Winter ours

Many people—especially acquaintances up and down the Eastern Seabord, as well as the Manitoba readership—have asked me how to insulate themselves with "art" as the weather gods continue to launch their snow, sleet, and brutal winds our way.

To get you through the next five weeks, we've drawn up the following five outlines. Length of commitment varies wildly. Substitutions are acceptable. Print out, forward, destroy.

I
Read Wallace Stevens's "The Snow Man" [1 min. reading time, 10 min. reflection]
Then listen to The Arcade Fire, FUNERAL [c. 1 hour]
Then read Christian Bök's CRYSTALLOGRAPHY [1 day]
Listen to Clearlake, "Wonder if the Snow Will Settle" [3.5 mins]

II
Listen to The Colourfield, "Monkey in Winter" [5.5 mins.]
Then watch ATANARJUAT: THE FAST RUNNER [c. 3 hours]
Read Harvey Pekar's "Old Cars in Winter" [15 mins.]
Optional: Read Yukio Mishima's SPRING SNOW [2 days]

III
Listen to Apples in Stereo, "Winter Must Be Cold" [4 mins.]
Read Gretel Ehrlich, THIS COLD HEAVEN and THE FUTURE OF ICE—the latter will make you wish *it was even colder*. [reading time: 1 week]
Listen to Fountains of Wayne, "Valley Winter Song" [4 mins.]

IV
Read Maureen Howard's A LOVER'S ALMANAC [1.5 day]
Listen to Sigur Ros, "( )"
Read Anthony Powell's A DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF TIME, fourth movement ("Winter") [1 week]

V
Read James Joyce's "The Dead" [2 hours]
Watch MIRACLE, about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team [2 hours]
Run around screaming, "Do you believe in miracles? *Yes!*" [1 hour]
Read "The Snow Man" again.