Kasey Cox
Susan Williams’ novel Wind Rider garnered advance praise from two powerhouse names in contemporary literature – Jean Craighead George, best known as the author of the Newbery Medal-winning children’s classic, Julie of the Wolves; and Jean M. Auel, author of The Clan of the Cave Bear series. Both authors raved about Wind Rider, and for good reason.
Wind Rider takes place on the steppes of Stone Age Asia, although the exact place didn’t matter to me as I eagerly turned the pages of this beautiful and exciting story. I knew that the main character, pre-adolescent Fern, lived in an ancient world, with a group of people whose main focus must still be survival. Fern’s mother, Moss, had lost so many children during pregnancy, childbirth, and in their infancy, that their tribe allowed her to let both of her twins live – Fern, and her brother, Flint – to become the only set of twins among all their people. This immediately sets Fern a bit apart, but it is her personality, her desires, her gifts and longings that really make her unusual, much to the frustration of her mother.
Fern has an affinity for animals, whom she sees not just as food, but as friends. She cares for injured birds; has a dog who does not work as a hunting dog but is instead her pet and constant companion; and she is fascinated by horses. The difference between Fern and every other “girl who loves horses” book is this: no one in Fern’s tribe has ever tamed a horse. The exhilaration, the patience, the effort that is involved in the process, though, is a timeless story, one that echoes classics like The Black Stallion and My Friend Flicka. I also found some parallels to one of my favorites, The Little Prince, by St.-Exupery, in the process of taming something to become your friend, as well as your responsibility.
The voice that Susan Williams creates for Fern strikes in my head as both foreign and familiar. The rhythm and vocabulary of Fern’s first-person narrative reminds me of the speech of Native Americans, or the Maori of New Zealand, or other aboriginal peoples – beautiful but exotic to the ears of this WASP-y woman. Fern’s feelings, however, echo painful and true. Adolescents of both genders will sympathize with Fern’s frustrations and rebelliousness; women of all ages will appreciate her struggle to define herself as a person, both within and beyond gender roles. Fern chafes at the things that are expected of her as a young woman; though she loves her twin, she is jealous of the things he is allowed to do, and the opportunities his future seems to hold. Fern does not look forward to being a wife or a mother, dreads being tied down to caring for babies and men.
Kudos to the author for not leaving the story there, but showing how, as tragedy hits and as Fern nurtures her horse, Fern’s perspective grows on what it means to be a mother, a caregiver, and a member of a family and a tribe. Indeed, in many aspects, Williams creates a story that is simple on the surface, and truly enjoyable to read, but one which also addresses many deeper aspects of being human.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Spring Songs, or What a Bird in the Hand is Really Worth
Kasey Cox
Chur-REE! A couple of years ago, these plush, stuffed toy birds showed up in Dunham’s, each one with a real bird song inside, recorded by the Audubon Society. My mom and I picked one out as a Christmas present for my nephew, joked how my grandmother Laura would have gotten a kick out of these. I received the red-wing blackbird for Christmas, much to the dismay of the cat but to my endless fascination. For me, it’s not the robin who is the harbinger of spring in these parts. As someone who suffers from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder, and who doesn’t experience that, to some extent, living around here?), I know winter’s back is truly broken for another year when I see the red-wing blackbirds in the fields. And now, after freaking out the cat and annoying my boyfriend by pushing my stuffed bird’s button a hundred times, I will never forget what to listen for, as well.
As fun as the Audubon toys are, I can’t afford to buy one for every birdsong I’d like to learn. And although it’s amusing to open this article with my approximation of birdspeak, I think you’ll get more from the expert who will become birders’ – amateur and serious – new best friend. Stan Tekiela is an award-winning author, wildlife photographer, naturalist, columnist, and radio-show host from Minnesota. To date, Stan has published nearly sixty books, filled with gorgeous, close-up color photos, and well-organized information. His books include guides on birds in nearly forty states as well as regions like the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. He has also penned books on categories of birds, such as raptors or geese; family nature guides; a how-to begin mushroom hunting; and several guides to regional tree and wildflower identification.
With his bird guides for specific states, Stan has taken out the guesswork that comes with larger classics like Audubon, Stokes, Peterson or National Geographic – “does this bird even live in my area?” And best of all, almost every Stan Tekiela state bird book has a companion audio CD (or CDs). At the bottom of every information page in the bird books, there is a reference to the CD track number where one can hear the bird matching the description and photo from the book! The CDs can be purchased separately, or as part of a guidebook-and-CD set at very reasonable prices (suggested retail price of most guide books is around $13, and the CD is around $15). Now that’s birding for dummies or for idiots, without the name-calling! I’m thrilled with this new discovery, which will save me from drowning in a hundred of stuffed birds, keep me in good graces with Kevin and Hobo (not always an easy trick, between the two of them), and give me a gift option for last-minute or hard-to-buy-for folks. Plus, I’m hoping to look super-knowledgeable this coming spring and summer as I name birds everywhere I go. Too bad this wasn’t available to me when I was a camp counselor. But, it’s never too late to learn these heart-lifting songs and teach them to others. My grandmother, Laura, would be proud.
Chur-REE! A couple of years ago, these plush, stuffed toy birds showed up in Dunham’s, each one with a real bird song inside, recorded by the Audubon Society. My mom and I picked one out as a Christmas present for my nephew, joked how my grandmother Laura would have gotten a kick out of these. I received the red-wing blackbird for Christmas, much to the dismay of the cat but to my endless fascination. For me, it’s not the robin who is the harbinger of spring in these parts. As someone who suffers from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder, and who doesn’t experience that, to some extent, living around here?), I know winter’s back is truly broken for another year when I see the red-wing blackbirds in the fields. And now, after freaking out the cat and annoying my boyfriend by pushing my stuffed bird’s button a hundred times, I will never forget what to listen for, as well.
As fun as the Audubon toys are, I can’t afford to buy one for every birdsong I’d like to learn. And although it’s amusing to open this article with my approximation of birdspeak, I think you’ll get more from the expert who will become birders’ – amateur and serious – new best friend. Stan Tekiela is an award-winning author, wildlife photographer, naturalist, columnist, and radio-show host from Minnesota. To date, Stan has published nearly sixty books, filled with gorgeous, close-up color photos, and well-organized information. His books include guides on birds in nearly forty states as well as regions like the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. He has also penned books on categories of birds, such as raptors or geese; family nature guides; a how-to begin mushroom hunting; and several guides to regional tree and wildflower identification.
With his bird guides for specific states, Stan has taken out the guesswork that comes with larger classics like Audubon, Stokes, Peterson or National Geographic – “does this bird even live in my area?” And best of all, almost every Stan Tekiela state bird book has a companion audio CD (or CDs). At the bottom of every information page in the bird books, there is a reference to the CD track number where one can hear the bird matching the description and photo from the book! The CDs can be purchased separately, or as part of a guidebook-and-CD set at very reasonable prices (suggested retail price of most guide books is around $13, and the CD is around $15). Now that’s birding for dummies or for idiots, without the name-calling! I’m thrilled with this new discovery, which will save me from drowning in a hundred of stuffed birds, keep me in good graces with Kevin and Hobo (not always an easy trick, between the two of them), and give me a gift option for last-minute or hard-to-buy-for folks. Plus, I’m hoping to look super-knowledgeable this coming spring and summer as I name birds everywhere I go. Too bad this wasn’t available to me when I was a camp counselor. But, it’s never too late to learn these heart-lifting songs and teach them to others. My grandmother, Laura, would be proud.
"Quality" Poetry
Kasey Cox
April is National Poetry Month. Yeah, I know: there’s a national month, or special week, or weird celebratory day, for every topic and group in the universe now. There’s even a book up at WNBT that lists, by month, everything from “National Dental Health Care Week” to “International Talk-Like-A-Pirate Day”. (Although those two topics might not be so unrelated as they first appear, har har.)
But I actually look forward to National Poetry Month. I love poetry. Poetry challenges me, feeds me, shocks me, makes me giggle, soothes me in songs, comes to me from sacred texts and coffeeshops and in emails from friends. And, unlike many genres of literature, I believe there is a poetry book for everyone. There may not be a story from the thriller group that you’d like, or a biography, or a book on investing. But I’m fairly certain if we looked, and probably not even for that long, we could find a poem or two that you would love.
I told Kevin I was prepared to write two or three columns for National Poetry Month, or even do the entire month of reviews. He gave me a look. He thought one column would be enough. “People just don’t like poetry all that much,” he told me, gently but firmly – although he writes fine poetry himself.
So how do I choose one book to focus on? Actually, it was a clear and easy choice. There is one poetry book that fits all of us.
When I had to be in the hospital for a while during my college years, a friend brought me this special book – J. Ruth Gendler’s “The Book of Qualities”. Since then, I have turned around and given copies of this book to all different people in my life. I’ve shared this beautiful little book as a gift for graduations, wedding showers, birthdays, major illnesses, surgeries, and as a thank-you note. I’ve read selections from it at open mike nights, support groups, and memorial services.
In “The Book of Qualities”, poet and artist Ruth Gendler dedicates one page to each of almost one hundred human characteristics and feelings. These are the Qualities. With playful and insightful words, she describes each Quality as though he or she were a person you know. Change becomes your unwelcome houseguest; Honor could be your grandfather; Courage may be the woman who befriended you as you faced your divorce. Each of the Qualities has a favorite color, or a hobby. They have faces and hair and cars and clothes and jobs. And in those characteristics, in each Quality, you will recognize yourself and those you know – often in delightful and startling new ways. This little book is truly a classic: one of those books that you will find yourself revisiting time and again, once it has become a part of your life. Every time you re-read it, you’ll find something new.
April is National Poetry Month. Yeah, I know: there’s a national month, or special week, or weird celebratory day, for every topic and group in the universe now. There’s even a book up at WNBT that lists, by month, everything from “National Dental Health Care Week” to “International Talk-Like-A-Pirate Day”. (Although those two topics might not be so unrelated as they first appear, har har.)
But I actually look forward to National Poetry Month. I love poetry. Poetry challenges me, feeds me, shocks me, makes me giggle, soothes me in songs, comes to me from sacred texts and coffeeshops and in emails from friends. And, unlike many genres of literature, I believe there is a poetry book for everyone. There may not be a story from the thriller group that you’d like, or a biography, or a book on investing. But I’m fairly certain if we looked, and probably not even for that long, we could find a poem or two that you would love.
I told Kevin I was prepared to write two or three columns for National Poetry Month, or even do the entire month of reviews. He gave me a look. He thought one column would be enough. “People just don’t like poetry all that much,” he told me, gently but firmly – although he writes fine poetry himself.
So how do I choose one book to focus on? Actually, it was a clear and easy choice. There is one poetry book that fits all of us.
When I had to be in the hospital for a while during my college years, a friend brought me this special book – J. Ruth Gendler’s “The Book of Qualities”. Since then, I have turned around and given copies of this book to all different people in my life. I’ve shared this beautiful little book as a gift for graduations, wedding showers, birthdays, major illnesses, surgeries, and as a thank-you note. I’ve read selections from it at open mike nights, support groups, and memorial services.
In “The Book of Qualities”, poet and artist Ruth Gendler dedicates one page to each of almost one hundred human characteristics and feelings. These are the Qualities. With playful and insightful words, she describes each Quality as though he or she were a person you know. Change becomes your unwelcome houseguest; Honor could be your grandfather; Courage may be the woman who befriended you as you faced your divorce. Each of the Qualities has a favorite color, or a hobby. They have faces and hair and cars and clothes and jobs. And in those characteristics, in each Quality, you will recognize yourself and those you know – often in delightful and startling new ways. This little book is truly a classic: one of those books that you will find yourself revisiting time and again, once it has become a part of your life. Every time you re-read it, you’ll find something new.
A Father's Legacy: Fact or Fiction?
Kasey Cox
My dad reads history books for fun. I’m sure many of you can relate, but I, however, have often found my dad’s hobby perplexing. For Dad, the best books present the down-to-the-minute detail of battles, examine every word of a president’s letters to friends, follow the explorer each painful step of the journey. Yes, it’s interesting, but I’m talking 1,000 pages of details. A daunting task for even us dedicated readers.
When I was growing up, my dad, the lifelong history major, took us to battlefield memorials instead of to amusement parks. As a child, I drew pictures of civil war soldiers more than doodles of Mickey Mouse. I’m sure this pleased my dad, the way this interest in history soaked into me. What didn’t please him was my desire to read historical fiction. I was enamored of the TV mini-series “The Blue and the Gray”, and soon after, began reading John Jakes’ “The North and the South” trilogy. Dad frowned upon this. Too many Southern belles with bosoms heaving and laudanum addictions, I think. Not enough “hard” history, not enough fact. The fact of the matter is, I still prefer fiction. Ironically enough, to make history most real to me, I need it connected to the stories of individual people, and no one seems to do that better than novelists.
Enter Jeff Shaara. My dad introduced me to him by way of the author’s personal life history. Jeff’s father was Michael Shaara, Pulitzer-prize winning author of The Killer Angels. Michael Shaara was at work on the second book in his trilogy on the American Civil War when he died. Not a writer or historian himself, Jeff vowed to finish his father’s work. And the books Jeff finished for his dad are excellent, critically-acclaimed. But when he spread his wings and started his own work, with books on the American Revolution, World Wars I and II, and the Mexican-American War, he surpassed his father. I have just recently finished To the Last Man, Jeff Shaara’s book on WWI. Mind you, it is, technically, historical fiction. But just barely. Bestselling history writer Joseph Persico praises Jeff Shaara’s “rarest of writing gifts, making literature read like history and history read like literature. He brings … [history] to pulsating life.” His books are “fiction” only in that Shaara creates thoughts and dialogue for these historical figures, based on impeccable research, but ultimately, on his imagination.
In most of his books, Jeff Shaara focuses mostly on the events surrounding the major figures – the generals, the leaders of the countries involved. Shaara explains in his preface of To the Last Man how this book is different: he tells about WWI through the perspective of just four people. In this way, the story isn’t comprehensive or all-inclusive, but it is incredibly powerful. The four people are General John J. Pershing, THE commander of all U.S. forces when America finally enters the war; Baron Manfred von Richthofen, “the Red Baron”; Raoul Lufbery, of the Lafayette Escadrille; and Private Roscoe Temple, U.S. Marine Corps.
Well, if you’re like me, the only reference I have to “the Red Baron” is … Charles Schultz’s Snoopy fighting him from the Sopwith Camel. It turns out Richthofen’s life, just his personal history and career alone shed tremendous light on the war and the time period itself. And I had never heard of the Lafayette Escadrille – the Americans who went to France to fly the airplane, just in its infancy as a weapon of war, way before the U.S. reluctantly decided to join the fray. Now, I’m hooked on every word I can find about these guys. (Yeah, go ahead and rent the movie “Flyboys”; the fight scenes in the air are quite realistic, I think. But then do yourself a big favor and read about the REAL people. As far as I can find out, all the characters from the movie are fiction.)
And there it is: did you see that? I crossed over. Maybe historical fiction isn’t as engaging as fact, after all. Certainly, it depends some on who is conveying the story. I, obviously, give Jeff Shaara an enthusiastic recommendation. With him, Dad and I both win.
My dad reads history books for fun. I’m sure many of you can relate, but I, however, have often found my dad’s hobby perplexing. For Dad, the best books present the down-to-the-minute detail of battles, examine every word of a president’s letters to friends, follow the explorer each painful step of the journey. Yes, it’s interesting, but I’m talking 1,000 pages of details. A daunting task for even us dedicated readers.
When I was growing up, my dad, the lifelong history major, took us to battlefield memorials instead of to amusement parks. As a child, I drew pictures of civil war soldiers more than doodles of Mickey Mouse. I’m sure this pleased my dad, the way this interest in history soaked into me. What didn’t please him was my desire to read historical fiction. I was enamored of the TV mini-series “The Blue and the Gray”, and soon after, began reading John Jakes’ “The North and the South” trilogy. Dad frowned upon this. Too many Southern belles with bosoms heaving and laudanum addictions, I think. Not enough “hard” history, not enough fact. The fact of the matter is, I still prefer fiction. Ironically enough, to make history most real to me, I need it connected to the stories of individual people, and no one seems to do that better than novelists.
Enter Jeff Shaara. My dad introduced me to him by way of the author’s personal life history. Jeff’s father was Michael Shaara, Pulitzer-prize winning author of The Killer Angels. Michael Shaara was at work on the second book in his trilogy on the American Civil War when he died. Not a writer or historian himself, Jeff vowed to finish his father’s work. And the books Jeff finished for his dad are excellent, critically-acclaimed. But when he spread his wings and started his own work, with books on the American Revolution, World Wars I and II, and the Mexican-American War, he surpassed his father. I have just recently finished To the Last Man, Jeff Shaara’s book on WWI. Mind you, it is, technically, historical fiction. But just barely. Bestselling history writer Joseph Persico praises Jeff Shaara’s “rarest of writing gifts, making literature read like history and history read like literature. He brings … [history] to pulsating life.” His books are “fiction” only in that Shaara creates thoughts and dialogue for these historical figures, based on impeccable research, but ultimately, on his imagination.
In most of his books, Jeff Shaara focuses mostly on the events surrounding the major figures – the generals, the leaders of the countries involved. Shaara explains in his preface of To the Last Man how this book is different: he tells about WWI through the perspective of just four people. In this way, the story isn’t comprehensive or all-inclusive, but it is incredibly powerful. The four people are General John J. Pershing, THE commander of all U.S. forces when America finally enters the war; Baron Manfred von Richthofen, “the Red Baron”; Raoul Lufbery, of the Lafayette Escadrille; and Private Roscoe Temple, U.S. Marine Corps.
Well, if you’re like me, the only reference I have to “the Red Baron” is … Charles Schultz’s Snoopy fighting him from the Sopwith Camel. It turns out Richthofen’s life, just his personal history and career alone shed tremendous light on the war and the time period itself. And I had never heard of the Lafayette Escadrille – the Americans who went to France to fly the airplane, just in its infancy as a weapon of war, way before the U.S. reluctantly decided to join the fray. Now, I’m hooked on every word I can find about these guys. (Yeah, go ahead and rent the movie “Flyboys”; the fight scenes in the air are quite realistic, I think. But then do yourself a big favor and read about the REAL people. As far as I can find out, all the characters from the movie are fiction.)
And there it is: did you see that? I crossed over. Maybe historical fiction isn’t as engaging as fact, after all. Certainly, it depends some on who is conveying the story. I, obviously, give Jeff Shaara an enthusiastic recommendation. With him, Dad and I both win.
Alysa of the Fields
Kasey Cox
I believe strongly in promoting local authors, and Tina Field Howe makes this easy. Tina is located in Corning, NY, and has a beautiful website showcasing her many talents as artist, illustrator, graphic designer, writer, and editor. She works with media as diverse as stained glass to screenplays. Most recently, I have had the pleasure of becoming absorbed in Tina’s novel, “Alysa of the Fields”. The first in a series, Alysa’s story tells of life on Xunar-kun, a planet with many similarities to Earth, with a history that is a cautionary “what-if” parallel to our own. Howe smoothly combines elements of science fiction, fantasy, anthropology, survival stories, spirituality, nature studies, and young adult fiction. I found “Alysa of the Fields” to be a compelling, though not heavy-handed read, one that should be engaging for teens and adults alike.
I like some science fiction and fantasy, but I tend to be picky. When I started out with “Alysa of the Fields”, I was a little leery, afraid that it would be one more science fiction story where the author indulges in creating a different planet with beings that have exotic fur or colors or brow ridges, but are otherwise humanoid. That’s one thing I personally don’t like about many sci-fi series on TV: I get bored with the “planet- and new-alien-culture-of-the-week” approach. This, however, is exactly where Tina Howe triumphs. Her background in anthropology and her creative interest in people shine through in her descriptions of life among the Field-Folk and the Trailmen. Tina includes explanations of how people in these two separate tribes have adapted to daily life these 3,000 years “A.C.” (After Cataclysm). Included are details about how they cook their food, what they eat, their style of dress, their matrimonial ceremonies, their division of labor, their pets, and so much more. None of this is boring, since it is well-incorporated into the storyline. I never felt I was reading description for descriptions’ sake.
Like any society, stories and skills, beliefs and traditions are taught, practiced, and passed on to insure the survival of Alysa’s people, the Field-Folk. Besides twice-yearly meetings for trade, during which a form of sign language is used, the “Folk” do not interact with the Trailmen, whom they believe to be a fierce, aggressive, dangerous people. But the Folk and the Trailmen are on the cusp of tremendous, far-reaching changes. Alysa, quite unintentionally at first, is the catalyst.
Alysa is a likeable character, perhaps made all the more so by the fact that she is a somewhat unlikely heroine. She displays no unusual talents, has felt no calling to special work in her young life. She has been content to work in the fields, and keep house with her family. Alysa is genuine, caring, and loyal; she is firmly dedicated to those she loves. Following her strength of heart has never caused her problems, until the sudden death of her father changes the plans made for her adult life. Having no knowledge of the events she will set in motion, or of the consequences for all the inhabitants of the planet, she begins to question the traditions of her people, their beliefs about the strange Trailmen, the history they have always taught. With these events, and with Alysa’s actions, we the readers find many ways to connect with and learn from this book. Tina Howe has created a story that celebrates following your convictions and that encourages us to look at people who are different from us with respectful curiosity, openness, tolerance, and a desire to learn.
I believe strongly in promoting local authors, and Tina Field Howe makes this easy. Tina is located in Corning, NY, and has a beautiful website showcasing her many talents as artist, illustrator, graphic designer, writer, and editor. She works with media as diverse as stained glass to screenplays. Most recently, I have had the pleasure of becoming absorbed in Tina’s novel, “Alysa of the Fields”. The first in a series, Alysa’s story tells of life on Xunar-kun, a planet with many similarities to Earth, with a history that is a cautionary “what-if” parallel to our own. Howe smoothly combines elements of science fiction, fantasy, anthropology, survival stories, spirituality, nature studies, and young adult fiction. I found “Alysa of the Fields” to be a compelling, though not heavy-handed read, one that should be engaging for teens and adults alike.
I like some science fiction and fantasy, but I tend to be picky. When I started out with “Alysa of the Fields”, I was a little leery, afraid that it would be one more science fiction story where the author indulges in creating a different planet with beings that have exotic fur or colors or brow ridges, but are otherwise humanoid. That’s one thing I personally don’t like about many sci-fi series on TV: I get bored with the “planet- and new-alien-culture-of-the-week” approach. This, however, is exactly where Tina Howe triumphs. Her background in anthropology and her creative interest in people shine through in her descriptions of life among the Field-Folk and the Trailmen. Tina includes explanations of how people in these two separate tribes have adapted to daily life these 3,000 years “A.C.” (After Cataclysm). Included are details about how they cook their food, what they eat, their style of dress, their matrimonial ceremonies, their division of labor, their pets, and so much more. None of this is boring, since it is well-incorporated into the storyline. I never felt I was reading description for descriptions’ sake.
Like any society, stories and skills, beliefs and traditions are taught, practiced, and passed on to insure the survival of Alysa’s people, the Field-Folk. Besides twice-yearly meetings for trade, during which a form of sign language is used, the “Folk” do not interact with the Trailmen, whom they believe to be a fierce, aggressive, dangerous people. But the Folk and the Trailmen are on the cusp of tremendous, far-reaching changes. Alysa, quite unintentionally at first, is the catalyst.
Alysa is a likeable character, perhaps made all the more so by the fact that she is a somewhat unlikely heroine. She displays no unusual talents, has felt no calling to special work in her young life. She has been content to work in the fields, and keep house with her family. Alysa is genuine, caring, and loyal; she is firmly dedicated to those she loves. Following her strength of heart has never caused her problems, until the sudden death of her father changes the plans made for her adult life. Having no knowledge of the events she will set in motion, or of the consequences for all the inhabitants of the planet, she begins to question the traditions of her people, their beliefs about the strange Trailmen, the history they have always taught. With these events, and with Alysa’s actions, we the readers find many ways to connect with and learn from this book. Tina Howe has created a story that celebrates following your convictions and that encourages us to look at people who are different from us with respectful curiosity, openness, tolerance, and a desire to learn.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
2006 Book Diary: Year-in-Review
Kasey Cox
Somewhere between Christmas and New Year’s, I usually get a new journal. One year, my brother gave me “A Book Lover’s Diary” for Christmas. The trick is to jot down a few reflections on the various books you read as the months go by. Reading over the journal later shows you a wonderful slice of your life in any given season. This little record also serves to answer the question that inevitably arises for great minds whose bookcases are overflowing: “Did I already read this book?”
Although I didn’t keep such a journal this year, I thought I’d share a few highlights from my Book-Year-in-Review. Hopefully, a few of these treasures will go on your reading list for 2007.
For January, I’d recommend John Updike’s “A Child’s Calendar”. Many readers associate Updike with his award-winning “Rabbit” series, which is not about cute little bunnies. Nevertheless, Updike scores big with this lovely collection of poems for children. Each month has a beautiful illustration and a timely poem.
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Kevin and I discovered a copy of “Oriental Love Poems”. Three-dimensional origami fold-outs which accent the poems make this a book to delight your eyes and your heart. In March, I took the lighter side of love and laughed my way through Christopher Moore’s “The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove.” Good thing I read about amorous sea monsters first, because next I read Jodi Picoult’s intense, haunting, but incredible first book, “Songs of the Humpback Whale”. A story told alternately through the voices of several of the main characters, Picoult stunned me with her writing craft and powerful story. This book, too, is a love story – one that weaves many kinds of love together but allows the reader to see each strand.
As May came to Wellsboro, I longed for the smell of fresh air and the feel of my hands in the dirt. Reading Richard Goodman’s “French Dirt” satisfied me when my garden efforts were stymied. An account of an American who eventually gets to know his new neighbors in a small village in France, I think “French Dirt” is better than the more well-known books by Peter Mayle.
I spent a lot of the summer reading “Eragon” and its sequel “Eldest”. If you haven’t heard of the phenomenon of Christopher Paolini, wunderkind author of these popular books about dragons, just remember: the book is always better than the movie.
As fall approached, I chose to honor September 11 by reading one of the first authors to deal with 9/11 through fiction. Jonathan Safran Foer, also hailed as something of a wunderkind for his first novel “Everything is Illuminated”, maintains his unique style in “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.” The title alone speaks volumes. The narration belongs to precocious Oskar Schell who lost his father in the Twin Towers.
For Halloween, I re-discovered a childhood favorite by Judith Viorst. Many people know her from “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day”, but my brother and I also loved one we found at the Green Free as kids. It’s another long title which is just as much fun as the book – “My Mama Says There Aren’t Any Zombies, Ghosts, Vampires, Creatures, Demons, Monsters, Fiends, Goblins, or Things.”
In November, I saw an interview with Stephen King about his newest book, “Lisey’s Story.” He drew a parallel between writing novels and playing baseball – sometimes it’s a base hit, sometimes a homerun. He felt “Lisey’s Story” is the best he’s done in years. I agree.
Currently, I’m thrilled that Jeff Shaara’s detailed historical fiction, “To the Last Man”, about World War I, is out in paperback. As I’m reading, certain names and facts jump out at me as things I had to memorize in school, but now the pieces of the war I know so little about are coming together.
Here’s hoping Santa filled your stocking with some great books, and that you find time to read in the coming year. Happy holidays!
Somewhere between Christmas and New Year’s, I usually get a new journal. One year, my brother gave me “A Book Lover’s Diary” for Christmas. The trick is to jot down a few reflections on the various books you read as the months go by. Reading over the journal later shows you a wonderful slice of your life in any given season. This little record also serves to answer the question that inevitably arises for great minds whose bookcases are overflowing: “Did I already read this book?”
Although I didn’t keep such a journal this year, I thought I’d share a few highlights from my Book-Year-in-Review. Hopefully, a few of these treasures will go on your reading list for 2007.
For January, I’d recommend John Updike’s “A Child’s Calendar”. Many readers associate Updike with his award-winning “Rabbit” series, which is not about cute little bunnies. Nevertheless, Updike scores big with this lovely collection of poems for children. Each month has a beautiful illustration and a timely poem.
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Kevin and I discovered a copy of “Oriental Love Poems”. Three-dimensional origami fold-outs which accent the poems make this a book to delight your eyes and your heart. In March, I took the lighter side of love and laughed my way through Christopher Moore’s “The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove.” Good thing I read about amorous sea monsters first, because next I read Jodi Picoult’s intense, haunting, but incredible first book, “Songs of the Humpback Whale”. A story told alternately through the voices of several of the main characters, Picoult stunned me with her writing craft and powerful story. This book, too, is a love story – one that weaves many kinds of love together but allows the reader to see each strand.
As May came to Wellsboro, I longed for the smell of fresh air and the feel of my hands in the dirt. Reading Richard Goodman’s “French Dirt” satisfied me when my garden efforts were stymied. An account of an American who eventually gets to know his new neighbors in a small village in France, I think “French Dirt” is better than the more well-known books by Peter Mayle.
I spent a lot of the summer reading “Eragon” and its sequel “Eldest”. If you haven’t heard of the phenomenon of Christopher Paolini, wunderkind author of these popular books about dragons, just remember: the book is always better than the movie.
As fall approached, I chose to honor September 11 by reading one of the first authors to deal with 9/11 through fiction. Jonathan Safran Foer, also hailed as something of a wunderkind for his first novel “Everything is Illuminated”, maintains his unique style in “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.” The title alone speaks volumes. The narration belongs to precocious Oskar Schell who lost his father in the Twin Towers.
For Halloween, I re-discovered a childhood favorite by Judith Viorst. Many people know her from “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day”, but my brother and I also loved one we found at the Green Free as kids. It’s another long title which is just as much fun as the book – “My Mama Says There Aren’t Any Zombies, Ghosts, Vampires, Creatures, Demons, Monsters, Fiends, Goblins, or Things.”
In November, I saw an interview with Stephen King about his newest book, “Lisey’s Story.” He drew a parallel between writing novels and playing baseball – sometimes it’s a base hit, sometimes a homerun. He felt “Lisey’s Story” is the best he’s done in years. I agree.
Currently, I’m thrilled that Jeff Shaara’s detailed historical fiction, “To the Last Man”, about World War I, is out in paperback. As I’m reading, certain names and facts jump out at me as things I had to memorize in school, but now the pieces of the war I know so little about are coming together.
Here’s hoping Santa filled your stocking with some great books, and that you find time to read in the coming year. Happy holidays!
Young Elizabeth Had A Farm ....
Kasey Cox
Elizabeth Angier is a fourth-grader who lives on a farm. She helps her parents weed the large vegetable garden, dye skeins of wool from their sheep, arrange wildflowers into bouquets to be sold at the farmers’ market, and water the saplings that landscapers buy. Will, the high school boy from the dairy farm over the hill, comes over to help her dad on occasion. Elizabeth loves everything about growing up on the farm that has been in her father’s family for many generations. But all this threatens to change: a company that runs “CAFO” (Concentrated Feeding Animal Organizations) pig farms arrives to woo struggling farmers into selling their farms and taking jobs with the large corporation. As Elizabeth’s parents desperately research the effects of existing CAFO’s on a community’s air, water, commerce, and quality of life, Elizabeth herself discovers her own connection to the earth and the powers that gives her. Gaia, the spirit of the Earth, appears to her as an otter, and begins to teach her.
That’s just a brief synopsis of Gaia Girls: Enter the Earth, recent winner of the 2006 National Outdoor Book Award, children’s division. Although this is a fantastical novel that author Lee Welles has written for children (“ages 9 and up”), many parts of the story ring true for communities like ours. Gaia Girls: Enter the Earth takes place on a farm in upstate New York, near the Finger Lakes. Much of it reads like home, the beauty as well as the struggles.
