Short Stories

Since the book club meeting I've had the time to think about some other short story collections I have read in the past year or so. I believe I mentioned the stories set in Texas. The title of the collection is Corpus Christi by Bret Anthony Johnston. Honestly I don't remember much about the stories except that I enjoyed them. He is a young writer and doesn't have any other books out.

The other writer who I definitely recommend is Grace Paley. I read Enormous Changes at the Last Moment and loved both the writing and the feeling behind the words. After reading up on her life Paley always felt like someone I would like to sit and have a cup of tea with. I would have to try hard and not ask her where the story ends and her life begins.

And just while I was writing this I remembered Flannery O'Connor. She writies some powerful short stories. Strange, memorable characters with cloudy intentions dominate the stories I have read of hers. A Good Man is Hard to Find is one of my favorites.

Anyone have any recommendations, short stories or otherwise?

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Knowing that slavery was a prevalent theme in this book both attracted and repelled me. I think it is good to look at that time period in U.S. history but I knew that some of the scenes might be more violent than I would like. The violence was there but the book is written in such a way as to help someone understand the mentality of the slave and the slaveholder. And of course this is sci-fi so you get it from the perspective of someone from today. A fascinating, highly recommended read!

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan

Pollan continues to impress me with this book in which he exposes the faulty science that contributes to the cult of nutritionism that runs rampant in our culture. With regards to food selection we Americans have certainly lost our way. We trust the claims of a food industry that wants us to buy their products and leave our health behind. Pollan gives recommendations for eating and they are simple reminders of common sense. Don't eat what you cannot pronounce. Stay towards the perimeter of the grocery store when shopping and try to get out of the supermarket whenever possible (i.e. farmer's markets). Don't believe the health hype printed on packaged foods--remember they are only trying to sell a product that may or may not contain "real" food. End of soapbox--let the food revolution begin with you!

Old Man's War by John Scalzi

I'm still exploring the science fiction genre and I think that Scalzi's effort here is a worthy addition to the canon. When he turns 75 John Perry enters the Colonial Forces and leaves earth forever. Equipped with a new body he discovers that life is very different in the alien-populated universe. Action scenes are nicely balanced with intriguing conversations about imagined technologies and the very real human emotions of loss and hope.

Xenocide by Orson Scott Card

Xenocide is the third in this series by Card that started with Ender’s Game and The Speaker for the Dead. I read Ender’s Game for an online class I took in the fall through RUSA and enjoyed it immensely. Though I have read just a little sci-fi in the past I found similar themes in Card’s work that I enjoy in literary fiction: questions of morality, racism and the search for a spiritual context. The primary difference with this series is the back-drop and the gadgetry that fills this world. Ender’s Game focuses on Ender Wiggin, boy genius, and the training he receives in war games to help fight the dreaded Buggers, insect-like aliens. Speaker for the Dead and Xenocide shift thousands of years into the future where we still have Ender (thanks to the time-defying effects of space travel) but he is an adult living on a frontier planet that also has another sentient species. Let the fun begin!

Looking for the Way

I made this post for class but thought that it would be appropriate for sharing here.

I've been a spiritual seeker for some years immersing myself in experiences and texts to try and "find peace" or "know God". I used to read a vast amount of inspirational material from various religious traditions as well as the works of gurus and guides from Krishnamurti and Gangaji to Eckert Tolle and Carlos Castenada. At the time I loved these inner and outer explorations carried by the words of the blessed, beloved and magical. After a while though I got burnt out. Too much of a good thing as they say...But one text I keep around is the Tao Te Ching, specifically the translation by Stephen Mitchell.

Here I can get a taste of the essence without all of the hullabaloo and nonsense that accompany religions and spiritual teachers. (My opinion of course!) The Tao speaks of a style of living that strips away the extraneous and returns you to the core. Mitchell's translation transforms the writings of a long ago Asian mystic (though little is known of Lao-tzu) into simple poetry that can be digested by today's readers. Let me share a small sampling of the verse:

Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power.

