja vaikka toimimmekin usein suhteellisen ennalta-arvattavasti, emme voi tuudittautua siihen, että jokainen toista aseella osoittava ihminen on esimerkiksi menettänyt isovanhempansa 4-vuotiaana, omistanut kaksi koiraa, pitänyt silkkipuseroita, laulanut mielellään juomalauluja, ottanut tatuoinnin tai juuri muutakaan näin spesifiä. Yksittäisten tekijöiden sijaan kannattaisikin keskittyä pohtimaan, miten ylipäänsä on päädytty tilanteeseen, jossa joudumme pohtimaan syitä siihen, miksi ihmiset ylipäänsä voivat niin pahoin. Milloin ongelmat ovat kasautuneet niin pahasti, että joudumme silmät ymmyrkäisinä kaivelemaan ongelmavyyhtejä ja etsimään sieltä pohjalta THE SEIKAN, joka on kaiken alku ja juuri?

Mielestäni mennään metsään, jos aletaan syyttää videopelejä, musiikkityylejä tai muita seikkoja, jotka eivät missään nimessä voi olla vastuussa häiriintyneistä ihmisyksilöistä ja heidän valinnoistaan. Onko oikeasti niin vaikeaa ymmärtää, että ihminen voi olla yhtäaikaisesti tasapainoinen ja silti kiinnostunut monista hurjina pidetyistä asioista? On myös muistettava, että monilla on ongelmia, monet käyttävät internetiä ja monet kuuntelevat hurjaa mörkömusiikkia - ja silti vain harvat päätyvät äärimmäisiin tekoihin.

Lisäys 2.10.: lukijan kirjalisäys (kohtaan Ihmisyys?) sekä romaanimaininnat.

• watched back-to-back movies with my housemates (Everything is Illuminated & Punch Drunk Love). I enjoyed them both.
• played Ultimate in the rain. I have found that the solution to my hatred of being in the rain is to wear a hat with a brim. This keeps my face dry, and so long as I am having fun, I can endure without whining.
• read The Gum Thief by Douglas Coupland. It takes place at Staples in North Van. I've driven by there but never gone in. I liked this book, although my roommate and I had slightly different interpretations on what I'd consider a pivotal moment in Glove Pond, the book within the book...
• watched Dirty Dancing. For the tenth time or so. It is a bit dirty. But the dancing! Oh, the dancing...Patrick Swayze, can't you stay young forever?
• went to a bonfire. Turns out UBC campus is even bigger than I knew, and it has a farm. Wowsers.
• went to church. No surprises here, but it was good. No babies in the nursery, and my brother got lost on his way in.
• lunch at Benny's Bagels on Broadway (say that ten times fast). I'm going to become a regular here, I think. I really like it. Delicious food, yummy smoothies, free wireless...just about perfect.
• slept through an episode of McGyver with Jonathan. That show is just too ridiculous.
• watched Zoolander. Haven't seen it in a year or so. Still know far too many lines for my own good. Still giggle at most of them. Still skip the two sketchy scenes.
• ate cereal & yogourt & peach for supper. I love breakfast at supper.
• blogged.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
Nine-year-old Oskar has found a key in his deceased father's closet. With a single clue - the word "Black" written on the key's envelope - Oskar has embarked on a journey to find the lock to which this key belongs. His story is both heart-wrenching and inspiring as he treks all over the five boroughs of New York. Oskar's narrative is interspersed with the unsent letters and journals of his mute grandfather, bizarre photographs, and tales of his grandmother's experience in a war-torn Dresden. In a post-9/11 world, this is an amazing tale of joy and loss, a love letter to New York and to love.

When We Were Romans by Matthew Kneale
Nine-year old Lawrence lives with his mum and sister, Jemima, in England. They constantly have to worry that their estranged father will come from Scotland and hurt them. So one day his Mum packs them up and tells them they're going to stay in Rome until it's safe again. They are passed from friend's house to friend's house and all Lawrence wants to do is help his mother, but it's hard to tell who to trust. And he worries about his mum, since she gets really sad sometimes. Lawrence's innocence lends itself well to Kneale's narrative, letting us see only what he sees, while still giving us the implication that his mother has bigger problems than he perceives.

Hey Nostradamus! by Douglas Coupland
Hey Nostradamus! isn't really about religion. Coupland's characters, in various states of spiritual decomposition, don't have a platform on Christianity. In the wake of a high school tragedy, the four narrators are all determined to move forward. The interwoven progress of the characters spans several decades, the impact of the incident never quite fading. Like most of Coupland's work, this novel leaves both an apocalyptic and a hopeful aftertaste.

