Post #9: Summer Reading/Had Me a Blast

Hey Folks! It's Wednesday, July 18th, and we're halfway through the first week of the second half of Bread Loaf. 

I thought for today's post we'd feature photos of Summer Reading. The following photographs feature the summer readings selection of yours truly as well as other Front Desk Mavens. 

Once, not too long ago, I considered myself someone who likes to read books, i.e. an English Nerd, but I have to confess that I do not read books nearly as much as I'd like, (unless SportsCenter counts as reading.) This summer, however, I vowed to amend my wayward reading habits. To that end, I headed over to the Bread Loaf Bookstore and loaded up on a summer's worth of reading. 

The goods. Don't get caught on the wrong side of the book trade. 

I decided that my primary--but not exclusive--focus would be on books written by Bread Loaf faculty and staff.  Because a) it's nerdilicious that so many Bread Loaf faculty are highly esteemed writers and b) I was too cool for school back in my Pre-Maven days to buy their books. Since then I've had a number of life experiences that have given me a dose of humility. Like getting fat and dumb and losing my hair. I want to read these books before I forget how, like Charlie in...in....in....what was that book again?  

So, here's a look at Summer Reading.

"He closed his eyes, surrendering himself to her, body and mind, conscious of nothing in the world but the dark pressure of her softly parting lips." Joyce? Or how I incorrectly pictured Senior Prom? 

"Lots of writers begin life as confused, manipulative, or self-destructive children, don't they?" Sam Swope? Or what Ms. Gaither, my first gade teacher said to my parents at the end of the year?

"In 2 years/I saved $90,/sent off to a Roanoke/pawn shop". David Huddle's poetry? Or an accurate description of my financial struggles in New York City?

 

"There were also hints of body odor, fast food, coffe, and alcohol sick flatulence: fermented fruit, camp-ground outhouse." A vivid description of Rusty's red Chevelle from chapter 4 of Greg Bottoms' book? Or how Brenda the Bread Loaf housekeeper describes my room?

 "When I tried it on, it made me feel like it must have been waiting for years for me to rescue it from oblivion. 'I never realized you had such pretty legs...' From the last chapter Nothing Can Make Me Do This? Or me getting dressed for Senior Prom?  

 

"Never act like they're imperfections. They're who you are. They let anyone who's lucky to enough to see them know that you've been subjected to certain explorations." Ann Beattie? Or how my doctor humored me after examining my bald spots when I was 19 years-old?

The New England Review of literature? 

Or the Bread Loaf Yearbook? 

"these women gathered.../to talk their usual talk,/their conversation spiked with the names/ of avenues in France." Lucille Clifton? Or the men's only bathroom in the Inn?

 "Oatmeal aisle/even here/too many choices". A haiku by Front Desk Maven Peter Newton? Or what repeatedly ran through my brain three seconds before a meltdown in the Ripton Country Store?

And now other Mavens:

Here we have  Front Desk Maven Gene.
Gene is sporting the trendy "hand beard," all the rage with hipsters.
Maven Gene is displaying one of the dozens of books he reads per month.

How does Gene manage to read a book a week? On average? Easy: steroids. 

Ma'am, please calm down. Ma'am. Ma'am. Drop the box, and step away from the road.  

(Special shout-out to Maven MacNair for being Post #9's expert photographer.) 

Yes, the book Maven Overlord Edward is reading is called "Obselete." He claims the book describes me.
And now for today's Installment of Edward Insults Me: Recently, a Bread Loafer approached the front desk window to ask if there were any athletic trainers on hand. For some reason my mind mixed up "trainer" with "supporter," as in athletic supporters, as in jockstraps. So I replied, bewildered by his odd request,"You mean like jockstraps?" All the fellow mavens busted up laughing. The young man in front of window was not amused (we didn't know it, but another Loafer was injured playing soccer. It was kind of serious). Edward jumped in at this point and loudly explained my confusion. "Hey, we're sorry, but the lobotomy wasn't as successful as we hoped."

Enjoy your summer reading, folks. You can bet the English Nerds are. 

Enjoy.

Christian Patrick Clarke

Front Desk Novitiate, 2012 

Hic et Ubique