End of Year Book Migration

An Early December Segment of Kitchen Counter Books,
including titles by Leonard Orr and Leah Orr.
As 2018 draws to a close, I share the New Year's Eve dilemma described so aptly by my friend and colleague Len:

Classes begin next week. I must follow the urge I have every semester to make a massive move of my books from upstairs to downstairs, from downstairs to upstairs, from home to campus, and from campus to home. What had been alphabetically arranged before may be arranged now by chronology or sub-sub topics. Since I promised my doctor I would no longer attempt to carry armloads of books up and down the stairs or boxes of books, I bought extra sacks to carry the books safely. Perhaps these book-move patterns are similar to the return of salmon or the great migrations of birds. Perhaps thousands of English professors are subject to the same seasonal patterns.

Next, our mutual friend Kathie explained her system:

Indeed, this English professor seems to be subject to those very patterns. My challenge is that I seem to be hauling them from one continent to another repeatedly, though with regional variations, depending on the destination.

As for me:

The pattern I'm subject to is that every single book I have come in contact with throughout the year ends up on my kitchen counter, next to my laptop: recently read, purchased but not yet read, started but not yet finished, received as gifts, retrieved from shelf to track down remembered or forgotten references, needed for further analysis in near future. And so on so forth, until I end up with a collection 2 stacks deep and 6 or 8 stacks wide that need to be dealt with and re-shelved ideally on December 31st, but oftentimes not until well into the month of January.

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Fuqua Helps With the Big Sort

Dawn or Doom ~ Player Piano ~ Westworld

Opening Credits from Season One of Westworld

How about this for a timely combination:

1. HBO's Westworld

2. Purdue's Dawn or Doom Presentations:
Past: November 5 - 6, 2018
Future: September 24 - 25, 2019

3. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.'s first novel (1952): Player Piano
Does Vonnegut predict the future in this dystopian
study of automation? Indeed he does!

So Many Doom - Filled Passages:
6: "It was a vote of confidence from the past, he thought -- where the past admitted how humble and shoddy it had been, where one could look from the old to the new and see that mankind really had come a long way. Paul needed that reassurance from time to time."

12: "Paul . . . suddenly realized that most of the machinery would be old stuff, even to Edison. The braiders, the welders, the punch presses, the lathes, the conveyers -- everything in sight, almost, had been around in Edison's time. The basic parts of the automatic controls, too, and the electric eyes and other elements that did and did better what human senses had once done for industry -- all were familiar enough in scientific circles even in the nineteen - twenties. All that was new was the combination of these elements."

14 - 15: " . . . the First Industrial Revolution devalued muscle work, then the second one devalued routine mental work. . . . Do you suppose there'll be a Third Industrial Revolution?"

"A third one? What would that be like?"

"I don't know exactly. The first and second ones must have been sort of inconceivable at one time."

" . . . I guess the third one's been going on for some time, if you mean thinking machines. That would be the third revolution, I guess -- machines that devaluate human thinking. Some big computers like EPICAC do that all right, in specialized fields."

280 - 81: "What have you got against machines? said Buck.

They're slaves.

Well, what the heck, said Buck. I mean, they aren't people. They don't suffer. They don't mind working.

No. But they compete with people.

That's a pretty good thing, isn't it -- considering what a sloppy job most people do of anything?

Anybody that competes with slaves becomes a slave, said Harrison thickly, and he left."

301: " . . . the divine right of machines . . .

During the past three wars, the right of technology to increase in power and scope was unquestionably, in point of national survival, almost a divine right. Americans owe their lives to superior machines, techniques, organization, and managers and engineers. For these means of surviving the wars . . . I thank God. But we cannot win good lives for ourselves in peacetime by the same methods we used to win battles in wartime. The problems of peace are altogether more subtle.

I deny that there is any natural or divine law requiring that machines, efficiency, and organization should forever increase in scope, power, and complexity, in peace as in war. I see the growth of these now, rather, as the result of a dangerous lack of law.

The time has come to stop the lawlessness in that part of our culture which is your special responsibility.

Without regard for the wishes of men, any machines or techniques or forms of organization that can economically replace men do replace men. Replacement is not necessarily bad, but to do it without regard for the wishes of men is lawlessness."

~ Here's the entire speech ~
314: "'The sovereignty of the United States resides in the people, not in the machines, and it's the people's to take back, if they so wish. The machines,' said Paul, 'have exceeded the personal sovereignty willingly surrendered to them by the American people for the good government. Machines and organization and pursuit of efficiency have robbed the American people of liberty and the pursuit of happiness.'”

