The Lit Log: Adam Lawson

This is the sixth in a series called the Lit Log, where I ask people to document what and how they read. If you would like to contribute to the Lit Log, hit me up at andhertz [at] gmail.

Adam Homer Lawson is a teacher on the West Side of Chicago. He writes on his own blog Scoundrels and Vagrants and was recently published on Thought Catalog.

How many books (approximately) do you read a year: I'm a little embarrassed to say but around four. I'm more of a 'read on a whim at 3 a.m' sort of dude. But if its any constellation I read about 50 short stories a year. I like the brevity and wholeness short stories have.

How many book do you read at a time: One, my brain is a monorail. Not the autobahn.

The last great book you read: Noon Wine by Catherine Ann Porter

Your desert island book: Hot Water Music -Charles Bukowski

The first book to change your life: Love is a Dog From Hell - Charles Bukowski. I was 16 and any reader of Bukowski knows that this collection is WAY TOO MUCH for a 16 year old to handle.

Comfort author (think like comfort food): John Cheever. His writing is so layered and darkly congenial that it sits on the pallet like a cup of tea. The pretentious kind of tea that costs too much and smells faintly on gin.

Do you ever judge a book by its cover: Absolutely. Anything with a super imposed image of a shirtless man or ciggerete smoking woman is open and ready to be judged.

Are you satisfied with your literary intake: I'm more concerned with my literary output.

Thoughts on contemporary state of literature: Where are all the literary badasses at? Dave Eggers? Johnathan Ames? Where are the dudes who start bar fights with gang members?

The Lit Log: Gene Wagendorf III

This is the fifth in a series called the Lit Log, where I ask people to document what and how they read. If you would like to contribute to the Lit Log, hit me up at andhertz [at] gmail.

Gene Wagendorf III was a music writer at Windy City Rock. He also contributed words to the online travel guide UPChicago, the graphic novel review site Trading Opinions and was a guest blogger for FeelTrip Studios. His poetry has been published in Kill Poet, ditch, O Sweet Flowery Roses, Vowel Movements and Robot Communism. He is survived by his dog, Whiskey, and a version of himself with slightly less of a Bill Hicks-complex.

How many books (approximately) do you read a year: That's tough. To get it out of the way early- I'm an avid reader of of graphic novels/comics. Obviously that medium offers a completely different reading experience than traditional, text only literature, especially in regards to time. I tend to read one or two "book books" a month, but I can plow through six trades of The Walking Dead in one night. The short answer is between 12-20 books a year and maybe 30-40 graphic novels.

How many book do you read at a time: I tend to do a lot of juggling. At any given time my bag has a novel, a graphic novel and either a collection of poetry or short stories in it. What I'm in the mood for changes so frequently that I always like to be prepared.

The last great book you read: This might be cheating since it's a book I've read several times, but I recently reread Tom Robbins' Still Life With Woodpecker. Like a lot of Robbins' work it's highly quotable, self-indulgent, whimsical, hilarious and thought-provoking. Oh, and sexy. Few authors manage to get me erect and get me thinking on the same page. I often forget I have the ability to do both at the same time until I read a great book.

Your desert island book: Charles Bukowski - Tales of Ordinary Madness. It is, in my opinion, his best collection of short fiction. It's packed with the drunk curmudgeon yarns that people expect from Buk, but there are also surprising moments of tenderness and fantasy. There's a few peeks behind the curtain - stories that lend a little insight into his more practical life as a writer. The stories work together towards a strange end, both debunking Bukowski myths and furthering them at the same time. It's self-deprecating and depressing while also being strangely funny and uplifting. The man was a walking contradiction, a tough, angsty booze-hound with a poetic soul and crushing sensitivity. Tales of Ordinary Madness shows off both of those sides, and is a perfect introduction to Bukowski for whatever uninitiated are left.

Best music to listen to while reading: To paraphrase Rob Gordon, when I'm reading I just want something I can ignore. That is, I don't want some catchy pop song I know all the words to. I'll get distracted, want to sing-a-long, or dance or whatever. New Order might be the worst music to read to. Can't do it. I tend to go for something relaxed, or at the very least something instrumental. Thurston Moore's record 'Trees Outside The Academy' is always a good pick; there's some hypnotic acoustic guitar work that, working with his relatively smoky croon, allows me to get lost in the page. Mazzy Star's 'So Tonight That I Might See' is another good one. Not to sound pretentious, but jazz tends to be perfect. Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck- something with a seductive groove and won't be distracting.

