I'm weaning myself away from fiction, only because I should take the whole business of literature seriously. Sorry, did I say business? I meant craft. It is a discipline and I shouldn't depend on my spontaneous I-think-I'll-read-this-book-because-I-feel-like-it-today stirrings.

Hence the father of the Western Canon himself. I've had this book since 1999 and I haven't had the courage to pick it up until now.

PS. My defense is tomorrow and it's unnerving how I'm not as nervous as I should be, nor am I excited. What I'm excited about is the fact that my orders from Booksale have arrived. I bought copies of Francesca Lia Block's "Violet and Claire" for two of my friends and 2 other books for myself.