Sometimes I'll write about my job, sometimes about my faith, sometimes about my hobbies, talents, miscellaneous interests. You'll see.
28 May 2008
Next Phase of Thesis!
It couldn't have been more than an hour or two tops after I posted my frustration with 2nd Novel that I received an email from my thesis advisor saying she'd finished reading and was ready with her revision suggestions! She said she'd mail me the marked up copy but in the meantime I got an email with her global comments and you betchure booties I was on top of that. I was really starting to miss my characters, and now I get them back for a little while. And her suggestions are great, of course. It's interesting how much more exciting I am to work on my writing now than I was not too long ago. Hmm.
Roald Dahl
Since I've just finished a little parade of Dahl books, I thought maybe I'd make a few comments about his writing.
First the ones I read over the past week or two:
Matilda
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Giraffe, the Pelly and Me
The BFG
The Twits
In the past I've also read: James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
Of them all, I would have say there is really no argument. Matilda is the best, hands down. The characters were best developed, the story line was most engaging, it was well paced and not overly didactic. It's funny to me that some critics get down on the early children's books for being didactic and remarking how far we've come, and though I haven't necessarily heard them compare the old to Dahl, I would say he kind of defies the idea of progress in that area. However, he definitely has advanced in the aspect of silliness, generally speaking. Of course Alice in Wonderland is pretty silly and so is Edward Lear's collection. Interestingly, however, neither of these earlier works is very didactic.
Well, I don't think my critique is getting too far, kind of hard to comment on the slew of them, but overall they're pretty good books. If anything, I was just surprised at how slow they were. Matilda was and I remember James and the Peach keeping up a good pace, but the BFG and The Pelly were terrifically slow. You'd think they'd be quick reads, being rather short books, but my attention wasn't as readily captivated.
First the ones I read over the past week or two:
Matilda
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Giraffe, the Pelly and Me
The BFG
The Twits
In the past I've also read: James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
Of them all, I would have say there is really no argument. Matilda is the best, hands down. The characters were best developed, the story line was most engaging, it was well paced and not overly didactic. It's funny to me that some critics get down on the early children's books for being didactic and remarking how far we've come, and though I haven't necessarily heard them compare the old to Dahl, I would say he kind of defies the idea of progress in that area. However, he definitely has advanced in the aspect of silliness, generally speaking. Of course Alice in Wonderland is pretty silly and so is Edward Lear's collection. Interestingly, however, neither of these earlier works is very didactic.
Well, I don't think my critique is getting too far, kind of hard to comment on the slew of them, but overall they're pretty good books. If anything, I was just surprised at how slow they were. Matilda was and I remember James and the Peach keeping up a good pace, but the BFG and The Pelly were terrifically slow. You'd think they'd be quick reads, being rather short books, but my attention wasn't as readily captivated.
2nd Novel
Although I would never ever in a million thousand years suggest it, I'm coming to learn that the true test of your learning in an MFA program doesn't come in the completion of your thesis, but in the completion of the second book after your thesis. I think it's absolutely wonderful to get so much help with workshops and lessons and everything on the thesis, and I'm so glad I've had the help I have on it. And actually, I'm glad too that I'll have the continued opportunity to workshop another potential novel. But as I've finished the first novel, and I await comments from my thesis advisor, I'm trying to write another and finding myself pretty stuck. I have a few ideas, actually, so it's not for a want of ideas, as I've struggled with over the years, it's getting them going. I hear Keisha's lesson from last year on ignoring the internal editor, which I argued about with her --well not really, I was just trying to get it--But now I get it! And yet, I can't get it.
Press on, I guess, right? I'm so looking forward to one more summer at Hollins!
Press on, I guess, right? I'm so looking forward to one more summer at Hollins!
23 May 2008
21 May 2008
New Design
Do you like it? Seeing a few friends pretty (as in nice looking) big banners, I thought I might try my hand it creating something, but when I did find something I liked, my old design template didn't match any more, so I found a different one and switched the color, so the body part is rather simple, but do you like it anyway? I kind of like this color--I guess they call it melon. But I usually call it sunshine orange. Actually sunshine orange is a little bit more yellow in it, but it's pretty close. I've always been curious why they call it melon, though. I'm not a grand melon connoisseur or anything but I know the three common ones: honey dew melon, watermelon and cantelope. Honey dew is a pale green, watermelon is usually red, though sometimes yellow and cantelope, the only one that doesn't actually have the word melon in it, is the color they call melon. Don't you find that rather interesting? Anyway, I like the color. I hope you do too. Not sure about the font color yet though. Hmmm.
