{"id":1839,"date":"2025-08-27T07:24:35","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T11:24:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/liclblog.townoflongisland.us\/?p=1839"},"modified":"2025-09-09T18:51:57","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T22:51:57","slug":"a-desert-rat-dads-reading-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/liclblog.townoflongisland.us\/?p=1839","title":{"rendered":"A desert rat dad’s reading list"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Today is my father’s birthday – August 27th – he would be 102 today. Bill Noble<\/a> had many loves, including his family, the California desert (where he lived), writing, and great literature. My sister Patty just uncovered this reading list that he wrote about books he read in the first 9 months of 1993, when he was 70 years old:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading: 1993 \u2013 in the order read<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jan.<\/strong> Alan Watts<\/a> \u2013 \u201cCloud hidden: whereabouts unknown.” 1974. Ruminations, journal form, restatement of Tao.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jan.<\/strong> Alan Watts<\/a> \u2013 \u201cIn my own way.” Autobiography. Loaned to Bob Hoyk 4\/8\/93.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jan.<\/strong> George Bernard Shaw<\/a> \u2013 Complete plays. I had never read a play by GBS before now, probably because in college I read his \u201cQuintessence of Ibsenism<\/a>\u201d which was really all about himself. Pompous, arrogant but with the wittiest cutting edge dialogue. Prologues and introductions are endless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jan. <\/strong>Henrick Ibsen<\/a> \u2013 After Shaw I had to read Ibsen again. At UC I took a course in Scandinavian literature and read Hedda Gabler<\/a>, Doll\u2019s House<\/a>; this reading of his plays 45 years later had the effect of endless slogging through thick cold mud. Especially after flippant Shaw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feb.<\/strong> Tony Hillerman<\/a> \u2013 all 10 novels, crime on the Arizona and New Mexico Indian reservations, Navajo, Hopi. Get out AAA\u2019s Indian country map and follow along. Good writing and good insights into Indian culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feb.<\/strong> Benita Eisler<\/a> \u2013 \u201cO\u2019Keeffe and Stieglitz\u201d \u2013 biography. Overdone in parts but good racy reading about my favorite American artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mar<\/strong>. Mary Austin<\/a> \u2013 \u201cLand of little rain<\/a>\u201d \u2013 plant, animal and human life in the border regions of Arizona and Southern California. Good nature writing but lags. Think she\u2019s overrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mar<\/strong>. Loren Eisley<\/a> \u2013 \u201cNot man apart<\/a>.\u201d Photography and accompanying poetry text by Robinson Jeffers on the Big Sur area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mar<\/strong>. James Karman<\/a> \u2013 \u201cRobinson Jeffers: poet of California.<\/a>\u201d Great biography, 4th<\/sup> or 5th<\/sup> reading. The only poet I can halfway understand and appreciate. At UC I took a course in English literature given by Benjamin Kurtz, his farewell lectures and he unloaded on us, the Iliad, Ibsen, Shaw, Shakespeare, Bergson\u2019s \u201cCreative evolution,\u201d the \u201cBhagavad Gita,\u201d Corneille\u2019s play, \u201cEl Cid,\u201d and the only thing I remember is Jeffers\u2019 \u201cRoan stallion,\u201d \u201cTamar\u201d and \u201cCawdor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mar.<\/strong> Edith Hamilton<\/a> \u2013 \u201cMythology<\/a>.\u201d \u2013 A classic, basic text, good reference for Jeffers reading. Been on the shelf for years \u2013 finally got through it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apr<\/strong>. Frederick Turner<\/a> \u2013 editor of an anthology of Henry Miller\u2019s work. Good reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apr<\/strong>. Herb Caen<\/a> and Dong Kingman<\/a> \u2013 \u201cSan Francisco,\u201d text by Caen, watercolors by Kingman. Caen is the San Francisco Chronicler and Kingman its artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apr<\/strong>. Curt Gentry<\/a> \u2013 \u201cThe last days of the late, great state of California<\/a>\u201d (1968) \u2013 history, must reading; hypothetical cataclysmic end of the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apr. <\/strong>Annie Dillard<\/a> \u2013 \u201cTeaching a stone to talk.<\/a>\u201d Philosophy, nature, \u201cPilgrim at Tinker Creek<\/a>\u201d is still the best. Most of her writings are over my head. Edward Abbey said she was the only true heir to Thoreau. I think Thoreau is kind of boring but at least I can understand what he\u2019s writing about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May-June<\/strong>. Will Durant<\/a> \u2013 \u201cStory of Philosophy<\/a>\u201d \u2013 read parts of this in college in connection with a \u2018Philosophy of Literature\u2019 course. Found it in a used book store in Palm Springs this year and have been taking it in small sips, no big gulps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May<\/strong>. John Steinbeck<\/a> \u2013 \u201cLog from the Sea of Cortez<\/a>\u201d \u2013 Baja marine life with Ed Ricketts<\/a>, the \u201cDoc\u201d of \u201cCannery Row.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May.<\/strong> Robert B. Parker<\/a> \u2013 \u201cDouble deuce<\/a>\u201d \u2013 mystery, Boston, Spenser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May. <\/strong>Sue Grafton<\/a> \u2013 \u201cJ is for Judgment<\/a>\u201d \u2013 latest of the alphabetic mysteries from Santa Barbara.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May.<\/strong> Colin Dexter<\/a> \u201cSecret of Annexe 3<\/a>\u201d \u2013 British mystery \u2013 Inspector Morse and Sgt. Lewis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May.<\/strong> Willa Cather<\/a> \u2013 \u201cDeath comes for the archbishop<\/a>\u201d \u2013 about the 4th<\/sup> read on this. Great novel of New Mexico early settlement. Have never gotten interested in any other of her work but this is a classic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

