Getting to know the Yankee, volume one. (February '07)

This blog is the first in a series that might come off a bit like one of those annoying surveys, but is in fact intended to help you to get to know the Yankee just a bit better. I will not be covering "most"s, "best"s, or "greatest"s, because I tend to get confused when I try to label things like that, so here are some things about the Yankee, no superlatives attached.

Six books that changed or affected the Yankee's life:

1. The Autobiography of Malcolm X
2. The Ten Things You Can't Say in America by Larry Elder
3. There's no Such Thing as Freedom of Speech (and it's a good thing, too) by Stanley Fish
4. (NOT) The Way it's Supposed to Be by Cornelius Plantinga
5. And the Word Came with Power by Joanne Shetler with Patricia Purvis
6. In Defense of Elitism by William A. Henry III

Six Bands or Musicians that the Yankee recommends to everyone:

1. Fishbone
2. The Swirling Eddies
3. Maxwell
4. Oingo Boingo
5. The Beatnuts
6. The Soul of John Black

Six books that the Yankee could read over and over again:

1. Kipling: A Collection of His stories and Poems by Rudyard Kipling
2. Red Lobster, White Trash, and the Blue Lagoon by Joe Queenan
3. The Time it Never Rained by Elmer Kelton
4. The Rigante Series (actually four separate books) by David Gemmell
5. True Believers by Joe Queenan
6. Balsamic Dreams by Joe Queenan

Other items of note:

The Yankee is a big fan of classic soul music.
The Yankee likes to wear a variety of colors, though not necessarily at the same time.
The Yankee will eat pretty much any kind of food, but is not a fan of poor quality food.
The Yankee has been to fourteen different countries, and hopes to increase that number.
When he was young, the Yankee was encouraged to pursue acting, but he never did, so he has found other ways to starve.
The Yankee is destined for big things, but nobody knows quite what those things are or when they will materialize. The Yankee hopes they are not posthumous.
The Yankee hopes you will check out the books and musicians listed above, because he's serious about those categories. (though the truth is that those categories only scratch the tip of the iceberg.)

Enojy, and feel free to do the same.