A Map of Home by Randa Jarrar
Nidali has an American passport, since she was born in Boston. Her Mama is Egyptian and Greek, her father is Palestinian, making Nidali "half-and-half." Growing up in Kuwait, she never quite feels at home. On her thirteenth birthday, the Iraqi army invades Kuwait, leaving her mixed family with no option but to flee to Egypt.  A year later they make their last move to Texas where Nidali decides to step out into the world and find herself and her home. Jarrar uses charm & humor to transcend cultural implications uniting us all in the struggle that is adolescence, all the while shining a new light on growing up Arab. (Warning: there is some taboo language in this book,  but I promise it is in good taste and not simply for shock value)

Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot
Quite simply, this is one of the most lovely books of metered verse available. Eliot's cats are eccentric and exciting, his rhymes wild and deadly serious. Each poem introduces the new reader to a different cat, a character that will not easily be forgotten. This is a lovely book to read as an adult, whispered to oneself on a rainy night, or to read aloud to a friend or a child in need of a good chuckle. There are several editions available, but my current favorite is illustrated by Edward Gorey, author of Cat E Gory.

Though the Beatles-referencing title is meant to reflect the general air of despair and loneliness surrounding Liz Dunn, the protagonist of Douglas Coupland's Eleanor Rigby, I couldn't help but recall a lyric from The Impossibles' song "Simon" that seemed appropriate to the theme - "There's nothing worse than being in a crowded room/And feeling all alone." And Coupland's novel certainly succeeds in its depiction of crippling self-isolation, but unfortunately leaves something to be desired in all other areas. 

By her own admission, Liz - intended to stand as Coupland's female avatar - is "too lonely to live, and too frightened to die," (247) rotting in her one-bedroom condo, working in an unstimulating office, and deliberately avoiding social contact. Her voluntary, yet wrenchingly tragic, exile from family and the possibility of friends retains the one shred of sympathy throughout the novel. Even though Eleanor Rigbydoesn't carry the stylistic punch of Coupland's previous novels, I found the following passage particularly evocative:

"If there's a future Liz Dunn out there in, say, 2034, may I respectfully ask you to time travel back to right now and give me the advice I need? I promise you, I'll listen, and I'll give you a piece of my philodendron to take back with you so you can grow your own plant there." (12)

Universal emotions can only compel the narrative so far, however, and once Liz's son enters the story after twenty years in the Canadian foster care system it begins to eke its way into A Very Special Episode of... territory. By the highly saccharine end of the novel, much of the initial empathy established at the beginning devolves into a froth of frustration and apathy. While the negative, isolationist Liz herself remains believable throughout the first half to two-thirds of the story, the supporting characters seem either far too shrill or far too fantastic to honestly move readers towards feeling anything beyond mild irritation. This is especially disappointing, as Coupland has certainly proven that he possesses the talent to create and establish intriguing and entertaining characters, and his far superior works like Generation X, Hey Nostradamus!, and Microserfs all stand as a testament to this statement.

This honestly makes me wonder if deciding to title a book after a Beatles song somehow results in a curse whereby normally gifted, respected writers end up turning in a bland, contrived finished product completely unrepresentative of their true abilities. I thought the same thing about Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood earlier this year, too.

Bibliographical Information

Coupland, Douglas. Eleanor Rigby. Grand Rapids: Bloomsbury, 2005.

Further Reading

Though about men steeped in the throes of midlife crices rather than a woman fully enshrouded in crippling loneliness, Saul Bellow's novels Herzog and Humbolt's Gift suggest a far more believable life trajectory - perhaps one Liz Dunn would have followed had she been slightly less afraid of associating with humanity. Emotional isolation certainly factors heavily into both novels, but Bellow paints a more nuanced picture by exploring other dimensions of his main characters. His antiheroes' interactions with family, friends, and associates adds more complexity and dimension to the stories than what can be found in Eleanor Rigby.  Younger audiences would likely enjoy The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. In spite of the unnamed protagonist's adolescence, his pubescent awkwardness has its parallels in Liz's perpetual navel-gazing and occasional displays of arrested development.

