Never Had To Fight » Emily Schultz http://www.neverhadtofight.com verbing the adjective noun since 1902 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:11:47 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Gordon’s dead http://www.neverhadtofight.com/2010/03/gordons-dead/ http://www.neverhadtofight.com/2010/03/gordons-dead/#comments Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:00:47 +0000 Adam M. Anklewicz http://www.neverhadtofight.com/?p=652 I recently finished reading a book which I bought for my mother’s birthday in August. When I gave it to her, I told her that I’d have to borrow it when she was done. My mother, a former English teacher, is one of those people with a list of books to read as long as her arm, so it did take some time to get to it.

The book, Heaven is Small by Emily Schultz, begins with:

Moments after his death, an event he had failed to notice, Gordon Small sought new employment.

That first sentence immediately captures the audience, and the story of Gordon, a recently deceased writer whospent the better part of his life working dead-end jobs, now in death has found a job in publishing as a proofreader for Heaven, a romance novel publishing house. The dead 30-something is bombarded by images of his ex-wife, who’s new novel once again overshadows him. Eventually Small puts two and two together and finds a means to contact his ex from the grave.

It sounded interesting, and that’s why I chose it for my mother. It’s hard to buy literature for someone, as it’s always a wonder if they’ll like it, but I figured a novel by a Toronto writer could perhaps peak my mother’s interest in the local literary community, something I know nothing about. I went with the idea that I was interested in reading it, and hopefully that was good enough. Now that I’ve read it, I’ll talk more in depth with my mother about her thoughts on it, beyond “weird.”

My thoughts, however, are that it’s great. It’s an interesting situation that Small finds himself in, and he’s surrounded by a very interesting cast of characters. It’s a very quick read, and a great way to spend a Saturday. Schultz’s narrative is witty and compelling. I suggest you read it. Did you know there was this great tool called the Toronto Public Library? You can borrow a copy from there, FOR FREE! There’s a bit of a line, but here’s the link.

Next up: Overqualified by Joey Comeau & Fear of Fighting by Stacey May Fowles. Stacey’s awesome.

]]> http://www.neverhadtofight.com/2010/03/gordons-dead/feed/ 1 February 2010, in review http://www.neverhadtofight.com/2010/03/february-2010-in-review/ http://www.neverhadtofight.com/2010/03/february-2010-in-review/#comments Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:38:38 +0000 Adam M. Anklewicz http://www.neverhadtofight.com/?p=654 In December, I set goals for myself, how many films to see this year, how many shows to attend, how many records to purchase, and how many books to read. This is the standings, as of the end of February…

Books I read (2/10 – 20%):
Heaven Is Small by Emily Schultz | Originally published 2009

Films I saw (19/52 – 36.5%):
Whip It | Originally released 2009
24 Hours On Craigslist | Originally released 2005
The Princess And The Frog | Originally released 2009
The Secret of Kells | Originally released 2009
An Education |  Originally released 2009
Invictus | Originally released 2009
The Blind Side | Originally released 2009
The Hurt Locker | Originally released 2009

Albums I bought (22/52 – 42.3%):
Next Year In Zion by Herman Düne (vinyl) | Originally released 2008
Realism by The Magnetic Fields (CD + vinyl)
The Beatles Stereo Box Set | Originally released 2009

Shows I attended (7/52 – 13.5%):
The Magnetic Fields (w/ Laura Barrett) @ Queen Elizabeth II Theatre; February 8, 2010
The Hidden Cameras, Owen Pallett, Thomas, Kids On TV, The Barcelona Pavilion, Mean Red Spiders, Neck a.k.a. Christiana, Boars @ The Garrison; February 14, 2010

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