Author: Fred Slusher

Quote for the Day: August 4th, 2021

The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson

Nothing you can say can fuck up the space for God.

Maggie Nelson

Maggie Nelson, more so than any other active American writer, is a master of queering form while maintaining literary excellence. Her work is experimental yet grounded in traditions of expression as old as language itself.

I love today’s quote because it dovetails quite significantly from accepted dogma. As someone who was raised in an evangelical tradition, as I’ve probably mentioned before, I was taught that our words can separate us from God, from the divine, from the inner sanctum.

When I first read The Argonauts, it made me think perhaps this wasn’t 100% true. For if we’re to believe in God or a divine intelligence that set all This in motion, then surely God can stand up to our scrutiny. Before I went to college, I would never have thought about saying something so (in my experience) unorthodox, but I’m glad I changed. I even had a conversation about it with my mother once. She said that she worried about some of the things I said when discussing religion, and I told her point-blank that I couldn’t believe in something I couldn’t question.

So ask your questions. Have your arguments. Take what you think you know and hold it up to the light. Smell it. Investigate it. Demand of it transparency, because nothing you can say can fuck up the space for God.

Thanks as always for being a faithful reader of The Voracious Bibliophile. If you like what you see, please follow, like, comment, and subscribe to my email list to get notified of new posts as soon as they drop. You can also email me at thevoraciousbibliophile@yahoo.com or catch me on Twitter @voraciousbiblog. Keep reading the world, one page (or pixel) at a time.

1K, Baby

They say that writing is a solitary act and for the most part that is true. However, one of the best and most rewarding feelings is having your work validated by others. It helps you to realize that all the time and effort are worth it.

With that said, I’d like to announce that this blog has officially passed 1,000 views. I am so incredibly grateful to everyone who has given The Voracious Bibliophile a chance so far and want to let all of you know that there is way more to come in the future. Thank you so much!

Thanks as always for being a faithful reader of The Voracious Bibliophile. If you like what you see, please follow, like, comment, and subscribe to my email list to get notified of new posts as soon as they drop. You can also email me at thevoraciousbibliophile@yahoo.com or catch me on Twitter @voraciousbiblog. Keep reading the world, one page (or pixel) at a time.

Quote for the Day: August 3rd, 2021

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

The same hammer won’t tear down all of the walls. What keeps a poor child in Appalachia poor is not what keeps a poor child in Chicago poor, even if from a distance the outcomes look the same. And what keeps an able-bodied Black woman poor is not what keeps a disabled white man poor, even if the outcomes look the same.

Ijeoma Oluo

On Repeat, Midsummer: A Playlist

Initially, it was my intention to create a playlist to share with readers of this blog via Apple Music. Either I’m not tech-savvy enough to figure out how to do this or it’s not possible. My vanity leads me to believe the latter. I really like the playlist though, so I’m going to share it the old-fashioned way: I’m sending each and every one of you a scrap of parchment arriving via carrier pigeon. Ha! Just kidding. Enjoy!

#1: the lakes (original version) by Taylor Swift

#2: Waiting by Alice Boman

#3: Bleecker Street by Simon & Garfunkel

#4: Faith of the Heart by Rod Stewart

#5: Venice Bitch by Lana Del Rey

#6: Hallelujah by k.d. lang

#7: Should Have Known Better by Sufjan Stevens

#8: Hometown Glory by Adele

#9: Passionfruit by Drake

#10: Speechless by Lady Gaga

#11: Twinkle Song by Miley Cyrus

#12: Gooey by Glass Animals

#13: A Change of Heart by The 1975

#14: Good Days by SZA

#15: Face Like Thunder by The Japanese House

#16: Still Learning by Halsey

#17: Grand Piano by Nicki Minaj

#18: Chandelier (Piano Version) by Sia

#19: The Riddle by Five for Fighting

Thanks as always for being a faithful reader of The Voracious Bibliophile. If you like what you see, please follow, like, comment, and subscribe to my email list to get notified of new posts as soon as they drop. You can also email me at thevoraciousbibliophile@yahoo.com or catch me on Twitter @voraciousbiblog. Keep reading the world, one page (or pixel) at a time.

When In Doubt, Throw It Out

For those of you who are new readers of this blog, I recently got a promotion. I finally crawled my way to the top of the scrap heap to become my store’s General Manager. Taking stock of my environs, I knew that one of the first things I wanted to do was clean house.

Many of us get so bogged down with everyday tasks in our work and home lives that big projects often get cast to the side. But a molehill quickly becomes a mountain, which becomes a mountain range. Forgive my very labored metaphor but you get the picture.

During the time I’ve worked at my store I’ve had to look at eyesores in our storage area in the form of boxes upon boxes of old paperwork. As anyone who’s ever worked in business can tell you, paper can pile up quickly. Sales reports, policy updates, action plans, etc. continue to accumulate long past the point at which they should’ve been pitched/recycled.

Now, one should exercise caution when beginning to pitch things as each organization has its own protocols regarding paperwork retention and disposal. Once you understand the correct process(es), though, you should grab a shovel and start chucking.

So that’s what I did. I’ve currently recycled more than ten boxes’ worth of paper from reports dating back as far as 2011 and I’m still not done. The pile of papers culled from my personnel files that needed shredding was a foot thick. Side note: I bought a paper shredder for my office and it’s the reason Marie Kondo came up with #SparkJoy because it brings me so much of it.

I bought a paper shredder for my office and it’s the reason Marie Kondo came up with #SparkJoy because it brings me so much of it.

Embarking on this process has been somewhat difficult because everything I’m doing runs contrary to the way I’ve operated my life thus far. Up until now, I’ve been a fan of the “keep it just in case” organizational schematic, which unfortunately is every hoarder’s Achilles heel.

Up until now, I’ve been a fan of the “keep it just in case” organizational schematic, which unfortunately is every hoarder’s Achilles heel.

Have you ever tackled a big cleaning project that you found daunting? How did you do it? Where did you start? Let me know in the comments or email me at thevoraciousbibliophile@yahoo.com.

Thanks as always for being a faithful reader of The Voracious Bibliophile. If you like what you see, please follow, like, comment, and subscribe to my email list to get notified of new posts as soon as they drop. You can also email me at thevoraciousbibliophile@yahoo.com or catch me on Twitter @voraciousbiblog. Keep reading the world, one page (or pixel) at a time.

Quote for the Day: July 31st, 2021

Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America by Laila Lalami

If they cling to a mode of dress, a language, or habit that seems too conspicuous to the majority, they might be told that they are not assimilating, or not assimilating enough. They live their lives in the particular but find it reflected back to them in the generic whether in the speeches of ambitious politicians or in the plot lines of Hollywood movies.

Laila Lalami