Although I consider myself sympathetic to environmental activists, I am leary of being lumped in with folks who wear hemp and eat vegetarian because it’s trendy. In sitting down to read Gaia Girls, I was a little afraid that the story would be heavy-handed on earth goddesses but skim over the true difficulties of living environmentally-aware. I am pleased to report I couldn’t have been more wrong. “Three Oaks Farm” is an organic farm, but Welles makes it clear that this makes the Angier family and their products unusual for their community. They need to be very creative to be successful: they advertise their organic produce to upscale restaurants, who pre-order from the farm. Another way they make money is by selling many different products: wool, vegetables, flowers, young trees, honey. Though Elizabeth and her parents feel they live a happy life in a corner of paradise, Welles doesn’t flinch from showing how fragile that existence is, and how much work it takes to maintain it.
Welles’ writing is strong. At the beginning, I was reminded of Charlotte’s Web. As I continued to read Gaia Girls, I realized I was in the middle of a wonderful new literary phenomenon. I see this book, and the series to follow, touching many as it touched me. Enter the Earth reminded me of environmental issues and earth science facts that I already know about, but made me feel more attached to them. Without being preachy, Gaia Girls helps the reader see the science behind farming methods that are good for the earth, and how it is healthy for the people who live there and those of us who eat the food grown there. With Elizabeth, we can connect to the farm, as she and the farm connect to the earth. I raced through the book, loved the story, and can’t wait for more.
Elizabeth Angier is a fourth-grader who lives on a farm. She helps her parents weed the large vegetable garden, dye skeins of wool from their sheep, arrange wildflowers into bouquets to be sold at the farmers’ market, and water the saplings that landscapers buy. Will, the high school boy from the dairy farm over the hill, comes over to help her dad on occasion. Elizabeth loves everything about growing up on the farm that has been in her father’s family for many generations. But all this threatens to change: a company that runs “CAFO” (Concentrated Feeding Animal Organizations) pig farms arrives to woo struggling farmers into selling their farms and taking jobs with the large corporation. As Elizabeth’s parents desperately research the effects of existing CAFO’s on a community’s air, water, commerce, and quality of life, Elizabeth herself discovers her own connection to the earth and the powers that gives her. Gaia, the spirit of the Earth, appears to her as an otter, and begins to teach her.
That’s just a brief synopsis of Gaia Girls: Enter the Earth, recent winner of the 2006 National Outdoor Book Award, children’s division. Although this is a fantastical novel that author Lee Welles has written for children (“ages 9 and up”), many parts of the story ring true for communities like ours. Gaia Girls: Enter the Earth takes place on a farm in upstate New York, near the Finger Lakes. Much of it reads like home, the beauty as well as the struggles.
Although I consider myself sympathetic to environmental activists, I am leary of being lumped in with folks who wear hemp and eat vegetarian because it’s trendy. In sitting down to read Gaia Girls, I was a little afraid that the story would be heavy-handed on earth goddesses but skim over the true difficulties of living environmentally-aware. I am pleased to report I couldn’t have been more wrong. “Three Oaks Farm” is an organic farm, but Welles makes it clear that this makes the Angier family and their products unusual for their community. They need to be very creative to be successful: they advertise their organic produce to upscale restaurants, who pre-order from the farm. Another way they make money is by selling many different products: wool, vegetables, flowers, young trees, honey. Though Elizabeth and her parents feel they live a happy life in a corner of paradise, Welles doesn’t flinch from showing how fragile that existence is, and how much work it takes to maintain it.
Welles’ writing is strong. At the beginning, I was reminded of Charlotte’s Web. As I continued to read Gaia Girls, I realized I was in the middle of a wonderful new literary phenomenon. I see this book, and the series to follow, touching many as it touched me. Enter the Earth reminded me of environmental issues and earth science facts that I already know about, but made me feel more attached to them. Without being preachy, Gaia Girls helps the reader see the science behind farming methods that are good for the earth, and how it is healthy for the people who live there and those of us who eat the food grown there. With Elizabeth, we can connect to the farm, as she and the farm connect to the earth. I raced through the book, loved the story, and can’t wait for more.
The Gift of Gilbert
Let me tell you a feel-good story. It involves love – the love of a mother for her daughter, and a child’s passionate, exhilarated, uncomplicated love for books. This is the true story of Deb Raymer, and her daughter Sabrina, and how I came to know them. This holiday season, I am grateful that Deb has shared parts of her story, and that through her mom, Sabrina has shared a wonderful cast of characters previously unknown to me.
A couple of months ago, Deb asked me to help her find a series of books. All Sabrina wants for Christmas is “Gilbert”. Deb needed to order multiple copies of each book in the collection, she explained. Sabrina loves the “Gilbert” books so much, that she reads them to pieces. Literally. While I am always thrilled to see someone who loves books that much, that’s not even the best part of the story. Sabrina is mentally and physically handicapped. She has a job at Partners in Progress that she enjoys. Whenever she rides to work on the bus, she has a “Gilbert” book – or two, or three – in her bag, and she “reads” them to the other passengers. Sabrina has memorized her favorite books. Her mother needs to keep buying new copies of them because Sabrina pages through them so much and so often that they fall apart.
Gilbert, the hedgehog, and his sister Lola, are creations from the paintbrush and pen of Diane de Groat. This author/illustrator started working in children’s literature by doing the artwork for some well-known children’s authors, such as Lois Lowry and Eve Bunting. De Groat started on her Gilbert series in 1996 with “Roses are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink”, which is still Sabrina’s favorite.
I hadn’t heard of de Groat, and Deb gave my literary ego a boost by reassuring me that I’m not alone. Often, when Deb and Sabrina have searched for Gilbert in libraries and bookstores, he is nowhere to be found. So, it’s time to spread the word. Diane de Groat has created a fun, inexpensive series with sympathetic characters, situations that kids can relate to, and a little lesson that doesn’t come across like a 2”x 4” to the forehead. The titles themselves produce a smile for kids and adults alike. Now there’s a Gilbert for every season in a child’s life. A reader can start school with Gilbert in “Brand New Pencils, Brand New Books” and end the school year with the companion volume, “No More Pencils, No More Books! No More Teacher’s Dirty Looks!” In these final months of the year, we have been enjoying “We Gather Together, Now Please Get Lost” for Thanksgiving, and “Jingle Bells, Homework Smells” for Christmas.
The Gilbert books have been so successful that now his sister Lola has her own series, books for slightly younger children, that often include Gilbert, but from Lola’s point-of-view. When Lola can’t decide what to be for Halloween, she finally decides to be “a Gilbert”, because she knows he’s an original. I think Sabrina and Lola are on to something good.
A couple of months ago, Deb asked me to help her find a series of books. All Sabrina wants for Christmas is “Gilbert”. Deb needed to order multiple copies of each book in the collection, she explained. Sabrina loves the “Gilbert” books so much, that she reads them to pieces. Literally. While I am always thrilled to see someone who loves books that much, that’s not even the best part of the story. Sabrina is mentally and physically handicapped. She has a job at Partners in Progress that she enjoys. Whenever she rides to work on the bus, she has a “Gilbert” book – or two, or three – in her bag, and she “reads” them to the other passengers. Sabrina has memorized her favorite books. Her mother needs to keep buying new copies of them because Sabrina pages through them so much and so often that they fall apart.
Gilbert, the hedgehog, and his sister Lola, are creations from the paintbrush and pen of Diane de Groat. This author/illustrator started working in children’s literature by doing the artwork for some well-known children’s authors, such as Lois Lowry and Eve Bunting. De Groat started on her Gilbert series in 1996 with “Roses are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink”, which is still Sabrina’s favorite.
I hadn’t heard of de Groat, and Deb gave my literary ego a boost by reassuring me that I’m not alone. Often, when Deb and Sabrina have searched for Gilbert in libraries and bookstores, he is nowhere to be found. So, it’s time to spread the word. Diane de Groat has created a fun, inexpensive series with sympathetic characters, situations that kids can relate to, and a little lesson that doesn’t come across like a 2”x 4” to the forehead. The titles themselves produce a smile for kids and adults alike. Now there’s a Gilbert for every season in a child’s life. A reader can start school with Gilbert in “Brand New Pencils, Brand New Books” and end the school year with the companion volume, “No More Pencils, No More Books! No More Teacher’s Dirty Looks!” In these final months of the year, we have been enjoying “We Gather Together, Now Please Get Lost” for Thanksgiving, and “Jingle Bells, Homework Smells” for Christmas.
The Gilbert books have been so successful that now his sister Lola has her own series, books for slightly younger children, that often include Gilbert, but from Lola’s point-of-view. When Lola can’t decide what to be for Halloween, she finally decides to be “a Gilbert”, because she knows he’s an original. I think Sabrina and Lola are on to something good.
Quality Zombie Literature? Inquiring Readers Want to Know!
Kasey Cox
The road to zombies is, evidently, a more slippery slope than I’d realized. Recently, I was in a Hamilton-Gibson ten-minute piece in which I played a dead person. The character opposite me was a bloody dead guy. At the opening night party, several of us got to laughing about how there just aren’t enough plays where an actor gets to be a bloody dead guy. How we need some quality theater written about zombies. Imagine the witty dialogue-- Zombie #1: Mmmnnnggghhh! Zombie #2: Gnnrrrrrrr! There’s some quality literature! Ha ha ha ha ha ….
Who knew how soon I would have to eat those sarcastic words (better than eating flesh, giggle-snort). On September 6, Max Brooks published his novel World War Z. “Z” in this case, is short for “Zombie”. I started reading it soon after, thinking it’d be funny. I mean, zombie movies are mostly pretty cheesy, right?
I’ve never seen Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead”, or any of the films that followed. Certainly, I’ve read my share of Stephen King, and watched my share of slasher flicks. As a teen, I have to being somewhat scared by Freddie Kruger. But I was never a Goth girl, never into Anne Rice, and only watched “Resident Evil” because my boyfriend at the time had played the video game and wanted to see the film.
I picked up this novel because I thought it ironic to have just been joking about “zombie literature”, and because I like survival stories. There are two post-apocalyptic, society-is-utterly-changed-by-sudden-catastrophe books that moved me and stayed with me over time. One is Stephen King’s novel, The Stand (and for goodness’ sake, read the book; don’t see the mediocre movie!). The other was Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka’s War Day. Both amazing stories came from sources I’d not expected. Third time’s a charm, I guess.
World War Z surprised me. The writing grabbed me, and not the cheesy way a ghoulish hand from under the bed grabs the stupid heroine in a horror movie. I found the structure of the novel intriguing: Brooks shares the story of World War Z by “interviewing” the survivors ten years after “the Crisis” has passed. The interviewees are people who were, at the time, doctors, children, government officials, military grunts, cyberpunks, pilots, gardeners at fancy international resorts. They are Americans, Chinese, Russian, Mexican, Korean, British, French, Australian. While this style of storytelling is not completely original, it is compelling. I stopped chortling about reading about zombies (of all things! not serious literature, of course!), and started hearing what Max Brooks understands about humanity – as a whole, and as individuals.
I thought he had some profound insights about resilience and depravity, about the bald cruelty of survival tactics and the ridiculous amount of luxury we think of as necessity. Most of all, as someone who has fought my own version of life-or-death demons, I really agreed with what Brooks says about hope. Pick the book up yourself, and see if you don’t find it hard to put down. Max Brooks may be a bit odd – he is the son of Mel Brooks, the director of many tongue-in-cheek films – but the writing here hits many issues right on the head. That’s the only way to kill the undead, or the critics, if you can tell them apart.
The road to zombies is, evidently, a more slippery slope than I’d realized. Recently, I was in a Hamilton-Gibson ten-minute piece in which I played a dead person. The character opposite me was a bloody dead guy. At the opening night party, several of us got to laughing about how there just aren’t enough plays where an actor gets to be a bloody dead guy. How we need some quality theater written about zombies. Imagine the witty dialogue-- Zombie #1: Mmmnnnggghhh! Zombie #2: Gnnrrrrrrr! There’s some quality literature! Ha ha ha ha ha ….
Who knew how soon I would have to eat those sarcastic words (better than eating flesh, giggle-snort). On September 6, Max Brooks published his novel World War Z. “Z” in this case, is short for “Zombie”. I started reading it soon after, thinking it’d be funny. I mean, zombie movies are mostly pretty cheesy, right?
I’ve never seen Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead”, or any of the films that followed. Certainly, I’ve read my share of Stephen King, and watched my share of slasher flicks. As a teen, I have to being somewhat scared by Freddie Kruger. But I was never a Goth girl, never into Anne Rice, and only watched “Resident Evil” because my boyfriend at the time had played the video game and wanted to see the film.
I picked up this novel because I thought it ironic to have just been joking about “zombie literature”, and because I like survival stories. There are two post-apocalyptic, society-is-utterly-changed-by-sudden-catastrophe books that moved me and stayed with me over time. One is Stephen King’s novel, The Stand (and for goodness’ sake, read the book; don’t see the mediocre movie!). The other was Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka’s War Day. Both amazing stories came from sources I’d not expected. Third time’s a charm, I guess.
World War Z surprised me. The writing grabbed me, and not the cheesy way a ghoulish hand from under the bed grabs the stupid heroine in a horror movie. I found the structure of the novel intriguing: Brooks shares the story of World War Z by “interviewing” the survivors ten years after “the Crisis” has passed. The interviewees are people who were, at the time, doctors, children, government officials, military grunts, cyberpunks, pilots, gardeners at fancy international resorts. They are Americans, Chinese, Russian, Mexican, Korean, British, French, Australian. While this style of storytelling is not completely original, it is compelling. I stopped chortling about reading about zombies (of all things! not serious literature, of course!), and started hearing what Max Brooks understands about humanity – as a whole, and as individuals.
I thought he had some profound insights about resilience and depravity, about the bald cruelty of survival tactics and the ridiculous amount of luxury we think of as necessity. Most of all, as someone who has fought my own version of life-or-death demons, I really agreed with what Brooks says about hope. Pick the book up yourself, and see if you don’t find it hard to put down. Max Brooks may be a bit odd – he is the son of Mel Brooks, the director of many tongue-in-cheek films – but the writing here hits many issues right on the head. That’s the only way to kill the undead, or the critics, if you can tell them apart.
What's Lurking in PA on any given Dark Haunted Day....
Kasey Cox
What is it about Halloween and ghost stories that turns us all into kids? Just looking at the covers of local author William Robertson’s two spooky story collections makes me want to grin like a jack o’lantern and cackle like a witch. Lurking in Pennsylvania features a cover photo of two fawns in a patch of trees – a photo that was probably high in the “awwwww….” factor (as in, “awww, aren’t they sweet?) before the addition of a demonic glow in the eyes of the Bambi twins. (This is probably a much more accurate portrayal, many gardeners will be happy to let you know.)
Robertson’s newest collection, Dark Haunted Day, displays another familiar northern Pennsylvania scene, that of the weathered farmhouse surrounded by stark trees. This cover is in black and white, as are the rest of the photos scattered throughout the book to accompany various stories. Not that it would matter much if the photos were in color, because for many months of the year, and at several times of the day, this is the way our landscapes look. In both his introduction and with the tone of his stories, this Potter County author speaks to the way the atmosphere affects those of us who call this area home. The author remarks that although this climate causes bouts of depression in some people, for him it has inspired the creative spark that allows him to present us with stories, poems and pictures that bring that childlike pleasure in scaring yourself.
Indeed, as I read through the offerings of these two books, I connected most with the stories about kids. The very first one I read was “Rescue at the Devil’s Den”, which combines Robertson’s two greatest strengths – his knowledge about the Pennsylvania Civil War unit known as the Bucktails, and his writing for children. Bill Robertson marches with the local re-enactment unit of the Bucktails, and has penned five wonderful books on the subject. With co-author David Rimer, Robertson writes about the experiences the young men of northern Pennsylvania had while fighting with the Bucktails. Obviously, Robertson draws on these writings, and adds a supernatural twist in creating some of his horror stories. The Boy Scout who is stranded up in Devil’s Den on a tour of the Gettysburg Battlefield makes out far better in his encounter with the spirit of a soldier than does the photographer who hasn’t been paying child support in the appropriately titled, “Bad Things Happen to Bad Men.”
Another thrill came from hearing Rob Kathcart give an animated reading of “Mrs. Babcock’s ABC’s” to a young audience who shrieked in delight as second-grader Perry finds at the truth about his “evil” teacher and principal. And children as well as adults should enjoy the fact that in many stories, ghosts get their revenge on people who deserve it – hunters who needlessly and brutally kill over their legal limit of deer; a home repairman taking advantage of an old widow; the editor of a magazine who enjoys sending rejection letters. Although occasionally Robertson’s dialogue or style is a little stilted, these two books on the whole offer countless nuggets of enjoyment. I encourage Gazette readers who are looking to share a thrill: support a local author, turn off the lights and read aloud by firelight what’s Lurking in Pennsylvania on any given Dark Haunted Day.
What is it about Halloween and ghost stories that turns us all into kids? Just looking at the covers of local author William Robertson’s two spooky story collections makes me want to grin like a jack o’lantern and cackle like a witch. Lurking in Pennsylvania features a cover photo of two fawns in a patch of trees – a photo that was probably high in the “awwwww….” factor (as in, “awww, aren’t they sweet?) before the addition of a demonic glow in the eyes of the Bambi twins. (This is probably a much more accurate portrayal, many gardeners will be happy to let you know.)
Robertson’s newest collection, Dark Haunted Day, displays another familiar northern Pennsylvania scene, that of the weathered farmhouse surrounded by stark trees. This cover is in black and white, as are the rest of the photos scattered throughout the book to accompany various stories. Not that it would matter much if the photos were in color, because for many months of the year, and at several times of the day, this is the way our landscapes look. In both his introduction and with the tone of his stories, this Potter County author speaks to the way the atmosphere affects those of us who call this area home. The author remarks that although this climate causes bouts of depression in some people, for him it has inspired the creative spark that allows him to present us with stories, poems and pictures that bring that childlike pleasure in scaring yourself.
Indeed, as I read through the offerings of these two books, I connected most with the stories about kids. The very first one I read was “Rescue at the Devil’s Den”, which combines Robertson’s two greatest strengths – his knowledge about the Pennsylvania Civil War unit known as the Bucktails, and his writing for children. Bill Robertson marches with the local re-enactment unit of the Bucktails, and has penned five wonderful books on the subject. With co-author David Rimer, Robertson writes about the experiences the young men of northern Pennsylvania had while fighting with the Bucktails. Obviously, Robertson draws on these writings, and adds a supernatural twist in creating some of his horror stories. The Boy Scout who is stranded up in Devil’s Den on a tour of the Gettysburg Battlefield makes out far better in his encounter with the spirit of a soldier than does the photographer who hasn’t been paying child support in the appropriately titled, “Bad Things Happen to Bad Men.”
Another thrill came from hearing Rob Kathcart give an animated reading of “Mrs. Babcock’s ABC’s” to a young audience who shrieked in delight as second-grader Perry finds at the truth about his “evil” teacher and principal. And children as well as adults should enjoy the fact that in many stories, ghosts get their revenge on people who deserve it – hunters who needlessly and brutally kill over their legal limit of deer; a home repairman taking advantage of an old widow; the editor of a magazine who enjoys sending rejection letters. Although occasionally Robertson’s dialogue or style is a little stilted, these two books on the whole offer countless nuggets of enjoyment. I encourage Gazette readers who are looking to share a thrill: support a local author, turn off the lights and read aloud by firelight what’s Lurking in Pennsylvania on any given Dark Haunted Day.
Duncan Does Deliver
Kasey Cox
Let me tell you about a fantastic writer you’re probably not reading. If you’re a librarian or a high school teacher, then I know you’re familiar with her. She’s been nominated for hundreds of awards for Young Adult fiction, including the Margaret A. Edwards Award for a Distinguished Body of Work for Young Adults, from the American Library Association and the School Library Journal. Unfortunately, those accolades are not something most of us hear about. The books that get the big press are often those adapted for TV or film. As many parents, grandparents, teachers and teens themselves will tell you, Young Adult fiction has lately become an exciting and bewildering mix of Manga, dragons, young wizards, unfortunate orphans and catchy series.
All the while, Lois Duncan keeps publishing great stories. They’re not as flashy as Eragon or Harry Potter, but they often incorporate the supernatural. Duncan’s writing has a lot more substance than the Goosebumps or Animorphs series, but her books will more than meet the quota for chills or thrills. Many kids who like to read end up with a reading level that is several school-grade levels above their age experience or emotional development, and are left with few books that will really satisfy them. My dad frowned as I began taking Mom’s Stephen King books off the shelf in third grade. Then, the summer I turned eleven, I was lucky to discover an entire shelf of Lois Duncan books at the Green Free Library. I’m sure my parents were relieved.
Since the 1970’s, Lois Duncan has been turning out thrillers that fit the bill for younger readers craving suspense, a little spookiness, and sympathetic characters. Every few years, the publishers change the covers, giving them something more stylish to wear so they can catch the eye of the latest generation of teens. But I’d recommend Duncan to any mystery fan, no matter how many years-young. Her books accomplish what so many other books of the same genre only promise. Look on the covers of any contemporary thriller or mystery and you’ll find critics raving about “taut prose” with “engaging, plausible characters” and a “fast-paced, page-turning plot”. Duncan delivers all this and more. There’s no need to figure out which one to read first, and there’s not much difficulty figuring out if you’ve already read it, which happens to most of us with our favorite mystery authors. Duncan’s books are not part of a series, nor are they formulaic.
If you need a place to start, my personal favorites are “Down a Dark Hall” and “The Third Eye”. Both of these stories have a high school girl as their central character, and both of these girls have a psychic ability that neither realized she had. In “The Third Eye”, Karen decides to help local police find kidnapped children and finds herself quickly ensnared in dangerous case involving “serial” kidnappers who strike nursery schools. The chapters reveal one surprise after another about Karen’s family, her current boyfriend and her future. “Down A Dark Hall”, on the other hand, does not appear to have anything supernatural about it – at first. Kit has been selected to be one of only four students at a private boarding school whose atmosphere is creepier than she’d like, but otherwise seems fairly normal. The reason she and the other girls are selected, though, is anything but educational. This story, too, eventually reveals things to Kit, not just about the school and the few other people there, but also about memories she couldn’t quite figure out.
Picking up one of these books the other day, I thought I’d glance over it and ended up re-reading the whole thing. People who love to read often joke that once they start a book, the rest of the world goes away – or they wish it would. With Duncan’s stories, that’s not an idle joke or wish: it’s a guarantee.
Let me tell you about a fantastic writer you’re probably not reading. If you’re a librarian or a high school teacher, then I know you’re familiar with her. She’s been nominated for hundreds of awards for Young Adult fiction, including the Margaret A. Edwards Award for a Distinguished Body of Work for Young Adults, from the American Library Association and the School Library Journal. Unfortunately, those accolades are not something most of us hear about. The books that get the big press are often those adapted for TV or film. As many parents, grandparents, teachers and teens themselves will tell you, Young Adult fiction has lately become an exciting and bewildering mix of Manga, dragons, young wizards, unfortunate orphans and catchy series.
All the while, Lois Duncan keeps publishing great stories. They’re not as flashy as Eragon or Harry Potter, but they often incorporate the supernatural. Duncan’s writing has a lot more substance than the Goosebumps or Animorphs series, but her books will more than meet the quota for chills or thrills. Many kids who like to read end up with a reading level that is several school-grade levels above their age experience or emotional development, and are left with few books that will really satisfy them. My dad frowned as I began taking Mom’s Stephen King books off the shelf in third grade. Then, the summer I turned eleven, I was lucky to discover an entire shelf of Lois Duncan books at the Green Free Library. I’m sure my parents were relieved.
Since the 1970’s, Lois Duncan has been turning out thrillers that fit the bill for younger readers craving suspense, a little spookiness, and sympathetic characters. Every few years, the publishers change the covers, giving them something more stylish to wear so they can catch the eye of the latest generation of teens. But I’d recommend Duncan to any mystery fan, no matter how many years-young. Her books accomplish what so many other books of the same genre only promise. Look on the covers of any contemporary thriller or mystery and you’ll find critics raving about “taut prose” with “engaging, plausible characters” and a “fast-paced, page-turning plot”. Duncan delivers all this and more. There’s no need to figure out which one to read first, and there’s not much difficulty figuring out if you’ve already read it, which happens to most of us with our favorite mystery authors. Duncan’s books are not part of a series, nor are they formulaic.
If you need a place to start, my personal favorites are “Down a Dark Hall” and “The Third Eye”. Both of these stories have a high school girl as their central character, and both of these girls have a psychic ability that neither realized she had. In “The Third Eye”, Karen decides to help local police find kidnapped children and finds herself quickly ensnared in dangerous case involving “serial” kidnappers who strike nursery schools. The chapters reveal one surprise after another about Karen’s family, her current boyfriend and her future. “Down A Dark Hall”, on the other hand, does not appear to have anything supernatural about it – at first. Kit has been selected to be one of only four students at a private boarding school whose atmosphere is creepier than she’d like, but otherwise seems fairly normal. The reason she and the other girls are selected, though, is anything but educational. This story, too, eventually reveals things to Kit, not just about the school and the few other people there, but also about memories she couldn’t quite figure out.
Picking up one of these books the other day, I thought I’d glance over it and ended up re-reading the whole thing. People who love to read often joke that once they start a book, the rest of the world goes away – or they wish it would. With Duncan’s stories, that’s not an idle joke or wish: it’s a guarantee.
I read it first!
Kasey Cox
I don’t know how many people share my secret desire, but I hope I’m not alone in my stubborn pride. Here is my confession: I often want to be THE biggest fan. The one who liked it BEFORE it became a popular trend. I’d like to pride myself as a reader who knew about a book long before Oprah chose it, or someone in Hollywood decided it would make a great movie. I struggle between being glad that someone of prestige would validate my choice in favorite books, and being disappointed that my choice in favorites seems no more than jumping on the bandwagon.
So it is with the book and the author for this column. When I started thinking about books I’d like to review, Jennifer Egan’s novel “The Invisible Circus” came to mind immediately. I found this novel in a used bookstore in the summer of 2001. Pat Conroy was one of my favorite authors, and his praise for this book intrigued me: “If there were any justice in the world, no one would be allowed to write a first novel of such beauty and accomplishment.” I had just read two other novels -- Charles Frazier’s “Cold Mountain”, and Susan Vreeland’s “Girl in Hyacinth Blue” -- about which I was saying the same thing. Of course, now, these books have been made into movies and these authors have received huge critical acclaim.
Although I still love Conroy, Frazier, and Vreeland, I believe “The Invisible Circus” surpasses them. The story follows Phoebe, a recent graduate of high school in the late 1970’s, who is still trying to resolve her feelings about the life and death of her older sister, Faith. Growing up in San Francisco, Faith came of age in “the ‘60’s”, at the epicenter of the counterculture, the Beat poets, excitement about changes, talk of revolution. Since Phoebe was only a child at the time, she sees herself, Faith, and those times through the distorted mirror of a little sister’s awe. To find herself and find out what happened to Faith, Phoebe impulsively leaves on a trip, following Faith’s old postcards from her travels, like a treasure map. Phoebe’s discoveries – in her own memories and in the stories of people who knew Faith in her last days – are touching, mesmerizing, shocking, and ultimately, healing.
This is a story where the characters give us the chance to ask the question they themselves struggle with – do we love the people in our lives for who they truly are, or who we imagine them to be? And how will we deal with the disparity between our beliefs and the reality of a person we love, especially if that truth is a sudden and unwelcome revelation? There are many books written about sisters, about the effect a death has on a family and the survivors, and on the experiences of people during the 1960’s. For me, “The Invisible Circus” handles these intricate matters with an unparalled grace and clarity. Although Egan tackles complex emotions across a web of interconnected characters, the situations never feel contrived, and the resolution is satisfying and real – unforced.
Since “The Invisible Circus”, Jennifer Egan wrote a second novel, “Look at Me”, that was a finalist for the National Book Award. With her third novel – “The Keep”— just released last month, she’s again receiving national attention. Just remember, I read her first.
I don’t know how many people share my secret desire, but I hope I’m not alone in my stubborn pride. Here is my confession: I often want to be THE biggest fan. The one who liked it BEFORE it became a popular trend. I’d like to pride myself as a reader who knew about a book long before Oprah chose it, or someone in Hollywood decided it would make a great movie. I struggle between being glad that someone of prestige would validate my choice in favorite books, and being disappointed that my choice in favorites seems no more than jumping on the bandwagon.
So it is with the book and the author for this column. When I started thinking about books I’d like to review, Jennifer Egan’s novel “The Invisible Circus” came to mind immediately. I found this novel in a used bookstore in the summer of 2001. Pat Conroy was one of my favorite authors, and his praise for this book intrigued me: “If there were any justice in the world, no one would be allowed to write a first novel of such beauty and accomplishment.” I had just read two other novels -- Charles Frazier’s “Cold Mountain”, and Susan Vreeland’s “Girl in Hyacinth Blue” -- about which I was saying the same thing. Of course, now, these books have been made into movies and these authors have received huge critical acclaim.
Although I still love Conroy, Frazier, and Vreeland, I believe “The Invisible Circus” surpasses them. The story follows Phoebe, a recent graduate of high school in the late 1970’s, who is still trying to resolve her feelings about the life and death of her older sister, Faith. Growing up in San Francisco, Faith came of age in “the ‘60’s”, at the epicenter of the counterculture, the Beat poets, excitement about changes, talk of revolution. Since Phoebe was only a child at the time, she sees herself, Faith, and those times through the distorted mirror of a little sister’s awe. To find herself and find out what happened to Faith, Phoebe impulsively leaves on a trip, following Faith’s old postcards from her travels, like a treasure map. Phoebe’s discoveries – in her own memories and in the stories of people who knew Faith in her last days – are touching, mesmerizing, shocking, and ultimately, healing.
This is a story where the characters give us the chance to ask the question they themselves struggle with – do we love the people in our lives for who they truly are, or who we imagine them to be? And how will we deal with the disparity between our beliefs and the reality of a person we love, especially if that truth is a sudden and unwelcome revelation? There are many books written about sisters, about the effect a death has on a family and the survivors, and on the experiences of people during the 1960’s. For me, “The Invisible Circus” handles these intricate matters with an unparalled grace and clarity. Although Egan tackles complex emotions across a web of interconnected characters, the situations never feel contrived, and the resolution is satisfying and real – unforced.
Since “The Invisible Circus”, Jennifer Egan wrote a second novel, “Look at Me”, that was a finalist for the National Book Award. With her third novel – “The Keep”— just released last month, she’s again receiving national attention. Just remember, I read her first.
Dr Tatiana's Banned Book Review
Kasey Cox
What do you get when you cross a biology textbook, a Dr. Ruth show, a Dear Abby column, and a “Far Side” cartoon? Well, the offspring might be a brilliantly original book named Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Advice to All Creation. This collection answers the desperate questions from species as varied as the Australian redback spider to the Louisiana black vulture with Dr. Tatiana’s practical, reassuring, detailed explanations. It seems the worry on everyone’s mind is, “Am I normal?”
Move over, Dr. Phil. Author Olivia Judson is an evolutionary biologist, award-winning science journalist, graduate of Stanford, and doctorate of Oxford University. Writing as Dr. Tatiana, Judson transforms both difficult scientific ideas and the sometimes-awkward discussion of the (ah-hem!) birds and the bees into accessible, often hilarious reading material. Evidently, virgin births, homosexuality, variety in size and shape of genitalia, elaborate courtship rituals, and cannibalism are not so unusual in nature as one may think. Dr. Tatiana gives her readers – be they insect, animal or human – a sigh of relief along with a much-needed chuckle at our own foibles as she explains, from her expert but kind perspective, why we do the things we do.
