Jack of All Trades, Master of Education

Let Freedom Ring....

2009-01-19T09:42:00.000-08:00

Just taking a moment to recognize a historic moment in American history, without the textbooks handy.

Memory takes me back to my world as a teenager, purchasing Stevie Wonder's album, Hotter Than July. It was a favorite for many years. I also remember standing on line in front of Madison Square Garden ALL NIGHT LONG to wait for tickets to Stevie's concert, his first in a long time.

On the night of the concert, as on many nights before, during, and after the tour, Stevie exhorted the crowd with a rousing speech calling for the national celebration of Martin Luther King's birthday.

I can clearly recall dancing with complete strangers on the floor of the Garden as we shouted and sang along. I can also recall the joy I felt when our Senators and Representatives were moved to act and the final votes were cast for the creation of today's holiday.

Tomorrow is another day, and with it will come perhaps one of the most important occasions of this new century. It could not have come to pass, though, without the work of Dr. King.

So today is for Dr. King.

Let Freedom Ring.

15: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

2009-01-02T00:36:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm done. I've moved several books beyond my pre-set vacation book limit, I still have several vacation days to go, but I'm out of books (even after a visit to the crappy book chain store) and made a promise.

But what a way to go out. I enjoyed this book so much I just kept putting it down. I wanted to SAVOR it -- it was so lovely, so out-of-the-ordinary, so filled with beauty and so reflective of the art form of writing -- that I just didn't want the story to end.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, a masterwork by David Wroblewski, shares the tale of Edgar, a child who is born with all of his sense faculties, but who lacks the ability to speak.

As I read it, Wroblewski kept doing this thing that shocked me to the core: he surprised me. Wroblewski is a real literary talent, with beautifully drawn characters and a strong sense of story. But - more than anything - each chapter was filled with real, thoughtful writing -- and I truly never knew what was going to happen next. Look, that doesn't seem to be so important, but it really is. How many times have I been 3/4 of the way through a novel waiting for the author to get to the place I know is waiting in 70 pages.

That just doesn't happen here. What does happen is magical and lovely, though. And I simply didn't want this story to end....

Read it! It's my #1 piece of fiction for the year 2008.

14: Outer Banks

2008-12-30T12:55:00.000-08:00

I picked this up because I have a number of friends who like to talk about Banks.

I have nothing to talk to them about.

I hated this and would appreciate my money back.

Really -- it seems as if I don't even have enough to say to cover the .jpg to the left of this text.

I don't.

13: Portrait of an Unknown Woman

2008-12-28T22:34:00.000-08:00

When you are living in a family with one of the world's leading Holbein scholars, you tend to look at images - even tiny ones - and just know a Holbein when you see one.

I spotted this book on the shelf and reached for it immediately. Holbein! I read the bookjacket and added it to the pile immediately.

Portrait of an Unknown Woman, a work of historical fiction by Vanora Bennett, is a lovely piece that literally takes the reader inside one of Holbein's more famous (but secondary works). Following the family of Sir Thomas More during the Protestant Reformation (and specifically the character of Meg Giggs), Bennett weaves her own version of the story of "the two princes" as England is torn apart by the war between Catholics and Protestants.

I'll recommend the novel to arts students, lit students, and history buffs. And, of course, to members of my family, all of whom need a new Holbein reading this year.

12: A Mercy

2008-12-27T20:09:00.000-08:00

Two-book day! Two-book day! OK, OK -- I didn't read anything yesterday, and I didn't like this morning's read at all, so I kind of HAD to pick up a second novel today. I'm sooooo happy that I did.

So, over the past few years, I've wondered about Toni Morrison. This is not a woman who rests on the many laurels she has received as one of the greatest living writers in America, but (in all candor) I've been left waiting by her past few works.

I consider Song of Solomon and Beloved to me true masterworks, but I've been disappointed more recently.

In A Mercy, Toni Morrison does not disappoint -- not for a page, a paragraph, or a word.

This work is deep, dense and remarkable. When I first picked up the actual book, it felt slight and light in my hands. What I encountered as I turned the first page, though, was a rich and deep narrative, characters that lived both in the page and in the mind, and a sense of survival and passion that is so important to Morrison's work.

I highly recommend A Mercy. It sits near the top of Morrison's illustrious canon.

11: The Gathering

2008-12-27T20:04:00.000-08:00

I'm usually a fan of the winners of the Man Booker Prize, and - when I picked up the title earlier in the month - I didn't recall why I hadn't read this work already.

Now I know.

Clearly, during some previous attempt, my local bookseller likely turned to me and said, "You aren't going to like this" and I probably put the title down.

There's nothing really more to say about it. I didn't like it. I was never engaged, I never cared about the world of the characters, and - when it was over - I openly wondered why it had won one of the most prestigious book awards in the world.

Sorry, Ms. Enright, but I'm not recommending the book.

10: The Spiritualist

2008-12-25T21:57:00.000-08:00

Megan Chance has written a dark, mysterious historical novel that works its way through the high and lowbrow worlds of 1850s New York. Evelyn Asherton is caught up in the murder of her husband and uses the worlds of spiritualism, seance (and seduction) to attempt to free herself from the gallows.

Her husband's partner comes to her rescue, as does one of the grand dames of New York society. Now living in the home of her new patron, Evelyn quickly comes under the sway of Michel Jourdain, who is either a brilliant clairvoyant or a charlatan.

What follows is a tale where - as the book jacket suggests - "sometimes truth is the greatest illusion of all."

Chance writes a clear and quickly-paced narrative, with winning characters. I only wish the storyline didn't follow the (somewhat) predicted path that played itself out in my mind about 3/4 of the way through the novel. I also felt kind of stretched by the actions of some of the characters but, even with that said, I enjoyed the read all the same.

Recommended!

9: The Pesthouse

2008-12-24T23:59:00.000-08:00

Just what you want on a 2-book day: another post-apocalyptical novel. Yes, The Road was one of my favorite books of last year, but that was last year. Apparently, though, I'm not quite done with the end of our culture and civilization because I really liked The Pesthouse.

I'd never read anything by Jim Crace before, but I'm looking forward to more of his stuff. There was something altogether poetic and spare about his writing. The Pesthouse brings us to another version of a future America, one in which no one even remembers the largeness of the nation. Lincoln is just a face on a coin -- but there are stories about "Abraham," who will return to them someday. People are trying to head East to get to the shore so that they can somehow cross the sea and get to a land they have been told exists: a new land of milk and honey.

It's a wonderful story, as seen through the eyes of a young woman who awakens to discover that everyone in her town has died in the night. She is almost completely alone.

I'm not giving any of the novel away, but it's a nice pairing with The Road.

Recommended!

8: Join Me!

2008-12-24T23:52:00.001-08:00

Um, this book is insane. Danny Wallace, who is now known as the guy behind Yes Man, clearly has nothing to do with most of his life. He took out an ad and asked people to join him, without telling anyone what they were joining.

This book is the story of his adventures as he creates a movement called "Join Me" and gets himself up to 1000 join-ers.

My friend Jen told me that her brother gave her the book and, after reading it, she thought I would like it.

I liked it in the way that I like a puff pastry. I ate it, and now I'm going to forget all about it...with a smile on my face, of course.

7: Bad Monkeys

2008-12-23T22:45:00.000-08:00

Like I said, clearly I'm successful with vacation promises when I read TWO @#$&*% books in a day. Bad Monkeys came on the recommendation of my favorite bookseller, MK, and it does not disappoint.

Matt Ruff is a local Seattle author and, if I use the book to judge his mental state, he is totally OFF HIS ROCKER...in a good way. This work is inventive, creative, and altogether fresh.

We meet Jane Charlotte as she's been arrested for murder, a killing she admits to immediately. She claims, though, to be a member of an organization devoted to ridding society of its "Bad Monkeys" -- those individuals who live on the fringes, committing heinous crimes.

When she meets the psychiatrist in charge of the mental ward of the hospital, however, he challenges her ideas about what is real and what is imagined, and takes the reader down (more than) a number of (mildly confusing, but really intriguing) detours.

The end of the novel is a Chris McQuarrie delight: a twist, a double-back, another twist, and a final gunshot (or, in this case, a CI). The last few pages need to be savored, as you just want a little more -- one final double-back.

It's a quick, wonderful ride... and one that I recommend. I'd love to see this made into a movie, although I can't even picture Jane in my mind quite yet.

6: People of the Book

2008-12-23T22:35:00.000-08:00

Again, I'd like to point out that I'm not supposed to be reading on this vacation, and that I've taken "a vow" to not read a book every day. Clearly, I'm successful with these kinds of vows....

People of the Book is really, really lovely. It blends my love for strong characters, multiple voices in a single text, archaeology, and Judaica. It tells the story of a very special Hagaddah -- and all of the people who touched it - and whose lives it touched - along the way.

The book is quite lyrical and mysterious, without being wordy or secretive. It just kind of opened up, slowly, to reveal itself to the reader. I was taken by the "lead" narrator, and her journey of self-discovery as she attempts to unravel the clues left inside the illustrated book she has been asked to clean and curate. As she makes new discoveries about the work, and about herself, we are transported back in time to meet the different people - and the stories of the book - whose journey seems to mirrors that of the narrator.

Highly recommended.

