Linda's picture
Linda from Sweden is reading Fearful Symmetries January 14, 2013 - 2:31pm

I've been thinking about signing up here for a while, but I've always been enrolled in other workshops, and I really do write – and review – very slowly, so two workshops would likely prove one and a half too many. Anyway, I'm not a paying member yet but I plan on becoming one as soon as this profoundly demoralizing semester (statistics, anyone?) is officially over. English isn't my first language but I'm working on our relationship, and I find workshops extremely helpful in this regard because – beyond getting feedback on my own texts – it gives me an excuse to study other texts rather than just reading them.

What else? I'm 26, currently living in northern Sweden but looking forward to putting some distance between myself and the polar circle in a couple of weeks. My close friends give me salt licorice, geeky anthologies, whiskey and Danish jewelry for Christmas. My closest friends let me talk them into vacationing in Romania instead of Greece, and they never hesitate to partake in my ritualistic biannual Deadwood re-watch.

I'm looking forward to tapping into this community, getting involved in the workshop, and, hopefully, getting to know some of you.

/Linda

Jonathan Riley's picture
Jonathan Riley from Memphis, Tennessee is reading Flashover by Gordon Highland January 14, 2013 - 2:36pm

Welcome Linda, any fan of Deadwood is a friend of mine. Browse the boards, write, read, b.s. but most importantly, don't be shy.

Dave's picture
Dave from a city near you is reading constantly January 14, 2013 - 4:24pm

Stephen_Inf's picture
Stephen_Inf from Illinois is reading Whiskey Tango Foxtrot January 14, 2013 - 5:10pm

Welcome!

Courtney's picture
Courtney from the Midwest is reading Monkey: A Journey to the West and a thousand college textbooks January 14, 2013 - 6:34pm

You aren't a native English speaker? Goddamn, you have a better grasp of it than most native speakers I know. So, yeah, welcome!

sean of the dead's picture
sean of the dead from Madisonville, KY is reading Peckerwood, by Jed Ayres January 14, 2013 - 7:02pm

Welcome to this place, Linda. I wish you luck here.

Sound's picture
Sound from Azusa, CA is reading Greener Pastures by Michael Wehunt January 14, 2013 - 8:25pm

Welcome, Linda! 

JEFFREY GRANT BARR's picture
JEFFREY GRANT BARR from Central OR is reading Nothing but fucking Shakespeare, for the rest of my life January 14, 2013 - 8:35pm

Gesundheit!

Welcome to LitReactor!

Dwayne's picture
Dwayne from Cincinnati, Ohio (suburbs) is reading books that rotate to often to keep this updated January 14, 2013 - 11:16pm

Welcome.

Liana's picture
Liana from Romania and Texas is reading Naked Lunch January 15, 2013 - 12:12am

Vacationing in Romania? How did that go?
Welcome!

Linda's picture
Linda from Sweden is reading Fearful Symmetries January 15, 2013 - 1:24am

Thank you all for the warm welcome!

Liana: It's definitely one of the most interesting countries I've had the pleasure of visiting. We would spend whole days just walking around Bucharest, amazed at the contrast between different era buildings.  

 

fport's picture
fport from Canada is reading The World Until Yesterday - Jared Diamond January 19, 2013 - 3:29pm

I dunno, aren't swedes tall blonde people? This sounds very suspicious. Are you sure you are not Romanian hoodwinking us into thinking you're Swedish? Yes, this must be what it is, you are a Romanian travel agent living in Sweden to suborn Swedish dollars from the innocents who would otherwise support the freedom debtors of Greece. I have this figured out. I will be watching you closely with one eye in the back of my head. Like there is such a thing as southern Sweden. I am wise to your scheme.

Michael J. Riser's picture
Michael J. Riser from CA, TX, Japan, back to CA is reading The Tyrant - Michael Cisco, The Devil Takes You Home - Gabino Iglesias January 19, 2013 - 3:37pm

Welcome! I think you'll find that a grasp of the English language isn't so much necessary for writing in English. Just look at Mary Higgins Clark.

Liana's picture
Liana from Romania and Texas is reading Naked Lunch January 19, 2013 - 5:32pm

If she was Romanian wouldn't she have the same accent as me? Thought of that Fport??

fport's picture
fport from Canada is reading The World Until Yesterday - Jared Diamond January 19, 2013 - 6:14pm

@Liana, of course, I hear it now in my head, clearly, or is that that vampire story I just critiqued?

Liana's picture
Liana from Romania and Texas is reading Naked Lunch January 19, 2013 - 10:47pm

btw, I no longer roll my R's, but I strangely roll all the other letters.

Linda's picture
Linda from Sweden is reading Fearful Symmetries January 21, 2013 - 2:31am

I dunno, aren't swedes tall blonde people? This sounds very suspicious. Are you sure you are not Romanian hoodwinking us into thinking you're Swedish? Yes, this must be what it is, you are a Romanian travel agent living in Sweden to suborn Swedish dollars from the innocents who would otherwise support the freedom debtors of Greece. I have this figured out. I will be watching you closely with one eye in the back of my head. Like there is such a thing as southern Sweden. I am wise to your scheme.

