DOGSBODY

Geoff Schumacher's Notes from Las Vegas

What's a dogsbody?

It's British slang for "a worker who has to do all the unpleasant or boring jobs that no one else wants to do."

Schumacher Literary Hall of Fame

Here is a list of fiction writers who are among my personal favorites (with a representative book listed alongside). These are not the usual suspects, but some of the lesser-known writers I like. Richard Yates, "Revolutionary Road"; John Fante, "Ask the Dust"; Nelson Algren, "The Man with the Golden Arm"; Frederick Exley, "A Fan's Notes"; Charles Portis, "The Dog of the South"; John Williams, "Stoner"; Patrick Hamilton, "Hangover Square"; Richard Russo, "Empire Falls"; Richard Ford, "The Sportswriter"; Don DeLillo, "White Noise"; Jim Harrison, "True North"; Raymond Carver, "Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?"; Willy Vlautin, "The Motel Life"; Michael Chabon, "The Wonder Boys"; Ian McEwan, "Atonement"; Colson Whitehead, "John Henry Days"; Orhan Pamuk, "Snow"; Junot Diaz, "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao"; Avram Davidson, "Vergil in Averno"

Recent reading: recommended fiction

The Secret of Lost Things (2006), Sheridan Hay; Absurdistan (2006), Gary Shteyngart; Five Skies (2007), Ron Carlson; Citizen Vince (2005), Jess Walter; On Chesil Beach (2007), Ian McEwan; We're in Trouble (2005), Christopher Coake; Returning to Earth (2007), Jim Harrison; The Lay of the Land (2006), Richard Ford

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Geoff Schumacher

Erin heads off to college

« H E email
posted Mon, 08/18/08

Early tomorrow morning, Erin and I will get in her little car, packed to the brim with the stuff for her dorm room, and head out on the highway for Reno. Because we don't drive very fast and like to make stops along the way, I expect the 435-mile trip will take about eight hours. We'll stop in Beatty (candy store), Tonopah (lunch, gas) and Fallon (bathroom break) before arriving in Reno about 3 p.m. Meanwhile, Tammy and Sara will get on an airplane about midday Tuesday and fly to Reno. Their flight will last about one hour. They will get a rental car and we'll meet at the Circus Circus hotel-casino, which is not far from the campus.

Erin, along with several thousand other kids, will move into the dorms Wednesday morning. Erin's roommate, Katie, is her longtime best friend, so she won't have the experience of meeting someone new. However, Erin's boyfriend, Ryan, and Katie's boyfriend, James, will meet their roommates sometime Wednesday.

On Thursday and Friday, there is a schedule of parent and student orientation events and tours, as well as barbecues and ice cream socials and such. We'll be kept busy up there during the day, and be able to do pretty much whatever we want in the evenings. I am looking forward to seeing UNR's brand new "knowledge center," aka library. It's supposed to be an impressive facility.

UNR is a much bigger and nicer campus today than it was during my years there (1985-88). There are many new buildings and new programs, and the student services seem more extensive. But then and now, with the mix of old and new, it really draws you in, separating itself from its surroundings as a university campus should.

But first, the long drive across the Nevada outback.

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