If you realize that you have enough,
you are truly rich.
If you stay in the center
and embrace death with your whole heart,
you will endure forever.

Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

I've already told some of you about this book but for those who I haven't talked to this is for you! I read most of this while up in New York on vacation and I felt it especially poignant since there were so many farm stands about. Pollan tells of four different meals that make it to the American plate and what processes happen in order for it to happen. Industrial, Big Organic, Local and Hunter/Gatherer. Lots of eye-opening information told with a charming style that highlights the stories of the people involved. Pollan also presents the different sides with a journalistic touch that keeps the discussion open when it would be easy to characterize a complex situation black or white. I've also read his Botany of Desire which talks about the relationship between humans and four different plants. Prepare to be amazed and intrigued!

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

"Before she became ill, David's mother would often tell him that stories were alive. They weren't alive in the way that people were alive, or even dogs or cats. People were alive whether you chose to notice them or not, while dogs tended to make you notice them if they decided that you weren't paying them enough attention. Cats, meanwhile, were very good at pretending people didn't exist at all when it suited them, but that was another matter entirely.

Stories were different, though: they came alive in the telling. Without a human voice to read them aloud, or a pair of wide eyes following them by flashlight beneath a blanket, they had no real existence in our world. They were like seeds in the beak of a bird, waiting to fall to earth, or the notes of a song laid out on a sheet, yearning for an instrument to bring their music into being. They lay dormant, hoping for the chance to emerge. Once someone started to read them, they could begin to change. They could take root in the imagination, and transform the reader. Stories wanted to be read, David's mother would whisper. They needed it. It was the reason they forced themselves from their world into ours. They wanted us to give them life."

This wonderful book is essentially a fairy tale for adults, and is a real book-lover's book! Enjoy!

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

I've been meaning to write a little post about this fantastic series. His Dark Materials is the name of the series which in order is The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. I'm sure reading all three of these books is great but might I suggest taking the audiobook route. A full cast brings this story alive as well as the author as narrator. You don't have to remember who is speaking because each of the main characters are voiced by different actors.

So what's it about?

Well I don't want to give too much away. And you can always look it up online to read reviews. What I will say:

Part fantasy/part reality.

Animals throughout.

Rich symbology that works on many levels.

I felt a bit sad letting the characters go. Listening on my way to and from work I traveled with them for some weeks.

Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris

I don't remember how I stumbled upon this book but it is making for an interesting read. Sam Harris takes on the role of the rational voice in addressing the predominant Christian base of our country. He makes some interesting points and certainly presents an unpopular view (attacking all of religious faith) which I find refreshing in this instance. Here's a snippet:

"Religion raises the stakes of human conflict much higher than tribalism, racism, or politics ever can, as it is the only form of in-group/out-group thinking that casts the differences between people in terms of eternal rewards and punishments. One of the enduring pathologies of human culture is the tendency to raise children to fear and demonize other human beings on the basis of religious faith."

The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac

Some time back I read On the Road and remember enjoying it although its not like your typical novel. There is no clear cut story-line just episodes that more or less follow a linear pattern. The consistency is that the narrator is the same throughout. And this is the case for The Dharma Bums which gets more into the world of Buddhism. If you want to enter the world of the Beats than this is a fun read.

Bonus quote:

"I felt great compassion for the trees because we were the same thing; I petted the dogs who didn't argue with me ever. All dogs love God. They're wiser than their masters. I told that to the dogs, too, they listened to me perking up their ears and licking my face. They didn't care one way or the other as long as I was there. St. Raymond of the Dogs is who I was that year, if no one or nothing else."

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

I think I was telling you all about this delightful young adult book I read recently called Stargirl. Well I just heard that the author, Jerry Spinelli, is about to publish a sequel to the book. So now is your chance to read the first and get well acquainted with this memorable character. She plays the ukulele, remembers everyone's birthday (and sings to them!), and travels with a pet rat. The ultimate nonconformist. For those with a spare hour or two you are in for a fun ride!