From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V5 #170 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Thursday, May 13 1999 Volume 05 : Number 170 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Toronto CD stores [Steve I ] Re: purple [Bill Mazur ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 13 May 1999 01:13:16 -0400 From: Steve I Subject: Toronto CD stores Heya philes... Once upon a time I actually typed up an entire CD store tour of Toronto for visiting friends. If anyone is visiting toronto let me know and I'll email it to you. Anyway here are a couple of highlights: The CD Cat (593 Queen W. at Augusta, (416)703-4797). Great store for bargains, everything is used. They have a wall of CDs arranged by artist, but the real joy (and the real bargains) are the huge discount bins. Named after its resident cat. A new one opened up on Yonge St last year and with the new store came a new adorable little kitten. I have a theory that CD stores and bookstores with resident pets are always a cut above the rest. Perhaps animals just have better taste than your typical chain store owner? Penguin Music (2 McCaul at Queen W., (416)597-1687) Great store for imports. Both new and used stuff here. np: Emm Gryner, advance tracks from _Science Fair_ (this is gonna be really good!) Steve ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 22:28:31 -0700 From: Bill Mazur Subject: Re: purple > On Tue, May 11, 1999 at 11:20:43PM -0700, Bill Mazur wrote: > > I started Dhalgren several times and only got a very short way into it. It seemed > > interesting but never immediately pulled me in. The same thing happned with Lord of the > > Rings and Dune at first. I need to try to get into Dhalgren again. Many good friends > > have recommended it to me. I really have to throw myself into a book and then I'm > > hooked. I can't just read a chapter a night. I will need to set aside some time to > > really get into it. > > One thing about Dhalgren: at the start, it seems to make very little sense, > with things happenning randomly and erratically. (Landmarks shift from where > the character last saw them, sunrises and moonrises are different one day > from the next, etc). Don't worry about why, and just kinda go with it. > I've also seen it said (in critical studies of the book) that it seems > as if Delany intentionally was trying to buck uncommitted readers away in > the early sections. It eventually settles down pretty well, before going > amazingly prismatic in its final section. Thanks Joseph for the insights. I guess that I was one of those uncommited readers he was trying to chase off. :-) As I said, I really have to have the time and desire to throw myself into a book. That means being able to read five or six chapters at a sitting. If I try and read just a chapter or two a night, most novels don't hold my interest. Based on everything I've heard about Delany from you, others on Ecto and from a number of friends, who's opinions I trust, I need to find the time to read some of his work. Thanks to everyone for all of their suggestions. > Back in the 80s I wrote the libretto and musical sketches for a radio > opera of Dhalgren, for which Delany tentatively agreed to do the spoken > parts himself (he has a wonderful voice). Unfortunately the project > fell apart, but I'd love to finish it sometime... That is very cool. That would be interesting to hear. I am definitely looking forward to hearing your contribution for the Ecto compilation. Take care eveyone, Bill M. ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V5 #170 **************************