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Tuesday, November 1, 2005
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 Tuesday, November 1, 2005
started 11/1/2005; 6:48:18 PM - last post 11/3/2005; 2:20:16 PM
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Doc Searls - Tuesday, November 1, 2005 
11/1/2005; 10:48:18 PM (reads: 4408, responses: 5)
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Small world 
| | So I've been reading John McPhee's Coming Into the Country, in slow motion, for about the last year. I think a couple reasons I don't stay sufficiently interested are, 1) I'm reading and re-reading several other McPhee books at the same time, and Coming Into the Country is, well, old. A generation and a half have passed since he wrote it. At least one of the issues driving the book — hunting down a site for a new Alaskan capitol — has clearly become moot. And many of the characters in the book are very likely dead by now. If not, their lifestyle choices would also likely keep evidence of their lives off the Web. |
| | On the other hand, there are some memorable characters in the book that I keep wondering about. Of particular interest is the Gervin family of Central, Alaska. When McPhee wrote the book, in the mid-Seventies, Ed and Ginny Gervin were in their forties, and son Stanley was 27 or so. That would make the elder Gervins geezers by today, and put Stanley in his upper 50s, if not 60. My age, basically. If any of them are still alive. Considering how many times they crashed their plane, one has to wonder. |
| | Hey Jer: Fly past Hollister one of these days visit us in Santa Barbara, okay? If ya wanna know how much I love any excuse to fly, check out my last three photosets. Or these two. (For those, thanks again, Doug Kaye. And congrats on the award. We'll get more of these up soon.) |
No sooner not done than said
| | In spite of what I said the other day, I got another podcast done anyway. That link has the longwinded shownotes (though not as longwinded as the 'cast, believe me). You can download it directly from here. |
| | I don't know how to set up subscriptions there. Yet. Working on it. |
Deceivances are appearing
Again? How'd that happen?
| | It's November, dammit. Wasn't it just March or someting? |
discuss
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Being the fishing nerd that I am, I loved the Founding Fish.
McPhee also just did a great 2 part article in the New Yorker on Coal Trains.
It was pure McPhee, so naturally it was a wonderful read.
If you have a stack of back issues lying around, seek out the articles. They both ran within the last 2 months or so. Sorry I don't remember the exact dates for you...
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dilbert dogbert - Re: McPhee...
11/3/2005; 7:54:18 AM (reads: 537, responses: 2)
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Been reading McPhee for a bit.
Try Curve of Binding Energy for a scare. Circa 1970 and talks about taking down the World Trade Center!!
Also take a look at Assembling California. Even the land is an immigrant.
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Doc Searls - Re: McPhee...
11/3/2005; 6:20:16 PM (reads: 504, responses: 0)
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I read most of The Founding Fish before I lost it somewhere around here. Same goes for the Coal Train pieces. New Yorkers tend to wander around the house too.
Reading McPhee improves my own writing. I feel improved by him every time I read him.
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Doc Searls - Re: McPhee...
11/3/2005; 6:23:35 PM (reads: 560, responses: 0)
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Haven't read Curve. I'll order it.
I've read Assembling Califonria, and all of his geology books, including Annals of the Former World, more times than I can count.
And I've written often about McPhee as well. On example.
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Doc Searls - Re: McPhee...
11/3/2005; 6:24:07 PM (reads: 611, responses: 0)
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Haven't read Curve. I'll order it.
I've read Assembling Califonria, and all of his geology books, including Annals of the Former World, more times than I can count.
And I've written often about McPhee as well. One example.
discuss
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