When I was in high school, my public speaking teacher gave me a book called "A Confederate General from Big Sur" by Richard Brautigan. I don't remember any of the book, although I still have it. But receiving that book started me reading Brautigan's poetry and that was an eye opening experience.
As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group is for us to check in at to let people know we are alive, doing OK, and not affected by such things as heat, blizzards, floods, wild fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, or other such things that could keep us off DKos. It's also so we can find other Kossacks nearby for in-person checks when other methods of communication fail - a buddy system. Members come here to check in. If you're not here, or anywhere else on DKos, and there are adverse conditions in your area (floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, etc.), we and your buddy are going to check up on you. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We care!
IAN is a great group to join, and a good place to learn to write diaries. Drop one of us a PM to be added to the Itzl Alert Network anytime! We all share the publishing duties, and we welcome everyone who reads IAN to write diaries for the group! Every member is an editor, so anyone can take a turn when they have something to say, photos and music to share, a cause to promote or news!
OK, we do have a diary schedule. But, when you are ready to write that diary, either post in thread or send FloridaSNMOM a Kosmail with the date. If you need someone to fill in, ditto. FloridaSNMOM is here on and off through the day usually from around 9:30 or 10 am eastern to around 11 pm eastern.
Monday: BadKitties
Tuesday: ejoanna
Wednesday: Caedy
Thursday: art ah zen
Friday: FloridaSNMOM
Saturday:broths
Sunday: loggersbrat
From that day on, I was a fan. If you have never read any of his work, you may never see any of it. Most of it is out of print and has been for decades. You can, of course, google him and find bits and pieces, quotes and whole poems printed.
He is most famous (?) for his novel "Trout Fishing in America", wherein almost no trout are ever caught. It is a seriously odd book, full of secrets and romance, mystery and truth. The blurb on the back of it says "Mr. Brautigan submitted a book to us in 1962 called Trout Fishing In America. I gather from the reports that is was not about trout fishing." The Viking Press. I love that blurb. It isn't much about trout fishing, in America or anywhere else.
"The Abortion, A Historical Romance" is about, among other things, a library where you, whoever you are, go to put the book you wrote on what ever shelf you want to. That idea appealed to me all my life.
If you have never read any of his work, I don't know if I recommend it or not. It is rude, obscene sometimes, always odd and quirky, and maybe hard to follow but I personally love his work. Wikipedia has all the info if you are interested. A list of all of his books is there and many a link to info about each. I leave you here with one of my fave poems and one that is not rude.
The Pill Verses The Springhill Mine Disaster
When you take your pill
its like a mine disaster.
I think of all those people
lost inside you.