Here in Kédougou, we are
blessed with the accumulated literature of many years of volunteers. Nobody
takes books back to America. They leave them here. The result is that almost
every regional house in the country has a well-stocked library. Kedougou's is
particularly bountiful. I have assumed the role of librarian (Affectionately
termed book-slut in the parlance of PCVs here) and do my best to maintain what
is probably the largest English language library for many miles.
These are the books that I have had the pleasure to read in Senegal.
100 Years of Solitude- Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Such a beautiful book. RIP.
These are the books that I have had the pleasure to read in Senegal.
2013
100 Years of Solitude- Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Such a beautiful book. RIP.
Africa in History- Basil DavidsonI especially enjoyed the parts on West African empires. A very good book to find your footing in the vastness of African history.
In Senghor's Shadow- Elizabeth Harney
Negritude, coined by Leopold Sedar Senghor, first President of Senegal, was used as a social framework to promote artistic and cultural renewal/independence as a way to shore up the newfound political independence. Senghor's legacy as a promoter of the arts is critically examined here, as well as the aftermath. Really cool way to get into Senegalese culture/modern history via art history.
In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz- Michela Wrong
Everybody knows Mobutu was unspeakably corrupt, but just how corrupt exactly? What specifically did he launder, steal, pilfer and loot? This book answers these questions with journalistic precision, balanced with entertaining prose, capturing the human, vulnerable side of Mobutu, especially towards the end of his reign. A fascinating epilogue examines the many historical layers of corruption and violence that now cast daunting shadows over the country.
Skeletons on the Zahara- Dean King
This book is a meticulously researched piece of historical literature, and a gripping novel. It tells the story of a crew of American sailors who crash-landed on the coast of what is now Western Sahara, and were sold into slavery. Very interesting tale, and it is neatly situated within wider historical context.
The Picture of Dorian Gray- Oscar Wilde
At once haunting and charming. Every single line feels quotable.
Love in the Time of Cholora- Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A quirky story of love. At times fragile, at times rambunctious. Nobody weaves rambling, seemingly digressive prose into so gripping a story with such grace as Marquez. You soak this writing up through every pore and remember it like a dream.
The Ponds of Kalambayi- Mike Tidwell
Interesting book written by a dude who did the Peace Corps in Zaire during late 60s about his experience. Riveting story, but the writing is un-textured and the book lacks depth in avoiding the political context entirely.
The Best of Roald Dahl- Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl did a lot more than write kids books. His mind produced much more wickedness than could be assumed by characters in kids tales, and these are the hilarious fruits.
Shantaram- Gregory David Roberts
Nary have I ever been so addicted to reading a book as this. Such a badass, crazy, wisdom filled story. In the end, it is a bit of a thriller, but a very rich tale anyways.
Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman- Richard P. Feynman/Ralph Leighton
Anecdotes filled with clever genius, an aversion to bullshit, and 'chutzpah.' Entertaining but not really a fulfilling read because of the highly informal anecdotal form of things. Feynman was a wholly original character.
Mountain Man Dance Moves- McSweenie's
A hilarious book of lists. Great book to read with friends.
2014
January
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk- David Sedaris
Not his best work, but it does not lack for being quirky, funny, and weirdly charming.
A History of Pan-African Revolt- CLR James
Compelling essays that quickly and succinctly get to the core of the history in question. James takes 4 broad examples: Haiti, Ghana, Tanzania, and the US, with interesting detail and observation.
Deep Ecology and Anarchism- Various Authors (Freedom Press)
A series of essays, some opposing polemics, many quite tenuous, but all thought provoking.
Living to Tell the Tale- Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Autobiographical type thing up until his late 20s/early 30s. Same, abstract, endlessly flowing style as his novels, and many of the same themes/tropes. Highly enjoyable.
Water For Elephants- Sara Gruhen
This book sucks. Don't read it. There are so many books that do what this one tries to do but better. I can't understand its popularity or the critical acclaim.
Welcome to the Monkey House- Kurt Vonnegut
Tragic, bizarre short stories from a young Vonnegut. Very fun read. Some are better than others.