~Riot

Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture is available at Amazon for $10.85. To Order click here
Amazon Product Pages contain a lot of other details on this product as Customer Reviews, Sales Ranking, Special Offers, Alternate products that customers are going for and much more.Want to read these details? click here

Want to get some other Format / Binding / Version? You can search for them from here

Other Products of Interest

• Microserfs
• Life After God
• Shampoo Planet
• Girlfriend in a Coma
• Fight Club: A Novel

Men jag har ett problem med novellsamlingar (det här är noveller alltså) och det är att människorna inte riktigt fastnar hos mig. Jag tror att det är för att jag läser för fort, jag behöver längre texter för att karaktärerna ska tränga sig in i mitt medvetande och stanna där.
Samma problem som med dikter, jag kan tycka att en dikt är jättebra och tänkvärd, men sen tänker jag ändå inte på den för jag har fortsatt läsa något annat och efter en dag har jag inget som helst minne av den.
Som nu i Life after God, flera meningar var sådär - wow - precis så är det ju! men nu har jag ingen aning om vad han skrev. Kanske ska jag läsa om den senare.
Jag gillar formatet också, den är liten och full av små teckningar.

I figured, let’s start with a meme. I mean, why not, it’s my blog, right?

I’ve been re-reading Microserfs this week, a book by Douglas Coupland (one of my favorite authors). Basically, it’s about a group of people slaving away at Microsoft in the early 90s who realize that they don’t really have lives and maybe they should work on that. I do love the whole office workers + post-modern existential despair narrative. Anyway, to introduce the reader to the characters, the narrator lists what each person’s 7 dream categories would be if their life were a game of Jeopardy! Mine would be:

1. 90’s pop culture
2. The gays
3. feminism
4. sad bastard music
5. awkward comedy
6. Batman
7. cheap wine

What are yours? Dish.

The Perks of being a Wallflower- Stephen Chbosky

Written entirely in first person, letter format, the narrative follows Charlie, a “freshman” at high school, go through various stages of a typical high school life. This may sound common and generic, but the way the story is told is far from it. Charlie’s character is quite shy, innocent, and gifted, with an outlook full of optimism, which results in a very likeable and relatable character.

The book explores various different aspects of the American teenage high school culture that he is apart of. His experiences and thought processes throughout these adventures, couldn’t help but make me smile. The innocence and openness of Charlie, as he watches the world pass him by is both charming and refreshing. Chbosky has taken a storyline that, on the surface, may sound quite unappealing, and turned it into a really beautiful piece of literature. I really couldn’t recommend this book enough.

The Catcher in the Rye- J.D.Sallinger

This is one of those books that you have to read at school. I had never had this opportunity so I decided it was about time I got round to reading it. I don’t know if it was my high expectations that kind of spoiled this for me but it just didn’t quite match up to all the great reviews I had read about it. I usually don’t mind if a book has a slow pace, but, personally, only in a few rare instances did I find the main character relatable to, which again, wouldn’t really deter me from enjoying a book but this matched with the slow pace of the narrative offered me barely any engagement with the story. So, for me, it was a fairly mediocre read.

The Fuck-Up- Arthur Nersesian

To start with, who calls their book “The Fuck-Up”, I mean, really, what a strange title. Anyway it caught my eye, so I bought it and it was great.

Set in the city of New York the story follows a (incase you couldn’t have guessed by the title) slacker through many of his life’s adventures. The storyline was so engaging that I really couldn’t put this book down, so I didn’t until the end. I really really enjoyed the way the protagonist was written, through his outgoing personality and outlook on life the character really made me laugh. The title doesn’t really do the book justice, but I suppose without such a controversial title it wouldn’t have caught my eye in the first place.

On the Road- Jack Kerouac

Wow, I really enjoyed reading On the Road. It completely exceeded my expectations based on what I had been told about it.

The plot follows Sal Paradise, a traveler, and his friend Dean through their various different trips across North America, set in the 1950’s it is considered one of the most important books of the beat generation. And after reading this I really wish I was alive and living in America through this era. Kerouac really makes traveling so appealing and this really is an inspiring book.

JPod- Douglas Coupland

JPod is a story about Ethan, a games designer working in a sector of a company called JPod. The narrative explores his eccentric life, delving into the depths of his crazy existence. The narrative is full of humorous characters and adventures, whether it be with Ethan’s drug dealing mother, or his geeky co-workers. This novel is very cleverly written and both very very funny and enjoyable.

OK, funny too, but scary. Try this for a longer and better-argued review, all I can say is I kept having to stop, then start again... in appalled fascination. So: go for it, or run for it?

