Pasta, Pears, and Poetry

I don't know how many people use Google Reader or even know what that is.

If you have a Google account, you need to try it out. It's definitely not a new thing; Wikipedia says that it was introduced in 2005. But if you have a Google account, you like to follow a lot of different websites and blogs, and you're not using Reader, then you're doing it wrong. Go check it out!

I use Google Reader to stay updated on:

- my friends' Tumblr blogs (here and here)
- The Onion: America's Finest News Source (my favorite one!)
- Neil Gaiman's journal
- my friends' updates on Goodreads
- A Cartoon Guide to Becoming a Doctor
- Inkygirl: an illustrated guide for those who write and draw for young people
- the Makes Me Think site
- new book releases on Amazon
- xkcd, a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language
- Bakerella (the lady who came up with cake pops!)
- Savage Chickens: Cartoons on Sticky Notes
- NY Times Health
- NY Times Books

In case you were wondering, no, I'm not getting paid to advertise the wonderful thing that is Google Reader. Nor am I getting paid to advertise for any of the above sites. If only making money were that easy, I'd be singing about these guys from the rooftops.

Kevin Young

I'm really bringing this up because I just read an article on NYT Books about a poetry anthology that just came out, called The Hungry Ear: Poems of Food & Drink." It's an anthology compiled by an editor named Kevin Young.

I've never heard of him before today, but a quick glance at his page on the Academy of American Poets site says that Young is a pretty important poet (Harvard, Stanford, AND Brown?!). He's an award-winning poet known for his poetry centered around African American culture and themes.

This article was a review about Young's latest anthology, a collection of poems related to the world of food. The NYTimes review was not entirely favorable; the author, Dwight Garner, said that there are a number of great poems included, but to find them you have to sift through a lot of the lesser ones. Garner was also critical of several omissions Young made of  "canonical" food poetry. You can, of course, read the full article yourself for more details.

What made me laugh in the review, though, is Garner's suggestion that a "Best Bathroom Book" category should be added to the National Book Awards. Apparently Hungry Ear would be a sure winner for 2012.

Viscountess of Affairs, LEP