A little Grad School Trick
When I was in graduate school the first time, a good friend let me in on a little secret - always keep a pleasure book going, allow yourself a chapter or two in between other, assigned reading and research - otherwise you’ll forget you actually like reading for enjoyment and relaxation and it helps break up your tasks. When I was preparing for my oral exams, and had a year to read about 300 books, this advice was my lifeline.
Now that I’m back in school and can read most of my assignments online, (while knitting, thank the goddess!) I need to keep a “real” book by my side, both to give my eyes a bit of a break and as a little sugar to help the medicine go down.
I had to put Kingston by Starlight down because it was a one week read from the library and my one week was up before the heroine made it to Kingston. Set in the Caribbean, the heroine boards a pirate ship (in drag, of course) because being a pirate seemed far more interesting than being a common whore (I have to agree with her there…) I can’t tell you more, but I can tell you that as I’ve been driving my kids around I’ve been listening to Dan Zane’s Sea Music - an amazing collection of songs that may have been sung on pirate ships. I think my favorite right now is all for me grog sung primarily by an 11 year old boy.
Chorus:
Well it’s all for me grog, me noggin’ noggin’ grog,
all for me beer and tobacco.
For I spent all me tin with the ladies drinking gin,
Far across the western ocean I must wander.
I’m sick in the head and I haven’t been to bed,
Since first I came ashore with me plunder,
I’ve seen centipedes and snakes and me head is full of aches
And I think I’ll take a bath for way up yonder
Where are me boots, me noggin’, noggin’ boots,
They’re all gone for beer and tobacco.
For the soles they were thin and the uppers letting in
And the heels were looking out for better weather.
Well, Where is me shirt, me noggin’, noggin’ shirt,
It’s all gone for beer and tobacco,
For the sleeves have got worn out and the collar turned
about
And the arse was looking out for better weather.
Haven’t we all had days like that?
Knowing I only had a week for Kingston by Starlight, I also checked out a book that has been on my amazon wish list for ages, The Shopenhauer Cure by Irving Yalom. Yalom is a prominent San Fransisco area psychiatrist and has written what sound like the leading text books in the field. However, he also happens to be an excellent novelist and I’ve really enjoyed his previous books (Lying on the Couch & When Nietzsche Wept : A Novel of Obsession). I’ve only just started reading, but can tell I’m going to enjoy this one as much, if not more than the others.
15. September, 2005 at 16:33
Amy,
Can’t wait to see you…if you can pick up Green Living in Natick, pick it up…you are on page 36
17. September, 2005 at 19:05
I’m the author of “Kingston by Starlight.”
Thanks for borrowing the book from your local library.
You should consider buying the novel. It’s a good book–if you finish it, you’ll enjoy it!
24. September, 2005 at 20:00
I learned the same trick! Man, was it a life saver. One of my fellow students would only read trashy romance novels during her breaks. She wanted to get as farrrr away from all smart things.
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