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Somebody asked me what I was reading these days. So, here are some of the books I've read (or am still reading) over the past few months. And I would recommend all of them:
Michael Kimmelman: The Accidental Masterpiece - On the Art of Life and Vice Versa (Penguin) Excellent meditations on art and all it's implications.
John Markoff: What the Dormouse Said: How the Sixties Counter-culture Shaped the Personal Computer Industry (Penguin) Most highly recommended. My own career intersected with many of the personalities mentioned in Markoff's very well informed book, and he is very able to re-create the sense of awe and wonderment (even if sometimes chemically induced) of those times.
Michael Wex: Born to Kvetch - Yiddish Language and Culture in All of Its Moods (Harper) Excellent insight into the best human language devised for complaining. Very funny, too, keynehore.
Victor Klemperer: The Language of the Third Reich (Continuum) A prof of French Lit in Dresden when the Nazis took over, Klemperer (a distant cousin to the famous conductor), kept a secret notebook analyzing how the language of the Third Reich created its culture. Fascinating. Depressing, too.
Bob Dylan (Robert Zimmerman): Chronicles I first visited and then inhabited Greenwich Village from 1959-68, and crossed paths with many of the places and people mentioned in this book, like Izzy Young, who ran the Folklore Center in the West Village, and Gerde's Folk City, the Figaro, etc. Surprisingly, Dylan's book is really well written and a fascinating read. I admit I was quite surprised.
Morton Feldman: Give My Regards To Eighth Street - Collected Writings (Exact Change) Morton Feldman (1926-1987) was a New York composer of what would be called "minimalism". And, he is one of my "mentors". I actually met him once or twice. Larger than life, this collection of his writings is both funny, outrageous, and illuminating. It also gives a good picture of life among the artists of the 50's and 60's in NYC.
Morton Feldman: Morton Feldman Says - Collection interviews and lectures 1964-1987 (Hyphen Books) Even more enlightening and articulate writings about art and music.
Kyle Gann: Music Downtown - Writings from the Village Voice (California) Kyle is a composer and probably the most readable and best informed music critic, ever. These collected reviews and essays from past Village Voice issues cover the cutting-edge music scene in NYC in the 80's and 90's. And, he's a friend of mine. http://kylegann.com/
Karl Sabbagh: The Riemann Hypothesis - The Greatest Unsolved Problem in Mathematics (FSG) Seems a shame that I did get my B.S. in Math, but rarely use that part of my brain anymore. Except occasionally. This one is a fascinating history of the Riemann Zeta function, and takes us from Riemann's 1859 paper to attempts at proof up to today. Good insight into what mathematics is made of. Lots of fun.
Joseph Roth: Report from a Parisian Paradise - Essays from France 1925-39 (Norton) Roth, novelist and newspaper feature writer, exiled in Paris during the Nazi years, gives his impression of Paris and the French on the eve of WWII. I've been reading many of this works as they are now appearing in English. Another is What I Saw: Reports from Berlin.
Leonard Pitt: Walks Through Lost Paris - A Journey into the Heart of Historic Paris (Shoemaker and Hoard) A great book with lots of pictures and history. The City of Berkeley this month declared Leonard Pitt to be a city treasure and honored him with a Leonard Pitt day (Nov 8th). And, he's a friend and I always read and recommend the books of friends! http://leonardpitt.com/
Alain de Botton: Status Anxiety (Vintage) Read anything and everything by this writer, based in London. E.g. How Proust Can Change Your Life, The Art of Travel, The Consolations of Philosophy. One of the best essayists of his generation (he's quite young) on art and culture! http://www.alaindebotton.com/
John Luther Adams: Winter Music - Composing the North (Wesleyan) John lives in Alaska. This is a book about what being a composer in the frozen north is all about, both externally and internally. A wonderful book, and it includes a CD. http://johnlutheradams.com/
Gary Snyder: Danger on the Peaks - Poems (Shoemaker & Hoard) Impeccable poetry.
William Vollmann: Europe Central Vollmann's 800 page novel about Europe before WWII. I will admit that I couldn't finish it. Vollmann is an incredible writer. Still, I got lost somewhere in the middle and haven't picked it up since. Your mileage may vary.
If you're interested in any of these books and need to buy them online, I would recommend http://powellsbooks.com/ Otherwise, support your local independent bookseller. They need your business.
