Green onions on my cutting board and my radio

I'm just waiting for dinner to cook and am hoping the dish fairies will come and dry my dishes. A few moments ago, while chopping green onions, CBC Radio 2 just played Booker T and the MGs Green Onions, a song which never fails to put me in a great mood. This week, while hiding from the humidity, I've become an addict of CBC Radio 2 or, as it's been called, the New Radio Two. I sought it out last week when I wanted someone to give me something new to listen to and to show me something that I would not find on my own. Radio has, I realize, always been a huge part of my life but I'd forgotten about it recently. It's easy to get distracted by podcasts, web radio, and iPods. Lately, though, I've been thinking a lot about radio and have been trying to think about what makes radio so magical. I think it's that element of surprise, delight and intimacy. Even though some shows are podcast now, there's still that sense of the fleeting moment of radio. Once it's passed, it could be gone. One never knows what's coming next: it could be great, it could be ok, it could make you run for the volume (either up or down). Last week, I found myself doing something with CBC 2 that I've never done with a podcast or web radio. Even though I was exhausted and needed to be up in a few short hours, I couldn't bring myself to turn it off. I wanted to know what was coming next. I felt like my brother must have when he was about 10 or 12. Most nights, I'd hear my parents at his door: "Is your radio off??" and he'd offer a weak "Yeah..." Through our shared wall, however, I could hear the tinny sound of music coming out of cheap little white earphones he attached to his little pocket radio. Often I could hear it until the wee hours of the morning.

The day I'm going to remember that day in January

There's always a day in July that I think "I'm going to remember this day come January" and there's always a day in January when I remember that particular day in July and don't feel so cold. Today is one of those days in July. It's 33o and the air is so thick I feel like I'm walking under water. It's also one of those days (like those days in January) when I'm happily hermit-ing inside reading fiction. Some of my neighbours meanwhile are basking in the gooey heat. In my self-imposed exile, I've been thinking a lot about "the great read" and keep returning to two major questions: what is the allure of a good novel and how does one find a great read?
I've run into two interesting articles today which may also be of interest to Cafe visitors. The first is a recent G&M article that describes how "a group of Toronto researchers have compiled a body of evidence showing that bookworms have exceptionally strong people skills. Their years of research - summed up in the current issue of New Scientist magazine - has shown readers of narrative fiction scored higher on tests of empathy and social acumen than those who read non-fiction texts." Fiction, the researchers suggest, "is really about how to get around in the social world, which is not as easy as one might think." Interesting.
The other interesting article comes from the beloved Nancy Pearl (you may know her from her action figure with real shushing action) who offers a great list of "perfect carry-on books" for summer travel. One of the things I love about Nancy Pearl is her Rule of 50 that she describes in Book Lust: "Believe me, nobody is going to get any points in heaven by slogging their way through a book they aren't enjoying but think they ought to read. I live by what I call 'the rule of fifty,' which acknowledges that time is short and the world of books is immense. If you're fifty years old or younger, give every book about fifty pages before you decide to commit yourself to reading it, or give it up. If you're over fifty, which is when time gets even shorter, subtract your age from 100. The result is the number of pages you should read before deciding." I wished I had Nancy Pearl's sage advice when, years ago, I thought a 14 hour flying day would be a perfect way to get through a book I could not stand. And yes, Peter, it is that one.

Just finished: An Illuminated Life

Sometimes a day with the flu is a gift. Because of this cold/flu, I was finally able to finish Heidi Ardizzone's absolutely fabulous biography of Belle da Costa Greene that I've been reading for quite a while. It's rare that I get enthralled in non fiction but this one kept me turning pages. In 1905, Belle Greene was hired by J.P. Morgan to organize his rare books and manuscript collections. Over time, she acquired what became the Morgan Library, one of the finest collections of rare books and manuscripts anywhere. Her story is remarkable and fascinating and the book is meticulously researched and beautifully written. It's part biography (of Belle da Costa Greene), part history (social and political context early 20th century America), part social history (how exactly did race and gender work its way into almost every facet of life and how did Belle da Costa Greene negotiate her way into and through this matrix?), part intellectual history (about the art and rare book world of early 20th century New York and Europe as well a who's who of the New York art, theatre and literary worlds). And, it's also sort of a romance too. In the winter I was able to get to the Morgan Library and see some of the works I read about in this biography. It's a beautiful, magical place. Most recently, they've added a very nice Renzo Piano addition.  Thank you flu/ cold (don't hurry back though....).