And herein lies the rub. While I see Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Advice …as a clever way to teach a wealth of knowledge about natural science, biology, animal behavior, and genetics, I know there are many folks who would balk. The first time I read this book, I wished it could have been included in my high school science class, and fondly remembered time spent in the classrooms of Mr. and Mrs. Puskar, where quirky often served as mnemonic. But I know, especially now, that eyebrows would go way up, and corners of mouths would go way down, at the words “SEX ADVICE”, let alone that the subtitle, which announces this little volume as “The Definitive Guide to the Evolutionary Biology of Sex.” If “sex advice” in any classroom context is murky ground, then “evolutionary” anything these days is a cause for all-out war.
At the end of September of each year, the American Library Association reminds us to celebrate our freedom to read by marking “Banned Book Week.” If Dr. Tatiana isn’t on the list of banned books, I’m sure it easily could be. That makes me sad, because I don’t like that learning details about the stunning array of life on earth could be seen as bad, harmful, or sinful. Whether you believe it’s God’s creation or just critters, they still do the things so deliciously described here. Few people have a problem with their kids watching a Discovery channel special about the Lamprologus ocellatus, a fish that lives in one of the Great Lakes of tropical Africa? Somehow, this is different. I guess the real debate comes when Dr. Tatiana (or any biology professor) starts explaining the WHY behind behavior in terms of evolution. Then, the main “worry” of living beings is not, as the cute letters of bugs and fish may suggest, about being normal, but about reproducing and spreading your genes. That does shoot a big hole in the theories espoused in Rick Warren’s best-selling book, “The Purpose Driven Life”. Not to mention some religious texts, like the best-selling book of all time.
I’m not going to provide a neat little resolution to this debate, not that I could even if I wrote a dissertation instead of a book review. I’m just going to recommend that you grab a copy of Dr. Tatiana and take yourself, the whimsical and weird of nature, and the evolutionary debate on the light side for a few hours. Learn a lot, laugh a lot, and celebrate the fact that in the United States, you can read about a subject from all different angles.
What do you get when you cross a biology textbook, a Dr. Ruth show, a Dear Abby column, and a “Far Side” cartoon? Well, the offspring might be a brilliantly original book named Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Advice to All Creation. This collection answers the desperate questions from species as varied as the Australian redback spider to the Louisiana black vulture with Dr. Tatiana’s practical, reassuring, detailed explanations. It seems the worry on everyone’s mind is, “Am I normal?”
Move over, Dr. Phil. Author Olivia Judson is an evolutionary biologist, award-winning science journalist, graduate of Stanford, and doctorate of Oxford University. Writing as Dr. Tatiana, Judson transforms both difficult scientific ideas and the sometimes-awkward discussion of the (ah-hem!) birds and the bees into accessible, often hilarious reading material. Evidently, virgin births, homosexuality, variety in size and shape of genitalia, elaborate courtship rituals, and cannibalism are not so unusual in nature as one may think. Dr. Tatiana gives her readers – be they insect, animal or human – a sigh of relief along with a much-needed chuckle at our own foibles as she explains, from her expert but kind perspective, why we do the things we do.
And herein lies the rub. While I see Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Advice …as a clever way to teach a wealth of knowledge about natural science, biology, animal behavior, and genetics, I know there are many folks who would balk. The first time I read this book, I wished it could have been included in my high school science class, and fondly remembered time spent in the classrooms of Mr. and Mrs. Puskar, where quirky often served as mnemonic. But I know, especially now, that eyebrows would go way up, and corners of mouths would go way down, at the words “SEX ADVICE”, let alone that the subtitle, which announces this little volume as “The Definitive Guide to the Evolutionary Biology of Sex.” If “sex advice” in any classroom context is murky ground, then “evolutionary” anything these days is a cause for all-out war.
At the end of September of each year, the American Library Association reminds us to celebrate our freedom to read by marking “Banned Book Week.” If Dr. Tatiana isn’t on the list of banned books, I’m sure it easily could be. That makes me sad, because I don’t like that learning details about the stunning array of life on earth could be seen as bad, harmful, or sinful. Whether you believe it’s God’s creation or just critters, they still do the things so deliciously described here. Few people have a problem with their kids watching a Discovery channel special about the Lamprologus ocellatus, a fish that lives in one of the Great Lakes of tropical Africa? Somehow, this is different. I guess the real debate comes when Dr. Tatiana (or any biology professor) starts explaining the WHY behind behavior in terms of evolution. Then, the main “worry” of living beings is not, as the cute letters of bugs and fish may suggest, about being normal, but about reproducing and spreading your genes. That does shoot a big hole in the theories espoused in Rick Warren’s best-selling book, “The Purpose Driven Life”. Not to mention some religious texts, like the best-selling book of all time.
I’m not going to provide a neat little resolution to this debate, not that I could even if I wrote a dissertation instead of a book review. I’m just going to recommend that you grab a copy of Dr. Tatiana and take yourself, the whimsical and weird of nature, and the evolutionary debate on the light side for a few hours. Learn a lot, laugh a lot, and celebrate the fact that in the United States, you can read about a subject from all different angles.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
"Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About"
Kevin Coolidge
A voice drifts up from below. ”What are you doing?” My girlfriend asks.
“Nothing.” I reply.
“Then you can help me with the dishes,” she says.
“I’m busy.” I yell downstairs.
I’m sitting in front of a blank computer screen, thinking and writing about nothing. I stare into the abyss and the abyss stares back. It’s ok. I’m a man and we do that sometimes. It’s Zen in the art of being a guy. I am a whirlwind at rest, serenity in action. I am in the zone. I am zenned. Sure, I could be striving for that cherished Pulitzer. Writing about world hunger, of mans inhumanity to man, of kinder and gentler political regimes, even how to grill the perfect steak, but I’m in the moment, at one with the keyboard. The perfect lead into my next column will come, because you can’t step into the same river twice, and my fuzzy bunny slippers are still dry.
“Take out the trash, if you aren’t doing anything!” hollers my girlfriend.
Damn, my bubble of tranquility has burst, and I have nothing, nothing at all…
Nothing keeps a relationship on its toes so much as lively debate. Fortunately, my girlfriend and I agree on nothing, nothing at all. Nobody knows the dynamics of long-term relationships better than Mil Millington, author of Things My Girlfriend And I Have Argued About.
Mil started out writing his column for the British paper, The Guardian. The column, it turns out, is about things that Mil and his girlfriend Margaret argue about. They argue about the remote, the proper way to cut a kiwi, and even argue about arguments.
Things My Girlfriend And I Have Argued About, the novel, begins with our protagonist, Pel, his German girlfriend Ursula, and their two children. Pel works in the IT department of a university library (or "Learning Centre"-- he is a British writer after all). Pel receives an odd call from his boss, TSR, who quizzes him about extradition treaties; within a week he has vanished without a trace, and Pel is promoted to TSR's former position, CTASATM- "Computer Team Administration, Software Acquisition and Training Manager". Have to love those acronyms.
The story follows both Pel's home and work lives. At home, there are the arguments with Ursula over the search for a new home, after the latest burglary of their current home; defrosting the fridge during the moving preparations; Ursula terrifying the builders working on the repairs of the new house; a skiing accident, leaving Ursula with a torn tendon in her shoulder.
At work, Pel finds that taking on TSR's job involves more than it seemed at first; he has to pay off student recruiters from the Pacific Rim, who happen to be members of The Triads, the oriental version of organized crime. He has to take care of the details of the building of a new Learning Centre building, which involves hiding the fact that skeletons from an ancient burial ground have been illegally moved from the site, and a dangerous neurotoxin is to be buried under the new addition--a dual semester science project by an unsupervised student.
These details lead him to become closely involved with the permanently hung over Vice Chancellor of the university, which leads to his receiving another promotion, to Learning Centre Manager. The previous holder of that position having left to pursue his fetish website, and well things just get stranger from there.
This is Mil’s first novel and he does tend to hang a more-or-less useless plot on the concept of “things”. In many places in seems to be a collection of his columns inserted into a novel. But he has great comic timing and his turn of phrasing will keep you entertained. He’s so deft and downright funny that it’ll get you kicked out of bed and probably start another one of those “arguments”. His humor is distinctly English.
If you don't mind your humor peppered with bollocks, tossers, and the odd wanker, than Mil Millington is your man. Check him out…
Comments, questions, squeeze the toothpaste in the middle or roll it up? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net
Kevin Coolidge
A voice drifts up from below. ”What are you doing?” My girlfriend asks.
“Nothing.” I reply.
“Then you can help me with the dishes,” she says.
“I’m busy.” I yell downstairs.
I’m sitting in front of a blank computer screen, thinking and writing about nothing. I stare into the abyss and the abyss stares back. It’s ok. I’m a man and we do that sometimes. It’s Zen in the art of being a guy. I am a whirlwind at rest, serenity in action. I am in the zone. I am zenned. Sure, I could be striving for that cherished Pulitzer. Writing about world hunger, of mans inhumanity to man, of kinder and gentler political regimes, even how to grill the perfect steak, but I’m in the moment, at one with the keyboard. The perfect lead into my next column will come, because you can’t step into the same river twice, and my fuzzy bunny slippers are still dry.
“Take out the trash, if you aren’t doing anything!” hollers my girlfriend.
Damn, my bubble of tranquility has burst, and I have nothing, nothing at all…
Nothing keeps a relationship on its toes so much as lively debate. Fortunately, my girlfriend and I agree on nothing, nothing at all. Nobody knows the dynamics of long-term relationships better than Mil Millington, author of Things My Girlfriend And I Have Argued About.
Mil started out writing his column for the British paper, The Guardian. The column, it turns out, is about things that Mil and his girlfriend Margaret argue about. They argue about the remote, the proper way to cut a kiwi, and even argue about arguments.
Things My Girlfriend And I Have Argued About, the novel, begins with our protagonist, Pel, his German girlfriend Ursula, and their two children. Pel works in the IT department of a university library (or "Learning Centre"-- he is a British writer after all). Pel receives an odd call from his boss, TSR, who quizzes him about extradition treaties; within a week he has vanished without a trace, and Pel is promoted to TSR's former position, CTASATM- "Computer Team Administration, Software Acquisition and Training Manager". Have to love those acronyms.
The story follows both Pel's home and work lives. At home, there are the arguments with Ursula over the search for a new home, after the latest burglary of their current home; defrosting the fridge during the moving preparations; Ursula terrifying the builders working on the repairs of the new house; a skiing accident, leaving Ursula with a torn tendon in her shoulder.
At work, Pel finds that taking on TSR's job involves more than it seemed at first; he has to pay off student recruiters from the Pacific Rim, who happen to be members of The Triads, the oriental version of organized crime. He has to take care of the details of the building of a new Learning Centre building, which involves hiding the fact that skeletons from an ancient burial ground have been illegally moved from the site, and a dangerous neurotoxin is to be buried under the new addition--a dual semester science project by an unsupervised student.
These details lead him to become closely involved with the permanently hung over Vice Chancellor of the university, which leads to his receiving another promotion, to Learning Centre Manager. The previous holder of that position having left to pursue his fetish website, and well things just get stranger from there.
This is Mil’s first novel and he does tend to hang a more-or-less useless plot on the concept of “things”. In many places in seems to be a collection of his columns inserted into a novel. But he has great comic timing and his turn of phrasing will keep you entertained. He’s so deft and downright funny that it’ll get you kicked out of bed and probably start another one of those “arguments”. His humor is distinctly English.
If you don't mind your humor peppered with bollocks, tossers, and the odd wanker, than Mil Millington is your man. Check him out…
Comments, questions, squeeze the toothpaste in the middle or roll it up? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net
Kevin Coolidge
"Don't Fry Bacon with Your Shirt Off!!"
Kevin Coolidge
A slight breeze whispers through the trees. Fortune favors me this misty morning, for the wind hides my scent, carrying it away from my intended prey. All morning I’ve tracked this fearsome beast. Waiting for that one perfect moment, that split second, frozen in time. I let fly my spear, giving a silent prayer to the Gods of the hunt. The animal screams, and falls dead. Today is a good day, because I eat. A voice from the heavens booms, “Clean up in Aisle 7.” The manager starts screaming “Get Out! I’m calling the cops!”
It’s not my fault. I told my girlfriend that guys don’t shop. We hunt. Sure you can send us to the grocery store, but make sure we have a list. We hunt for the milk. We hunt for the bread, we make the kill and then we’re out of there, and as for the tampons…
A lot of us also don’t cook, and that’s why Don’t Fry Bacon with Your Shirt Off: A Single Man’s Guide to the Kitchen by Bob Woodley is going to come in handy. Not frying bacon with your shirt off is the first rule for the single man for a number of reasons. You don’t want to burn the skin off your chest, and you want to be able to eat your BLT without burning down the house.
The great thing about this book is that Bob breaks it down in guy-like instructions. Just like with any basic skill, there are levels of competence. You might feel comfortable rewiring your house or your level of handiness might be changing a light bulb. If you are eating cereal for dinner, and think that the refrigerator is just for keeping your beer cold, then this book is for you.
The book starts with the basics--a list of all the pots, pans, utensils and other stuff you may eventually want to have. Don’t worry about having to run out and buy that fondue pot. He lists the stuff you will need most first, and just like buying any tool, whether a power drill or a frying pan, quality counts.
One of the few things that modern man has over Neanderthals is the ability to store food for later consumption. This handy book covers some of the basics. There’s more to storage than Tupperware. What’s the sense of buying the econopack of chicken wings only to have to throw half of them away?
This isn’t a cookbook full of recipes, though he does manage to sneak in a couple. If you are a typical guy, a recipe is just like a set of directions for putting together a BBQ grill. First you read it thoroughly, drink a cold beer, and then throw it away, because you’re a guy and you don’t need directions. Bob does cover where to find recipes and how to follow a recipe, and you know Aunt Martha is just dying to give you her famous meat-loaf secret.
The book also covers Mexican and Italian food, pasta, ground beef, the amazing egg (it’s not just for breakfast anymore), and how to cook for a party. The important survival mode chapter is for those who just need to get by, whether the end of the semester is coming or you’re recently divorced, but you don’t want to starve, live on fast food or microwave popcorn, and pizza. The best way to reheat cold pizza by the way is to use a toaster oven, not a microwave.
This book is a great gift for your friend who just got his first bachelor pad, or for the recently divorced buddy. Grab a six-pack, drop by and leave the book on the kitchen counter. Just don’t consume alcohol and decide to cook up something. It may seem like a great idea, but jalapeno poppers are not for the uninitiated and grease fires can be nasty. (Note: do not use water, or beer to put out a grease fire. Smother it was a pan lid, use a LOT of baking soda, or a chemical fire extinguisher, and when it doubt, get out) So, do the single man you know a favor. This book won’t make him a chef, but it can make him a cook. Grab this book, serve, and enjoy…
Kevin Coolidge.
Comments, questions, what to serve with a BLT, red or white wine? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net Be sure to check out my cat’s new book Hobo Finds a Home-A children’s book about a barn cat, who wanted more out of life, illustrated by Susan M.Gage.
A slight breeze whispers through the trees. Fortune favors me this misty morning, for the wind hides my scent, carrying it away from my intended prey. All morning I’ve tracked this fearsome beast. Waiting for that one perfect moment, that split second, frozen in time. I let fly my spear, giving a silent prayer to the Gods of the hunt. The animal screams, and falls dead. Today is a good day, because I eat. A voice from the heavens booms, “Clean up in Aisle 7.” The manager starts screaming “Get Out! I’m calling the cops!”
It’s not my fault. I told my girlfriend that guys don’t shop. We hunt. Sure you can send us to the grocery store, but make sure we have a list. We hunt for the milk. We hunt for the bread, we make the kill and then we’re out of there, and as for the tampons…
A lot of us also don’t cook, and that’s why Don’t Fry Bacon with Your Shirt Off: A Single Man’s Guide to the Kitchen by Bob Woodley is going to come in handy. Not frying bacon with your shirt off is the first rule for the single man for a number of reasons. You don’t want to burn the skin off your chest, and you want to be able to eat your BLT without burning down the house.
The great thing about this book is that Bob breaks it down in guy-like instructions. Just like with any basic skill, there are levels of competence. You might feel comfortable rewiring your house or your level of handiness might be changing a light bulb. If you are eating cereal for dinner, and think that the refrigerator is just for keeping your beer cold, then this book is for you.
The book starts with the basics--a list of all the pots, pans, utensils and other stuff you may eventually want to have. Don’t worry about having to run out and buy that fondue pot. He lists the stuff you will need most first, and just like buying any tool, whether a power drill or a frying pan, quality counts.
One of the few things that modern man has over Neanderthals is the ability to store food for later consumption. This handy book covers some of the basics. There’s more to storage than Tupperware. What’s the sense of buying the econopack of chicken wings only to have to throw half of them away?
This isn’t a cookbook full of recipes, though he does manage to sneak in a couple. If you are a typical guy, a recipe is just like a set of directions for putting together a BBQ grill. First you read it thoroughly, drink a cold beer, and then throw it away, because you’re a guy and you don’t need directions. Bob does cover where to find recipes and how to follow a recipe, and you know Aunt Martha is just dying to give you her famous meat-loaf secret.
The book also covers Mexican and Italian food, pasta, ground beef, the amazing egg (it’s not just for breakfast anymore), and how to cook for a party. The important survival mode chapter is for those who just need to get by, whether the end of the semester is coming or you’re recently divorced, but you don’t want to starve, live on fast food or microwave popcorn, and pizza. The best way to reheat cold pizza by the way is to use a toaster oven, not a microwave.
This book is a great gift for your friend who just got his first bachelor pad, or for the recently divorced buddy. Grab a six-pack, drop by and leave the book on the kitchen counter. Just don’t consume alcohol and decide to cook up something. It may seem like a great idea, but jalapeno poppers are not for the uninitiated and grease fires can be nasty. (Note: do not use water, or beer to put out a grease fire. Smother it was a pan lid, use a LOT of baking soda, or a chemical fire extinguisher, and when it doubt, get out) So, do the single man you know a favor. This book won’t make him a chef, but it can make him a cook. Grab this book, serve, and enjoy…
Kevin Coolidge.
Comments, questions, what to serve with a BLT, red or white wine? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net Be sure to check out my cat’s new book Hobo Finds a Home-A children’s book about a barn cat, who wanted more out of life, illustrated by Susan M.Gage.
"The Pen and the Sword"
Kevin Coolidge
It is said that the pen is mightier than the sword, though I much prefer my Swiss army knife. Still, I could not help but be fascinated by a class called “The Pen and the Sword” taught by an Aikido master. Truly, now was my chance to learn to kill a man with a ballpoint pen, and land that job with the CIA. If he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword, then he who lives by the pen…? Writing is not for the weak. I must be strong. I must be prepared. I must be ready.
I was ready to become both master of the pen and the sword. Anxiously I awaited the sensei’s (Japanese for teacher) arrival. The room filled with gymnastic mats-also called tatami-and nervous energy. Here I would forge the weapon of my mind, the strength of my spirit, the tool of my will.
A stout man came waddling into the room with a Grizzly Adams beard and blazing blue eyes, like a half-crazed Viking warrior who forgot where he put his bearskin. This could not be the teacher? Surely such a man was born to wield an ungainly battle-axe, not the eloquently crafted katana. Lost? Searching for a Wagner opera? A drumming circle?
His voice boomed, “You have to write a poem. You have one minute. Go!”
A mad rush of students surged to the back wall where a table sat loaded with clean, white paper and pencils. Quickly, I grabbed a pencil. “Only a minute to craft a poem of truth and beauty, and it has to be great!” I looked to the heavens for inspiration; I pleaded to my muse for guidance. I looked within myself, and found me.
There’s a saying, “No matter where you go, there you are.” And there I was. There’s some that might say I’m bull-headed, or have a blatant disregard for authority figures. Maybe, maybe not. But I was in the moment, and that rebel in me grabbed that pencil and wrote four quick lines that spilled out of me.
I have to write a poem.
It has to be good.
No, I don’t.
No, it doesn’t.
I put my pencil down and smiled smugly like that smart-ass kid in geometry class that always finishes his test before anyone else. Don’t you just hate that? The berserker glared at me and snarled, “Are you done?”
“Yep.” I arrogantly replied.
“You now have thirty seconds!” roared the madman...
Aikido (aikidō) is translated as the “way of harmonious spirit,” and emphasizes joining with an attack and redirecting the attacker's energy. Hey, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. So this class was not to turn me into a lethal weapon, but it did make the art of poetry more accessible to me. The arts of war have strong traditions in many art forms, from poetry to calligraphy to flower arranging.
Martial arts are more than what you do, or do to someone. Martial arts can help build confidence, fitness, discipline and awareness of one’s surroundings. It is something that you feel. Being what you are. Being in the moment and it ain’t always pretty.
What is poetry? Is it more than just words? If it has no structure, is it poetry? If it doesn’t rhyme, is it poetry? If it’s in free form, or freestyle, is that a poem? Poetry, and discussions of it, have a long history, and poets and scholars will never agree on a definition. For me, poetry is a means of expressing an idea, emotion, feeling or memory in a concise way. It may be graceful, beautifully expressed, or even brutal-an elegant arc of a well-honed blade or a swift body blow to the breadbasket.
No, my aikido teacher was not a tyrant, or a bully, but a kind, gentle man with lessons to teach and wicked sense of humor. The real power and truth of a poem is the honesty and truth to it. You can dress it up, flesh it out, or make it dance the salsa, but if it isn’t real it really isn’t anything at all. What is poetry? All I can say is, “You’ll know it when you feel it…”
For further reading check out, Sword and Brush by Dave Lowry: The way of the brush reflects the strategic principles of the sword, Lowry is master of both.
Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury: A celebration of the act of writing, by a master storyteller. I am unaware of his prowess in the deadly arts, but I don’t recommend meeting him in a dark alleyway.
Kevin Coolidge
Comments, questions, does your vorpal blade go snicker snack, or does it just snicker? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net
It is said that the pen is mightier than the sword, though I much prefer my Swiss army knife. Still, I could not help but be fascinated by a class called “The Pen and the Sword” taught by an Aikido master. Truly, now was my chance to learn to kill a man with a ballpoint pen, and land that job with the CIA. If he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword, then he who lives by the pen…? Writing is not for the weak. I must be strong. I must be prepared. I must be ready.
I was ready to become both master of the pen and the sword. Anxiously I awaited the sensei’s (Japanese for teacher) arrival. The room filled with gymnastic mats-also called tatami-and nervous energy. Here I would forge the weapon of my mind, the strength of my spirit, the tool of my will.
A stout man came waddling into the room with a Grizzly Adams beard and blazing blue eyes, like a half-crazed Viking warrior who forgot where he put his bearskin. This could not be the teacher? Surely such a man was born to wield an ungainly battle-axe, not the eloquently crafted katana. Lost? Searching for a Wagner opera? A drumming circle?
His voice boomed, “You have to write a poem. You have one minute. Go!”
A mad rush of students surged to the back wall where a table sat loaded with clean, white paper and pencils. Quickly, I grabbed a pencil. “Only a minute to craft a poem of truth and beauty, and it has to be great!” I looked to the heavens for inspiration; I pleaded to my muse for guidance. I looked within myself, and found me.
There’s a saying, “No matter where you go, there you are.” And there I was. There’s some that might say I’m bull-headed, or have a blatant disregard for authority figures. Maybe, maybe not. But I was in the moment, and that rebel in me grabbed that pencil and wrote four quick lines that spilled out of me.
I have to write a poem.
It has to be good.
No, I don’t.
No, it doesn’t.
I put my pencil down and smiled smugly like that smart-ass kid in geometry class that always finishes his test before anyone else. Don’t you just hate that? The berserker glared at me and snarled, “Are you done?”
“Yep.” I arrogantly replied.
“You now have thirty seconds!” roared the madman...
Aikido (aikidō) is translated as the “way of harmonious spirit,” and emphasizes joining with an attack and redirecting the attacker's energy. Hey, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. So this class was not to turn me into a lethal weapon, but it did make the art of poetry more accessible to me. The arts of war have strong traditions in many art forms, from poetry to calligraphy to flower arranging.
Martial arts are more than what you do, or do to someone. Martial arts can help build confidence, fitness, discipline and awareness of one’s surroundings. It is something that you feel. Being what you are. Being in the moment and it ain’t always pretty.
What is poetry? Is it more than just words? If it has no structure, is it poetry? If it doesn’t rhyme, is it poetry? If it’s in free form, or freestyle, is that a poem? Poetry, and discussions of it, have a long history, and poets and scholars will never agree on a definition. For me, poetry is a means of expressing an idea, emotion, feeling or memory in a concise way. It may be graceful, beautifully expressed, or even brutal-an elegant arc of a well-honed blade or a swift body blow to the breadbasket.
No, my aikido teacher was not a tyrant, or a bully, but a kind, gentle man with lessons to teach and wicked sense of humor. The real power and truth of a poem is the honesty and truth to it. You can dress it up, flesh it out, or make it dance the salsa, but if it isn’t real it really isn’t anything at all. What is poetry? All I can say is, “You’ll know it when you feel it…”
For further reading check out, Sword and Brush by Dave Lowry: The way of the brush reflects the strategic principles of the sword, Lowry is master of both.
Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury: A celebration of the act of writing, by a master storyteller. I am unaware of his prowess in the deadly arts, but I don’t recommend meeting him in a dark alleyway.
Kevin Coolidge
Comments, questions, does your vorpal blade go snicker snack, or does it just snicker? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net
"Flatlanders and Ridgerunners"
Kevin Coolidge
Two flatlanders are hiking in the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon when they find themselves trapped between a mother bear and her two cubs. The bear roars and starts to charge towards them. One of them stands rooted to the spot, while the other bends down, calmly takes off his fancy hiking boots, and starts to lace up his running shoes. The first flatlander looks over and says to his friend, "Why bother? No one can outrun a bear." His friend looks up and says, "I know that. But all I have to do is outrun you..."
I’m a ridgerunner and thus a natural storyteller and I love flatlander jokes. Just what is a flatlander? If you have to ask, you probably are one. Natives, also known as ridgerunners, use flatlander as a term for people from “down state”, especially people from Southern Pennsylvania around Philadelphia area and especially folks from New Jersey. Really though, it can stand for anyone from outside the endless mountains of North Central Pennsylvania. The term can be used jokingly, but also with a fair amount of contempt. The common understanding, as represented in the book Flatlanders and Ridgerunners by James York Glimm, is that the flatlanders lack the knowledge of the hills and the means of basic survival and should go home.
Unfortunately, this collection of folktales has gone the way of the Sidehill Mootie. Well, being that I’m made of earth and stone, and pure mountain spring water flows through my veins, that answer wasn’t good enough for me.
I decided to track down the publisher and find out who owned the rights and see if I couldn’t use some of that old country charm to get it reprinted. I have a copy of my own that I’ve perused so much that it’s only held together with spit and spider webs. I’ve found several of the out of print editions, but these sell upwards of eighty dollars for the hardcover edition, and close to fifty for the paperback, and that’s money I need for the still.
It seems I’m not the only one who knows their “ass from a hole in the ground”. Margie Bachman of University of Pittsburgh Press has been instrumental in this book seeing the light of day, and bringing it back into print. Margie says of the book, “First published in 1983, and continues to be in high demand…a must read.” It’s been a process for Margie, and she’s run into a number of snags along the way, but this tome of local folktales is available once again.
James York Glimm was born a city boy. So when he took a position at Mansfield University in the heart of the mountains of Northern Pennsylvania in 1968. He was unprepared for the weather, the animals, and getting only three television stations, two of which didn’t come in. He was ignorant, an outsider--yep, a flatlander. As he explains in the introduction to his now beloved book.
How does one become a ridgerunner? Well, most locals say you have to be born one, and there’s some truth to that. But with the passage of time, people might just forget that you “aint from these parts”, at least most of the time. One of the first things to remember is that this isn’t the big city, and that’s one reason we live here. There’s a natural, scenic beauty, and it doesn’t come with a opera house, stores lit with neon signs that stay open 24/7. There also isn’t a lot of impersonal, violent crime. Guns don’t kill people; people kill people. Sure, you might get an rear end full of rock salt for skinny dipping in a farmer’s pond, but he knows who you are--especially, the next day when he sees you limping around.
We like it this way, and attempting to recreate that little part of the city you left behind is universally resented. I don’t care if you are a hard-core tree hugger, vegetarian, activist, or flesh eating zombie—that’s just dandy. Just don’t stick it in my craw and expect me to chew on it. Most ridgerunners don’t care who you are or what you do as long as you extend the same courtesy to them.
Plain old good manners and common sense will see you through most situations and help you adjust to the ridgerunner way, but since there’s a book for damn near everything, I recommend, Starting A New Life In Rural America: 21 Things You Need to Know Before You Make Your Move by Ragnar Benson. Benson grew up on a farm and has lived in the sticks most of his life. He’s gathered his advice in this handy manual. Hey, why learn things the hard way? He covers topics from septic tanks, to snow storms to bears in your garbage. Blending into your natural surroundings is just part of your new life in the country. Unfortunately, many city people think about nature and forget about social blending. Ragnar covers driving protocol in the country, how to borrow tools, and rural churches and their role in local affairs.
There’s much more to blending into a rural community than what these two books or any column can cover, but it’s a start. Talking to folks, driving rural roads correctly and helping pull a neighbor out of a ditch in winter are much more valuable in terms of community relations than holding an open house. As I said, plain, good old manners and common sense will see you through most situations. So, take a load off, buy me a cold beer, and let me tell you about these two flatlanders that went huntin’…
Comments, questions, your favorite folktale, email me at frommyshelf@epix.net
Two flatlanders are hiking in the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon when they find themselves trapped between a mother bear and her two cubs. The bear roars and starts to charge towards them. One of them stands rooted to the spot, while the other bends down, calmly takes off his fancy hiking boots, and starts to lace up his running shoes. The first flatlander looks over and says to his friend, "Why bother? No one can outrun a bear." His friend looks up and says, "I know that. But all I have to do is outrun you..."
I’m a ridgerunner and thus a natural storyteller and I love flatlander jokes. Just what is a flatlander? If you have to ask, you probably are one. Natives, also known as ridgerunners, use flatlander as a term for people from “down state”, especially people from Southern Pennsylvania around Philadelphia area and especially folks from New Jersey. Really though, it can stand for anyone from outside the endless mountains of North Central Pennsylvania. The term can be used jokingly, but also with a fair amount of contempt. The common understanding, as represented in the book Flatlanders and Ridgerunners by James York Glimm, is that the flatlanders lack the knowledge of the hills and the means of basic survival and should go home.
Unfortunately, this collection of folktales has gone the way of the Sidehill Mootie. Well, being that I’m made of earth and stone, and pure mountain spring water flows through my veins, that answer wasn’t good enough for me.
I decided to track down the publisher and find out who owned the rights and see if I couldn’t use some of that old country charm to get it reprinted. I have a copy of my own that I’ve perused so much that it’s only held together with spit and spider webs. I’ve found several of the out of print editions, but these sell upwards of eighty dollars for the hardcover edition, and close to fifty for the paperback, and that’s money I need for the still.
It seems I’m not the only one who knows their “ass from a hole in the ground”. Margie Bachman of University of Pittsburgh Press has been instrumental in this book seeing the light of day, and bringing it back into print. Margie says of the book, “First published in 1983, and continues to be in high demand…a must read.” It’s been a process for Margie, and she’s run into a number of snags along the way, but this tome of local folktales is available once again.
James York Glimm was born a city boy. So when he took a position at Mansfield University in the heart of the mountains of Northern Pennsylvania in 1968. He was unprepared for the weather, the animals, and getting only three television stations, two of which didn’t come in. He was ignorant, an outsider--yep, a flatlander. As he explains in the introduction to his now beloved book.
How does one become a ridgerunner? Well, most locals say you have to be born one, and there’s some truth to that. But with the passage of time, people might just forget that you “aint from these parts”, at least most of the time. One of the first things to remember is that this isn’t the big city, and that’s one reason we live here. There’s a natural, scenic beauty, and it doesn’t come with a opera house
We like it this way, and attempting to recreate that little part of the city you left behind is universally resented. I don’t care if you are a hard-core tree hugger, vegetarian, activist, or flesh eating zombie—that’s just dandy. Just don’t stick it in my craw and expect me to chew on it. Most ridgerunners don’t care who you are or what you do as long as you extend the same courtesy to them.
