A confession: I haven't been keeping up with literary news lately.

Looking back, I'm rather astonished at the amount of time I spent culling articles from the Internet. More often than not, I'd come up with duds--interviews with authors I wasn't interested in, reviews of books I had no intention of reading--and my sifting steadily became more exasperating than enlightening. On a deeper level, I think the shift in my blogging style signified a weariness with blogging in general. My interest in literary news has always been passive at best. I wasn't blogging for myself so much as the small readership I'd slowly built.

Despite this blog's title, the book bits have taken a backseat. This wasn't intentional, but since I've been writing in legal pads and essentially cutting off my lifeline--the endless parade of links and essays and terse summaries--I've had no other choice but to actually write something. It's easier than I would've imagined, even if the inspiration is sometimes lacking, but deciding whether or not I like what I've written is something completely different.

Pointlessness and occasional irrelevance is the new tone around here--I drafted a post about a longed-for porn collection that an ex-girlfriend had thrown away when I was in college--but that's something I've always enjoyed. I don't write with any sort of intention, but maybe that is the intention. I've almost convinced myself that I can make this work, that I can make blogging a bit more cathartic, but to my way of thinking, that involves making myself vulnerable. I'm perfectly aware of my failings, but at this early stage, I haven't quite decided how far I'm going to take it.

I've finally started Cormac McCarthy's The Road. It's bleak, depressing, and brimming with loneliness. I love it.

Comments

[LK]

Hey, I think this is my virgin comment on your new site, Brandon!

All I really want to say is I look forward to your take on The Road. Apparently, it's a visceral read. So many people couldn't stomach it. But I know you can! Looking forward to your insights.

[Brandon]

LK: I'm so glad you lost your Bookstom comment virginity so quickly. Yes ma'am, I am proud.

And you're right, "The Road" is pretty harrowing. For me, it's not the events or the setting so much as the loneliness. It's an emotionally frightening book, if that makes any sense. McCarthy makes it impossible for you not to picture yourself in the characters' situation--they do everything a normal person might do under those circumstances. Every time I put the book aside, I feel drained. I know I'd go insane if I had to be that situation.

[Bookie]

I like the new blog.

Chic's dig vulnerability. Go for it.

[Brandon]

Bookie: Thanks for the compliment. And I might do the whole "vulnerability" thing. But there's a fine line between vulnerable and sappy. I'll have to see how far I can push it.

[Lesley]

Well, you did read a Chris Bohjalian book. If that's not opening up to your vulnerable side, I don't know what is. (Yes, I know you were limited in reading choices, but still.)

I do like the new look and change in tone.

[jess]

I like the new look and feel of the blog too. I'm interested to see where you take it.

[Stefanie]

Brandon, that's the beauty of blogs, you can write about whatever you want to. Your comment on The Road, "It's bleak, depressing, and brimming with loneliness. I love it," made me laugh. If you weren't talking about a book we'd have to worry about you :)

[Brandon]

Lesley: Thanks for the compliment. I'd always seen the Bohjalian book at stores and the Oprah sticker was usually enough to steer me away from it. Now I'm forced to admit a grudging admiration for her book club. Sure, some of her picks make me roll my eyes, but her taste in books isn't completely off the mark. "Midwives" was quite good, although I probably wouldn't have finished it if I hadn't been bored out of my mind.

Jess: Thank you. I'm also interested to see where things are going to go. What's ironic is that, since I've been writing by hand, the posts are coming a lot easier. When I sit at the computer with the intention of writing, I invariably end up staring at a blank screen and giving in to distractions. Of course, whether or not the hand-written posts are any good is another matter. I've written several posts that I'll never publish.

Stefanie: I agree, with blogs, you can write anything you want. It's my intention to branch out a bit and not keep things strictly literary. It can be tiring writing exclusively about books, with the looming threat of blogging becoming stale. So I've cut a deal with myself: if the post isn't literary, content-wise, I'll simply add a line or two about the book I'm currently reading or thinking about. That way I can at least say that this blog lives up to its name. :)