in lieu of reading, a few good Anne Carson interactions

[felinejumper]

1. I went to the fancy bookstore yesterday to buy myself a copy of if not, winter, reasoning that I should read it myself instead of just consuming sapphobot. The person behind the counter:

   • owns 3 copies of if not, winter
   • lusted briefly with me after this ludicrously expensive letter press edition, illustrations by jenny holzer
   • keeps a secret copy of Autobiography of Red tucked behind the David Foster Wallace for "when people like you and me come and we're out of stock"
   • asked "do you come here often?" and gave me ~four extra stamps on one of those frequent buyer cards, so, yes, I do now!

2. I just finished red doc< Monday, and was emoting to my housemates about it because I have zero (0) filters; one of them came home the next day and was like "I spent two hours today reading about Anne Carson at work, thanks." I do think I preferred Autobiography of Red, on balance; the specificity and reworking of the translations was so fucking perfect, and so much the meta-textual story re-making I LIVE for. Then again, approaching red doc with the expectation of a straight-forward sequel was foolish on my part. Autobiography continues to rub like a stone in a shoe at inarticulate feelings of queerness. It's the overlap between [embodiment, it sucks] and [gender, it sucks] that I also feel in that my favorite authors continue to be Sapphic women writing about being Sapphic women and embodiment thereof, while not feeling myself to be a Sapphic woman. I both do not know what to do with that feeling and am very glad that I'm having it, and thinking it, and reading literature that rubs at it without naming it. Books: they're pretty good, guys.

3. did you read reticent sonnet yet?

Comments

[fucktheg0ds]

I've got If Not, Winter in paperback! It's sooo good.

[felinejumper]

SO GOOD. I spent..some time...reading it out loud yesterday. I'm also just realizing that April is Poetry Month in the U.S. (possibly internationally as well, dunno), so I'm extra pleased to have bought it now.

[breathedout]

Ahahahaha omg, give that bookstore clerk my number! "Behind the David Foster Wallace" is a particularly amazing touch. And If not, winter is one of very few books of which I would consider spending that much on a fancy edition. *hearteyes*

[felinejumper]

I MEAN, I didn't not think about scribbling mine somewhere, just for delivering me that perfect single sentence story in the wild. Please tell me more about your stockroom tactics to give the people what they want!

[achray]

top bookstore employee

and this sonnet rings a bell but it's certainly been a fair while since I read it, so thanks!

[aerialiste]

(still trying after all these years to decide where/which Sappho line/s for a tattoo...)

from network

[kore]

Ohhhhhhhh my God that edition of 'if not, winter.' Wow.

Re: from network

[felinejumper]

it's a bane on my life even knowing that it exists, frankly.

[chestnut_pod]

What excellent interactions! Ah, bookstores are the meaning of life.

[felinejumper]

I forgot an additional detail in this ludicrous narrative, very important to me, which is that the soundtrack to all of this was Tegan and Sara, The Con. It was...yes, very fulfilling metaphysically all around.

[chestnut_pod]

WOW.

That is all I have to say.

[fosfomifira]

Thank you so much for introducing me to the sapphobot and thus inducing me to add if not, winter to my wish list. I’d kill to live near your bookshop. Until now I get by with whichever scraps get posted to tumblr. Now I’ll get regular doses of wonderfunness.

Ugh, that Folio Society edition. I long to buy myself a Folio Society book, but at the moment I have neither the budget for it, nor do I think my bookcases are elegant enough for such books. Still, it’s nice to dream.

[felinejumper]

Sapphobot is a beautiful addition to my life on a very regular basis, I am so delighted to be passing it on. Trying to provide both ends of the Sappho price section, you know?

and re the folio edition, Oh NO I hadn't even considered the bookshelf design for the future "very wealthy book purchasing" schema; right now they just kind of live...around, generally speaking. A

[xmarksthespotwhereistand]

I love that moment of kinship when two people discover how telling their reading choices are for each other and in my experience, not all book can create this feeling, but there are just 'those books' when you tell someone who has read this that you have also read this, you just instantly know a lot about each other. I adore your bookshop employee.