5: The White Tiger

2008-12-23T00:12:00.000-08:00

Today didn't start well. I found out early this morning that my friend Peter died last night. He was so full of life that I thought he was going to beat cancer, altogether. I was pretty lost for most of the morning, and finally decided to dive into a book to help me lose myself.

Aravind Adiga's novel - winner of the 2008 Man Booker Prize - is certainly one of my favorites of the year. Sure, the narrator is one of the most interesting characters to be written in the past ten years -- and sure, the location of the novel is one of the most interesting places in the world. But it is more than just those two things.

Adiga's voice is so strong here - and he has such a clear and sharp vision for this world - that the work feels painstakingly researched without feeling like a library.

Truly, the main character is an anti-hero, but he deals with his reality with such strength and purpose that you want him to succeed, even if that means murder. Every quote on the book jacket sets you up for a winner, and Adiga does not disappoint. The novel is a wonder!

Recommended!

4: Wishful Drinking

2008-12-21T23:02:00.001-08:00

Really, if I had told myself that I was going to finish 4 books on the first day of this "abbreviated books" holiday, I wouldn't have believed it. But that's what happened. Someone handed me Carrie Fisher's new work this afternoon and, after popping back The Uncommon Reader before sunset, I decided that I would look at the pictures in Fisher's book and, well, one thing led to another...and I read it.

I think that I'll likely get in trouble at Seattle Rep for this, but this book didn't really do it for me. I'm likely in trouble because Ms. Fisher will be performing her acclaimed one-woman show "Wishful Drinking" on our stages this Spring. It's been wildly popular everywhere it's played and, I mean, I can see how this material is funny -- but I just couldn't get around the "I just had electro-shock therapy and I can't remember anything and, my-oh-my, wasn't my life wonderful and weird" conceit of the whole thing.

I've met Carrie Fisher on three or so occasions. I found her to be witty and silly and dry and "spot on" when she took aim at a target. I knew she had problems with alcoholism and pills, etc... anyone who saw Postcards from the Edge knows all about it, but I always thought of her as a creative and real human being.

This book is so cavalier about her experience, and her treatment of the real people in her life is so shallow, that I was just turned off.

And, that said, I can't wait to see how that material translates when she performs the show live at the Rep this season! Go!

3: The Uncommon Reader

2008-12-21T22:48:00.000-08:00

So, this is the vacation where I'm only reading 10 books, right? So, this is the first day and I've already read 3, right? So, I've actually read 4 already today - and it was really sunny and I swam a lot, too. And I took a trip to the grocery store to pick-up stuff, too. SO...clearly I'm not keeping this absurd promise.

Anyway, Alan Bennett's book is a gem for book lovers. I'm a fan of great pagination, and I really have to add that the layout of the last page is a knockout. I turned the page, and the end of this book hit me right between the eyes. I'd recreate the wonderful last sentence here, but I'd be afraid that the three of you would be upset with me, as I'd ruin this novella. Suffice it to say that it's a powerful, wonderful ending that does not, in any way, feel forced. Bennett has a wonderful way with dialogue and storytelling (I'm a fan of The History Boys) and knows his way around a castle, as well.

One bit I happen to really like is that, as Bennett points out, it's all the fault of the dogs. And if dogs are to blame, this is my kind of book! If they hadn't been out around the side of the house, then the Queen herself (yes, the Queen of England, you dumbass) wouldn't have seen the book van and gone in to borrow a book. It's the fastest, most lovely 120 pages after that, as the Queen goes on a magical journey, rediscovering herself - and the world around her - through her love for books.

Sounds familiar. Recommended!

2: The Nimrod Flipout

2008-12-21T22:41:00.000-08:00

Nuts. That's really the first word that comes to mind when I think about this insane, mind-altering, hysterical, magical, absurd, dynamic, creative and inspiring set of stories written by Etgar Keret.

I could not pick a favorite if I had a year to choose: Fatso, The Nimod Flipout, Eight Percent of Nothing, More Life, For Only $9.99 -- any and all could serve as nominees for favorite piece of short (and in some cases amazingly short) fiction of the year, if not the decade.

This is a laugh-out-loud-is-anyone-looking-at-me read. Keret takes you on a journey that is at times magical, at times tragic, at times life-affirming, and at times utterly bizarre.

I do know this, though: my students will be reading some of these for years to come, that's for sure! And, c'mon: Look at that book jacket and tell me you could possible pass up on that image!

Recommended!

1: Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician

2008-12-21T22:34:00.000-08:00

I'm not a huge fan of Daniel Wallace. I mean, I've seen Big Fish and I'm into magical realism, it's just that Wallace has never made me shout out loud or anything. So, I approached this work with a little bit of reservation.

I shouldn't have. It was a delightful read - living somewhere between my love for magic, history, multiple narrators in a single text, and storytelling. It's almost impossible to discuss the plot of the book without tipping a hand, but suffice it to say that the majority of the action takes place in the South as Musgrove's Chinese Circus comes to town, with the worst magician ever as one of its lead performers. And Henry Walker does not disappoint; he's a terrible magician... with a dark past and a horrible secret. Oh, and the devil's in the book, and you know how I love to read about relatives.

Recommended.

The Reading Begins...

2008-12-21T22:32:00.000-08:00

The three of you who follow this blog know that - each and every year - I read as much as I can over the winter break. This year, in an effort to prove to others (and myself) that I am a capable parent, I have decided to cut my normal "19 books in 14 days" event in half, thus leaving time for my children.

Really. I swear. I'm only reading, like, 9 books. Or 10. 11 tops.

Riiiiiiiiight.

Amy! Amy! Oscar! Amy!

2008-01-23T22:25:00.000-08:00

Hi to everyone who reads this - both of us.

Just making a little diary entry to celebrate my sweet Amy's accomplishments this week. She's the third (fourth?) person I know who's been nominated for an Academy Award and, if she wins, I will be so happy that they'll hear me scream in Portland!

Amy is up for Best Supporting Actress for her AMAZING performance in "Gone, Baby, Gone."

Here's a toast to you, sweetness!

19!

2008-01-04T20:19:00.000-08:00

The vacation is over.

19 books. Many wonderful adventures.

I always treasure this time...and await December.

The Last Chinese Chef

2008-01-04T20:06:00.000-08:00

Two-Book Day Alert: And what a scrumptious meal it was. THE LAST CHINESE CHEF was handed to Hillary by a friend who told her that, as a foodie, she would love it. Her reading completed, she handed the book to me and I devoured it after lunch. I just adored this novel.

We meet two characters, both at turning points, and watch as both history and food and family and a sense of "place" draw them closer and closer to each other. Mmmmm. It was a tasty book!

Nicole Mones is an author I've never read, but I'm familiar with "Lost In Translation" because of the evil that is Bill Murray (who I still hate hate hate; there's no getting around my utter contempt for him). I actually had a bad taste for a few pages because, well, I hate Bill. Luckily, my feeling passed as Mones transported me to the other side of the Pacific.

The book is like the great meals she describes: subtle, in tune with history and the present, and yet rich and bold. I particularly like that - even though I could sense the ending - I was more taken by the journey. Mones would likely say that the meal is kind of like that: you know that it is going to have to end, and that the end must satisfy the diners, but the last sweet taste is still something that should have its own surprises.

I could see the film in my mind, and - more than anything - this novel made me want to get to know the characters and their world. If I had the time, I'd board a jet to China just to live and breathe and DUH -- EAT -- in the world of this novel.

I RECOMMEND the novel to readers who love detail, who love food, and who can appreciate Guanxi (Mandarin readers have an edge on this detail, so read the book and catch up to them!).

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/002-7579015-7524053?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=the+last+chinese+chef

Fire In The Blood

2008-01-04T19:58:00.000-08:00

Irene Nemirovsky was a wonder - a true voice for the 20th Century - and FIRE IN THE BLOOD just proves it again. After reading SUITE FRANCAISE last year, I could have just stopped reading anything for a while, as that novel was stunning and moving and tragic and remarkable. But I often wonder: what would the world have been like with her voice?

FIRE IN THE BLOOD is something else, entirely. It's like a perfect, tiny jewel: a small piece of chocolate that you find sitting on a table and, as you place it in your mouth, you just melt away. It is a simple story, and Nemirovsky's magic is found in the little details.

Of course, having finished it, I can even see more clearly what she was going to do in SUITE FRANCAISE, so reading this brought forth all of the tragedy of the loss of that majestic work.

But, taken on its own, FIRE IN THE BLOOD is lovely. And I RECOMMEND it without reservation. On a side note, I have to say that I was reading an uncorrected proof of the novel; it was one of the more perfect proofs I've seen, so there's another blessing!

http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Blood-Irene-Nemirovsky/dp/0307267482/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199505495&sr=8-1

Eat, Pray, Love

2008-01-03T19:33:00.000-08:00

OK, don't even start on me, because all the ladies at the pool were reading this book and you know me: I love the ladies...so I read the book.

The work: Elizabeth Gilbert was in the worst kind of a life rut you can be in -- at the edge of a divorce, miserably unhappy, and wracked by nightmares. She makes the decision to talk to God and - in doing so - decides to take control of loving herself and finding her path. In the course of 108 chapters (her beads) + 1 more for the road, Gilbert's EAT, PRAY, LOVE traces her journey through Italy, India, and Bali as she eats, prays, and rediscovers her love for herself.