June<\/strong>. Nelson De Mille<\/a> \u2013 \u201cThe general\u2019s daughte<\/a>r\u201d \u2013 mystery \u2013 good, fast, wit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

June<\/strong>. Henry David Thoreau <\/a>\u2013 read parts of \u201cWalden Pond<\/a>\u201d and \u201cCape Cod.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

June. <\/strong>Nelson De Mille<\/a> \u2013 \u201cThe Gold Coast\u201d and \u201cCathedral.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

June<\/strong>. David Park Curry<\/a> wrote the text to this great collection of impressionist art by Childe Hassam on Appledore Island in the Isles of Shoals 10 miles out from the Maine and New Hampshire coasts. Is called \u201cAn island garden revisited\u201d \u2013 Celia Thaxter\u2019s garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

June<\/strong>. Isabel Allende <\/a>\u2013 \u201cEva Luna<\/a>\u201d \u2013 sort of a picaresque novel of growing up in South America. Improbable situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

June<\/strong>. Sara Paretsky<\/a> \u2013 \u201cDeadlock<\/a>\u201d and \u201cGuardian angel\u201d \u2013 good mysteries in Chicago area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

June<\/strong>. James Joyce<\/a> \u2013 \u201cPortrait of an artist as a young man<\/a>\u201d \u2013 read in the 50s. Then tried \u201cUlysses<\/a>\u201d and gave up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

June.<\/strong> Peggy Wayburn<\/a> \u2013 \u201cAdventuring in Alaska\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

   Steven C. Levi \u2013 \u201cAlaska traveler<\/a>\u201d
           National Geographic Society \u2013 \u201cAlaska\u2019s parklands”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In anticipation of the August cruise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

June<\/strong>. Jack Smith<\/a> \u2013 \u201cSmith on rye\u201d and \u201cJack Smith\u2019s LA\u201d \u2013 collection of columns from LA Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

June.<\/strong> Colin Dexter<\/a> \u2013 \u201cLast seen wearing<\/a>\u201d \u2013 mystery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

