I've been keeping lists of the books I've read for more than 10 years now. For the past five or more years, I've added a brief review of each book to my list. Every year I create a Word Docx entitled Books Read xxxx (the year). Every time I finish a book, I add it to the list. I add the books to Goodreads as well.
I wanted to call attention to Benjamin Anastas's article, "The Paper Tomb," in the November 8, 2021, edition of The New Yorker. He writes about Claude Fredericks, who died in 2013. Fredericks, like Anastas, taught at Bennington College. Fredericks made extensive daily entries in his journals from the age of 8 until just a couple of weeks before he died. The Getty now has this artifact -- something like the embodiment of a human life on paper. I loved the article and if anyone is interested, Ben will be on a panel about personal essay and memoir writing on March 19 on Cape Ann, Massachusetts. I can provide a link to that discussion after the fact. Andre Dubus III and Steve Almond will also be on that panel and journal writing will be part of that discussion because of this remarkable piece Ben wrote. All three have written unforgettable memoirs.
I dont need to keep track of the books I read since I only read on Kindle now (I still buy "real" books as gifts but living on a boat means limited library space), so all my 2021 books are listed. Even those I get from my library.
I wrote a daily journal faithfully when my husband and I first traveled on our sailboat to Mexico in 1989. I am using those journals to write a memoir of that first year or so of my married life. Somehow, I never got back to writing daily again. Things never seemed exciting enough!
I agree with Courtney, I think we all were separated by birth. So many of your stories in the newsletter I lived through myself. I don't journal so that is how I'm different from both of you. I'm excited about George Saunders newsletter, still debating if I want to sign up for the paid subscription. There are not enough hours in the day to read everything I want to read. I can't wait for the book list next week. Thanks.
I use Goodreads to keep track of my reading and then I do a list at the end of the year.
I've been keeping lists of the books I've read for more than 10 years now. For the past five or more years, I've added a brief review of each book to my list. Every year I create a Word Docx entitled Books Read xxxx (the year). Every time I finish a book, I add it to the list. I add the books to Goodreads as well.
I wanted to call attention to Benjamin Anastas's article, "The Paper Tomb," in the November 8, 2021, edition of The New Yorker. He writes about Claude Fredericks, who died in 2013. Fredericks, like Anastas, taught at Bennington College. Fredericks made extensive daily entries in his journals from the age of 8 until just a couple of weeks before he died. The Getty now has this artifact -- something like the embodiment of a human life on paper. I loved the article and if anyone is interested, Ben will be on a panel about personal essay and memoir writing on March 19 on Cape Ann, Massachusetts. I can provide a link to that discussion after the fact. Andre Dubus III and Steve Almond will also be on that panel and journal writing will be part of that discussion because of this remarkable piece Ben wrote. All three have written unforgettable memoirs.
I use Goodreads. I'm a voracious reader and couldn't imagine keeping up with the books I've purchased and read without it!
I dont need to keep track of the books I read since I only read on Kindle now (I still buy "real" books as gifts but living on a boat means limited library space), so all my 2021 books are listed. Even those I get from my library.
I wrote a daily journal faithfully when my husband and I first traveled on our sailboat to Mexico in 1989. I am using those journals to write a memoir of that first year or so of my married life. Somehow, I never got back to writing daily again. Things never seemed exciting enough!
I agree with Courtney, I think we all were separated by birth. So many of your stories in the newsletter I lived through myself. I don't journal so that is how I'm different from both of you. I'm excited about George Saunders newsletter, still debating if I want to sign up for the paid subscription. There are not enough hours in the day to read everything I want to read. I can't wait for the book list next week. Thanks.