---

later

• Money by Martin Amis
• Black Swan Green by David Mitchell (I particularly like this one as it deals with an 80s childhood)
• A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
• Anything by Douglas Coupland
• Someone else's suggestion of Jurassic Park has grown on me in a weird way
• Haruki Murakami really feels to me like a good fit as well, maybe Norwegian Wood for the 80s even though it's not my favorite of his—I think despite the cultural divide this works for some reason
• The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
• The last two Rabbit books, maybe
• Amsterdam by Ian McEwan

  For the current decade, while I maintain The Corrections as my first pick, I also like Ian McEwan's Saturday.

  PS—What are people's thoughts on the 70s?

  ]]> http://pilgrimnotwanderer.com/?p=1304 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 15:36:54 +0000 the.pilgrim http://pilgrimnotwanderer.com/2008/09/01/time-warp-to-the-90s-or-douglas-coupland-cultural-criticism/ I accidentally stumbled upon (and watched) this video while on 5 minutes breaks from doing dishes this morning.  It is great.  Very 90's.  But his observations are very sharp and witty. Consider this: it was filmed in the 90's. On the cusp of the internet's explosion into the mainstream, right? What he has to say could probably be multiplied 100 times over nowadays; RE: information overload, the de-personalization of relationships and defining yourself by shopping.

  It is called "Close Personal Friendship" and it is by Douglas Coupland. Whoever posted it to YouTube broke it up into 3 parts:

  ]]> http://batangnewsroom.wordpress.com/2008/08/30/sprockets/ Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:03:57 +0000 batangnewsroom http://batangnewsroom.it.wordpress.com/2008/08/30/sprockets/ Just visited the Coupland site, and found this site. Really funny and cool. Ah, the learning never ends.

  Sprockets.

  ]]> http://batangnewsroom.wordpress.com/2008/08/30/i-saw-him/ Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:41:52 +0000 batangnewsroom http://batangnewsroom.it.wordpress.com/2008/08/30/i-saw-him/ He blogs.

  Time Capsules - Douglas Coupland - Opinion - Blog - - New York Times Blog.

  ]]> http://pilgrimnotwanderer.wordpress.com/?p=1288 Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:30:37 +0000 the.pilgrim http://pilgrimnotwanderer.com/2008/08/28/nice-costume/
  ]]> http://shinjishinji.wordpress.com/?p=617 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:16:24 +0000 shinjishinji http://shinjishinji.it.wordpress.com/2008/08/20/you-were-awesome-young-padawan/ First of all, let me congratulate myself for managing to finish my Plan of Study right before I went to my third class for the day. It was a great experience. I got a shitload of extra units finally credited--21 units to be exact. 21 + 48 (initial units credited when I shifted) + 12 = 81 units. Therefore, after four grueling years of studying (first half spent canoodling around college life, second half spent with a hint of flair and seriousness.)--I am now a Junior.

  Exactly 4 semesters and one summer outing after this one, and hopefully, I'll be able to graduate. Hello, Reality!

  Everyone's telling me that 2011 is still a long way to go, fuck that crap. 2011 is just a wink away. Though there will be a lot of shit to go through, I just know that I can do it. I can graduate. Damn skippy, I'll graduate.

  ---------------------

  I finished reading Douglas Coupland's Girlfriend in a Coma yesterday, and it was really mind-bending. It's amazing how Mr. Coupland transformed a song by The Smiths into a morality tale that's both fairy tale-like and angry.

  The ending really struck me, it had a great message for someone like me living in this generation. Its as if the book was talking directly to you and was ordering you to do these things.

  By the last chapter of the novel, there were challanges imposed to the characters like--finding the truth, asking what we can do, what is fate, destiny and the future--things like that. I was in awe, really, by the end of the novel. T'was both sad and enlightening, especially since the characters really made an impact to me, the reader. Like, I was there with them and I, too should challenge myself to make my life less chaotic and be a bit organized (which is what I'm doing right now: Plan of Study, Change of Coursework, Timetables...), to impose questions and never stop until I got not the right--but the true answer. Truth, man. The truth might suck, but at least its true.

  This was the first Douglas Coupland novel that I've read and I'm off to a good start, I think. I knew I should've bought that copy of Generation X back in Cubao X.

  ------------------------

  I think compared to last week, I'm much happier and more serene. I like this feeling. It's like you can do anything to anyone and not give a shit about it. I'm starting to like myself more and more everyday... I think.