Best music to listen to while writing: Like when reading, when writing I don't want to be jarred or taken out of the moment. Abdullah Ibrahim is a favorite because his compositions keep my mind on its toes. Banyana has this structured freedom to it, like anything can happen within these intuitive segments. It helps the creative juices flow without being too jarring. As far as rock goes, a band like Explosions in the Sky has been a recent favorite for writing. I'm a late comer to the band, but like just about the rest of the human race I find their music inspiring. It has a drive to it that's more majestic than it is aggressive, and there's an incredible feeling that comes with finishing a paragraph or a thought right at one of their climaxes and taking a drag off of a cigarette during the settling. Those are the moments that make blogging seem almost glamorous. Almost.

The Lit Log: Sophie L. Nagelberg

This is the fourth in a series called the Lit Log, where I ask people to document what and how they read. If you would like to contribute to the Lit Log, hit me up at andhertz [at] gmail.

Sophie is an editorial publication assistant at Agate Publishing as well as the singer/bassist in Videotape, who released the shoegazy / noise-pop This Is Disconnect earlier this year.

How many books (approximately) do you read a year: I generally read 2-3 books per month, so, if my math skills are correct, around 24-36 books per year. But who's counting?  

How many books do you read at a time: I prefer to read one book at a time, but that never happens! Never. It bothers me to start something new when the first is not finished. Even if I don't like a book, I hate to put it down because I feel as though I'm cheating—like I don't deserve to put it on my bookshelf(s). I'm currently reading Songdogs by Colum McCann, but I've completed two novels by Shay Youngblood in the mean time. I'm also currently reading a lot of old newspapers and a published journal from the early 1900s.   

The last great book you read: The last book I read that I will not shut up about is Bonnie Jo Campbell's Once Upon a River. One of my former professors gave me her two short story collections: Women and Other Animals and American Salvage, both of which I really fell in love with. I saw Campbell speak at Printer's Row this year and she told a story about a woman, whom she based a character off of, coming up to her and saying something like, "I had no idea you understood my struggles until I read it." I can't think of a better compliment to an author. That was very inspiring.

Your desert island book: The dictionary.  

Book to read while cooking: Sometimes, I read recipes and directions in cookbooks with absolutely no intention of cooking. I really wouldn’t read a novel or anything of that sort while cooking. I need to concentrate—on both tasks—separately.   

Autumn book: What is an autumn book anyway?  

Do you ever judge a book by its cover: Yes! And why shouldn't I? I work at a book publishing company. The fact is--people judge books by their covers all the time. A cover should convey a message. I think it should be a representation of the writing. But then again, I have misjudged…Really though, I'll judge a book by the paper it's made out of. Sorry.  

Are you satisfied with your literary intake: No, I'm not satisfied with anything.   

Thoughts on contemporary state of literature: Clearly, the way people are reading is undergoing rapid transition. At first, I was hesitant of e-books and e-reading devices, but I've really had a change of heart. I mean, Agate makes ebooks, in-house, so I better like them. We're partnered with the Chicago Tribune, so we use content from their digital archives, and you know, make books! It's really fascinating. I'm extremely excited to be a part of the process. I've gotten to work on biographical ebooks on Charlie Trotter and Grant Achatz, to recipe books, to popular column collections. Also, as far as the whole paper vs. digital thing, some content just makes more sense in digital form. So, there.

Another thought on the state of literature: I'm a big fan of short (short) fiction and flash fiction, something that has been on the rise. I hope this kind of fiction will become more widely accepted. And by widely accepted, I mean, I want that quirky collection of flash fiction to be on the best-seller's table at Barnes & Noble. A particular writer that comes to mind is Lydia Davis. I tried to emulate basically all of her collection, Almost No Memory. Most of these stories are only one paragraph, but each one is unique and complete.

The Lit Log: Andrew Adair

This is the third in a series called the Lit Log, where I ask people to document what and how they read. If you would like to contribute to the Lit Log, hit me up at andhertz [at] gmail. 

Andrew Adair is Head of Production at the non-profit indie film organization, Artists Public Domain.

How many books (approximately) do you read a year: 4-5
How many book do you read at a time: 2
The last great book you read: Tinkers
Your desert island book: In Cold Blood
Book that reinforces your attitude about America: Infinite Jest
Autumn book: Tinkers
Are you satisfied with your literary intake: I could always use more.
Thoughts on contemporary state of literature: Much of it is a little too self-aware/self-serving or desperate to break new narrative ground. I wish more authors would just try to tell a unique story classically or even just a classic story classically.

The Lit Log: Eric Rivera

This is the second in a series called the Lit Log, where I ask people to document what and how they read. If you would like to contribute to the Lit Log, hit me up at andhertz [at] gmail. 

Eric Rivera (b. 1984) is from a cornfield in Indiana, a small, impoverished country in the U.S. Middle West sector. He spends his time drawing and printing comic books, riding his bike & running around, and making music in Energy Gown, a Chicago experimental music group. He can't go home again.

