Librarians, books and Western swing

Noteworthy at About Last Night:

Teachout links to Nat Hentoff's appreciation of America's gutsy librarians:

From Sept. 25 to Oct. 2, libraries across this country will invite their communities to the annual Banned Books Week, decrying censorship. I've spoken, by invitation, during those weeks at libraries around the country. Will any library invite me this year to talk about the burning of library books in Cuba?

In the final report, also passed overwhelmingly by raised hands, there was some pious language expressing the ALA's ''deep concern over the arrest and long prison terms of political dissidents in Cuba'' -- but this deep concern does not extend to asking the Cuban dictator to liberate all of the 75 imprisoned in his crackdown last spring, including the 10 librarians.

Teachout also lists some of his "total comfort reading," the writers you turn to "when the world is getting you down." I'm a bit embarrased to note that most of his choices I haven't yet read. My own quick, off-the-top-of-my-head list:

Gene Wolfe's short story collections
R.A. Lafferty
Terry Pratchett
Neil Gaiman
P.G. Wodehouse
Florence King
... and I'll probably add a few later. I also like to escape into books on botany or music (if there is a book on botany and music, please let me know).

Finally, I just noticed that his current "top five" includes a CD by a favorite band of mine:

Hot Club of Cowtown, Continental Stomp. Stripped-down Western swing recorded live in Austin, played with sly wit and much flair by a violin-guitar-bass trio that knows what it’s doing and then some. Not only does fiddler Elana Fremerman smoke and burn on the up-tempo tunes, but she’s a nifty singer to boot.

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Dear Don,

You find Neil Gaiman a source of comfort? He produces in me anxiety of nearly a feverish pitch--both in his graphic novel stuff and in the print materials. I like it but comfort?

Anyway, I should produce my list and perhaps I will at my site. Thanks for the idea.

shalom,

Steven

"Comfort" may not be the first word that comes to mind, but Gaiman's fiction is superior escapism, in addition to its other virtues. I've never read his graphic novels, by the way.

I look forward to your list.

Dear Don,

I may be mistaken. I thought the "Sandman" series of graphic novels were largely Gaiman's work. If so, I apologize. I do agree that he has a wonderful way of transforming the mundane and creating worlds within worlds.

I think Kara Dalkey might be on my list. I'm still formulating.

shalom,

Steven