The Sun Also Sets: WTF Hemingway

So I'm reading Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. I don't really know why. Maybe because someone compared it to Lena Dunham's Girls? (I don't really know why). Maybe because I thought it was a Great Book that I should read if I want to be a well-rounded person? Maybe because someone told me it was about bull fights? (Again, I don't really know why). Maybe because in my head I equate Hemingway and Faulkner because I first read them in the same class in high school and recently really enjoyed reading Faulkner?

I'm ten chapters in and here's what's happened so far. No bull fights, but:

There are a bunch of American ex-pats living in Paris. They drink and write and read the newspaper a lot. For some reason they spend most of the time they're not drinking riding around in taxi cabs. There's this one girl who for whatever reason, is named Brett. The narrator really digs her but so does pretty much everyone else because she's been married a couple times and is actually a Lady. But then she divorces the Lord (who we don't meet, at least before chapter 11) and marries this guy named Mike who seems nice enough but is drunk always and is always waiting for someone to send him money. I don't really get why Brett is such a big deal because she seems like sort of a gold digger, not to mention that every time the narrator tries to hang out with her she invites other people or makes him ride around a lot in a taxi. But the narrator and Brett seem to be in love with each other or something. The narrator has a couple of bromances with other guys who are also really into Brett. They make plans to go fishing and watch bull fights and bro-out but in chapter 10 they get screwed up because one of the dudes is super into Brett and thinks he's made plans to meet up with her even though she is traveling with her husband. Whatever.

There's a not-so-subtle racist description.

There's some not-so-subtle anti-Semitism.

There's a scene where a character is looking into a mirror and Hemingway talks about it for a long time. It's probably symbolic but I'm either too dumb or too lazy to want to pick up on it.

It's safe to say that I don't understand great American literature and could probably benefit by reading some articles about Hemingway's writing.

Or I could just continue reading to see if there are any bull fights in chapters 11-19.

Gossip Girl: Upper Pocahontas County Dollar General Edition

Rumor has it that Janney Lockman is back in town. Where has she been? And who am I? I'll never tell...

Gossip Girl: Upper Pocahontas County Dollar General Edition

Spotted: Janney Lockman buying dandruff shampoo at Dollar General. What's your skin problem Lil' J? And why were you so hesitant to share it with a high school classmate's mother when she asked you what you were purchasing in the check out line?
You know you love me.
XOXO,
Gossip Girl

Spotted: Janney Lockman talking to her high school social studies teacher. What is this "research" you're doing back in Cleveland Lil' J? Why are you being so evasive about your future? What are you hiding? And why are you in Dollar General in Green Bank anyway?
Your secret's safe. For now.
XOXO,
Gossip Girl

Spotted: Budweiser truck outside Dollar General. Sounds like Dollar General is about to turn into the new supplier for all of Upper PC's most fabulous parties. So why are the ladies in line ahead of Lil' J complaining so much about it? Who are they to dare to want to stifle economic activity in Upper PC's most booming town? And why was Lil' J seen buying a case 2 hours later?
As for me, I'll be cracking open this limited edition camo Bud Light. Bottom's up, Upper PC.
XOXO,
Gossip Girl

More like New Year's Revolutions, amirite?

Happy New Year! As many of my faithful readers may (or may not) know, I am currently in Italy. I will blog about that in a few days, but right now I'd like to take a moment to address the subject of New Year's Resolutions.

I naturally tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to myself. With every new year, I make a list of things that I imagine will contribute to the perfect Janney. Be nicer to your family. Exercise every day. Stop cursing. Eat less peanut butter. Floss your teeth. While these are all laudable goals, for me, new year's resolutions tend to send me into a self-absorbed spiral. I become focused on obtaining the attainable perfect, and not on living the way I want to live. And while I pretend to myself that I will be happy when things are perfect, I'm actually the happiest when I'm half-assing. I like the semi-sloppy, the clean stovetop juxtaposed with the sink full of dishes. I don't care if the quilt I'm making is imperfect, I'm just happy that all of the colors go together. I like my body best when there are jiggly parts but I can still feel the strength of my legs when I walk and run. I like being able to curse like a sailor when I need to, and being able to turn it off in the workplace.

So I'm not going to make any self-improvement related resolutions this year. I just graduated from college and there are a whole slew of things about myself that I could try to fix. Instead, I'm going to give myself a little bit of a break. My resolution this year is to listen to my craziest instincts more. I'm already good at trusting my instincts when it comes to things like personal safety or standardized testing, but not so good at trusting my instincts in the grand scheme of things. I'm going to let myself do a little visioning for my future that doesn't include the endgame of job-house-husband-kids(?), and trust that by following some of my wackier instincts, I will arrive at the same place, but through a much different route.

Whatever your new year's resolution, I hope that 2013 will be filled with love, learning, and happiness. Oh, and please recycle/car pool/conserve water-energy-everything, because I am a little worried that there might not be a 2014 if we continue on our current path of environmental destruction. I mean I know I just traveled by jet halfway across the world, but I'm going to try and treat Mother Earth a little more kindly this year. I just really want my theoretical future children (probs adopted, because you know, Overpopulation) to be able to swim in the creek, enjoy snow days in the winter, cool summer evenings and marvel at the amazing creatures on our planet, and not be forced to stay inside because they're asthmatic and have 3 eyes and are allergic to everything.