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What I Read in February 2024
February was by Duluth standards a dry month, a warm month, an odd month. As I write, at the end of March, we’re in the middle of a storm that will drop more snow than we’ve had over the course of the entire winter. What a year, right? A warm month by Duluth standards does not mean a pleasant month, so I’ve spent plenty of time inside and, by extension, plenty of time reading.
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What I Read in January 2024
Why yes, this post is very late. No, I don’t mind you asking. It’s been a very busy time of late, with a small job change and the bustle of the academic semester getting underway. I’m behind on a lot of things, really. I’ve been reading a lot, though, and as I wrote this post I really enjoyed getting to look back on what I started the year with. In the middle of an odd winter, one with not enough snow and far too much warmth, I enjoyed getting to escape into my books.
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Shakespeare's The Life and Death of King John
A few weeks ago, I read Shakespeare's The Life and Death of King John, which presents an unfamiliar King John. Shakespeare’s John is a king in the fullness of his power. This isn't a greedy John or an effeminate John in the way he appears in the popular versions of the Robin Hood stories. This is just a John who isn't a good king.
The Prince John of the Robin Hood stories is a figure I'm more familiar with.
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What I Read in 2023
My reading goal in 2023 was to sneak past my 2022 books total and read 135 books. With 138 books read, I just managed it. I’m proud of that! I’ve been teased about it a little, which I don’t care for. Don’t shame people for what they do or don’t read! Many experiences are valid, even if they are not our own experiences! I’m proud of what I’ve read. I had a lot of fun!
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What I Listened To In 2023
2023 was pretty definitively my year of classical music. This year, I have learned about sonatas, concertos, symphonies, piano miniatures, and vespers. I have listened from Mahler’s First to Mahler’s Sixth. I know that some people are inexplicably very mad at Yuja Wang and Igor Levit. I have attended concerts by both my local orchestra (shout-out to the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra!) and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. I’ve had a great time with all of it.