As part of my campaign for fresh inspiration, I visited my local Enoch Pratt Free Library here in Midtown Baltimore and picked up a few inspiring texts.

The first is Chang and Eng, by one of my fabulous advisors from my MFA, Darin Strauss. It’s from the point of view of one of the freak circuit’s most famous duos, and promises heart and sexiness.

Though I really ought to just buy it, I also checked out The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis. I also had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Davis in Paris and hearing her read at Shakespeare and Co. Her brilliance is intimidating and sparkles through her understated wit. And her prose is so efficient and frequently devastating, I can only aspire.

I also picked up Haruki Murakami’s The Strange Library, for a little unexpected magic.

And from a friend, who lives in a windowless basement with the laundry and a whole bunch of mold, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, which so far is pretty entertaining. Imagine a whole bunch of army dudes from Iraq having a documentary made about them, and bursting into sudden pseudo-fame, only to realize no chicks really feel like banging some low, dirty grunts in a white SUV stretch limo.

Pick me up, September.