Following Fate

A year since the last post. I have neglected Imagine, writing elsewhere, here and there or not writing at all. But very soon I will be heading back to the corporate world on a technical writing assignment. I will be working with old colleagues at a new company and am looking forward to the challenge. Coming out of the reverie of creative writing and into the precision and analysis that is technical writing. I read recently that writers need to overcome their reclusive nature and stay in the fray of civilization in order to bring energy and truth to their composition. This will be my year to re-visit the workforce, to experience again the urgency of management imposed deadlines and produce content that is reliable to help people do their jobs or understand their equipment. It will be good to see what the last two years have taught me and see where my writing will take me from here. This will be a new adventure with old friends, an opportunity that literally fell in my lap, an opportunity I could never have imagined and yet.....

Blink of an Eye

So here we are a year after Katrina--the disaster that confirmed everything..that epitomized all my fears about our current government. A year later and we still see neighborhoods that have not recovered, entire sections of the city that still don't even have power. We hear about insurance claims not being honored and people unable to rebuild their homes. A YEAR later and nothing is resolved. I watched all the horror on television; for days I was glued to the unbelievable scenarios going on before my eyes. And then I watched all the volunteers, all the media groups building homes and providing shelter, cleaning up the streets, and still it wasn't enough. And then I couldn't watch anymore and I couldn't write. I read the newspapers and blogs that continued to write and rant about politics and war and I couldn't join in. I just couldn't. I guess I just couldn't imagine anything anymore. I was shocked.

But now it's a whole year. Is it possible? A year of days and not much change out there in the big picture. But here in the smallness of my head life rambles on. I don't have the energy to rant, but I do observe and writing here is better than not writing at all.

Looking back on my year--I adopted a kitten who is the hero of my children's book; the book I haven't begun to write. I took an on-line writing course and totally lost my way through the one novel I've written. Maybe it's just another excuse, but I swear I suffer post-writing-workshop syndrome and don't know where to pick up my story after all the analysis and re-writing I did in six weeks. We totally renovated the first floor of our home and all the outside landscaping, learning a huge lesson in the nature of professional and not-so-professional contractors. We are fortunate our home is still standing. We're just beginning to recover from the chaos and believe the transformation was worth it. In early spring our sweet Golden Retriever died of lymphosarcoma. We learned that there is such a thing as chemotherapy and oncologists for dogs and that vets and oncologists deviate greatly in their philosophies as to how far you should take veterinary medicine to prolong the life of (but not cure) a beloved pet. And along those lines we learned that there is a HUGE controversy out there regarding what to feed dogs and cats--real raw food, holistic manufactured food or good old grocery shelf kibble. I learned that there are Yahoo Groups out there supported by people dedicated to helping others on all kinds of subjects. I am grateful to these on-line communities for getting me through my dog's cancer and now I am grateful to another Group that is supporting me in the training and well-being of my new Border Collie puppy. There are several writing groups on Yahoo too....but, well, I wasn't writing so who knew?

At any rate, I'm back--reading, writing and raising a puppy. I guess as in any grievous situation, life trudges on. We think the world should stop and pay attention, but it doesn't happen that way. My heart goes out to the victims, past and present, of Katrina. Maybe the coming year will bring the changes and improvements and sense of urgency we expect of our government.

Utter Sanctimony

OPRAH! OPRAH! OPRAH! it’s a MEMOIR! It’s literature! It’s not an autobiography! It’s not journalism! Frey is not a head of state and he’s not a politician. He’s a writer; he told you a story. It’s good writing and you loved it! It’s a book of “brutally honest” feelings about recovering from addiction. It's a work of art!

I continue to be appalled, maybe even frightened now by her impact on publishing. Her sanctimonious confrontation of James Frey actually made headlines in the New York Times! (You may have to subscribe to see it.) Why do we care what she thinks about literature? Is she an expert?

This is so ironic because just last week I was in the Border’s on MacArthur Boulevard in Allentown and they shelve all the memoirs alphabetically by author in their literature section. At the time, I was annoyed and thought it was strange. But now I think maybe they have the right idea.

Harriet Who?

What part of the discussion on the drawbacks of cronyism did this President misunderstand? He is so egocentric and condescending, he probably believes that the fact that Meirs is a woman will mitigate for the female constituency the fact that her “qualifications” are of the empty suit variety. News reports are saying her confirmation will be difficult since she is not a judge and there is no paper trail of her position on key issues, but I read today that she once stated to David Frum that Bush “was the most brilliant man she has ever met.” There’s a judgment that should disqualify her from the get-go!

