Very OT indeed.... but I like you guys.

I asked this to another newsgroup... its very off-topic, but I need some ideas. The reason I'm asking you guys is the same reason I asked that other group-- I like your opinions and I think I can get some extremely interesting ideas from you weirdos. :-) Okay, here it is: I get to pick an autobiography to read for my senior English class this summer, and I'd like to get it done this week. Problem is, I can't figure out an interesting one to read. A plus would be something that would make my (catholic!) school worry about my mental health and well-being. ;-) Ideas, anyone? Thank you in advance.

--J.

The last autobiography I read was "Take It Like A Man" by Boy George. It's tough to read, though, because it is written basically exactly how he talks-with all the British slang and such. So I don't know if I'd recommend it. It took me a long time to finish it. But it might freak out the school, I dunno.

I can't believe I forgot the best autobiography I've read recently

_Rotten_ by John Lydon

In article , Jessica Liotta wrote:

_Sex & Death to the Age 14_ by Spalding Gray

_The Bell Jar_ by Sylvia Plath

_Paradoxia_ by Lydia Lunch

_The Basketball Diaries_ by Jim Carroll

_Confessions of a Raving, Unconfined Nut_ by Paul Krassner

Hmm ... I know lots better *biographies* to recommend ... but I don't have that many autobiographies. The Carroll and the Krassner are probably your best bets.

Well, dammit. Out of the two posts so far with suggestions, I now have more great ideas than I can use for just this project.

Oh well. I'll just have to read a few after I read whichever one I pick. Thanks. :-)

--J.

In article , Jessica Liotta wrote:

Here's another one that wil *really* freak them out: "The Confessions Of Aleister Crowley." (Weiser)

--.\\<-H--

In article , [email] (Mikel Midnight) wrote:

like

one

Too predictable

In article ,

"No one gets out alive" by Jim Morrisson

You want to worry them? I have two words for you - Countess Bathory. There's probably lots of stuff in the horror section of your local bookstore.

Shadowcloak [email] http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Museum/7252/

"Must... stick... head... cold... water..." - Jane Lane

Well, I found something - "Countess Dracula" by Tony Thorpe. It's mostly a factual account of her trial, but the descriptions of the ways she tortured people are pretty lurid. Daria and Jane would find it handy next time they decide to take part in some small child deprogramming.

Shadowcloak (who is planning to use the Bathory coat of arms as the background of his home page) [email] http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Museum/7252/

"Must... stick... head... cold... water..." - Jane Lane

In article ,

Good grief! I just had a flashback to the time in HS that I choose to write a research paper on Vlad Tsepesh the Impaler, Prince of Wallachia (aka Dracula, or "Son of the Dragon"), in the hope of scaring my parents and my teacher. I wound up driving myself nuts trying to find any information at all about him. At the time, there was only one guy who wrote anything of research quality -- Radu Florescu. (I'll never forget that name. *Shiver*) Vlad was actually a very interesting historical study of a complete and total nut job. (Hope my psychological analysis isn't too technical.) He enjoyed torturing people to death by impaling them on really tall and really sharp poles. He managed to torture me, too-- the paper was a complete disaster. When it was too late to change topics, I was stuck with just one book to use as a source.

Lesson: while some of the lesser-known people in history can be fascinating to study, don't make it a research topic unless you can find at least 3-5 sources. (Learned the hard way.)

Rich.

Jake: "I'm not done with you yet, old man!"

Jessica Mitford: _Daughters and Rebels_. She was born in 1917 into a family of "impoverished minor nobility" in England. Most of her family tilted, socially and politically, *far* to the right:

one of her sisters married the head of the British Nazi Party; another became a member of Hitler's inner circle; both of these considered it a *compliment* to call their father "one of Nature's Fascists." (Which, btw, he was.)

Obviously there was only one thing for Jessica to do: in 1936 she eloped with a nephew of Churchill's, and they went to Spain to fight against Franco's Nationalists, and then off to America to join the Communist Party.

It's out of print, but you should be able to find it in your library. The second volume, about her life as a Communist, is called _A Fine Old Conflict_.

Think globally, act locally. Susan

In article , "Susan C. Mitchell" wrote:

Hmm ... this one sounds pretty good ... I might see if I can track it down myself.

You realise now Jessica (who started this thread) that you are now expected to post short reviews of any of these books that you've red to the newsgroup? <g>

Mikel Midnight wrote:

I went to the library yesterday to look for about 5 different choices... when I looked each one up on the computer, I got a match, but it was always in another branch of the library (like the one that's an hour to the north or half an hour to the south). And the ones I might even have wanted to go to the extent of getting there were (a) on hold or (b) checked out. Sigh. I went through all the autobiographies they had, and found one that looked somewhat promising-- "Wisdom, Madness, and Folly-- The Making of a Psychiatrist," by some guy named R.D. Lang. Its a total shot in the dark, as I've never heard of this guy before. Oh well. There was one I thought looked good, it was by a young girl who had full blown schizophrenia, but unfortunately it was written by her, with lots of other sections by her psychiatrist, parents, brother, and so on, so I can't really use this one for an "autobiography." (Heh. Did I ever mention I want to get a degree in Psychology?)

Anyways, though, I still have a few books ahead of me to read thanks to the suggestions. :-) Thank you once more, all.

--J.

If you're interested in Jessica Mitford, there's some good information about her at

http://www.monitor.net/monitor/10-9-95/deccaIndex.html

A fascinating life.

Think globally, act locally. Susan

In article , Jessica Liotta wrote:

This is one of those times when it might be useful to wonder what Daria would say at a time like this.

"Soul On Ice" by Eldrige Cleaver.

RAB

In article , Jessica Liotta wrote:

Well, what kind of worry do you want to cause?

There's the "She's gone off the Catholic deep end" worry. For that I would suggest St. Augustine's _Confessions_.

There's the "She's being exposed to filth" worry. Try Howard Stern's _Private Parts_.

There's the "She's turning into an environmental wacko" worry. _Walden_ by Henry Thoreau.

There's the "She's going to start wearing black and smoking bad cigarettes" worry. That would probably be _Remembrance of Things Past_ by Proust.

_Angela's Ashes_, while a mighty fine book, is probably too trite. Same with _The Diary of Ann Frank_. Any of Isaac Asimov's would be an easy read, but probably would not impress your english teacher.

I would go for any of Nixon's books trying to justify his presidency. I think they're pretty weird.

English class this summer, and I'd like to get it done this week. Problem is, I can't figure out an interesting one to read. A plus would be something that would make my (catholic!) school worry about my mental health and well-being. ;-) Ideas, anyone? Thank you in advance.

There's the "She's gone off the Catholic deep end" worry. For that I would suggest St. Augustine's _Confessions_. <<

Say I:

If you choose Augustine's _Confessions_ you gain the added benefit of mentioning it in confession, and not having to do any other penance for a year. (Just kidding). Seriously, it took me nearly two years to finish reading that thing, and I can usually rip through just about *anything.* It probably says something about my mental health and well being that I finished it at all.

Anyway, pick whatever's handy. It's what you do with your report that'll make 'em think.

Peace Kevin

Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs. It's not officially an autobiography but a lot of his work is autobiographical in nature.

On Sun, 09 Aug 1998 12:03:37 +0000, Jessica Liotta wrote:

Happydude wrote:

Heh. I WISH that was a strict autobiography. If there was one by any of the beats I'd jump on it like a hawk....

--J.

I think Junky by Burroughs would be more autobiographical than Naked Lunch ... but I could be wrong. ;)

Carole

On 12 Aug 1998 21:09:58 GMT, [email] (Happydude) wrote: