Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Library Loot: Cowboys and Diaspora


My library's 4th floor is the damnedest thing. I'm sure that all the stuff I'm finding there has been on the shelves for years, but during each visit something different floats into my line of vision. In my last blog post, I called it a messy stew. This time, I'm thinking compost pile -- the staff must turn it over at regular intervals. Also, how could so much crap look like rich nutrients for the brain?
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Today's mission was simple: Go in and get The Borrowers. It's there; I had it out last year. Except it wasn't there when I eagle-eyed the shelves. This was no easy task because one of the student workers was in my way and breaking my concentration as he shelved a paltry armload of books and sighed mightily all the while. I wanted to snatch the pile from him with an exasperated Give me those, you #*$%&&& douchebag! and do the shelving myself, but part of me couldn't help but be impressed with such suffering. I nearly expected to hear this next:


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So what did I grab this week? Funny you should ask. Ever since I read then watched The Way West, I've been in a vaguely cowboy-ish frame of mind. Maybe it's because CRACKED SPINZ is reading Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian for our April book club meeting. Maybe it's because I thought I was going to have to do battle with my graduate school class last night about attendance and turning in assignments. On the way from my office to that building the theme from The Good, The Bad And The Ugly kept playing in my head:
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Happily, there was no unpleasantness and the graduate students and I were able to resolve things amicably but a combination of factors like that can linger. Perhaps that explains the swiftness with which Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey and The Warrior Path by Louis L'Amour busted off the shelves and into my book bag. I didn't do any clocking, but it was probably 8 seconds. Incredibly, I've never read a genre western before. Should be interesting.

I also grabbed a short (autobiographical?) 1997 novel entitled A Cab Called Reliable by Patti Kim about a Korean family who emigrates from Pusan to Arlington, Virginia. Stories of immigrant families are so rich; I don't think I could ever tire of them.

15 comments:

Eva said...

You make me laugh in every post! :D

Despite being a proud Texan, I am not a westerns girl. I'm going to give Lonesome Dove another try later this year though.

Lusty Reader said...

you made me laugh too! oh if i had a nickle for everytime i wanted to call someone a *@#$ing douchebag, id be a rich woman. so were you able to find The Borrowers?! i loved the books and movie when i was little, but haven't thought of them in such a long time!

Nine Mile said...

Too funny. Hey thanks for dropping by my blog Bybee. Also, wated to drop a note to let you know that your first video had been taken back by YouTube and also that you can edit your videos in html so that they will fit better on your screen (just worked that out yesterday for my Disney post).

Christine said...

LOL! I think listening to that theme song for The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly could put anyone in the mood for a good western story!

Enjoy your loot! :)

Cat said...

Great post! :-)

I've never read a Western either although I plan to this year for a challenge. My father used to say I didn't know what I was missing.

Enjoy your loot!

Unruly Reader said...

Oh, this is good stuff! Love the music.

Am eager to hear how the Westerns go. I have an occasional yearning for a good Western myself...

Care said...

I loved this post - you crack me up. I think Zane Grey is one of the best author names ever.

Sherrie said...

Hi!
This post sounded like one of my days. Very funny now but at the time it wasn't. I've read Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey. Really good book. It's not to western like. Have a great day!

Sherrie
Sherrie's Stuff
http://sherrie-plummer.blogspot.com/2010/04/library-loot.html

Anonymous said...

There I am talking about my library's 2 floors, when you have 4 at yours? Envious!
Thanks for dropping by my blog.

Blodeuedd said...

Nice blog you got here :)
Aww The Borrowers that takes me back

Jessica N. said...

Oh I love The Borrowers! And who could be unhappy shelving books honestly? I'll take his job in a heartbeat!

Here is my Library Loot post if you'd like to stop by!

Bybee said...

Eva,
Lonesome Dove is a wonderful thing.

Lusty Reader,
No joy re finding The Borrowers.

Nine Mile,
I'll work on my video posting skills, thanks.

Christine,
I was ready for a whole shoot out!

Cat,
My grandfather was fond of Westerns.

Unruly Reader,
I really think I'm gonna like the experience.


Care,
Re cool author names: Zane Grey is good and so is Jack London.

Bybee said...

Sherrie,
That's interesting that it's not too western-like, since it's supposed to be a great western classic...maybe it's just a great novel that happens to be a western??

Olduvaireads,
Actually, my library has 5 floors, but the top floor consists of offices, classrooms and a shrine of sorts to Korean naval hero Yi Soon-Shin.

Blodeuedd,
I'm hoping that I'll be able to find The Borrowers again!

Rose,
I don't know how he could've been unhappy in the best spot in the best bldg on campus, but he was sighing to beat the band. He sounded like my furnace did last winter.

Unknown said...

Hey, thanks for stopping by my blog. The thought of a public library having more than one floor blows my mind. A lot of libraries over here are based on the ground floor (excluding university libraries). Heaven knows what damage I could do with FOUR levels of books to choose from.

Also, I love your profile picture!

Anonymous said...

Haha, poor douchebag! ;) The fourth floor sounds amazing. I´ve never read any Western yet.
Thanks for stopping by my blog!