~ Additional Player Piano Quotes from Goodreads ~

"If there's the slightest connection,
it's worth thinking about."
~ from Player Piano, 54

Additional Blog Posts:

O Ya - Ya of Little Faith
A Title Like a Book
Whatnots
Dawn to Doom
How Do You Say Home
Take This Quiz
Comic Strip
Final Exam

Bush Lectures

Mother - Daughter Goodwill Ambassadors:
Jenna ~ Laura ~ Barbara
Thursday, October 18, 2018
All partisanship aside, it was most edifying to spend an evening listening to tag - team family anecdotes, heartfelt advocacy for worthy causes, and witty repartee shared amongst the Bush women for the benefit of the audience.

It was fun to receive a couple of autographed biographies:

Laura Bush:
Spoken from the Heart

and

Sisters First:
Stories from Our Wild and Wonderful Life


Some highlights from Laura's book:
In contrast to the worrisome border stories that currently fill the news, it was almost enchanting to read Laura's early memories of the good times to be had south of the border:

"My mother remembers how everyone parked in El Paso and then, all dressed up, paid six cents to walk across the footbridge into Mexico. Juarez was a glamorous place. . . . The clubs had exotic -- exotic at least for West Texas -- floor shows and orchestras for dancing" (10).

As the years pass, some apprehension creeps in:

"For years, every visit to El Paso included a . . . trip to Juarez. . . . Mother and Daddy would go over at night for dinner . . . In the daylight, it was my turn to cross into Mexico . . . We'd drive to El Paso, park the car, and walk across the barbed - wire - laced bridge with the river draining below. On the other side, [my grandparents] would stop for a Mexican beer; then we headed for the open - air market, which beckoned with baskets, embroidered cotton tops, hand - hewn guitars, and wooden puppets. The pottery was my favorite. I ambled from stall to stall, comparing brightly painted birds and red and green leaves on miniature tea sets, carefully selecting my purchase...

"Afterward, we'd make our way back across the bridge . . . But before we could reenter El Paso each of us had to speak to a U.S. Customs officer. Grammee and Papa made me thoroughly rehearse 'I am a citizen of the United States,' so I would not suddenly go mute and say the wrong thing. As much as I relished those excursions, the returns aways seemed a bit perilous, with the specter of being stuck for days on that bridge, in a concrete and barbed - wire limbo betweeen the United States and Mexico" (36 - 37).

On a humorous note, Laura describes her earliest dinner parties, from the days right after she finished college and moved into an apartment with a friend:

“In our little apartment, Janet and I would host dinner parties and fix King Ranch Chicken, a famous casserole of tortillas, cheese, chicken, and three different cans of soup. Janet’s mother had sent her off with the Abilene Junior League Cookbook, and we thought it was a good cookbook, since most of the recipes called for several cans of creamed soup" (89).

I had to laugh because it reminded me of myself and my friends during the same era. As my friend Katy recalled: "My first and best recipe right out of college was from a church cookbook. It used two cans of soup and a cup of mayo. All it needed to be the perfect late mid- century recipe was a box of jello. I I actually googled the recipe for King Ranch Chicken, and it seemed more complicated than I would have thought. But maybe I’ll try it sometime!

You have to admire -- or at least enjoy -- a First Lady who keeps her sense of humor:

"Barbara and Jenna love to tell the story of the time we were standing in a checkout line at Walmart in Athens, Texas, near our little weekend getaway lake house, and a woman kept staring at me, fnally, she said, 'I think I know you,' and I replied, 'I'm Laura Bush,' as if, the girsl liked to point out of course she would know who I was. Her anwer was 'No, guess not.'" (145)

I read that passage aloud to Gerry, and I know we'll be saving it to tell repeatedly along with some of our favorite Royal Family Funnies!

Here's Gerry, upon an earlier occasion.
Security was tighter for this event, thus
only Gerry was allowed near the dignitary.
Perhaps news of my bad attitude preceded me! Ha!

October 2015 ~ Dana Point, California

From Island to Island

A souvenir from my sister Peg! Look closely and you'll see that the boxed set includes not just a "headshot" of one of the famed ponies -- but also a blue dolphin! A perfect pair of cookie cutters to accompany a perfect pair of island animal books.

Is it just a coincidence that after reading a novel set in the metaphorically named store -- Island Books -- I then read two novels set on real, geographical islands? The time was right! These inspiring stories of brave children and beloved animals were somehow overlooked in my own childhood -- and then, even worse, omitted from summer reading with my kids. I finally decided to rectify the situation, working from a long - ago Middle School Reading List.

