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Christopher H

Christopher H

I live in Santa Clarita, California; just north of Los Angeles. I am fifty-something and quite content with life. After family and friends, my two primary interests are books and landscape photography, especially black and white photography.

Nowadays, I tend to concentrate on the great books and poetry of the British, American, French,... more »
  • Valencia, CA, USA
  • member since May 21 2009

Groups

  • ...A Wild Iris: Poetry Discussion Group
  • The Brontë Sisters Discussion Group

Friends

Christopher H’s last login was 2 days ago. show recent activity »

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Public Notes

  • Daisy Barksby-Pryce

    Daisy Barksby-Pryce says

    Happy Thanksgiving, Sir R! Do save me some pie, won't you?

    posted 2 days ago. ( send a note )
  • Lord Manleigh

    Lord Manleigh says

    A very happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Sir Roddy.

    posted 3 days ago. ( send a note )
  • Lord Manleigh

    Lord Manleigh says

    A very happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Sir Roddy.

    posted 3 days ago. ( send a note )
  • Marisa

    Marisa says

    Hi Chris. How are you? I am well. Busy, getting ready for the holidays. Bracing myself for the frenzy at Toys R' Us !
    Trying to plan my reading schedule as well. I just finished Pat Conroy's latest, South of Broad. He is such a fantastic storyteller. I fell in love with him when I read The Prince of Tides years ago.
    I never heard anything from The Victorian Pantheon Reading Group. They must not want me :-(
    Anyhow, I went to Barnes & Noble the other day to pick up Cranford, because I still want to read it regardless. Would you believe they do not carry it in store. They offer it online only, and it is considered a text book ! Isn't that strange ? I may head to the B&N/Yale University Book Store. They might have it.
    I finally picked up a copy of The Moonstone. I have been meaning to read it since you recommended it to me ages ago. I almost picked up The Childrens Book, but decided to put it on my Christmas Wish List. I just saw that you read it and gave it a great review, so I am looking forward to it. I have really enjoyed A.S. Byatt in the past. I also picked up the Agatha Christie Christmas read for AA. Would you believe it will be my first time ever reading Agatha Christie ? Should be fun.
    Have a great Thanksgiving with your family. Enjoy ! Marisa

    posted 6 days ago. ( send a note )
  • Linda M

    Linda M says

    I completely agree! I actually read "Diversity of Life" in high school, but it wasn't required reading. E.O. Wilson is another one of my personal heroes. Funny, they all seem to come from Havard. Never thought about that until now....

    I'm pretty selective about my groups, too. If I join a group, I want to be active within the group. The Anglophiles Anonymous sounds great. I've got a ton of English classics waiting on my bookshelf to be read (Spenser's "The Faerie Queene", Poems by Lord Byron and John Galt, Milton's "Paradise Lost", Austen's "Emma", Bronte's "Jane Eyre", etc.). Though, I am looking to expand outside the world of European classics. One of these days I'm going to research classics from Africa, the Middle East (there's so much more to read than "The Arabian Nights"), and all Asian countries. Sometimes I feel rather one-dimensional in my reading choices (i.e. primarily caucasian literature). Anyway, a good word with be most appreciated! Thanks!

    posted 10 days ago. ( send a note )
  • Laurel H

    Laurel H says

    And a happy Thanksgiving to you, Chris. Have a good time campin' and shootin'.

    posted 11 days ago. ( send a note )
  • Linda M

    Linda M says

    Yes, I absolutely love Clarke's work. (I've reread JS&MN three times.) I think it's her dry wit and sarcastic untones that make it so delightful for me. True Brit humor. It's great! I read about her friendship with Gaiman somewhere. I guess, during the midst of her writing JS&MN, she took a creative writing class where she turned in "The Ladies of Grace Adieu" as an assignment. The professor was so impressed that he made a copy and gave it to Gaiman (apparently they are really good friends). Gaiman loved it too and commenced a friendship with Clarke. Geez, I wish I could be Gaiman friend! He's a brilliant writer! Love "American Gods"!

    Gould has been one of my personal heroes since I was in High School. I've read nearly everything he's written (between my classes and personal reading)...I just don't have all the books, yet. In fact, it was because of him that I became a biologist. But, I love all the sciences (especially biological and earth system sciences) so I'm back in school getting my MS in Ecology. I suppose you're one of the few people I've met, outside of school, that would actually know or care about "punctuated equilibrium". :)

    I think it's because of the seriously rational nature of science and math that I am drawn to reading so much fiction. Kind of provides a balance between viewing the world in terms of chemicals, molecular structures and physics and viewing the world through the larger lens of emotion and human experience. Well, sorry, I try not too get overly philosophical but I love exploring the dichotomy of science and imagination or even, in many cases, the nexus between the two.

    I look forward to more literary discussions! Do you know of an active group on Shelfari that discusses and reads classics? Sort of like a classics book club. I've joined a few groups but none very active. If not, no worries. I might end up heading over to Library Thing for my classics outlet. Librarians are a great source for interesting classics discussions.

    posted 12 days ago. ( send a note )
  • Marisa

    Marisa says

    Thanks, Chris ! I have yet to read anything by Gaskell. After I saw Cranford on PBS, I put the book on my TBR pile and there it has sat. I find that these book groups, like AA, get me to take the books down, dust them off, and FINALLY read them. It was the same thing with Dracula. I wanted to read it, but was a bit intimidated by it. And, once I started reading it, I was hooked. I am sure I will love Cranford. Thanks for your help, and have a nice weekend ! Marisa

    posted 3 weeks ago. ( send a note )
  • Lady Dixie

    Lady Dixie says

    Ah yes, I locked the back door to ward off our interloper. I'll pop 'round and unlock it for Lady P.

    I'm up to my knees in grading! I've bitten off a bit more than I can chew because I'm also taking classes to become a certified web master. Add Mr. B's very busy first year of school (he's in kindergarten), and it's bedtime before I know it. I miss you and all of our crazy crew at AA!

    posted 3 weeks ago. ( send a note )
  • Marisa

    Marisa says

    Hello Christopher ! How are you? Hope all is well in lovely CA. I have a favor to ask of you. I saw on AA that The Victorian Pantheon Group was reading Cranford, and I went on to join that group. However, it is a private group, and I see that you are a member. Can you get me in ? I'd greatly appreciate it as it seems like my cup of tea ! Thanks a bunch....Marisa

    posted 3 weeks ago. ( send a note )
  • kt

    kt says

    I am surprised you caught that! I am joining a new reading challenge (http://reallyoldclassics.wordpress.com/) and realized that most of my older books that would qualify had fallen off my "plan to read" list so I put it back on.

    I was having trouble finding groups here and finally discovered the world of book blogging and reading challenges. It's been great, but has done horrible things to my list of things to read, in many ways.

    I haven't read "Beowulf" since high school, I really should go back and read some of that required reading again. I'll have to look into that new one by Tolkien, thank you. You might notice I've gotten quite a few books off your shelf to add to mine, your reviews are very helpful there.

    We're well, thank you, I hope the same for you and yours!
    kt

    posted 1 month ago. ( send a note )
  • unfinished woman

    unfinished woman says

    I cannot believe that I have 3 people ahead of my for the The Poetic Edda at the library. But I'm on the list, so I will let you know when I get it and read a bit.

    posted 1 month ago. ( send a note )
  • Laurel H

    Laurel H says

    Hi Chris. I'm really enjoying "Maud," though I'm only halfway through so far. I guess many people don't have the patience for stories in verse, but after "Idylls of the King" and Pushkin's "Eugene Onegin" (both of which which I adore) this is really easy going.

