Books and Keeping Track of What I Read

So, in the last few months, I've read more fiction on a weekly basis than I think I ever have in my entire life. Who has time for fiction when academia is hounding you to read painfully boring stuff--and I mean wanting to spoon out my eyeballs and burn them so I have an excuse as to why I can't read, cause they couldn't have possibly published all those academic articles in braille right?

Any who, thanks to an American postmodern fiction class I took, I've finally had the chance to read stuff classified as academic that expanded on my thinking about certain things. The class was like a book club for academic nerds. I certainly was able to re-examine theories I came across previously through novels like Jazz by Toni Morrison, Neuromancer by William Gibson, Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston,  The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven  by Sherman Alexie, and Maus by Art Spiegelman (which I haven't touched since third grade).These are books I would not have touched otherwise and was glad I forced myself into a situation where I had to. Being able to think about things like identity formation and becoming,and the role of history, culture, environment etc., in all of this, through works of fiction of the most truthful sort, is a nice alternative to all theory all the time, which is at times the blandest way to encounter knowledge. Needless to say, I've enjoyed my time in the world of fiction almost as much as I enjoy my time watching thought-provoking anime/Japanese animated shows/movies. I now desire to communicate my findings in the world of theory in similar ways--except maybe in graphic novel form, and no not the academic ones that are actually paper tranquilizers with pictures.

It's been a while since I've read these books but the ideas communicated still pop up from time to time. I wonder how effective it would be to take notes from these novels, like I would my academic texts...Would I be academizing an artform and thus rendering it boring? Who knows, but I've gotta keep better track of what I read sand my mind isn't the most reliable place at the moment.

Oh yeah, so a friend of mine lent me a few books I consumed rather quickly and would like to incorporate into my understanding of love/ loving practice, becoming, and the place of violence in all of this. I'm still grappling with the necessity of violence in the process of becoming and rethinking what this means. The books are Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler. As with the previously mentioned novels and authors--except Spiegelman--I have never read any of her work but have always heard about how amazing she is and have now seen for myself. I enjoyed Parable of the Sower more (I don't know, it just seemed more impactful in its messaging) because it made me revisit my wanderings in attempting to understand alchemy--read The Alchemist  by Paulo Coelho a while back among other brief texts about alchemy and everything. Now I just have to revisit and synthesize everything in an attempt to come to my own understanding of all of this complicated stuff! But who has time for that? I've gotta learn some new learning software for a class I'm teaching in a few weeks!

For now I'll take what I can get. I kinda wish I had more friends who read cool books they could loan me, or at least had a suggestion or two. I really don't have time to but if it's juicy, I'll make time dammit! I mean fiction of course, and am beginning to favor postmodern styles more and more, which includes graphic novels too! Reminds me to include The Eternal Smile  by Gene Luen Yang  in my attempted synthesis. Good stuff.

So yeah, any suggestions for what to read that is related to anything mentioned here or elsewhere in this bloggy-blog is welcome. No guarantees I'll read it, but will try if you really want me to. I also wish I could discuss these books with someone and not just internet paper...

Oh well, until next time...  

How DJing is like Research

After being inspired by this post on DJing, I began revisiting ideas of the similarities between being a DJ and being a researcher/scholar. Being a DJ myself (when I have the chance) I love it when I have a set that flows together and wish my research came out similarly, which is how I began thinking about the subject. Here are a few of the ideas I had about the topic.

For one thing, like a researcher/scholar, DJs have to know their music. This usually means they've heard the stuff they play hundreds of times. Not only that, but they get a feel for the themes in their music enough to fit things comfortably together in ways others might not have noticed otherwise. Researchers and scholars do this, only with books instead of music. With both repetition is key to becoming familiar with both sets of knowledge.

There is also a air of expertise required in each realm. DJs have flexibility and freedom of choice as to what their area of 'expertise' is. For some, this can be rather fluid and expansive. Research is kind of the same, except for there are other forces that dictate what one can and cannot do. Often what is and isn't considered research dictates what a researcher/scholar does. When treated in such an orthodox manner, research/scholarship becomes rather restrictive and thus lacking in soul. With DJing on the other hand, a DJ is free to infuse their craft with their personality. Depending on the setting, I like to communicate messages of love thematically. In other words, I think it is easier for DJs to have a voice through their craft that is not nearly as transparent in research/scholarship.

Well, that's all I can think of for now. Maybe thinking of research like DJing might change the way I pursue it. But it's not nearly as simple. For one thing, DJs have a choice of what their model is and can make their own rules when it comes to constructing it. Researchers/scholars have to read stuff they do and don't want to, and most of it wouldn't be read otherwise. Quite frankly some of the stuff I have to read makes my eyeballs want to bleed--probably because I also want to stab them out.  Not the case with DJing where I do not have to suffer and most of the stuff I like is more like crack to me than a royal pain--especially when finding a musical gem. Not very many books do that for me. Oh well, I'll do my best to try integrating the thoughts I have about DJing into doing research since, regardless of my experiences in reading some of this stuff, I really do want to become a scholar with my voice and soul in tact.

If there are any additional thoughts on this topic along with maybe making scholarship more like DJing in spirit, or just other things that should be considered, feel free to contribute your ideas. As usual, I'm open to them.

Until next time...