June.<\/strong> Frederick Franck<\/a> \u2013 \u201cDays with Albert Schweitzer\u201d \u2013 a Lambarene landscape, book and pen drawing by a dentist who volunteered at the Congo compound for a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All July<\/strong> \u2013 too hot to do anything but read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edward Abbey<\/a> \u2013 \u201cDesert solitaire<\/a>\u201d \u2013 classic by the master, nature in Arches National Monument<\/a>, Utah, Moab, Colorado River before the dam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eliot Porter<\/a> \u2013 \u201cThe place no one knew\u201d \u2013 Glen Canyon on the Colorado \u2013 photos of the way it was before the dam. Text by Porter and others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Wesley Powell<\/a> \u2013 \u201cExploration of the Colorado River<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leonard Hall<\/a> \u2013 \u201cStars upstream<\/a>\u201d \u2013 nature, the current river in the Missouri Ozarks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marston Bates<\/a> \u2013 \u201cThe forest and the sea\u201d \u2013 a look at the economy of nature and the geology of man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ludwig Koch-Isenburg<\/a> \u2013 \u201cRealm of the green Buddha<\/a>\u201d \u2013 jungles of Thailand, birds, animals, Burma, Ceylon<\/p>\n\n\n\n

M. Hatzioutou \u2013 \u201cGreece through the ages\u201d \u2013 history, art, culture<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rinn S. Shinn, ed. \u201cGreece, a country study<\/a>,\u201d history, politics, economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oliver Taplin<\/a> \u2013 \u201cGreek fire\u201d \u2013 the influence of ancient Greece on the modern world, good illustrations but overrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edmund C. Jaeger<\/a> \u2013 \u201cDesert wildlife\u201d \u2013 descriptions of life and habits of critters in Southwest U.S. and Northwest Mexico<\/p>\n\n\n\n

July<\/strong>. Joseph Wood Krutch<\/a> \u2013 \u201cThe desert year\u201d \u2013 pure poetry<\/p>\n\n\n\n

July. <\/strong>Stuart Woods<\/a> \u2013 \u201cSanta Fe rules\u201d \u2013 mystery \u2013 New Mexico<\/p>\n\n\n\n

July.<\/strong> Henry Beston<\/a> \u2013 \u201cThe outermost house<\/a>\u201d \u2013 a year of life on the great beach at Cape Cod. Probably the 40th<\/sup> read since the first in 1947. It restoreth my soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

July.<\/strong> Jorge Luis Borges<\/a> \u2013 \u201cA personal anthology\u201d \u2013 Borges is the only Latin American writer who inspires me. He is an incredible philosopher word-smith, he reminds me of Annie Dillard but even in translation he is more intelligible. Maybe Annie needs a translator. There are 50 or so essays in this anthology. This is a third reading and I need a few more to cull out the gemstones. See later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

July<\/strong>. John Steinbeck<\/a> \u2013 \u201cThe pearl<\/a>\u201d \u2013 have most of Steinbeck \u2013 like this one. Actually, like just about everything he wrote, several times. I like to read \u201cCannery Row<\/a>\u201d over again on Sunday afternoons with a glass of wine and \u201cOf mice and men<\/a>\u201d after no breakfast, just coffee. But, I need a full stomach for \u201cIn dubious battle<\/a>.\u201d Gut writing. I read most of Steinbeck once a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

