On My Bookshelf: Assistant Professor Jenny Thomson

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Currently reading: The Fiddler in the Subway by Gene Weingarten, an anthology of Weingarten’s feature writing for The Washington Post.

The thing that drew you to it: My nonacademic reading time is so precious that I have come to rely on recommendations from two good friends — one reads largely nonfiction and the other will only read prize-winning fiction. So this recommendation came from my nonfiction friend.

First impressions: Very, very thought-provoking, in the truest sense of the word. I’m not sure how Ed. magazine feels about product placement, but I would definitely recommend this book!

Last great read: Talking Heads by Alan Bennett. Being British, I need my regular dose of dark, satirical humor.

Book you’ve read over and over: For me, it’s largely poetry that gets the repeated-reading treatment: Wislawa Szymborska, Elizabeth Jennings, Simon Armitage, Rumi. I love the density of poetry and how much can be said with just a handful of words.

Favorite spot to curl up with a good book: A bus, train, or plane. The escapism experience has to be complete for both mind and body.

How you find the time: It is tricky. I note that all my recommendations consist of self-contained chapters, or are poems. This is perhaps not a coincidence.

Next up: Confession of a Buddhist Atheist by Stephen Batchelor.