Forging an Art

August 13 was NASCAR night at Canal Park, home of the Akron Aeros baseball team.  Yes, it was my boy Tony’s nemesis, Kurt Busch, who was on hand signing autographs and talking to fans, but we had to go.  He is a series driver, after all.  He was very sweet and we were very fortunate (or we planned well) to get there early enough to get a place at the front of the line.  He is the first to sign my Young Guns book, so now the quest is on to get signatures from the rest of the drivers featured in the 2002 publication.
Most fun thing about Aeros games – Acme cream stick races!  I think the photo speaks for itself.  Rock on, vanilla! 

As if the title isn’t intriguing enough, I was drawn to this deceptively small well of thought purported as children’s fiction by the back cover endorsement from Joyce Carol Oates: “untimely in the way of a Grimm fairy tale recast by Franz Kafka.”  A Batchelder Honor Book, The Cat comes to us from Germany by the hand of Jutta Richter, translated by Anna Brailovsky, and is illustrated with, indeed, a dry humor reminiscent of Kafka by Rotraut Susanne Berner.
Christine makes her way to and from school, to and from and in and out of relations with her peers, family, and teachers with help of an old white cat whose judgment and advice might not always be relied upon.  Christine finally considers what readers might suspect all along: “The cat was wicked.  She knew no pity.  She knew only herself and the mice.”

Wendy Lesser‘s first novel is actually three novellas, the first of which is amazing and wonderful and I wanted it to go on and on.  The second wasn’t bad, but the third was wretched and I wondered if Lesser had been smoking crack after she completed the second.
As a James fan, I was obviously entranced by the first story, which does not name James but the implication is clear, as is that of characters in the steads of Wharton, Fullerton, and Andersen, along with the James butler and his drunken wife.  Lesser’s speculation on Wharton’s thoughts are engaging, and I was disappointed when they came to an end.  I adore my Henry, and one of the many important lessons I have learned from him and his work is that love has no expectations.  Hopes, most certainly, but not expectations – that would be another feeling altogether.  Lesser captures this quality in the love James holds for those dear to him, while her Wharton double furiously struggles to understand this.
I am looking now at a ridiculous review by Lucy Ellmann of the NYT, published on October 9, 2005, in which Ellmann states that Lesser “coyly never admits that these two are based on Edith Wharton and Henry James,” which is a rather silly thing to say.  Of course they are Wharton and James, and there is nothing coy in the portrayal that would leave any room to question this.  Ellmann goes on to claim that the characters (in the entire book, not just the first novella) are “emotionless.”  Ellmann must have completely missed the James/Wharton piece.  She complains that “well on the way to her third orgasm” is an “icky” description, but laments Lesser’s “promising disquisition on menstruation” that does not, to Ellmann’s disappointment, continue.  So – Ellmann wants to read about the heroine’s menstrual troubles but not about her amazing sexual experiences?  That doesn’t work for me.

*from Romantic Times Book Reviews, 9/08

Contemporary:
Allison, Liz et. al. A NASCAR Holiday 3
Bacus, Kathleen. Anchors Aweigh
Bevarly, Elizabeth. Ready & Willing
Carr, Robyn. A Virgin River Christmas
Chapman, Janet. The Man Must Marry
Dimon, HelenKay. Hot as Hell
Holm, Stef Ann. All That Matters
McCarthy, Erin. Flat-Out Sexy
Michaels, Fern. Silver Bells
Michaels, Kasey. Mischief Becomes Her
Rich, Lani Diane. Wish You Were Here
Ridgway, Christie. Unravel Me
Stuart, Anne et. al. Christmas Getaway
Erotica:
Banks, Maya. Be With Me
Devlin, Delilah. Down in Texas
Dupree, Delta. Strip
Fox, Cathryn, et al. Alluring Tales: Hot Holiday Nights
Fox, Cathryn. Sun Stroked
Kozak, P.F. Do It to Me
Madore, Nancy. Enchanted Again
Pearce, Kate. Simply Sinful
Tabke, Karin. Have Yourself a Naughty Little Santa
Fantasy:
Arthur, Keri. Destiny Kills
Hoyt, Sarah A. Heart and Soul
Smith-Ready, Jeri. The Reawakened
Futuristic:
Menden, A.J. Phenomenal Girl 5
Historical:
Bennett, Sara. Her Secret Lover
Blayney, Mary. Traitor’s Kiss/Lover’s Kiss
Chase, Allison. Dark Temptation
Drake, Shannon. The Pirate Bride
Feather, Jane. et. al. Snowy Night With a Stranger
Garrett, Tracy. Touched by Love
Grasso, Patricia. Enticing the Prince
Henke, Shirl. Pale Moon Stalker
Henley, Virginia. The Decadent Duke
Howell, Hannah. Highland Captive
Hoyt, Elizabeth. To Seduce a Sinner
Justiss, Julia. One Candlelit Christmas
Lane, Elizabeth. The Borrowed Bride
Long, Julie Ann. Like No Other Lover 
MacTavish, Dawn. Prisoner of the Flames
Mallory, Anne. The Bride Price
Mason, Connie. Viking Warrior
Maxwell, Cathy. A Seduction at Christmas
McPhee, Margaret. Untouched Mistress
Miller, Linda Lael. A McKettrick Christmas
Rodale, Maya. The Rogue and the Rival
Rosenthal, Pam. The Edge of Impropriety
Thomas, Jodi. Tall, Dark and Texan
Willingham, Michelle. Her Warrior Slave
Historical Fiction:
Robards, Elizabeth. With Violets
Inspirational:
Snelling, Lauraine. Yuletide Treasure
Mainstream Fiction:
Bostwick, Marie. A Single Thread
Gaskell, Whitney. Good Luck
Goldreich, Gloria. Open Doors
Landvik, Lorna. ‘Tis the Season!
Roth, Ann. My Sisters
Steel, Danielle. A Good Woman
Washburn, Livia. Frankly My Dear, I’m Dead
Mystery:
Alt, Madelyn. No Rest for the Wiccan
Atwell, Sarah. Pane of Death
Baxter, Cynthia. Murder Packs a Suitcase
Brown, Rita Mae. Santa Clawed
Glazer, Melissa. A Fatal Slip
Kellerman, Jonathan. Bones
Olson, Karen E.  Shot Girl
Perry, Anne. A Christmas Grace
Viets, Elaine. Murder With All the Trimmings
Paranormal:
Armstrong, Kelley. Living With the Dead
Bardsley, Michele. Wait Till Your Vampire Gets Home
Bretton, Barbara. Casting Spells
Brook, Meljean. Demon Bound
Burton, Jaci. The Darkest Touch
Graham, Heather. Deadly Harvest
Hamilton, Laurell K. Swallowing Darkness
Handeland, Lori. Any Given Doomsday
Havens, Candace. The Demon King and I
Hendrix, Lisa. Immortal Warrior
Hill, Joey W. A Mermaid’s Kiss
Holling, Jen. My Immortal Promise
James, Allyson. The Dragon Master
Kenyon, Sherrilyn. One Silent Night
Laurenston, Shelly. The Mane Attraction
McCray, Cheyenne. Dark Magic
Popp, Robin T. Immortals: The Haunting
Pratt, T.A. Dead Reign
Robb, J.D. et. al. Suite 606
Summers, Jordan. Red
Weis, Margaret. Fallen Angel
Wilds, Elissa. Between Light and Dark
Romantic Suspense:
Adair, Cherry. Night Secrets
Burton, Mary. Dead Ringer
Gerard, Cindy. Take No Prisoners
Harper, Karen. The Hiding Place
McKenna, Shannon. Ultimate Weapon
Melton, Marliss. Too Far Gone
Neggers, Carla. Cold Pursuit
Robinson, Gina. Spy Candy
Sala, Sharon. Bad Penny
Walker, Shiloh. The Missing
Suspense:
MacGregor, T.J. Running Time
Rose, M.J. The Memoirist
Ruttan, Sandra. The Frailty of Flesh
Time Travel:
MacKay, Allie. Tall, Dark, and Kilted
Vampire:
Sparks, Kerrelyn. All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire

“Your number was up the first time I met you.”

Yes, I read Stephenie Meyer‘s Twilight series, including the most recent and last in the series, Breaking Dawn.  I read them primarily because as a librarian, I felt it was important to see for myself what the hype was about.  Unlike the Harry Potter titles, I was actually able to read these to the end, but was not excited about doing so.  The writing isn’t awful, it just isn’t compelling, and neither is the story.  What is compelling, I think, for fans is the ordinariness of the heroine, Bella.  She isn’t popular or beautiful, but she isn’t a complete social misfit, either.  She seems to give hope to all the ‘regular’ girls out there who believe that nothing exciting will ever happen to them because they are ordinary.  She is rather flat, though, as the other characters are, which for me makes or breaks a story.  It’s all about the characters – the story can be as far out or ordinary as it pleases the author, but without compelling characters who live and breathe through the pages, the party’s over.  Some critics are upset by the rescue fantasy the series invokes, as well as parallels to abusive relationships, which in turn would make Bella’s continued excuses for Edward and her obsession with him a poor model for women in such situations.  None of this bothers me; in fact, I couldn’t care less about any of the characters.  The story is trite, the characterization inconsistent and often contradictory (explained perhaps by the unpredictable moods of vampires, I suppose), and the writing is empty. 
All of that aside – I am thrilled to be hosting a party here at work this afternoon to celebrate the end of the long wait for Breaking Dawn.  With so many library patrons on the waiting list for all four books in the series, it only makes sense to mark the light at the end of the tunnel.  Red velvet cupcakes and Hawaiian punch, served with trivia questions, a costume contest, and prizes that include copies of Breaking Dawn, I can get past my personal opinion of the books and enjoy the afternoon with some young Meyer fans.

Part of the Cambridge Forum series, this lecture explores the ways fantasy helps children understand the world of adulthood.   Unriddling the World  is also about Cooper’s personal experience as a writer of fantasy, the how and why she creates fantasy fiction and her perception of its necessity for the exploration of good and evil and all that lies in between.

“It must be a fault in me that I am not gravely shocked at the sins of others unless they personally affect me.” – W. Somerset Maugham, 1938
Most scholars and readers alike consider Of Human Bondage Maugham’s masterpiece, but The Razor’s Edge carries the same emotional punch as his earlier work.  Written in 1944, The Razor’s Edge was translated onto the big screen in 1946 and 1984, the later version starring Bill Murray as an unlikely Larry Darrell. Darrell, an American fighter pilot who survives World War I, returns to his friends and family a changed man.  His life becomes a solitary search for meaning and purpose, to the surprise and chagrin of those who care about him. Edge is not a pretty story; but as Maugham usually demonstrates, reality is a tough mirror to face.  Darrell accepts responsibility for his own happiness, but unfortunately, his friends fall into traps that seem all too familiar to life today.  This timelessness makes Maugham’s treatment of the individual and interpersonal relationships worth revisiting.  
Maugham lived a life all too similar socially to his own characters.  Issues with sexuality, marriage, family; his life reads like a painful soap opera.  It was from his own emotional experience that he drew forth characters who, unlike Darrell, find themselves in the midst of troubled relationships and desperate attempts at happiness.  He was a travel writer, journalist, and a British spy whose short stories based on personal experience influenced Fleming’s James Bond series.  Many of his works were mocked and parodied, in spite of the Hollywood success of film versions of novels such as Bondage and The Painted Veil, the latter a brilliant 2006 remake starring Edward Norton and Naomi Watts.
There are no happy endings here; this multi-talented member of the Literary Ambulance Drivers reminds us that we have a choice in how we live our lives and how we affect those we care for.  That choice might not always be an easy one, but it is ours to make and a responsibility that we ultimately shoulder alone.