Jaguars and Electric Eels- Alexander Von Humboldt
Journals from Humboldt's travels in what is now northern South America. Interesting to finally read something by the man for whom more places are named than any other person.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night- Mark Haddon
Some kind of a masterpiece, I think, and quite unique. Made me think a lot about what goes on with autistic people here in Senegal where personal space is virtually unknown, and most Senegalese have almost no privacy or quiet time. The idea, for example, of a kid having his own bedroom, is unknown.
The Poisonwood Bible- Barbara Kingsolver
A satisfying, robust read. Engaging on multiple levels, this book ended up telling a much more expansive story than it belies at first.
Wonderboys- Michael Chabon
My first experience with Chabon was a delight. I think that this is the funniest novel I have read since A Confederacy of Dunces. I can not recommend it highly enough.
Maphead- Ken Jennings
Remember that dude who kept winning Jeopardy. He wrote a book about maps. It is full of interesting tidbits, facts and anecdotes, like his mind surely is, but it sorely lacks artistic form and style.
Not his best work, but it does not lack for being quirky, funny, and weirdly charming.
A History of Pan-African Revolt- CLR James
Compelling essays that quickly and succinctly get to the core of the history in question. James takes 4 broad examples: Haiti, Ghana, Tanzania, and the US, with interesting detail and observation.
Deep Ecology and Anarchism- Various Authors (Freedom Press)
A series of essays, some opposing polemics, many quite tenuous, but all thought provoking.
Living to Tell the Tale- Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Autobiographical type thing up until his late 20s/early 30s. Same, abstract, endlessly flowing style as his novels, and many of the same themes/tropes. Highly enjoyable.
Water For Elephants- Sara Gruhen
This book sucks. Don't read it. There are so many books that do what this one tries to do but better. I can't understand its popularity or the critical acclaim.
Welcome to the Monkey House- Kurt Vonnegut
Tragic, bizarre short stories from a young Vonnegut. Very fun read. Some are better than others.
Jaguars and Electric Eels- Alexander Von Humboldt
Journals from Humboldt's travels in what is now northern South America. Interesting to finally read something by the man for whom more places are named than any other person.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night- Mark Haddon
Some kind of a masterpiece, I think, and quite unique. Made me think a lot about what goes on with autistic people here in Senegal where personal space is virtually unknown, and most Senegalese have almost no privacy or quiet time. The idea, for example, of a kid having his own bedroom, is unknown.
The Poisonwood Bible- Barbara Kingsolver
A satisfying, robust read. Engaging on multiple levels, this book ended up telling a much more expansive story than it belies at first.
Wonderboys- Michael Chabon
My first experience with Chabon was a delight. I think that this is the funniest novel I have read since A Confederacy of Dunces. I can not recommend it highly enough.
Maphead- Ken Jennings
Remember that dude who kept winning Jeopardy. He wrote a book about maps. It is full of interesting tidbits, facts and anecdotes, like his mind surely is, but it sorely lacks artistic form and style.
February/March
(I spent much of these months in Thies/Dakar,
where it is nearly impossible to read with all of the people and alcohol
around. Found myself gravitating towards humorous short stories)
Fascinations- William Boyd
This book I picked up by chance in Thies, which is generally a depository for bad books culled from other libraries. I don't know how it got there. This is a collection of short stories and in every one the writing is immaculate, and calmly hilarious. The characters are unpretentious, human, and mostly alcoholics, and the stories all somehow very touching. Boyd quickly became a writer I hope to read much more of.
The Book of Guys- Garrison Keillor
Laugh out loud. The comic world of Keillor's writing is alive and well here.
Me Talk Pretty One Day- David Sedaris
Lets Discuss Diabetes with Owls- David Sedaris
These last two kinda blended together. Sedaris's writing is so crisp and spritely. I did nto realize how old Sedaris is. I envy his imagination. Always a good choice for light reading.
A Good Man in Africa- William Boyd
Happily came across this book at a foreign regional house and didn't put it down till I'd finished it. The last 100 pages are hysterically funny. What I love about Boyd is that he does not try to convince you of anything. His characters are very well developed, they are there to tell a good story, that's all.
