Winter Reading List 2013

By Jorge Antonio Vallejos

It’s 2013 and I’m excited to read new books!  New to me, not new to the world.  Over the past two seasons (Summer and Fall 2012) I’ve shared with you my reading lists.  My goal is to read everything on my list but that doesn’t always happen.  Books not read are carried over to the next season.  And I often re-read books; that’s what writers do: re-read and re-write, re-read and re-write…

In the summer I was told that my reading list was “ambitious”.  Well, so is this list!  And like I’ve been told by different writers, “Read everything” and “Read a lot!”

Poetry

Beautiful Razor by Al Hunter

The History of Violets by Marosa Di Giorgio translated by Jeanine Marie Pitas

The Small Words In My Body by Karen Connelly

Queer Ink 1 and 2

Beyond The Bullring by Julie Boden

Bending The Continuum by Dane Swan

Palabras Que El Viento Ha De Llevar by Carlos Angulo Rivas

The Collected Works of Billy The Kid by Michael Ondaatje

FIREWEED # 67 The FAT Issue

Creative Energy by Nicardo “Charlie Bobus” Murray

Fiction

The Godfather by Mario Puzo

The Street by Mordecai Richler

Affliction by Russel Banks

Spirituality

Letter To A Christian Nation by Sam Harris

What Good Is God? by Philip Yancey

Memoir and Essays

Best American Essays 2011 Edited by Edwidge Danticat

It Calls You Back by Luis J. Rodrgiuez

One Day I Will Write About This Place by Binyavanga Wainana

Writing Reference

The Practice of Poetry: Writing Exercises From Poets Who Teach Edited by Robin Behn and Chase Twichell

Self Editing For Fiction Writers: How To Edit Yourself Into Print Edited by Remi Browne and Dave King

Now Write! Fiction Writing Exercises From Today’s Best Writers and Teachers Edited by Sherry Ellis

Fiction Writing For Beginners by Sibyl Johnston

This new reading list excites me!  I’ve seen The Godfather about 15 times, now it’s time to read the book that started the mafia saga.

Eleanor Wachtel interviewed Russel Banks in her first collection of Writers & Company. Banks impressed me big time.  I waited to find his book Affliction at GOODWILL; it happened yesterday.  Great timing.  Great price: $1.25!

The poetry collections here I’ve been waiting to read for a while.  Specifically Ondaataje’s The Collected Works Of Billy The Kid.  I’ve heard so many great things about it.  Karen Connolly and Al Hunter are poets I’ve wanted to read also and now I am.  And Nicardo’s Creative Energy was given to me by my brother Rupert Harvey; Nicardo and I are in touch, I’ll be featuring him soon.  The FIREWEED issue on FAT will be reviewed for the upcoming week on FAT Phobia that I am doing.  FIREWEED is a great journal that I wish was still around; see the FIREWEED Mixed Race issue which is amazing!

One Day I Will Write About This Place got a great review in the New York Times.  And I read Luis J. Rodriguez’s first memoir Always Running as a teen, so I can’t wait to lay my eyes on his follow up.

Sam Harris writes a harsh letter to Christians where as Philip Yancey questions his own faith: yay and nay.  These two books should be interesting.

The reference books are exactly that.  I’m working on a short story I want to submit soon. Also, the fiction books are great for teaching dialogue and pace, both of which will strengthen my memoir essay writing.  And poet Maureen Hynes swears by The Practice of Poetry; that says a lot!

Lots to read, and lots of will and hunger to do so.  I love books!  I love reading!  I love learning!  It’s gonna be a fun winter!

If you want to join me in reading something together, or discussing a book on this list with me, drop me a comment below or email me at blackcoffeepoet@gmail.com!