Three years ago, my attempt at NaNoWriMo was a mess, mucked up by moving house.
Now I go for the slightly more manageable NaBloPoMo, when at some point during the month of November 2006 I will be… moving house :-)
There’s a symmetry in there I like. Let’s see how we go…
Number 372:
Shopping for a DVD of Toy Story at ten o’clock at night.
Since we’ve made the move to a small-ish village community (well, since we’re making the move - still waiting on solicitors) there’s been a fair bit of adjustment going on to different ways of doing things.
Sunday was the annual Harvest Thanksgiving at our church, and it caught me a little by surprise. I’ve only ever really spent time in what you would call city, or at least suburban, churches. In those places harvest celebration has been a bit of a tradition and a bit of a formality, but not much more than that. Here it is very different.
Each service (including the extra one) was packed almost out the door, with an atmosphere and enthusiasm that I can only really compare to what I’ve experienced at Christmas in other churches. Which when I thought about it made sense: this is still a community where there are plenty of those who rely on the harvest for their living in a much more immediate way than your average city-dweller. The sense of a community celebration gave a little bit of insight into what is at the heart of the place.
I’ve coming away feeling like I understand where I am that bit better, and I’m glad of it.
From the Enchanted Evenings last weekend. Talk about ‘available darkness’ photography. It was fun.
(By the way, please don’t forget this - voting until the 11th.)
There’s been a bit of comment floating around about Douglas Coupland’s most recent.
It bothers me (the book, not the comment) because in the past I’ve been quite keen on his novels. Girlfriend In A Coma and Hey, Nostradamus are notable favourites.
Let me republish the comment I left on Michaela’s post above:
As for jPod. It really isn’t very good, is it? When it’s actually advertised as ‘Microserfs for the…’ you know it’ll suck. I enjoyed Microserfs, but not this. Too much knowing, pomo-ironic self-reference. I hate to say this, but he seems more concerned with being Douglas Coupland and living up to his pop-culture prophet rep than writing good books anymore. Hey Nostradamus is the only worthwhile one from recent years. I’ll second the rec on Girlfriend, though. My first Coupland, and still a favourite.
I find myself wondering, if it’s just a little too subtle for me, if the lack of subtlety is the point in itself. Is that what Coupland is trying to say?
And then I think, nah. This one’s just a miss. ‘Microserfs for the Google generation,’ but without the appeal. Being knowing and clever is a major part of what I like about Coupland, but when it’s detached from an interesting or enjoyable novel then it just isn’t enough.
(By the way, please don’t forget this - voting until the 11th.)
See title.