July-August<\/strong>. Edmund C. Jaeger<\/a>.<\/em> \u201cThe North American deserts<\/a>\u201d \u2013 describes the 5 deserts of North America and their subdivisions. Read this along with \u201cThe Sonoran Desert<\/a>\u201d publication of the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aug.<\/strong> George Adamson<\/a> \u2013 \u201cMy pride and joy\u201d \u2013 autobiography of a life in Kenya as game warden among wildlife, esp. lions \u2013 \u201cBorn Free, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aug.<\/strong> \u201993. Mccrum, Cran, & MacNeil \u2013 \u201cThe story of English<\/a>\u201d \u2013 great history of the English language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Alan Paton <\/a>\u2013 \u201cCry the beloved country<\/a>\u201d \u2013 I like to read this book every few years because of the way it is written, poetry in prose. It came out in 1948, there was as movie made of it. Just a beautiful book. But I\u2019ve never read his \u201cToo late the phalarope<\/a>\u201d \u2013 not sure why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                 Isak Dineson (Karen Blixen<\/a>) \u2013 \u201cOut of Africa<\/a>\u201d \u2013 another poet-prose-writer, and \u201cShadows on the grass<\/a>,\u201d one of the best. For warm summer nights and fans to cool the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Jeffrey Archer <\/a>\u2013 \u201cHonor among thieves<\/a>\u201d \u2013 contemporary (1993) novel of international intrigue that includes Saddam Hussein and Bill Clinton. Suspense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sept.<\/strong> \u201993. Rereading Peggy Wayburn<\/a>\u2019s update (1988) on the Sierra Club \u201cAdventuring in Alaska, to refresh me on details of our cruise. Bought this in Anchorage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

               John Muir<\/a>, \u201cTravels in Alaska<\/a>\u201d \u2013 ever loquacious, Muir found Alaska \u201cbeyond description.\u201d Travels in 1879 primarily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to this reading list, he included some of his favorite writers, artists, entertainers, etc. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nature writers:<\/strong> Henry Beston<\/a>, Edward Abbey<\/a>, Joseph Wood Krutch,<\/a> John Muir<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historian<\/strong>: Bruce Catton<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photographers:<\/strong> Ansel Adams<\/a>, Wilhelm Hester<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poets:<\/strong> Eudora Welty<\/a>, Robinson Jeffers<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Novelists:<\/strong> Tony Hillerman,<\/a> John Steinbeck<\/a>, Alan Paton<\/a>, Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen<\/a>), Ross Lockridge, Jr.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Philosophy-nature-novel<\/strong>: Annie Dillard<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Philosophy:<\/strong> Alan Watts<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Artist:<\/strong> Georgia O\u2019Keeffe<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entertainers:<\/strong> Frank Sinatra<\/a>, Marlon Brando<\/a>, Laurence Olivier<\/a>, Robert Duval<\/a>l, Audrey Hepburn<\/a>, Katherine Hepburn<\/a>, Ronald Colman<\/a>, Peter Ustinov<\/a>, Patrick McGoohan<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Otherwise great writers:<\/strong> Jorge Luis Borges<\/a>, Eric Severeid<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commentators:<\/strong> Jack Smith<\/a> \u2013 LA Times, Herb Caen <\/a>\u2013 SF Chronicle, John Ed Pierce <\/a>– Louisville, Ky, Mike Royko<\/a> \u2013 Chicago Tribune, Charles Kuralt<\/a> \u2013 at large<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps in retirement I’ll attempt to read the books on my father’s reading list, and write my own commentary on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happy birthday, Papa!<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
Nancy and her desert rat dad, 2001<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today is my father’s birthday – August 27th – he would be 102 today. Bill Noble had many loves, including his family, the California desert (where he lived), writing, and great literature. My sister Patty just uncovered this reading list that he wrote about books he read in the first 9 months of 1993, when … Continue reading A desert rat dad’s reading list<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1842,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[701,700,699],"class_list":["post-1839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","tag-book-lists","tag-nature-writing","tag-reading-list"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/liclblog.townoflongisland.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Dads-reading-list-horizontal.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/liclblog.townoflongisland.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/liclblog.townoflongisland.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/liclblog.townoflongisland.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liclblog.townoflongisland.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liclblog.townoflongisland.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1839"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/liclblog.townoflongisland.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1839\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1868,"href":"https:\/\/liclblog.townoflongisland.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1839\/revisions\/1868"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liclblog.townoflongisland.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1842"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/liclblog.townoflongisland.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liclblog.townoflongisland.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liclblog.townoflongisland.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}