Book or doorstop?

Never let me write a book that is longer than 300 pages. Wishful and irresponsible thinking, perhaps, but my god, I'm relying on you all. It must not happen.

Today I'm back to my Africa reading, as the East/Central Africa and Germany lists are the most neglected? Check-anemic of my checklists? And so, the list:

Peter Baldwin, Contagion and the State (done - 563 pages, sweet jesus - the answer, kids, is doorstop)

Terence Ranger, Dance and Society in Eastern Africa (done)

Laura Fair, Politics and Pastimes: Culture, Community, and Identity in Post-Abolition Zanzibar, 1890-1945 (done)

John Janzen, Lemba, 1650-1930: a drum of affliction in Africa and the New World (TK)

Steven Feierman, Peasant Intellectuals: Anthropology and History in Tanzania (TK - this one is famously good)


Feeling today that orals is making me into a different person. It's kind of like being inside an hourglass that's just been turned upside over. My feet are glued to the bottom, books are falling in a steady trickle on my head, and time is not my friend. I do feel that I have a good chance of doing well, and I'm enjoying the process and learning tons; and besides, no one can remember the last time anyone failed. I'm not stressed, I'm just locked on. All I want to do is work and get through this, and I either flake out/forget about or resent completely anything that takes me away from that right now.

Except skiing. I still really want to go skiing.