Oz’s Bag of Holding: An Introduction

Oz’s Bag of Holding: An Introduction

bag-of-holdingI have here a bag of holding. I am going to pull some things out of it now…

This is my introduction to an occasional series of blog posts under the heading “Oz’s Bag of Holding,” in which I will briefly comment on random books and films I draw from my bag’s interdimensional space (it is, for detail wonks, a Type I bag; it can hold up to 250 pounds and 30 cubic feet of material but will never weigh more than 15 pounds).

Call it a bit of housecleaning: Books I’ve recently read, films I’ve watched, about which I might have a thought or two but not enough to string them together into a full-fledged review. I’ll share my impressions in the casual way one might in the course of a broad-ranging conversation with friends predicated by the question “So what have you been reading/watching lately?”

With the help of my Bag of Holding, I think this approach will be liberating for me. I absorb so much media, so many stories; and every time I close a book or eject a Blu-ray, I think, “Well, I should write up a review of that for Black Gate.”

But they pile up, falling out of focus as they recede in the rear view mirror, superseded by the latest book or film or comic or game I’m visiting. This way I can blurt out a pithy opinion or two about a work before it fades completely into the background in my cluttered head. No more guilt about having not reviewed something — instead I’ll grind out grist for multiple threads of comment and conversation.

What piques your interest as it emerges from the bag? You can skim, pick and choose — That’s just fine, because we are all afflicted with a touch of ADD out here in this world of cyber.

My first installment of “Oz’s Bag of Holding” will follow this introduction in a second post. Two posts today, to keep the Intro separate. Incidentally, I happened to notice that this marks my 116th post to Black Gate. Man, I wish I hadn’t let post 100 slip by without some sort of hoopla!

Well, here’s to 116 more. And, hopefully, they’ll come more frequently now that I have this trusty Bag of Holding by my side.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

2 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Adrian Simmons

Sounds very cool, Nick. A few years ago I picked up like two classic paper grocery bags full of classic SF books from a co-worker, and haven’t had a chance to even START any of them yet. …someday!

Your bag of holding project reminds me of a similar project that the AV Club did back in 2007, a “randomly purchased box of mostly sci-fi books” read-through. I wonder if there will be any overlap between theirs and yours?

http://www.avclub.com/article/introducing-the-big-box-of-old-paperbacks-book-clu-14756


2
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x