  ]]> http://onliving.wordpress.com/?p=249 Sat, 09 Aug 2008 12:01:36 +0000 tallandrew http://onliving.it.wordpress.com/2008/08/09/douglas-coupland-on-aging/ Douglas Coupland, author of books such as Generation X, Girlfriend in a Coma, Microserfs, and, Hey Nostradamus has written an article about how men age. His thoughts are that men have an age they really are, and an age they think they are in their head (usually about 31 or 32). They think they are still able to chase footballs etc and are surprised when they catch a glimpse in the mirror or realise that someone else is actually the same age as them, not 10 years older. He says in the article:

  The thing is, he says, we can't stop that aging process. Everyone else is aging too, at the same rate, and we're all going to end up in the same place anyway. Freaking out about aging becomes depressing or funny or pathetic only if you make the incorrect assumption that everyone else lives inside a change-proof hyperbaric chamber. They don't, of course. We're all locked inside the time machine, and we're all going to the exact same destination.

  It is a shock to me when I realise I can't run as fast as I used to, but surely the best way to live is to fully embrace the stage of life we're currently living rather than constantly live with our heads turned overour shoulders, trying to retain what we once looked or felt like.

  ]]> http://thatsthebook.wordpress.com/?p=115 Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:27:28 +0000 thatsthebook http://thatsthebook.it.wordpress.com/2008/08/07/booking-through-thursday-17-other-worlds/

  The questions posed this week are questions I've never really considered before and have therefore made me do some thinking back on books I've read and consider the books I enjoy reading.

  Are there any particular worlds in books where you’d like to live?

  Or where you certainly would NOT want to live?

  What about authors? If you were a character, who would you trust to write your life?

  (This came to me when reviewing a Jonathan Carroll book - I’m not sure I’d like to live in the worlds of his books.)

  The first two questions are the ones that have really caused me to think.  And I have to say that, and I do realize that this may sound a little creepy, I really like the fact that I don't live in the world of the books that I read.  I really like the voyeuristic aspect of reading, peering into another's life or another's world.  But it's more than and escape from my current reality, it's a glimps into other possibilities.

  With that being said I cannot think of a world that I've read about that I would want to live.  I enjoy the escape from the current reality but it's not a world or "alternate reality" that I'd want to stay in.

  The final question is one that was very interesting and made me think, if I could choose an author to write my current reality and know that justice was being done to my life I would have to say Douglas Coupland, a name that continually comes up on this blog.  His characters are all quirky and too often when I read his books I see bits of myself or friends looking back.  His books are a reflection of society as a while and I tend to see graces in characters that may not really deserve possession of such traits.

  I'm really interested to see what others have said in responses to these question.  Happy Thursday!

  ]]> http://thatsthebook.wordpress.com/?p=94 Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:46:05 +0000 thatsthebook http://thatsthebook.it.wordpress.com/2008/07/28/encounters-with-the-writing-kind/ Many of us probably think about meeting a particular author, I would love to meet Douglas Coupland for instance.  And I'm sure if you know of someone that may be in your area you'll go and meet them and maybe even ask if they'd sign one of their books for you.  I'm sure you could all tell me who that author would be, I'd love to hear you'd like to meet.  Now I've had the opportunity to acquaint myself with some writers.

  While in elementary school we had some authors come to the school.  The first person I remember meeting was Robert Munch, author of Mortimer and The Paperbag Princess.  There's nothing like hearing him read these stories.  He becomes very animated and it's some good entertainment for children.  The other author we had come visit our school was Jean Little.  The one aspect that particularly stands out in mind is the fact that Little is partial sighted.  I don't know what it was about this point of Jean Little but it's the one thing that really stands out about my encounter with her.

  Later on in life, while attending Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg I heard that Timothy Findley author of two of my favorite books (Not Wanted on the Voyage and Spadework).  I really enjoy both of these books for different reasons.  I love Not Wanted on the Voyage because of the bits about the cat, it just made me crack up so many times.  And Spadework was wonderful because it takes place in my hometown of Stratford.  It's just so interesting to read a novel that talks about places you've actually been to and the images are so clear with you are familiar with the place.  So it fun going to McNally Robinson to get him to sign the book and have a little chat about Stratford.

  But that's not what this is all about.  Yesterday I got to meet two authors, one that I'm not at all familiar with but after her reading I had to purchase her book.  The other I'm sure you all know.