It's a lovely quick read trying to be something more than that, but it doesn't deliver anything I haven't read before, written by more mature, thoughtful authors. I could reach for so many more inspiring texts, and - at the end - I was unhappy to discover that Gilbert is going to continue to profit from the end of her depression by writing a follow-up, which is apparently what you do when you have a NYTimes #1 Bestseller based on your life and you are still living your life.

It is, at times, insightful. It is, at times, humorous. It is, at times, poignant. But there's no new there there. And, therefore, no link and no recommendation.

The Savage Detectives

2008-01-02T19:36:00.000-08:00

Well, I had to finally hit one, right? You know what I mean: one that I don't just "dislike" but that I actually hated. When my friend Marta came by today to ask what I thought, and I jolted up and bespoke my distaste, I got a hearty, "Thank you!" because she agreed with me completely. I don't want to speak ill of the dead, and Roberto Bolano was a serious poet, but I hated THE SAVAGE DETECTIVES.

No link to Amazon for this one -- and no recommendation either. Ick. Really. I mean, I could keep writing about how I could make a novel from the first section and the last and just skip the section in between, but that would make me look stupid. Blech.

Special Topics in Calamity Physics

2008-01-02T01:06:00.000-08:00

Two-Book Day Alert! And what a choice I made for a second book! I must admit, though, that I started this one after taking a few hours off after THE ROAD and just finished it a few minutes ago. I put it down a few times this afternoon and came back to finish it after dinner.....

Marisha Pessl's debut novel, SPECIAL TOPICS IN CALAMITY PHYSICS, is a lit-major's dream and I'm struggling to think of a major work or important character in the history of all literature that Pessl doesn't drag onto the boat with the reader. Not that I minded. ;)

It's an impressive (and long) debut - and Pessl certainly fills the cup with a motley crew of memorable characters - but, now that it's over, I kind of want more. That's a little odd to say about a book that goes 500+ pages (with no margins at all), but it's how I feel in the moment.

Blue, the central focus of our story, is really a wonder and the kind of character that readers just fall in love with. And as we travel through the most important year in her life, we are just sucked completely into the first novel, and we really never see the second one emerge until it is - literally - too late. 400 pages in, as Pessl's work takes a sharp (too sharp) turn, I felt like I was running to catch up to a story that I needed to keep processing. Much like EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED, there's that moment of "what the??" and suddenly all of the pieces fall into place and you realize that you are reading a work of staggering genius...one that you need to go back and restart now that its done.

So - I'm definitely RECOMMENDING the book, but I've got some reservations. A few reviewers have noted that Pessl seems as emotionally disconnected from Blue as Blue is from the world around her, and I'm going to have to throw my hat in that ring as well. I can't take away, though, the real brilliance of the writing, though. It's funny and poignant and rich and dark and sly and delivers an amazing plot twist. It also intelligent - and that counts a lot for me. I'm happy for 2008 so far!

http://www.amazon.com/Special-Topics-Calamity-Physics-Marisha/dp/0143112120/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199264642&sr=8-1

The Road

2008-01-01T20:21:00.000-08:00

So, I already hate hate hate 2008 because I'm ONE DAY into the New Year and I've already read a stunner of a novel. How in the hell did I *not* read this last year? And now how do I get through the next 365 days knowing that it's gonna take a hell of a novel to compare? UGH!!

Sparse, dense, deeply moving -- let's remember that they don't just hand out Pulitzer Prizes to everyone under the moon, okay?

And Cormac McCarthy's THE ROAD is a must-read, okay? A "if you don't read this I don't know why you read at all" book. I'm already thinking about how I get this post-apocalyptic novel into the EWHS canon. It's as dark and moving as Saramago's BLINDNESS, but there is something purely American about this book, which already has numerous reviewers using the words "brilliant" and "classic" and phrases like "best of the century."

Set somewhere in the future, in the wake of a civilization-ending catastrophe, THE ROAD follows a father and son as they search for the truth of their lives. Somehow, McCarthy's world is simultaneously hopeful and desperately hopeless and, as a father, I found myself just clutching at the images and moments of desperation.

I must read this again soon. And it is RECOMMENDED with an exclamation point!

http://www.amazon.com/Road-Oprahs-Book-Club/dp/0307387895/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199247252&sr=8-2

The Magician and the Cardsharp

2007-12-31T20:40:00.000-08:00

The cover-quote on this wonder of a book by Karl Johnson says that "folk history of magic is irresistible" and I have to agree. But THE MAGICIAN AND THE CARDSHARP is so much more than a biography or a history text.

If you love magic - and I was entranced long before my beloved affiliation with Zovello - you simply must read this book. As Johnson retells the story of Dai Vernon's search for a man who can center-deal (deal flawlessly from the center of the deck), I felt like I was on a railcar travelling back in time. Johnson does a flawless job of research -- so much so that I know feel as though I've been to many of the places he writes about, even though I know I haven't. It's really a double-biography of sorts, but it's also a mystery, as we follow along as Vernon goes in search of the ultimate card man.

There is something beautiful about this story, and I can't yet put my finger on it, but it has made me want to get out a deck and NOT play with it. I just want to stare at the deck for a while and, by not touching the cards, pay homage to the masters who deserve the deal.

RECOMMENDED for those who love biography, who love mystery, and who love magic. What a joy!

http://www.amazon.com/Magician-Cardsharp-Americas-Sleight-Hand/dp/0805080597/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199162270&sr=8-1

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

2007-12-30T18:36:00.000-08:00

Wowee wow wow wow. I've still got four or five books on the pile, but for my money this is the Book of the Year. Sure, I've read Sherman Alexie before; as a teacher in the Pacific Northwest, I've practically been raised on his work. But the cool part about, well being alive, is that sometimes you get to be breathing when a writer - and artist - like Alexie makes a gigantic leap forward in an otherwise brilliant career. And THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN is such a work.

I found myself crying over the main character's poetic outsider-insider status, one that Sherman has explored before, but never with such poingnant detail. A fabulous read from cover to cover, and that includes Ellen Forney's fabulous artwork! RECOMMENDED!

http://www.amazon.com/Absolutely-True-Diary-Part-Time-Indian/dp/0316013684/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199068551&sr=8-1

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

2007-12-29T19:58:00.000-08:00

So, I'm not thinking that I'm going to be in the Dominican Republic again. As in: "How many times can I read a book with the words Trujillo in it over the course of my life??"

I never saw it coming, though. I'm reading about a guy named Oscar, who may just be the most pathetic virgin since...well, since virginity...and then I'm in the D.R. again. But let me set the record straight: I love the D.R. and I loved this book. In THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO, Junot Diaz has created one of the more memorable characters of the year. And DAMN it was funny and poignant and tragic and silly and magical. I was reminded of many different books and authors as I read this work (Butterflies, Lambs, Marquez) and also some amazing geeks I have known over the course of my life (no, I'm not naming anyone).

Over the course of 300-someodd pages, I grew to love Oscar and his family. I was ready for "where the story went" as it went to where "it had to go." I can't give very much away, even if I gave away the novel. But I won't. I'll just thank MK for the recommendation...and then I'll pass it on. RECOMMENDED!

PS: I really need to get to the Dominican Republic one of these days....

http://www.amazon.com/Brief-Wondrous-Life-Oscar-Wao/dp/1594489580/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198987125&sr=8-1

The Grandmothers

2007-12-28T19:53:00.000-08:00

Two-book day alert! Man, I looooove vacation!

Let's just start by admiring the sunset over the Pacific, shall we? Don't worry, the sun over the Pacific is a particularly admirable image that is deeply connected to the work of the brilliant Doris Lessing, especially here. AH...the sunset!

THE GRANDMOTHERS, a collection of four short pieces of fiction by the Nobel Award-winning Lessing is a masterpiece of fiction. I can't decide which of the four is my favorite, especially since the last story is still fresh in my mouth. I think it's the last, particularly because of the image that Lessing leaves the reader with: a kind of love that is not love at all. I was a little bothered by the title story, but the more time I spent with it, the more I was taken with Lessing's boldness.

The recurring motifs of parents and children notwithstanding, there is something else here that deals with the force of love -- what we give up, what price we pay, what sacrifices we are willing to make. Lessing is a just a wonder. I'm so glad that I got exposed to her writing when I was still young. It means that I don't have to spend a lifetime catching up. Shoutout to Ludgate, Pittis, and MK for all recommending this wonderful text. RECOMMENDED!

http://www.amazon.com/Grandmothers-Doris-Lessing/dp/0007152817/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198899682&sr=8-3

In Persuasion Nation

2007-12-28T19:40:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting at a pool, laughing my head off, trying to explain this book to just about everyone who comes by and wonders what medication I am on.

George Saunders' IN PERSUASION NATION is both laugh-out-loud funny, remarkably brilliant satire, and a sad and profound warning to all who eat from the beast that is American culture. Saunders is just flat-out hysterical, even when he is dancing the line between absurd and fanciful.

As I read, I kept wondering what he would do to our newfound obsession with celebrity now that he has destroyed American consumerism to the year 2004.

Some may argue that Saunders is just too smart for his own good, but I just don't buy that. I would buy that, of course, if a focus group worked out a good name for it, though. RECOMMENDED with a caveat: Don't plan on going shopping or watching TV for about a week after this read. OK, let's be honest. That isn't happening. But shop with care!

http://www.amazon.com/Persuasion-Nation-George-Saunders/dp/159448242X/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198899698&sr=8-2

Tree of Smoke

2007-12-27T23:55:00.000-08:00

Denis Johnson's giant tome is, deservedly, on just about everyone's "Best of 2007" list. It's massive and, in all candor, would normally deserve a serious commitment of time. For me, that's a day, but...that's just me.

