Sep 26, 2006

"LOVE CATS BA BA BAH BAH BAHDO BA BA BOP BA BA BOP BOM"

I love how totally fucking arrogant human beings are and how we like to bend the natural world to suit us. Is your favorite seasonal vegetable not available in winter? No problem, we can just grow it with lots of chemicals and ignore the seasons! Think cats are cute but can't risk having an allergic reaction? No problem! Cats can be bred without dander for your convenience. Nevermind that dander probably exists for a reason and nevermind that in breeding the potential allergenic qualities out of cats that plenty of terrible consequences could bubble up. Nevermind that, because now they've been objectified, you can have more convenient stuff! Because as everyone knows, the more stuff you have, the less you have to be in touch with yourself! Yay! Hypo-allergenic cats for everyone!

Fucking ridiculous. I hope that's a hoax. Like the cats in bottles thing a few years ago.

Tangent over.

So, I ended up having to devote most of last year to re-reading and editing my own little novel, (not that I'm complaining) and was struck a few days ago with the terrible pangs of a literary jones. So, I have decided to read 24 books in the next year. Plenty of time to read and still get some writing done. To start the countdown, I'm about a third of the way through Stella Suberman's The Jew Store. It's beautiful and heartbreaking and thoughtful and terrifying all at once. I can't speak for the remaining two thirds, but so far, so good. A Jewish family moves from New York City to rural northwestern Tennessee in the 1920s-ish to open a dry goods store and are the only Jews in a KKK-run town. I made the mistake of reading part of it before going to bed last night. Dreams starring the Ku Klux Klan don't exactly make for excellent sleeping. At least, in the dream any chasing by/of the KKK was done with a Benny Hill meets Keystone Cops sort of flourish, so it wasn't too awful. For example:

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Man, I get pissed enough when people declaw kitty for "their convenience."
I have two books for you to read--Marge Piercy's Woman on the Edge of Time and Octavia Butler's Kindred. Stop me if you've read them before!

Katie Schwartz said...

I read about that hypo-allergenic cat situation. talk about creepy. that's just wrong on every level. most disturbing. even worse, that people are supporting it.

sounds like a good read! I will definitely check it out.

have you thought of reading, alone with the devil before bed?

gossip and fluff only.

Anonymous said...

As you are well aware of, I read everything I can get my hands on. Try "The Memory Keepers Daughter" or 'Snow Flower and the Secret Fan". Both are great reads. Since you have been meeting all of these wonderful writers at your book signings, I have have been trying to read some of their books. Right now I am reading "Southern Living" by Ad Hudler. A funny,funny book!

As for the cat issue, just don't get me started. You just shouldn't mess with Mother Nature!

Vicki

Nicky said...

The hypoallergenic cats are real, according to BBC. I was outraged by it too!

I made the mistake of watching a 9/11 government consipiracy movie before bed the other day. I was so pissed/troubled I couldn't sleep.

Unknown said...

I think they should breed genetically altered dogs with 14% more leg humping!