It happens that my "classics" are mostly in the two six-foot by four-foot bookcases behind me in the office. (There are more bookcases in other rooms.) I'm going to turn around and see what I recommend.

Certainly To Kill a Mockingbird. It's about loss of innocence and doing the right thing, no matter how painful it is. The viewpoint character is one of the best little girls in fiction.

Moll Flanders. It's about a whore who doesn't even have a heart of gold. There's sex and amazing coincidences! What's not to like?

Tom Jones. There's sex and amazing coincidences! What's not to like?

Gulliver's Travels. One of the most vicious attacks on the damned human race, in which three fantastic societies (you know about the Lilliputians) illustrate the flaws of human society.

(to be continued)

For me, it's all about Scout. A little girl like no other.

Here is my Scout story.

It took me about fifty pages to realize Scout was a girl.

It took me another fifty to realize she was white.

Does anyone have an interest in a list of poetry recommendations? I'd be happy to do it but only if it would be useful.

Does anyone have an interest in a list of poetry recommendations? I'd be happy to do it but only if it would be useful.

Sure! Keeping in mind that I've mainly read 20th Century Canadian poetry (there's more than Cohen and Atwood out there).

I hate to dissent from the TKaM love, but I will say this: I read it in college, because I had been told so often it was great.

I can picture the cover perfectly.

I cannot remember a single other thing about it.

Lyra, I can totally see that. It took me a couple of tries to get through it. A couple of tries over the course of 15 years, mind you. :)

I recommend this with hesitation, because honestly I can't ever get over the feeling that all the lead female characters are Pam Houston and that this isn't a work of fiction at all, but the writing is excellent.

Jen, they are! If you've read her tongue-in-cheek titled set of essays, "A Little More About Me" you'll see it really clearly. I once heard her say that the difference between her fiction and non-fiction (in terms of source material, etc) is that her fiction is revelatory and takes longer to write where her nonfiction the destination is out in the open.

Jilli, I'd second TKAM with vehemence. First of all, I think that Atticus Finch is absolutely a hero, in a non-selfserving sence. And he's a bad ass. I like the fact that Scout, the narrator is so unreliable based on her age and her understanding of things. I love how Harper Lee shows the humanity of the characters, and writes the South.

It's really an incredible book.

Does anyone have an interest in a list of poetry recommendations? I'd be happy to do it but only if it would be useful.

Yes! My poetry horizons always need expanding.

Jen, they are!

Well that explains it then! At least she doesn't Mary Sue herself; a lot of the female lead characters in those stories have big, honking issues.

OK, one poetry rec list, coming up after I eat something and get organized.

_Cowboys Are My Weakness_ by Pam Houston. I recommend this with hesitation, because honestly I can't ever get over the feeling that all the lead female characters are Pam Houston and that this isn't a work of fiction at all, but the writing is excellent.

Errr. I have to admit I finished that collection, and thought, "Hell, I could do that!" And all the stories were about the same person, and they were all about her relationships. I wanted adventures, but I think that's another collection.

The writing was good, but in my more arrogant moments I think I could do as well.

Recommendations for classic novels? Gah. The list is too long. In the last few years my classics club has read t digs out Pilot :

• The Way of All Flesh
  
• Wise Blood
  
• Swann's Way
  
• Tale of Two Cities
  
• Hunchback of Notre Dame
  
• Tristram Shandy
  
• Barchester Towers
  
• Manhattan Transfer
  
• How Green Was My Valley
  
• The Fire Next Time
  
• Heart of the Matter
  
• Angle of Repose
  
• The Optimist's Daughter
  
• An American Tragedy
  
• Ethan Frome
  
• Bridge of San Luis Rey
  
• Winesburg, Ohio
  
• The Magnificent Ambersons
  
• Howard's End
  
• Persuasion
  
• Dr. Zhivago
  
• Their Eyes Were Watching God
  
• I, Claudius
  
• The Odyssey
  
• Candide
  
• Treasure Island
  

And more that I can't be bothered to dig out of my email archives. I really should compile a list, though.