17 May 2008
Spring still
Today was a beautiful day--for a walk along the GW Parkway. Even though many of the colors in the trees are gone for the year, and there aren't necessarily a lot of flowers along the parkway, I took my camera anyway, because sometimes there are other sites to see, right? Well, believe it or not, I did find some color in the tree! And new! -some pretty orange and yellow flowers.
Talk about serendipity! So of course I took many many pictures and then came home and played with them. So many in fact, I couldn't figure out why I took some--since they looked pretty close to the same, hm. But when I was reviewing and deleting the ugly ones, I couldn't decide which to keep--so I kept them both. They're not bad.
Then, I suppose in that mood, as I messed around with the different filters, I found some I liked and couldn't decide which I liked better, so I kept them both--the original here too.
And then as I was posting, I thought, well, I really like this one better than the above anyway, so I'll stick it in for good measure.
Talk about serendipity! So of course I took many many pictures and then came home and played with them. So many in fact, I couldn't figure out why I took some--since they looked pretty close to the same, hm. But when I was reviewing and deleting the ugly ones, I couldn't decide which to keep--so I kept them both. They're not bad.
Then, I suppose in that mood, as I messed around with the different filters, I found some I liked and couldn't decide which I liked better, so I kept them both--the original here too.
And then as I was posting, I thought, well, I really like this one better than the above anyway, so I'll stick it in for good measure.
Evolution of a Canadian
Since my post about evolution was shortly before my visit to Canada, I thought it particularly funny that I should find this T-shirt in Grandpa's drawer, eh? Of course I kept it!
Happy Easter!
Guess what I got in the mail this week? It seems to me if you can have Christmas in July, you can have Easter in May. I really don't see why not. I'm grateful for Easter all year round! Thanks Mom!
13 May 2008
Colors and Smells of Spring
In the rain we've had the past few days, I've had the chance to observe many umbrellas. And I must say that I'm largely disappointed. I guess I should have anticipated it in the business area of Washington DC, but my goodness there are so many unicolor, and dark colored umbrellas. It all contributes to a rather glum feeling, particularly with the rain. So I'll go ahead and blame those things on my yucky day yesterday.
I have seen some pretty umbrellas though, and that's always nice. Seeing such makes me think about colors and the good things colors can do, particularly in writing. I've felt sometimes when I'm reading (even or particularly my own writing) that it lacks visual appeal--to black and white. It's been funny/interesting to note what the simple mention of a color can do to the imagination.
But visually, more literally, I love see colors in publications too. A color copy of one of the Wizard of Oz books was one of my happy collections from last year's silent auction at Hollins. It adds a fun layer. On a simple note, I love switching the calendars to the spring months, too, as the colors become more vibrant.
Along those lines, particularly since rain tends to enhance some smells, I've been thinking about memories attached to certain smells. Construction smells, for example. Perhaps many people don't really like the smell of wet soil mixed with concrete and metal and the oil from the machines. But I have to say that generally speaking this is one of my favorite smells. I grew up in a neighborhood that was under development, with houses coming up through fun and memorable times. We, the neighborhood kids, had picnic lunches in the basement of an unfinished house (it stayed in this status for a long time for some reason); then once it started building again, we played around and explored more in the crawl space and the levels, and we laughed and shrieked when we heard one of the bossy neighborhood men was coming to chew us out.
There's also the fun smell just of spring, of flowers coming up, yes, but also in the house--you can smell there's some opening up of the woodwork to allow the fresh air to come in after the long stagnant winter months. It also has a reminder of the smells of the end of the school year--the days when you could just run outside and didn't have to remember your coat. Oh joyous days.
Last night, although it is mid-May, I turned the heat back on because it's been sooo cold the past few nights and my bones couldn't take it any more, and even there, I had a nice smell reminder of the heat coming on, moving through the floor boards and hovering over my bed. Of course it felt more like fall, but it was as sweet and comfortable as spring. Mmmm.
What are some of your favorite smells?