The Washington Post's review (which was the second one I read) called Johnson's act of writing TREE OF SMOKE "literary bravado," and I have to agree. Since I now teach "THE THINGS THEY CARRY" every year, I've become more familiar with Vietnam, both through a historical and literary lens. SMOKE, however, is operating on a completely different plane. It's ponderous in a completely different way -- leaving you not with the personal weight of the war, but with the insanity of the exercise.

I not only HIGHLY RECOMMEND this important and stunning work, I'm up for a nice long dialogue with friends about the image of a "tree of smoke" because, in all candor, I've been thinking about the title for several hours now, and it's really under my skin. I'm not shaking this book any time soon, I fear, even if I make little piles of index cards....

http://www.amazon.com/Tree-Smoke-Novel-Denis-Johnson/dp/0374279128/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198828539&sr=8-3

Then We Came To The End

2007-12-26T20:59:00.000-08:00

No, we haven't come to the end. THEN WE CAME TO THE END is a lovely novel by Joshua Ferris. By my count, I'm not even at the halfway point this year! I really loved this book and, even though I just complained about a self-referential novel, when that element hit, I didn't mind. By that point, I was busy looking over my shoulder to see if Ferris was still writing down the things I was doing. I imagined this moment, of course, because Ferris hits "the office" with such a dead-on shot, that many people are going to wonder if he was writing about them. At times, I was a little bit dizzy, but that was only because I kept trying to make characters connect to the various nutjobs I've worked with over the years (present company excluded, of course). RECOMMENDED (with a post-it, a sharpie, and the serial number to my chair intact).

http://www.amazon.com/Then-We-Came-End-Novel/dp/0316016381/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198731334&sr=8-1

I Can't Tell You!

2007-12-25T20:32:00.000-08:00

Three-Book Day Alert! And here's the one I can't tell you about yet. As my faithful non-readers know, I vacation in the same paradise every year and have quite a reputation. More than a few times a day, the folks who are "regulars" here - meaning they have also been coming back year-after-year for more than a decade - come by my cabana and ask, "What's the count?" or "How many so far?" or "Got one to recommend?" Most people know that I'm a teacher, that I love books, and so I always stop and chat for a while (me? social? shocking!)

Today, an old friend walked over with a 5-pound box. Inside, a wonderful secret: her daughter's first novel. Considering that she's only 16, and that I am a teacher, she asked, "Could I read it?"

Folks: She can write. It's wonderful. And I can't tell you any more than that until I send it off to my friend, the book agent in New York! Two years from now, when she's got a bestseller, I'll tell you the name. Until then, it's my "Lauren-loving" secret!

Mister Pip

2007-12-25T20:25:00.000-08:00

Two Book Alert! Actually, it's a little more than that today, but I like the firehouse call, so I use it here. Lloyd Jones' novel MISTER PIP was a surprise to me, given that I didn't know the first thing about the author. And while I felt transported by his characters, there was just something missing here for me. Was it the narrator who was - ultimately - composing the tale? Was it that, for the fifth or sixth time in my memory, I was reading a parallel tale across the world of Dickens? I don't know. Jones can certainly create wonderful and strong characters, and I cared about them, but I was left somewhat empty by the last few chapters. It was small -- I ended up going back and recapturing some moments from the novel later in the day -- but it wasn't enough for me.

http://www.amazon.com/Mister-Pip-Lloyd-Jones/dp/0385341067/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198642680&sr=8-1

Gods Behaving Badly

2007-12-25T20:19:00.000-08:00

Marie Phillips certainly has a vivid imagination, that's for sure. And it's her imagination that makes GODS BEHAVING BADLY a kind of little engine that could. Does it get knocked off course a bit? Sure. Does it wrap itself up a little too tightly at the end? Yep. Will it end up making a great screenplay and get Phillips a development deal? Abso-freaking-lutely. I loved everything about this darling of a book, which sets the gods of Zeus, Apollo, Aphrodite, etc in a terribly run-down flat in London, watching their powers drain away. It is laugh-out-loud funny (don't even get me started about trees and joggers) and is, therefore, RECOMMENDED.

http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Behaving-Badly-Marie-Phillips/dp/0316067628/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198642651&sr=8-1

The Secret of Lost Things

2007-12-24T20:17:00.000-08:00

It was a lovely sunny morning, so I reached for a book with a cool cover and moved out to the sun, intent on finishing before lunch. Sheridan Hay did not disappoint me, and neither did THE SECRET OF LOST THINGS. Maybe because it was set in a huge Manhattan bookstore just like the one I used to pass weekends in when I was living in New York. Maybe it was because the main character, Rosemary, arrives in the city as an outsider (an experience I have shared). Or maybe it was because Hay's characters seem to touch the corners of my life. I don't know. I do know that I couldn't put it down. When it was over, I needed more. I wanted to spend more time with Rosemary and Oscar and Lillian and Pearl (especially Pearl). Looking forward to picking up more of Hay's work when I get home. RECOMMENDED.

http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Lost-Things-Novel/dp/038551848X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198556180&sr=8-1

Not Me

2007-12-23T20:37:00.000-08:00

TWO BOOK DAY ALERT: So, Steve Shapiro came by during lunch, threw this book at me, and said, "Give it back in an hour." My reputation for insane reading preceeds me here, and I laughed. I finished Egan's novel soon after, so I picked up Lavigne's novel quickly. I was not disappointed. Michael Lavigne's NOT ME was a wonderful - and quick - read. It poses essential questions about "who we are" in the face of the choices that we make in our lives. A young man, handed his father's journals, discovers that his father is - quite literally - not the man he thought he was. I enjoyed the cultural elements at play (I could see my family dynamic present on many of the pages), but - more importantly - I was struck by how deeply connected I felt to the narrators experience. The novel hit close to home, and is lingering even now, hours later. RECOMMENDED.

http://www.amazon.com/Not-Me-Novel-Michael-Lavigne/dp/0812973321/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198470518&sr=1-1

The Worst Hard Time

2007-12-23T20:30:00.000-08:00

When I start my reading vacation, I'm always fearful that I won't remember the first book. I don't think that's going to be the case this year. Tim Egan's THE WORST HARD TIME is, in the words of Walter Cronkite, "can't-put-it-down history" and I think that he is dead-on because, well, I didn't put it down. Winner of the National Book Award, Egan tells the true story of life on America's high plains during the darkest period of the 20th Century: the dust storms that ravaged our nation during the depression.

In all candor, all I could roust of the dust bowl were Steinbeck-era references, but Egan pulled me right into the lives of the people that the dust storm destroyed. Although I will admit to having a hard time keeping the timeline and geography straight sometimes, I couldn't put the book down. The movie in my mind is frightful. Recommended.

http://www.amazon.com/Worst-Hard-Time-Survived-American/dp/0618773479/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198470448&sr=8-1

Let the Reading Begin!

2007-12-23T20:27:00.000-08:00

So...it's the end of the year, so I'm diving into my endless reading project, which many other people refer to as VACATION. I just finished my first day of reading, so I decided to do a fresh entry (this one) to mark the beginning. I'll bookend it at the end of my vacation with a final entry!

It's Book Time

2007-12-08T11:21:00.000-08:00

Frequent readers of this blog (um, are there really such people?) know that, in December of each year, I go off for the holidays and read for 14 days.

This year will be no exception to the rule entitled:
"David Ignores Those Around Him."

Are you ready for 14-20 book posts? You better be (whoever you are).

If you have any suggestions, please add them to the comments section. If I like you, I will read your book suggestions. Kudos to the person who recommended Wolfram's "A New Kind of Science" in an effort to slow me down a few years back. Yea, that lasted a whole day.

Book 18: The Things They Carried

2006-12-30T19:36:00.000-08:00

OK, it's a redo, but I'm counting it anyway. I'm teaching Tim O'Brien's excellent novel The Things They Carried to my Senior English classes this year, so it required a re-read on my part -- a little freshening up on a novel I hadn't read for a number of years.

Many teachers refer to this work as the "ultimate" fictional work on the Vietnam War, and I think I agree. It's a masterwork, and I've yet to meet a high school student -- male or female -- that isn't deeply impacted and moved by the work.

That, my friends, is the end of my holiday reading. I took this afternoon off to enjoy a little more sun, so there is one orphan title on my list. Ah...the new year becons.

http://www.amazon.com/Things-They-Carried-Tim-OBrien/dp/0767902890/sr=8-1/qid=1167536230/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-1976670-1036856?ie=UTF8&s=books

Book 17: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

2006-12-30T11:06:00.000-08:00

Jonathan Safran Foer is really, in the end, out of his mind. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is just another example of his madness. It's a brilliant madness, of course, with so much boldness and originality that he kind of reinvents the idea of the novel each and every time he publishes.

I can't say I loved this latest book, but that doesn't mean it isn't incredibly well-written, deftly crafted, and exciting. Narrational shifts are now par for the course for Foer, and -- given his history -- you know better than to believe that anyone is reliable. But, with that said, the story holds together as a young boy (with a key) goes in search of a lock (somewhere in the five -- or six -- boroughs of New York).

