A Novel Idea

I've been reading "House of Leaves". For the last year, it's sat on my shelf. I pick it up from time to time, then put it back because it's one of those books you have to be in the mood for. It takes time, it takes commitment, it requires your undivided attention. And last weekend, the stars aligned and I began to read.

To give credit where it's due, I started thinking about it again after seeing Defective Yeti's review. I'm already familiar with Poe's CD "Haunted," which I listened to for several months straight last year, so I felt like I'd had a head start. (The author of "House of Leaves," Mark Z Danielewski, is the brother of the lead singer of Poe and the CD and book are intertwined, sort of.) I read a passage last night that was lifted directly out of the book and into Poe's "Hey Pretty," which was a nice surprise. I'm constantly amazed by the layers in this book, how the author manipulates your awareness at any given moment and directs your attention from one level to another.

And the author creates such a wonderful atmosphere. It's the first time in awhile that I've been really and truly absorbed in another world. The style reminds me of Lovecraft, but there's so much more.

One week ago I was on the Valley Floor Tram Tour, an open tram that bounced and sputtered its way across Yosemite Valley. Jer and I sat in the last row and I sat at the edge, aiming my camera in all directions, shielding the sunlight with a shaky hand, slamming the eyecup into my face as the tram hit yet another pothole. None of the pictures turned out, but it was worth a shot. Pun intended.