I have seen some pretty umbrellas though, and that's always nice. Seeing such makes me think about colors and the good things colors can do, particularly in writing. I've felt sometimes when I'm reading (even or particularly my own writing) that it lacks visual appeal--to black and white. It's been funny/interesting to note what the simple mention of a color can do to the imagination.
But visually, more literally, I love see colors in publications too. A color copy of one of the Wizard of Oz books was one of my happy collections from last year's silent auction at Hollins. It adds a fun layer. On a simple note, I love switching the calendars to the spring months, too, as the colors become more vibrant.
Along those lines, particularly since rain tends to enhance some smells, I've been thinking about memories attached to certain smells. Construction smells, for example. Perhaps many people don't really like the smell of wet soil mixed with concrete and metal and the oil from the machines. But I have to say that generally speaking this is one of my favorite smells. I grew up in a neighborhood that was under development, with houses coming up through fun and memorable times. We, the neighborhood kids, had picnic lunches in the basement of an unfinished house (it stayed in this status for a long time for some reason); then once it started building again, we played around and explored more in the crawl space and the levels, and we laughed and shrieked when we heard one of the bossy neighborhood men was coming to chew us out.
There's also the fun smell just of spring, of flowers coming up, yes, but also in the house--you can smell there's some opening up of the woodwork to allow the fresh air to come in after the long stagnant winter months. It also has a reminder of the smells of the end of the school year--the days when you could just run outside and didn't have to remember your coat. Oh joyous days.
Last night, although it is mid-May, I turned the heat back on because it's been sooo cold the past few nights and my bones couldn't take it any more, and even there, I had a nice smell reminder of the heat coming on, moving through the floor boards and hovering over my bed. Of course it felt more like fall, but it was as sweet and comfortable as spring. Mmmm.
What are some of your favorite smells?
08 May 2008
Censorship
For my class this summer, we have our reading list already so I've been reading ahead, as I have for the past four years. And for the most part, I've enjoyed the books I've read for school for the past few years. I mean my tastes varied for the different books, but I haven't been subject to anything too objectionable--until now, my final year. And now from the most objectionable children's author, Judy Blume. Actually she didn't write the whole book, mostly she was the organizer/editor type with an introductory essay. I suppose this is fitting since she is a highly censored author and the book is a collection of short stories by censored authors. But that fact alone makes me cringe to pick it up. I did though, even read her essay--
which thoroughly irritated me. I'll defend myself in a minute, but I have to say that she really wrote some amazingly closed minded things in an essay objecting to such. Additionally, this essay, as way too many I've read, indicated an unfortunate loss of Aristotle's great lessons of good rhetoric--but that's another entry/essay. (which I might actually write, because I do love the study of rhetoric).
In spite of her essay, I read a few of the short stories, mostly because I'm not convinced that all censored authors write about things as objectionable as Blume does. But some are, and indeed I had to stop with the third or fourth--complete trash.
Before I go further, let me give a little background about my views of censorship. First, I am against it, but well, not exactly in the way Blume and other anti-censors would hope.
I do believe I have some pretty high standards. I think they've been made event in my posts. But I don't consider myself closed-minded. I've read a good number of books that have been censored, because in fact, there are a number of censored books that are censored for reasons that I don't understand. I don't see anything really wrong with Huckleberry Finn, including its language, for example. But maybe if I were black, I would. I don't know. And I don't find Harry Potter's magic too objectionable. And back to Blume--I didn't even see anything really wrong with a book that addresses menstruation. It's one of those truly unavoidables.
But even for those books I hate, I'm all for the first amendment and all that, though I think there are some misunderstandings about the first amendment that tend to get promoted by the anti-censors, quite unfortunately. Still, I'm against it--for the first amendment, yes, but moreso as I was saying, for different reasons.
That is, because some of those who would promote censorship are ignorant of a number of things, including the impact of what censoring a book actually does, they effectivly create the opposite effect to what they'd hoped for. An objectionable book suddenly becomes a highly desired book.
Indeed, there are good reasons for this, aside from the curiosity about what the censors are up to and the scattered dirty minds. In fact, many censored authors are very talented, and the books wouldn't be objectionable at all if the author didn't have some rhetorical skills--the ability to get people to buy into their story--i.e. suspend their disbelief. Things are only objectionable if they're influential.
