2022 #40 The Heartbeat of Trees (Wohlleben)

The Heartbeat of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don't typically like the word "accessible" (at least in this context) because I think it comes loaded with bias and subtexts that don't really serve anyone, but this book does a remarkable job of blending solid research (yay! there are endnotes!), personal anecdotes, and let's say inspirational sensibility, if such a thing exists. Particularly wonderful is the way that Wohlleben tests his own cynic at times. I was prepared for a diatribe against some of the more touchy-feely assertions made by the tree-loving community, but Wohlleben's success lies in his willingness to explore all facets of an issue. He patiently explains how voltage works when it comes to touching trees, but also how our touch can impact plants through thigmomorphogenesis. Somehow the author manages to introduce a term like thigmomorphogenesis without losing his inviting tone. Part of this is because it is a story of Wholleben's learning instead of a simple narrative of what he has learned. There are a few awkward bits of English translation, particularly for English speakers in the US, but they shouldn't disrupt one's ability to appreciate this book.
Most valuable is how Wohlleben disrupts conventional/popular notions: e.g. using wood is NOT carbon-neutral. He seems to believe we all have a part to play -- forest-bathers, foresters, lumber companies alike-- and he often offers an idea of a solution (though we lack the blueprint for said solutions). A good read, and perhaps mildly frustrating as there were many times I wanted to put it down to go walk in the forest. :-)

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2022 #39 We Travel the Spaceways (Black Stars #6) - LaValle

 

We Travel the Spaceways by Victor LaValle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Of the Black Stars series, this might have been my favorite. More magical realism than sci-fi given the proportions of the story, it is easy to fall in love with "Grimace", the protagonist. There's a pretty essential "plot twist" that moves the story into a new world, and the only real regret is that we never get to see it play out. This is one story that could benefit from being the length of a novel. We don't have enough time to recover from the reveal to invest in its meaning. But that's a small criticism. This is a worthy listen, tinged with humor (both sardonic and not), and a story that will stay with me for awhile.

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2022 #38: Say What you Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication (Sofer)

 

Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication by Oren Jay Sofer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one of those books that I listened to as an audiobook but will probably get in print as it is full of useful and practical advice that I'll need to revisit (no doubt). Oren Jay Sofer grounds his work in the principles of Nonviolent Communication developed by Marshall Rosenberg. What I really appreciate about this book is how cleanly it intertwines philosophy and practice and maintains a realistic tone.

I found Chapter 4, in particular, really useful in terms of how he frames and discusses underlying beliefs and how those translate into exhibited behaviors. In Chapter 6, the discussion of empathy vs. sympathy was really eye-opening in the clear way that Sofer explains that empathy asks something of us, whereas sympathy is disconnecting from someone's pain, or could even be pity. I think a lot of people (myself included) can easily confuse the two, and empathy, frankly, requires some work. It is "three-dimensional": cognitive, affective, and somatic. He touches upon a similar topic in Chapter 13 where he focuses on sympathetic activation and what that looks (and feels like).

Sofer does understand that these techniques need to be paired with some sort of intuition. He pulls out anecdotes from his own life -- in this case a story about his grandfather and how his methodical application of questions to his grandfather got a bit lost in translation and his grandfather actually felt patronized. Sofer seems realistic that these things take practice and the ultimate goal is for organic communication. He offers exercises that can be practiced in a variety of situations, and a ton of added resources are available on his website.

There are a few extreme examples that didn't resonate as much. The story of the woman who "disarmed" an intruder using nonviolent communication principles irritated the cynic in me. Yes, certainly, I think it is always the right choice to try to communicate, if possible. But that's not always possible, and the intruder's response had a VERY high chance of being different, so I just don't find it that useful to use extreme examples as "evidence" for anything, ultimately.

Personally, the book helped me realize how often I have been a passive-aggressive communicator, and this is through the stories of everyday communication that Sofer shares. For Sofer, speaking, listening, and being in presence -- principles that Sofer outlines in the first chapter and then returns to in Chapter 12--are the key elements of the dance that is communication. I found it a helpful analogy to think of communication as a dance, and Sofer is fairly nuanced in considering contexts for those dances. Reaching mutual understanding first before heading into the problem solving phase of a conversation is one of the most potent aspects of what Sofer espouses. Sometimes we don't have the luxury of doing that, it is true, but to really let it inform a core understanding of communication might be a game-changer for some.

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2022 #37: Valley of the Shadow (Tremayne) - Sister Fidelma #6

 

Valley of the Shadow by Peter Tremayne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There is much improved character development for both Fidelma and Eadulf here (in contrast to The Subtle Serpent (Book #4)). Still, there are some issues of editing. The same EXACT sentence is used to describe a woman on two occasions: “face was slightly rounded, almost heart-shaped and not unattractive.” (P.4, then again on 33-34). If not for the big reveal at the end, this might be dismissed as just poor editing, but in light of the conclusion, it is even more aggravating.

Also tiresome is Eadulf’s hangover. The less said about that the better.