America the Beautiful- Moon Unit Zappa
This book is fresh. I picked it up because I couldn't believe Moon Unit wrote a book, and I finished it because it is smooth, funny writing.
This book I picked up by chance in Thies, which is generally a depository for bad books culled from other libraries. I don't know how it got there. This is a collection of short stories and in every one the writing is immaculate, and calmly hilarious. The characters are unpretentious, human, and mostly alcoholics, and the stories all somehow very touching. Boyd quickly became a writer I hope to read much more of.
The Book of Guys- Garrison Keillor
Laugh out loud. The comic world of Keillor's writing is alive and well here.
Me Talk Pretty One Day- David Sedaris
Lets Discuss Diabetes with Owls- David Sedaris
These last two kinda blended together. Sedaris's writing is so crisp and spritely. I did nto realize how old Sedaris is. I envy his imagination. Always a good choice for light reading.
A Good Man in Africa- William Boyd
Happily came across this book at a foreign regional house and didn't put it down till I'd finished it. The last 100 pages are hysterically funny. What I love about Boyd is that he does not try to convince you of anything. His characters are very well developed, they are there to tell a good story, that's all.
America the Beautiful- Moon Unit Zappa
This book is fresh. I picked it up because I couldn't believe Moon Unit wrote a book, and I finished it because it is smooth, funny writing.
April
WLT: A Radio Romance- Garrison Keillor
Ever chapter feels like a story in itself, and the overall narrative develops with lots of meandering side stories. Fun to read, but I found that I was not engaged with the main storyline because it was so scattered. I suppose Keillor is best on the Radio telling short stories.
Leaving Home: A Collection of Lake Wobegon Stories- Garrison Keillor
Halfway through this book I realized that I've OD'd on Keillor. It felt repetitive. Or maybe it's just not one of his good books. Or maybe since I am not from the midwest the dynamic hilarity of a Norwegian Lutheran rye farmer whose plumbing doesn't work very well only lasts for so long with me.
Invisible Cities- Italo Calvino
I'll let Gore Vidal take this one: 'Of all tasks, describing the contents of a book is the most difficult and in the case of a marvelous invention like invisible cities, perfectly irrelevant.' The book does make me miss cities with more structured urban planning schemes.
Under the Jaguar Sun- Italo Calvino
An uncompleted work that is completely beautiful. The story about the king haunts me still. Very cerebral writing.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
I see why Chabon is regarded as a major force in modern American Literature. I read this delightful book during a bike trip across the country. What a beautiful story.
Bobby Fischer Goes to War- David Edmonds and John Eidinow
I'd always been fascinated by the character of Bobby Fischer. After reading this book I am certainly still fascinated, but my respect for this man has diminished. Not because of any bias or slant in the book-- which was very even handed-- but due to the simple fact that Fischer was a erratic dude, and his actions and words were extremely rude, albeit fascinating and perhaps genius.
Then I spend 2 weeks trying to read Gravity's Rainbow, and had to give up when I got to page 200 and had no idea what was happening.
Telling Stories- Compiled by Joyce Carol Oates
This is an anthology of short works that Oates assigns to her literature class at Princeton. The collection contains a tremendous variety of stories, each one exemplary in its own way. Many authors I had never heard of before, and might never have, but am eager to explore in more depth.
A Fine Balance- Rohiton Mistry
This is an emotionally intense book. Teetering between hope and sorrow, it is unbearably tragic in the end.
The Soccer War- Ryszard Kapuscinski
Wherever he went, he wrote with exceptional grace and observational skill. And he went everywhere.
Pushcart Book of Short Stories- Various Authors
One of the best books of short stories I've ever read. Huge variety of material here.
The Emperor- Ryszard Kapuscinski
This book should have won Kapuscinski the Nobel Prize for literature.
The Metamorphosis and other Stories- Franz Kafka
Nothing could be farther from the icy world of Kafka's prose than the small village where I read this book, but Kafka is too good to not revisit every now and again.
