That about does it for Year Two; I Read A Short Story Today started on December 23, 2004. It’s been a tough twelve months for this site, as a new job — or, rather, an expanded version of the old one — left me struggling to work short stories into my daily life. My attempts to read a short story a day came up quite short. I read 128 total.
Breaking it down:
76 male authors
52 female authors
10 George Saunderses (In Persuasion Nation being the only whole collection I read.)
1 moratorium on Proust (meaning I still have not read any)
1 International Fiction Month (February)
1 novel attempted (I’m still on page 279 of Kavalier & Clay)
1 novel purchased that I was a really bad idea (Gravity’s Rainbow? What was I thinking?)
What changes can we expect for IRASST as it enters its third year? How about this? I’m going to allow comments. Until it gets really depressing or annoying, anyway. Look, they’re active now.
And I’ll try to start putting photos on the site, of the books or magazine I read from. Now, I don’t know how to do this but I know people who know and they will tell me. Ooh, I just figured out the photo thing.
Now, for the first and only time ever, links!
These are sites I like to read, in no order:
Moorish Girl — Laila Lalami. She wrote Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits, which I’ve never read, but her blog is quite cool.
Emerging Writers Network — Dan Wickett, the original literary Ewok. I bet I’m the first to call him that. This guy loves to read and his insights are always interesting.
Bookninja. A whole dojo of fun litnerds.
Zero Sum Blog — L.M. A strange and spellbinding site to get lost in.
Jimmy Page’s Sweater Vest — Andrew Beaujon. It’s a music site that’s only a little bit about music. He wrote Body Piercing Saved My Life.
Deadprogrammer’s Cafe — Michael Krakovskiy. Pop culture, pictures, etc.
Maura — Maura Johnston. She writes about everything.
Bloody Knee Jerk — Jesse Delaney. Dude lives metal.
God and a Bottle In Me — J. Edward Keyes. Excellent music writer (and pal).
Under the Rock — “Shaky” Mike Pelusi. Another Excellent music writer (and pal).
Last Plane to Jakarta — John Darnielle. King of the longform rock criticism.
Monoglot — Ryan Godfrey. Quizomaster and IRASST’s tech wizard.
Nervous Unto Thirst — Franklin Bruno. Poet, musician, indie truthsayer.
Comics Curmudgeon — Josh Fruhlinger. Making fun of comic strips.
The Clog. City Paper‘s staff blog. You’ll sometimes find me there.
Edible Complex — Elissa Ludwig. My favorite food critic.
Last Week I Went To Philadelphia But It Was Closed — Dominic Mercier. Kickass photos.
Trapper Juan — Drew Lazor. Pop culture, funny things.
Secret Dead Blog — Duane Swierczynski. My boss, author of The Blonde and The Wheelman.
Crooks and Liars. Outpost of the vast left-wing conspiracy.
Nikki McClure. Kick ass paper cuts.
Brian Dewan. Unlikely musical instruments.
Delta Park Project — Jason and Anna. Super fun podcasts.