Straight Man is one of my favorite books. I find it laugh out loud funny and I don’t say that about many books. The main character and narrator, William Henry Devereaux, Jr., aka Hank, is the chairman of an English department at a college in Pennsylvania.
Here’s how one committee meeting ends:
“The spiral notebook caught me full in the face with enough force to bring tears to my eyes. Everyone, including Finny, who brought to meetings he chaired the emotional equilibrium of a cork in high seas, looked on, bug-eyed. But what confused me was the fact that the notebook Gracie used remained, unaccountably, right in front of my face. For an irrational moment I actually thought she had written something on the cover that she was inviting me to read. Cross-eyed, I tried to examine what was before my nose. Only when I realized that Gracie was in fact trying to retrieve her notebook, and that each tentative tug sent a sharp pain all the way up into my forehead, only then did I realize that the barbed end of the spiral ring had hooked and punctured my right nostril, that I was gigged like a frog and leaning across the table toward Gracie like a bumbling suitor begging a kiss.”
It’s a tense time at the college with rumors of massive cuts in state funding and, therefore, potential faculty cuts. Hank is also dealing with turning 50, his professor father coming to town after leaving him and his mother 40 years ago, his daughter’s troubled marriage, and animal rights activists protesting his threats against a goose.
It’s a fun read. You’ll especially appreciate if you’ve ever sat through endless committee meetings. I also learned about scrapple – a common listing at breakfast restaurants in Pennsylvania, yet I could never get a straight answer about exactly what it was.
“It turns out that scrapple is like a lot of food that’s conceptually challenging. That is, better than you might expect. We chew our intestines in silence until Mr. Purty sees me grinning and reads my thought. ‘I’d never ask your mother to eat scrapple,’ he assures me.”
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
The Nature of Words
It’s that time again. The Nature of Words is Nov. 2-6. There are definitely some interesting authors and poets coming to Bend, including Augusten Burroughs and William Kittredge. I haven’t read much from either of them, but I did like Burroughs’ brother’s memoir, Look me in the eye; my life with Asperger’s by John Elder Robison.
I recently read Heidi Durrow’s first novel, The Girl Who Fell from the Sky. She will be at the Nature of Words as well and her novel won many awards including Barbara Kingsolver's 2008 Bellwether Prize for Literature of Social Change. The main character, Rachel, is the daughter of a Danish immigrant and a black G.I. After a family tragedy in Chicago, Rachel moves to Portland, OR to live with her grandmother. There is some uncertainly about exactly what happened to the rest of her family. The story is told from a few different points of view, including a neighbor of Rachel’s in Chicago and her mom’s co-worker. I did find it too coincidental that her neighbor from Chicago managed to find her in Portland.
The Girl Who Fell From the Sky is worth reading. I also hope to read Keith Scribner's novel, The Oregon Experiment, and something by Mark Spragg; both of these authors will also be at the Nature of Words: www.thenatureofwords.org.
I recently read Heidi Durrow’s first novel, The Girl Who Fell from the Sky. She will be at the Nature of Words as well and her novel won many awards including Barbara Kingsolver's 2008 Bellwether Prize for Literature of Social Change. The main character, Rachel, is the daughter of a Danish immigrant and a black G.I. After a family tragedy in Chicago, Rachel moves to Portland, OR to live with her grandmother. There is some uncertainly about exactly what happened to the rest of her family. The story is told from a few different points of view, including a neighbor of Rachel’s in Chicago and her mom’s co-worker. I did find it too coincidental that her neighbor from Chicago managed to find her in Portland.
The Girl Who Fell From the Sky is worth reading. I also hope to read Keith Scribner's novel, The Oregon Experiment, and something by Mark Spragg; both of these authors will also be at the Nature of Words: www.thenatureofwords.org.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
The Case Against Homework by Bennett and Kalish
Homework for my elementary school kids caught me off guard. I don’t remember having homework until high school. It seems common now to hear about kindergarteners having homework and upper elementary kids having significant amounts. This book by two parents addresses what to do when you think your kids have too much homework.
