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Five things I read: Editor's Notes #162
March 31, 2014
Hello,

No author writes alone.
We all simply add to the wealth of thought and words of those before us.

--Tony Stead


In this issue:

1. Five things I read
2. Tickled my funnybone
3. Interesting Web site

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1. Five things I read
I woke some months ago with a clear sense that the days I have left are fewer than those I have already spent. In a general re-evaluation, I reconsidered what I read for enjoyment. In this issue, I'm sharing what I've chosen for leisure reading and why.

I read writers I admire out of a general desire to be in the presence of those I admire. When I rub shoulders with the admirable, I see what is possible, and I dream bigger dreams.

I read writers I enjoy because I need bit of enjoyment in my life. In my case, I particularly enjoy writers who create indelible images with words. Instead of pigging out on chocolate, I enjoy revelling in apt phrases. (Well, OK, I can eat chocolate and read at the same time.)

I read writers who write like I do because I need models for how to write better, and I need reinforcement that I'm on the right track.

I read writers who write differently from me because I need to stretch my writing muscles. Writers who are different from me tempt me into new literary territory.

I read prize winners and books otherwise recommended to me to save time in finding excellent books of any type. My current project is to read all the winners of the Man Booker prize. Because this is such a wide-ranging prize, I have learned a great deal about the world, not just the world of writers, but the world these disparate writers inhabit and reflect.

What criteria do you use in selecting leisure reading? If you have a reading list or a set of criteria you are willing to share with others, send it to me; I will pass it along.

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2.Tickled my funnybone
I try to lose weight, but it keeps finding me.

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3. Interesting Web site
If you are interested in cutting edge literary fiction, I commend the Man Booker Prize winners. I do not always "get" the books, but I do allow that great literary minds do. And the ones I do understand are often truly great literature published in my lifetime.
http://www.themanbookerprize.com/

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