So, as I was saying--these books become highly desired, get upped on the sales charts, and publishers interpret that people like certain things, often assumed to be the things for which the book was censored. And so the envelope gets pushed even further. Effectually, thanks to censorship, things that would have been considered appalling 20-30 years ago (in the context of what children should read moreso than adults--there have been plenty of objectionable things in adult books much longer) are mainstream now--things that one is expected to see as admirable, perfectly normal, and unavoidable. Judy's essay actually honed me into this as I considered some of the things she included that caused eyebrows to raise at that time. I find those things rampant and mainstream now, 20-30 years later.
So what are we to do about it? We don't want to censor them, but it would be nice to reverse the trend, don't you think? Send the envelope backward? Let people publish their trash if they want to, but protect the people who don't want to read it or feel obligated to write it in order to get published.
As far as protecting people from reading things they don't want to, it seems like a pretty good idea to let readers know what's in the book that might bother them. And personally, I would certainly hope that I would not be forced to read these things or mocked for choosing not to do so. And yet this is another result of censorship. As I learned from the second introductory essay of this short story collection, the representative from the Coalition Against Censorship, because the anti-censors think that closed-mindedness is the cause of the censorship, they would like to respond by opening people's mind and forcing people to read the books and discuss them in schools, because this is supposedly a safe place for such discussions. Excuse me? I've completely lost the logic here. Force people to read things they know they don't like in order to open their minds? And then to discuss them in schools? I'm sorry but I have never found a secondary school a safe haven for discussion! Sure discussions are possible in school because a teacher is a pre-determined discussion leader, but there's no guarantee a teacher has the same values as children and thousands time less likelihood the children are capable of respecting each other's opinions. School is an environment where everyone is required by law to be, with no pre-sorting for different beliefs. School is the place where a number of children's books adequately and accurately portray much peer abuse--psychological and emotional. Why is this a safe place for discussion? Particularly since you've introduced the discussioin with a basis of coercion--forcing the people in class to read what you think is good for them and with which they may disagree.
As for the other point--even if a person isn't forced to read things, it would be nice to know what a book includes in order to make an informed decision about reading it. But, as Judy argues in her essay, she doesn't want her books to be rated. Let the children read what they want to read, she says. Well, I think my thesis indicates the first fallacy in that, but there are more, believe it or not. How can the children know they want to read it before they know what they're getting themselves into? And second, what about adults? Are children really the only ones who are allowed to be troubled by these things? Seriously, I would love a rating on adult books. Not like the movie system--PG, PG-13, R etc. --those too have imbedded the fallacy that age has something to do with it, and although it is content, not the age of the protagonist that produces these ratings on the particular film, the result is more pushing of the envelope (i.e. if it's not PG-13, no one over 10 will care to watch it). No, that's not the kind of rating system I'd like. I want to know what potential objectionable materials, the author and editor have tossed in. As I indicated earlier, I might not agree that it's really objectionable, but at least I'll know and can make an informed decision.
Of course, you might argue that there are a number of places that do book reviews and I could find such information by doing a little research in this way. But my argument again would be that things that were considered objectionable twenty years ago are mainstream now. You don't find that information in reviews because reviewers either don't find material objectionable or more likely they're afraid to admit it because the ideology has been thrust upon them by the years of envelope pushers.
Some kind of rating system, included on the cover of the book would be ideal--let the publishers be accountable for the material they're putting out.
But more than that, I just want some good authors to step out and stop tossing all the trash in. I'd like to see books that have "clean" written on their "label." Seriously. If you don't like profanity, don't write it! If you don't think extra-marital relationships are acceptable, don't give in! Don't contribute to making the world think that people who do immoral things need to be admired. Stop making us think that everyone does immoral things. Just stop it. If you're doing it because you think you need to capture reality--don't worry, we get. We your readers live in the same world as you. We know reality. Depict the good things in it, the way your real imagination will take you, and give us a break from the bad.
which thoroughly irritated me. I'll defend myself in a minute, but I have to say that she really wrote some amazingly closed minded things in an essay objecting to such. Additionally, this essay, as way too many I've read, indicated an unfortunate loss of Aristotle's great lessons of good rhetoric--but that's another entry/essay. (which I might actually write, because I do love the study of rhetoric).