Under the Shadow of the Sun- Ryszard Kapuscinski
My favorite Kapuscinski thus far.
Homage to Catalonia- George Orwell
This book is key to understanding the 20th century. Orwell describes his experience fighting in the Spanish civil war, where he witnesses the hijacking and subjugation of a worker-led anti-fascist army, by a communist party organization toeing the Soviet Party line. If you or anyone you know still argues against the principle of 'socialism' by holding it against the example of the Soviet Union, you should probably read this book.
A Collection of Essays by George Orwell- George Orwell
No matter what he is writing about, Orwell's words have the quality and feeling of clear-eyed truth. His essay Politics and the English Language is masterful.
Brazzaville Beach- William Boyd
Certainly not William Boyd's best work. But fun enough to read.
Stars and Bars- William Boyd
Hysterical. I'd kinda say that William Boyd is an indulgence for me. His work is not political, and is profound only in a light, human way, but goddamn, a delight to read. He builds comedic tension effortlessly. The whole story is an absurd unravelling of one man's life. One of the funniest books I've ever read.
Old School- Tobias Wolf
Tobias Wolf is terrific. You know that. Really funny reflections on popular literature here. Crisply crafted writing. No quotation marks, for some unknown reason.
Love Always- Anne Beatie
Not really sure why I read this book. It wasn't interesting or well written or funny. Poorly developed characters. But I guess I decided I should just finish the damn book.
Salt- Mark Kurlansky
I dig the concept of this book, but I found it to be a real slog. Too focused on specific laws and policies, not enough conceptual storytelling. Also, a profound lack of information on the trans-saharan salt trade. I've heard that Cod is better.
Arkansas- John Brandon
I'm not sure if I can do this book justice here. Go read it. From the first sentence, it's just fresh literature. It is a bleak, very dark story, and extremely funny. Simply the driest writing I've ever experienced. In a certain way this would be my top recommendation of everything I've read in Senegal. A descendent of Elmore Leonard's literary tradition of dry prose and Dixie Mafia.
The Century- Alain Badiou
I don't read a lot of outright philosophy books. But this is one of the best one I can remember reading. Read it in college, had to go back to it. This book attempts to speak to the question: How did the 20th century think of itself, and represent itself in art?
American Pastoral- Philip Roth
Some pretty profound reflections on America right here. Inspired some interesting meditations on my homeland. Made me rethink my wearing of Hawaiian shirts for one thing.
Labyrinths- Jorge Louis Borges
This literature can be a very nearly psychedelic experience in the way it twists reality subtly around itself until it is a reflection of unreality. I think we can all agree you can not go wrong with Borges.
The Human Stain- Philip Roth
I now understand what is meant when people say that Philip Roth is an institution. This book grabs late 20th century American society by the scruff of the neck and shakes it until all the coins fall out of its pockets onto the pavement.
The Plague- Albert Camus
I thought it could be interesting to re-read this book here, since I am just down the hill from a country that has been overtaken by an epidemic of Ebola. Camus was really writing about occupied France though, not an outbreak of any plague. But there are certain ideas and reflections here that still sent shivers down my spine.
When you are Engulfed in Flames-- David Sedaris
A needed, light hearted comic relief from Camus and Roth. Sedaris demonstrates the formula: incompetence x humility = funny.
The Castle- Franz Kafka
How did Kafka do this? How did he write about people like this in the 1910s? This book is like the script of Office Space 2. The writing is so profoundly funny at times that it would actually take a moment to sink in, hitting me in ripples, each one stronger than the last.
The Other- Ryszard Kapuscinski
This is a series of essays that Kapuscinski wrote towards the end of his life, reflecting on the way that people from one part of the world encounter and experience people from another. It is a moment, it is a generation, it is a concept. This was a good read, but I think that Kapuscinski communicates his ideas better through his storytelling, less explicitly.
White Noise- Don Delilo
I'd put Delilo in league with Roth. My favorite part of this book is the overly-analytical, overly-reflective college professor personalities.