How many books (approximately) do you read a year:  Hmmm...I probably read anywhere from 2-6 books a month, but I don't usually finish most of them.
How many book do you read at a time: 2 or 3
The last great book you read: Bad Boys and Tough Tattoos by Samuel M. Steward, PhD.
Your desert island book: Survivalist Handbook of some kind...
Autumn book: The Secret Life of Salvador Dali by Salvador Dali; CF's Power Mastrs 1-3 (re-reading at the mo')
Best bathroom reading: National Geographic back issues from 1961-1970, 1990-1992; Ivan Brunetti's Anthology of Graphic Fiction Vols. 1 & 2
Are you satisfied with your literary intake: No.
Thoughts on contemporary state of literature: I really dislike this Believer school of contemporary writers, it just feels like this upper class of over educated, under experienced, East Coast, white, liberal to the point of actual conservatism, most importantly, basically bad writers. That being said, David Foster Wallace is one of my favorites. My other favorites are all dead. Wait, he's dead too. I genuinely forgot that for a second. My other favorites are LONG dead, then. To further defend my sweeping dismissal of all contemporary authors, though, I should say that in any art form, most of the people in each field are making basically bad work. And the nature of the world today is such that most of those..."hacks," let's call them, are really over-educated. Whether music, painting, acting, whatever...And it is our burden to work through the tangle of modern junk and figure out what is worth our collective memory and consumption. Then you start wondering how that truth affects the execution of the work itself. How can one author's book stand out in a sea of true junk? I dunno. I have to leave for work and can't finish this thought right now.

The Lit Log: Shannon Aliza

This is the first in a series called the Lit Log, where I ask people to document what and how they read. If you would like to contribute to the Lit Log, hit me up at andhertz [at] gmail.

Shannon is currently trolling the streets of Beijing with a Leica lens at earthisboring.blogspot.com.

How many books (approximately) do you read a year:  I'd like to say more than ten novels, but time and space are hard to gauge.
How many book do you read at a time: I read one at a time. I like to read graphic novels in one sitting, if possible.
The last great book you read: Winter Journal by Paul Auster was the perfect book to read at the time I was reading it. Auster is my literary soul mate. He opened up fiction for me with the New York Trilogy. Philip K Dick is noted for his mind-bending-ness, but I don't think Auster is as recognized for fucking with peoples brains. Similar to ALL Haruki Murakami novels, The New York Trilogy has always stuck in my veins in a way I feel both uncomfortable with and excited by. Winter Journal is the type of autobiography I would write about myself if I were to do that kind of thing.
Your desert island book: Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut
Prison cell book: Hardboiled Wonderland and The End of the World by Haruki Murakami
Autumn book: Autumn is both exciting and depressing. I tend to read new things in the fall, rather than reread or go back to old favorites. I just finished The Autograph Man by Zadie Smith and will start NW soon.
Are you satisfied with your literary intake: No, absolutely not. I would love to have more time to read, but I have photos to take and the state of my existence in China to contemplate.
Thoughts on contemporary state of literature: The biggest disappointment to me this year in the literary world, was when Jonah Lehrer was discovered to have MADE UP information in his book Imagine. He is a young, smart, relevant guy who has completely discredited himself (he was often a guest on RadioLab-- the best podcast around!). The news of this broke just after the Mike Daisy incident on This American Life. Smart young people need to step up their game. Success is such a smack in the face and really seems to signify not needing to work hard anymore. I don't think I can trust a writer who isn't tortured. Not that I want David Foster Wallace type smart and tortured writers, but there is an element of truly hard work that goes into really great novels. A lot of people in their twenties are too into themselves to see the world on a larger scale-- to see that their laziness effects others. Look at all of the literary prizes that are given out almost solely to an older generation (Julian Barnes' The Sense of an Ending won the 2011 Booker Prize. A totally incredible novel that largely takes place in the 60s).  They are working hard to stay relevant. Does it really take 30 years of writing to achieve literary acclaim? Absolutely not. Most people we admire these days (Hemingway wrote The Sun Also Rises when he was 27, Mary Shelley was 21 when she wrote Frankenstein, and Kerouac wrote On the Road when he was 25 ) were young. Unfortunately, young writers, especially those who have not graduated from esteemed MFA  or ivy league thesis programs are incredibly overlooked. What I LOVE about contemporary literature is that there are so many venues for writers who are not in the mainstream to get their work into the public sphere. Small start up literary zines like The Logan Square Literary Review or websites like McSweeneys and The Diagram are all amazing ways to showcase writers who are honing their craft. Most of the writers are unknown because they have 9-5 jobs, do not come from privilege, and have to hermit away their time to make their way. Similar to the days of the Beat Poets, writers nowadays have to create communities inside their hometowns/cities and become big from there. One of the most exciting readings I went to in Chicago was a poetry reading done by two guys who were touring around the country, just like musicians, from reading to reading and selling their books. It was great.