In spite of her essay, I read a few of the short stories, mostly because I'm not convinced that all censored authors write about things as objectionable as Blume does. But some are, and indeed I had to stop with the third or fourth--complete trash.
Before I go further, let me give a little background about my views of censorship. First, I am against it, but well, not exactly in the way Blume and other anti-censors would hope.
I do believe I have some pretty high standards. I think they've been made event in my posts. But I don't consider myself closed-minded. I've read a good number of books that have been censored, because in fact, there are a number of censored books that are censored for reasons that I don't understand. I don't see anything really wrong with Huckleberry Finn, including its language, for example. But maybe if I were black, I would. I don't know. And I don't find Harry Potter's magic too objectionable. And back to Blume--I didn't even see anything really wrong with a book that addresses menstruation. It's one of those truly unavoidables.
But even for those books I hate, I'm all for the first amendment and all that, though I think there are some misunderstandings about the first amendment that tend to get promoted by the anti-censors, quite unfortunately. Still, I'm against it--for the first amendment, yes, but moreso as I was saying, for different reasons.
That is, because some of those who would promote censorship are ignorant of a number of things, including the impact of what censoring a book actually does, they effectivly create the opposite effect to what they'd hoped for. An objectionable book suddenly becomes a highly desired book.
Indeed, there are good reasons for this, aside from the curiosity about what the censors are up to and the scattered dirty minds. In fact, many censored authors are very talented, and the books wouldn't be objectionable at all if the author didn't have some rhetorical skills--the ability to get people to buy into their story--i.e. suspend their disbelief. Things are only objectionable if they're influential.
So, as I was saying--these books become highly desired, get upped on the sales charts, and publishers interpret that people like certain things, often assumed to be the things for which the book was censored. And so the envelope gets pushed even further. Effectually, thanks to censorship, things that would have been considered appalling 20-30 years ago (in the context of what children should read moreso than adults--there have been plenty of objectionable things in adult books much longer) are mainstream now--things that one is expected to see as admirable, perfectly normal, and unavoidable. Judy's essay actually honed me into this as I considered some of the things she included that caused eyebrows to raise at that time. I find those things rampant and mainstream now, 20-30 years later.
So what are we to do about it? We don't want to censor them, but it would be nice to reverse the trend, don't you think? Send the envelope backward? Let people publish their trash if they want to, but protect the people who don't want to read it or feel obligated to write it in order to get published.
As far as protecting people from reading things they don't want to, it seems like a pretty good idea to let readers know what's in the book that might bother them. And personally, I would certainly hope that I would not be forced to read these things or mocked for choosing not to do so. And yet this is another result of censorship. As I learned from the second introductory essay of this short story collection, the representative from the Coalition Against Censorship, because the anti-censors think that closed-mindedness is the cause of the censorship, they would like to respond by opening people's mind and forcing people to read the books and discuss them in schools, because this is supposedly a safe place for such discussions. Excuse me? I've completely lost the logic here. Force people to read things they know they don't like in order to open their minds? And then to discuss them in schools? I'm sorry but I have never found a secondary school a safe haven for discussion! Sure discussions are possible in school because a teacher is a pre-determined discussion leader, but there's no guarantee a teacher has the same values as children and thousands time less likelihood the children are capable of respecting each other's opinions. School is an environment where everyone is required by law to be, with no pre-sorting for different beliefs. School is the place where a number of children's books adequately and accurately portray much peer abuse--psychological and emotional. Why is this a safe place for discussion? Particularly since you've introduced the discussioin with a basis of coercion--forcing the people in class to read what you think is good for them and with which they may disagree.
As for the other point--even if a person isn't forced to read things, it would be nice to know what a book includes in order to make an informed decision about reading it. But, as Judy argues in her essay, she doesn't want her books to be rated. Let the children read what they want to read, she says. Well, I think my thesis indicates the first fallacy in that, but there are more, believe it or not. How can the children know they want to read it before they know what they're getting themselves into? And second, what about adults? Are children really the only ones who are allowed to be troubled by these things? Seriously, I would love a rating on adult books. Not like the movie system--PG, PG-13, R etc. --those too have imbedded the fallacy that age has something to do with it, and although it is content, not the age of the protagonist that produces these ratings on the particular film, the result is more pushing of the envelope (i.e. if it's not PG-13, no one over 10 will care to watch it). No, that's not the kind of rating system I'd like. I want to know what potential objectionable materials, the author and editor have tossed in. As I indicated earlier, I might not agree that it's really objectionable, but at least I'll know and can make an informed decision.