Any Human Heart- William Boyd
Again, William Boyd's books are a great pleasure to read. I get the feeling that he improves with time. His later work seems even better than the early stuff, with the conspicuous exception of his first book, A Good Man in Africa, which was terrific. This book is something of a lighthearted but meaningful reminder to not let life pass you by.
Underworld- Don Delilo
A real exposé of the darkness within the fabric early 21st century America. But in a richly textured, very entertaining way.
Sundjiata- D.T. Niane
This is the classic poetic epic of the Malinké people of West Africa. I can't find a version transliterated in Malinké, just translations in French and English, but there are still lots of cool Malinké terms scattered throughout. I am sure Joseph Campbell would have a field day with the 'archetypes' and themes scattered throughout this hero's journey.
The Yiddish Policeman's Union- Michael Chabon
Waiting for the Barbarians- J.M. Coetzee
Waiting for Rain- Lewis W. Lucke
Adam's Navel and other Essays- Stephen J. Gould
An Ice Cream War- William Boyd
Breakfast of Champions- Kurt Vonnegut
The Mismeasure of Man- Stephen J. Gould
Palm Sunday- Vonnegut
Crome Yellow- Aldous Huxley
Invitation to a Beheading- Vladimir Nabokov
A Million Heavens- John Brandon
Player Piano- Kurt Vonnegut
Freedom- Johnathan Franzen
Disgrace- J.M. Coetzee
Lolita- Vladimir Nabokov
A Confederacy of Dunces- John Kennedy Toole
The Final Solution- Michael Chabon
Dusklands- J.M. Coetzee
Outer Dark- Cormac McCarthy
The New Confessions- William Boyd
Villa Incognito- Tom Robbins
Cat's Cradle- Kurt Vonnegut
The Prophet- Kahil Gibran
Banana- Dan Koetzel
The Corrections- Johnathan Franzen
Cosmopolis- Don Delilo
The Bean Trees- Barbara Kingsolver
Approaching the Qu'aran- Michael Sells
The Moviegoer- Walker Percy
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love- Raymond Carver
Food Rules- Michael Pollan
Matx in Soho- Howard Zinn
I read 94 books in the Peace Corps. I was hoping to hit 100. The authors I am happiest about discovering would have to be William Boyd, J.M. Coetzee, Philip Roth, John Brandon, Ryszard Kapuscinski. I wish I'd had the time to read every book in the whole library, but I gave it a pretty good run. Reading took on a role of seminal importance during the Peace Corps.
I will always remember the hot hot days, of the late dry season. April and May. I'd sweep and then lay right on the concrete floor of my hut, trying to feel the last bit of coolness coming out of the ground, with my head on a pillow. I'd leave the door open, and lay just inside of it, in the shade, reading and reading, just hoping to feel a breeze.
Ever chapter feels like a story in itself, and the overall narrative develops with lots of meandering side stories. Fun to read, but I found that I was not engaged with the main storyline because it was so scattered. I suppose Keillor is best on the Radio telling short stories.
Leaving Home: A Collection of Lake Wobegon Stories- Garrison Keillor
Halfway through this book I realized that I've OD'd on Keillor. It felt repetitive. Or maybe it's just not one of his good books. Or maybe since I am not from the midwest the dynamic hilarity of a Norwegian Lutheran rye farmer whose plumbing doesn't work very well only lasts for so long with me.
Invisible Cities- Italo Calvino
I'll let Gore Vidal take this one: 'Of all tasks, describing the contents of a book is the most difficult and in the case of a marvelous invention like invisible cities, perfectly irrelevant.' The book does make me miss cities with more structured urban planning schemes.
Under the Jaguar Sun- Italo Calvino
An uncompleted work that is completely beautiful. The story about the king haunts me still. Very cerebral writing.
May
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
I see why Chabon is regarded as a major force in modern American Literature. I read this delightful book during a bike trip across the country. What a beautiful story.
Bobby Fischer Goes to War- David Edmonds and John Eidinow
I'd always been fascinated by the character of Bobby Fischer. After reading this book I am certainly still fascinated, but my respect for this man has diminished. Not because of any bias or slant in the book-- which was very even handed-- but due to the simple fact that Fischer was a erratic dude, and his actions and words were extremely rude, albeit fascinating and perhaps genius.
