Inferno – Dante, Pearl – Standbury, Annihilation – Jeff Vandermeer, The Handmaid’s Tale – Magaret Atwood
These four books will be read for sure as they are assigned reading for a summer sessions class – Medievalisms: Apocalypse Then: (Post) Medieval Apocalyptic Literatures. I’ll read them in Powell library, in bed or I’ll listen to them during my commute on the 405 Freeway.
Bloodlines – Fred D’Aguiar
I was searching for audio versions of my advisor’s books and found a recording of Bloodlines – a novel in verse about a young female slave who falls in love and runs away with the plantation owner’s son. I was so transported listening to Fred D’Aguiar read this that I’m overawed by his genius and hope just a little of it will rub off on me. I will listen to this on my hikes at the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook.
Off Keck Road – Mona Simpson, Thirty Girls – Susan Minot
I took away so much from Professor Mona Simpson’s short story workshop, these two books included. She recommended I read Thirty Girls by Susan Minot because of a story I wrote about child trafficking. I’ve already downloaded the audio version and will listen to this at Redondo/Venice beach (hopefully whilst jogging but most likely whilst snacking on trader joes plantain chips).
Imagining Extinction – Ursula Heise, Global Ecologies, and the Environmental Humanities – Elizabeth DeLoughrey
I have yet to take a class with Professor Ursula Heise or Professor Elizabeth DeLoughrey but I will next year. These books are great research for my thesis. I will read them on family picnics in my favorite parks: Kenneth Hahn Park, Will Rogers, Grand Park (in between Jury duty), and at the Getty Center.