Five and why with Jacob Lemon

With another new semester beginning, finding time to delve into a new book might be troublesome. Jacob Lemon, a junior architecture major, said his solution is to switch between long-form narratives and less daunting short stories. The shorter stories help balance his schedule.

1. “Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah” by Richard Bach

“When I think back about books I’ve read, I think this one sticks out more. I was in 10th grade and a random substitute teacher out of nowhere started asking me questions about everything but geometry (which was the class he was substituting for). He asked me five questions; I answered, I think, four out of five with, “my dad,” because who doesn’t direct most (of) their teenage-angst blind hatred at their father? I was going through a hard time in my life, and somehow this book acted as a conduit for me to have a conversation with myself. I’ve read this book many times, and each time I take something else away from it.”

2. “The Stranger” by Albert Camus

“‘The Stranger’ was a book where the story interested me. It starts out as just a conversation between two people, the narrator (the stranger) and his guest. Without spoiling anything, the reason I love this book is because the narrator seems to have a sense of disconnect from people — he almost rejects the society that he’s in, and basically reacts to things unapologetically. The ability to, without a reason, just be.”

3. “20 Under 40” published by The New Yorker

“I enjoyed short stories because they became incredibly digestible. Twenty pages is a lot less daunting than 400 pages. These stories were diverse; many of them seemed to delve into narratives that I was completely unfamiliar with. One of them was about a man who worked in the swamp dredges of the early 20th century. The hell he lived, I could not relate to any of it, and I think that was the beauty of these stories: I didn’t need to relate to things in order to enjoy them. It’s important to sometimes listen to people’s stories for more than your direct take-away. I felt as if I was listening during most these stories, and didn’t need to ever respond. There was a sense of closure to each story.”

4. “No One Belongs Here More Than You” by Miranda July

“Miranda July is truly an author. I mean this in a way that you become so intimate with her words you honestly feel as if you know these stories, as if she is but re-telling you. She talks about the harsh realities of love and tragedy of life, not in the dramatic but rather in a very nuanced or normative way. She also doesn’t seem to be talking down to you, like some authors sound — it’s not as if the words are serving as a filter for the stupid. She talks as a friend, and it’s comforting and warm. I loved reading all of her stories and often felt emotional finishing them. Each last paragraph felt heavy.”

5. “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values” by Robert M. Pirsig

“I liked this book because it became absolutely abstract about halfway through. He introduced a way of thinking called ‘romantic and analytical.’ One of these ways was by a means of process, almost a manual telling you how to do things or feel things out. The other way was learning exclusively through trial and error. There was a lot more to this book, but this was the thought process that carried the book and what resonated with me afterwards. It also offered a glimpse into a man that, in his endeavors, was trying to explain a feeling in the best way possible. It felt as though he knew this romanticism and analytical thinking so well that he needed to write this book in an almost exorcism of the thought. He needed it out, and this was the best way he could do it.”

Nick Fojud is a freelance reporter and photographer for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo.