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philosophefop

philosophefop

Well, I'm here obviously because I love books.
But I also love old films (especially silents), sewing, fashion design, vintage anything, slash, fashion design, foreign heavy metal, thrifting, painting, drawing, and dabbling at cooking. And TEA.
I'm from Colorado, but I'm currently attending college in upstate New York. I'm an Art... more »
  • Clinton, NY, USA
  • member since February 21 2009

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philosophefop’s last login was 6 hours ago. show recent activity »

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Public Notes

  • vishwajeet b

    vishwajeet b says

    How are you?Can we friends?

    posted 3 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Bobby M

    Bobby M says

    George is my best friend, and I lived in Clinton for 6 months (above the Village Tavern). We should be Shelfari friends.

    posted 3 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Darra W

    Darra W says

    Done!

    posted 4 months ago. ( send a note )
  • James F

    James F says

    That sounds fine, it's great that Darra is going to do it.

    posted 4 months ago. ( send a note )
  • James F

    James F says

    I'm at work and just tried to order a copy of Bones That Float -- Ingram doesn't carry it. I checked amazon.com and it seems that Wild Heaven Press is only listed as publisher for this one book. This means that very few libraries have it, since most libraries (at least in the US) use either Ingram or Baker & Taylor and they probably wouldn't carry a one book publisher. Actually, I just checked OCLC and only 55 libraries there have catalogued it (as compared with over 2700 for the Book Thief). This is a consideration as many people would pick up a book at the library they don't know anything about, but spending $25.00 on amazon is another question.

    posted 4 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Darra W

    Darra W says

    Sounds like fun; I loved the book, and enjoy Edith Wharton in general. So...do I start a thread now, posting that AOI will be the September book, and I'll be the guest admin for the thread? Or do you typically do the intro?

    posted 4 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Darra W

    Darra W says

    Hi Kelsey,

    Well..this is quite a surprise, and an honor ;-) As a newbie to the group, I'm wondering if you could give me a brief description of what this involves I want to make sure I can do the job justice before I commit.

    posted 4 months ago. ( send a note )
  • James F

    James F says

    Hello Kelsey,
    That was my understanding as well, that different people would take on different months. Although I'm skeptical I think now we've started we should try for a couple more months to give it a fair chance and see if the problem is with the idea in this sort of group or just the particular book.

    Do you want to do the Cambodia book this month, as the "leader"? I have no problem with discussing political books -- quite the contrary -- I'm just a little gun shy of leading a discussion on one myself, after this month. I don't want to "offend" anyone -- at least as the discussion leader. My only reservation would be whether it is accessible -- you mentioned that you bought it from the author, and I haven't seen it. I know we don't have it at the library, although if Ingram carries it I can order it and probably have it within a couple weeks (although I'll be on vacation in another week.) If you don't want to, we may need to skip August, because it's getting late and I don't have any other suggestions.

    I like your idea of Age of Innocence for September, especially if Darra -- I think that was who said she taught it -- would be willing to lead it. I haven't read it, but I own a copy and it is on my PTR shelf. I read Ethan Frome in high school, but I don't remember either strongly liking or disliking it. Ethan Frome was the other book besides The Book Thief that more than one member was planning to read this summer, and I notice other references in the group to books by Wharton in addition to the one by Darra. A "classic" is always a pretty safe choice. The only suggestion that was ever made in the "Suggestion Box" I think was Guns, Germs and Steel, which I think you said sounded interesting. I haven't read that one yet, although I have a copy. Again, I'm guessing it's political.

    I do tend to think that most novels are political, in the wide sense in which I use the word; or at least those which aren't are generally not the ones worth reading. There are exceptions, which concentrate on form -- Joyce, Nabokov, the "nouvelle roman", etc. -- but I can't really see a discussion here on Finnegan's Wake, Ada or Les Instantanees. Most of my reading in the past two years has been fairly nonpolitical (except for The Book Thief and the Mandel bio) -- at any rate, the politics of Hatshepsut and Tuthmose III doesn't push too many buttons for most people (the politics of the excavations being another question) -- but any history from the American and French Revolutions on would be political certainly.

    PS -- it just occurred to me that discussing the group, especially mentioning who might be willing or not to lead discussions, etc. might become awkward in public notes, so I'm going to send you a "friendship request" so that if necessary we can use private messages, as I have occasionally with Silvana.
    James F

    posted 4 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Ann P

    Ann P says

    Nice to hear from you - I have moved on from Earl Grey to Rose Congou ... If you have another vacation coming up, why not try Terror on Tuesday?

    posted 4 months ago. ( send a note )
  • James F

    James F says

    Hi Kelsey.
    I was puzzled by your question, until I read Silvana's last post. I was rather taken by surprise, since to the best of my recollection I only agreed to lead the one discussion on The Book Thief, not to choose all the books and lead all the discussions! So I haven't given any thought to an August choice at all; if I'd been expecting to make the choice, I would have posted in the "Suggestion Box" asking for input -- it's already August, a choice should have been announced already. In fact, if you go to Silvana's profile and look at my public notes to her, you'll see that I was skeptical of the idea of group reads to begin with (from when she first asked me to be an administrator), and the experience with The Book Thief has made me more so.

    In that connection I want to thank you for your "defense" in the last post you made in that thread. I had expected Silvana to disagree with me -- in fact, I hoped she or someone would, to get a discussion going -- but I was more than a little amazed by the suggestion that my comments, or the book itself, were "offensive" because I have always tried to keep a civil tone, expressing opinions about the subject but not calling names or using rhetorical words and phrases (Nazi or fascist, except in the WW2 context, imperialism, etc.) (By the way, I didn't exactly "choose" The Book Thief, I just noted that it was one of the two that more than one member was reading over the summer, and that it seemed to have more scope for discussion than some other possibilities, of which I gave several.)

