Everybody welcome Casey, our newest MN Reads reviewer! Casey has decided to join our ranks even though I referred to him as Corey in our first email exchange. That shows determination and moxie, and we like that.
Casey lives in St. Paul, is an MFA student at Hamline, and, from what I’ve seen, has pretty good taste thus far (anyone who mentions both Julie Orringer and Sam Lipsyte in the same email is a-okay in my book). Tomorrow you’ll get to read his first review but today he’s answering the 6 questions we always ask
What book(s) are you currently reading?
The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall, and Black Hills by Dan Simmons. I’m also working my way through the stories in Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower.
Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? Who?
I had a thing for Jordan Baker from The Great Gatsby. Which might only be because I really related to Nick and he had a thing for Jordan, but in any case… I had a crush on Jordan Baker.
If your favorite author came to Minnesota, who would it be and what bar would you take him/her to?
Man. I wish Thomas Pynchon would come to Minnesota. But if he did, I couldn’t really take him anywhere for fear of being recognized. So we’d probably end up sitting at my house and drinking homebrew. But (and this is probably cheating) if Michael Chabon wants to hang out with me when he visits Minnesota, I’ll take him for a Jiffy Burger at The Blue Door Pub.
What was your first favorite book?
Mossflower by Brian Jacques, was my first favorite Chapter Book. Something about the fusion of swordfighting, quests, and woodland animals really got to me. But as far as my first favorite “book” book, I’d probably say Where the Wild Things Are.
Let’s say Fahrenheit 451 comes to life, which book would you become in order to save it from annihilation?
Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon. A true challenge, yes, but I’m up for it. And becoming Gravity’s Rainbow would probably drive me insane eventually. . . I’m still up for it.
What is one book you haven’t read but want to read before you die?
In Search of Lost Time (all 7 volumes) by Proust. Sometimes I’ll look at a copy of Swann’s Way and think about reading it. But then I put it back on the shelf, thinking “I’m not ready yet.”