Guest blogging

If you want to read about capoeira, I have done one (and will do more) guest posts over at the Quintal New York blog. My first entry is on making capoeira cordaos. Take a look at the other stuff, including some really nice capoeira photography.

New blog

I'd like to introduce everyone to my shiny new blog - Higher Ed Data. Over there, I'll talk about issues of finding, using, and displaying data in higher education research. If that's your thing, take a look!

Reading women in 2012

In 2012, I embarked on a project to read only novels by women for a year. So over the course of twelve months, I read some short stories and non-fiction by men, but all the novels were written by women. I read forgotten classics, lowbrow genre, literary spec fic, YA, NYT best-selling Real Literature, and highbrow genre. I read some books I hated (The Colony), some I forgot as soon as I turned the final page (A Discovery of Witches), and some I loved (Zazen). I read famous authors (Barbara Kingsolver) and obscure (Regina O'Melveny). Some classics I intended to read I didn't get to because they are hard to find anywhere but Amazon. And plenty of interesting new books by men came out that I had to post to my wishlist for 2013. I still am processing what I learned from the experience, but here are the top novels I read, in no particular order:

• The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
• China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh
• Zazen by Vanessa Veselka
• Giant by Edna Ferber
• The Carhullan Army by Sarah Hall
• A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

Circumnavigation III

Remember, ages ago, I attempted to circumnavigate Manhattan, but gave up? Then again in the summer I started where I left off, but gave up because walking without shade when it's over 90F out is just dumb. Well, today I gave it another go. I wasn't committed to the full eight miles remaining. But I needed some gentle cardio and can't wear a backpack at the moment, so I decided to do as much as I felt like. I started back at Lincoln Center and headed south along the Hudson.

Only ten blocks in I saw this super-cool bottle/submarine. The inside is kitted out like a stainless steel personal submarine. (And, yes, a little later I saw an actual submarine at the Intrepid museum.) The weather was actually pleasant and sunny, despite it being winter. I walked as far as Chelsea Piers, which I had never been to previously. I decided at that point to cut over to the subway, but changed my mind and headed up the High Line instead.

I haven't actually been on the High Line in two years, and a new section has opened up. I took it to the end and then caught the train at 34th St. So, I still have to do the Chelsea Piers-South Ferry segment. Another day!