You will learn lots of history and geography and gain a renewed appreciation for the islands -- at one time wild and mysterious -- on either side of the Continental United States.

Misty of Chincoteague
written by Marguerite Henry in 1947
& illustrated by Wesley Dennis
~ the mostly true story of young Paul Beebe ~
(1936 - 1957)

The "ringing neigh" of "the Pied Piper . . . seemed to awaken some force within her [Misty's mother, the Phantom] creating a curious urging in her mind. A shudder of excitememt went through her. She twisted her body high in the air as if she were shaking herself free -- free of fences that imprisoned, free of lead ropes, free of stalls that shut out the smell of pines and the sound of the sea" (166 - 169).

****************

"In a short time Rontu [Karana's dog] rose to his feet and left the spotted dog [Rontu's vicious, wild, and now vanquished attacker] where it lay. He walked to the top of the mound and lifted his head and gave a long howl. I had never heard this sound before. It was the sound of many things that I did not understand" (108 - 109).

Island of the Blue Dolphins
written by Scott O'Dell in 1960
& illustrated (in 1990) by Ted Lewin
~ the mostly true story of young Juana Maria ~
(1811 - 1853)

Books About Books

The Old Book Building
on the San Antonio River Walk

*******************

So sad but true:

"If this world were anything near what it should be
there would be no more need of a Book Week
than there would be of a Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Children."
Dorothy Parker (1893-1967)

*******************

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry
by Gabrielle Zevin

"Something important and literary
is about to happen here" (183).
This is a clever book about books -- and about children -- set in A. J. Fikry's bookstore "Island Books" where "No Man Is an Island; Every Book is a World," and where one snowy evening a baby is abandoned in the "Children's and Young Adult section" (8, 48).

"A. J. can be opinionated -- " . . . he doesn't believe in random acts. He is a reader, and what he believes in is narrative construction, If a gun appears in act one, that gun had better go off by act three" (59) . . .

but also malleable, as he undertakes to raise the baby and respond to her needs: "As he is reading, he finds that he wants to make a new list of short stories for Maya. She is going to be a writer, he knows. He is not a writer, but he has thoughts about the profession, and he wants to tell her those things. . . . the longer I do this (bookselling, yes, of course, but also living if that isn't too awfully sentimental), the more I believe that this is what the point of it all is. To connect, my dear little nerd. Only connect" (246 - 47).

Each chapter in the novel begins with a blurb of reading suggestions and personal opinion, literary references and summaries of great works, background information and so forth. It turns out that this commentary, taken all together, is A. J.'s writerly legacy to Maya, a scholarly sample of his storied life.

See also

1. Complete list of literary allusions

2. Fortnightly Post: "Advancing and Receding"
& A Title Like a Book

3. Speaking of Island Books,
next up on this blog: "From Island to Island"

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4. Two more clever books about books and writers.
both by G. Neri

Tru & Nelle

Tru & Nelle: A Christmas Tale

For fans of [Nelle] Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird and Truman Capote's A Christmas Memory, or for anyone who wants to learn more about the childhood connection between these two classic American authors and how their early friendship influenced the writers that they grew up to become.

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In other reading news:
Take a look at
James Trevenio's Book Art

And this one ~ thanks Joni!

Queen of Cats

"Cathy who is queen of cats has cats and cats and cats.
Baby cats, big cats, skinny cats, sick cats. Cats asleep like little donuts.
Cats on top of the refrigerator. Cats taking a walk on the dinner table.
Her house is like cat heaven." (12 - 13)

from "Cathy Queen of Cats"
in The House on Mango Street
by Sandra Cisneros

What Pine & Fuqua
Have Been Reading This Summer!

More favorite lines from ~Mango Street~
About her apartment on Paulina Street:

Norma: "You live here -- alone?" she asks.
Sandra: "Yes."
Norma: "So -- how did you do it?"
Sandra: "I did it by doing the things I was afraid of doing so that I would no longer be afraid." (xxiii)

About writers working together on their projects:

"We do this with no capital except valuable time. We do this because the world we live in is a house on fire and the people we love are burning. . . . we had no idea what we were doing was extraordinary." (xvii - xviii, xxiv)

Such beautiful imagery:

"The sky absorbs the night quickly - quickly, dissolving into the color of a plum." (xxvi)

Black Cat Reads Book About Black Cat!

When asked to name a favorite book, I always say
The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov!

