"Dear Professor Marissa"
Weekly Roundup # 11
First off, a big howdy and welcome to everyone who has subscribed recently! Welcome aboard the ride that is the chaotic perusal of my literary interests. Keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all time, ladies and gentlemen, because there will be sharp turns.
The semester has started at one of the schools where I teach, and as such, so have the interesting naming conventions I’ve received. My favorite up until this point was ‘Dr. Gallerani,’ which is hilarious to me because my parents are *actual* medical professionals and I do not have a Ph.D.1 However, I think ‘Dear Professor Marissa’ now takes the cake, and my friend Hannah will be exclusively referring to me as that from here on out.
For the new folks here, on Fridays when I don’t have Artist Interviews, I do a weekly roundup of all that I’m reading, and writing, and more. So ahead, the first roundup for 2024.
What I’m reading:
If you read my post earlier in the week, I am building out a syllabus for my Dangerous Words course. I’ve already decided on the books, but now I’m organizing articles and other readings for homework. Hence, Kurt Vonnegut and Palm Sunday. Slaughterhouse-Five was also on the shortlist for my reading list, however, I was trying to diversify my list a bit to not *just* include white men. So I figured we could read one of Vonnegut’s essays instead of his fiction.
The first essay in this collection is on the First Amendment and Vonnegut’s work being banned in schools. I’ve already read that, but now that I’ve started reading a book I can’t stop, you know? Thankfully, Vonnegut is hilarious and it’s no trouble to read a book by a master writer and satirist.
Great for: Vonnegut fans, satire lovers, meta commentary
Bad for: non-fiction haters, those who need organization, focus
What I’m writing:
Me novel. Remember how I said that watching writers write is not that interesting? That’s where we are. Progress is slow but happening!
Great for: my lifelong hopes and dreams, my book baby
Bad for: show and tell, your entertainment
What I’m listening to:
Gasp, another book! Because of my itinerant petsitting existence, I’ve been driving a lot the past few weeks, and so have started in on another audiobook to keep me company. Heretic is about Jeanna Kadlec’s youth in an evangelical Christian church, and her ongoing relationship with God. This one is truly testing the limits of my listening abilities, because the narrator reads this quickly. And yes, I already checked, and no I do not have the speed on x1.5. Nevertheless, I’ve been enjoying it as I migrate between my furry charges.
Great for: people interested in religion, folks from the Midwest, witches
Bad for: people who are poor audio processors, people who do not care about religion, fundamentalist Christians
No New Books™️ Challenge:
How’s the No New Books Challenge going, you ask? Great! (eye twitch) As of today, it has been 12 days since I have bought any books. There might have been a mad dash there towards the end of the year, but I’m holding strong now.2 What I did do, on the other hand, is bring in my receipts from my local bookstore to get totaled up. This is their version of a Frequent Buyer program, and you get 20% of your total spent back as a store gift card.
Have I already started a list of all the physical books I could buy with this gift card? I’m not answering that.
Mug Moment of the Week:
My family now knows I am obsessed with mugs. As such, I got not one, but TWO great mugs for Christmas this year. The first came courtesy of the Annual Gallerani Cousins Gathering™️.
I’m close with all my first cousins, and for the past few years, we’ve had a regular gathering for Christmas. It’s a nice way to still celebrate without having to pressure ourselves to fit in *yet another* celebration amidst the Christmas ones. It’s usually after Christmas, and we do an White Elephant/Yankee Swap/Whatever you call it. The past few years the theme was courtesy of yours truly, and was “‘$25 from the ‘As Seen On TV Aisle in CVS.’” Truly cannot overstate how iconic this theme is, and I still stand by it.
However it was time for a change, and this year the theme was Tea/Coffee/Mugs. So for our first Mug Moment of 2024, I give you: the gloriously amazing color change llama mug I got in our cousins gift exchange.
Nothing more iconic than this llama mug. Tea was Traditional Medicines Ginger Aid tea, because I have a sensitive tummy.
That’s it for this week! Next week, I’ll have an honest review for you of my first Book Box purchase, and I’m sure various collegiate anecdotes as I get back to teaching freshmen. I am sure they will make me feel old in 3 seconds.
What about you? Any new reads for 2024 yet? Have you kept to your resolutions and/or goals so far? Let me know in the comments!
If only my elevation to Ph.D. status came with the raise in paycheck.
Sometimes my stubborness is an asset.
I also work at a university and I once had a student come into the office and ask for “Monica”. You mean the Dean of the college????? 🫠
Oh, a bookstore right across the street?!? Dangerous indeed.
Are you allowing yourself to go to the library?