Of course, you might argue that there are a number of places that do book reviews and I could find such information by doing a little research in this way. But my argument again would be that things that were considered objectionable twenty years ago are mainstream now. You don't find that information in reviews because reviewers either don't find material objectionable or more likely they're afraid to admit it because the ideology has been thrust upon them by the years of envelope pushers.
Some kind of rating system, included on the cover of the book would be ideal--let the publishers be accountable for the material they're putting out.
But more than that, I just want some good authors to step out and stop tossing all the trash in. I'd like to see books that have "clean" written on their "label." Seriously. If you don't like profanity, don't write it! If you don't think extra-marital relationships are acceptable, don't give in! Don't contribute to making the world think that people who do immoral things need to be admired. Stop making us think that everyone does immoral things. Just stop it. If you're doing it because you think you need to capture reality--don't worry, we get. We your readers live in the same world as you. We know reality. Depict the good things in it, the way your real imagination will take you, and give us a break from the bad.
06 May 2008
The Runaway Read
Yes, I read an "adult" book, believe it or not. As I was exiting the metro a month or so ago, on my way to work, not to my car :)--one of the peddlers handed me a flier--usually they're for a discount on your coffee so I usually don't stop and take the coupon. But I took this thing and it turned out to be a little ad for a temporary used book place--give and buy--a few blocks from where I work. Nice. I had a few books lying around that I really wanted to give away, so this was the perfect opportunity.
Of course my fear was that I wouldn't be able to get out of the store without actually buying anything, and I was right. Maybe I should have left my purse at work. I did just use cash, though--money I would have used in the vending machine anyway, right? I was really putting it to better use.
Well, their children's book section was kind of hidden, so I first found my way to the regular fiction area and found a couple that interested me, all for only $1 or maybe $2. How could I possibly resist? I actually picked up a few there and then wandered a little and did find the children's section--hidden in the back. Craziness. Once there, I of course managed to talk myself out of most of the "adult" books. Most. I still had a grip on The Runaway Jury. I was curious about a John Grisham because I'd read his Skipping Christmas a few years ago, a copy my mom bought with the idea that she would read some of these nonstandard stories from well-known authors. I read during my break at home and I liked it.
So of course my curiosity was piqued a little more to by one of Grisham's more standard style, particularly because I'd also liked some of the movies based on his books, and I hadn't seen the movie yet for The Runaway Jury, so I wasn't spoiled to the plot. To make a long story short, I bought it.
Now enough with all the preliminaries, you're saying. What did you think? Get to the point. Get to the point. Okay, okay. I'm getting.
I have to say for the first time in quite awhile I was actually tempted to stay up all night and keep reading. I didn't. I have troubles enough getting up in the morning. I didn't even read it in a single day, but I was kind of glued to the book on Friday night, a lot of Saturday and then again Monday when I finally finished--and did stay up a little later than I like to do so.
To back up a bit, a couple weeks ago I read almost the entire book The Schwa was Here in one sitting, but since that sitting was in an airplane where I didn't have too many other options, I'm not sure how much that counts. I did like that one, though. And actually, it does count in some ways because I had another book for the return flight and I wasn't as captivated--slept a little more on that flight and stuff.
The Runaway was also about twice as long as The Schwa, so in one sitting I did actually read as many pages. Anyway, I'm still digressing. So, actually, while I think that the feeling that you have to read the whole book RIGHT NOW is kind of the way a book is supposed to make you feel, I actually didn't like The Runaway as much as I'd hoped. Of course there were some language issues which I really despise, but also there was a point somewhere in the middle, during their sequestration that I got more than I ever cared to about all of the juror's "sleeping" habits. Of course he wasn't graphic, but the mention of so many of them was really quite disturbing and largely insignificant, especially to the detail he brought it. It was all for glamor, I think. I was actually tempted to not continue reading.
