WHAT I'M READING:

Edgar Allan Poe, Tales of Mystery and Imagination

comments: The ultimate collection from the original Master of the Macabre. I actually found it difficult to read the stories one after another, because Poe's opium-inspired visions are so dark. Apart from classics like "The Telltale Heart" that I'd read countless times already, my favorite of the bunch is probably "The Cask of Amontillado"--a short, shocking little slice of nastiness. Also notable for the three hugely influential Dupin detective stories; it's doubtful there'd be a Sherlock Holmes without them.

Aristotle, Poetics

comments: just started this one, but it already looks to be just as enjoyable and enlightening as the Ethics. The astute judgment, acute understanding, and careful thought are obvious from the first page of this tiny work, but it's the simple, accessible writing style that make this required reading for every would-be literary critic. How very little we've progressed in thought since Aristotle's time!

WHAT I'M WRITING:

Review of LOTR: The Return of the King, and not much else. Gotta get back on the horse, and quickly. School's over, so I have no more excuses.