This was a two-book day for me again, so my advice may not go over with those of you who will take you time with it, but here goes: Read it...and then take some aspirin.

http://www.amazon.com/Extremely-Loud-Incredibly-Close-Novel/dp/0618711651/sr=8-1/qid=1167505528/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-1976670-1036856?ie=UTF8&s=books

Book 16: My Sister's Keeper - A Novel

2006-12-30T00:04:00.000-08:00

This selection was the final book recommended by my friend Marta this year, and I know why she had this one on the list: My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult, has a wonderful structure, some memorable characters, but its central feature is an ethical and moral dilemma...and she knew I'd bite.

The main character, Anna, was conceived by her parents so that she could be a bone-marrow donor for her sister, Kate. After giving in to 13 years of medical procedures, Anna finds an attorney and goes to court to become medically emancipated from her parents, thus denying her older sister the kidney she needs to live. The story calls into question just who is in charge of Anna's life -- and what role she really plays in a family dynamic marked by looming tragedy (both from the dying Kate and her brother, Jesse).

Picoult uses multiple narrators -- a different person each chapter -- so that readers can get into the mind of each of her main characters. It's not a novel approach, but it is effective. Soon, we are caught up with Anna's attorney and the secondary story of his relationship with Anna's guardian ad litem (and his wily service dog).

Picoult had me...right up until the last 10 pages. After that, I was off the deep end. Sadly, all of the elements that had me turning pages fell out of place so Picoult could put a bow on her story -- and I didn't buy it.

I liked the book, but I just can't recommend it.

http://www.amazon.com/My-Sisters-Keeper-Jodi-Picoult/dp/0743454537/sr=8-1/qid=1167465798/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-1976670-1036856?ie=UTF8&s=books

Book 15: The Thirteenth Tale

2006-12-28T20:12:00.000-08:00

The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel, written by Diane Setterfield, has one of the best openers of any novel in recent memory -- one that makes you really stop and consider some big questions about the nature of storytelling. First, more thanks: Marta recommended this one and even threw in the book.

It's part-ghost story, part-thriller, and all-wonderful. The narrator, Margaret Lea, is the daughter of a bookseller and is hired to write the biography of a reclusive writer -- the Agatha Christie of her time. What she discovers is a remarkable story, indeed. I didn't put it down, which says something for both the author, her remarkable characters, and the story itself.

Best of all, the ending feels both comforting and completely natural -- no false notes.

Highly recommended -- especially for fans of the British novel (and ghost stories).

http://www.amazon.com/Thirteenth-Tale-Novel-Diane-Setterfield/dp/0743298020/sr=8-1/qid=1167365474/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-1976670-1036856?ie=UTF8&s=books

Book 14: Water for Elephants

2006-12-27T20:24:00.000-08:00

Sara Gruen's novel came recommended by my vacation-friend Marta, who even went so far as to drop two more recommendations on my chaise today. She was right about this one, for sure.

Jacob Janokowski's life journey takes him from his final exams at Cornell through his time travelling with a train-circus through pre-Depression America. It is a lovely story, and it is well-told. We drift back and forth -- first meeting Jacob at a singular moment in his life, and then jump forward 70 years to his "assisted living center" as he is transported back and forth in time through his memories.

Suffice it to say, it's a book about a man, a woman, another (bigger) man, a dwarf, an old guy, and an elephant. It isn't a classic boy-meets-girl, but if you are hungry for nostalgia, then Water for Elephants will take you back to another era.

Recommended.

http://www.amazon.com/Water-Elephants-Novel-Sara-Gruen/dp/1565124995/sr=8-1/qid=1167279821/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-1976670-1036856?ie=UTF8&s=books

Book 13: State of Denial

2006-12-26T19:32:00.000-08:00

For those of you under a variety of rocks, State of Denial continues Carl Bernstein's account of the Bush presidency's actions leading to the invasion of Iraq -- and then takes us beyond...deep into the morass. Specifically, Bernstein proves that the pen is mightier than the sword by using interviews, recreations, documents, and a variety of accounts to SCREW Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to the sticking place (where he belongs). This is so unflattering a portrayal that I have to wonder how Rumsfeld can even look at himself in the mirror (if he can even see himself in it at all...but that's another story).

I was angry enough by page 10 to say dreadful things out loud, but so worn down by page 150 that I didn't think I could finish the read at all. In a few hours, I had run myself ragged with frustration, resentment, and anger. By page 470, I couldn't imagine a world that hadn't impeached this President, run Rumsfeld up (and down) the flagpole, and sentenced most of Bush's inner circle to some kind of painful incarceration.

Through it all, Bernstein never lets you forget that Rumsfeld's continual bullying and grabs for power (and Bush's anti-intellectual approach) cost Americans -- and Iraqis -- their lives.

Sadly, I must highly recommend this book for all to read. I wish it hadn't happened at all....

http://www.amazon.com/State-Denial-Bush-War-Part/dp/0743272234/sr=8-1/qid=1167190302/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-1976670-1036856?ie=UTF8&s=books

Book 12: The Book Thief

2006-12-25T20:07:00.000-08:00

And then, one afternoon, you put a book down and announce (to no one at all): "Book of the Year!" It's that moment when the utter euphoria of a title just bursts forth and you want to buy 100 copies and just hand them out all over town.

And, oh yea, the narrator is Death.

The Book Thief is a wonder. Written by Markus Zusak, who writes Young Adult novels, this fabulous book is usually found in the YA section of most bookstores. It doesn't belong there sitting close to the floor (the author's last name begins with a "Z" and means that it is all the way at the end); frankly, I think it belongs in those big-ass displays in the front of stores in the "Best of 2006" section.

The work is extraordinary, the writing is superb, the tone is wry, funny, sad, and magical all in one breath. And the narrator is Death. I've said it twice, but he's such a wonderfully drawn figure, he stays with you, well, forever. Don't laugh.

I give many thanks to my vacation-pal Marta for the recommendation.

I highly recommend it! Go! Buy it!

http://www.amazon.com/Book-Thief-Markus-Zusak/dp/0375831002/sr=1-1/qid=1167105926/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-1976670-1036856?ie=UTF8&s=books

Book 11: Ordinary Wolves

2006-12-25T11:31:00.000-08:00

A strong recommendation brought me to Seth Kantner's novel, Ordinary Wolves. I had been standing in my favorite indy bookstore, looking at the purple hues of the cover art (eh), and couldn't decide. MK (the bookseller) decided for me and added it to my pile of stuff. I'm glad she did.

"Ecological Fiction," as it is now called, isn't really my cup of tea. I live in the Pacific NW, so I get to see nature...I didn't think I needed to read it. Boy, was I wrong. It's hard to describe, in detail, the little details that Kantner includes to bring us into the life of Cutuk, the main character, and the family that surrounds him. Suffice it to say that the book is a remarkable gift to those of us who live in cities. In describing Cutuk's encounter with "the city," when he finally reaches it, we get to see just how far we are from the world around us.

I look forward to passing this book on to some of my peers when I get back from this book-y vacation that I'm on.

Recommended!

http://www.amazon.com/Ordinary-Wolves-Novel-Seth-Kantner/dp/1571310479/sr=1-1/qid=1167075493/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-1976670-1036856?ie=UTF8&s=books

Book 10: Kafka On The Shore

2006-12-24T10:15:00.000-08:00

This book actually travelled with me all summer, and I never so much as cracked it open. It was giving off a vibe that said "don't read me until you are ready to read me." Now I know why.

The novel is a dual story -- a kind of dueling Odyssey -- between a 15-year old runaway and an elder man. It is both epic and metaphysical (don't even ask what Colonel Sanders is doing in the novel), and Haruki Murakami is an inspired and wonderful writer.

With that said, Kafka On The Shore felt incomplete to me. Don't get me wrong, Murakami is a freaking genius and his creativity seems boundless, it's just that I felt unresolved. There is a loneliness that pervades every character -- people in search of something that seems unknowable and outside of reality; but there is also a sense of fate -- that things are all coming together. And they don't.

So to say that I'm unresolved after 480 pages means that something is still missing for me. Or that I have more thinking to do. Which is likely the case....

http://www.amazon.com/Kafka-Shore-Haruki-Murakami/dp/1400079276/sr=8-1/qid=1166984031/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-1976670-1036856?ie=UTF8&s=books

Book 9: The History of Love

2006-12-23T13:48:00.000-08:00

This morning, I spent a few (too brief) hours with Nicole Krauss' lovely novel, The History of Love. According to the reviews on the book jacket, the book is "marvelous" and "astonishing" and "ingenious" while also being "brilliant" and "hilarious" and "heartbreaking." Really: Who am I to argue with reviewers when they are right.

I loved it and -- like many great works this week -- only wished to spend even a few more pages with the characters Krauss created. Highly recommended.

Book 8: Suite Francaise

2006-12-22T19:52:00.000-08:00

Even though I put Suite Francaise down several hours ago, it is still very much alive in my mind and in my heart. I'm so glad that I waited to read it until late in the year, because it is, in my mind, the Book of the Year. Irene Nemirovsky wrote this masterwork in the early stages of WWII, and the book only saw the light of day after her daughter decided to donate her mother's papers to a museum. In an effort to make her mother's notes more clear, Nemirovsky's daughter began the painstaking process of going through them. In doing so, she discovered that what she thought were notes were, in fact, two completed works and notes for the rest.

