Book Order Blabber

Someone is probably feeling particularly lonely.

Met with FEMA again today. They asked me the same questions the first guy did. They wanted to 'check his efficiency'. Still no update on moving back in. One guy who works on site said it would be 6-8 months for at least two of the buildings. I don't think I blinked when he said that. He said he thought it would be much sooner for my building, but he still did not know. Could be a couple weeks maybe he said.

My awesome friend Bree from Bennington days sent me an Amazon card last night. I was going to replace ERASERHEAD with it. Then I started looking at my wish list and ended up buying a bunch of new stuff instead. I got 5 books by 5 women. I got:

STRANGER THINGS HAPPEN by Kelly Link (I've read a lot of this already but I want to own it. I love MAGIC FOR BEGINNERS and recommend it to anyone. I met Kelly Link at AWP and told her her story STONE ANIMALS is in my top five stories ever, which is true. She blushed a little. She was nice. She asked me what other stories were in my top 5 but I couldn't think of it and can't really think now. Probably 'THE INTRICACIES OF POST-SHOOTING ETIQUETTE' by Brian Evenson, or maybe TWO BROTHERS by him instead. Maybe both of those counting as one. Maybe THE PEDERSON KID by William H. Gass. Maybe MR SQUISHY by David Foster Wallace. Probably definitely something by David Foster Wallace. Maybe THE DEPRESSED PERSON by him. I haven't read him in awhile I can't remember. Maybe THE SWITCH by Stephen Dixon. I don't know. I really like the Lydia Davis story called something like LETTER TO THE FUNERAL PARLOR. 'The cremains.' That wouldn't be in my top five. Julia Slavin something? DRIVEWAY by Jim Shepard is really good, as are several other of his stories. Last night I reread Miranda July's THE MAN ON THE STAIRS from Fence which you can read online HERE and I really liked it again despite some people thinking she's overrated. I don't think she's overrated. Not in my top 5 though still. Fuck what's the name of that one Barry Hannah story in BATS OUT OF HELL that I liked so much. I can't remember. Was it SLOW TIMES IN A LONG SCHOOL? I don't think so. Best title: UPSTAIRS, MONA BAYED FOR DONG. Oh shit, definitely THE BLOOD JET by Christine Schutt. That's top 5. Probably a lot I'm not thinking off of the top of my head here. I miss my books and shelves. Maybe I will think about this again later.)

I also got: OH BABY by Kim Chinquee (hopefully I won't start talking about her in my sleep now)

and CARRYING THE BODY by Dawn Raffel (it's on sale for less than $5 new on amazon, go look)

and FLET by Joyelle McSweeney (I'd read a bunch of it and it was cool and apocalyptic, want to read the whole thing and I'll buy most any new Fence book because they are nice to hold)

and ATLASSED by Jane Unrue (because someone was talking about it on their blog, I think Shane Jones, can't remember, but the premise sounds really good).
Thank you again Bree you are the shit.

I have managed to waste some more time today good.

Time has been moving as it does in an Amos Tutola book lately.

"Cherries. I like cherries in my ice cream. I like the name of cherries. Cherries."

I swear now I'm going to go do some WORK.

P.S. If you are in NYC tonight, you need to go see ROBERT LOPEZ and MIRANDA MELLIS reading together for Calamari at McNally Robinson. I wish I could be there. Two of the best books of last year by far (or any year for that matter). Go. Go. Go.