Merrily we scroll along...

September 14, 2006 7:22 AM

So I've tried a few apps that allow me to take large chunks of text and import them to my iPod, making an "eBook" of sorts. The first thing I tested it with was the Mcsweeny's big old page of funny food reviews, and I liked it...

So what else do I load? Any recommendations for good, light reading?

Sure, there's the Project Guttenberg stuff, but I don't wish to tackle Paradise Lost on an iPod.

I want light, funny entertaining content. It must be light on the links, as there is no linkage on an iPod. Brunching shuttlecocks would be great, but all those columns are tiny, and I would have to load them all individually.

Any longish, one page essays (as in one url--not length), short stories, novellas you all like? Nothing too heavy and comedy is preffered (though not vital.)

posted by sourwookie to writing & language (5 comments total)

The problem is that the ipod only can load text in 4K (4096 byte) chucks. This means the disk gets spun up every couple of minutes, and it depletes the battery really really fast.

If you install the Rockbox alternative OS, the rockbox text viewer doesn't have this problem. and you can dual boot if you don't like the Rockbox music interface (I prefer it, but then, I'm a Rockbox contributor and so biased).
posted by orthogonality at 7:37 AM on September 14, 2006

A little over a weeks ago Iridic posted links to four short stories by the excellent short fiction writer Ted Chiang. I enjoyed all four - if you didn't read them then they would be a good choice for reading from the iPod's small screen.
posted by RichardP at 7:38 AM on September 14, 2006

David Foster Wallace

http://www.esquire.com/features/articles/2001/001012_mfr_wallace_1.html
http://www.lynchnet.com/lh/lhpremiere.html
http://www.smallbytes.net/~bobkat/dfwstory.html
http://www.smallbytes.net/~bobkat/waterstone.html
posted by mattbucher at 7:59 AM on September 14, 2006

Michael Chabon (Kavalier and Clay), has a selection of his essays on his website, both fiction and non-fiction. I particularly like The Lesson, Fever, and An Account of a Brief Bout of Mutant Madness (which is part film-script).
posted by featherboa at 8:31 AM on September 14, 2006

Donald Barthelme's The School is a dark bit of comedy.

Also his King of Jazz
posted by storybored at 8:20 PM on September 15, 2006