Suite Francaise is a multi-character novel that carefully spans the word of Paris as the German army arrives. Nemirovsky captures the madness, the horrific decisions that every citizen was forced to make, the passion, the hunger, and the daily struggle that was France during this awful period.

The work is a masterpiece, and I grieve for the parts that are lost to time -- the parts that the reader can see, but not read, as Nemirovsky was taken away by the Nazis and killed before completing her work. Highly recommended!

Book 7: The Seville Communion

2006-12-22T11:25:00.000-08:00

As I read the Captain Alatriste series by Arturo Perez-Reverte, I noticed the name of this novel on the author's list of titles. I had never read it and got lucky when the local indy bookstore here had a copy.

The Seville Communion is another wonderful book by Perez-Reverte. Set in the modern era, the book deals with a crisis of conscience for a priest sent from Rome to Seville to deal with a church "that kills." The building, set to be torn down, is believed responsible for the death of two -- with more on the way. The priest, whose good looks are a source of attraction for the local women, gets more than he bargains for in his relationships with the people he meets, including an older priest and a young woman of "some fame" in Seville.

It was another wonderful read -- and I recommend it!

Book 6: The Anthropology of Turquoise

2006-12-19T19:43:00.000-08:00

Two-book day alert! Yes, the pleasure was all mine. The Anthropology of Turquoise is exactly what you might expect from a book that has the following two stickers on the front cover: "Pulitzer Prize Finalist" and "Book Sense 76 Pick".

At first, I didn't know what to make of it, but I faded into the book over the course of about a half-hour, and soon began to see each description, each beat, as a special moment.

Ellen Meloy has written a novel-form poem to the landscape; each beat -- each item she encounters -- takes her back into her journey of family and self, as she explores the beauty that surrounds us. It is, at turns, surprising, delightful, and heady. I kept having to put it down to remind myself of the landscape I was absorbing the book through.

Recommended!

http://www.amazon.com/Anthropology-Turquoise-Reflections-Desert-Stone/dp/0375708138/sr=1-1/qid=1166586085/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-1976670-1036856?ie=UTF8&s=books

Book 5: The Brooklyn Follies

2006-12-19T19:34:00.000-08:00

In The Brooklyn Follies, Paul Auster has created a Brooklyn wonderland inhabited by our narrator, a retired life-insurance salesman (who isn't dying anymore), and his cohorts who include, but are not limited to: his nephew, a drag queen book clerk, their ex-con boss, a sometimes mute little girl, a jewelry-maker, a waitress with a domineering husband, and -- no, wait for it -- some people who own (but don't run) a B&B. It's wonderful, funny, touching, and remarkable -- and I wish it went on for 200 more pages.

Buy it now, read it tomorrow. You won't regret a minute of it, until it's over and you want to read it again.

http://www.amazon.com/Brooklyn-Follies-Novel-Paul-Auster/dp/0312426232/sr=8-1/qid=1166585629/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-1976670-1036856?ie=UTF8&s=books

Book 4: Utterly Monkey

2006-12-18T19:44:00.000-08:00

So, a two-book day is supposed to be a celebration of the possibility of completing over 20 books over the course of a vacation. As I approached Utterly Monkey this afternoon, then, it was with the veil of optimism and a strong recommendation by a friend.

And...I was disappointed. After it was over, I remembered the characters, but wondered why in the hell they were doing what they were doing. Our lead, a young lawyer in London, makes some odd and unsupported choices that made the end of the novel rather defeating, which was in direct opposition to the action. Our tale is told in just a few days, and that's what it feels like. Yes, we are meeting people in what could be the most important moments in their lives, but I was left wanting more.

I hate it when I look at the dustjacket afterward, read the description, and think, "Huh? What book are they writing about?" Described as "a beautifully intricate dissection of the corporate world, and a hilarious depiction of modern male friendships" I found it to be...well, neither. It felt like half of a Mike Newell movie, if that makes sense.

The title comes from a dirty tale that one of our characters tells about another at a party. I can't recommend this one, much as I liked some of the elements. Nick Laird can write, that's for sure, but I wasn't impressed with the breadth of this and I was left lost by some of the immediacy of the choices.

http://www.amazon.com/Utterly-Monkey-Novel-Nick-Laird/dp/0060828366/sr=8-1/qid=1166498901/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-1976670-1036856?ie=UTF8&s=books

Book 3: Purity of Blood

2006-12-18T19:37:00.000-08:00

Mmmmm. So after devouring the first book in the series, I was really excited to read Purity of Blood, the second in the Captain Alatriste series. I wasn't disappointed. While it was short of the sweeping action of the first book, the simplicity of the plot here really was served by the depth of the character development. We learn more about the nature of the relationships here amid the backdrop of the Inquisition, which plays a decidedly more important role than in the first novel. Our hero is heroic, but this tale really seems to belong more to our narrator and to the supporting characters, including the arch-villian of the series, who we are sure to hear more from. Still recommended!

http://www.amazon.com/Purity-Blood-Arturo-Perez-Reverte/dp/0452287987/sr=1-1/qid=1166499675/ref=sr_1_1/002-1976670-1036856?ie=UTF8&s=books

Book 2: Captain Alatriste

2006-12-18T10:31:00.000-08:00

Arturo Perez-Reverte has been responsible for some of the most joyous beach-reads I've ever had, so I've been saving Captain Alatriste since this summer. When the sequel came out, I had even more reason to save it, so I could read them together. It was worth the wait.

Set in 17th Century Spain, Perez-Reverte's hero (Diego Alastriste) is a man of the old-world: a swashbuckler and former soldier with a moral code driven by his need to stave off hunger and debtor's prison. His friends are a motley crew of poets and priests, and the narrator -- a young boy taken in by the Captain -- participates with a sense of both grandeur and awe at his elder's exploits.

Fast-moving and rich in both historical detail and a great sense of character, Perez-Reverte has started a great series, one I'm looking forward to continuing...tomorrow! I love it when I save two books that turn out to be winners!

http://www.amazon.com/Captain-Alatriste-Arturo-Perez-Reverte/dp/B000GFR9O4/sr=1-1/qid=1166466686/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-1976670-1036856?ie=UTF8&s=books

Vacation Book 1: The Foreign Correspondent

2006-12-18T10:20:00.000-08:00

For those of you not familiar with the great book race, my friend Bruce and I vacation together every year. During that time, I read about a book a day, and Bruce stares at the same chapter from the new James Patterson novel for about a week. One year, someone asked me what I read over the break. In an effort to remember all of my books, I decided to blog them a little, so students and friends could follow along.

With that introduction, my first book on the vacation was Alan Furst's The Foreign Correspondent. I'm a big fan of Furst, but brought this one along because my father -- who lives in Europe -- wants to read it and is too cheap to buy it on Amazon. So, I'll ship it to him when I'm done (oh, dutiful son).

Another in the series of Furst's excellent espionage novels, The Foreign Correspondent is a little more hopeful than some of his other books. I was particularly engaged when I realized that characters and beats from Furst's other novels were working their way into this one. Set in Italy and surrounding nations, we follow the editor of the leading underground newspaper through pre-WWII Europe and watch, sadly, as small pieces are put into place that will lead to disaster for many.

Recommended! Look for it in a small package on its way to Europe....

http://www.amazon.com/Foreign-Correspondent-Novel-Alan-Furst/dp/1400060192/sr=1-1/qid=1166465937/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-1976670-1036856?ie=UTF8&s=books

How I Will Remember You

2006-11-03T16:19:00.000-08:00

My dearest Adrienne,

I've been thinking a lot today about how I'll remember you. You were a beautiful woman, a gifted actress and an amazing filmmaker. Your eyes sparkled whenever you spoke of your work -- of your passions. You gave off a "fiesty" aura -- one that said "cross me and you'll never forget it" -- but I never believed that. To me, you were a woman with an old soul, and you seemed to speak truth all the time.

Although our paths crossed as adults, you will always be 16 in my heart -- your hair feathered back, draped in some outrageous boa that your cousin gave you. We are watching a movie in the Playhouse with Adam or Jon; I am trying to convince you for the 8-millionth time to go out with me; you are laughing that rumbly, throaty, laugh as you say, "Mmmmm...no" about 8-million and one times. And then you are smiling at me again, or twisting my hair in your hands.

And I just want to know that you are OK. That things are good. That you are working, that your daughter is well, and that your film is great.

But I can't know that anymore.

I will always hold some of you in my heart: your smile, the way you could make a moment into something sensitive or funny depending on how you'd turn your head, how you would crinkle up your nose.

But I'd like 16 back, if only for a few more moments. Because I miss that summer version of you...that girl I will always remember.

Shakespeare Jail

2006-08-13T18:40:00.000-07:00

OK, so it wasn't really jail, but wouldn't that be kind of cool? You know, go to jail and study Shakespeare the whole time?

Last week, I returned home to Seattle after being gone for 5 weeks. I left for NYC with my son, and we enjoyed a long weekend in Manhattan (3 shows) before I dropped him off at camp. Then I was off to Smith College for four fabulous weeks at the National Institute for Teaching Shakespeare, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

In a nutshell: the dorm was hot, the days were long, the drinks were cold and the people made it all worthwhile. It was, by far, the most rewarding professional development experience of my teaching career. Those four weeks have changed how I see myself as a teacher.

My greatest accomplishment, however, was the following: I drove a Hyundai Sonata for an entire month and put over 4000 miles on it. Woo-hoo! Love the free rental miles!