    I haven't read or heard of the book about Cambodia, but if I am going to lead the discussion I think I want something nonpolitical -- and as I mentioned in one of my posts, I even considered Harry Potter political, so that rules out a lot.
    Jim

    posted 4 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Silvana Lowry

    Silvana Lowry says

    Hi Kelsey, I am not sure if James has planned a book for August yet. But, I suggest you discuss this directly with him. It sounds like a good book and one that would generate some good discussions. So, do discuss it with james. I am 100% supportive of whatever you both decide to do. Hope youhave a wonderful weekend, Silvana

    posted 4 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Amanda

    Amanda says

    Hi there! There isn't a way to add new covers to books in our catalog right now. However, this is a feature we're working on making available soon! Then you'll be able to upload covers for all your books :) Best, Amanda

    posted 4 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Silvana Lowry

    Silvana Lowry says

    Hi Kelsey, Thank you and thank you for th eapple pie recipe, I am goign to try it ove rth eweekend when my son Steve and his girlfriend come to dinner. I am not very good at making pastry, but I can't wait to try it. yeah i guess that people in the 1870 did have the benefit of the great cooking utensils we enjoy today, but they must have managed pretty well. What sort of ingredients did you have to use?

    I feel really lucky that you are one of my admins, Kelsey. Your contribution to both group has been tremendous. I am glad that you are enjoying the gourp and thank you so much, I am very grateful for your time.

    posted 5 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Silvana Lowry

    Silvana Lowry says

    Hi Kelsey, now don't be mad at me but I have promoted you to admin of the Travelling Gourmet, together with Kelsey (yes another Kelsey), who has very kindly offered to be our admin, and James. i think that for your age you are a remarkable young woman and I have no doubt in my mind that you will do very well. You don't need to know about wine either. As you are busy, do what you can. The discussions you started in the Bibliophile Club Group were brilliant. So, if you start a few discussions whenever you feel that you need to liven up things then do what you do best. My main priority for you is to contimue with the Bibliophile Club group. But, if you have a greast idea for a discussion in this group etc., then this will be a huge help. Thank you again, Silvana
    PS: have you tried the ancient recipe yet? let me know how it comes out.

    posted 5 months ago. ( send a note )
  • James

    James says

    Hi,
    I'll enjoy looking through your shelf. Some great reads! I see Candide is a favourite of yours, I'm currently reading it. I'm enjoying, what did you like most about it?
    Saw you just read Kafka on the Shore. I keep meaning to buy it and read, what did ya think?

    posted 5 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Silvana Lowry

    Silvana Lowry says

    Hi Philosophefop, As you might have noticed I placed a suggestion box to have some idea on how many members would be interested in reading a book together and then discussing it. I guess members that are interested can start a group with one leader who will be in charge of choosing a book for the group to read. I prefer if members have the choice to discuss other books as well. Some may have read the book that is recommended or they might choose not to participate. My main concern is that members should enjoy reading whatever books they like to read. Having said that, shall I get the member that suggested the idea to be the leader, or do you think that the admins should do that? I value your opinion on that, Have a great day, Silvana

    posted 6 months ago. ( send a note )
  • George H

    George H says

    Hi again,
    The stuff about the Congo was interesting. I thought it was a little out of place in the book, meaning it didn't fit the other themes too well, but I found it interesting. I am actually more interested in that sort of history than the kind written about in the Vertigo Years.
    You might want to check out "Angola: Promises and Lies". It is a first-hand account written by a reporter who was on the ground during the civil war. Fascinating look inside some of that awful stuff.

    posted 6 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Silvana Lowry

    Silvana Lowry says

    Hi Philosophefop, One of our members suggested that we could select a book so that we can all read it, a leader, I guess, will suggest which book to read. I would like your ideas on that. Being a general type of group where everyone likes to read all sorts of books it might be a bit difficult unless some of the members choose to read one book, and others can read what they want. I will send the same messsage to the other admins for their imput, thank you for your help, Hope that you are doing well and that I will hear from you soon, Silvana

    posted 6 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Sara Jane B

    Sara Jane B says

    No, it is a fictionalized account of the women in the life of Frank Lloyd Wright.

    posted 6 months ago. ( send a note )
  • George H

    George H says

    Yes I did finish it, finally. You are a much faster reader than I am!
    I'd like to see what you thought of the book. It actually got me thinking a lot about evolution. The parts about Eugenics and the hindsight we have to see where that led, especially in Germany, gave me some food for thought. I read Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene awhile back and I thought it was interesting that he put explicit warnings about why thinking of the world as a collection of selfish genes fighting for survival could be dangerous. I think that when people explore these ideas, they should spend more time thinking about the consequences and potential outcomes. I wonder what would have happened if instead of debating whether or not we evolved from apes, we got a little deeper and explored the ideas of group selection, consciousness, etc. I think it was wrong to try to deny the idea instead of accept it, but put more meat on the bones around it and give a fuller picture of what evolution means.
    Maybe Hitler and his cronies still would have pushed their ideas, but the general public may not have been so easily convinced that certain people needed to be exterminated to preserve the species- or whatever they felt.

    So that's what has been bouncing around my mind- what stuck with you, what did you think?

    posted 6 months ago. ( send a note )


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