  The first author was Linda Spalding author of Who Named the Knife which is amazing, or at least the parts that she read.  Who Named the Knife is all about Spalding's relationship with a woman that was convicted of murder.  I don't want to talk too much about it because I don't really know that much about it but what she read really made me want to read it so I went to the lobby and purchased it.  I'll be using it as one of the selections for The Canadian Book Challenge 2.  Spalding was wonderful to listen to, she had a great clear voice and I could tell that she enjoyed sharing this story with everyone because when people came up to get their books signed she exclaimed, "Oh good you got one!"  It was wonderful to be around someone that was excited about sharing their story with old and new readers.

  The second author that did a reading was Spalding's husband.  When he was introduced and older gentleman came out.  He looked like a professor of Chemistry or some other science with his puffy white hair and a snow beard.  He was rather soft spoken but you could periodically catch hints of his accent.  This was Michael Ondaatje.  The line to get his autograph was crazy but well worth it, not only did he sign my copy of Divisadero (again originally purchased for The Canadian Book Challenge 2) but he was also kind enough to sign Running in the Family for Susan (Naked Without Books) which will be part of the Canadian book package I'm sending.

  It was interesting meeting Ondaatje but he didn't look like what I thought he might.  I was half expecting someone that was pompous but he was really friendly.  And when you meet the author of The English Patient you seem to be incapable of decipherable speech.  I don't know why but the words just didn't want to come out of my mouth, which usually dose not happen.  But I was thrilled to meet him and really glad that he signed the book for Susan.

  This was a great way to start a very busy day.  After I finished with Ondaatje I had a day of theatre.  First I saw Romeo and Juliet and that was followed by There Reigns Love with Simon Callow (written and performed by him).  But I shall save that for a later day.  Until then happy reading.

  ]]> http://paperbackscrawl.wordpress.com/?p=569 Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:12:26 +0000 Meg http://paperbackscrawl.it.wordpress.com/2008/07/28/invariably-conflicted/

  “She thought about her life and how lost she'd felt for most of it. She thought about the way that all truths she'd been taught to consider valuable invariably conflicted with the world as it was actually lived. How could a person be so utterly lost, yet remain living?”

  - All Families Are Psychotic, Douglas Coupland

  “I realized that once people are broken in certain ways, they can't be fixed, and this is something nobody ever tells you when you are young and it never fails to surprise you as you grow older, as you see the people in your life break one by one. You wonder when your turn is going to be, or if it's already happened.”

  - Life After God, Douglas Coupland

  ]]> http://thatsthebook.wordpress.com/?p=92 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:47:18 +0000 thatsthebook http://thatsthebook.it.wordpress.com/2008/07/24/booking-through-thursday-15-beginnings/ Well my friends it's also been a long time since I've done a Booking Through Thursday but I'm back and I'm really excited about this Thursday's topic.  This week we are talking about first lines in novels we've read.  The question is thus posed to us:

  Here’s another idea about memorable first lines from books.

  What are your favourite first sentences from books? Is there a book that you liked specially because of its first sentence? Or a book, perhaps that you didn’t like but still remember simply because of the first line?

  I will begin by saying that I don't think I've read a first line and then not enjoyed the whole book.  It's typically that first line that gets things moving and draws you into the novel...or not.  But there are a couple of first lines that I've really enjoyed.

  The first opening line that I've loved was in one of the Christopher Moore's novels.  You Suck is a novel about vampires in modern day America and the struggles they have to survive, it's a comedy so we aren't looking at an Anne Rice vampire novel here.  You Suck starts with the line (I'm going from memory here), "You killed me, You Suck!".  There aren't many novels that get right to the point as this one does and it's done in a humors way.

  The other opening lines that I'd like to mention are from Douglas Coupland's latest hit The Gum Thief.  I just began reading this one so I don't know how it's going to end or progress but I must say that I just cracked up with the beginning of this novel.

  A few years ago it dawned on me that everybody past a certain age -- regardless of how they look on the outside -- pretty much constantly dreams of being able to escape from their lives.  They don't want to be who they are any more.  They want out.  This list includes Thurston Howell the third, Ann-Margret, the cast members of Rent, Vaclav Havel, space shuttle astronauts and Snuffleupagus.  It's universal.

  Another wonderful opening by the great Canadian author Coupland. It's a beginning that just made me laugh and want to dive head first into the novel.  Happy Thursday all!!

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