Antioch Bookstore Speaks

Too cool for school

2006-04-21T14:41:00.000-04:00

It's almost the end of the semester, and also that in-between time of year, weather-wise. Last week it was beautiful and sunny, hitting close to 70 degrees every afternoon. "Isn't it beautiful?" people would comment. Shoppers would encourage me to "get outside and get some sunshine" while I grimaced in reply. See, it was an oven inside the bookstore, I felt myself puffing and glazing over as the days wore on. The thermostat was hovering around 80 degrees in my office, and our air conditioning was having its annual breakdown. Mild relief was found by leaving the back door off the loading dock open while I was in the office. The open door, of course, posing a slight security risk; the greater risk coming in the form of giant, furry horseflies, lazy, sun-stunned bumblebees, and one overly curious squirrel, who thankfully left peacefully on his own accord. The one window that opens near the register provides blasts of warm air with no hope of cross-ventilation. I hate feeling surly and put-out when it is so lovely, but I simply couldn't enjoy it. Add to that my car was due for a freon-refreshing visit, and was a hot little sweatbox all the way home.

I was therefore, floored and overjoyed to come back from lunch yesterday to hear a familiar rumbling noise in backroom. Yes, they came and fixed the a.c., Dave assured me. I decided to wait for 24 hours of full functioning HVAC action before celebrating. That time is now --- and I'm freezing. The fog was thick coming into YS today, headlights cutting through the grey air even at 10 a.m. The air is only working on a continuous run, instead of cycling, and is slowly working it's way under 70 degrees. Ungrateful, I know. I just need to bring a sweater back to work and remember to take my lunch outside. And pray that the repairs keep 'er chugging through July and August. I'll be grateful then, I promise.

Summer Reading

2006-04-19T13:51:00.000-04:00

As the weather heats up around here, I can feel summer right around the corner. I traditionally put together a summer reading list, a habit that is most likely a holdover from my years of public school in which summers meant nearly unlimited free time to finally get to those books that were otherwise superseded by classes and homework. I’ve been out of high school and working almost an equal numbers of summers that I was in school, but the tradition endures.

As spring list titles have begun showing up in the store, I’ve been eyeing them as potential summer reading, picturing the book with me on my front porch, my dog lying on the cool cement and an icy, sweaty glass of lemonade just within reach. I’ve thankfully grown out of the phase in which I built lists based on what I “should” be reading. One year I’d placed both Ulysses and Moby Dick on my list, and I didn’t crack the cover of either one. One lengthy book I’m eager to start is the newest novel by Sarah Waters, The Night Watch. I’ve never read anything of hers, but I did listen to Tipping the Velvet on audio book – all seventeen CD’s worth, and found it brilliant. I’ve never sought out historical fiction, but Velvet was gripping, breath taking, utterly believable, and never dull. A little lesbian sex and cross-dressing didn’t hurt, either.

The next title on my list is sure to complicate the ideas of lesbian sex and cross-dressing. Both Sides Now is a memoir from Dhillon Kholsa, a woman who transitioned from female to male. I wrote a research paper in grad school on transsexual memoir, and found mostly memoirs written about male-to-female transition (of which Dierdre McCloskey’s Crossing and Jan Morris’ Conundrum were very interesting examples), so I’m excited to see more writing by FTM’s coming into print.

Another trend I’ve seen in the publishing world of late that I’ve met with a lot of ambivalence is writing by fat girls. My ambivalence may stem from my experience of being disappointed with some of the books about fat that I’ve read lately. Wendy McClure’s memoir I’m Not the New Me was particularly unsatisfying, especially considering how much I love her pop culture column in Bitch magazine and find her one of the funniest writers around. Check out her commentary on Weight Watcher’s recipes at her alternate website if you need convincing. Just don’t read it with a full bladder; I take no responsibility for wet desk seats. I also really HATED Scoot Over Skinny: The First Fat Nonfiction Anthology edited by Donna Jarrell, it was too chock-full of self-loathing for me to choke down. As a fat-positive fat girl, I have a low tolerance for self-hatred spewed on the page. I’m a bit wary of Judith Moore’s Fat Girl, and didn’t pick this up last year when it came out in hardcover, but now that the paperback is here, I’ve decided to give it a go. I mean, the cover just says “summer reading,” right? And I can totally picture myself lying by the pool in my fat-girl-black tank on my righteous Body Shop beach towel, the cover proudly propped up on my belly. Trust me, you’ll hear about it if I don’t like it.

I’m far from done with my summer reading list, but I have a great start. I’d start now, if it weren’t for the list of library books I’ve got currently checked out that need to be read. I’d love to hear any suggestions from you for books (new or old titles) to add to my summer reading list!

Welcome to the Bookstore Blog!

2006-04-19T11:19:00.000-04:00

This adventure in blogging is brought to you by the staff of the Antioch College Bookstore. Our staff right now is at two people, and for the moment I'm probably the only one who will be posting. Who am I? I'm Jennifer, the current manager, the short, fat, brunette with glasses who is occassionally seen outside of the backroom. Why start a blog for the bookstore? The most immediate reason is that I took a really cool class given by Rebecca in our ITS department, and it seemed like a good way to get to know Blogger. I already have two blogs of my own that don't get updated very often. I mostly use the el-jay account for the friends page and the high snarkability quotient of some communities of which I am a member. A bookstore blog seemed like it would be fun, and another way to interact with both the Antioch community, and community at large as a whole. But perhaps the biggest reason is that I am a total blog-o-phile in addition to being a bibliophile, and this venue is a way for me to selfishly indulge in two of my passions at once, all while at work!

You'll probably hear from me most, but I hope to elicit some contributions from current or former student employees as well. I'm also interested in contributions about the bookstore from other community members: students, staff, or faculty. Send pics, book reviews, thoughts, or ramblings of your own. I don't have a plan for "what this is about," only time will tell what it will be, as it becomes.

Welcome!