Plain old good manners and common sense will see you through most situations and help you adjust to the ridgerunner way, but since there’s a book for damn near everything, I recommend, Starting A New Life In Rural America: 21 Things You Need to Know Before You Make Your Move by Ragnar Benson. Benson grew up on a farm and has lived in the sticks most of his life. He’s gathered his advice in this handy manual. Hey, why learn things the hard way? He covers topics from septic tanks, to snow storms to bears in your garbage. Blending into your natural surroundings is just part of your new life in the country. Unfortunately, many city people think about nature and forget about social blending. Ragnar covers driving protocol in the country, how to borrow tools, and rural churches and their role in local affairs.
There’s much more to blending into a rural community than what these two books or any column can cover, but it’s a start. Talking to folks, driving rural roads correctly and helping pull a neighbor out of a ditch in winter are much more valuable in terms of community relations than holding an open house. As I said, plain, good old manners and common sense will see you through most situations. So, take a load off, buy me a cold beer, and let me tell you about these two flatlanders that went huntin’…
Comments, questions, your favorite folktale, email me at frommyshelf@epix.net
"Book Clubs"
Kevin Coolidge
Have you always loved books? When other kids were playing baseball and blowing up frogs, were you reading, exploring the wonderful world of your imagination, stretching your synapses? Could you get lost for hours in the tales of Tarzan, the conquests of Conan, slaying foes and saving fair maidens? Have you ever read a book so good, so riveting, that it demanded to be read? You stayed up to the wee hours of the morning devouring page after page until the batteries in your flashlight died? A book that was so good that you just had to share it with others-reading passages to your wife, to your friends, to strangers on the street?
Do you insist on re-arranging your personal library by the Dewey Decimal System? Is your local library threatening to cut you off? Before the gentlemen in the clean, white coats come to take you away, perhaps you should consider joining a book club. A book club, you say? “I won’t have to serve those damn tasteless cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off, or weak tea like a lame garden party, will I? And tests, there won’t be any tests, will there? I forgot to bring my pencil.”
Relax, there are as many types of book clubs as there are books, and the types of people who read them. I’m going to give you a couple tips for starting your own book club, and as a bonus, I’m going to share the recipe for my world-famous scones.
The process can begin by simply asking around for like-minded people and having them help organize the first gathering. You could check within a group that you are affiliated with-such as MOPS, or your poker buddies, or check places where book lovers gather-such as the library or bookstore. You’ll want to take into consideration the idea size of your group, if you need to recruit, and how you will extend those invitations.
Consider the atmosphere and logistics when you are starting to organize. Once you assault the beach, overrun the pill boxes form a spearhead and. Excuse me, I mean, what type of atmosphere are you looking for? Serious, academic, social, or just plain fun? What types of books do you want to read? Do you want to focus on specific topics or genres? Where will you meet and what time slot? Will there be refreshments? Beer? What time will be specifically designated for socializing? It may help to consciously separate the socializing from the discussion. For example, house opens at 7pm for coffee, desert and conversation. Discussion starts at 7:30pm.
Other questions to consider include-how will you choose your books? How far ahead will you plan? How will your members obtain copies of books? Try to choose titles that will take you places where you’ve never been before and will warrant a collaborative and interesting discussion. It is a good idea to choose a selection process. There are several methods: mutual vote (democracy); having a member make three selections and then vote one those (republic);or having the host choose the book (dictatorship). If you are having trouble choosing (bureaucracy), a good places to start is with award winners like the Pulitzer Prize, National Book award, Nebula and Hugo awards (science fiction), or try reading from the list of commonly banned books. You should plan far enough ahead that members have time to read and find the book. Consider putting one member in charge of obtaining copies of the book.
How will each discussion be lead? Will you designate a leader? Can members who haven’t read the book attend? Be spontaneous in your discussions. Make sure everyone has a chance to speak his or her mind. Don’t be afraid to speak up, but be courteous and listen to others. To avoid a lapse or total collapse of the regime-er, discussion-you may want to have everyone formulate three questions, or passages to discuss. Read passages out loud to hear the voices and the language as this can be revealing. Formulate questions that do not have “yes” or “no” answers. Turn statements into provocative questions that probe and stimulate conversation.
Life is full of questions, such as what is the meaning of existence? Yep, grab those pencils. It’s time for the essay question portion of the column. Just kidding: if I gave you a quiz, it’d be true/false. This column can’t give you all the answers. For further reading, I recommend The Book Club Companion: A Comprehensive Guide to the Reading Group Experience by Diana Loevy. Remember that there is no right and wrong in the art of literary interpretation. Read the book, but don’t be afraid to be yourself. Share your thoughts and insights, have fun in discussing the process of shared exploration, and grab your pencil for my famous scone recipe….
Kevin Coolidge
Comments, questions, one lump or two? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net
Have you always loved books? When other kids were playing baseball and blowing up frogs, were you reading, exploring the wonderful world of your imagination, stretching your synapses? Could you get lost for hours in the tales of Tarzan, the conquests of Conan, slaying foes and saving fair maidens? Have you ever read a book so good, so riveting, that it demanded to be read? You stayed up to the wee hours of the morning devouring page after page until the batteries in your flashlight died? A book that was so good that you just had to share it with others-reading passages to your wife, to your friends, to strangers on the street?
Do you insist on re-arranging your personal library by the Dewey Decimal System? Is your local library threatening to cut you off? Before the gentlemen in the clean, white coats come to take you away, perhaps you should consider joining a book club. A book club, you say? “I won’t have to serve those damn tasteless cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off, or weak tea like a lame garden party, will I? And tests, there won’t be any tests, will there? I forgot to bring my pencil.”
Relax, there are as many types of book clubs as there are books, and the types of people who read them. I’m going to give you a couple tips for starting your own book club, and as a bonus, I’m going to share the recipe for my world-famous scones.
The process can begin by simply asking around for like-minded people and having them help organize the first gathering. You could check within a group that you are affiliated with-such as MOPS, or your poker buddies, or check places where book lovers gather-such as the library or bookstore. You’ll want to take into consideration the idea size of your group, if you need to recruit, and how you will extend those invitations.
Consider the atmosphere and logistics when you are starting to organize. Once you assault the beach, overrun the pill boxes form a spearhead and. Excuse me, I mean, what type of atmosphere are you looking for? Serious, academic, social, or just plain fun? What types of books do you want to read? Do you want to focus on specific topics or genres? Where will you meet and what time slot? Will there be refreshments? Beer? What time will be specifically designated for socializing? It may help to consciously separate the socializing from the discussion. For example, house opens at 7pm for coffee, desert and conversation. Discussion starts at 7:30pm.
Other questions to consider include-how will you choose your books? How far ahead will you plan? How will your members obtain copies of books? Try to choose titles that will take you places where you’ve never been before and will warrant a collaborative and interesting discussion. It is a good idea to choose a selection process. There are several methods: mutual vote (democracy); having a member make three selections and then vote one those (republic);or having the host choose the book (dictatorship). If you are having trouble choosing (bureaucracy), a good places to start is with award winners like the Pulitzer Prize, National Book award, Nebula and Hugo awards (science fiction), or try reading from the list of commonly banned books. You should plan far enough ahead that members have time to read and find the book. Consider putting one member in charge of obtaining copies of the book.
How will each discussion be lead? Will you designate a leader? Can members who haven’t read the book attend? Be spontaneous in your discussions. Make sure everyone has a chance to speak his or her mind. Don’t be afraid to speak up, but be courteous and listen to others. To avoid a lapse or total collapse of the regime-er, discussion-you may want to have everyone formulate three questions, or passages to discuss. Read passages out loud to hear the voices and the language as this can be revealing. Formulate questions that do not have “yes” or “no” answers. Turn statements into provocative questions that probe and stimulate conversation.
Life is full of questions, such as what is the meaning of existence? Yep, grab those pencils. It’s time for the essay question portion of the column. Just kidding: if I gave you a quiz, it’d be true/false. This column can’t give you all the answers. For further reading, I recommend The Book Club Companion: A Comprehensive Guide to the Reading Group Experience by Diana Loevy. Remember that there is no right and wrong in the art of literary interpretation. Read the book, but don’t be afraid to be yourself. Share your thoughts and insights, have fun in discussing the process of shared exploration, and grab your pencil for my famous scone recipe….
Kevin Coolidge
Comments, questions, one lump or two? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net
"The Harry Potter Effect"
Kevin Coolidge
As you probably know by now, I love to read. I was the kid who sat on Santa’s lap and asked him to bring me Tunnel in the Sky by Heinlein, or more books in the exciting saga of John Carter, the fighting man of Mars. I still ask for books for Christmas, but Santa doesn’t let me sit on his lap any more.
You’d think I’d be one of the first muggles to jump on the Harry Potter train, but like any avid reader, I always have a pile of books perching. As well as the three or four books I’m currently reading. You can never have too many books—just not enough bookshelves. A few years ago, my sister told me of this magical new series with a boy wizard with a lightning shaped scar, and she insisted that I had to read it. Sound familiar???
Needless to say, I’m a fan of the series, and a little sad to see it conclude. I’m going to savor this last volume. Who am I kidding? I’m going to rush through it in an all-night bender of cellulose and glue, and then read it all over again. What I am elated to see is so many people excited about a book--any book--especially children.
According to the National Institute for Literacy, 89 to 94 million American adults—nearly half of the U.S. adult population—are functionally illiterate. They “lack a sufficient foundation of basic [literacy] skills to function successfully in our society.” Of these, 17% to 20% can read just a little. That means they cannot fill out a job application, understand food labels, read basic instructions or read simple stories to their children. Another 25% can read, but not well enough to follow five consecutive paragraphs of text or documents--such as sales contracts.
In fact, many college bound students haven’t developed an effective vocabulary. Kaplan, which sells prep courses to subvert the SATs--vocabulary lists, drills, that kind of thing--peddles comic books. Only now called “graphic novels” so you can’t tell they’re comic books. Hoping to fertilize the vocabularies of the borderline literate.
I love comic books and books of all genres. I read voraciously, omnivorously and without discrimination. Sometimes without aim or plan or a good reason. eyHHey, it’s a book. Books are to read. I learned to read at an early age, and there wasn’t a darn thing that the school system could do to stop it.
So what of the “Harry Potter Effect”, when this kind of reading urge rises in a child, it’s great news! Smart parents will rejoice and foster it. So, what do you do when your child asks what to read after all the Harry Potter books? You may enjoy science fiction or “gonzo journalism”, but are they right for your child?
Before offering reading advice, ask a few questions and listen carefully. Why did they enjoy reading Harry Potter, or the Hobbit, or ‘Goosebumps’ books? Maybe it’s the magical world? Is it the characters or the adventure or maybe the quest against dark forces? You can recommend books with similar elements once you know why they enjoyed their favorites. Beyond the enchanted world of Harry Potter, what are your child’s interests? Movies? Sports? Music?
Does your child’s enjoy comic books? Suggest, Soon I will be Invincible by Austin Grossman. Loves Harry Potter? Propose The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper. Does your child enjoy spooky stories? Then recommend tales by Edgar Allan Poe or H.P. Lovecraft.
Whatever the direction, the two most accessible browsing places are the library and the bookstore. Booksellers these days have their youth sections organized with picture books, classics, teen fiction and displays for literary super series like Lemony Snicket and Harry Potter. Some shops have a shelf devoted to Newberry Prize winners, where you’ll find titles like Island of the Blue Dolphins or The Giver.
Finally, you may find your child pleading to stay up that extra half hour to read. You may find yourself reluctantly agreeing, only to have the voices inside your heading yelling, “Hooray!” because you know that books may be the only real magic left…
Kevin Coolidge
Comments, questions, your favorite Harry Potter book, email me at frommyshelf@epix.net
As you probably know by now, I love to read. I was the kid who sat on Santa’s lap and asked him to bring me Tunnel in the Sky by Heinlein, or more books in the exciting saga of John Carter, the fighting man of Mars. I still ask for books for Christmas, but Santa doesn’t let me sit on his lap any more.
You’d think I’d be one of the first muggles to jump on the Harry Potter train, but like any avid reader, I always have a pile of books perching. As well as the three or four books I’m currently reading. You can never have too many books—just not enough bookshelves. A few years ago, my sister told me of this magical new series with a boy wizard with a lightning shaped scar, and she insisted that I had to read it. Sound familiar???
Needless to say, I’m a fan of the series, and a little sad to see it conclude. I’m going to savor this last volume. Who am I kidding? I’m going to rush through it in an all-night bender of cellulose and glue, and then read it all over again. What I am elated to see is so many people excited about a book--any book--especially children.
According to the National Institute for Literacy, 89 to 94 million American adults—nearly half of the U.S. adult population—are functionally illiterate. They “lack a sufficient foundation of basic [literacy] skills to function successfully in our society.” Of these, 17% to 20% can read just a little. That means they cannot fill out a job application, understand food labels, read basic instructions
In fact, many college bound students haven’t developed an effective vocabulary. Kaplan, which sells prep courses to subvert the SATs--vocabulary lists, drills, that kind of thing--peddles comic books. Only now called “graphic novels” so you can’t tell they’re comic books. Hoping to fertilize the vocabularies of the borderline literate.
I love comic books and books of all genres. I read voraciously, omnivorously and without discrimination. Sometimes without aim or plan or a good reason. eyHHey, it’s a book. Books are to read. I learned to read at an early age, and there wasn’t a darn thing that the school system could do to stop it.
So what of the “Harry Potter Effect”, when this kind of reading urge rises in a child, it’s great news! Smart parents will rejoice and foster it. So, what do you do when your child asks what to read after all the Harry Potter books? You may enjoy science fiction or “gonzo journalism”, but are they right for your child?
Before offering reading advice, ask a few questions and listen carefully. Why did they enjoy reading Harry Potter, or the Hobbit, or ‘Goosebumps’ books? Maybe it’s the magical world? Is it the characters or the adventure or maybe the quest against dark forces? You can recommend books with similar elements once you know why they enjoyed their favorites. Beyond the enchanted world of Harry Potter, what are your child’s interests? Movies? Sports? Music?
Does your child’s enjoy comic books? Suggest, Soon I will be Invincible by Austin Grossman. Loves Harry Potter? Propose The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper. Does your child enjoy spooky stories? Then recommend tales by Edgar Allan Poe or H.P. Lovecraft.
Whatever the direction, the two most accessible browsing places are the library and the bookstore. Booksellers these days have their youth sections organized with picture books, classics, teen fiction and displays for literary super series like Lemony Snicket and Harry Potter. Some shops have a shelf devoted to Newberry Prize winners, where you’ll find titles like Island of the Blue Dolphins or The Giver.
Finally, you may find your child pleading to stay up that extra half hour to read. You may find yourself reluctantly agreeing, only to have the voices inside your heading yelling, “Hooray!” because you know that books may be the only real magic left…
Kevin Coolidge
Comments, questions, your favorite Harry Potter book, email me at frommyshelf@epix.net
"You Can't Judge A Book..."
Kevin Coolidge
Yep, I love books always have. New books, used books, books protected by mysterious, dark guardians. Books with titles that jump out and bite you in the ankle, and titles that make you wonder what the author is trying to hide. I picked some titles that are good reads, but might make your librarian raise a scornful eyebrow….
Deer Hunting With Jesus: Dispatches from America’s Class War by Joe Bageant: Like a rage in heaven, Joe writes like an avenging angel of working class America. A raucous mix of down- home storytelling and political commentary reminiscent of Will Rogers mixed with Hunter S. Thompson- brutal, funny and at times tender. You ever wake up on the wrong side of the cave, and want a good reason to deep-fry a politician? Wake up and smell the coffee, read this book.
Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore: I could pick almost any of Christopher Moore’s books for strange names. He could win a Pulitzer with his titles alone. But any book with sequined and nun in the title has to make the list. Take Tucker Case, a disgraced airline pilot and a nerd in a cool guy’s body, a talking fruit bat, and a greedy missionary in Micronesia and you have the basis for a seriously funny book. Think Kurt Vonnegut mixed with Douglas Adams.
Plato and A Platypus Walk Into a Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes: A not-so-reverent crash course in philosophy 101. Are you are philosophy major and tired of asking if your customer wants fries with that? Maybe you should polish that act and take it on the road. After all, the best comics are philosophers of life, and that Nietzsche is one comical thinker.
The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break by Steven Sherrill: A man bull needs to get out and see the world. Five thousand years out of the Labyrinth and the Minotaur finds himself living in a trailer park and working as a line cook in the American South. An understated book about the quest for acceptance, and it’s not a one trick pony. Hey, there’s a little monster in all of us, but not all of us can grill.
How to Sh*t in the Woods: An Environmentally Sound Approach to a Lost Art by Kathleen Meyer: Despite the vulgarism in the title there’s a load of good information here. The boy scouts are always supposed to be prepared, but the Boy Scout manual is deficient when it comes to defecation. Kathleen not only introduces techniques for privacy, but also the environmental consequences, precautions to take for drinking water in the backcountry, and heaps of anecdotes and funny stories.
Who Cut the Cheese: A Cultural History of the Fart by Jim Dawson: This makes the list because it’s so fun to go to the library and ask if they have it in, even if you own a copy. This book is actually well researched though there is some “potty humor”. A distasteful subject presented in such a way to make the topic culturally/historically interesting. Did you know the Arab word for “silent fart” and “death sentence” are only one letter different? And Benjamin Franklin wrote an essay called “Fart Proudly”? If you keep blaming the dog, buy this book.
Confessions of a Pagan Nun by Kate Horsley: I picked this title because it’s basically an oxymoron, and it’s another title with nun in it, and I can’t finish with a book about farts. It’s about a woman born at the dawning of the Christian era in Ireland. She was a druid before her conversion to Christianity. The book is poetically written and well researched with some interesting theological arguments wrapped in a compelling story.
Yep, you can’t judge a book by its cover or it’s title. Until you’ve read what’s written on each page. So grab your spectacles, testicles, wallet and a nice chunk of red meat for the dark, mysterious guardians and let the adventures begin…
Kevin Coolidge
Comments, questions, your favorite fart joke email me at frommyshelf@epix.net
Yep, I love books always have. New books, used books, books protected by mysterious, dark guardians. Books with titles that jump out and bite you in the ankle, and titles that make you wonder what the author is trying to hide. I picked some titles that are good reads, but might make your librarian raise a scornful eyebrow….
Deer Hunting With Jesus: Dispatches from America’s Class War by Joe Bageant: Like a rage in heaven, Joe writes like an avenging angel of working class America. A raucous mix of down- home storytelling and political commentary reminiscent of Will Rogers mixed with Hunter S. Thompson- brutal, funny and at times tender. You ever wake up on the wrong side of the cave, and want a good reason to deep-fry a politician? Wake up and smell the coffee, read this book.
Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore: I could pick almost any of Christopher Moore’s books for strange names. He could win a Pulitzer with his titles alone. But any book with sequined and nun in the title has to make the list. Take Tucker Case, a disgraced airline pilot and a nerd in a cool guy’s body, a talking fruit bat, and a greedy missionary in Micronesia and you have the basis for a seriously funny book. Think Kurt Vonnegut mixed with Douglas Adams.
Plato and A Platypus Walk Into a Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes: A not-so-reverent crash course in philosophy 101. Are you are philosophy major and tired of asking if your customer wants fries with that? Maybe you should polish that act and take it on the road. After all, the best comics are philosophers of life, and that Nietzsche is one comical thinker.
The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break by Steven Sherrill: A man bull needs to get out and see the world. Five thousand years out of the Labyrinth and the Minotaur finds himself living in a trailer park and working as a line cook in the American South. An understated book about the quest for acceptance, and it’s not a one trick pony. Hey, there’s a little monster in all of us, but not all of us can grill.
How to Sh*t in the Woods: An Environmentally Sound Approach to a Lost Art by Kathleen Meyer: Despite the vulgarism in the title there’s a load of good information here. The boy scouts are always supposed to be prepared, but the Boy Scout manual is deficient when it comes to defecation. Kathleen not only introduces techniques for privacy, but also the environmental consequences, precautions to take for drinking water in the backcountry, and heaps of anecdotes and funny stories.
Who Cut the Cheese: A Cultural History of the Fart by Jim Dawson: This makes the list because it’s so fun to go to the library and ask if they have it in, even if you own a copy. This book is actually well researched though there is some “potty humor”. A distasteful subject presented in such a way to make the topic culturally/historically interesting. Did you know the Arab word for “silent fart” and “death sentence” are only one letter different? And Benjamin Franklin wrote an essay called “Fart Proudly”? If you keep blaming the dog, buy this book.
Confessions of a Pagan Nun by Kate Horsley: I picked this title because it’s basically an oxymoron, and it’s another title with nun in it, and I can’t finish with a book about farts. It’s about a woman born at the dawning of the Christian era in Ireland. She was a druid before her conversion to Christianity. The book is poetically written and well researched with some interesting theological arguments wrapped in a compelling story.
Yep, you can’t judge a book by its cover or it’s title. Until you’ve read what’s written on each page. So grab your spectacles, testicles, wallet and a nice chunk of red meat for the dark, mysterious guardians and let the adventures begin…
Kevin Coolidge
Comments, questions, your favorite fart joke email me at frommyshelf@epix.net
"Soon I Shall Be Invincible!!!"
Kevin Coolidge
Have you ever noticed how history so often ends with naked men in the desert? Alexander the Great died stark, raving mad, at the age of 30, in the desert. General George A. Custer was found after Little Big Horn, naked, except for one sock, one boot, and an arrow through his penis[It's true, ask your history teacher]. Maybe, it is only men who seek to change the flow of destiny that end up naked in the desert? But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start at the beginning….
I grew up loving comic books and it’s obvious that Austin Grossman author of, Soon I Will Be Invincible, did too. The realm of heroes and villains gets an irradiated dose of angst and realism in this quirky debut novel from Grossman, who also works as a video-game design consultant
Have you ever noticed how history so often ends with naked men in the desert? Alexander the Great died stark, raving mad, at the age of 30, in the desert. General George A. Custer was found after Little Big Horn, naked, except for one sock, one boot, and an arrow through his penis[It's true, ask your history teacher]. Maybe, it is only men who seek to change the flow of destiny that end up naked in the desert? But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start at the beginning….
I grew up loving comic books and it’s obvious that Austin Grossman author of, Soon I Will Be Invincible, did too. The realm of heroes and villains gets an irradiated dose of angst and realism in this quirky debut novel from Grossman, who also works as a video-game design consultant
"Mything in Action"
Kevin Coolidge
A long time ago, in a memory far, far away, I was in a darkened movie theater watching the birth of an epic, but I didn’t know that. I was eight years old and watching starships and Wookies and light sabers and things exploding in a fairy-tale made larger than life. It was good battling evil and a grand call to adventure in what was to be the birth of the Star Wars saga, truly a hero’s journey.
The monomyth, often referred to as the hero’s journey, is a description of a basic pattern found in many narratives from around the world. This universal pattern was described by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Campbell was a comparative mythologist. In this text Campbell discusses his theory of the journey of the archetypal hero found in world mythologies and religions.
In case you’ve spent the last thirty years in solitary confinement, Star Wars is an epic science fiction saga and fictional universe created by George Lucas. Lucas’s deliberate use of the monomyth is quite evident. Star Wars resonates with the best of literary classics--Beowulf, the Iliad ,Oedipus Rex, Le Morte D’Arthur, not to mention the story of Moses and the Old Testament. Star Wars has a strong mythic quality alongside its political and scientific elements, and has spawned dozens of books.
Star Wars-based fiction actually predates the release of the movie, with the novelization of A New Hope, written by Alan Dean Foster. The novel was released a couple months before the movie. In 1978, Foster wrote the first original Star Wars novel, Splinter of the Mind’s Eye, and thus began a very successful literary spin-off franchise.
The stories told through these books extend from a time long before The Phantom Menace to a time long after Return of the Jedi. Books authorized by Lucas are written by fans of the films, and are part of a collection known as the Expanded Universe. The first books considered to be part of the Expanded Universe began to appear in the late 1970s. There are several books dealing with the lives of Han Solo and Lando Calrissian just before the movies.
Many of the books that have been written also take place during the events of the film. For fans, these can be more exciting stories, as it opens up the narrative for many characters who only have a minor role, or are even just briefly seen, in the movies. Also, many elements first introduced in the Expanded Universe were later included in the films-such as Boba Fett and Coruscant. Other books include such titles as The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide, and Inside the Worlds of Star Wars, which detail things about the Star Wars universe and the films in a "non-fiction" style and reveal many details that cannot fit into a story.
Since the release of A New Hope in 1977, the Star Wars saga has become a passion bordering on religion for millions the world over. It’s not just the adventurous plots, the likable characters, high-tech props, and dazzling visual effects that keep fans begging for more. Behind the light-saber duels and screaming dog fights, there is a mythology that reaches to the core of the human psyche that shows the need for and the power of myth. Good and bad, light and dark-a hero embarks on a journey of self-discovery…
Comments, questions, to play chess with a Wookie, email frommyshelf@epix.net
A long time ago, in a memory far, far away, I was in a darkened movie theater watching the birth of an epic, but I didn’t know that. I was eight years old and watching starships and Wookies and light sabers and things exploding in a fairy-tale made larger than life. It was good battling evil and a grand call to adventure in what was to be the birth of the Star Wars saga, truly a hero’s journey.
The monomyth, often referred to as the hero’s journey, is a description of a basic pattern found in many narratives from around the world. This universal pattern was described by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Campbell was a comparative mythologist. In this text Campbell discusses his theory of the journey of the archetypal hero found in world mythologies and religions.
In case you’ve spent the last thirty years in solitary confinement, Star Wars is an epic science fiction saga and fictional universe created by George Lucas. Lucas’s deliberate use of the monomyth is quite evident. Star Wars resonates with the best of literary classics--Beowulf, the Iliad ,Oedipus Rex, Le Morte D’Arthur, not to mention the story of Moses and the Old Testament. Star Wars has a strong mythic quality alongside its political and scientific elements, and has spawned dozens of books.
Star Wars-based fiction actually predates the release of the movie, with the novelization of A New Hope, written by Alan Dean Foster. The novel was released a couple months before the movie. In 1978, Foster wrote the first original Star Wars novel, Splinter of the Mind’s Eye, and thus began a very successful literary spin-off franchise.
The stories told through these books extend from a time long before The Phantom Menace to a time long after Return of the Jedi. Books authorized by Lucas are written by fans of the films, and are part of a collection known as the Expanded Universe. The first books considered to be part of the Expanded Universe began to appear in the late 1970s. There are several books dealing with the lives of Han Solo and Lando Calrissian just before the movies.
Many of the books that have been written also take place during the events of the film. For fans, these can be more exciting stories, as it opens up the narrative for many characters who only have a minor role, or are even just briefly seen, in the movies. Also, many elements first introduced in the Expanded Universe were later included in the films-such as Boba Fett and Coruscant. Other books include such titles as The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide, and Inside the Worlds of Star Wars, which detail things about the Star Wars universe and the films in a "non-fiction" style and reveal many details that cannot fit into a story.
Since the release of A New Hope in 1977, the Star Wars saga has become a passion bordering on religion for millions the world over. It’s not just the adventurous plots, the likable characters, high-tech props, and dazzling visual effects that keep fans begging for more. Behind the light-saber duels and screaming dog fights, there is a mythology that reaches to the core of the human psyche that shows the need for and the power of myth. Good and bad, light and dark-a hero embarks on a journey of self-discovery…
Comments, questions, to play chess with a Wookie, email frommyshelf@epix.net
"Think Outside The Box"
Kevin Coolidge
You ever take one of those personality/psychology tests online? They’re fun and a great time killer. Me? My psychological profile came back “resourceful independent”. It makes me think I’d have been better off in the CIA, but hey, even writers have ethics. But I’m from a small town in rural Pennsylvania and being independent and resourceful kind of goes with the territory. I guess that’s why I like the small businesses of Wellsboro so much, because to operate a small business, you have to be resourceful and independent by nature.
That’s why my stomach did a flip-flop when I heard about the proposed Lowe’s coming to Mansfield. Mansfield has already experienced the “Wal-Mart Effect” and you can see for yourself what it has done to the downtown. That’s why I finally got around to reading Big-Box Swindle: The True Cost of Mega-Retailers and the Fight for America’s Independent Businesses by Stacy Mitchell. So, I could see what may be in store for Tioga County.
In less than two decades, large retail chains have become the most powerful corporations in America. Mitchell traces the dramatic growth of mega-retailers--from big boxes like Home Depot, Borders, Costco and Staples to chains like Starbucks and Blockbuster—and the decline of independent businesses. She draws examples from virtually every state in the Union.
The big chains appear to bring communities economic growth, new jobs and tax revenue. This book argues that these apparent gains are illusory, and shows how mega-retailers impose a variety of hidden costs on society and contributing far less to our economic well being than it appears. Although a new big-box store on the edge of town may appear to be growth, it is not. The vast majority of these stores are built not to satisfy increased consumer demand, but because a chain sees a predatory opportunity to displace sales at other businesses. As local stores close, many communities end up losing as many or more retail jobs as they gain from the new superstore.
The impact on the local economy does not end there according to Mitchell. When chains displace local business, dollars that circulated locally cease to do so. Independent retailers bank at local banks, advertise in local newspapers, shop at local shops. Corporate chains require very little in the way of local goods or services. Instead, most of the money that consumers spend at a big-box store is siphoned out of the community’s economy.
Many of the big-box stores and shopping centers that open each year are built with the help of public subsidies. These giveaways take many forms: free or reduced-price land; property tax breaks; sales tax rebates, and tax abatement. Most of these subsidies are provided locally by cities and towns, and occasionally even counties, though state and even federal tax dollars may be involved. The logic behind these giveaways is that the new stores will generate enough new tax revenue to more than cover the subsidy. But such cost-benefit calculation only works if one ignores the full range of costs, notably lost sales and property tax revenue from local business that go out.
So, just what can I do about “Goliath”? Mitchell catalogues diverse ways indie-minded consumers can fight back, by campaigning against government subsidies to big-box stores, advocating for sales tax collection on Internet sales as well as stronger antitrust enforcement. Visible citizens' coalitions can fight big-box expansion, especially if communities fine-tune their land use policies. The big-box trend, she suggests, can be countered by increasing public awareness.
This book increased my awareness. Many of these things I all ready suspected, but the easy to read format, made it very clear. Me? I’m voting with my dollar. I’m going to The Hornet’s Nest where they already know that I don’t want lettuce on my BLT, and I’m going to the local building centers that let me take back any extra hardware after I finish those book shelves, or to Garrison’s who knows I don’t wear a tie often enough to remember that Windsor knot. Hmmm, maybe I can’t slay “Goliath”, but I can give him a black eye…
Comments, questions, your favorite sandwich, drop me an email at frommyshelf@epix.net
Kevin Coolidge
You ever take one of those personality/psychology tests online? They’re fun and a great time killer. Me? My psychological profile came back “resourceful independent”. It makes me think I’d have been better off in the CIA, but hey, even writers have ethics. But I’m from a small town in rural Pennsylvania and being independent and resourceful kind of goes with the territory. I guess that’s why I like the small businesses of Wellsboro so much, because to operate a small business, you have to be resourceful and independent by nature.
That’s why my stomach did a flip-flop when I heard about the proposed Lowe’s coming to Mansfield. Mansfield has already experienced the “Wal-Mart Effect” and you can see for yourself what it has done to the downtown. That’s why I finally got around to reading Big-Box Swindle: The True Cost of Mega-Retailers and the Fight for America’s Independent Businesses by Stacy Mitchell. So, I could see what may be in store for Tioga County.