I think the authors make a number of good points including discussing recent studies that show there is no correlation between the amount of homework given and achievement in the elementary grades. Another point they make is that for any student doing 2 or more hours of homework is just as physically detrimental as playing two hours of video games. They are especially concerned with lost family time due to homework.
“Parenting magazines and books urge us to slow down and reconnect with our children and partner when we get home. But if our child’s response is a heart-sinking ‘I have a lot of homework,’ we can say good-bye to any hope of meaningful time together.”
This book is a worthwhile read if you have kids in elementary school or beyond who are struggling with hours of homework. They offer suggestions on approaching the teacher to lighten the load for your kid and even working on developing a homework policy for an entire school district. The general consensus on experts in this area seems to be to focus on reading and no more than 10 minutes of homework per grade per night.
I think the authors make a number of good points including discussing recent studies that show there is no correlation between the amount of homework given and achievement in the elementary grades. Another point they make is that for any student doing 2 or more hours of homework is just as physically detrimental as playing two hours of video games. They are especially concerned with lost family time due to homework.
“Parenting magazines and books urge us to slow down and reconnect with our children and partner when we get home. But if our child’s response is a heart-sinking ‘I have a lot of homework,’ we can say good-bye to any hope of meaningful time together.”
This book is a worthwhile read if you have kids in elementary school or beyond who are struggling with hours of homework. They offer suggestions on approaching the teacher to lighten the load for your kid and even working on developing a homework policy for an entire school district. The general consensus on experts in this area seems to be to focus on reading and no more than 10 minutes of homework per grade per night.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Blackout and All Clear by Connie Willis
I haven’t ever read much science fiction so when my local library reading program (see previous post) suggested trying it, I looked up award winners in the area. I also learned a new word – diptych. These two novels by Willis together (a diptych) won the 2011 Hugo Award for best novel. And, they should be read as one novel, but each are pretty long (512 and 656 pages, respectively) on their own.
In these novels historians from 2060 are sent back in time. Grad students, rather than reading about WWII, pick their topic of study and then schedule visits back in time. For example, one grad student, Michael, is interested in heroes so he picks 5-6 different heroes he wants to observe. He has to go to wardrobe for the correct costumes and for one of his characters he has to get an implant so that he has an American accent. There are some limits to time travel. For example, he’s not allowed near divergence points where he might impact the historical outcome. However, something goes wrong and three grad students remain in 1940 London long after their assignments are over.
Historians might be interested in seeing how accurate Willis got all the bombings going on in England at the time. I know it made me realize I hadn’t quite understood the full impact of the bombings on London during WWII. Willis depicts life in the underground shelters and how ordinary citizens adjust to a new normal where every night they head to a shelter. And, each morning they come up wondering what buildings will have been destroyed. One of the graduate students, Polly, works in a department store and it really becomes an act of courage to report to work every day. Not so much for her as her adviser insisted she pick a store that wasn’t hit, but for everyone else showing up each day so people can continue to come in and buy clothes.
The third graduate student is working with evacuated children outside of London. She has two especially challenging charges. Once the three graduate students realize something has gone wrong and meet up in London they begin to wonder if these two kids or possibly their own interactions with people during their time travel trip are causing some kind of upheaval that is preventing them from leaving 1940 and returning to 2060. Meanwhile in 2060 their adviser and a young student with a crush on Polly are trying to bring them back.
I do recommend reading the two books together. The history of WWII and the drama of the three graduate students all seem realistic – that is you come to care whether they make it back to 2060 or not.
In these novels historians from 2060 are sent back in time. Grad students, rather than reading about WWII, pick their topic of study and then schedule visits back in time. For example, one grad student, Michael, is interested in heroes so he picks 5-6 different heroes he wants to observe. He has to go to wardrobe for the correct costumes and for one of his characters he has to get an implant so that he has an American accent. There are some limits to time travel. For example, he’s not allowed near divergence points where he might impact the historical outcome. However, something goes wrong and three grad students remain in 1940 London long after their assignments are over.