Motorola Moto Q

2006-06-03T14:18:00.000-07:00

Oh yes! My fav piece of pocket technology is now in my pocket!

Motorola Moto Q

It's Not Easy Being Green, But It's Easy Being 'Wicked'

2006-03-09T19:44:00.000-08:00

My darling Julia opened as Elpheba on the Wicked tour last night. God, I love that woman....

The Enquirer - 'Wicked' lives up to hype

Earliest Known Maya Painting Found - NY Times

2005-12-13T21:29:00.000-08:00

OK -- adding to the blog is hella easy tonight. This is likely the single most important discovery in the Mayan universe in years. Proud to still call myself an archaeologist! Click - Read - Be inspired to know new things!

The Most Beautiful Thing I've Seen In Years

My latest picture

2005-11-19T08:51:00.000-08:00

So, originally, I had a picture of George Harrison and Dave, from the Killers, in this space. But, instead, I decided to honor this young woman, who is an Allrecipes user. She posted her photo on our site. She is so...angry. I like it!

Here's her profile

Remote control device 'controls' humans

2005-10-26T18:25:00.000-07:00

Ooooooooh! My plans are almost complete!!

Mu-hahahahaha!

August Wilson, A Voice Silenced

2005-10-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

I have just heard of the passing of August Wilson, America's Greatest Playwright. I am filled with a deep and profound sadness at the passing of this great man. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and daughter.

I hold a couple of theatre memories quite dear, but one is very special to me: in 2002, I shared a bill with Mr. Wilson. His comments to me afterward were generous and kind. I loved listening to him talk about his work, and I was fortunate, indeed, to get to hear him in private settings on more than a few occassions. His energy, vision, and talents were indisputable.

I mourn the loss of his voice, yet I know that his plays will live on for generations. Rest, August.

My "Very Best Friend"

2005-09-27T22:39:00.000-07:00

My friend Tim (he's the cute one on the right) says that I only write about my best and closest friends. I think he is jealous...because HE is my friend and I never write about him. Ladies and Gentlemen (both of you)....Tim Hunt, Cookie Fella!

He's a cookie GOD!

Beanie Sigel Acquitted In Attempted-Murder Trial

2005-09-26T19:30:00.000-07:00

Makes me proud to see Beanie beat this one! Hope this means more films like "State Property 2." Mr. Blue!!!!!!!

Beanie Beats the Rap!

Allrecipes.com Teams With National Best-Selling Cookbook Author and Food Columnist, Pam Anderson to Launch Allrecipes.com "Cooknik(TM)"

2005-09-24T17:22:00.000-07:00

And now for some shameless promotion....

I love a good press release

But I'm a Cheerleader - Review - NY Times

2005-09-21T20:37:00.000-07:00

Super happy for my friend, Danny, who appears to have a nice hit on his hands. Way to go, DG!

NY Times Review

Survivor Guatemala - Brianna's Bio

2005-09-21T00:11:00.000-07:00

Here's my galpal Brianna, currently appearing on CBS's Survivor-Guatemala. B is an amazing young woman and I absolutely adore her. It's a real CBS Fall for me: One of my closest friends -- Jon Cryer -- is the star of the CBS sitcom, Two and a Half Men. Yet another old friend -- Ty Taylor-- spent many weeks competing on the CBS series Rock Star INXS (really, he should have won!).

I think that I am just going to go buy a new TV that only shows CBS. I don't know what I will do without Law & Order, South Park, and all those damn PBS shows about Broadway musicals, but I'll live...as long as I don't have to watch Martha Stewart.

Because, as we all know, she is the devil.

Go Brianna!

Stagedoor Manor Gallery

2005-08-11T10:15:00.000-07:00

Stagedoor Manor Gallery

WHAT I DID THIS SUMMER

The Goddess Shiva

2005-02-16T20:59:00.000-08:00

My galpal Alexandra has a new movie making its premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March, so I'm flying down there to support her, see the film, and hang out in Austin for the weekend. The documentary is called "Stagedoor" and it is was shot at Stagedoor Manor, the performing arts center I went to when I was...a child. Alexandra's hubby, the esteemed playwright Jonathan Marc Sherman, also went to Stagedoor. We shall celebrate and party, indeed!

south by southwest festivals + conferences

Playbill News: Amy Ryan Set for Upcoming Broadway "Streetcar"

2005-01-07T18:24:00.000-08:00

I'm so very happy for my dear friend, Amy Ryan. She'll return to the Great White Way this Spring for what is sure to be one of the highlights of the season. Can't wait!!

Playbill News: Reilly and Ryan Set as the Kowalskis in Upcoming Broadway Streetcar with Richardson

2005-01-04T21:21:00.000-08:00

Will Eisner, RIP (1917-2005)

I am deeply saddened tonight over the death of graphic novel artist and writer, Will Eisner. I have been collecting comic books for as long as I can remember. My "partner in crime" was a father-figure to me: a man named Peter Tibble. Peter and I shared a common love of comics, but we adored one hero in particular: The Spirit. A few years ago, my dear Peter passed away. Tonight, Eisner's death brought all of my love for Peter back up again.

Peter and I both loved The Spirit because he wasn't a superhero...and he always got the girl. The Spirit was a good guy (Denny Colt) who was killed and reborn (in a blue suit, mask, and gloves) to fight crime. Eisner never endowed The Spirit with superpowers: he was just a guy trying to make things right as he protected the city. Comic fans routinely call "The Spirit" the "Citizen Kane" of comics, as it broke new ground for the medium.

Tonight, as I read of Will Eisner's death, Peter's passion for life and comic collecting flashed back to me in an instant. As I sat and stared at the image of The Spirit I realized something I never noticed before: Peter looked just like him.

May peace bring you peace, Will Eisner. You are missed already.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell: A Novel

2005-01-03T01:44:00.000-08:00

Wow -- what an amazing way to end my bookreading year. This 700+ page tome is all that it is cracked up to be! Fantasy, history, and a beautiful stylistic narrative that seems as true as Dickens. It is a favorite of my recent trip and I can't wait for the sequel. A must-read for 2005.

Stuffed: Adventures of a Restaurant Family

2005-01-01T16:14:00.000-08:00

My friend Herbie bought this for my wife for Hannukah. She brought it on vacation and I read it. I don't know WHY I read it, but I did. Very cute collection of essays and stories about food.

Four Brothers

2004-12-30T11:13:00.000-08:00

John Singleton's new film, "Four Brothers," starts filming on Monday, and I was happy to have the chance to read it in its most final form yesterday. Four unrelated brothers of an adoped mother must come together to solve her murder. I'm told the movie will star Tyrese and Andre 3000, but my favorite role will be played by my pal, Josh Charles, who has NO IDEA how I got a copy of the script. Hee-hee-hee!

American Pastoral

2004-12-29T19:30:00.000-08:00

Wow -- okay, it isn't exactly the review that you came here for, but this was a wow read, and completes my "Journey Into the World of Roth" for this vacation. American Pastoral is one of the few Pulitzer winners in past years that I let slip by me, and I let my negative feelings for Roth get in the way of a great and powerful book. The thing that really got me today was the role of the narrator -- I'd love to teach how this narrator establishes himself and then works to establish the world of the novel. By the end, we forget that the world that he has been reporting is a fiction; he states that he can only hope to understand the world of Swede and then spends the novel replacing the idea of Swede in his mind with this fiction. A profound piece of writing!

The Plot Against America

2004-12-29T11:27:00.001-08:00

I've got a bone to pick with Phillip Roth, primarily because I knew his father and -- let's face it -- Roth's literary father figures aren't exactly the nicest humans on the planet. "Plot," however, was a fast-paced and interesting read -- exactly the kind of beach novel that one likes to take on vacation. At times both frightening and fascinatingly anti-historically historical, it was a great read and I recommend it. Today, I'm starting "American Pastoral," Roth's Pulitzer prize-winning novel. Hoping it doesn't have nasty dads in it.

Great Neck

2004-12-29T11:24:00.000-08:00

Since I grew up in Great Neck, I assumed I would immediately connect to the neurotic and guilt-ridden characters of Jay Cantor's novel. I was wrong, but I did discover a dense and interesting text about the lives of my parent's peers, all struggling through the changing world of the 60's on Long Island.

Imperial Hubris

2004-12-26T23:13:00.000-08:00

My Kea Lani holiday friend Barry gave me this book after we finished a long chat on the November elections. "Have you read this yet?" he asked, as he held up the book that would later knock me on my ass. The work, written by an anonymous writer within the US intelligence community is one of the most dense works I've picked up this vacation, but also one of the most worthwhile. I've had several "must reads" on my various lists this year, and can't for the life of me figure out how I missed this book, but let me just say this: I'm better for having read it, even if I'm now quaking in my boots for the ideas presented. A serious and weighty text on America's flawed approach to what we like to call the "war on terror." Read it and be afraid...be very afraid.

The Light Of Conscience

2004-12-26T23:11:00.000-08:00

My friends at Seattle-City Year presented me with this book after I hosted a dinner for them earlier in the year. Written by Bill Shore, the founder of "Share Our Strength," this book is a simple text on a single topic: how simple acts -- born of conscience -- can change our lives. A quick and inspiring read.

The Double

2004-12-26T23:09:00.000-08:00

Hold on to your hats for this new tome by Jose Saramago, one of the greatest writers of the 20th (or any other) century. This book is a delight from the first page to the last, and reaffirms Saramago's power as a crafter of words and larger ideas. A must-read for the waning days of '04!