In less than two decades, large retail chains have become the most powerful corporations in America. Mitchell traces the dramatic growth of mega-retailers--from big boxes like Home Depot, Borders, Costco and Staples to chains like Starbucks and Blockbuster—and the decline of independent businesses. She draws examples from virtually every state in the Union.
The big chains appear to bring communities economic growth, new jobs and tax revenue. This book argues that these apparent gains are illusory, and shows how mega-retailers impose a variety of hidden costs on society and contributing far less to our economic well being than it appears. Although a new big-box store on the edge of town may appear to be growth, it is not. The vast majority of these stores are built not to satisfy increased consumer demand, but because a chain sees a predatory opportunity to displace sales at other businesses. As local stores close, many communities end up losing as many or more retail jobs as they gain from the new superstore.
The impact on the local economy does not end there according to Mitchell. When chains displace local business, dollars that circulated locally cease to do so. Independent retailers bank at local banks, advertise in local newspapers, shop at local shops. Corporate chains require very little in the way of local goods or services. Instead, most of the money that consumers spend at a big-box store is siphoned out of the community’s economy.
Many of the big-box stores and shopping centers that open each year are built with the help of public subsidies. These giveaways take many forms: free or reduced-price land; property tax breaks; sales tax rebates, and tax abatement. Most of these subsidies are provided locally by cities and towns, and occasionally even counties, though state and even federal tax dollars may be involved. The logic behind these giveaways is that the new stores will generate enough new tax revenue to more than cover the subsidy. But such cost-benefit calculation only works if one ignores the full range of costs, notably lost sales and property tax revenue from local business that go out.
So, just what can I do about “Goliath”? Mitchell catalogues diverse ways indie-minded consumers can fight back, by campaigning against government subsidies to big-box stores, advocating for sales tax collection on Internet sales as well as stronger antitrust enforcement. Visible citizens' coalitions can fight big-box expansion, especially if communities fine-tune their land use policies. The big-box trend, she suggests, can be countered by increasing public awareness.
This book increased my awareness. Many of these things I all ready suspected, but the easy to read format, made it very clear. Me? I’m voting with my dollar. I’m going to The Hornet’s Nest where they already know that I don’t want lettuce on my BLT, and I’m going to the local building centers that let me take back any extra hardware after I finish those book shelves, or to Garrison’s who knows I don’t wear a tie often enough to remember that Windsor knot. Hmmm, maybe I can’t slay “Goliath”, but I can give him a black eye…
Comments, questions, your favorite sandwich, drop me an email at frommyshelf@epix.net
Kevin Coolidge
"Father's Day"
Kevin Coolidge
I love June in Tioga County. Everything is awake. The hills are green and fresh. The wind feels alive, and people are enjoying the weather and anticipating the upcoming summer season. Wellsboro pays homage to our state flora with the Laurel Festival, which also reminds me that it’s time to remember dear old Dad and Father’s Day.
The 3rd Sunday in June which children and Moms celebrate each year by buying Dad socks, chocolate, beer, slippers, or maybe a tie he won’t wear. You can get your Dad an extra-special gift that he can really enjoy by taking account of a combination of his interests, history, and your relationship with your father. That’s one of the many things I love about books, no matter what your interest, specialty, or type of person you are, there’s a book for you:
We live in rural Pennsylvania and enjoying the out-of-doors just goes with the territory. Here are some great choices for that rugged, outdoor type guy, or the one who loves to read about it.
The Best of Zane Grey, Outdoorsman by Zane Grey: Zane Grey shows he’s not just a cowboy-his best hunting and fishing tales.
Of Woods and Wild Things by Don Knaus: Don’s a local guy writing about hunting and fishing and growing up in Tioga County.
Pioneer Life or Thirty Years a Hunter by Philip Tome: An American classic recently reprinted by Stackpole Books.
Birds of Pennsylvania Field Guide by Stan Tekiela: Maybe your Dad doesn’t get into the woods as much as he used to, but he still loves sitting by the window with that pair of binoculars you gave him for Christmas. There’s also a companion CD so he can learn the songs and sounds of our feathered friends.
If Dad is the scholarly type, or enjoys reading about history-These books are for him.
Elmira, Death Camp of the North by Michael Horigan: Far from the front line, this Union prison compound had a death rate almost equal to Andersonville.
The River of Doubt by Candice Millard: After his humiliating election defeat in 1912, Theodore Roosevelt set his sights on the most punishing physical challenge he could find, the first descent of an unmapped, rapids-choked tributary of the Amazon. This is a powerful nonfiction narrative of one of the most famous Americans.
The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan: Winner of the National Book in 2006, and the untold story of those who survived the great American dust bowl. John Steinbeck gave voice to those who fled in The Grapes of Wrath. This is the story of those who stayed and survived.
Railroads of Pennsylvania by Lorett Treese: Pennsylvania and Tioga county have a strong railroad past. This book profiles the great railroads that crossed the Keystone state, tells the stories of the individuals and events that shaped railroad history.
Maybe your Dad is the tinkering around type, and likes books that are practical.
Let it Rot! The Gardener’s Guide to Composting by Stu Campbell: The classic guide to turning household waste into gardener’s gold.
Medieval Furniture: Plans & Instructions by Daniel Diehl and Mark Donnelly: These projects aren't for beginners, and the pieces themselves aren't what one would see in a typical modern home but if your Dad is looking to out do his woodworking pals, this will do the job.
Backyard Catapults: How To Build Your Own by Bill Wilson: You might think your Dad is old, but it doesn’t mean he’s grown up. It might be a guy thing, but there’s just something about launching projectiles with mechanical force-building permit not included.
One of the great things about Dads is that they seem to be happy with just about anything you give them. He may not always show exuberant emotion, but he appreciates the thought and time. Gifts for a Father are ritual, something regal to accept, and that takes a special type of guy, especially if you are gonna get him another tie shaped like a fish…
Kevin Coolidge
Comment, questions, extra fish ties drop me an email at frommyshelf@epix.net
I love June in Tioga County. Everything is awake. The hills are green and fresh. The wind feels alive, and people are enjoying the weather and anticipating the upcoming summer season. Wellsboro pays homage to our state flora with the Laurel Festival, which also reminds me that it’s time to remember dear old Dad and Father’s Day.
The 3rd Sunday in June which children and Moms celebrate each year by buying Dad socks, chocolate, beer, slippers, or maybe a tie he won’t wear. You can get your Dad an extra-special gift that he can really enjoy by taking account of a combination of his interests, history, and your relationship with your father. That’s one of the many things I love about books, no matter what your interest, specialty, or type of person you are, there’s a book for you:
We live in rural Pennsylvania and enjoying the out-of-doors just goes with the territory. Here are some great choices for that rugged, outdoor type guy, or the one who loves to read about it.
The Best of Zane Grey, Outdoorsman by Zane Grey: Zane Grey shows he’s not just a cowboy-his best hunting and fishing tales.
Of Woods and Wild Things by Don Knaus: Don’s a local guy writing about hunting and fishing and growing up in Tioga County.
Pioneer Life or Thirty Years a Hunter by Philip Tome: An American classic recently reprinted by Stackpole Books.
Birds of Pennsylvania Field Guide by Stan Tekiela: Maybe your Dad doesn’t get into the woods as much as he used to, but he still loves sitting by the window with that pair of binoculars you gave him for Christmas. There’s also a companion CD so he can learn the songs and sounds of our feathered friends.
If Dad is the scholarly type, or enjoys reading about history-These books are for him.
Elmira, Death Camp of the North by Michael Horigan: Far from the front line, this Union prison compound had a death rate almost equal to Andersonville.
The River of Doubt by Candice Millard: After his humiliating election defeat in 1912, Theodore Roosevelt set his sights on the most punishing physical challenge he could find, the first descent of an unmapped, rapids-choked tributary of the Amazon. This is a powerful nonfiction narrative of one of the most famous Americans.
The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan: Winner of the National Book in 2006, and the untold story of those who survived the great American dust bowl. John Steinbeck gave voice to those who fled in The Grapes of Wrath. This is the story of those who stayed and survived.
Railroads of Pennsylvania by Lorett Treese: Pennsylvania and Tioga county have a strong railroad past. This book profiles the great railroads that crossed the Keystone state, tells the stories of the individuals and events that shaped railroad history.
Maybe your Dad is the tinkering around type, and likes books that are practical.
Let it Rot! The Gardener’s Guide to Composting by Stu Campbell: The classic guide to turning household waste into gardener’s gold.
Medieval Furniture: Plans & Instructions by Daniel Diehl and Mark Donnelly: These projects aren't for beginners, and the pieces themselves aren't what one would see in a typical modern home but if your Dad is looking to out do his woodworking pals, this will do the job.
Backyard Catapults: How To Build Your Own by Bill Wilson: You might think your Dad is old, but it doesn’t mean he’s grown up. It might be a guy thing, but there’s just something about launching projectiles with mechanical force-building permit not included.
One of the great things about Dads is that they seem to be happy with just about anything you give them. He may not always show exuberant emotion, but he appreciates the thought and time. Gifts for a Father are ritual, something regal to accept, and that takes a special type of guy, especially if you are gonna get him another tie shaped like a fish…
Kevin Coolidge
Comment, questions, extra fish ties drop me an email at frommyshelf@epix.net
"What's Weird Around Here?"
Kevin Coolidge
Sleep, I never seem to get enough of it. The world looks and feels different at 4am. It looks surreal, gloomy, and the shadows mess with my head. I am edgy and nervous from too much caffeine and nicotine. I jump at creeping shadows and am startled by noises. My overactive imagination whispers in the darkness of things ancient and eldritch <>, and every spooky story I’ve ever read slithers into my thoughts and gnaws at my memories.
Yep, nights can be strange, even eerie. You’ve had that creepy shiver scamper down your spine like someone was watching you, or seen something flitter on the edge of vision? Of course you have, and what’s more, I like to read about other people who have. Whether it’s haints, spooks, oddities or stuff that’s just plain freakin’ weird?
Obviously, I’m not alone, because the series Weird U.S. by Mark Sceurman and Mark Moran is a national phenomenon. These guys love to ask, “What’s weird around here?” Did they ever get that question answered? Actually, they had so many responses that they are working on a “Weird” book for every state in the union. They started with Weird New Jersey and yes, there’s a Weird Pennsylvania.
This strange travel guide is filled with roadside oddities, ancient mysteries, ghosts and bizarre beasts from the Keystone State. You can read about the “Devil’s Road” in southeastern PA, whose twisted trees have already been on the silver screen in M.Night Shyamalan’s The Village, and home of the infamous “Skull Tree”. There’s the “Ape boy” of the Chester Swamps, and the bizarre beast of Helltown, and don’t forget the big alien cats and the ghosts…
If you love reading about ghosts, spirits and strange phenomena in Pennsylvania, then be sure to check out Haunted Pennsylvania by Mark Nesbitt and Patty A. Wilson. This entire book is devoted to hauntings and spooks with ghosts from Penn State, Civil War battlefields, the hand print from beyond the grave in Jim Thorpe PA, and the fiddling phantom of Potter county. Yes, Pennsylvania is a state with a haunted history. So, if you are looking to take a different type of vacation this summer, or just love reading about the bizarre and supernatural, you’ll want to read these titles.
The only disappointment for me was a lack of tales from our own geographical area, and no tales at all from Tioga County. Weird Pennsylvania could very well be titled Weird Eastern Pennsylvania. There is a lot of information from the eastern part of the state, but not much from the western or northern reaches. Haunted Pennsylvania has a broader spectrum of specters, but still none from Tioga County. I was born here and I know different. What about the ghost of Sara in North Hall at Mansfield University? The deserted village of Leetonia? And don’t forget Wellsboro’s very own “Mad Hatter”. So, I feel compelled to ask, “What’s weird around here???”
Have you had something peculiar happen to you? Have a ghost story, or personal experience with the paranormal? Is your house haunted? Have you met the “walker in the woods”? Had a brush with the occult? Been probed by aliens? Would you like to share your strange tale with the world? Your neighbors? Then email me at frommyshelf@epix.net .I’m thinking it’s time that the world saw another side of Tioga County, the strange side…
Sleep, I never seem to get enough of it. The world looks and feels different at 4am. It looks surreal, gloomy, and the shadows mess with my head. I am edgy and nervous from too much caffeine and nicotine. I jump at creeping shadows and am startled by noises. My overactive imagination whispers in the darkness of things ancient and eldritch <>, and every spooky story I’ve ever read slithers into my thoughts and gnaws at my memories.
Yep, nights can be strange, even eerie. You’ve had that creepy shiver scamper down your spine like someone was watching you, or seen something flitter on the edge of vision? Of course you have, and what’s more, I like to read about other people who have. Whether it’s haints, spooks, oddities or stuff that’s just plain freakin’ weird?
Obviously, I’m not alone, because the series Weird U.S. by Mark Sceurman and Mark Moran is a national phenomenon. These guys love to ask, “What’s weird around here?” Did they ever get that question answered? Actually, they had so many responses that they are working on a “Weird” book for every state in the union. They started with Weird New Jersey
This strange travel guide is filled with roadside oddities, ancient mysteries, ghosts and bizarre beasts from the Keystone State. You can read about the “Devil’s Road” in southeastern PA, whose twisted trees have already been on the silver screen in M.Night Shyamalan’s The Village, and home of the infamous “Skull Tree”. There’s the “Ape boy” of the Chester Swamps, and the bizarre beast of Helltown, and don’t forget the big alien cats and the ghosts…
If you love reading about ghosts, spirits and strange phenomena in Pennsylvania, then be sure to check out Haunted Pennsylvania by Mark Nesbitt and Patty A. Wilson. This entire book is devoted to hauntings and spooks with ghosts from Penn State, Civil War battlefields, the hand print from beyond the grave in Jim Thorpe PA, and the fiddling phantom of Potter county. Yes, Pennsylvania is a state with a haunted history. So, if you are looking to take a different type of vacation this summer, or just love reading about the bizarre and supernatural, you’ll want to read these titles.
The only disappointment for me was a lack of tales from our own geographical area, and no tales at all from Tioga County. Weird Pennsylvania could very well be titled Weird Eastern Pennsylvania. There is a lot of information from the eastern part of the state, but not much from the western or northern reaches. Haunted Pennsylvania has a broader spectrum of specters, but still none from Tioga County. I was born here and I know different. What about the ghost of Sara in North Hall at Mansfield University? The deserted village of Leetonia? And don’t forget Wellsboro’s very own “Mad Hatter”. So, I feel compelled to ask, “What’s weird around here???”
Have you had something peculiar happen to you? Have a ghost story, or personal experience with the paranormal? Is your house haunted? Have you met the “walker in the woods”? Had a brush with the occult? Been probed by aliens? Would you like to share your strange tale with the world? Your neighbors? Then email me at frommyshelf@epix.net .I’m thinking it’s time that the world saw another side of Tioga County, the strange side…
"The Science of Harry Potter"
Kevin Coolidge
Magic, science, transmogrification, techno-organic mutation- the magic of the double helix or the science of the Spirit, does it really matter? I guess not, but as the moon wanes, I tend to wax philosophical. Perhaps Arthur C. Clarke, a master of speculative fiction, said it best: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” And the best- selling series involving the boy wizard, Harry Potter, has a magic all its own.
Have you ever wondered if Fluffy, the three-headed dog, could be explained by molecular genetics? Is Harry’s invisibility cloak a scientific possibility? If you have, then The Science of Harry Potter by Roger Highfield should be on your reading table. He has interviewed the world’s best Muggle scientists for scientific explanations behind everything from the “Nimbus 2000” to “Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans.”
Science? In the Harry Potter books? Yes, according to Roger Highfield. Although there is no explicit science in Harry Potter, there is good evidence that the boundary between science and magic is blurred at Hogwarts, as was once the case in the Muggle world. Highfield uses the world of Harry Potter as an introduction to an interesting foray into genetics, folklore, mythology, game theory, quantum mechanics, and even Jungian archetypes. The book is divided into two parts.
The first half of the book is a “super secret study” of everything that happens in the Hogwarts School, from the origins of Quidditch to apparating. It’s obvious that the author is a big fan of the Harry Potter books, and this is a great way of introducing the “magical world of science” to children, laymen and fans of the series. The author does use the mythos of Harry Potter as more of a back drop, and doesn’t explore Harry Potter’s world in any great detail, so he does tend to get off topic as many Phds are prone to do. Devoted fans should take note, that if you find yourself of a highly fantastical and romantic nature, you may not want to spoil the magic by possible scientific explanations. The book is a spring board for Highfield’s discussions on science and philosophy, and not focus on the characters of Harry Potter.
The second half of the book is an endeavor to show the origins of magical thinking. The author delves into the birth of superstition, the magic of chance, the power of illusion, witchcraft and mythical beasts. For the ancient mind, magic may have restored a much needed sense of predictability and safety. Primitive magic was a means of seeking connections in nature, as a way to understand and manipulate the natural world.
For example, nothing is more important to an agrarian society than having a good crop. Weather prediction methods are examples of how magic can turn into science, once it has been validated by experiment. For hundreds of years, the Incas used the heavens for long range weather forecasting by observing the brightness of the Pleiades, a cluster of stars that they worshipped. They linked brighter star, which meant clearer skies, to earlier and more abundant rainfall.
Cultural anthropologists have yet to find any society that does not have a long-standing and elaborate system of paranormal beliefs. In this respect, our society is no different from supposedly primitive cultures. Many readers consult their horoscope every morning with their coffee. Athletes won’t play the big game without their lucky socks, and I can’t start the new Harry Potter until I go back and read the previous six….
I think there really are places like Hogwarts, full of impossible wonders, strange creatures and eccentric characters. They’re called laboratories, but I think I’ll still keep my fingers crossed and knock on wood until the last Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, arrives safely in our local bookstore July 21…
Comments, questions, drop me an email at frommyshelf@epix.net
Kevin Coolidge
Magic, science, transmogrification, techno-organic mutation- the magic of the double helix or the science of the Spirit, does it really matter? I guess not, but as the moon wanes, I tend to wax philosophical. Perhaps Arthur C. Clarke, a master of speculative fiction, said it best: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” And the best- selling series involving the boy wizard, Harry Potter, has a magic all its own.
Have you ever wondered if Fluffy, the three-headed dog, could be explained by molecular genetics? Is Harry’s invisibility cloak a scientific possibility? If you have, then The Science of Harry Potter by Roger Highfield should be on your reading table. He has interviewed the world’s best Muggle scientists for scientific explanations behind everything from the “Nimbus 2000” to “Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans.”
Science? In the Harry Potter books? Yes, according to Roger Highfield. Although there is no explicit science in Harry Potter, there is good evidence that the boundary between science and magic is blurred at Hogwarts, as was once the case in the Muggle world. Highfield uses the world of Harry Potter as an introduction to an interesting foray into genetics, folklore, mythology, game theory, quantum mechanics, and even Jungian archetypes. The book is divided into two parts.
The first half of the book is a “super secret study” of everything that happens in the Hogwarts School, from the origins of Quidditch to apparating. It’s obvious that the author is a big fan of the Harry Potter books, and this is a great way of introducing the “magical world of science” to children, laymen and fans of the series. The author does use the mythos of Harry Potter as more of a back drop, and doesn’t explore Harry Potter’s world in any great detail, so he does tend to get off topic as many Phds are prone to do. Devoted fans should take note, that if you find yourself of a highly fantastical and romantic nature, you may not want to spoil the magic by possible scientific explanations. The book is a spring board for Highfield’s discussions on science and philosophy, and not focus on the characters of Harry Potter.
The second half of the book is an endeavor to show the origins of magical thinking. The author delves into the birth of superstition, the magic of chance, the power of illusion, witchcraft and mythical beasts. For the ancient mind, magic may have restored a much needed sense of predictability and safety. Primitive magic was a means of seeking connections in nature, as a way to understand and manipulate the natural world.
For example, nothing is more important to an agrarian society than having a good crop. Weather prediction methods are examples of how magic can turn into science, once it has been validated by experiment. For hundreds of years, the Incas used the heavens for long range weather forecasting by observing the brightness of the Pleiades, a cluster of stars that they worshipped. They linked brighter star, which meant clearer skies, to earlier and more abundant rainfall.
Cultural anthropologists have yet to find any society that does not have a long-standing and elaborate system of paranormal beliefs. In this respect, our society is no different from supposedly primitive cultures. Many readers consult their horoscope every morning with their coffee. Athletes won’t play the big game without their lucky socks, and I can’t start the new Harry Potter until I go back and read the previous six….
I think there really are places like Hogwarts, full of impossible wonders, strange creatures and eccentric characters. They’re called laboratories, but I think I’ll still keep my fingers crossed and knock on wood until the last Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, arrives safely in our local bookstore July 21…
Comments, questions, drop me an email at frommyshelf@epix.net
Kevin Coolidge
"Breakfast of Champions"
Kevin Coolidge
This morning I had an epiphany, which rather surprised me, as I had it while staring into my soggy bowl of cornflakes. Anyway, it's coming up on an election year and it’s the same old Catch-22. Is the lesser of two evils, still evil? Is Coke better than Pepsi? And what about the new Coke? How am I going to pay my rent this month? I’m 37 and still can’t figure out which party to vote against, and THAT"S when it hit me, I should be the next president. Hey, I need the money…
Ok, so the system doesn’t always work, and perhaps no one knew that better than Kurt Vonnegut Jr.-one of the most influential writers of the last 50 years. He didn’t need the Iraq war to see the oxymoron of military intelligence, that the fifties were a sugar coated lie, and that you shouldn’t always believe everything you read and everything that adults tell you. He was a cranky, eccentric, wise old man who scorned the madness of it all, but rarely failed to get a laugh or challenge my mind.
One of the first adult novels I remember reading was Slaughterhouse Five, tucked into a corner of a box of science fiction books, just waiting to be discovered. Vonnegut was as much a rite of passage as my first hangover. The world became funnier, more exciting, and a little more dangerous. If you were looking to question authority, question life, or ponder the meaning and absurdity of it all, and still keep your sense of humor, then Vonnegut was your mentor. After all, ”the universe is a big place, maybe the biggest.”
Vonnegut, like his friend Joseph Heller, was a vetern of world war two. Vonnegut’s experience as a soldier and prisoner of war had a profound influence on his later work. He was captured at the battle of the Bulge.While a prisoner of war, Vonnegut witnessed the aftermath of bombing of Dressden Germany, which destroyed much of the city. Vonnegut was one of just seven American prisoners of war in Dresden to survive, in an underground meatpacking cellar known as Slaughterhouse Five. "Utter destruction," he recalled. "Carnage unfathomable." The Nazis put him to work gathering bodies for mass burial, Vonnegut explains. "But there were too many corpses to bury. So instead the Nazis sent in guys with flamethrowers. All these civilians' remains were burned to ashes." This experience formed the core of his most famous work, Slaughterhouse-Five , and is a theme in at least six other books.
Critics ignored him at first, and then classified his deliberately strange stories and rambling plots as haphazardly written science fiction, much like one his recurring, alter ego characters, Kilgore Trout. Vonnegut's works contain more than a dozen novels plus short stories, essays and plays and contain elements of social commentary, science fiction and autobiography mixing the bitter and funny with a touch of profound in a style that was undeniably all his own.
A key influence in shaping 20th century American literature with such books as Cat’s Cradle, Welcome to the Monkey House, Breakfast of Champions, and The Sirens of Titan- numerous writers credit Vonnegut with the desire to write, and the type of writer that stays with you long after you thought you had outgrown him. You don’t have to be young and rebellious to appreciate that “We are what we pretend to be. So, we must be careful about who we pretend to be.” I know I’m not going to have to pretend to be saddened at his passing….
Kevin Coolidge
This morning I had an epiphany, which rather surprised me, as I had it while staring into my soggy bowl of cornflakes. Anyway, it's coming up on an election year and it’s the same old Catch-22. Is the lesser of two evils, still evil? Is Coke better than Pepsi? And what about the new Coke? How am I going to pay my rent this month? I’m 37 and still can’t figure out which party to vote against, and THAT"S when it hit me, I should be the next president. Hey, I need the money…
Ok, so the system doesn’t always work, and perhaps no one knew that better than Kurt Vonnegut Jr.-one of the most influential writers of the last 50 years. He didn’t need the Iraq war to see the oxymoron of military intelligence, that the fifties were a sugar coated lie, and that you shouldn’t always believe everything you read and everything that adults tell you. He was a cranky, eccentric, wise old man who scorned the madness of it all, but rarely failed to get a laugh or challenge my mind.
One of the first adult novels I remember reading was Slaughterhouse Five, tucked into a corner of a box of science fiction books, just waiting to be discovered. Vonnegut was as much a rite of passage as my first hangover. The world became funnier, more exciting, and a little more dangerous. If you were looking to question authority, question life, or ponder the meaning and absurdity of it all, and still keep your sense of humor, then Vonnegut was your mentor. After all, ”the universe is a big place, maybe the biggest.”
Vonnegut, like his friend Joseph Heller, was a vetern of world war two. Vonnegut’s experience as a soldier and prisoner of war had a profound influence on his later work. He was captured at the battle of the Bulge.While a prisoner of war, Vonnegut witnessed the aftermath of bombing of Dressden Germany, which destroyed much of the city. Vonnegut was one of just seven American prisoners of war in Dresden to survive, in an underground meatpacking cellar known as Slaughterhouse Five. "Utter destruction," he recalled. "Carnage unfathomable." The Nazis put him to work gathering bodies for mass burial, Vonnegut explains. "But there were too many corpses to bury. So instead the Nazis sent in guys with flamethrowers. All these civilians' remains were burned to ashes." This experience formed the core of his most famous work, Slaughterhouse-Five , and is a theme in at least six other books.
Critics ignored him at first, and then classified his deliberately strange stories and rambling plots as haphazardly written science fiction, much like one his recurring, alter ego characters, Kilgore Trout. Vonnegut's works contain more than a dozen novels plus short stories, essays and plays and contain elements of social commentary, science fiction and autobiography mixing the bitter and funny with a touch of profound in a style that was undeniably all his own.
A key influence in shaping 20th century American literature with such books as Cat’s Cradle, Welcome to the Monkey House, Breakfast of Champions, and The Sirens of Titan- numerous writers credit Vonnegut with the desire to write, and the type of writer that stays with you long after you thought you had outgrown him. You don’t have to be young and rebellious to appreciate that “We are what we pretend to be. So, we must be careful about who we pretend to be.” I know I’m not going to have to pretend to be saddened at his passing….
Kevin Coolidge
"A Taste Of Tioga County"
Kevin Coolidge
I grew up loving the woods and the wild things in them. Heck, I thought every ten year old knew the difference between a rainbow trout and a large-mouthed bass and could identify a pileated woodpecker. I knew that rattlers weren’t really poisonous, but venomous, and believe me, there’s a big difference if you are hungry. I still find it hard to swallow that city folk think food comes from a grocery store, and that they can’t get milk from a bull. Milk comes from a cow. You try milking a bull and let me know how it goes.
I think modern man has become detached from the land. Sure, he buys and sells it. After all, it’s a great investment. They ain’t making any more of it. See, the land doesn’t belong to man, (and by man, I mean humanity as a whole) it’s the other way around. Man belongs to the land, the earth. I believe that the spirit of a place can call to a man. Some folks just belong in certain places. Blood calls to blood and spirit calls to spirit. It sings to you, draws you in and once it has you in your grasp…. Well, I’m getting ahead of myself again.
I remember enjoying the bounty of the land with my grandparents - leeks, real maple syrup, venison, wild strawberries, and shin shang. What is shin shang? It is one of our areas best-kept secrets, American ginseng. Wild American Ginseng, Panax quinquefolium, is indigenous to southern Canada and the eastern and Midwestern United States, and the book, Ginseng, How to find, Grow, and Use America’s Forest Gold by Kim Derek Pitts will tell you all you want to know about it. The book covers topics such as: ginseng cultivation, history, harvesting, hunting and conserving wild ginseng, and use of ginseng in traditional herbal medicine.
Tioga County is farming country and most farms in these parts used to have a sugar shack. Vermont might get better promotion and produce more, but there’s nothing better than Grandma’s flapjacks topped with homemade syrup from the farm. If you’ve a hankering for homemade and want to try making your own, then Backyard Sugarin’: A Complete How-To Guide, by Rink Mann will show you how.
This book tells you how you can make maple syrup right in your own back yard without having to build a sap house or buy buckets, holding tanks, and other expensive paraphernalia. Think of it as sugar on a shoestring. The author goes over the basics of selecting your trees, homemade evaporators, the boiling down process and includes tips from small-time sugarers from across the country.
Yep, it’s good to remember where our food comes from-the grocery store is more convenient and may fill an empty stomach, but there’s nothing like food you hunted and gathered yourself for feeding your spirit, whether it’s venison, fish, or fiddlehead ferns. Yes, Tioga County has a taste of its own, even if flavored with just a dash of nostalgia. Heck, I might even show a flatlander how to milk a cow. Course, I just might forget to tell ‘em the difference between Bossie and Ferdinand….
I grew up loving the woods and the wild things in them. Heck, I thought every ten year old knew the difference between a rainbow trout and a large-mouthed bass and could identify a pileated woodpecker. I knew that rattlers weren’t really poisonous, but venomous, and believe me, there’s a big difference if you are hungry
I think modern man has become detached from the land. Sure, he buys and sells it. After all, it’s a great investment. They ain’t making any more of it. See, the land doesn’t belong to man, (and by man, I mean humanity as a whole) it’s the other way around. Man belongs to the land, the earth. I believe that the spirit of a place can call to a man. Some folks just belong in certain places. Blood calls to blood and spirit calls to spirit. It sings to you, draws you in and once it has you in your grasp…. Well, I’m getting ahead of myself again.
I remember enjoying the bounty of the land with my grandparents - leeks, real maple syrup, venison, wild strawberries, and shin shang. What is shin shang? It is one of our areas best-kept secrets, American ginseng. Wild American Ginseng, Panax quinquefolium, is indigenous to southern Canada and the eastern and Midwestern United States, and the book, Ginseng, How to find, Grow, and Use America’s Forest Gold by Kim Derek Pitts will tell you all you want to know about it. The book covers topics such as: ginseng cultivation, history, harvesting, hunting and conserving wild ginseng, and use of ginseng in traditional herbal medicine.
Tioga County is farming country and most farms in these parts used to have a sugar shack. Vermont might get better promotion and produce more, but there’s nothing better than Grandma’s flapjacks topped with homemade syrup from the farm. If you’ve a hankering for homemade and want to try making your own, then Backyard Sugarin’: A Complete How-To Guide, by Rink Mann will show you how.
This book tells you how you can make maple syrup right in your own back yard without having to build a sap house or buy buckets, holding tanks, and other expensive paraphernalia. Think of it as sugar on a shoestring. The author goes over the basics of selecting your trees, homemade evaporators, the boiling down process and includes tips from small-time sugarers from across the country.
Yep, it’s good to remember where our food comes from-the grocery store is more convenient and may fill an empty stomach, but there’s nothing like food you hunted and gathered yourself for feeding your spirit, whether it’s venison, fish, or fiddlehead ferns. Yes, Tioga County has a taste of its own, even if flavored with just a dash of nostalgia. Heck, I might even show a flatlander how to milk a cow. Course, I just might forget to tell ‘em the difference between Bossie and Ferdinand….
"The Battling Bucktails"
Kevin Coolidge
Battling bears before breakfast, and wrassling my weight in cougars - yep, I’m a real wild cat, and I love reading about the Bucktails. Of all the unusual combat units of the Civil War; none was more colorful than the Pennsylvania Bucktails. In the spring of 1861, by raft, rowboat, and cattle cars, there came from the mountains of northern Pennsylvania's "Wildcat District" a group of young men who would form the core of a regiment destined to become famous. The regiment was made up largely of rough, hardy lumbermen who had their own peculiar "wildcat yell." The conduct of some of its men, as well as the region many of them were from, led to the designation of "Bucktailed Wildcats." (The "Wildcat District" had been given this name not for its feline fauna, but because its lumbermen were a loud and lively lot.) Because of the regiment's ritual of having each man wear on his hat the tail of a deer he had shot, the 13th Pennsylvania became known as the "Bucktails."