    I think a poetry forum could work if we could make it very clear, as you say, that it is not for new writers but for reading and sharing the works of the masters. I think finding just the right name and inviting people that we know would get us off to a good start would be important. There are a lot of failed poetry forums here, but with the right focus it's certainly worth a try!

    posted 1 month ago. ( send a note )
  • unfinished woman

    unfinished woman says

    BTW, have you heard of this new A. A. Milne sequel. Just saw an article about it.

    posted 1 month ago. ( send a note )
  • unfinished woman

    unfinished woman says

    I've noted the The Poetic Edda on my tbr list. It will be quite a trial just keeping the characters clear. I don't know how I could have missed this given my love for opera, even Wagner. Glad to get the reference.

    posted 1 month ago. ( send a note )
  • unfinished woman

    unfinished woman says

    BTW, I think Mendelsohn's Cavafy may be the only poet he has translated, though he a critic for the NYT and The New York Review of books; and a couple of books of his essays are quite good.

    As to a group, the Wild Iris was wonderful while there was a great leader. I tried for awhile to put some life into it, but it had too many people who thought some of the worst stuff imaginable was good and they were putting those on the daily read. Then they started with their own poetry, and with communal writing using specific words. Just not what I was looking for. I may write my own and even like it. Cavafy or Keats or Fenton I am not. So maybe a private group would be good. I have a friend who was a participant in the Wild Iris when it was good, and I'm sure she would be on it. We would need to be specific about the content. I think there is place for sharing one's own work, but that would be a totally different group. I would want it to be a sharing of recognized, fine poetry, ancient, whatever one calls the 18th and 19th c. and contemporary, the lives of the poets, etc. We could certainly look at some of the members of the Wild Iris that were serious players. It would be a project I was willing to put some time into, given my passion and the withdrawal symptoms I experienced when Wild Iris went weird.

    What was for lunch? and what did you read while you were eating.

    posted 1 month ago. ( send a note )
  • unfinished woman

    unfinished woman says

    Okay, you got me started and since the poetry group on Shelfair is pretty much defunct I am dying for an audience. The new Cavafy translation is by Mendelsohn. He is a superb interpreter of the poet's intent, for all the ones he has done.

    posted 1 month ago. ( send a note )
  • unfinished woman

    unfinished woman says

    Speaking of dead people, Akhmatova is incandescent! Another terrific poet Cavafy, and there is a new translation out that I have on my list, though I love the one I already have.

    posted 1 month ago. ( send a note )
  • unfinished woman

    unfinished woman says

    I don't think you and I have "talked poetry" before, Sir Roddy. I get a little idea of your taste from reading AA, but since we are limited to discussing Brit only, and I know you are partial to dead guys, I don't know how you feel about contemporaries, both Brit and American. I am very partial to the contemporaries, though I love all of it...Keats, Shelley, Shakespeare, Milton, etc. Let me know and if I find something wonderful I will let you know. As for the Brits...have you read any James Fenton. I really like his work (contemporary). My current find was an anthology of the Graywolf Press, 25th anniversary publication, and a pristine first of Campbell McGrath's Seven Notebooks, for which I had been hunting. When I am searching the new bookstores for new stuff my antennae just shoot out when there is a new poetry collection. The McGrath had this beautiful cover and I sat down in Borders and read for awhile, then added it to my list last year. Treasures come to those who wait; hard as that is.

    posted 1 month ago. ( send a note )
  • unfinished woman

    unfinished woman says

    Thanks for the heads up. It appears none of my tags is loading. I left a note on the Shelfari Insiders group, so hopefully that will get some results, although they haven't acknowledged any of my postings for a couple of months. Do your tags load? I have been having all kinds of problems with the site...since they did some big change, the most frustratin of which is the slowness. Hope all is well with you. I have yet to look at your new photos from your vacation. But I will soon...too much work keeping me from things I love..:( Sounds like you had a wonderful time. Then didn't you get quite ill. Did you take any of those remedies they were trying to foist off on you. You want to be careful of their suggestions...might be some bat guano or slug trailings in them, though I think you get red eye for seeing in the dark from those.
    Ta ta for now.

    posted 1 month ago. ( send a note )


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