The First Great Experiment of 2012 (I want to set my sights high, hence first)
So, I stumbled into an experiment of sorts for myself solely by accident. The beginning of the year found me reading Erin Morgenstern's excellent novel, The Night Circus, and it also found me enjoying it and singing it's praises on Twitter and GoodReads as well. Once I was finished with that book I picked up Swamplandia! by Karen Russel, one I had heard good things about and had then purchased a few months back. I am currently really enjoying this one as well, and that is what led me to my experiment.
For the months of January and February I will only read books written by women. Now I know this doesn't seem like that much of an experiment, but for me it is.
I have never looked down on women writers, but I have never sought them out either. I tend to see my eye drawn towards male writers, whether it be in reviews, or on the book shelf, so I want to teach my eye to scan more.
I think I had something instilled in me when I was younger that made it so I would go out of my way to avoid women artists, whether they be in music, writing, or whatever. I know it didn't stem from fear that it would mean I was less of a man, or even that I was homosexual, but I think it stemmed from fear that others would perceive me as such. It was that whole grade school mentality of bullying that can bend a child's thoughts to avoid things they might actually enjoy, solely so that they don't have to worry about being seen enjoying it. Because obviously being seen is not worth the enjoyment you will get from it, that scale tips the wrong way every time.
I don't know if this was further aided by my dad working on the road and it being mainly mom and I, like some kind of subconscious rebellion of sorts, but it was there. Now that I am an adult and realize that people have their notions regardless of what one knows about themselves, well, I say fuck it and I am going to enjoy whatever I enjoy.
So the books I have on hand that I have purchased recently, or had lying around are...
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
The Likeness by Tana French
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barberry
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
Falling for Me by Anna David
Devices and Desires by K. J. Parker (who may or may not be female it turns out)
bird by bird by Anne Lamott
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
the alchemy of stone by Ekaterina Sedia
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein
Emerald City by Jennifer Egan
The Stories of Eva Luna by Isabel Allende
Dead Sky Morning by Karina Halle
These books are stacked next to me on my nightstand, hopefully looking over me in approval. I set a goal of reading somewhere around 52 books, and that will start with my experiment with women writers. I hope to train myself to not set up a distinction between the two in my mind, but rather leave the distinction to one of good and bad writing as I see it.
Yes, that is ultimately my goal with all reading, not to see genre, and not to see sex of author.
So, I stumbled into an experiment of sorts for myself solely by accident. The beginning of the year found me reading Erin Morgenstern's excellent novel, The Night Circus, and it also found me enjoying it and singing it's praises on Twitter and GoodReads as well. Once I was finished with that book I picked up Swamplandia! by Karen Russel, one I had heard good things about and had then purchased a few months back. I am currently really enjoying this one as well, and that is what led me to my experiment.
For the months of January and February I will only read books written by women. Now I know this doesn't seem like that much of an experiment, but for me it is.
I have never looked down on women writers, but I have never sought them out either. I tend to see my eye drawn towards male writers, whether it be in reviews, or on the book shelf, so I want to teach my eye to scan more.
I think I had something instilled in me when I was younger that made it so I would go out of my way to avoid women artists, whether they be in music, writing, or whatever. I know it didn't stem from fear that it would mean I was less of a man, or even that I was homosexual, but I think it stemmed from fear that others would perceive me as such. It was that whole grade school mentality of bullying that can bend a child's thoughts to avoid things they might actually enjoy, solely so that they don't have to worry about being seen enjoying it. Because obviously being seen is not worth the enjoyment you will get from it, that scale tips the wrong way every time.
I don't know if this was further aided by my dad working on the road and it being mainly mom and I, like some kind of subconscious rebellion of sorts, but it was there. Now that I am an adult and realize that people have their notions regardless of what one knows about themselves, well, I say fuck it and I am going to enjoy whatever I enjoy.
So the books I have on hand that I have purchased recently, or had lying around are...
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
The Likeness by Tana French
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barberry
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
Falling for Me by Anna David
Devices and Desires by K. J. Parker (who may or may not be female it turns out)
bird by bird by Anne Lamott
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
the alchemy of stone by Ekaterina Sedia
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein
Emerald City by Jennifer Egan
The Stories of Eva Luna by Isabel Allende
Dead Sky Morning by Karina Halle
These books are stacked next to me on my nightstand, hopefully looking over me in approval. I set a goal of reading somewhere around 52 books, and that will start with my experiment with women writers. I hope to train myself to not set up a distinction between the two in my mind, but rather leave the distinction to one of good and bad writing as I see it.
Yes, that is ultimately my goal with all reading, not to see genre, and not to see sex of author.