The Bucktails were all superior marksmen, and during the first year of the war, they distinguished themselves as skirmishers and sharpshooters. In July 1862, because of this excellent record, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton directed Roy Stone, a major in the regiment, to enlist an additional brigade of Bucktails. Stone raised 20 companies of recruits by the end of August to send to Harrisburg, PA., for official organization into the 149th and 150th Pennsylvania regiments. The new volunteers, having proudly adopted the distinctive badge of the earlier group, also called themselves the "Bucktails" or sometimes the "New Bucktails."
The Bucktails, old and new, fought in most of the major campaigns in the East. In the spring of 1862, four companies of the 13th were in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign while the rest of the unit fought in the Peninsula Campaign. The regiment was also prominent in the second day's battle at Gettysburg while the 149th and 150th participated in other eastern actions, from Chancellorsville to Petersburg, with skill and courage.
The trials and tribulations of the Bucktails have been captured in an easy and fun- to- read series by writers William P. Robertson and David Rimer. The books bring the story of the famous regiment to a younger generation of readers; though I know of more than one adult (other than myself) who love this series. I recently finished number six, The Bucktails At The Devil’s Den, which is about the regiment’s involvement in the battle of Gettysburg.
The series starts with Hayfoot, Strawfoot, The Bucktail Recruits, and introduces the major characters. I find the books to be well researched and a must read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction, and the Civil War, and action-oriented prose. When I asked William how he writes the novels, he answered, “ The way we write the books is this. First, we both do research to find out what the Bucktails actually did during a particular campaign. Using the history as the template, we come up with a creative plot. I then write the rough draft and give it to Dave for editing. He corrects the grammar, finds weak places in the plot, and checks for logic and possible historical errors. After that, I add in his corrections and find other mistakes, too. The book goes back and forth 5 or 6 times until we work the bugs out of it. I am the creative force behind the books, while Dave is the technical writing expert.”
That passion and technical expertise shows, William P. Robertson is himself a Civil War buff and re-enactor, and his enthusiasm shows through his writing and photographs. Robertson does most of his own photography and there are several great photos of fellow re-enactors, which bring the books and time period to life. I often feel that good photography is under appreciated. I think I’m doing well if I don’t cut off the head, and the eyes aren’t glowing red.
Robertson’s series wraps up in his next book that is releasing in May/June called, The Bucktails Last Call, but catch the other great titles: The Bucktails’ Shenandoah March, The Bucktails:Perils on the Peninsula, The Bucktails’ Antietam Trials, and The Battling Bucktails at Fredericksburg. Me? I’m gonna grab my Sharpe’s rifle and practice my shootin’ cause I ain’t missing the next one…
Battling bears before breakfast, and wrassling my weight in cougars - yep, I’m a real wild cat, and I love reading about the Bucktails. Of all the unusual combat units of the Civil War; none was more colorful than the Pennsylvania Bucktails. In the spring of 1861, by raft, rowboat, and cattle cars, there came from the mountains of northern Pennsylvania's "Wildcat District" a group of young men who would form the core of a regiment destined to become famous. The regiment was made up largely of rough, hardy lumbermen who had their own peculiar "wildcat yell." The conduct of some of its men, as well as the region many of them were from, led to the designation of "Bucktailed Wildcats." (The "Wildcat District" had been given this name not for its feline fauna, but because its lumbermen were a loud and lively lot.) Because of the regiment's ritual of having each man wear on his hat the tail of a deer he had shot, the 13th Pennsylvania became known as the "Bucktails."
The Bucktails were all superior marksmen, and during the first year of the war, they distinguished themselves as skirmishers and sharpshooters. In July 1862, because of this excellent record, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton directed Roy Stone, a major in the regiment, to enlist an additional brigade of Bucktails. Stone raised 20 companies of recruits by the end of August to send to Harrisburg, PA., for official organization into the 149th and 150th Pennsylvania regiments. The new volunteers, having proudly adopted the distinctive badge of the earlier group, also called themselves the "Bucktails" or sometimes the "New Bucktails."
The Bucktails, old and new, fought in most of the major campaigns in the East. In the spring of 1862, four companies of the 13th were in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign while the rest of the unit fought in the Peninsula Campaign. The regiment was also prominent in the second day's battle at Gettysburg while the 149th and 150th participated in other eastern actions, from Chancellorsville to Petersburg, with skill and courage.
The trials and tribulations of the Bucktails have been captured in an easy and fun- to- read series by writers William P. Robertson and David Rimer. The books bring the story of the famous regiment to a younger generation of readers; though I know of more than one adult (other than myself) who love this series. I recently finished number six, The Bucktails At The Devil’s Den, which is about the regiment’s involvement in the battle of Gettysburg.
The series starts with Hayfoot, Strawfoot, The Bucktail Recruits, and introduces the major characters. I find the books to be well researched and a must read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction, and the Civil War, and action-oriented prose. When I asked William how he writes the novels, he answered, “ The way we write the books is this. First, we both do research to find out what the Bucktails actually did during a particular campaign. Using the history as the template, we come up with a creative plot. I then write the rough draft and give it to Dave for editing. He corrects the grammar, finds weak places in the plot, and checks for logic and possible historical errors. After that, I add in his corrections and find other mistakes, too. The book goes back and forth 5 or 6 times until we work the bugs out of it. I am the creative force behind the books, while Dave is the technical writing expert.”
That passion and technical expertise shows, William P. Robertson is himself a Civil War buff and re-enactor, and his enthusiasm shows through his writing and photographs. Robertson does most of his own photography and there are several great photos of fellow re-enactors, which bring the books and time period to life. I often feel that good photography is under appreciated. I think I’m doing well if I don’t cut off the head, and the eyes aren’t glowing red.
Robertson’s series wraps up in his next book that is releasing in May/June called, The Bucktails Last Call, but catch the other great titles: The Bucktails’ Shenandoah March, The Bucktails:Perils on the Peninsula, The Bucktails’ Antietam Trials, and The Battling Bucktails at Fredericksburg. Me? I’m gonna grab my Sharpe’s rifle and practice my shootin’ cause I ain’t missing the next one…
"The Eastern Cougar"
The morning mountain air filled my lungs, as I hiked along the trail. A burst of purple caught my eye. It was the state flower of Colorado, the Columbine. I knelt down for a closer look. As I did, a tremor ran through me; something wasn’t right. A gentle breeze stirred the trees. I thought maybe a cold front was moving in, and it was time to head back. But as I turned to go, I saw a flash of movement, a mountain lion! I couldn’t believe my luck. Many people never even catch a glimpse of a mountain lion in the wild.
The mountain lion (Puma concolor), has received a plurality of names, as few other mammals: cougar, panther, painter, Indian devil, deer tiger, catamount, wildcat, and puma, as well as hundreds of Native American names to correspond with the diversity of their culture. When European settlers first reached the shores of North America, Eastern cougars were plentiful, ranging up and down the coast of the present-day America. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the large, feline predator of the Americas had gone the way of the American Bison and the Timber Wolf.
I became interested in the Eastern cougar after watching Kerry Gyekis’s interesting and informative presentation on the big cats. Kerry is a forester and author and has given this talk all over Pennsylvania. Is the Eastern cougar gone? Are there still small breeding pockets, or are they only escaped pets? And can the Eastern Cougar come back from the edge of extinction if he is here? The Eastern Cougar: Historic Accounts, Scientific Investigations, and New Evidence, edited by Chris Bolgiano and Jerry Roberts, seeks to answer theses questions-a book that Kerry recommends.
This anthology brings together accounts from early explorers and present-day researchers, considers the evidence in the wild cougar controversy, and examines the social and environmental implications of recovery. The book is divided into three parts.
The first part contains historical references and settlers’ interactions with the cougar, as well as just what an Eastern cougar actually is. Many settlers mistook the large cat of the New World for the African lion. The cougar has the largest range of any large cat, and though the cougar is usually lumped in with the larger cat species, the cougar is distinct in that it cannot roar, and makes vocalizations much more common to small cats. Thus giving some credence to my cat’s claim of being a cougar.
The second part of the book covers the evidence of the reappearance of the cougar from eye sightings, tracks, scat and even DNA samples. Do many eye witnesses prove cougars are here, or is more scientific evidence required? One of the great things about this book is that the reader doesn’t need advanced degree in biology, zoology, or any other scientific study to understand, appreciate, and learn from this book. Even the most intimidating article title, "Genetic Variation, Gene Flow, and Population Identification for North American Pumas" by the premier cougar DNA research expert Melanie Culver, has been written in terms laymen can understand.
The third part discusses whether the Eastern cougar can make a comeback. Unassisted recolonization by a large predator is unusual. Can cougars successfully reestablish viable, long term breeding populations in the East? The answer is a tangled web of biological, legal, environmental and even social issues. The 9-page essay by Dr. David Maehr's, entitled “Can the Florida Panther Provide Insight Into Restoring the Eastern Cougar?” This is a very balanced piece, which seems both skeptical and hopeful at the same time. Dr. Maehr briefly discusses some of the more complex issues and helps put the whole subject into perspective.
So, is this great native cat of America still in existence? The saying goes, “extinct is forever”. I certainly hope to be able to see a cougar in the East one day. If this feline predator were to fade into the mists of history, I feel we would lose something of what we are, that little piece of wildness that feeds our spirit and dreams. I personally feel that the Eastern cougar is alive and well, if only in our hearts and imagination and not the deep woods…
Kevin Coolidge
The mountain lion (Puma concolor), has received a plurality of names, as few other mammals: cougar, panther, painter, Indian devil, deer tiger, catamount, wildcat, and puma, as well as hundreds of Native American names to correspond with the diversity of their culture. When European settlers first reached the shores of North America, Eastern cougars were plentiful, ranging up and down the coast of the present-day America. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the large, feline predator of the Americas had gone the way of the American Bison and the Timber Wolf.
I became interested in the Eastern cougar after watching Kerry Gyekis’s interesting and informative presentation on the big cats. Kerry is a forester and author and has given this talk all over Pennsylvania. Is the Eastern cougar gone? Are there still small breeding pockets, or are they only escaped pets? And can the Eastern Cougar come back from the edge of extinction if he is here? The Eastern Cougar: Historic Accounts, Scientific Investigations, and New Evidence, edited by Chris Bolgiano and Jerry Roberts, seeks to answer theses questions-a book that Kerry recommends.
This anthology brings together accounts from early explorers and present-day researchers, considers the evidence in the wild cougar controversy, and examines the social and environmental implications of recovery. The book is divided into three parts.
The first part contains historical references and settlers’ interactions with the cougar, as well as just what an Eastern cougar actually is. Many settlers mistook the large cat of the New World for the African lion. The cougar has the largest range of any large cat, and though the cougar is usually lumped in with the larger cat species, the cougar is distinct in that it cannot roar, and makes vocalizations much more common to small cats. Thus giving some credence to my cat’s claim of being a cougar.
The second part of the book covers the evidence of the reappearance of the cougar from eye sightings, tracks, scat and even DNA samples. Do many eye witnesses prove cougars are here, or is more scientific evidence required? One of the great things about this book is that the reader doesn’t need advanced degree in biology, zoology, or any other scientific study to understand, appreciate, and learn from this book. Even the most intimidating article title, "Genetic Variation, Gene Flow, and Population Identification for North American Pumas" by the premier cougar DNA research expert Melanie Culver, has been written in terms laymen can understand.
The third part discusses whether the Eastern cougar can make a comeback. Unassisted recolonization by a large predator is unusual. Can cougars successfully reestablish viable, long term breeding populations in the East? The answer is a tangled web of biological, legal, environmental and even social issues. The 9-page essay by Dr. David Maehr's, entitled “Can the Florida Panther Provide Insight Into Restoring the Eastern Cougar?” This is a very balanced piece, which seems both skeptical and hopeful at the same time. Dr. Maehr briefly discusses some of the more complex issues and helps put the whole subject into perspective.
So, is this great native cat of America still in existence? The saying goes, “extinct is forever”. I certainly hope to be able to see a cougar in the East one day. If this feline predator were to fade into the mists of history, I feel we would lose something of what we are, that little piece of wildness that feeds our spirit and dreams. I personally feel that the Eastern cougar is alive and well, if only in our hearts and imagination and not the deep woods…
Kevin Coolidge
"The Higher Power Of Lucky"
Kevin Coolidge
God Grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change,
Courage to change the things we can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
That little piece of wisdom is known as the Serenity Prayer, and it’s read a lot at twelve-step meetings. It reminds me of my uncle who is chock full of wisdom-such as don’t draw to an inside straight, don’t gamble with a man whose moniker is the same as any city, and don’t count your money at the table. Wait, maybe that was Kenny Rogers- anyway, he says, “the power of luck is that you don’t know if it’s bad or good, until after the fact.”
I always consider myself lucky when I discover a great book. The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron and illustrated by Matt Phelan is one of those books. Winner of the Newbery Award for 2007, which is given every year for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children, this is a book that doesn’t talk down to it’s audience, which is 9 to 11 year olds.
Controversy has arisen over the book due to the word “scrotum” being used on the first page. A number of school librarians and teachers have called for banning or censoring the book. Lucky for Tioga County, the Green Free Library is not among those banning the book. I feel it’s something the parent should decide, since not every book is for every person. Knowledge is power, but the ability to share that knowledge is freedom.
Some accuse the author of endorsing shock value, but the incident is based on a true story and she uses it to explain anatomy to developing readers. I’ve had a lot of Anatomy classes and every part of your body has a scientific name (usually Latin), and it comes in handy sooner or later. Scrotum: A pouch of skin, which contains the testes, epididymides, and lower portions of the spermatic cords. My nephews are 9 and 11 and they already have lots of words for this piece of anatomy. It’s about time they read the proper word in context and not some slang word that you can’t say in front of your Grandma.
The novel features Lucky, a 10-year-old girl who lives in a small town named Hard Pan (population 43) in the California desert. After her mother died two years ago, her father called upon his ex-wife, Brigette, to come to the United States from France to take care of Lucky. Lucky fears that Brigette is tired of being her guardian and of their life in Hard Pan. Her experiences lead her to believe that Brigette will abadon her and return to France. This anxiety prompts Lucky to seek help from her "Higher Power," a notion she gets from eavesdropping at her town's 12-step meetings.
I enjoyed reading about Lucky's world: the hard, dusty life in a remote California town, and the people who populate it. The book reads real. The reality of life is that kids in this age range have all kinds of scary ideas and powerful curiosities, letting kids read about Lucky going through some of the same problems can give opportunities to talk and think about what’s going on in their lives. It’s a story of a girl with a precarious family situation, trying to find her place in the world. She’s a scrappy, intelligent girl interested in Charles Darwin and the search for truth, but the problem with the power truth is that you don’t always know if it’s good or bad until after the fact….
God Grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change,
Courage to change the things we can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
That little piece of wisdom is known as the Serenity Prayer, and it’s read a lot at twelve-step meetings. It reminds me of my uncle who is chock full of wisdom-such as don’t draw to an inside straight, don’t gamble with a man whose moniker is the same as any city, and don’t count your money at the table. Wait, maybe that was Kenny Rogers- anyway, he says, “the power of luck is that you don’t know if it’s bad or good, until after the fact.”
I always consider myself lucky when I discover a great book. The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron and illustrated by Matt Phelan is one of those books. Winner of the Newbery Award for 2007, which is given every year for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children, this is a book that doesn’t talk down to it’s audience, which is 9 to 11 year olds.
Controversy has arisen over the book due to the word “scrotum” being used on the first page. A number of school librarians and teachers have called for banning or censoring the book. Lucky for Tioga County, the Green Free Library is not among those banning the book. I feel it’s something the parent should decide, since not every book is for every person. Knowledge is power, but the ability to share that knowledge is freedom.
Some accuse the author of endorsing shock value, but the incident is based on a true story and she uses it to explain anatomy to developing readers. I’ve had a lot of Anatomy classes and every part of your body has a scientific name (usually Latin), and it comes in handy sooner or later. Scrotum: A pouch of skin, which contains the testes, epididymides, and lower portions of the spermatic cords. My nephews are 9 and 11 and they already have lots of words for this piece of anatomy. It’s about time they read the proper word in context and not some slang word that you can’t say in front of your Grandma.
The novel features Lucky, a 10-year-old girl who lives in a small town named Hard Pan (population 43) in the California desert. After her mother died two years ago, her father called upon his ex-wife, Brigette, to come to the United States from France to take care of Lucky. Lucky fears that Brigette is tired of being her guardian and of their life in Hard Pan. Her experiences lead her to believe that Brigette will abadon her and return to France. This anxiety prompts Lucky to seek help from her "Higher Power," a notion she gets from eavesdropping at her town's 12-step meetings.
I enjoyed reading about Lucky's world: the hard, dusty life in a remote California town, and the people who populate it. The book reads real. The reality of life is that kids in this age range have all kinds of scary ideas and powerful curiosities, letting kids read about Lucky going through some of the same problems can give opportunities to talk and think about what’s going on in their lives. It’s a story of a girl with a precarious family situation, trying to find her place in the world. She’s a scrappy, intelligent girl interested in Charles Darwin and the search for truth, but the problem with the power truth is that you don’t always know if it’s good or bad until after the fact….
"Seige the Day"
Kevin Coolidge
Greetings, Lords and Ladies-that’s right, I don’t believe chivalry is dead. I even tried out for the SCA( that’s the Society for the Creative Anachronism, not the society for chaos and anarchy as I thought). I was doing great. I was smashing my foe with great vim and vigor. He moved so slow with all that heavy armor and huge shield. It’s quite refreshing and a great workout, and much cheaper than therapy. But the weapon master chided me for not being chivalric. It seems I kept turning my opponent to the morning sun, blinding him. No wonder he kept retreating and shouting for quarters. I guess it’s not really any surprise why all the knights of yore are deceased. It’s all fun and games and honor until someone discovered gunpowder, matches and cluster bombs.
Nevertheless, I yearn for the days of “Might makes right” also known as “God is on my side.” and this army brandishing spears, axes, swords and equipped with siege weapons says so. There’s something alluring about ancient methods of warfare that have been made defunct by the modern era of computers and information technology. Before tanks, before machine guns, before IED’s there were battering rams, siege towers, and catapults.
In “Ancient and Medieval Siege Weapons”, author Konstantin Nossov covers the history and development of ancient weapons of mass destruction. This is a skillfully illustrated book on the siege weapons used by most of the major armies from Ancient Egypt through the mid 1400's. It is surprisingly detailed. The book is divided into three distinct parts.
The book begins with “The History of Siege Warfare” tracing the main stages of evolution of siege warfare as well as some brief descriptions of individual sieges. The book then goes into detail on individual siege engines, describing structure and methods of using them with beautiful illustrations of reconstructions of these tools of war. Some of the reconstructions were taken from stone tablets. Now that’s dedication.
Nossov then devotes the third part of the book to informing the reader about the typical actions taken by both those throwing the party and the guests, or maybe the party crashers-typical actions of the offense and main steps of the defense along with stratagems to avoid expensive siege warfare, because every war has to have a budget.
The history of siege warfare is closely connected with the history of castles and fortifications, because if you build it, they will come and try to figure how to knock it down. To completely subdue an occupied territory, a commander had to seize every fortress and castle in it. William of Normandy easily managed to occupy the whole of England due to country’s lack of a developed system of castles.
The author knows his steel and stone. He holds a PhD and is an advisor on arms, armor, and ancient warfare. He has penned other books on the siege weapons of medieval Russia, India and the Far East along with several on Russian and Indian fortresses. The book was originally published in Russian, but is good translation with easy-to-read passages by a informed and scholarly man that knows how to be concise. So, I’m going to siege the day and visit my local hardware store. I wonder if I’m going to need a building permit for a catapult???
Greetings, Lords and Ladies-that’s right, I don’t believe chivalry is dead. I even tried out for the SCA( that’s the Society for the Creative Anachronism, not the society for chaos and anarchy as I thought). I was doing great. I was smashing my foe with great vim and vigor. He moved so slow with all that heavy armor and huge shield. It’s quite refreshing and a great workout, and much cheaper than therapy. But the weapon master chided me for not being chivalric. It seems I kept turning my opponent to the morning sun, blinding him. No wonder he kept retreating and shouting for quarters.
Nevertheless, I yearn for the days of “Might makes right” also known as “God is on my side.” and this army brandishing spears, axes, swords and equipped with siege weapons says so. There’s something alluring about ancient methods of warfare that have been made defunct by the modern era of computers and information technology. Before tanks, before machine guns, before IED’s there were battering rams, siege towers, and catapults.
In “Ancient and Medieval Siege Weapons”, author Konstantin Nossov covers the history and development of ancient weapons of mass destruction. This is a skillfully illustrated book on the siege weapons used by most of the major armies from Ancient Egypt through the mid 1400's. It is surprisingly detailed. The book is divided into three distinct parts.
The book begins with “The History of Siege Warfare” tracing the main stages of evolution of siege warfare as well as some brief descriptions of individual sieges. The book then goes into detail on individual siege engines, describing structure and methods of using them with beautiful illustrations of reconstructions of these tools of war. Some of the reconstructions were taken from stone tablets. Now that’s dedication.
Nossov then devotes the third part of the book to informing the reader about the typical actions taken by both those throwing the party and the guests, or maybe the party crashers-typical actions of the offense and main steps of the defense along with stratagems to avoid expensive siege warfare, because every war has to have a budget.
The history of siege warfare is closely connected with the history of castles and fortifications, because if you build it, they will come and try to figure how to knock it down. To completely subdue an occupied territory, a commander had to seize every fortress and castle in it. William of Normandy easily managed to occupy the whole of England due to country’s lack of a developed system of castles.
The author knows his steel and stone. He holds a PhD and is an advisor on arms, armor, and ancient warfare. He has penned other books on the siege weapons of medieval Russia, India and the Far East along with several on Russian and Indian fortresses. The book was originally published in Russian, but is good translation with easy-to-read passages by a informed and scholarly man that knows how to be concise. So, I’m going to siege the day and visit my local hardware store. I wonder if I’m going to need a building permit for a catapult???
"Time Enough For Love?"
Kevin Coolidge
So many books, so little time: it seems hard enough to keep up with all the new books coming out, not to mention the book that you still didn’t read for that tenth grade English class. I wonder if it’s too late to hand in my book report? Maybe I’ll do it at the next class reunion. I mean, twenty years should just be a tardy, right? Why doesn’t work doesn’t just hand out tardy slips? It sounds so much better than late.
Better late than never. Sure, you want to read a classic of literature, but lately all the time you have to read after working all day, putting your kids to bed, and trying to figure out where your fuzzy bunny slippers are, is that five minutes before you go to bed, get up and do it all over again.
So, here’s a list of short, classic works that won’t take a lifetime of 5 minute readings to finish, and just might keep you up past your bedtime….
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: The author’s only book, and winner of the Pulitzer. Hey, if you are going to write only one book, it might as well be a classic. Even forty years of civil rights and affirmative action, does not make this book an anachronism.
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding: William Golding's classic tale about a group of English schoolboys who are plane-wrecked on a deserted island is just as chilling and relevant today as when it was first published in 1954. It just goes to show you that it really is all fun and games until someone loses an eye.
1984 by George Orwell: Orwell's classic continues to deliver its horrible vision of totalitarian society. Once considered futuristic, it now conjures fear because of how closely it fits the reality of contemporary times. Is it paranoia if someone actually is watching you?
Animal Farm also by Orwell: The rise and fall of Communism explained in a fun-to- read allegory with animals. And you thought animals were our friends.
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut: Don't let the ease of reading fool you. It’s an eloquent and funny plea against butchery in service to authority. Something we should always remember, and never forget.
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger: A coming-of-age story, filled with teenage angst and loss of innocence. Great for parents, so you can remember that your kid will probably grow out of it if you don’t kill them first.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury: Details the eternal battle between censorship and freedom of expression and continues to be relevant today. First books are banned, then burned, and can bodies be far behind?
The Red Pony by John Steinbeck: Actually not technically a novel but a collection of four short stories about a ten year old farm boy growing up on a ranch. It’s vivid, strong writing and will make you glad you never got that pony for your birthday.
There are lots of books I could add, but I really have to get started on that book report. Hmmm, 500 words, I wonder how many times I can get away with “very”???
So many books, so little time: it seems hard enough to keep up with all the new books coming out, not to mention the book that you still didn’t read for that tenth grade English class. I wonder if it’s too late to hand in my book report? Maybe I’ll do it at the next class reunion. I mean, twenty years should just be a tardy, right? Why doesn’t work doesn’t just hand out tardy slips? It sounds so much better than late.
Better late than never. Sure, you want to read a classic of literature, but lately all the time you have to read after working all day, putting your kids to bed, and trying to figure out where your fuzzy bunny slippers are, is that five minutes before you go to bed, get up and do it all over again.
So, here’s a list of short, classic works that won’t take a lifetime of 5 minute readings to finish, and just might keep you up past your bedtime….
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: The author’s only book, and winner of the Pulitzer. Hey, if you are going to write only one book, it might as well be a classic. Even forty years of civil rights and affirmative action, does not make this book an anachronism.
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding: William Golding's classic tale about a group of English schoolboys who are plane-wrecked on a deserted island is just as chilling and relevant today as when it was first published in 1954. It just goes to show you that it really is all fun and games until someone loses an eye.
1984 by George Orwell: Orwell's classic continues to deliver its horrible vision of totalitarian society. Once considered futuristic, it now conjures fear because of how closely it fits the reality of contemporary times. Is it paranoia if someone actually is watching you?
Animal Farm also by Orwell: The rise and fall of Communism explained in a fun-to- read allegory with animals. And you thought animals were our friends.
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut: Don't let the ease of reading fool you. It’s an eloquent and funny plea against butchery in service to authority. Something we should always remember, and never forget.
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger: A coming-of-age story, filled with teenage angst and loss of innocence. Great for parents, so you can remember that your kid will probably grow out of it if you don’t kill them first.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury: Details the eternal battle between censorship and freedom of expression and continues to be relevant today. First books are banned, then burned, and can bodies be far behind?
The Red Pony by John Steinbeck: Actually not technically a novel but a collection of four short stories about a ten year old farm boy growing up on a ranch. It’s vivid, strong writing and will make you glad you never got that pony for your birthday.
There are lots of books I could add, but I really have to get started on that book report. Hmmm, 500 words, I wonder how many times I can get away with “very”???
"You Suck, A Love Story"
Kevin Coolidge
When asked to define love, I could not find my tongue. I wished to expound on its nature. To praise a woman whose beauty has launched a thousand ships, and men have fought, and bled, and gotten sepsis and scurvy over. Perhaps Ovid said it best: “Love, it is a kind of warfare.” Yes, just like a man to compare love with battle, but within the minds of men it is. We struggle with our pride, pay homage to our honor, and seek an answer in our hearts. But love isn’t an action movie. We don’t get to blow anything up or have car chases, and the only thing a man risks breaking is his heart.
You meet the girl of your dreams and she’s dead. No, make that undead, and, now surprise! You are a vampire too. Yes, love sucks, and Christopher Moore knows it. You Suck, a love story, is Moore’s tenth novel and sequel to Blood Sucking Fiends, his third novel.
Christopher Moore is an American writer of absurdist fiction. His novels typically involve an ordinary guy thrust into supernatural or extraordinary circumstances, and often touch on political, environmental, or social concerns. Think John Steinbeck mixed with Kurt Vonnegut. Nope, You Suck is not your typical vampire story.
Jody, a single, red-headed woman living in San Francisco, is attacked by a vampire and soon realizes that she has become one herself. She never asked to be a vampire, but when she wakes up with a sore neck, superhuman strength, and a Nosferatuan thirst-well, it looks like her decision has been made for her. While trying to adjust to her newfound powers and nocturnal lifestyle, she is aided by C. Thomas Flood, better know as “Tommy”. The “C” doesn’t stand for anything, but it looks so much better as a byline.
Yes, Tommy is an aspiring writer, fresh and naive from the heartland of America, who throws stock nights at a local grocery store, not to mention being a champion “frozen turkey” bowler. So, Jody and Tommy begin their life together as master and minion. One thing leads to another, and put it this way:vampirism has its perks. You live forever(barring unfortunate incidents with wooden stakes and Italian food), can turn to mist(no more locking yourself out of your car), and then there’s vampire sex. But it has its downsides too. It’s not all blood and roses-sunlight is death and blood lust makes you do some pretty foul things,not to mention how vampirism complicates love.
Making the relationship work, however, is the least of Tommy’s and Jody’s problems. The vampire who nibbled on Jody wasn't supposed to be recruiting any new members into the club. Even worse, Tommy's former, partying-hard, turkey-bowling, co-working pals are out to get him, at the urging of a blue-dyed Las Vegas prostitute named Blue, and that really “sucks”.
Moore’s writing is certainly fun and funny, ranking with other modern humorists like Douglas Adams, Tom Robbins and Terry Pratchett. His book titles alone merit a Pulitzer-such as The Island of the Sequined Love Nun, the Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal, and Practical Demonkeeping. Yet, like most humor, there’s more than meets the eye. Moore has a certain way of writing about flawed people with great affection and forgiveness and isn’t that something we could all use a little more of???
When asked to define love, I could not find my tongue. I wished to expound on its nature. To praise a woman whose beauty has launched a thousand ships, and men have fought, and bled, and gotten sepsis and scurvy over. Perhaps Ovid said it best: “Love, it is a kind of warfare.” Yes, just like a man to compare love with battle, but within the minds of men it is. We struggle with our pride, pay homage to our honor, and seek an answer in our hearts. But love isn’t an action movie. We don’t get to blow anything up or have car chases, and the only thing a man risks breaking is his heart.
You meet the girl of your dreams and she’s dead. No, make that undead, and, now surprise! You are a vampire too. Yes, love sucks, and Christopher Moore knows it. You Suck, a love story, is Moore’s tenth novel and sequel to Blood Sucking Fiends, his third novel.
Christopher Moore is an American writer of absurdist fiction. His novels typically involve an ordinary guy thrust into supernatural or extraordinary circumstances, and often touch on political, environmental, or social concerns. Think John Steinbeck mixed with Kurt Vonnegut. Nope, You Suck is not your typical vampire story.
Jody, a single, red-headed woman living in San Francisco, is attacked by a vampire and soon realizes that she has become one herself. She never asked to be a vampire, but when she wakes up with a sore neck, superhuman strength, and a Nosferatuan thirst-well, it looks like her decision has been made for her. While trying to adjust to her newfound powers and nocturnal lifestyle, she is aided by C. Thomas Flood, better know as “Tommy”. The “C” doesn’t stand for anything, but it looks so much better as a byline.
Yes, Tommy is an aspiring writer, fresh and naive from the heartland of America, who throws stock nights at a local grocery store, not to mention being a champion “frozen turkey” bowler. So, Jody and Tommy begin their life together as master and minion. One thing leads to another, and put it this way:vampirism has its perks. You live forever(barring unfortunate incidents with wooden stakes and Italian food), can turn to mist(no more locking yourself out of your car), and then there’s vampire sex. But it has its downsides too. It’s not all blood and roses-sunlight is death and blood lust makes you do some pretty foul things,not to mention how vampirism complicates love.
Making the relationship work, however, is the least of Tommy’s and Jody’s problems. The vampire who nibbled on Jody wasn't supposed to be recruiting any new members into the club. Even worse, Tommy's former, partying-hard, turkey-bowling, co-working pals are out to get him, at the urging of a blue-dyed Las Vegas prostitute named Blue, and that really “sucks”.