Our Own Gulf

We leaped to the aid of the Persian Gulf; why can’t we rush to the aid of our own gulf coast residents? We dropped food from helicopters all over a foreign country, where is the food and water for our own citizens? This is the fifth day—babies are dehydrated, the elderly and the sick are dying. People are trapped without provisions in shelters, herded there by authorities promising protection. It's unbelievable! Staggering! These American people have been abandoned. These people are desperate. In the middle of this maelstrom, a high-profile politician has been quoted as saying there’s no reason to rebuild New Orleans. How helpless is our government? Or is it heartless? I don’t want to believe that this is racial or political, but think back to 9/11--politicians were all over that scene in a heartbeat! Impending danger wasn't an issue! What are we to conclude about our leaders’ attitudes toward Democratic New Orleans? Or toward human life for that matter? The response (or lack of it) speaks volumes...

The Art of Education

Bob Herbert’s column in yesterday’s New York Times is disturbing, but not surprising. Just a month ago at the same time Harry Potter’s latest adventure was released, I read articles declaring success statistics for “No Child Left Behind”. But according to a report from the Program for International Assessment, basic reading and math skill of American kids rank 24 out of 29 countries. And low income children in the U.S. were testing at about three grade levels behind “non-poor” students. Bottom line: only two thirds of American kids who enter high school, graduate from high school and those that graduate do not have sufficient reading skills to enter college. A few think tanks have offered solutions to America’s ever-increasing education crisis (yes, it IS a crisis): things like more hours per day in school, getting highly qualified teachers in all schools, national curriculum standards.

Okay, but school isn’t the only place where children learn. A child can sit in school 24 hours a day and if there’s no desire to learn or interest in the information presented, all the teaching in the world will not make an impression. I don’t think this is an education issue, this is a societal issue. If parents or families don’t (or can’t) lay the groundwork by instilling and perpetuating a sense of value and appreciation for reading or math skills, the prospect of the institution making a difference in the child’s life is pretty much doomed. Education in America is centered around delivering information, testing, sitting in a classroom and scheduling how much time is spent on one topic; but learning is accomplished through inspiration, nurturing and following a child’s curiosity. It’s not just about the child’s head, it’s about the child’s whole being. I think when we realize that education is communal and not institutional, we will begin to succeed in improving these statistics.

I Question Therefore I Dishonor?

Parents of soldiers who were killed in Iraq are all over the board in their response to Cindy Sheehan’s anti-war vigil in Texas. From what I read in a New York Times article on Sunday and from what I’ve heard in interviews with family members on T.V., most of the differences are civil and respectful. If they disagree with Cindy's anti-war stance, they disagree gently, compassionately albeit adamantly. The point of disagreement that I simply do NOT understand is that of parents who say that to protest the war is to dishonor the meaning behind the death of their child because they died believing in the cause. In my mind that point should go one step further—that logic should be analyzed.

War on any front, for any cause is failure. It is a failure of the leaders of government to be able to settle a dispute peacefully; it is a failure of diplomacy. It means that despite all our intelligence and all our technology, the leaders feel compelled to resort to an ancient, barbaric method of solving governmental (or political) differences with violence; life-threatening violence not against themselves, but their own citizens. Particularly in such a God fearing nation, war should not be an option.

However, as a result of our leadership’s failures, any soldier who is serving his/her country at a time of war is, of course, being dutiful and doing his/her job. And certainly if they have to go to war, soldiers have to believe that their leaders are sending them to serve a higher cause, a cause that promises ideologically, a better future. How could they put their lives on the line unless they believed their fight would serve a greater good for future generations. So did our deceased soldier believe in the war? Do any of us believe in war? I think it is safer to say we believe in the higher good, or the better world our leaders promise will be the outcome of the war. But a soldier who serves at a time of war is ultimately serving a leader who has failed, a leader who should be willing to recognize his role in the losses and sacrifices his citizens and constituents experience in that failure. In the case of Iraq, I think we have proof beyond a doubt that our leadership failed miserably.

I think Cindy has every right to believe that her leaders failed her and to question those leaders. She has every right to expect her President to help her understand why she had to lose her son to this cause and to make him recognize that more families in this country may be demanding similar or even tougher answers. Where is the dishonor to Casey in his mother trying to reconcile his death with understanding and awareness? Hopefully, her questions will precipitate a peace of some sort (hers, Casey’s, the world’s).

