SOME AUSTIN BOOK HAPPENINGS

Today, the only person who reads this blog asked me to update. Here's what I've been up to, literature wise:

• I've been going around telling people I made out with Junot Diaz, which is totally untrue and probably defamatory for him (major upgrade for me.)  But I did go to his book signing at BookPeople, listen to him namecheck Paula Moya (!!), praise sports writing (YES, YES, AND YES) and... the best thing? He totally shamed a whitegirl who tried to be fresh when asking a question about his writing process. Someone raised her hand to ask how he wrote, but she phrased it with a terrible example "Do you start your morning off with a cafe CON LECHE" and totally butchered that pronunciation. I think everyone started laughing because.... if you read Junot Diaz, and are able to absorb at least fifty percent of what he's writing about... why would you ask that question in that way? And Mr. Diaz basically repeated "Cafe con LAY-CHAY" for like two minutes. He also graciously answered her question. And then later he kissed me on the cheek after he signed my book. Ummmm. True love, yes? By the way, "This is How You Lose Her" is excellent - I finished it the same day I went to see him speak. I think it reflects a lot more of Junot at a particular phase in his career, but I still prefer "Drown." Something about childhood immigrant stories and the way he writes about them that resonate more clearly with me.

• I developed an insane crush on David Foster Wallace. Ugh. Can't even talk about him without my heart palpitating. If you're in the mood for some highly clever, analytical, precise, and still - so humanely entertaining - writing, check out "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again." It's a great selection of non-fiction essays and the best part is they're funny (which is so hard to find) but also smart and you feel that you're reading from someone who loves writing. To be on the receiving end of DFW's writing is an immense joy. Also, I'm in the throes of reading "Infinite Jest" which I feel is never going to get done unless I really buckle down and read it over the holidays. The book is giving me carpal tunnel (for real... it's huge).
• Read some books I was meh on, but also a few I really deeply disliked. For meh, "When We Were Orphans" by Kazuo Ishiguro was one - I loved "Never Let Me Go" but this was just all right. Ishiguro's writing seems plodding here, which is odd, since the plot is set up like a detective story. Hated "Sideways" by Rex Pickett. It's the same one you probably saw in theaters, but geez, this is terrible. This is what happens when you give overgrown frat boys an iPhone and ask them what they've been up to lately. It's centered on two men who either have some sort of moral compass or don't. I CAN'T TELL. Because most of the time there's some light dialogue about not cheating on their partners or lying about their jobs, and then going ahead and cheating on their partners and continuously lying about everything. 
• I've also decided that I love Austin, don't understand BBQ (the postcards below are from Black's, in Lockhart, BBQ capital of TX, or the universe, or something like that - super cute place, meat tastes like... meat... to ME), adopted a puggle, and managed to catch shows by Mos Def (Yassin Bey, I guess) and Alejandro Escovedo. Unfortunately, I've also discovered the donut food truck that is Gourdough's and have had one too many delicious donuts as big as my head.