why do I like that book so?
Mar. 12th, 2007 08:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eorI mentioned in my review of "Future Boston" that I had personal reasons for liking the books, apart from those which might be common to other readers.
First off, it's Boston. I've had a longstanding on and off affair with Boston. We haven't always gotten along and she sometimes uses me like a tool, but I'm always tempted back. I first entered university in Boston. I first exited university in Boston. Boston has held promise beyond my wildest imaginings and never had any intention of actually letting me reach those mythic mirages.
I love the town though. The unattainable beauty of Newbury Street. The bookstores and food of Cambridge. The liberal collections of liberals. The girls who don't shave their body hair and the boys that do. The way the smell of the Orange Line can hit you like a fifty pound mackerel.
The second reason is about timing. When I first encountered the first of these stories I was living in the poor roommate situations common to many young people of lesser means. The world was fluid, everything that had been solid and staid was sinking and I was left collecting whatever I could carry and dragging it to the attic. The upheaval of future Boston was something I could relate to.
When the complete book was published a few years later![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
derien and I shared its and our own mistaken vision for the future. Rereading the stories brings a mixture of the future they wrote and the memory of that energetic time when I first read the book.
Then there are the stories themselves:
"Dying in Hull" plays on that historical presence that those who live on this rocky coast are steeped in. Even if we don't own a whaler boat, we breath the air, the ghosts of sailors walk us home down foggy streets after last call.
"Projects" has always been my personal favorite. The student setting, the mania, the depression, and the projects all ring very true for me.
"Nomads" explores the different cultures of Boston. What happens when you don't want to play the role that's assigned to you?
The list goes on, but I'll stop there. For the song of the Phneri or an encounter with the Bishop you'll have to make an appointment yourself.
First off, it's Boston. I've had a longstanding on and off affair with Boston. We haven't always gotten along and she sometimes uses me like a tool, but I'm always tempted back. I first entered university in Boston. I first exited university in Boston. Boston has held promise beyond my wildest imaginings and never had any intention of actually letting me reach those mythic mirages.
I love the town though. The unattainable beauty of Newbury Street. The bookstores and food of Cambridge. The liberal collections of liberals. The girls who don't shave their body hair and the boys that do. The way the smell of the Orange Line can hit you like a fifty pound mackerel.
The second reason is about timing. When I first encountered the first of these stories I was living in the poor roommate situations common to many young people of lesser means. The world was fluid, everything that had been solid and staid was sinking and I was left collecting whatever I could carry and dragging it to the attic. The upheaval of future Boston was something I could relate to.
When the complete book was published a few years later
derien and I shared its and our own mistaken vision for the future. Rereading the stories brings a mixture of the future they wrote and the memory of that energetic time when I first read the book.Then there are the stories themselves:
"Dying in Hull" plays on that historical presence that those who live on this rocky coast are steeped in. Even if we don't own a whaler boat, we breath the air, the ghosts of sailors walk us home down foggy streets after last call.
"Projects" has always been my personal favorite. The student setting, the mania, the depression, and the projects all ring very true for me.
"Nomads" explores the different cultures of Boston. What happens when you don't want to play the role that's assigned to you?
The list goes on, but I'll stop there. For the song of the Phneri or an encounter with the Bishop you'll have to make an appointment yourself.
