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Faculty and staff recommend books to expand your horizons, wherever the summer takes you | The University of Texas at Austin

Jun 29, 2010
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» Faculty and staff recommend books to expand your horizons, wherever the summer takes you | The University of Texas at Austin

Austin Kleon

The son of two teachers who now works on a college campus, I figure most of my life has been tied to the rhythm of the academic calendar. I’ve always felt summer to be an opportunity: maybe I can go away for three months, get a tan and some smarts and some good jokes, and come back in September, a more handsome, more intelligent and funnier human being. It never works out that way, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth the effort.

1. “Ed Emberley’s Drawing Book: Make A World” by Ed Emberley (2006)
This is the book I give to people who say, “But, I can’t draw!” Emberley tells us if we can write the alphabet, we can make a world of pictures. Spend 15 minutes with this book for three months, and I guarantee you you’ll never shy away from a pen and paper again.

2. “What It Is” by Lynda Barry (2008)
This is the book I give to people who say, “But, I can’t write!” It’s part memoir, part collage art, part activity book. Based on Barry’s terrific “Writing The Unthinkable!” workshop, she not only spins a wonderful story in pictures and words about her journey as an artist, she provides you with all the tools and encouragement you need to dip into your memories and start to write.

3. “Slaughterhouse-Five” by Kurt Vonnegut (1969)
This is the book I give to people who think serious literature can’t be funny. It’s a World War II memoir/novel that includes time travel and flying saucers. Vonnegut was a prisoner of war during the firebombing of Dresden, but it took him over 20 years to be able to write this book. If you’ve already been forced to read this in school, read it again and then read everything else Vonnegut wrote. You’ll feel smarter, and you’ll learn some jokes.

4. “Memories, Dreams, Reflections” by Carl Jung (1963)
This is my version of the big fat book you take to the beach. The famous psychologist started his memoir at the end of his life at the age of 81 and worked on it with his assistant until his death. He covers everything from his childhood to his dreams to his relationship with Freud to his struggle to somehow combine religion and science. Jung teaches us that to know ourselves we have to discover our own myths and know our dreams.

5. “I Remember” by Joe Brainard (1970)
This is a book to put on your nightstand and dip into a little bit every night before bed. In a collage of hundreds of sentences that start with the words “I remember,” Brainard recalls both his post-war Oklahoma childhood and his days as an artist in New York City. A magical thing happens in this book: while recalling specific details of his life, what Brainard really does is help us remember our own lives. “I remember Saturday night baths and Sunday morning comics.” I do, too.

See the full article for the other recommendations!

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