ICE Revisited

Came to my attention that there are some inaccuracies as to how the ICE campaign originated and some consternation as to whether or not the campaign is a hoax The latest information I found on the matter is on the East Anglian Ambulance site. It still seems like a good idea from my viewpoint, but you be the judge for yourselves.

Story in A Story

I read History of Love because I’ve read that author Nicole Krauss is an important young writer today; one that is destined for greatness. I love to hear that about young writers, I am envious and in awe, but I love to hear that there are new great young writers in our midst. Well, “great” is an understatement.

History of Love is a complex, tightly written, intelligent story that completely drew me into its web of a novel within a novel within a translation of a novel. The story mysteriously builds as it drifts between the very authentic voice of Leo Gursky, an aging immigrant who is the only member of his family who escaped WWII Poland, and the very straightforward, innocent voice of fourteen-year-old Alma who lives with her widowed mother and younger brother. Central to the story is a book History of Love, written in Yiddish by Leo Gursky who entrusts the manuscript to a friend who is escaping Poland. The friend translates the book into Spanish and publishes it as his own in South America, Alma’s father buys the book in South America as a gift for Alma’s mother, and years later a mysterious stranger asks her mother to translate the book from Spanish to English. The book is inspired by Leo’s unrequited love for a young woman in Poland named Alma. The story twists and turns beautifully around this love story and leads to a final scene that is pure genius; a scene that will make you smile and break your heart.

Kraus is a reflective, deep thinking writer who expounds on ideas in beautiful language while maintaining a quick tempo and a stranglehold on the reader’s interest. This capability is a huge improvement over her first novel, Man Walks Into a Room, which while formidable in content and language, has a tendency to stall the reader in those reflective thoughts. The characterization in History of Love is also vastly improved from the first novel: the voices are clear, the reader can’t help but become attached to the characters of Leo, his friend Bruno, Alma, her brother Bird. They are alive with personality and emotion and ethnicity.

Both novels are rich, engaging, intelligent stories. Both have a unique premise, yet they are believable and worthwhile. But History of Love shows a flow and a maturity that Man Walks into A Room doesn’t quite accomplish. Nothing about these books is typical, some of the ideas are even quirky, but overall these are deep, shining works deserving of attention and respect. She’s young, but Nicole Krauss is wise and her work …well, I can’t imagine what she will accomplish next, but I’m certain it will be great.

Cell Phones on ICE

A campaign encouraging people to enter an emergency contact number in their mobile phone's memory under the heading "ICE" (for "In Case of Emergency"), has rapidly spread throughout the world as a particular consequence of the terrorist attacks in London. Originally established as a nation-wide campaign in the UK, ICE allows paramedics or police to be able to contact a designated relative / next-of-kin in an emergency situation.

The idea is the brainchild of East Anglian Ambulance Service paramedic Bob Brotchie and was launched in May this year. Bob, 41, who has been a paramedic for 13 years, said: "I was reflecting on some of the calls I've attended at the roadside where I had to look through the mobile phone contacts struggling for information on a shocked or injured person. Almost everyone carries a mobile phone now, and with ICE we'd know immediately who to contact and what number to ring. The person may even know of their medical history."

By adopting the ICE advice, your mobile will help the rescue services quickly contact a friend or relative - which could be vital in a life or death situation. It only takes a few seconds to do, and it could easily help save your life.

Why not put ICE in your phone now as a new contact in your phone book. Enter the word 'ICE' and the number of the person you wish to be contacted. For more than one contact name ICE1, ICE2, ICE3 etc.

Details, Details....

Looks like one has to be extra, extra careful when researching and writing biographies these days. According to the New York Times, heirs of psychology icon Carl Jung are forestalling the German publication of Deirdre Bair’s book Jung, A Biography (published in the U.S. by Little, Brown & Co. 2003) stating that there are numerous inaccuracies; in fact they have provided a 12-page list of all the inaccuracies. Bair claims that the book stands correct based on scholarly documents she used in her research. The Random House subsidiary intent on releasing the book in Germany has decided to insert two pages of the Jung family’s version of facts in the translation—they say this is a “compromise” since they are subject to attack from either the family or the author if they do nothing. Whoa—I have to agree with Paul Aiken, Executive Director of the Author’s Guild in New York—the insert undermines the credibility of the author and is a bit like putting a “negative review on the cover of the book.” Perhaps they're not worrried about how the book sells in Germany....

