and backtracking a little...

just a little update on the state of my Year Of Reading.

though i seem to have inadvertantly slipped into a furrow of nonfiction (which surprises no one so much as myself*), i am looking forward to dropping back in to fiction--i just obtained a copy of richard russo's "straight man" with which to amuse myself, a nice little confection to reward myself for surviving biography month.

yes, march was biography month, and there were a few moments there i didn't think i was going to make it. i'd initially planned to read "the last lion," a biography of winston churchill. however, i am a fickle and flighty creature, and upon discovering that i had the wrong volume of a three-part series (this one covering his life between school and WWII--i wanted to read about the war years), i put it down, abandoning good sir winston in favor of duke ellington's right hand man, billy strayhorn.

now, it's a shame that i found this book to be, for the most part, appallingly written, becuase billy strayhorn is a pretty fascinating guy--musical genius, sartorial prodigy, openly gay, brilliant and refined. someone i would have loved to know, quite frankly.

anyway. despite the depressing nature of the writing on this tome, i find it may have inspired me to read some more biographies. people are fascintating; who knew?

any suggestions?

* though i'm digging it, as i feel interesting for the first time in a really long time. well, okay. not exactly interesting yet. but getting there.