Juliette Tang

“It must be that she was too old to learn anything new...

Tue, 15 May 2012 22:43:00 -0700

“It must be that she was too old to learn anything new and her brain had become atrophied. Had she indeed ever had a brain? Going back over her past life, she found it difficult to remember anything she had ever done that required brain work…”

—Barbara Pym, Quartet in Autumn

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Did u know that "sex is the richest contributor to slang", that there are allegedly "fifteen hundred words for copulation" and a "thousand each" for the private parts, that "obscenity enhances your vivacity and cements fellowship" with your listeners, that Arabic and Turkish curses are the most "elaborate" and "surreal", and that this is a bona fide Bosnian curse: "May your mother fart at a school meeting!"? Ah, the vagaries and humor of language! See article in May 14th NYer "The English Wars"

Mon, 14 May 2012 22:25:39 -0700

Thanks for bringing “The English Wars” to my attention. I read the article today and enjoyed it!

what do you think about ken follett? or jonathan safran foer? just curious ;) love your blog too much <3

Mon, 14 May 2012 16:20:00 -0700

Thanks for the message!

Jonathan Safran Foer is a good storyteller when I’m in the mood for something sentimental. I prefer the writing of Nicole Krauss, his wife.

My dad read Ken Follett books. He thought they were inappropriate for his children to read, so he kept them taped up in a box in the garage, where they probably remain to this day. In the interim, books like the Game of Thrones series and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series have raised our collective tolerance for graphic sex and gratuitous violence so much that, in hindsight, my dad’s parental concern about Ken Follett seems almost quaint, and also unnecessary because I was never interested in reading Ken Follett anyway. If I’m in the mood for an espionage thriller, I prefer to read something by Graham Greene.

Have you read anything by F. Sionil Jose? What do you think about him? I think you're lovely, by the way! :) ♥

Mon, 14 May 2012 13:11:06 -0700

Since encountering it at a campus bookstore back when I was in school, My Brother, My Executioner has sat on the outskirts of my radar. I’ve remained interested mainly due to its fratricidal title - is the book as thrilling and feudal as the title promises? - but I’ve yet to read it, or anything by F. Soinil Jose for that matter. Should I? I’d love to hear your thoughts on his work. If it’s worthwhile, perhaps I should venture into Arkipelago Books and see if they have a copy.

From Flavorwire: “We need to make books cool again. If you go home with somebody and they don’t have books, don’t fuck them. Don’t sleep with people who don’t read!” – John Waters

Fri, 11 May 2012 16:49:44 -0700

That’s the truth.

Did you read the interesting article on Camus in the New Yorker? Believe it was the April 4th issue. Thought you might enjoy it. Have a great weekend! Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Wed, 09 May 2012 07:15:55 -0700

I haven’t… But I’ll try to look it up in the online edition today. Sounds interesting. Thanks for the suggestion!

“But the first lesson reading teaches is how to be...

Fri, 04 May 2012 10:10:00 -0700

“But the first lesson reading teaches is how to be alone.” —Jonathan Franzen, How to be Alone

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hey :) do you watch anything on tv at all? i loved henry miller's the crucible btw. i'm not the one who asked though ;)

Wed, 02 May 2012 15:22:17 -0700

I don’t really watch television, ever, not because I have anything against it but simply because I don’t have the time. Mad Men, however, I will make time for, because it’s bizarre, amazing, and I love dear Roger Sterling ever so much.

PS: I hate doing this… but The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller. It’s okay though, honest mistake!

thoughts on henry miller? what books of his would you recommend?

Tue, 01 May 2012 11:05:40 -0700

I’ve read Tropic of Cancer - which is worth reading - but I am not too familiar with the rest of his oeuvre. If you do read more of his works, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Have you ever read any books by Ayn Rand? I feel as if I'm smelling the ocean for the first time whenever I read her words.

Tue, 01 May 2012 11:03:49 -0700

She certainly does provoke a strong response from people. I read The Fountainhead in high school, but I don’t really trust my opinions at that age. I’m not sure what I’d feel today.

what is a typical day in the life of juliette tang? can you give us a little 'tour' and peek into your life?

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:56:53 -0700

On the whole, my days are normal. I think…

I have a personal blog, Of Recreation, where I write about my daily life. I can’t guarantee it’ll be interesting, but feel free to check it out :).

It's pouring outside where I live and I am looking for a lovely novel to begin. Recommendations for a cold and dreary day?

