You know, the Ray Bradbury 1000 nights in which he suggested reading a poem, a short story, and an essay every night.

You may also recall that I’ve had a l’il help from m’friends with a poetry chapbook and two short fiction anthologies from Scotland.

Sadly, I must confess to already falling short of the three per night. O-o!

Happily however, so far I am managing one per night — with a few classics, such as Robert Frost’s Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening, and William Carlos Williams’ This Is Just to Say, along with John Masefield’s Cargoes and Sea Fever, interspersing the Scottish works. It is, after all, always good to revisit old friends.

In terms of the chapbook, Ten Poems From Scotland, I have now read four of the ten:

• Mouse skeleton by Jason Watts
• Re-reading Katherine Mansfield’s ‘Bliss and Other Stories’ by Douglas Dunn
• Etching of a Line of Trees by John Glenday
• Brendon Gallacher by Jackie Kay

Mostly, but not completely in the order they appear — and the poets all new names to me, which adds to their interest.

In terms of the Blether, I have read four of these as well: three short fictions:

• Squeak by Lindz McLeod
• Crossing the Bridge by Kirsty Souter
• Cordless by Catherine Wilson

and an essay:

Blether by Nikesh Shukla

I’ve enjoyed all of them, but I think the last may be my favourite currently, if only ‘by a nose.’ 😀

Although not sure how I’ll go on the entire 1000 days (or 1001 nights), anything that encourages revisiting old friends and trying the new feels like a goodness.