Then I spend 2 weeks trying to read Gravity's Rainbow, and had to give up when I got to page 200 and had no idea what was happening.
June
Telling Stories- Compiled by Joyce Carol Oates
This is an anthology of short works that Oates assigns to her literature class at Princeton. The collection contains a tremendous variety of stories, each one exemplary in its own way. Many authors I had never heard of before, and might never have, but am eager to explore in more depth.
A Fine Balance- Rohiton Mistry
This is an emotionally intense book. Teetering between hope and sorrow, it is unbearably tragic in the end.
The Soccer War- Ryszard Kapuscinski
Wherever he went, he wrote with exceptional grace and observational skill. And he went everywhere.
Pushcart Book of Short Stories- Various Authors
One of the best books of short stories I've ever read. Huge variety of material here.
The Emperor- Ryszard Kapuscinski
This book should have won Kapuscinski the Nobel Prize for literature.
July
The Metamorphosis and other Stories- Franz Kafka
Nothing could be farther from the icy world of Kafka's prose than the small village where I read this book, but Kafka is too good to not revisit every now and again.
Under the Shadow of the Sun- Ryszard Kapuscinski
My favorite Kapuscinski thus far.
Homage to Catalonia- George Orwell
This book is key to understanding the 20th century. Orwell describes his experience fighting in the Spanish civil war, where he witnesses the hijacking and subjugation of a worker-led anti-fascist army, by a communist party organization toeing the Soviet Party line. If you or anyone you know still argues against the principle of 'socialism' by holding it against the example of the Soviet Union, you should probably read this book.
A Collection of Essays by George Orwell- George Orwell
No matter what he is writing about, Orwell's words have the quality and feeling of clear-eyed truth. His essay Politics and the English Language is masterful.
Brazzaville Beach- William Boyd
Certainly not William Boyd's best work. But fun enough to read.
Stars and Bars- William Boyd
Hysterical. I'd kinda say that William Boyd is an indulgence for me. His work is not political, and is profound only in a light, human way, but goddamn, a delight to read. He builds comedic tension effortlessly. The whole story is an absurd unravelling of one man's life. One of the funniest books I've ever read.
Old School- Tobias Wolf
Tobias Wolf is terrific. You know that. Really funny reflections on popular literature here. Crisply crafted writing. No quotation marks, for some unknown reason.
Love Always- Anne Beatie
Not really sure why I read this book. It wasn't interesting or well written or funny. Poorly developed characters. But I guess I decided I should just finish the damn book.
Salt- Mark Kurlansky
I dig the concept of this book, but I found it to be a real slog. Too focused on specific laws and policies, not enough conceptual storytelling. Also, a profound lack of information on the trans-saharan salt trade. I've heard that Cod is better.
August
Arkansas- John Brandon
I'm not sure if I can do this book justice here. Go read it. From the first sentence, it's just fresh literature. It is a bleak, very dark story, and extremely funny. Simply the driest writing I've ever experienced. In a certain way this would be my top recommendation of everything I've read in Senegal. A descendent of Elmore Leonard's literary tradition of dry prose and Dixie Mafia.
The Century- Alain Badiou
I don't read a lot of outright philosophy books. But this is one of the best one I can remember reading. Read it in college, had to go back to it. This book attempts to speak to the question: How did the 20th century think of itself, and represent itself in art?
September
American Pastoral- Philip Roth
Some pretty profound reflections on America right here. Inspired some interesting meditations on my homeland. Made me rethink my wearing of Hawaiian shirts for one thing.
Labyrinths- Jorge Louis Borges
This literature can be a very nearly psychedelic experience in the way it twists reality subtly around itself until it is a reflection of unreality. I think we can all agree you can not go wrong with Borges.
The Human Stain- Philip Roth
I now understand what is meant when people say that Philip Roth is an institution. This book grabs late 20th century American society by the scruff of the neck and shakes it until all the coins fall out of its pockets onto the pavement.
