The Anne's have it

I've been in a period of intense reading for the past several months. In hopes that some of the genius genes of the authors will rub off on me, I suppose. And of course I've always been a reader and go through phases of more or less intensity. I currently have 10 books sprawled out on my coffee table and end table to pick up at a moment's notice. I notice that I'm reading alot books by authors who start with the name "Anne" - just to mention a few: Anne Tyler, "Breathing Lessons"; Annie Proulx, alot of her short stories; Anne Lamott, "Bird by Bird" and "Blue Shoe"; and in the past I've read the diary of Anne Frank(who hasn't), poems of Anne Sexton, Anne Morrow Lindbergh's "Return from the Sea" and of course all the Anne of Green Gables series - which doesn't really count since that's not the name of the author - but since it's written in first person you almost feel like it is. I've never ventured into Anne Rice's Vampire series and don't think I ever will.

Don't even get me started on the Anne's or Ann's in my life because there are plenty - to include my grandmother Anna, my other grandmother Annie and my mother, Ann.

I had a fantasy when I was in 3rd or 4th grade when I really began to notice libraries that before I died I would read all the fiction books in the stacks, going chronologically from A to Z. As all good fantasizes go that one vanished soon enough - especially as the school years progressed and I had to spend more and more of my time reading nonfiction in order to study for tests and write papers. Surely there must be less novels by people of the same name vs last name - what a minute what am I thinking - it wouldn't make any difference - it would still be the same number of books. Math was never my long suit....

I've also recently joined a "Paperback Book Swap" Club (it also includes hardbacks)online. You can list books that you want to give away as well as books you want to receive and the club matches you with fellow readers from all over the US. It's been fun to screen my small library(currently due to the move)to chose which books I'm willing to part with and then indulge in a wish list for new ones. I've started seriously haunting the used book section of the library, thrift stores with a books section and book sales of all types - choosing books I can list to give away - but they also must be books I want to eventually read so if no one wants them I won't feel stuck with them.

Yesterday I scored at the gym because someone had left three hardback new books in the lost and found. After two weeks there're up for grabs and boy are they good ones, "Beach Music" by Pat Conroy; "Pigs in Heaven" by Barbara Kingsolver and one by Patricia Cornwall that I can't remember the name of. But the problem is that Pat Conroy and Barbara Kingsolver are two of my favorite authors and I don't have those two books - even though I've read them. I might just have to keep them for my ever increasing library.

Summer of Love

This week marks the forty year anniversary of Woodstock in August, 1969. Taos has been celebrating all season with a marketing promotion dubbed the "Summer of Love". This trendy theme has been used in various venues - from the library's open readings, to restaurant menus, art gallery openings featuring Dennis Hoffman and Robert Dean Stockwell, and readings at Somos. Taos is well know for being a "hippie" enclave during the late 60's and 70's. There were quite a few communes here in Talpa and New Buffalo as well as Lama Foundation featuring guru Ram Dass. Even Natalie Goldberg was a quasi-member of a commune in Talpa and wrote a novel from that period, "Banana Rose."

This week at Somos there were two scheduled readers: Mark Rudd, former leader of SDS (the radical Students for a Democratic Society) who has recently published a memoir from that time, "Notes from the Underground". Unfortunately his wife had to have emergency surgery so he was unable to attend. In his place was Kyra Ryan who grew the child of hippie parents in the 70's and is writing a memoir, "Wild Child" that she read from. Coincidentally her godmother, Iris Keltz, was the second reader who wrote the locally well-known book, "Scrapbook from a Taos Hippie" but who on Friday night read from the prequel, "And the Walls Came Tumbling Down" about her marriage to a Palestinian during the six day war in 1967 and subsequent years. America tends to be so pro-Israel that it was quite interesting to hear about some of the same events from a Palestinian point of view - especially as told from the point of view of an American Jew growing up in Brooklyn living in Palestine during that time.

I've ventured off in new directions and signed up for a college course in beginning watercolors which begins in a week. My daughter bought me a set of watercolor paints for last Xmas which have until now sat unopened. I have never taken an art studio class in my life and feel somewhat intimidated by the prospect. Especially at two classes, 2 1/2 hrs/week each. The instructor, who I know from the gym, said that we'll be doing alot of painting outside and taking scenic trips around Taos.

Summer Time Summer Time

I know I shouldn't brag but the summer weather in Taos has been awesome. Sun shining everyday; morning temps about 55-60 until 9 am and then it warms up to about 85-90 but no humidity. Later in the afternoon the temps go down again; sometimes there's a brief thunderstorm lasting about 30-45 mins with refreshing rain. When the sun goes down the temp goes down, too, so it's never too hot to sleep at night. A girl could get spoiled.... Only thing that's missing is the pure clear lakes of NE - oh, well, can't have everything.

My writing group is having a "literary" potluck party the end of this month in Arroyo Hondo beside the river and we've been invited to bring our inner tubes to float down the river - which is supposed to be icy cold. We'll see. We've all been invited to bring a piece of our best writing lasting about ten minutes.

Last night was another writer's reading night at SOMOS. Poet Renee Gregorio who lives in El Rito read from her latest book of poems, "Drenched", a musical group from Santa Fe named Duo Guadaloupe played and the evening ended with Rick Collignon who has written four mystery novels. Next week begins the "Summer of Love" specials reflecting on the glory days of the hippies in Taos in the late 60's and early 70's. Mark Rudd, founder of the SDS (students for a Democratic Society) will read from his memoir. Oh those radical peace protest, burn-the-bra days... Taos is a really eclectic mix of ex-hippies, native americans, and hispanic cultures. Somehow they all seem to get along. Although the whites are definitely in the minority.

The apartment is almost all decorated, now working on some minor touches. I have dubbed it my "writer's studio" - it makes it feel even more cozy. It's amazing how you can get used to living in smaller spaces. It makes me think about how some people live in their car - no that I would ever want to go that far - although last summer traveling across country for two and half months I sure felt like it...