However, the plot did intrigue me, and I kept going. Like, the devil tempted me and I did eat. So you see, Grisham did a pretty good job with the plot to keep me into--using contemporary, controversial issues, and weaving in enough irony, potential irony and suspicion to keep me guessing. After a certain point, I actually figured it out, significantly enough before the end that I was hoping he wouldn't actually end it that way--or at least with enough twists to make it worth my while to finish. But he didn't. It ended predictably. I guess that's why these are on the mass market. I mean I thought the ending was appropriate in that the right people won the trial and everything. I almost would have been more disappointed with some other possible endings. But it still left something wanting for the amount of suspense and suspicion built in along the way, if that makes any sense.
There were other good things, though. As a writer, it was interesting to see his character development, particularly with so many to deal with. I noticed there were a handful of characters that had some sense of personality and yet I had no idea what they looked like other than what I'd conjured with my own imagination based on the personality. And some I got an age sense on where the age wasn't exactly revealed, but later descriptions of their lives revealed I was on target. It was interesting too, how he kept people with similar names separate, but repeating things surrounding their significance in the plot in a non-repetitive way, just as reminders, and built into the new developments being revealed. There was definitely some skill employed and I appreciated the good things about it. I also do have a certain hankering for the suspense kind of thing, and so I'm pondering now what to read next. Maybe I should get back to writing. Hm.
Of course my fear was that I wouldn't be able to get out of the store without actually buying anything, and I was right. Maybe I should have left my purse at work. I did just use cash, though--money I would have used in the vending machine anyway, right? I was really putting it to better use.
Well, their children's book section was kind of hidden, so I first found my way to the regular fiction area and found a couple that interested me, all for only $1 or maybe $2. How could I possibly resist? I actually picked up a few there and then wandered a little and did find the children's section--hidden in the back. Craziness. Once there, I of course managed to talk myself out of most of the "adult" books. Most. I still had a grip on The Runaway Jury. I was curious about a John Grisham because I'd read his Skipping Christmas a few years ago, a copy my mom bought with the idea that she would read some of these nonstandard stories from well-known authors. I read during my break at home and I liked it.
So of course my curiosity was piqued a little more to by one of Grisham's more standard style, particularly because I'd also liked some of the movies based on his books, and I hadn't seen the movie yet for The Runaway Jury, so I wasn't spoiled to the plot. To make a long story short, I bought it.
Now enough with all the preliminaries, you're saying. What did you think? Get to the point. Get to the point. Okay, okay. I'm getting.
I have to say for the first time in quite awhile I was actually tempted to stay up all night and keep reading. I didn't. I have troubles enough getting up in the morning. I didn't even read it in a single day, but I was kind of glued to the book on Friday night, a lot of Saturday and then again Monday when I finally finished--and did stay up a little later than I like to do so.
To back up a bit, a couple weeks ago I read almost the entire book The Schwa was Here in one sitting, but since that sitting was in an airplane where I didn't have too many other options, I'm not sure how much that counts. I did like that one, though. And actually, it does count in some ways because I had another book for the return flight and I wasn't as captivated--slept a little more on that flight and stuff.
The Runaway was also about twice as long as The Schwa, so in one sitting I did actually read as many pages. Anyway, I'm still digressing. So, actually, while I think that the feeling that you have to read the whole book RIGHT NOW is kind of the way a book is supposed to make you feel, I actually didn't like The Runaway as much as I'd hoped. Of course there were some language issues which I really despise, but also there was a point somewhere in the middle, during their sequestration that I got more than I ever cared to about all of the juror's "sleeping" habits. Of course he wasn't graphic, but the mention of so many of them was really quite disturbing and largely insignificant, especially to the detail he brought it. It was all for glamor, I think. I was actually tempted to not continue reading.
However, the plot did intrigue me, and I kept going. Like, the devil tempted me and I did eat. So you see, Grisham did a pretty good job with the plot to keep me into--using contemporary, controversial issues, and weaving in enough irony, potential irony and suspicion to keep me guessing. After a certain point, I actually figured it out, significantly enough before the end that I was hoping he wouldn't actually end it that way--or at least with enough twists to make it worth my while to finish. But he didn't. It ended predictably. I guess that's why these are on the mass market. I mean I thought the ending was appropriate in that the right people won the trial and everything. I almost would have been more disappointed with some other possible endings. But it still left something wanting for the amount of suspense and suspicion built in along the way, if that makes any sense.