October
The Plague- Albert Camus
I thought it could be interesting to re-read this book here, since I am just down the hill from a country that has been overtaken by an epidemic of Ebola. Camus was really writing about occupied France though, not an outbreak of any plague. But there are certain ideas and reflections here that still sent shivers down my spine.
When you are Engulfed in Flames-- David Sedaris
A needed, light hearted comic relief from Camus and Roth. Sedaris demonstrates the formula: incompetence x humility = funny.
The Castle- Franz Kafka
How did Kafka do this? How did he write about people like this in the 1910s? This book is like the script of Office Space 2. The writing is so profoundly funny at times that it would actually take a moment to sink in, hitting me in ripples, each one stronger than the last.
The Other- Ryszard Kapuscinski
This is a series of essays that Kapuscinski wrote towards the end of his life, reflecting on the way that people from one part of the world encounter and experience people from another. It is a moment, it is a generation, it is a concept. This was a good read, but I think that Kapuscinski communicates his ideas better through his storytelling, less explicitly.
White Noise- Don Delilo
I'd put Delilo in league with Roth. My favorite part of this book is the overly-analytical, overly-reflective college professor personalities.
November
Any Human Heart- William Boyd
Again, William Boyd's books are a great pleasure to read. I get the feeling that he improves with time. His later work seems even better than the early stuff, with the conspicuous exception of his first book, A Good Man in Africa, which was terrific. This book is something of a lighthearted but meaningful reminder to not let life pass you by.
Underworld- Don Delilo
A real exposé of the darkness within the fabric early 21st century America. But in a richly textured, very entertaining way.
Sundjiata- D.T. Niane
This is the classic poetic epic of the Malinké people of West Africa. I can't find a version transliterated in Malinké, just translations in French and English, but there are still lots of cool Malinké terms scattered throughout. I am sure Joseph Campbell would have a field day with the 'archetypes' and themes scattered throughout this hero's journey.
December
I decided to focus on local language learning. So during the month of December I translated, read and re-read several Jaxanké/Malinké texts. I also spent some time studying for the GRE. Among
2015
(I lost track of months in 2015)The Yiddish Policeman's Union- Michael Chabon
Waiting for the Barbarians- J.M. Coetzee
Waiting for Rain- Lewis W. Lucke
Adam's Navel and other Essays- Stephen J. Gould
An Ice Cream War- William Boyd
Breakfast of Champions- Kurt Vonnegut
The Mismeasure of Man- Stephen J. Gould
Palm Sunday- Vonnegut
Crome Yellow- Aldous Huxley
Invitation to a Beheading- Vladimir Nabokov
A Million Heavens- John Brandon
Player Piano- Kurt Vonnegut
Freedom- Johnathan Franzen
Disgrace- J.M. Coetzee
Lolita- Vladimir Nabokov
A Confederacy of Dunces- John Kennedy Toole
The Final Solution- Michael Chabon
Dusklands- J.M. Coetzee
Outer Dark- Cormac McCarthy
The New Confessions- William Boyd
Villa Incognito- Tom Robbins
Cat's Cradle- Kurt Vonnegut
The Prophet- Kahil Gibran
Banana- Dan Koetzel
The Corrections- Johnathan Franzen
Cosmopolis- Don Delilo
The Bean Trees- Barbara Kingsolver
Approaching the Qu'aran- Michael Sells
The Moviegoer- Walker Percy
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love- Raymond Carver
Food Rules- Michael Pollan
Matx in Soho- Howard Zinn
I read 94 books in the Peace Corps. I was hoping to hit 100. The authors I am happiest about discovering would have to be William Boyd, J.M. Coetzee, Philip Roth, John Brandon, Ryszard Kapuscinski. I wish I'd had the time to read every book in the whole library, but I gave it a pretty good run. Reading took on a role of seminal importance during the Peace Corps.
I will always remember the hot hot days, of the late dry season. April and May. I'd sweep and then lay right on the concrete floor of my hut, trying to feel the last bit of coolness coming out of the ground, with my head on a pillow. I'd leave the door open, and lay just inside of it, in the shade, reading and reading, just hoping to feel a breeze.
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