Moore’s writing is certainly fun and funny, ranking with other modern humorists like Douglas Adams, Tom Robbins and Terry Pratchett. His book titles alone merit a Pulitzer-such as The Island of the Sequined Love Nun, the Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal, and Practical Demonkeeping. Yet, like most humor, there’s more than meets the eye. Moore has a certain way of writing about flawed people with great affection and forgiveness and isn’t that something we could all use a little more of???
"Jim Kjelgaard"
Kevin Coolidge
Brrrr…. It’s a cold winter night with a chilling North wind knocking upon the door and frost etching patterns on the windows. I curl up under a thick pile of blankets with one of my favorite outdoor books in one hand, and my flashlight in the other. I squint in the dim light, and I can imagine I am in the deep, dark woods with my faithful dog beside me. My mom yells for me to get my butt to bed. I have school tomorrow.
Yep, some things change. I’m older now, and I can eat cereal for dinner, stay up past my bedtime, but I still love reading books. I still love a good children’s book. One of my favorite authors, Jim Kjelgaard, once stated that in writing for young adults, you had to write up to them, because they know when they are being preached to, and won’t be receptive to anything that doesn’t interest them.
James A. Kjelgaard imbued each of his many books for children with his two great loves: nature and dogs. Although born in New York City, he grew up in Potter County Pennsylvania. Combining his personal experiences of the woods and wilds he knew as a boy and the animals he came to know and love, he wrote many popular children’s stories until his untimely death at forty-eight.
As a young man, he held various jobs-trapper, laborer, surveyor assistant, but at the age of twenty-eight, he decided to focus his energies on writing stories for children. His first book, Forest Patrol, concerns the efforts of a young man to go to forest ranger school and is set in the hills of rural Pennsylvania.
His favorite breed of dog was obviously the Irish setter, which is prominently featured in his most popular books Big Red, Irish Red and Outlaw Red, Son of Big Red, but Kjelgaard featured many other dogs in his books-a greyhound in Desert Dog, a collie in Double Challenge, a bloodhound in A Nose for Trouble, a golden retriever in Storm, a Siberian husky in both Snow Dog and Wild Trek, among others. He went on to write about other animals in some of his later books-such as moose, foxes, and deer. But he never forgot man’s best friend, the dog.
There’s a timeless appeal in his stories. I love the straightforward approach to the relationship between man and nature. His human characters are involved in vocations that are closely related to the out-of-doors, and his well-researched insight into these nature- involving careers, make them an excellent resource for young readers that are both interesting and entertaining and colorful.
Finding a great author you love to read is like finding a buried treasure, without having to wear the eye patch. You find them where you find them, but sometimes you have to dig. You may find one from California, or Great Britain, in the dusty corner of your parents’ attic, or you may even find one that’s from your own neck of the woods who knows of trees and streams, and rolling hills and the loyalty and love of dogs. But you’ll excuse me; I have to finish this chapter before my flashlight batteries die. Some things never change….
Brrrr…. It’s a cold winter night with a chilling North wind knocking upon the door and frost etching patterns on the windows. I curl up under a thick pile of blankets with one of my favorite outdoor books in one hand, and my flashlight in the other. I squint in the dim light, and I can imagine I am in the deep, dark woods with my faithful dog beside me. My mom yells for me to get my butt to bed. I have school tomorrow.
Yep, some things change. I’m older now, and I can eat cereal for dinner, stay up past my bedtime, but I still love reading books. I still love a good children’s book. One of my favorite authors, Jim Kjelgaard, once stated that in writing for young adults, you had to write up to them, because they know when they are being preached to, and won’t be receptive to anything that doesn’t interest them.
James A. Kjelgaard imbued each of his many books for children with his two great loves: nature and dogs. Although born in New York City, he grew up in Potter County Pennsylvania. Combining his personal experiences of the woods and wilds he knew as a boy and the animals he came to know and love, he wrote many popular children’s stories until his untimely death at forty-eight.
As a young man, he held various jobs-trapper, laborer, surveyor assistant, but at the age of twenty-eight, he decided to focus his energies on writing stories for children. His first book, Forest Patrol, concerns the efforts of a young man to go to forest ranger school and is set in the hills of rural Pennsylvania.
His favorite breed of dog was obviously the Irish setter, which is prominently featured in his most popular books Big Red, Irish Red and Outlaw Red, Son of Big Red, but Kjelgaard featured many other dogs in his books-a greyhound in Desert Dog, a collie in Double Challenge, a bloodhound in A Nose for Trouble, a golden retriever in Storm, a Siberian husky in both Snow Dog and Wild Trek, among others. He went on to write about other animals in some of his later books-such as moose, foxes, and deer. But he never forgot man’s best friend, the dog.
There’s a timeless appeal in his stories. I love the straightforward approach to the relationship between man and nature. His human characters are involved in vocations that are closely related to the out-of-doors, and his well-researched insight into these nature- involving careers, make them an excellent resource for young readers that are both interesting and entertaining and colorful.
Finding a great author you love to read is like finding a buried treasure, without having to wear the eye patch. You find them where you find them, but sometimes you have to dig. You may find one from California, or Great Britain, in the dusty corner of your parents’ attic, or you may even find one that’s from your own neck of the woods who knows of trees and streams, and rolling hills and the loyalty and love of dogs. But you’ll excuse me; I have to finish this chapter before my flashlight batteries die. Some things never change….
"Out With The Old"
Kevin Coolidge
X marks the spot, X=5, secret agent X. Face it. X has always been a little mysterious, a little sexy, a little crazy, an unknown factor, and being a member of generation X, I feel a little more comfortable with not really knowing what I want to be when I grow up. If the baby boomers can put off aging, well then I can put off a vocation.
One of the advantages of searching for your niche is that you get to do a lot of carving. I’ve been everything from a human forklift, courier, and bouncer, to a massage therapist and personal trainer, and there’s nothing like New Year resolutions to get people thinking about their health and fitness.
It can be tough to know where to start. There’s a lot of information out there-some good, some bad, and some that you just aren’t ready for. I’m going to give some suggestions depending on your experience and goals.
The Complete Guide to Walking by Mark Fenton: You have to walk before you can run, and most trainers will tell you that walking is a great exercise. You already know how to do it. It’s affordable and available, and no special equipment required. Mark is the editor of Walking Magazine. He presents a 52- week program that can help you go from couch potato to active, athletic individual.
Power to the People: Russian Strength Training Secrets for Every American by Pavel Tsatsouline: If I could recommend just one book on strength training, this would be it. Beautiful in its simplicity, this book gives the basics of strength from just getting stronger for carrying that bag of groceries, to becoming a burly, Russian Bear. For the experienced and hard-core gym rat, check the Russian Kettlebell Challenge, also by Pavel. Don’t know what a kettlebell is? Let me show you comrade, and for the ladies there is From Russia with Tough Love.
Of course, we all really know there is more to health than just exercising. We are what we eat, so step away from that jelly donut. I’ve never seen it put more elegantly or simply than Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet by Peter Gott. No crazy-sounding foods, no starving yourself, just good, solid, and sound nutritional advice and common sense approach to eating healthy.
The Warrior Diet by Ori Hoffmekler is one of my favorite choices. For the Greco-Roman soldier wannabe, this modified fasting program from a former member of the Israeli Special Forces is similar to the body builders' anabolic diet. Forget calorie counting. Instead, Hofmekler suggests that we return to our bodies' instinctive eating style, "under eating" during the day and "overeating" at night. A great book, but a little intense for most fitness folks. For the method of his madness, check out Maximum Muscle, Minimum Fat also by Ori.
You, On a Diet: The Owner’s Manual for Waist Management by Mehmet C. Oz, MD. Knowledge is power <> The best tool to weight loss is knowing and understanding your body, and this book will help with the biology and psychology of fat. Diet smart, not hard, or rather, don’t “diet” at all.
Well, I guess it is time for me slowly put down Grandma’s Christmas cookies, and take one more swallow of eggnog, and get on the road to wellness. Remember, the journey of a thousand miles, starts with tying your shoe laces…..
X marks the spot, X=5, secret agent X. Face it. X has always been a little mysterious, a little sexy, a little crazy, an unknown factor, and being a member of generation X, I feel a little more comfortable with not really knowing what I want to be when I grow up. If the baby boomers can put off aging, well then I can put off a vocation.
One of the advantages of searching for your niche is that you get to do a lot of carving. I’ve been everything from a human forklift, courier, and bouncer, to a massage therapist and personal trainer, and there’s nothing like New Year resolutions to get people thinking about their health and fitness.
It can be tough to know where to start. There’s a lot of information out there-some good, some bad, and some that you just aren’t ready for. I’m going to give some suggestions depending on your experience and goals.
The Complete Guide to Walking by Mark Fenton: You have to walk before you can run, and most trainers will tell you that walking is a great exercise. You already know how to do it. It’s affordable and available, and no special equipment required. Mark is the editor of Walking Magazine. He presents a 52- week program that can help you go from couch potato to active, athletic individual.
Power to the People: Russian Strength Training Secrets for Every American by Pavel Tsatsouline: If I could recommend just one book on strength training, this would be it. Beautiful in its simplicity, this book gives the basics of strength from just getting stronger for carrying that bag of groceries, to becoming a burly, Russian Bear. For the experienced and hard-core gym rat, check the Russian Kettlebell Challenge, also by Pavel. Don’t know what a kettlebell is? Let me show you comrade
Of course, we all really know there is more to health than just exercising. We are what we eat, so step away from that jelly donut. I’ve never seen it put more elegantly or simply than Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet by Peter Gott. No crazy-sounding foods, no starving yourself, just good, solid, and sound nutritional advice and common sense approach to eating healthy.
The Warrior Diet by Ori Hoffmekler is one of my favorite choices. For the Greco-Roman soldier wannabe, this modified fasting program from a former member of the Israeli Special Forces is similar to the body builders' anabolic diet. Forget calorie counting. Instead, Hofmekler suggests that we return to our bodies' instinctive eating style, "under eating" during the day and "overeating" at night. A great book, but a little intense for most fitness folks. For the method of his madness, check out Maximum Muscle, Minimum Fat also by Ori.
You, On a Diet: The Owner’s Manual for Waist Management by Mehmet C. Oz, MD. Knowledge is power <> The best tool to weight loss is knowing and understanding your body, and this book will help with the biology and psychology of fat. Diet smart, not hard, or rather, don’t “diet” at all.
Well, I guess it is time for me slowly put down Grandma’s Christmas cookies, and take one more swallow of eggnog, and get on the road to wellness. Remember, the journey of a thousand miles, starts with tying your shoe laces…..
"Nature Girl"
Kevin Coolidge
Ahhh, that perfect sizzle of steak done well I sit down, pick up my fork and knife and am ready to cut into a little slice of heaven, and the phone rings. Fish, or cut bait? Answer the phone, or get chastised for screening my calls? My steak will have to wait. I answer and a friendly, professional voice promises me a fast way to get out of debt, sell me magazines, or a great piece of real estate in Florida. Arrrgh, my steak is now cold and congealing upon my plate.
Telemarketers, I have always fantasized about tracking down one of these telemarketing creeps and turning the tables -- phoning his house every night at dinner, interrupting a nice, hot soak in the tub, or having him pick up the phone with hands covered in oven mitts. The main character in Carl Hiaason’s new novel Nature Girl does just that.
Honey, the “Nature Girl” of the title, has just started dinner when-you guessed it-a telemarketer and interrupts her meal. Honey is a nice girl with some problems. She hears two songs in her head at once-like Nine Inch Nails, and Nat King Cole-and has decided that there’s a decided lack of courtesy in the world. Old fans and newcomers alike will delight in Hiaason’s 11th novel, another entertaining Florida romp.
Honey lures the unsuspecting telemarketer to the “Ten Thousand Islands” area of Florida with the promise of an Everglade inspired “eco-tour” trap, to lecture him on ethics and common decency. As with all of Hiaason’s fiction there is a cast of extreme and zany characters. There’s a sex-starved fishmonger: a half-breed, blue-eyed Seminole: a private investigator in search of the “footage of a lifetime”: a co-ed wanna-be-hostage, and more.
This is classic Hiaason, so if you are an avid reader, you’ve seen this before. Even so, it’s an enjoyable read. There’s an eclectic cast of characters, witty dialogue and humorous phrasing. A nice addition is his strong character development of a young adult character. Hiaason has forayed into children’s books with Hoot, a winner of a Newberry award, and Flush, and has obviously become comfortable with creating strong children characters. Hiaason’s next book is rumored to be another children’s book. Perhaps, a sequel to the award winning, Hoot-I have a feeling that he wanted Nature Girl to be that book, but his publisher demanded another adult novel.
Hiaason definetly sticks to the adage “write what you know”. His fiction mirrors his concerns as a journalist and a native of Florida. His novels have been classified as "environmental thrillers" and are usually found on the crime fiction shelves in bookshops, though they can just as well be read as mainstream reflections of every day life. If you love Hiassen, you may want to check out Christopher Moore, who has been called “the unhinged Hiaason” and a man that Hiasson calls “the sickest man I know- in the best possible way.”
Me? I’ll be looking forward to both Hiaason’s next novel as well as Christopher Moore’s new book which is being published just in time for Valentine’s Day, You Suck: a Love Story which is a sequal to Blood Sucking Fiends. Well, I have to vamoose. I hear the phone ringing…..
Ahhh, that perfect sizzle of steak done well
Telemarketers, I have always fantasized about tracking down one of these telemarketing creeps and turning the tables -- phoning his house every night at dinner, interrupting a nice, hot soak in the tub, or having him pick up the phone with hands covered in oven mitts. The main character in Carl Hiaason’s new novel Nature Girl does just that.
Honey, the “Nature Girl” of the title, has just started dinner when-you guessed it-a telemarketer and interrupts her meal. Honey is a nice girl with some problems. She hears two songs in her head at once-like Nine Inch Nails, and Nat King Cole-and has decided that there’s a decided lack of courtesy in the world. Old fans and newcomers alike will delight in Hiaason’s 11th novel, another entertaining Florida romp.
Honey lures the unsuspecting telemarketer to the “Ten Thousand Islands” area of Florida with the promise of an Everglade inspired “eco-tour” trap, to lecture him on ethics and common decency. As with all of Hiaason’s fiction there is a cast of extreme and zany characters. There’s a sex-starved fishmonger: a half-breed, blue-eyed Seminole: a private investigator in search of the “footage of a lifetime”: a co-ed wanna-be-hostage, and more.
This is classic Hiaason, so if you are an avid reader, you’ve seen this before. Even so, it’s an enjoyable read. There’s an eclectic cast of characters, witty dialogue and humorous phrasing. A nice addition is his strong character development of a young adult character. Hiaason has forayed into children’s books with Hoot, a winner of a Newberry award, and Flush, and has obviously become comfortable with creating strong children characters. Hiaason’s next book is rumored to be another children’s book. Perhaps, a sequel to the award winning, Hoot-I have a feeling that he wanted Nature Girl to be that book, but his publisher demanded another adult novel.
Hiaason definetly sticks to the adage “write what you know”. His fiction mirrors his concerns as a journalist and a native of Florida. His novels have been classified as "environmental thrillers" and are usually found on the crime fiction shelves in bookshops, though they can just as well be read as mainstream reflections of every day life. If you love Hiassen, you may want to check out Christopher Moore, who has been called “the unhinged Hiaason” and a man that Hiasson calls “the sickest man I know- in the best possible way.”
Me? I’ll be looking forward to both Hiaason’s next novel as well as Christopher Moore’s new book which is being published just in time for Valentine’s Day, You Suck: a Love Story which is a sequal to Blood Sucking Fiends. Well, I have to vamoose. I hear the phone ringing…..
"The 13 Days of Xmas"
Kevin Coolidge
HO, HO, HO, Boy, do I feel like I have been run over by a herd of reindeer. (Move over Grandma) I can't believe I got into a drinking contest with the Santa at the company Xmas party. I can usually hold my eggnog pretty well, but that old man could really slug 'em down. I guess that belly that shook like a bowl full of jelly, didn't come from eating Mrs. Claus’s sugar cookies. Well, time to drag my butt out of bed and have a hair of the deer that plowed me over, and do some Christmas shopping….
If you’ve been naughty this year, and can’t count on the man in red to do your shopping for you, here are some suggestions for the book lovers in your life.
The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore: Move over Dickens, a zany Christmas tale of chaos with forgetful angels, a Santa homicide, and zombies?
Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein: The classic of military science fiction and winner of the Hugo award. A good book and a great story about a young man dealing with war and morality, and squashing alien bugs-the only science fiction novel that’s required reading at all American military academies.
Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaason: An eco-terrorist with a trust fund, sleazy politicians, and a Labrador Retriever named Boodle-slang term for a bribe. Add, a wicked sense of humor and you have, one sick puppy.
Bad Cat by Jim Edgar: Like books with photos? Here’s one with demonic cats with razor sharp claws and bad habits and bad attitudes. 244 cats brooding, deranged and borderline personalities, with full color photos and stats. For the canine lover, there’s Bad Dog.
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach: The human head is approximately the same size of a roaster chicken. If your reader likes CSI, they will love this book. Learn about the interesting life of cadavers from crash test dummies to the body farm.
Eragon by Christopher Paolini: magic and dragons, and a young hero coming to terms with responsibility and adulthood, and an evil, corrupt king. If your reader likes Tolkien this is a solid bet. Written for 12 and over and don’t forget it’s sequel Eldest.
The Art of War by Sun-Tzu: This classic of military strategy, which has been a huge influence on Eastern military planning, business tactics, and beyond, great for the reader planning on world domination.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak: My favorite book growing up. It’s a children’s picture books written in 1963. A young boy named Max goes on an imaginary adventure on an island of mythic, monstrous creatures and becomes their king.
Flatlanders and Ridgerunners by Jim Glimm: My grandpa said there’s two types of people in this world, people who put people in categories and …then you have flatlanders and ridgerunners, folktales from the mountains of Pennsylvania.
Brawn by Stuart McRobert: Good, solid and sane advice of weight training for the average joe. Forget books with complicated routines and exotic equipment-basics are all you need.
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway: Recounts an epic battle between an old experienced fisherman and a giant marlin said to be the largest catch of his life. Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, but teach a man to fish, and he’ll spin tales
Yep, my shopping is done for the year. All that’s left is to leave Santa his beef jerky and shot of tequila. I can’t wait to see what Santa leaves in my stocking on Christmas morning....
HO, HO, HO, Boy, do I feel like I have been run over by a herd of reindeer. (Move over Grandma) I can't believe I got into a drinking contest with the Santa at the company Xmas party. I can usually hold my eggnog pretty well, but that old man could really slug 'em down. I guess that belly that shook like a bowl full of jelly, didn't come from eating Mrs. Claus’s sugar cookies. Well, time to drag my butt out of bed and have a hair of the deer that plowed me over, and do some Christmas shopping….
If you’ve been naughty this year, and can’t count on the man in red to do your shopping for you, here are some suggestions for the book lovers in your life.
The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore: Move over Dickens, a zany Christmas tale of chaos with forgetful angels, a Santa homicide, and zombies?
Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein: The classic of military science fiction and winner of the Hugo award. A good book and a great story about a young man dealing with war and morality, and squashing alien bugs-the only science fiction novel that’s required reading at all American military academies.
Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaason: An eco-terrorist with a trust fund, sleazy politicians, and a Labrador Retriever named Boodle-slang term for a bribe. Add, a wicked sense of humor and you have, one sick puppy.
Bad Cat by Jim Edgar: Like books with photos? Here’s one with demonic cats with razor sharp claws and bad habits and bad attitudes. 244 cats brooding, deranged and borderline personalities, with full color photos and stats. For the canine lover, there’s Bad Dog.
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach: The human head is approximately the same size of a roaster chicken. If your reader likes CSI, they will love this book. Learn about the interesting life of cadavers from crash test dummies to the body farm.
Eragon by Christopher Paolini: magic and dragons, and a young hero coming to terms with responsibility and adulthood, and an evil, corrupt king. If your reader likes Tolkien this is a solid bet. Written for 12 and over and don’t forget it’s sequel Eldest.
The Art of War by Sun-Tzu: This classic of military strategy, which has been a huge influence on Eastern military planning, business tactics, and beyond, great for the reader planning on world domination.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak: My favorite book growing up. It’s a children’s picture books written in 1963. A young boy named Max goes on an imaginary adventure on an island of mythic, monstrous creatures and becomes their king.
Flatlanders and Ridgerunners by Jim Glimm: My grandpa said there’s two types of people in this world, people who put people in categories and …then you have flatlanders and ridgerunners, folktales from the mountains of Pennsylvania.
Brawn by Stuart McRobert: Good, solid and sane advice of weight training for the average joe. Forget books with complicated routines and exotic equipment-basics are all you need.
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway: Recounts an epic battle between an old experienced fisherman and a giant marlin said to be the largest catch of his life. Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, but teach a man to fish, and he’ll spin tales
Yep, my shopping is done for the year. All that’s left is to leave Santa his beef jerky and shot of tequila. I can’t wait to see what Santa leaves in my stocking on Christmas morning....
"They Things They Carried"
Kevin Coolidge
I’m a working class guy-born of farmers, and factory workers, truck drivers and laborers, and both my parents are veterans. I guess that why I think of the enlisted man-the guys and gals who drive the tank, repair the helicopter, that get things done-when Veteran’s Day rolls around. You know the grunts.
The grunts, the infantry, the doughboy, the duck-foot, the foot soldier who goes where the enemy is and takes them on in person-they’ve been doing it, with changes in weapons but very little change in the trade for 5,000 years. All wars are different, and all wars are the same. No matter if the weapons are spears and swords, or riffles and grenades-the ground itself has to be taken, and for that there’s never been anything, but the man in the ranks.
That’s why I chose to write about two books by Tim O’Brien. Tim O’Brien is an American novelist and veteran of the Vietnam War. He mainly writes about his experiences in the war and the impact that the war had on the American soldiers who fought there.
Going After Cacciato was the winner of the National Book Award for 1979. This complex novel is set during the Vietnam War and is told from the point of view of the protagoinist, Paul Berlin. The story traces the events that follow after Cacciato, a member of Berlin's squad decides to go AWOL(absent without leave) by walking from Vietnam to France by way of Asia.
The search for Cacciato soon enters the realm of the surreal as the troops find themselves following a trail of M&Ms and fleeting glimpses, through Indochina, across India, Iran, Greece, and Yugoslavia to the streets of Paris. The details of this hallucinatory journey alternate with feverish memories of the war-men killed in tunnels, maimed by landmines, engaged in casual acts of brutality that would be unthinkable anywhere else. Going After Cacciato is a blend of brutal comedy and stark horror that serves to illustrate both the psychology of men in battle and the insanity of war.
The Things They Carried is a series of interrelated vinnettes or short stories, that combine to tell of a soldier’s experience in and corcerning Vietnam. The novel claims to be a work of fiction, though there is more than a hint of the autobiographical, even the main character’s name is Tim O’Brien.
The men of Alpha company battle the enemy (or maybe their idea of the enemy), and occasionally each other. We see their isolation and loneliness, their rage and fear. They miss their families, their girlfriends and buddies; they miss the lives they left back home. Yet they find sympathy and kindness for strangers (the old man who leads them unscathed through the mine field), and love for each other, because in Vietnam they are the only family they have. With the creativeness of good fiction and the intimacy of searing autobiography, The Things The Carried is a testament to the men who risked their lives in America's most controversial war. They carried love letters; photos of loved ones, Bibles, M-16s and each other. And if they made it home alive, they carried the memories of war. The thing about remembering is that you don’t forget, not now, not ever….
I’m a working class guy-born of farmers, and factory workers, truck drivers and laborers, and both my parents are veterans. I guess that why I think of the enlisted man-the guys and gals who drive the tank, repair the helicopter, that get things done-when Veteran’s Day rolls around. You know the grunts.
The grunts, the infantry, the doughboy, the duck-foot, the foot soldier who goes where the enemy is and takes them on in person-they’ve been doing it, with changes in weapons but very little change in the trade for 5,000 years. All wars are different, and all wars are the same. No matter if the weapons are spears and swords, or riffles and grenades-the ground itself has to be taken, and for that there’s never been anything, but the man in the ranks.
That’s why I chose to write about two books by Tim O’Brien. Tim O’Brien is an American novelist and veteran of the Vietnam War. He mainly writes about his experiences in the war and the impact that the war had on the American soldiers who fought there.
Going After Cacciato was the winner of the National Book Award for 1979. This complex novel is set during the Vietnam War and is told from the point of view of the protagoinist, Paul Berlin. The story traces the events that follow after Cacciato, a member of Berlin's squad decides to go AWOL(absent without leave) by walking from Vietnam to France by way of Asia.
The search for Cacciato soon enters the realm of the surreal as the troops find themselves following a trail of M&Ms and fleeting glimpses, through Indochina, across India, Iran, Greece, and Yugoslavia to the streets of Paris. The details of this hallucinatory journey alternate with feverish memories of the war-men killed in tunnels, maimed by landmines, engaged in casual acts of brutality that would be unthinkable anywhere else. Going After Cacciato is a blend of brutal comedy and stark horror that serves to illustrate both the psychology of men in battle and the insanity of war.
The Things They Carried is a series of interrelated vinnettes or short stories, that combine to tell of a soldier’s experience in and corcerning Vietnam. The novel claims to be a work of fiction, though there is more than a hint of the autobiographical, even the main character’s name is Tim O’Brien.
The men of Alpha company battle the enemy (or maybe their idea of the enemy), and occasionally each other. We see their isolation and loneliness, their rage and fear. They miss their families, their girlfriends and buddies; they miss the lives they left back home. Yet they find sympathy and kindness for strangers (the old man who leads them unscathed through the mine field), and love for each other, because in Vietnam they are the only family they have. With the creativeness of good fiction and the intimacy of searing autobiography, The Things The Carried is a testament to the men who risked their lives in America's most controversial war. They carried love letters; photos of loved ones, Bibles, M-16s and each other. And if they made it home alive, they carried the memories of war. The thing about remembering is that you don’t forget, not now, not ever….
"Marley & Me"
Kevin Coolidge
In the beginning…, the great spirit created man and the beasts, but man was different. He walked on two feet, used tools and fire, created language and learned to brew beer. “I MUST SEPARATE MANKIND FROM THE ANIMALS,” boomed the creator, “HE’S DIFFERENT FROM THE BEASTS, AND IF I DON’T DO SOMETHING, HE’S GONNA SCREW EVERYTHING UP.” And so he caused a great rift to open between man and the animals of the world. The beasts watched in wild-eyed wonder, and relief. But the dog leaped the chasm, before his master and the free lunch disappeared. Hey, it sure beats cold nights and an empty stomach….
Canis lupus familiaris, the domestic dog, the family pooch, always makes a great subject for a book. I mean, dogs are loyal, dedicated, well-mannered, truly man’s best friend. But anyone who has ever owned and raised a puppy knows that isn’t always so. Marley & Me, life and love with the world’s worst dog by John Grogan is proof.
Marley & Me is a memoir, with dog, and recounts the years the author and his family spent with his Labrador Retriever. Marley isn’t a bad dog. In fact, he’s loyal and playful-a wiggly yellow fur ball of a puppy that grew into a barreling bulldozer of a dog. If anything, Marley is too energetic, too playful, and sometimes just too, too much.
The book is filled with anecdotes of Marley’s household adventures from his role in a movie to flunking out of obedience school to swallowing various inedible objects. The book is laugh-out-loud, snort-milk-through-your-nose-funny, well written, touching and a great read for any pet or animal lover. I think every dog owner has had a Marley in his life, that special dog that stands apart from all the rest.
I think that’s what I liked best about Marley & Me. I remembered my own dog and his crazy antics. Yes, I share my apartment with a cat, but I’m a dog person at heart I mean have you ever tried walking a cat? I loved taking my dog for walks. When is the last time you saw a dog on a walk that wasn’t grinning? Sure, he chewed my favorite pair of shoes, made the back lawn into a mine field and made it look like an artillery range, and well don’t even ask about the rose bushes. But he was loyal and loving and appreciated the simple things in life. He savored each stolen tidbit, every late-night walk, and lived life with a certain silly dignity that only a truly great dog seems to be able to master. Yep, the only real fault of dogs is that their lives are just too short.
In the beginning…, the great spirit created man and the beasts, but man was different. He walked on two feet, used tools and fire, created language and learned to brew beer. “I MUST SEPARATE MANKIND FROM THE ANIMALS,” boomed the creator, “HE’S DIFFERENT FROM THE BEASTS, AND IF I DON’T DO SOMETHING, HE’S GONNA SCREW EVERYTHING UP.” And so he caused a great rift to open between man and the animals of the world. The beasts watched in wild-eyed wonder, and relief. But the dog leaped the chasm, before his master and the free lunch disappeared. Hey, it sure beats cold nights and an empty stomach….
Canis lupus familiaris, the domestic dog, the family pooch, always makes a great subject for a book. I mean, dogs are loyal, dedicated, well-mannered, truly man’s best friend. But anyone who has ever owned and raised a puppy knows that isn’t always so. Marley & Me, life and love with the world’s worst dog by John Grogan is proof.
Marley & Me is a memoir, with dog, and recounts the years the author and his family spent with his Labrador Retriever. Marley isn’t a bad dog. In fact, he’s loyal and playful-a wiggly yellow fur ball of a puppy that grew into a barreling bulldozer of a dog. If anything, Marley is too energetic, too playful, and sometimes just too, too much.
The book is filled with anecdotes of Marley’s household adventures from his role in a movie to flunking out of obedience school to swallowing various inedible objects. The book is laugh-out-loud, snort-milk-through-your-nose-funny, well written, touching and a great read for any pet or animal lover. I think every dog owner has had a Marley in his life, that special dog that stands apart from all the rest.
I think that’s what I liked best about Marley & Me. I remembered my own dog and his crazy antics. Yes, I share my apartment with a cat, but I’m a dog person at heart
"Of Woods And Wild Things"
Kevin Coolidge
This morning I wrestled a bear in my pajamas. Now, how he got in my pajamas, I’ll never know. That’s right give a man a fish and he’ll eat for the day, but teach a man to fish and he’ll be drinking beer and spinning tales before you know it. I grew up loving the woods and the wild things in them. Heck, I thought every ten year old knew how to identify a large-mouthed bass, or a pileated woodpecker, and knew that rattlers weren’t really poisonous, but venomous, and believe me, there’s a big difference if you are hungry I still find it hard to swallow that city folk think food comes from a grocery store, and that they can’t get milk from a bull. Milk comes from a cow. You try milking a bull and let me know how it goes.
See, the land doesn’t belong man, and by man, I mean humanity as a whole, It is the other way around. Man belongs to the land, the earth. I believe that the spirit of a place can call to a man. Some folks just belong in certain places. Blood calls to blood and spirit calls to spirit. It sings to you, draws you in and once it has you in your grasp. Well, I’m getting ahead of myself again.
I love stories. Stories are webs, connecting threads to threads to threads, each following to the center, because the center is the end, each person a thread of the story. Of Woods and Wild Things, a collection of related vignettes by Don Knaus, has some good yarns that weave into the tale of a man, and his relationship with nature.
The first rule of writing is to write what you know. It gives the writing a sense of verisimilitude that certain something that gives ones writing the sense of trueness, of realness. Although, Of Woods and Wild Things is a work of fiction, there’s more than a hint of the autobiographical. The stories follow a young man through his life from novice fisherman and hunter to seasoned woodsman.
There’s fishing and forests, hunting and hiking, camping and canoeing, but the stories are about more than woodcraft and the outdoors. It’s about family and friendship, memories and mentoring, youth and yearning and a rite of passage that is becoming all too uncommon in our modern society.
Each story stands on it’s own, some are humorous, some carry a sense of nostalgia and some just tell a tale. Being a ridgerunner myself I loved seeing the names of people and places I grew up with and around. The face of Wellsboro may have changed over the years, but the process of growing up remains unchanged. Each generation thinks it is the first to discover a new love or a new place, but the heart is the heart, regardless of the Age.