There were other good things, though. As a writer, it was interesting to see his character development, particularly with so many to deal with. I noticed there were a handful of characters that had some sense of personality and yet I had no idea what they looked like other than what I'd conjured with my own imagination based on the personality. And some I got an age sense on where the age wasn't exactly revealed, but later descriptions of their lives revealed I was on target. It was interesting too, how he kept people with similar names separate, but repeating things surrounding their significance in the plot in a non-repetitive way, just as reminders, and built into the new developments being revealed. There was definitely some skill employed and I appreciated the good things about it. I also do have a certain hankering for the suspense kind of thing, and so I'm pondering now what to read next. Maybe I should get back to writing. Hm.
01 May 2008
Grieving
So, last week I spent in Canada, the reason for no postings for the week. I think that was also convenient for some other reasons because my little eulogy for Grandpa was Googled by some relatives and when others heard of it and wanted the link, I could just send them the basic link without having to find the specific post's link. It was the top entry, still, so they weren't bogged down with my other silliness unless they wanted to delve into it on their own.
But alas, the writer that I am can't let too much more time pass without writing something!
Since my Grandpa passed away, the subject of grief has, for obvious reasons, been on my mind. I don't know that cataloguing my stages would really be possible because it's kind of haphazard and mixed with other life happenings as well, but it definitely does add a shade of something to the other life happenings. I think that's normal--big things always do something to little things, right?
Well, as I was wasting, or uh spending time at work trying to find things to do, I followed links from friends' blogs, mentioned in my last post, and found some new blogs to frequent. In one of them, a blogger was reviewing Ursula LeGuin's 2004 Gifts and included this quote, which I found extremely timely:
"Grieving, like being blind, is a strange business; you have to learn how to do it. We seek company in mourning, but after the early bursts of tears, after the praises have been spoken, and the good days remembered, and the lament cried, and the grave closed, there is no company in grief. It is a burden borne alone. How you bear it is up to you. Or so it seems to me." (202)
Of course those last two lines are pretty platitudinal, but I guess the new generation has to get them somewhere or they wouldn't recognize them as platitudes. In other words, maybe it's okay to stick that kind of thing in kids' books? I don't know. That's really beside the point. I digress. blah, blah. Sorry, a few more clichés for you.
Anyway, I liked it especially finding it the week after the funeral and the pomp of being with family and everything--the week that I'm back to my daily life and I suppose somewhat feeling that I had my week to mourn and now I can move on. But feeling perhaps guilty because I'm not really moving on at the same pace I was going before. I guess that's normal. Luckily, I have a job with good people and they treated me compassionately when I came back. That, too, helped me feel a little normal, too, in my saddened state.
Thank you, God, for the reminders of my normalcy, in spite of all my oddities.
But alas, the writer that I am can't let too much more time pass without writing something!
Since my Grandpa passed away, the subject of grief has, for obvious reasons, been on my mind. I don't know that cataloguing my stages would really be possible because it's kind of haphazard and mixed with other life happenings as well, but it definitely does add a shade of something to the other life happenings. I think that's normal--big things always do something to little things, right?
Well, as I was wasting, or uh spending time at work trying to find things to do, I followed links from friends' blogs, mentioned in my last post, and found some new blogs to frequent. In one of them, a blogger was reviewing Ursula LeGuin's 2004 Gifts and included this quote, which I found extremely timely:
"Grieving, like being blind, is a strange business; you have to learn how to do it. We seek company in mourning, but after the early bursts of tears, after the praises have been spoken, and the good days remembered, and the lament cried, and the grave closed, there is no company in grief. It is a burden borne alone. How you bear it is up to you. Or so it seems to me." (202)
Of course those last two lines are pretty platitudinal, but I guess the new generation has to get them somewhere or they wouldn't recognize them as platitudes. In other words, maybe it's okay to stick that kind of thing in kids' books? I don't know. That's really beside the point. I digress. blah, blah. Sorry, a few more clichés for you.
Anyway, I liked it especially finding it the week after the funeral and the pomp of being with family and everything--the week that I'm back to my daily life and I suppose somewhat feeling that I had my week to mourn and now I can move on. But feeling perhaps guilty because I'm not really moving on at the same pace I was going before. I guess that's normal. Luckily, I have a job with good people and they treated me compassionately when I came back. That, too, helped me feel a little normal, too, in my saddened state.
Thank you, God, for the reminders of my normalcy, in spite of all my oddities.
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