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

2004-12-24T19:57:00.000-08:00

At 440-someodd pages, this comical take on the life of Jesus (Joshua) is filled with sarcasm and wit. While I enjoyed the read -- and its take on the origins of Christianity -- I found it to be about 100 pages too long. That said, it was a quick read, albeit one I felt guilty about.

The Known World

2004-12-24T19:54:00.000-08:00

Entering the world that author Edward P. Jones creates is not easy. It is not easy to accept a world of slavery, where freed blacks own slaves, and it is even harder to enter the freely flowing narrative of this Pulitzer Prize winning novel. But what one discovers at the end of the story is the gift of humanity, and a new novel to add to the great American canon.

Reading Lolita In Tehran: A Memoir in Books

2004-12-23T11:20:00.000-08:00

This is a remarkable and moving non-fiction work by Azar Nafisi, intertwining the history of revolutionary Iran with some of the most important works of the Western canon. As Nafisi and her students remove their veils and explore texts in her living room/classroom, they make discoveries about themselves as well. A moving and important work that weaves modern history and fiction, bringing the importance of fiction to the forefront of the struggle for self.

Goodnight, Nebraska

2004-12-23T11:11:00.000-08:00

A thoughtful and direct character piece reminiscent of Richard Russo, the novel takes us on a journey as our main character discovers his life through the portal of Goodnight, Nebraska. The author spins characters in and out of this well-written story, as we discover life in this small town is anything but small. An enjoyable read!

The Kite Runner

2004-12-20T20:32:00.000-08:00

Let me just start by saying that if you don't buy this book, then you are an idiot. The Kite Runner is a masterpiece that left me gasping for air when I put it down. It was sitting pretty far down on my pile of books, but a friend suggested that it was one of her top reads of the year, so I moved it up. Boy, was I happy that I did.

The story Amir and Hassan was one of the most beautiful stories I have read in years. The author is truly a master storyteller and I cannot even begin to convey that this book will stay within me for many months -- or years -- to come. The language, the images, the characters, the story -- all haunting.

Vernon God Little

2004-12-20T20:27:00.000-08:00

As I begin my yearly "14 books in 14 days" event, I'd like to pause and thank my friends at the Edmonds Bookshop. MK really knows her stuff and is a delight to talk to. If you like to shop locally, I recommend dropping by and spending some time talking books. And now, on with the show....

VERNON GOD LITTLE

The book jacket suggests that the novel will serve as a cross between "The Simpsons" and an evening with "The Osbournes," but I thought that the work was a little sadder and a little funnier than either of those two shows. Equal parts madcap romp and social commentary, the book was a delightfully quick read...if that can be said about a work that deals with school shootings, con men, refrigerator deliveries, and fried chicken. I enjoyed it for the voice of the narrator and the structure as much as anything. A good read.

Hem | Eveningland

2004-11-22T15:27:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting in the hell that is Barnes and Noble in University Village. I'm in the Judaica section, reading about God knows what. No really -- God knows, you don't get to know.

And there, in the reptilian part of the back of "my brain is bigger than your brain," I hear a woman's voice. It is singing -- calling me, drifting around me. It is everywhere and nowhere. It is sweet, soaring, lilting. It is, it is....

It is on the in-store speakers.

So, I go upstairs to the music area and ask what I'm listening to. 5 minutes later, following such twists and turns as "No, I'm pretty sure that it isn't Ozzy," and "No, not Afro-brazilian. Really sure of that, thanks," I find the CD.

Check out the link. Don't listen to only the first clip. Listen to them all. And then BUY the album. No, I didn't say that you should download it. Give these people some money and actually pay for the album. It is now near the top of my Top 2004 list.

Hem | Eveningland

Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

2004-11-20T18:12:00.000-08:00

It's been a long week. And what better way to make up for the fact that I signed over 300 letters last night than a big heaping casserole made up of chicken and biscuits. Now, normally I'm not a biscuit man, nor am I am biscuit man, nor am I a biscuit man. I'm repeating myself in the vain hope that I can convince myself that I am not a biscuit man (I'm not) before I gain 100 pounds eating biscuits.

Oh my sweet god: I am a biscuit-eating fool. They are great! Who thought of biscuits?!? And now for a shameful plug:
All Recipes | Chicken | Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

Take Me Out

2004-11-10T23:16:00.000-08:00

I love having theater experiences that really resonate -- not just with me, but with the people around me as well. Tonight, I attended the Seattle-opening night of "Take Me Out," which won the Tony for "Best Play" last year. I loved this play, my friends loved this play, the rest of the audience loved this play -- hell, even the actors in the play loved this play. If you are in Seattle any time before December 4th, you should really go.

Seattle Rep -- Take Me Out

A is for Ashcroft

2004-11-09T16:39:00.000-08:00

Jobless in America. Really, my heart really goes out to people like John Ashcroft. I mean, what's he going to do for work? He's already got a proven record of being almost completely useless as an individual, so really...who is going to give this guy a job now that he's gone and quit.

John Ashcroft = Quitter.

Makes me all sad and weepy.

Oh...wait a minute. What the hell was I thinking back there??

John Ashcroft, the Anointed (literally) Attorney General, resigned from office???

Yee-flippin-HA!

The Seattle Times: Politics: Ashcroft and Evans resign from Bush Cabinet

I'm A Whore

2004-11-08T01:35:00.000-08:00

So, I have nothing new to add today. Basically, I'm still eating a lot of chocolate and discovering for myself what it must have been like in Berlin during the 1930s: You know bad things are coming, you know who is causing it, and you know that God has provided you with chocolate to get through the day.

On a widely tangential note (OK, not really), Captain Drudge is reporting that Clarence Thomas is a nice choice for Chief Justice. Apparently, all that porn and the "pubic hairs in the Diet Coke" thing is blown over now. And it is good to know that Karl Rove is still on the pipe. Today's flame about gay marriage really made me want to puke. Here's Captain Karl on Fox News:

"Marriage is a very important part of our culture and our society. If we want to have a hopeful and decent society, we ought to aim for the ideal. And the ideal is that marriage ought to be and should be a union of a man and a woman," he continued.

Hopeful. Decent. Yea.

Here's another word: Divorce.

If you clowns actually cared a whit about strengthening the ideal of marriage, you'd make divorce illegal. Of course, that idea would last about...two freaking seconds. But then the debate could at least shift back to a place of honesty: Coming up with ways to make right-wing voters show up to the polls all the time. Hey, with state constitutional amendments, court challenges, federal amendments -- man, Captain Rove could stretch this "gay marriage" thing out 3 or 4 election cycles.

But...that wouldn't happen in America, would it? Naaaaaah.

How Much Is That President In The Window?

2004-11-04T16:28:00.000-08:00

Oh, good! Just in time for both Hannukah and Christmas.

Remember retail shoppers: this is the gift that just keeps on giving!

In need of a tax break? Looking to open up a pesky loophole? Just make your check payable to "Bush/Cheney Inauguration" and you too can pick up a special gift for your corporation for the holidays. Of course, remember that your donation is just that -- a donation -- and that there really isn't any connection between your corporation's check and any kind of special treatment or VIP access in Washington, DC (wink, wink).

Because, you know, that would be wrong. Oh yea...and send the check, could you please?

Fund Raising Begins Anew for Inauguration

Can 58 Million People Be Wrong?

2004-11-03T08:39:00.000-08:00

This morning, I'm left with one burning question: What can I sell that these people are buying?

This Is The Moment

2004-11-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to go out of my way to actually quote Jean Valjean or anything, but it seems that today is a rather important one. I can't think of a more important ballot cast in my lifetime, that's for sure.

I think that is is rather odd that I'm blogging today. I've been awaiting this year's vote for awhile now, but since I do the absentee ballot I feel a little left out of the excitement that seems to be building as people across America stand in long lines to cast their votes. Selfishly, I'm glad that the commercials are finally going to end. If I never hear another Dino Rossi ad, or another George Nethercutt ad, or another Charter Schools ad, I could die happy.

How many days until the country's voice is heard? I'm shooting for Thursday, myself. I think that WA state will likely go quite heavily for the all-women team: Gregoire, Murray, and Cantwell, which I understand would be a first anywhere. I don't think it is going to be that close.

There are a couple of students wearing Kerry yard signs today. Glad to see them passionate about the races. Here's hoping that we break voting records everywhere. Democracy is just a word if you don't participate.

2004-10-30T15:42:00.000-07:00

The Chairman Awaits the Coming Election

Long Day

2004-10-28T20:23:00.000-07:00

Really long one today. I took my IB-TOK class to see "Anna In The Tropics" at the Seattle Rep. Afterwards, Sharon Ott (the artistic director) held a seminar with my students on the connection between Art, the Artist, and the Audience. The entire cast (I want to highlight the fact that I am not kidding -- the whole cast) stayed and my students got the benefit of hearing the actors discuss their roles as artists.

It was a real treat for me to listen to everyone in the rotunda grapple with the TOK-type discussion. A favorite moment early on was when I asked the opening question to get us started. Sharon laughed and said something about the fact that I should remember to start with the easy questions. All of the actors laughed, but my students only chuckled as they awaited my reply: "Um, that was the softball question."

We brought in pizza from Pagliacci, and made an afternoon of it. It was a great day!