Historians might be interested in seeing how accurate Willis got all the bombings going on in England at the time. I know it made me realize I hadn’t quite understood the full impact of the bombings on London during WWII. Willis depicts life in the underground shelters and how ordinary citizens adjust to a new normal where every night they head to a shelter. And, each morning they come up wondering what buildings will have been destroyed. One of the graduate students, Polly, works in a department store and it really becomes an act of courage to report to work every day. Not so much for her as her adviser insisted she pick a store that wasn’t hit, but for everyone else showing up each day so people can continue to come in and buy clothes.
The third graduate student is working with evacuated children outside of London. She has two especially challenging charges. Once the three graduate students realize something has gone wrong and meet up in London they begin to wonder if these two kids or possibly their own interactions with people during their time travel trip are causing some kind of upheaval that is preventing them from leaving 1940 and returning to 2060. Meanwhile in 2060 their adviser and a young student with a crush on Polly are trying to bring them back.
I do recommend reading the two books together. The history of WWII and the drama of the three graduate students all seem realistic – that is you come to care whether they make it back to 2060 or not.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Summer Reading Program
We’re at the library at least once and usually twice a week all summer long. The Deschutes Public Library has a great kids’ program and, surprisingly, an adult summer reading program as well. Adults who read for three hours get a free book. I got the latest from C. J. Box, a mystery author whose books I’ve reviewed before.
In addition there’s a Bingo card to fill out. Each box is either a different type of book to read or an activity associated with the library or reading. For each Bingo you make you’re entered in a drawing to win a Nook eReader. I have no plans to buy an eReader. but I wouldn’t mind one for free - especially one that is compatible with eBooks available at the library.
The Bingo squares take me out of my reading comfort zone. One square requires reading a graphic novel. I’ve read a few of these, like Maus: a survivor’s tale and Good Eggs, which are more like illustrated memoirs. This time I randomly went on the web and picked one that is supposed to be one of the best graphic novels of all time, Watchmen. This is what I would think of as a comic book. The superheroes are much darker than those I watched growing up, i.e. the Superfriends. So far it has helped me get a Rorschach reference that I would have otherwise completely missed on Facebook. The most interesting character in the book is Dr. Manhattan, who was exposed to nuclear radiation, disintegrated, somehow regenerated and is now America’s weapon. I don’t know enough about the comic book world to know whether all these characters were created anew for this book or were old favorites, but the authors do make it seem to be a complete world.
I might have trouble getting through all the library Bingo squares. One is a suggestion from a librarian. Even as the librarian I asked was giving me a reading suggestion he mentioned how he didn’t like the book. Do I have to read it or should I get a different suggestion or does just getting the suggestion count? I’d love to hear from others whether it is common practice to have adult reading programs at libraries.
In addition there’s a Bingo card to fill out. Each box is either a different type of book to read or an activity associated with the library or reading. For each Bingo you make you’re entered in a drawing to win a Nook eReader. I have no plans to buy an eReader. but I wouldn’t mind one for free - especially one that is compatible with eBooks available at the library.
The Bingo squares take me out of my reading comfort zone. One square requires reading a graphic novel. I’ve read a few of these, like Maus: a survivor’s tale and Good Eggs, which are more like illustrated memoirs. This time I randomly went on the web and picked one that is supposed to be one of the best graphic novels of all time, Watchmen. This is what I would think of as a comic book. The superheroes are much darker than those I watched growing up, i.e. the Superfriends. So far it has helped me get a Rorschach reference that I would have otherwise completely missed on Facebook. The most interesting character in the book is Dr. Manhattan, who was exposed to nuclear radiation, disintegrated, somehow regenerated and is now America’s weapon. I don’t know enough about the comic book world to know whether all these characters were created anew for this book or were old favorites, but the authors do make it seem to be a complete world.
I might have trouble getting through all the library Bingo squares. One is a suggestion from a librarian. Even as the librarian I asked was giving me a reading suggestion he mentioned how he didn’t like the book. Do I have to read it or should I get a different suggestion or does just getting the suggestion count? I’d love to hear from others whether it is common practice to have adult reading programs at libraries.
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