“‘But why do you hate stories so much?’ Haroun blurted, feeing stunned. ‘Stories are fun…’ ‘The world, however, is not for Fun,’ Khattam-Shud replied. ‘The world is for Controlling.’”- Salman Rushdie, ‘Haroun and the Sea of Stories’
Am I abusing the larger epigraph space the new website affords me? Only if I post bad epigraphs. Impossible, given my reading list of nothing but illustrious books.
What I’ve Been Reading This Week: a book that I picked up used at my old bookstore job, and thus has sat on my shelf unread for at least eight years. A book that, when I mention its author, many people have told me it’s the only book of this author that they have read. A book that, honestly, I thought was a collection of stories, but was in fact novel. To riff on what Anne Carson said about Stesichorus falling between Homer and Gertrude Stein: the book was written after the fatwa was declared, but before he dated Padma Lakshmi, a difficult time for the author. I’m talking, of course, about Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie.
Wikipedia calls Haroun and the Sea of Stories a children’s book. This is true enough, if you view Jurassic Park or E.T. or Stranger Things as children’s films/TV shows (my six-year-old has not seen any of those). This book is a delightful hero’s journey, a wonderful fairy tale. Picture, as I mentioned, a Spielberg movie. Picture Pan’s Labyrinth, too, because the fairy tale world is absolutely the result of a child’s fantasy when his parents are separated.
I mentioned this being the Rushdie I feel like I’ve heard the most people say they’ve read, and that rings true. It’s got a blue genie four years before Aladdin, for one thing. For another, it feels like something that would influence Aimee Bender and Kelly Link, who in turn have influenced *gestures wildly at the contemporary lit scene*. If this is the only Rushdie you read, I think you are missing out on what the big deal is, BUT you are getting a really great and condensed Rushdie experience. Sorta like how Inherent Vice is the only Pynchon I’ve read.
As always with Rushdie, I am sure I am missing a million political allusions and deeper meaning and funnier jokes, not to mention all I’m missing thanks to not speaking Hindustani. It would be a good book to read in a class or group. Alone, maybe the best I can muster is “Indian Narnia.” Which is super enjoyable! I had a ton of fun. It wasn’t life-changing, but I suspect it would have been if I read in 1990. Nothing wrong with fun, nothing wrong with reading one of the Common Ancestors of your literary lineage. So if you’re looking for a grown-up Narnia book? Well, Wikipedia says this is for children.
LINKS!
Something to listen to while you browse? We had a great episode of The Lazy & Entitled Podcast this week, featuring Chicago poet Ben Niespodziany. We talk about taking walks, we talk about everything that goes into being a poet that isn’t writing poetry, and by the end of it, I was pretty excited about my local literary scene. Here it is on Apple | Spotty | SoundCloud. We’ll skip a musical rec, because the links this week are gonna be the all-Chris’s Favorite Players Of The NBA Playoffs. Also, I can’t quite figure out how to embed videos in a list yet? So each link is a highlight you should check out.
- At small forward, I have to go LeBron James. I’m sorry. The guy is forty thousand years old, and he’s still a top 10, top 15 player. I’m no Luka fan, but I am a fan of egotistical executives eating shit, so I’m a Luka fan for the time being. I am also a fan of a guy who literally played with Marrella in his rookie season getting to spend his golden years as the second-best guy on his team, either throwing or catching touchdown passes for dunks and re-discovering defense. Honorable mention goes to Amen and Ausar Thompson.
- At power forward, I have to give the shoutout to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Poor guy has had nothing but wasted seasons since he hung a 50-pointer on the Suns to close out the 2021 Finals. Every team that has won a championship in the 2020s—LeBron Lakers, Giannis Bucks, Elder Steph Warriors, Jokic Nuggets, and Tatum/Brown Celtics—has felt like they should have even more championships. None of those elite players have suffered more from teammates breaking down/stupid management than Giannis. Honorable mention for favorite playoff PF to Julius Randle, whom I have long thought was cool as hell, but written off as a playoff player. I guess there’s something about playing with Anthony Edwards that makes dudes better.
- At center, obviously, Nikola Jokic (if you only click one link in the entire time you read this blog, click that one). The best player in the world, incredibly fun to watch, the guy who can put up a 60-20-20 statline in the flow of the offense. Honorable mention goes to Ivica Zubac, whom I have long liked a lot, and was having a career year going into the playoffs. Lotta podcasters picked the Clips to dark horse to get to the conference finals, which, to borrow from the great Kelly Dwyer, is the round that happens after the Clippers are done playing.
- At shooting guard, who else but Michael Jordan’s son, Anthony Edwards? His game just keeps getting better and better, and his commitment to shouting out teammates on the press podium is great. It’s like watching a 1989 MJ who can also shoot stepback threes. Honorable mention to Josh Hart, who is listed at shooting guard despite playing like a power forward. It is very weird to like a Knicks team.
- At point guard, it’s gotta be Jalen Brunson. The way he drives, puts defenders in jail, the way he never backs down on defense, his off-ball movement (oh my god can you imagine if 2011 Derrick Rose moved off ball like Brunson?), his sick-ass hair—I love Jalen Bruson. How can you not? Honorable mention to Jamal Murray. I love Playoff Jamal Murray, even if Regular Season Jamal Murray super gets on my nerves.
What’re you still doing here? Waiting for me to name a bench player or some other off-the-wall pick to prove I really Know Ball? The playoffs are for celebrating the best. Shoutout to Jaden McDaniels and Mitchell Robinson, I guess, Al Horford and Peyton Watson. The playoffs are for the stars, sorry. Legacies are made here. What, you think I’m so white I’m gonna mention Ty Jerome? Anyway, don’t you know that Micah and Brendan have a show?
If you work in the service industry, may you clean up in tips this weekend. Remember, there is magic in your stories. Don’t let an evil cult leader poison your ocean of stories.
Sorry you got an email,
Chris