Chick Lit Again...

My underwhelming experience with chick lit (“I Tried…” July 21 entry) generated a reader response suggesting that I try chick lit author Marian Keyes; especially her book Last Chance Saloon. I find it interesting that Marian Keyes is from the UK, as is Helen Fielding of Bridget Jones acclaim. According to an article in Poets & Writers (Jan/Feb, 2005), chick lit originated in the US as post-feminist fiction about women responding to predicaments they encountered in their newly liberated environment. The term first appeared in the titles of two anthologies: Chick-Lit: Postfeminist Fiction and Chick-Lit 2: No Chick Vics in 1995. Two years later, according to Cris Mazza, author of the article and editor of both chick lit anthologies, it was the British book industry that “took the genre and ran with it.” Maybe experience accounts for stories by UK writers being the more popular and highly recommended. Clearly, today's chick lit is a departure from the content of the more socio-politically themed original; today's offerings are sometimes referred to as “commercial chick-lit.” As of 2004, though, five mainstream publishers have chick lit imprints which account for 240 new novels each year—a trend that is fueling the publishing industry. What can I say? At least we’re reading something!

Finally...

After years of being told that Alice Munro is the master of women’s short fiction, I finally delved into her latest short story collection, Runaway. There is something eerie and unsettling about each of these stories; there is an element that at once drew me in and made me want to turn away. As I proceeded through each tale I found myself not particularly enamored by any of the main characters, but almost reluctantly identifying with their thoughts and observations and self-serving actions. I don’t know if it is the rural Canadian setting that makes the stories seem stark or the mood and emotion of the people they are about These characters are all women at various stages of life: one trying to escape a disappointing marital relationship, one returning to her childhood home with her infant daughter for a visit with her aging parents, one trying to understand the disappearance of her young adult daughter, one who spends the day with her fiancé’s alcoholic brother who ultimately takes her home and continues on to commit suicide by driving his car into a bridge abutment. There are others: a child, an old woman. Each story is clear, vivid, deep, and complicated….I am haunted by this book. I see bits of these stories in my mind even now, days after completing it. And there are moments in those reflections that I feel the need to revisit the story to see if I understood it correctly. Not many authors evoke that kind of response from me. This writing is powerful and compelling. The “master?” I guess so.

I Tried…

I know nothing about the ChickLit genre, but it is infiltrating the bookstores and it was prevalent at Book Expo so I decided I must be missing something. I’ve heard the rumors about it—"shallow", "trashy", but I am open minded. I understand cultural evolution, and I am determined to stay current particularly in the world of literature. So I checked out the ChickLitBooks website looking for a frame of reference and direction. The homepage provides a great, although broad, definition—“hip, bright literature for today’s modern women.” They suggest withholding judgment of the genre until you’ve read a few….seemed like sensible and appropriate advice. So I took up two titles I acquired this past year: Bling by Erica Kennedy and Starter Wife by Gigi Levangi Granger. Bling is set in New York City and Starter Wife in LA.

Here’s the scoop: the characters are all about shedding their excessive vanity, rejecting materialism, and escaping the superficial demands placed on them by their high society boyfriend or husband. This metamorphosis, though heartbreaking and difficult, promises to open the gates to personal success and independence. This "independence" ultimately leads to the real love and admiration of a new man who is STILL a member of high society but is NOT superficial, i.e., he will not leave her to chase after a younger, prettier version of herself and he will not suggest dieting or dental work or a boob job because he loves her just the way she is.

To understand these novels you must be up-to-date on the most recent beauty regimes, cosmetic surgeries, fashion and jewelry designers, and the latest makes and models of luxury vehicles. If you don’t know these things, you will be lost in an endless stream of proper nouns that will make no sense and you will lose the story completely. At least I think that’s why I missed the stories. I’m sure there was a plot in there somewhere. Anyway, I gave it a shot…I’m heading back to what I know. Maybe I’ll join Oprah and re-read Faulkner.

Occupational Hazzard?

Awwwww....President Bush had a bicycle accident today at the Gleneagles Golf Resort in Scotland. Rest assured he WAS wearing a helmet (as if that would matter) and the only damage reported was to his ankle. Interesting tidbit though...a year ago the President "sailed over the handlebars while riding a mountain bike at his Texas ranch." That could explain a lot.....