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:52:20 -0700

On a cold and dreary day, I crave warmth and coziness, but not necessarily sunshine (the lack of it will seem even more depressing in comparison); I want a book that ends happily, despite its dismal climates. British novels do this wonderfully. A classic example is Jane Eyre. But you’ve probably already read that. Have you read Nancy Mitford’s Love in a Cold Climate? The title itself should tell you it’s applicable in this situation. You might also try A. S. Byatt’s Possession. It’s a restrained and intellectualized bodice-ripper of a romance, and Byatt purposely sets the most emotionally intense moments in the novel in stormy weather, as a nod to a stylistic device that was popular during the Victorian Era in which half the novel is set.

Do you smoke?

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:35:03 -0700

I’m a nonsmoker now.

what are some good Romantic novels or short stories? (as in, from the Romantic era)

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:31:25 -0700

People are more ‘Romantic’ in spirit, I think, when they are young, so it’s no surprise that so many great Romantic novels and stories have young protagonists and were penned by authors who were, at the time of publication, under the age of 25. Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein when she was 18. Goethe wrote The Sorrows of Young Werther when he was 23. Pushkin was in his early 20s when he started Eugene Onegin. That isn’t to say the authors wrote ‘better’ when they were young. They didn’t. It’s just that, when we’re younger, we’re more open to letting ourselves get carried away by states of passion and intensity than when we’re older and perhaps wiser. That won’t ever change, then or now. So when setting out to read a novel that is Romantic in spirit from any period in history (a quality that isn’t limited to works from the Romantic Era), pay attention to the age of the author.

“Happiness is not, except in very rare cases, something...

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 23:40:21 -0700

“Happiness is not, except in very rare cases, something that drops into the mouth, like a ripe fruit, by the mere operation of fortunate circumstances. Most people are not rich; many people are not born good-natured; many people have uneasy passions which make a quiet and well-regulated life seem intolerably boring; health is a blessing which no one can be sure of preserving; marriage is not invariably a source of bliss. For all these reasons, happiness must be, for most men and women, an achievement rather than a gift…” —Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness

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Bonjour, j'adore vos photos. Merci de vous être abonnée à mon blog aussi ;-) Bonne journée.

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:19:28 -0700

Merci beaucoup :)

Hi Juliette, I have been really inspired by your blog, ever since the first time I saw it. I find the title 'Photographer of books' really nice and apt too. I have a great love for literature and photography too, that is why I feel so moved by all your posts. You inspire me to follow my dream and pursue my passions in life in future (am still studying in university by the way). How do you find so much time to read so many books? :)

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:18:01 -0700

Thank you so much for the lovely complement! And by all means pursue your passions. That’s what life is for.

As for your question about finding time to read, well, I suppose I’m lucky in that I can read anywhere. I take a book in my purse when I leave the house. An opportunity to read it will almost always arise.

Thank you

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:29:00 -0700

I began photographing books last March as a way to cope with the loss of my grandmother. Though she passed away before she had the chance to see my pictures, I think they’d have made her happy.

What began as a hobbyist’s emotional escape quickly evolved into a passion for photography. From the very start of this journey, I’ve been blessed with amazing support from book lovers and photo enthusiasts from around the web. Truly this venture might have petered out by now, had it not been for the steady encouragement from readers like you. Taking pictures of books will be, for me, a lifelong pursuit. I ought to say this more often than I do: thank you.

I am pleased and honored to be a featured contender in the...

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:16:01 -0700

I am pleased and honored to be a featured contender in the 2012 Hey, Hot Shot! international photo competition. For those interested, the write-up and the 5 photos I submitted are on the Hey, Hot Shot! blog.

jenbekmanprojects:

Still Life with Jean Rhy’s Wide Sargasso Sea, 2011 by Juliette Tang

Hey, Hot Shot! First Edition 2012 Contender Juliette Tang

In the series Still Life with Book, Contender Juliette Tang bridges the gap between being a bibliophile and also an image-maker, creating still lifes from some of the most beloved literary novels. Whether channeling a character in the book or seeking to capture an ambiance, each of the works visually represents varying elements from the literary masterpieces that resonated with her as a reader. To see if your favorite book got the still life treatment, check out Tang’s Flickr set. Read more…

some blogs/websites you check every day? (literature-related). also any fashion blogs? :)

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:48:00 -0700

Literature-related blogs I like: Book Bench, the Paris Review Daily, and Bookforum’s blog. Fashion blogs I like: The Cherry Blossom Girl, Atlantic-Pacific, and Luxirare.