Don Knaus was born and raised in Wellsboro Pennsylvania. His book, Of Woods and Wild Things can be found at several area businesses in Wellsboro, as well as on his website www.donknaus.com , and check out his weekly column in the Wellsboro Gazette named appropriately Woods and Wilds.
This morning I wrestled a bear in my pajamas. Now, how he got in my pajamas, I’ll never know. That’s right give a man a fish and he’ll eat for the day, but teach a man to fish and he’ll be drinking beer and spinning tales before you know it. I grew up loving the woods and the wild things in them. Heck, I thought every ten year old knew how to identify a large-mouthed bass, or a pileated woodpecker, and knew that rattlers weren’t really poisonous, but venomous, and believe me, there’s a big difference if you are hungry
See, the land doesn’t belong man, and by man, I mean humanity as a whole, It is the other way around. Man belongs to the land, the earth. I believe that the spirit of a place can call to a man. Some folks just belong in certain places. Blood calls to blood and spirit calls to spirit. It sings to you, draws you in and once it has you in your grasp. Well, I’m getting ahead of myself again.
I love stories. Stories are webs, connecting threads to threads to threads, each following to the center, because the center is the end, each person a thread of the story. Of Woods and Wild Things, a collection of related vignettes by Don Knaus, has some good yarns that weave into the tale of a man, and his relationship with nature.
The first rule of writing
There’s fishing and forests, hunting and hiking, camping and canoeing, but the stories are about more than woodcraft and the outdoors. It’s about family and friendship, memories and mentoring, youth and yearning and a rite of passage that is becoming all too uncommon in our modern society.
Each story stands on it’s own, some are humorous, some carry a sense of nostalgia and some just tell a tale. Being a ridgerunner myself I loved seeing the names of people and places I grew up with and around. The face of Wellsboro may have changed over the years, but the process of growing up remains unchanged. Each generation thinks it is the first to discover a new love or a new place, but the heart is the heart, regardless of the Age.
Don Knaus was born and raised in Wellsboro Pennsylvania. His book, Of Woods and Wild Things can be found at several area businesses in Wellsboro, as well as on his website www.donknaus.com , and check out his weekly column in the Wellsboro Gazette named appropriately Woods and Wilds.
"The 10 Minute Play"
Kevin Coolidge
“Turn on, tune in, and drop out”- it was good advice forty years ago, and it’s even better advice today. Today’s world moves at the speed of sound, the sound of pagers, and beepers, and cell phones. Today’s world moves at the speed of light, of email, and text messages, and the World Wide Web, surrounding us 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Days aren’t long enough: the week, too long. Caffeine and nicotine are my friends, my companions, my crutches, the only way I can get from one brutal second to the next. Sometimes in the split second of silence between the double espresso and the next drag on my cigarette, I can swear I can feel my hair grow.
That’s right-I grew up with MTV, microwaves and sound bytes beamed directly into my brain in fifteen to thirty second images. So, is it any wonder that I love the 10-minute play? The 10-minute play is one of the hottest trends in American theatre today. Look at the schedule for any small or medium-sized theatre and you are bound to find a short play festival. In the time you can change a light bulb, eat a slice of pepperoni pizza, or clean the litter box, you can see an actual play, a piece of culture for the ADD in all of us.
I love the short play festival for several reasons: the variety of plays from comedies to drama, and if I happen to not like one, hey it’s only minutes before it’s over; a great opportunity for a novice to try his hand at acting; and great chance for a beginning writer to actually get something finished. You gotta love that instant gratification.
I mean a ten-minute play, how long could it take to finish? But shorter doesn’t mean easier on any level, and to save time I recommend Perfect 10, Writing and Producing the 10-Minute Play by Gary Garrison.
Gary Garrison is a playwright and producer in New York City. He has written and produced the traditional three-act play and the one act play as well as producing NYU’s ten-minute play festival. He demystifies the process of writing and producing the ten-minute play by breaking it down structurally, dramaturgically, and theatrically. You’ll learn what to do and what not to do and how to write a play that’s not greeted with an automatic rejection letter.
There are 5 examples of ten-minute plays by 5 different playwrights, a chapter for producers and directors, tips and structure, and some theatres who accept submissions for the ten minute plays-check out our own local theatre group at www.hamiltongibson.org -and suggestions to get yourself ready to write one, instead of just jumping into the process.
This book is short, easy to read, witty and well written, more than just a how- to guide, and great for exploring this exciting new genre. It’s no magic bullet. The author lets you know that writing is hard work, but this book can help you avoid some of the major pitfalls. So, take 5, smoke ‘em if you got ‘em, and get out that first play. Now, where did that cat hide my smokes???
“Turn on, tune in, and drop out”- it was good advice forty years ago, and it’s even better advice today. Today’s world moves at the speed of sound, the sound of pagers, and beepers, and cell phones. Today’s world moves at the speed of light, of email, and text messages, and the World Wide Web, surrounding us 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Days aren’t long enough: the week, too long. Caffeine and nicotine are my friends, my companions, my crutches, the only way I can get from one brutal second to the next. Sometimes in the split second of silence between the double espresso and the next drag on my cigarette, I can swear I can feel my hair grow.
That’s right-I grew up with MTV, microwaves and sound bytes beamed directly into my brain in fifteen to thirty second images. So, is it any wonder that I love the 10-minute play? The 10-minute play is one of the hottest trends in American theatre today. Look at the schedule for any small or medium-sized theatre and you are bound to find a short play festival. In the time you can change a light bulb
I love the short play festival for several reasons: the variety of plays from comedies to drama, and if I happen to not like one, hey it’s only minutes before it’s over; a great opportunity for a novice to try his hand at acting; and great chance for a beginning writer to actually get something finished. You gotta love that instant gratification.
I mean a ten-minute play, how long could it take to finish? But shorter doesn’t mean easier on any level, and to save time I recommend Perfect 10, Writing and Producing the 10-Minute Play by Gary Garrison.
Gary Garrison is a playwright and producer in New York City. He has written and produced the traditional three-act play and the one act play as well as producing NYU’s ten-minute play festival. He demystifies the process of writing and producing the ten-minute play by breaking it down structurally, dramaturgically, and theatrically. You’ll learn what to do and what not to do and how to write a play that’s not greeted with an automatic rejection letter.
There are 5 examples of ten-minute plays by 5 different playwrights, a chapter for producers and directors, tips and structure, and some theatres who accept submissions for the ten minute plays-check out our own local theatre group at www.hamiltongibson.org -and suggestions to get yourself ready to write one, instead of just jumping into the process.
This book is short, easy to read, witty and well written, more than just a how- to guide, and great for exploring this exciting new genre. It’s no magic bullet. The author lets you know that writing is hard work, but this book can help you avoid some of the major pitfalls. So, take 5, smoke ‘em if you got ‘em, and get out that first play. Now, where did that cat hide my smokes???
Triskaidekaphobia
Kevin Coolidge
Dear Reader,
If you have just started reading this column, it’s not too late to stop. You can slowly put the paper down, and walk away. Nobody in their right mind would want to read about the horrible and dismal words or woe that are sure to follow. I implore you to find something more pleasant to read like the obituaries….
If you are still reading, you may know an author named Lemony Snicket . Lemony Snicket is the pseudonym novelist Daniel Handler uses for his series of darkly comic children's books known as A Series of Unfortunate Events-The book series will be 13 novels when completed. The 13th and final book, The End- is scheduled for release on Friday October 13th, 2006. The books follow the hard luck of the Baudelaire orphans, Violet, Klaus and Sunny. Snicket narrates their piteous adventures and misfortunes at the hands of evil Count Olaf, a master of disguises and truly bad thespian(that’s a fancy way of saying actor). The first book in the series, The Bad Beginning, was published in 1999. As of September 2006, twelve books have been published (with titles such as The Horrible Hospital and The Carnivorous Carnival), and a feature film has been released which encompasses the first three books. Daniel Handler, a resident of San Francisco, has been favorably compared to Kurt Vonnegut, Jr, and has also published novels for older teens and adults, including The Basic Eight (1999) and Watch Your Mouth (2000).
Much is made of the unhappy nature of the story. The book's back-cover warns the reader of the dreadful things described within each volume and respectfully suggests reading something else instead. Each volume begins with a dedication to the memory of Lemony Snicket's beloved Beatrice(from The Bad Beginning: "To Beatrice - darling, dearest, dead."). While the books are marketed primarily to children, they are also written with adult readers in mind-the series features many references likely to make sense only to adults.
The books can be classified as absurdist fiction( a genre of fiction that centers on the behavior of absurd characters, subjects or situations) due to the eccentric characters, quirky writing style and generally improbable storylines.At the end of each book, there is also a letter to Snicket's editor, instructing him on how to find the next book. Each of the Series of Unfortunate picks up from the last, finding the three orphans in some new situation, typically not of their making. The locale of each book's critical events is identified in the book's title.
Lemony Snicket narrates with respectful, subtle humor. Despite the general absurdity of the storylines, Lemony Snicket continuously maintains the story is true and that it is his "solemn duty" to record it. I find that they books are a great way to introduce new vocabulary words to the young reader, and that the author encourages the use and love of books. In every book the Baudelaires encounter and/or use a library of some sort and the orphans use their research to save themselves from various tragic events. All of the books in the series have thirteen chapters, and thirteen is considered an unlucky number by many (triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number thirteen) but me? I’m looking forward to Oct. 13th, and The End….
Dear Reader,
If you have just started reading this column, it’s not too late to stop. You can slowly put the paper down, and walk away. Nobody in their right mind would want to read about the horrible and dismal words or woe that are sure to follow. I implore you to find something more pleasant to read like the obituaries….
If you are still reading, you may know an author named Lemony Snicket . Lemony Snicket is the pseudonym novelist Daniel Handler uses for his series of darkly comic children's books known as A Series of Unfortunate Events-The book series will be 13 novels when completed. The 13th and final book, The End- is scheduled for release on Friday October 13th, 2006. The books follow the hard luck of the Baudelaire orphans, Violet, Klaus and Sunny. Snicket narrates their piteous adventures and misfortunes at the hands of evil Count Olaf, a master of disguises and truly bad thespian(that’s a fancy way of saying actor). The first book in the series, The Bad Beginning, was published in 1999. As of September 2006, twelve books have been published (with titles such as The Horrible Hospital and The Carnivorous Carnival), and a feature film has been released which encompasses the first three books. Daniel Handler, a resident of San Francisco, has been favorably compared to Kurt Vonnegut, Jr, and has also published novels for older teens and adults, including The Basic Eight (1999) and Watch Your Mouth (2000).
Much is made of the unhappy nature of the story. The book's back-cover warns the reader of the dreadful things described within each volume and respectfully suggests reading something else instead. Each volume begins with a dedication to the memory of Lemony Snicket's beloved Beatrice(from The Bad Beginning: "To Beatrice - darling, dearest, dead."). While the books are marketed primarily to children, they are also written with adult readers in mind-the series features many references likely to make sense only to adults.
The books can be classified as absurdist fiction( a genre of fiction that centers on the behavior of absurd characters, subjects or situations) due to the eccentric characters, quirky writing style and generally improbable storylines.At the end of each book, there is also a letter to Snicket's editor, instructing him on how to find the next book. Each of the Series of Unfortunate picks up from the last, finding the three orphans in some new situation, typically not of their making. The locale of each book's critical events is identified in the book's title.
Lemony Snicket narrates with respectful, subtle humor. Despite the general absurdity of the storylines, Lemony Snicket continuously maintains the story is true and that it is his "solemn duty" to record it. I find that they books are a great way to introduce new vocabulary words to the young reader, and that the author encourages the use and love of books. In every book the Baudelaires encounter and/or use a library of some sort and the orphans use their research to save themselves from various tragic events. All of the books in the series have thirteen chapters, and thirteen is considered an unlucky number by many (triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number thirteen) but me? I’m looking forward to Oct. 13th, and The End….
"The Warrior Series"
Kevin Coolidge
“Today is a good day to die, but tomorrow is better. Unless, those doing the dying are six foot, mutated chipmunks with blaster rifles. But I’m getting ahead of myself. I should start at the beginning. If you ask me, the end makes a fine beginning. Things come together and things fall apart, and the fur flies a little easier with the help of a Rolling Thunderä shotgun, as long as that fur isn’t mine, and I’m the one pulling the trigger. Yep, it’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, but I ain’t Mr. Rogers.”
“But, I should introduce myself, you can call me Ishmael. Just kidding, bit of classical allusion there. Call me Hobo, warrior, poet, and one fine-looking feline, that’s me. See, all cats are warriors, at least at heart, and that’s why I’m the best one to introduce the series, Warriors.”
Warriors is a book series first published in 2003 by Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry, under the pen name Erin Hunter, and introduced to me by cat and book lover Billy Waltz. The second series was written under the title Warriors: The New Prophecy. The third series, The Power of Three, and two more books, Firestar's Quest and Secrets of the Clans, are coming in 2007.
The series starts off with Into the Wild and a young “kitty pet”(house cat) name Rusty who yearns for adventure and has vivid dreams of the wilds. He meets a young feral cat, and this meeting leads to a chance to join a clan of wild cats called Thunderclan. He’s renamed Firepaw and becomes an apprentice warrior. He finds himself in the middle of a tribal war with three other clans who coexist and compete for food and resources.
Allegiances are constantly shifting among the clans of warrior cats that roam the forest. With tensions so delicately balanced, former friends can become enemies overnight, and some cats are willing to kill to get what they want. Our young protagonist quickly moves from apprentice to warrior, to second-in-command, to leader of his clan. He must learn wisdom, deal with betrayal, and ultimately save his clan and the forest way of life.
The author has created an intriguing world with an intricate structure and mythology. There is intrigue, themes of loyalty, friendship and death, and an engaging young hero. The difficult life of a feral cat is described in some detail. (Oct. 16 is national feral cat day. Check out www.nationalferalcatday.org ) The cats, anthropomorphism aside, are true to their feline nature, which should delight cat and animal lovers alike. There is some violence. Some characters are killed through fighting and natural disasters, and there is treachery, betrayal and traitors, and even murder among the cats and clans, though it is crucial to the plot and not excessive.
Overall, I believe readers will find a fun-to-read series of books. Though not as elegantly written as Brian Jacques’ Redwall series. The superb storytelling drew me into a realm so vivid that it could almost be real and I really came to care about the characters I found myself staying up late, with the old flashlight under the cover trick, to finish the books, and that Sand Storm sounds like a babe. Wonder what she’s doing Saturday night? Hey, this cat is a fighter and a lover….
“Today is a good day to die, but tomorrow is better. Unless, those doing the dying are six foot, mutated chipmunks with blaster rifles. But I’m getting ahead of myself. I should start at the beginning. If you ask me, the end makes a fine beginning. Things come together and things fall apart, and the fur flies a little easier with the help of a Rolling Thunderä shotgun, as long as that fur isn’t mine, and I’m the one pulling the trigger. Yep, it’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, but I ain’t Mr. Rogers.”
“But, I should introduce myself, you can call me Ishmael. Just kidding, bit of classical allusion there. Call me Hobo, warrior, poet, and one fine-looking feline, that’s me. See, all cats are warriors, at least at heart, and that’s why I’m the best one to introduce the series, Warriors.”
Warriors is a book series first published in 2003 by Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry, under the pen name Erin Hunter, and introduced to me by cat and book lover Billy Waltz. The second series was written under the title Warriors: The New Prophecy. The third series, The Power of Three, and two more books, Firestar's Quest and Secrets of the Clans, are coming in 2007.
The series starts off with Into the Wild and a young “kitty pet”(house cat) name Rusty who yearns for adventure and has vivid dreams of the wilds. He meets a young feral cat, and this meeting leads to a chance to join a clan of wild cats called Thunderclan. He’s renamed Firepaw and becomes an apprentice warrior. He finds himself in the middle of a tribal war with three other clans who coexist and compete for food and resources.
Allegiances are constantly shifting among the clans of warrior cats that roam the forest. With tensions so delicately balanced, former friends can become enemies overnight, and some cats are willing to kill to get what they want. Our young protagonist quickly moves from apprentice to warrior, to second-in-command, to leader of his clan. He must learn wisdom, deal with betrayal, and ultimately save his clan and the forest way of life.
The author has created an intriguing world with an intricate structure and mythology. There is intrigue, themes of loyalty, friendship and death, and an engaging young hero. The difficult life of a feral cat is described in some detail. (Oct. 16 is national feral cat day. Check out www.nationalferalcatday.org ) The cats, anthropomorphism aside, are true to their feline nature, which should delight cat and animal lovers alike. There is some violence. Some characters are killed through fighting and natural disasters, and there is treachery, betrayal and traitors, and even murder among the cats and clans, though it is crucial to the plot and not excessive.
Overall, I believe readers will find a fun-to-read series of books. Though not as elegantly written as Brian Jacques’ Redwall series. The superb storytelling drew me into a realm so vivid that it could almost be real and I really came to care about the characters I found myself staying up late, with the old flashlight under the cover trick, to finish the books, and that Sand Storm sounds like a babe. Wonder what she’s doing Saturday night? Hey, this cat is a fighter and a lover….
"Banned Book Week"
Kevin Coolidge
If he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword, does one that live by the pen, die by the pen? It’s a gruesome thought, but I’ve always had an active imagination. I still won’t look under my bed, and I’ve been known to duct tape my closet shut. It is no wonder humans are afraid of the dark. It’s some kind of ancestral memory, when humanity’s main source of protection, were long, pointy sticks. It’s no wonder we discovered fire, and invented the repeating rifle-just to make sure it’s “really, really dead”. Yes, it’s easier to stay cloaked in the comfort of our ignorance.
Sure, it’s easier to live on islands of ignorance among turbid seas of chaos and infinity and not voyage far from shore, but that’s simply un-American, and so is the banning of books. Banned Book week is celebrated the last week of September each year. Observed since 1982, this year the 23-30. The annual event celebrates the freedom to read and for Americans to not take this precious democratic freedom for granted.
Banned Books Week (BBW) celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.
Why are books challenged? Books are usually challenged with the best intentions-to protect others, from difficult ideas and information-such as sexuality, offensive language and material not suited for age group. The most challenged and/or restricted reading materials have been books for children. Challenges, however, are not simply an expression of a point of view; on the contrary, they are an attempt to remove materials from public use, thereby restricting the access of others. Even if the motivation to ban or challenge a book is well intentioned, the outcome is detrimental. Censorship denies our freedom as individuals to choose and think for ourselves-for children, decisions about what books to read should be made by the people who know them best, their parents.
Since its inception in 1982, Banned Books Week has reminded us that while not every book is intended for every reader, each of us has the right to decide for ourselves what to read, listen to or view. The freedom to choose is the cornerstone of our democracy. Books are for everyone, everywhere. Access to the world of knowledge is opportunity to all people. Now, more than ever, celebrate the freedom to read. Elect to read an old favorite or a new banned book this week. For more information on banned and challenged books check out www.abffe.com and www.ala.com . To quote Noam Chomsky “If we don’t believe in freedom of expression for people we despise. We don’t believe in it at all.” Hmmm, the sword or the pen, the lady or the tiger- I think I’ll take door number three, but the real prize is your choice and your freedom to read anything you choose.
If he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword, does one that live by the pen, die by the pen? It’s a gruesome thought, but I’ve always had an active imagination. I still won’t look under my bed, and I’ve been known to duct tape my closet shut. It is no wonder humans are afraid of the dark. It’s some kind of ancestral memory, when humanity’s main source of protection, were long, pointy sticks. It’s no wonder we discovered fire, and invented the repeating rifle-just to make sure it’s “really, really dead”. Yes, it’s easier to stay cloaked in the comfort of our ignorance.
Sure, it’s easier to live on islands of ignorance among turbid seas of chaos and infinity and not voyage far from shore, but that’s simply un-American, and so is the banning of books. Banned Book week is celebrated the last week of September each year. Observed since 1982, this year the 23-30. The annual event celebrates the freedom to read and for Americans to not take this precious democratic freedom for granted.
Banned Books Week (BBW) celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.
Why are books challenged? Books are usually challenged with the best intentions-to protect others, from difficult ideas and information-such as sexuality, offensive language and material not suited for age group. The most challenged and/or restricted reading materials have been books for children. Challenges, however, are not simply an expression of a point of view; on the contrary, they are an attempt to remove materials from public use, thereby restricting the access of others. Even if the motivation to ban or challenge a book is well intentioned, the outcome is detrimental. Censorship denies our freedom as individuals to choose and think for ourselves-for children, decisions about what books to read should be made by the people who know them best, their parents.
Since its inception in 1982, Banned Books Week has reminded us that while not every book is intended for every reader, each of us has the right to decide for ourselves what to read, listen to or view. The freedom to choose is the cornerstone of our democracy. Books are for everyone, everywhere. Access to the world of knowledge is opportunity to all people. Now, more than ever, celebrate the freedom to read. Elect to read an old favorite or a new banned book this week. For more information on banned and challenged books check out www.abffe.com and www.ala.com . To quote Noam Chomsky “If we don’t believe in freedom of expression for people we despise. We don’t believe in it at all.” Hmmm, the sword or the pen, the lady or the tiger- I think I’ll take door number three, but the real prize is your choice and your freedom to read anything you choose.
"Don't Forget to Flush"
Kevin Coolidge
Stories, the strands in the web that bind humanity together- I’ve always loved to read. When other kids were playing baseball and blowing up frogs, I was reading, exploring the wonderful world of my imagination, stretching my synapses. I could lose myself for hours in the tales of Tarzan, the conquests of Conan, slaying foes and saving fair maidens.
I guess I am a perpetual Peter Pan. I really don’t see the point of growing up. I mean. There’s no future in it, just like work. If you do a good job, the boss expects a good job all the time. The reward for a job well done seems to be more work. At thirty- seven I am expected to have a career and a retirement plan. My retirement plan is to win the lottery. I think I need a new plan.
Hmmm, maybe I should be a writer. I think the best authors never really do grow up, or maybe it’s that they still remember what childhood was like. One of my favorite authors, Carl Hiaasen, is one of those writers. Known for his manic, eccentric tales of crime, political corruption with strong environmental themes set in Florida, Hiaasen has written two children books that I highly recommend, “Hoot”, winner of a Newberry Honor award, and “Flush”.
These two books offer young readersdaring adventures, humor and an opportunity to sort out what’s right and wrong. There are bullies, the frustration of growing up, and a “kids can do it” message. Hiaasen’s good guys are resourceful, brave and not afraid to do the right thing, and yet they contain enough human flaws to make them believable and endearing. His bad guys are villainous, greedy, and not always the sharpest knives in the drawer-the type of guy that you can’t wait for his bad deeds to catch up with him, and bite him on his assets. “Sigh, if only it were that easy in the real world.”
Hiaasen shows the complexity of exposing environmental concerns, greed, and corruption within the letter of the law. Yet, sometimes it takes more than paperwork. It can take bold action and strong spirit to bring an injustice to the public eye, and both books show simple, yet creative methods that the main characters develop without wanton destruction of property, or putting people in needless danger.
These books carry us along with pleasing suspense and a steady pace. The author provides neat encapsulations of each character's motivations that are often missing from adult fiction. While it might be missing the extreme characters and profanity of his adult novels, “Hoot” and “Flush” still reflect Hiaasen's usual indignation over the rape of his native Florida. Hiaasen’s appealing characters, one who may very well inspire young readers to question authority when necessary and act to protect the environment should appeal to kids of all ages. “Hmmm, maybe you don’t need to grow up to make a difference….”
Stories, the strands in the web that bind humanity together- I’ve always loved to read. When other kids were playing baseball and blowing up frogs, I was reading, exploring the wonderful world of my imagination, stretching my synapses. I could lose myself for hours in the tales of Tarzan, the conquests of Conan, slaying foes and saving fair maidens.
I guess I am a perpetual Peter Pan. I really don’t see the point of growing up. I mean. There’s no future in it, just like work. If you do a good job, the boss expects a good job all the time. The reward for a job well done seems to be more work. At thirty- seven I am expected to have a career and a retirement plan. My retirement plan is to win the lottery. I think I need a new plan.
Hmmm, maybe I should be a writer. I think the best authors never really do grow up, or maybe it’s that they still remember what childhood was like. One of my favorite authors, Carl Hiaasen, is one of those writers. Known for his manic, eccentric tales of crime, political corruption with strong environmental themes set in Florida
These two books offer young readers
Hiaasen shows the complexity of exposing environmental concerns, greed, and corruption within the letter of the law. Yet, sometimes it takes more than paperwork. It can take bold action and strong spirit to bring an injustice to the public eye, and both books show simple, yet creative methods that the main characters develop without wanton destruction of property, or putting people in needless danger.
These books carry us along with pleasing suspense and a steady pace. The author provides neat encapsulations of each character's motivations that are often missing from adult fiction. While it might be missing the extreme characters and profanity of his adult novels, “Hoot” and “Flush” still reflect Hiaasen's usual indignation over the rape of his native Florida. Hiaasen’s appealing characters, one who may very well inspire young readers to question authority when necessary and act to protect the environment should appeal to kids of all ages. “Hmmm, maybe you don’t need to grow up to make a difference….”
"X" Marks The Spot
Kevin Coolidge
“Arrggh, tie the scurvy dog to the yard arm.” I always wanted to say that, but I just don’t have the chance to say it in everyday conversation. Yep, I always wanted to be a pirate. My mother wanted me to be a lawyer, but well parrots and three piece suits just don’t mix, and so I comprised and read about them.
One of the greatest tales of pirates is “Treasure Island” by Robert L. Stevenson. Almost every book and movie since draws from this classic from X marks the spot to “yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum.” Long John Silver is perhaps the most famous fictional pirate other than J. M . Barrie’s Captain Hook. Hey, how did Peter Pan get away with not growing up? Yes, there’s “Hook”, but well Robin Williams hasn’t grown up yet either.
Yes, pirates and their way of life as been romanticized, but life at sea was harsh and brutal and pirates weren’t jolly. “Under the Black Flag” by David Cordingly explores the reality of life among the pirates. From the origins of Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, Sir Francis Drake, and the fierce, female brigands Mary Read and Anne Bonny to how the Jolly Roger, the pirate flag, got it’s name.
Yes, there were female pirates, though seafaring was male dominated. There was Granny O’Malley, a fiery red head who is still sung about in Irish ballads and whose story is told in “The Pirate Meets the Queen” by Matt Faulkner a children’s book that follows the tale of Granny’s appearance before the Queen of England. But for a historical perspective I recommend “Iron Men, Wooden Women” for women’s role in seafaring from whaling to the role of the captain’s wife on ship to brandishing a brace of pistols..
Pirates were men(and women) of the sea, and were isolated from normal society. Pirate crews developed expressions that have made their way into common usage(see, I could be a pirate and contribute)-such as “hit the deck” “don’t rock the boat” and “to harbor a grudge.” “The Pirate Dictionary defines many of these terms that originated when pirates sailed the seven seas. You know, on second thought I think I’ll grab a cutlass and a compass and head for open water- a pirate’s life for me……
“Arrggh, tie the scurvy dog to the yard arm.” I always wanted to say that, but I just don’t have the chance to say it in everyday conversation. Yep, I always wanted to be a pirate. My mother wanted me to be a lawyer, but well parrots and three piece suits just don’t mix, and so I comprised and read about them.
One of the greatest tales of pirates is “Treasure Island” by Robert L. Stevenson. Almost every book and movie since draws from this classic from X marks the spot to “yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum.” Long John Silver is perhaps the most famous fictional pirate other than J. M . Barrie’s Captain Hook. Hey, how did Peter Pan get away with not growing up? Yes, there’s “Hook”, but well Robin Williams hasn’t grown up yet either.
Yes, pirates and their way of life as been romanticized, but life at sea was harsh and brutal and pirates weren’t jolly. “Under the Black Flag” by David Cordingly explores the reality of life among the pirates. From the origins of Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, Sir Francis Drake, and the fierce, female brigands Mary Read and Anne Bonny to how the Jolly Roger, the pirate flag, got it’s name.
Yes, there were female pirates, though seafaring was male dominated. There was Granny O’Malley, a fiery red head who is still sung about in Irish ballads and whose story is told in “The Pirate Meets the Queen” by Matt Faulkner a children’s book that follows the tale of Granny’s appearance before the Queen of England. But for a historical perspective I recommend “Iron Men, Wooden Women” for women’s role in seafaring from whaling to the role of the captain’s wife on ship to brandishing a brace of pistols..
Pirates were men(and women) of the sea, and were isolated from normal society. Pirate crews developed expressions that have made their way into common usage(see, I could be a pirate and contribute)-such as “hit the deck” “don’t rock the boat” and “to harbor a grudge.” “The Pirate Dictionary defines many of these terms that originated when pirates sailed the seven seas. You know, on second thought I think I’ll grab a cutlass and a compass and head for open water- a pirate’s life for me……
"Eragon"
Kevin Coolidge
The lazy, hazy, crazy days of Summer, a great time to lounge in the shade, sip a cold lemonade, and lose yourself in a good book-Ahh, so many books, so little time. Yep, it reminds me of those carefree days of youth. And for the young reader, or the child in you, I very much recommend Eragon , a first novel, and first in a new fantasy trilogy by young author Christopher Paolini.
Eragon is a classic coming of age story, with fresh writing, and new perspective. Yes, there is magic and dragons, and a young hero coming to terms with responsibility and adulthood, and an evil, corrupt king to trust his growing powers. All classic elements of the fantasy genre, but the story and the characters drive the tale, giving solid footing to well-worn foundations.
Eragon is a solid first novel, and there’s great promise in Christopher Paolini. He was only sixteen when he penned this novel. If you are a reader of fantasy, you’ll see influence from masters of the genre-such as Tolkien, and Ann McCaffrey, and even elements of the Star Wars saga. But I like to think good story telling transcends the boundaries of genre, and this is a book with sound plot, good character development, and an epic tale to lose yourself. I found Eragon to be one of those rare books I never wanted to end, but luckily the next book in the trilogy, Eldest, has been released. So, you know what I’m reading next!
The lazy, hazy, crazy days of Summer, a great time to lounge in the shade, sip a cold lemonade, and lose yourself in a good book-Ahh, so many books, so little time. Yep, it reminds me of those carefree days of youth. And for the young reader, or the child in you, I very much recommend Eragon , a first novel, and first in a new fantasy trilogy by young author Christopher Paolini.
Eragon is a classic coming of age story, with fresh writing, and new perspective. Yes, there is magic and dragons, and a young hero coming to terms with responsibility and adulthood, and an evil, corrupt king to trust his growing powers. All classic elements of the fantasy genre, but the story and the characters drive the tale, giving solid footing to well-worn foundations.
Eragon is a solid first novel, and there’s great promise in Christopher Paolini. He was only sixteen when he penned this novel. If you are a reader of fantasy, you’ll see influence from masters of the genre-such as Tolkien, and Ann McCaffrey, and even elements of the Star Wars saga. But I like to think good story telling transcends the boundaries of genre, and this is a book with sound plot, good character development, and an epic tale to lose yourself. I found Eragon to be one of those rare books I never wanted to end, but luckily the next book in the trilogy, Eldest, has been released. So, you know what I’m reading next!
Friday, September 21, 2007
Welcome to us; welcome to you!
Hobo would like to begin by saying hi and welcome to his myriad of adoring fans. You'll be pleased to know his first book will be released and ready to buy in the next few weeks! Of course, he will be signing autographs!
In the meantime, while you're waiting, be sure to read his weekly column in the "Wellsboro Gazette", archives of which will soon be available here, at the blog. YAY! A round of Aquari-YUMS for everyone!
In the meantime, while you're waiting, be sure to read his weekly column in the "Wellsboro Gazette", archives of which will soon be available here, at the blog. YAY! A round of Aquari-YUMS for everyone!
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