Tuesday, January 13, 2009

More People Are Reading Fiction!

Or so yesterday's New York Times tells us.

It took me until today to find out, because I've been hard at work on B3. Okay, yesterday when I should have read that article, I was busy getting my hair cut (hey, I have quick growing hair; it takes time for it to get short again). But today, I was hard at work (and at watching Hilary Clinton's hearing; I used to watch TV and do homework at the same time, which may account for my not doing so well in school, but most likely not). Anyway, as someone who writes fiction for a living, I'm delighted to learn more people are reading it.

For those of you who doubt that I was hard at work and don't obsessively check the right side of this blog, I posted a tiny bit of what I wrote today over at thirdmoonbook. Remember though, since this entry doesn't have B3 in its title, you can't comment below about what I wrote (not that there would be any need to; it's just a tiny section that amused me, so I figured I'd share it).

Actually, that little lecture about not commenting is almost as long as the bit of the manuscript I just posted. I am a wordy little devil.

Tonight is the first episode of the new season of American Idol. I have a love/hate relationship with that show, but the hate outweighs the love when it comes to the audition episodes, so I won't be watching. I'm hoping to spare myself the semi-finals as well, and just start with the final 12, but I don't know if my will power will be that strong. I'm also running out of evenings before the baseball season begins to watch all those dvds I seem to have bought over the past couple of years. Either I bought them, or they reproduced when I wasn't looking. You know, some of those dvds feel like work. I'm actually in the mood to watch Citizen Kane again, but the dvd includes a two hour documentary. Not that I don't love two hour documentaries about Citizen Kane, but pitchers and catchers are going to be reporting soon for spring training.

My first cousin once removed Debbie didn't win on Jeopardy last night (she came in third), but I thought she was very impressive. She knew a whole lot of stuff I certainly didn't. Most likely she didn't do her homework with the TV on.

Hmm... I wonder if Hilary Clinton did.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, I hope that watching TV while doing homework has nothing to do with doing well. :) I haven't suffered to terribly yet, so...

Jeopardy, really? That's very cool! I'm not very good at those things, so I would fail terribly.

Anonymous said...

The title of your latest post gives me hope. MORE PEOPLE ARE READING FICTION.

Sorry about your cousin. I used to watch Wheel of Fortune in the old, old pre-Vanna days when I was a kid; they gave out prizes instead of cash, and I'd vicariously shop through them. I particularly remember one round where all the prizes were Egypt-themed, including a trip. Oh, the good old days -- before Islamic fundamentalism.

Anonymous Santa Fe

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Hello to Jenni and Anonymous Santa Fe-

My cousin Fran tells me her mother was on Jeopardy once, in the olden days when it was on in the daytime. Fran doesn't remember how her mother did, but that same aunt was on some other game show and won a couch. For all I know, Fran still has it.

One of the Jeopardy topics on Monday was Peninsulas. Geography is what I do worst in Trivial Pursuit, but when we were kids, my mother used to take my brother and me to the Peninsula Library, where we'd spend the afternoon reading books, which we couldn't take out of our own library.

This was a big treat for us, and I still have fond thoughts of anything with a Peninsula attached to it!

sarah said...

Last season I didn't start watching Idol until the top 24, when I wouldn't get invested in someone good just to have them cut in the Hollywood rounds. It made the whole experience better for me.

Of course, I have no good reasoning behind the fact that I watched the auditions last night except to say that I read an article stating that they'd be doing less bad auditions and focusing more on talent. Naturally, I was disappointed and now I've vowed not to watch again until the top 24 or 32 or whatever they do.

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Hi Sarah-

Just about the best thing about Idol for me is reading about it on Television Without Pity, which I do regardless of whether I've watched an episode or not.

Apparently last night's started with a great montage, which included Elliott Yamin (my all time favorite) and his late, beloved mother.

So now I'm mad at myself for not at least taping it, so I could have seen them.

Idol will truly be the death of me!