No, that's the Finns. Within Scandinavia, Swedes are commonly known for their rat-colored hair, whereas the Finns are towheaded. And there is a south. Want proof? They have cockroaches, and their public transportation can't handle a snowstorm.

 

Welcome! I think you'll find that a grasp of the English language isn't so much necessary for writing in English. Just look at Mary Higgins Clark.

Thank you!

I'm not familiar with Mary Higgins Clark, but if I ever despair I'll make sure to look her up.

Kristin Harding's picture
Kristin Harding from Portland, OR is reading The Turn of the Screw January 22, 2013 - 6:43pm

I no longer roll my R's, but I strangely roll all the other letters.

They have cockroaches, and their public transportation can't handle a snowstorm.

 

Jesus why can't I be this clever in any language?

Dwayne's picture
Dwayne from Cincinnati, Ohio (suburbs) is reading books that rotate to often to keep this updated January 23, 2013 - 7:12am

Is cockroaches in the south some stereotype I'm not aware of?

H.I.Marcuson's picture
H.I.Marcuson from Toulouse is reading a book on spelling January 23, 2013 - 7:31am

Finns and Swedes are fond of each other like the Irish are the English.

I think.

Welcome to the Lit Linda

Linda's picture
Linda from Sweden is reading Fearful Symmetries January 23, 2013 - 7:50am

Is cockroaches in the south some stereotype I'm not aware of?

And if you look at undomesticated cockroaches, it might even be true.

 

 

Finns and Swedes are fond of each other like the Irish are the English.

I think.

Welcome to the Lit Linda

That might well be the case, and if the Finns hold a grudge I can't say I blame them. Now those Norwegians on the other hand. . . . 

Thank you for the welcome!

Liana's picture
Liana from Romania and Texas is reading Naked Lunch January 23, 2013 - 9:45am

What about the Danes? There's the Sweedish character in Lars von Trier's The Kingdom, screaming from the rooftop: Danish scum!

jyh's picture
jyh from VA is reading whatever he feels like January 23, 2013 - 4:23pm

I've heard Denmark is where it's at. Sweden, Iceland, and Norway are where it is also at, but slightly less of it. Finland is not where it is at. This is what I've heard, but I only talk to jerks who don't know anything.

Linda's picture
Linda from Sweden is reading Fearful Symmetries January 23, 2013 - 5:30pm

I'm actually not sure how we feel about the Danes... I suspect though that feeling might be more clearly defined, one way or another, once you get to the southern parts of Sweden. I only meet Danes at work, and I never judge a people by their tourists. Ok so that's not true, but it's the official story.

I've never been to Denmark, but Iceland's definitely where it's at, regardless of what it is, it's where it at. 

Cures and Remedies's picture
Cures and Remedies from Canada is reading Transubstantiate - Richard Thomas January 24, 2013 - 8:14am

Welcome!

I might be doing a semester abroad in Iceland next year, so I'll be sure to be on the lockout for what it is, so I can clarify that Iceland is, in deed, where it's at.

Linda's picture
Linda from Sweden is reading Fearful Symmetries January 24, 2013 - 11:07am

That's awesome. I'm sure you'll have a good time, lots of weird and beautiful people, and most of their chocolate has licorice in it. Are you going for the fall term or spring?

And thank you for the welcome!

Courtney's picture
Courtney from the Midwest is reading Monkey: A Journey to the West and a thousand college textbooks January 26, 2013 - 6:54pm

Dwayne, most of the Southern people I know would survive the nuclear war they're trying so hard to incite.

(Yes, I took that joke from American Dad. Fucking sue me.)

Dwayne's picture
Dwayne from Cincinnati, Ohio (suburbs) is reading books that rotate to often to keep this updated January 27, 2013 - 10:04pm

May hap you know too much.

klahol's picture
klahol from Stockholm, Sweden is reading Black Moon March 17, 2013 - 1:52am

Pierce arrives with his father, Cornelius, and introduces him to the group.
Cornelius: These are you friends, Pierce? Minorities? Jewesses? And the unseasonably tanned?
Britta: That is inappropriate! And maybe you'll give that more weight since I'm whiiiiiite!
Cornelius: You've got a wide brow. What are you? Scandinavian?
Britta: Yeah! Swedish!
Cornelius: (spitting on the ground) Swedish dogs! Your blood is tainted by generations of race mixing with Laplanders! You're basically Finns!
Shirley: Oh my goodness. He's like the Abed of racism.

Welcome to Lit, Linda. Can not have enough Swedes here. 

/Klas

Linda's picture
Linda from Sweden is reading Fearful Symmetries March 17, 2013 - 2:52pm

I'm trying to track the quote down, but there's an actress called Britta Cornelius Knudsen so I'm shit out of luck. I read this article about the Finns a while ago though, and apparently their genetics are quite homogenous compared to other northern European countries, likely because no one can understand them. 

And thank you, Klas.