Before I write anything else I will admit the majority of my weekend has been consumed by reading and writing about Ulysses. I really want to finish it by the end of the term, but my doubts grow stronger as the days go swiftly by. Still, I have made time to devote myself to reading other materials. These have consisted mostly of non-fiction, more specifically music journalism and religious texts. I was really impressed with the write up done by Pitchfork for the metal group Deafheaven's new album, Sunbather. Black metal, as a genre, has rarely complimented my musical pallet in the past, but when the author compared this album to the likes of Sigur Ros and My Bloody Valentine I knew I had to check it out. The way the author argued so vehemently in defense of this band caused me to begin to develop arguments in my own mind as I listened to the record. It is definitely not the best LP I have heard this year (shout out to Disclosure's Settle), but because the journalist did such a good write up I wanted to focus on the positive aspects of this record. In general, this should be the object of all good journalism, to provoke thought in the reader.
On the other end of the literary spectrum, my Book of Mormon reading has been coming along nicely. Since I have been writing this essay on poetry within Ulysses I am beginning to notice poetic elements in scripture, and not just Nephi's Psalm! The scriptures employ a loftier style of language easily equatable with poetry. I was reading Enos this morning and was struck by the way he conveys his emotions during his wrestle with God. Phrases like "sunk deep into my heart", "my soul hungered", and many more have a distinctly poetic ring to them. The more I study literature and poetry, the more elements of both prose and verse intertwine. If everything is holy, then maybe everything is poetry as well if you believe Ginsberg
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