Fuqua is always ready for a good book --
especially if someone else is trying to read it!
~ Thanks to Cathleen for this photo! ~

Döstädning: Long Live the Swedish Death Cleanse!

“If you were wise enough to know that this life would consist mostly of letting go of things you wanted, then why not get good at the letting go, rather than the trying to have?"

By Miranda July (b 1974)
From her novel The First Bad Man
~ Thanks to Natasha for the reference! ~

For years I have had this Steven Wright quotation on a magnet in my kitchen but never thought to learn more about the author until my son Ben and his friend Mark took an interest a few weeks ago and filled in the gaps:

American Comedian ~ Steven Wright (b 1955)

Wright's droll observation echoes perfectly
the message of this concise and illuminating book
that my friend Katy shared with me last month:

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning:
How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter.
By Swedish artist ~ Margareta Magnusson (b. 1930s)
Döstädning: this Swedish term combines death (dö) and cleaning (städning), but not in a sad way. Magnusson explains that this kind of deep cleaning does not have to be a morbid activity but just a natural and timely life passage. For awhile you need a bunch of stuff -- then, after awhile, you don't need it anymore.

Nor is the discipline of döstädning reserved only for right before or right after death. In fact, it can -- and should -- occur in conjunction with any transition that lends itself to downsizing: spring cleanings, rummage sales, whenever you move, and so forth. Magnusson's thesis is that starting at about age sixty - five we should all begin the ultimate "Death Cleanse" for ourselves. The practical outlook of this eighty - something author is a refreshing reminder of just how smart some old people can be. No, they are not all crazy and self - centered! Magnusson urges us to face reality and assess our belongings on our own terms:

"Some people can't wrap their heads around death. And these people leave a mess after them. Did they think they were immortal? . . . Do not ever imagine that anyone will wish -- or be able -- to schedule time off to take care of what you didn't bother to take care of yourself. No matter how much they love you, don't leave this burden to them" (2, 7).

Everything you get rid of now will spare your kids having to throw it in a dumpster twenty years from now! Plus, if there's anything they should actually want, they can have it now, rather than waiting until you are dead and they are old and the stuff itself has lost its value. For example, our kids needed bookshelves now, so I was happy to consolidate and eliminate. The shelves have a new home, the public library has a stack of books for the annual sale, and I have less clutter. Win - win - win!

No sooner had I finished The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning than I passed on a copy to both my sisters because it offers such an accurate description of our recent trial by fire, alongside of our three brothers, of sorting through our parents' belongings. As my little sis concluded: donate now -- no dumpster later! We learned our lesson!

~ See Also ~

1.
Two more of my posts:
Light as a Feather & Goodbye Old Brown Furniture

2.
A Gentleman in Moscow
By American novelist Amor Towles (b 1964)

Thanks to Elizabeth Barrett for suggesting this novel
and to Robert Kurtz for sharing this passage
and to Katie Field for giving me a lovely copy
for my birthdy (24 May 2019):

"Tis a funny thing, reflected the Count as he stood ready to abandon his suite. From the earliest age, we must learn to say good-bye to friends and family. We see our parents and siblings off at the station; we visit cousins, attend schools, join the regiment; we marry, or travel abroad. It is part of the human experience that we are constantly gripping a good fellow by the shoulders and wishing him well, taking comfort from the notion that we will hear word of him soon enough.

But experience is less likely to teach us how to bid our dearest possessions adieu. And if it were to? We wouldn’t welcome the education. For eventually, we come to hold our dearest possessions more closely than we hold our friends. We carry them from place to place, often at considerable expense and inconvenience; we dust and polish their surfaces and reprimand children for playing too roughly in their vicinity—all the while, allowing memories to invest them with greater and greater importance. This armoire, we are prone to recall, is the very one in which we hid as a boy; and it was these silver candelabra that lined our table on Christmas Eve; and it was with this handkerchief that she once dried her tears, et cetera, et cetera. Until we imagine that these carefully preserved possessions might give us genuine solace in the face of a lost companion.

But, of course, a thing is just a thing."

3.
"Recipes for a Tidy and Tasty Death"
By Dwight Garner


4.
Downsizing The Family Home:
What to Save, What to Let Go
By Marni Jameson


5.
The Interrogative Mood: A Novel?
By Padgett Powell
"Do you have trouble throwing things away? If so, do you ever retrieve them after a period of anxiety over the throwing away. Is it then easier or more difficult than the first time to throw the thing away a second time? Do you have a limit for this kind of behavior? . . . Do you have any impulse to wish that everything you own could somehow without overmuch trauma be made to disappear?"