Let's see. Got home late Sunday night, chatted with Dave a bit, was very happy to see him, all was well. Then I woke up on Monday freezing. Figured the heat would kick in at some point, but it didn't. ALL DAY. Woke up today, still wasn't on, and this morning I swear I could see my breath. So you see, going to the library today was more than a search for reading materials; it was an act of self preservation. Even so, I couldn't resist scouting out some stuff I actually wanted before leaving the house, and since I'm currently in the middle of two excellent text-based books (Dance Dance Dance and Paper Lion), I figured I'd go for some comics. One series that I've never read any of is Kurt Busiek's Astro City, which is supposed to be quite good, and the Crown Heights Branch had the first 3 installments, so I figured I could go there, hang out, absorb the warmth, get some books, and not have to freeze for a while.
Waitaminute, I almost forgot. The two books I brought on my trip. Well, Heart of Darkness was amazing, not much I can say about it except that if you've never read anything of Conrad's, this is an excellent place to start, because it is more straightforward and definitely shorter than some of his other works. That and the whole it being really really good part. As far as Johnny Got His Gun, I'm definitely glad I read it, and for the most part I agree with the author's anti-war stance. I was completely wrong about the setting, as it took place during World War I; it must have had a resurge in popularity during the Vietnam era, as the most recent introduction was written in that time period. All that said, it was a good book, but I generally feel that if a book is all message and no story, it would have been better served being an essay of some sort. There was a bit of story in this one, but it essentially only existed to serve the message of the book, so it wasn't very organic. Dalton Trumbo, the author, also wrote movies in the middle of last century, and that makes sense to me, as the characters in the book seemed underdeveloped, just as characters in an old movie might be. Now, on to today!
Branch: Crown Heights
Location: 560 New York Ave. at Maple St.
Transport: R train to Atlantic Ave., 2 train to Sterling St.
Books: Astro City: Life in the Big City, Astro City: Confession, and Astro City: Family Album by Kurt Busiek
Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2007
So this library was fine. I wasn't paying much attention, I mostly just sat there and read. It was warm. I guess it opened in 1958. I forgot to look up stuff on Nova Scotia for Dave. They definitely had a decent comic section...two shelves, anyway. I probably looked around this place the least that I have of any library to date. And an update on the heat situation, after being on for the first 10 minutes I was home, the heaters are now back off again, so that's just great. Luckily I borrowed Amy's space heater, so that's going now, though it isn't doing much yet. All landlords suck, and anyone who says different is a fool. Over and out!
Oh, right, pictures.
Entres vous!
La chose entière!
Une autre tour d'horloge!
Allez à la maison!
7 comments:
c'est amusant a parler en francais, n'est-ce pas? oui. il est dommage que ton appartement est frois. je vois le niege a la exterieur de mon finetre. j'espere que le cote ouest etait amusant pour toi.
ok my french sucks, thats all!
Did you just say you had a cat in your pants?
You guess it opened in 1958? How about you do your fucking research before you sit down and write these things. Geez.
hi michael.
Did you ever go to the bunker-style library in Uptown here in beautiful Minneapolis?
I'm guessing you did. It's a strange place - I feel like libraries should have windows and it creeps me out that that branch doesn't.
I never lived in that city
tu parles francias?
really? because it's hot as hell in israel. "winter" is suppose to last until at least march here.
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