While I realize there is an attempt to make each book readable without the series chronology, there are far too many mentions of Fidelma’s status as a dálaigh qualified to the level of anruth, and all that entails. It becomes tiresome over the course of a single book.

Still, the mystery here is bold and complex. The twists and turns wind their way to the edge of our frustration, yet we continue to turn the page in the hopes that it will all make sense when our sleuth unravels the Celtic knot. There is a worthwhile subtext as well, regarding religion, that is as relevant to our current times as it was in 7th-century Ireland. Fans of Fidelma will enjoy the deep shadows and dark secrets, and can swiftly move past the bits of repetition.

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2022 #35 The Subtle Serpent (Tremayne) - Sister Fidelma #4

 

The Subtle Serpent by Peter Tremayne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Still early in the series, Peter Tremayne's The Subtle Serpent gives us a not-yet-fully developed Sister Fidelma, and a strange intermingling of Brother Eadulf. Something is definitely amiss at the Abbey of the Salmon of the Three Wells, one of which has recently hosted a beheaded corpse! The whodunit aspects stretch out a bit longer than necessary, and the twists and turns feel a bit more like loose threads, but it is a solid installment in the series. Most enjoyable is Sister Fidelma's facing off with the cantankerous (that's generous) Abbess Draigen. There are rather a lot of sisters to keep track of, and so empathy for some of the characters doesn't really have a chance to develop. As always, however, Tremayne weaves in medieval Irish history of both pagan and early Christian origins and it is well worth allowing yourself to be lured in to a land of yesteryear wherein the contexts may be old, but the motives are just as relevant today.

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2022 #34 The Searcher (French)

 

The Searcher by Tana French
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Honestly a near "4 stars" but there were several aspects that didn't sit well with me.

Cal Hooper, an ex-cop from Chicago tries to "escape" to a major fixer-upper in a remote Irish village. This is not a page-turner---the pace is very slow. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but you've got to be in it for the long haul. Roger Clark's slow drawl (most noticeable as the narrator and Cal Hooper) lulls one not to sleep, but you might need to adjust to the pace. There are some clichés -- he's divorced and has an awkward relationship with his adult daughter. That is actually important to the story, and I applaud French for not spelling it out at the end. The relationship changes and evolves and we understand why, but she doesn't hit us over the head with it.

There are various other characters who fill out the village, most importantly 13 year-old Trey, who approaches Cal (that's actually one of the slowest parts of the narrative) with a mystery to solve. Turns out that Trey too is a bit of a mystery. As is almost everyone in the village, including the effervescent neighbor Mart, who embodies the stereotypical happy-go-lucky-spend-every-night-at-the-pub Irishman. Beware false senses of security, however. French's gambit is very much "things are not what they seem" in this book.

The biggest negative for me was the actual "mystery." I found the outcome disappointing as well as the dispassionate treatment of the main event by those involved. Cal's behavior doesn't really make sense at the end, especially since there are many words given over to telling us about his "code" (including a particularly irritating bit when he talks about "morals vs. etiquette" in a way that's quite affirming of white privilege). That said, the relationship with Trey is what kept me in it. Cal does grow, and so does Trey...and French is careful never to get too maudlin. I could have used a bit more outrage on the part of Cal, however, when it comes to what befalls Trey. There's a subtext about poverty and manipulation here that didn't really resonate.

There are beautiful scenic descriptions in the book. This is my first Tana French work, and from what I've read, this is something she is known for. The book definitely does NOT disappoint on this front. From the fauna (rooks, rabbits, sheep) to the flora and everything in between, French paints with her words, and unlike some other recent reads, it never feels gratuitous. Perhaps there's a bit too much time spent in the pub (I'm just not that interested in hearing about people getting drunk), but French tucks in little details that are important, so stick with it.

The pace does make it seem more of a novel than a mystery. Not that they are mutually exclusive categories, but if you are hoping for a whodunnit-crime mystery, this book probably isn't what you want--that aspect almost recedes into the background. But definitely worth it for the scenery and character development

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2022 #33 A Small Place (Kincaid)

A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm not sure I've ever come across a voice so forthright and beautiful at the same time. Jamaica Kincaid manages to reveal the underbelly of colonization (specifically in regard to her birthplace Antigua) while writing with blurry metaphor (blurry in the sense that things seems like metaphors and also not metaphors), wry humor, and a telling of political history in an almost folk-style narrative like a parable, but in reference to specific people. She unflinchingly deals out critiques yet manages to convey a sadness at the same time:

"And it is in that strange voice, then--the voice that suggests innocence, art, lunacy--that they say these things, pausing to take breath before this monument to rottenness, that monument to rottenness, as if they were tour guides; as if, having observed the event of tourism, they have absorbed it so completely that they have made the degradation and humiliation of their daily lives into their own tourist attraction." (69)

In eighty short pages, Kincaid shares a truthful experience of a land, the likes of which few get to see or experience when caught up in the "unreal beauty" of a tourist destination. Kincaid describes beauty as a prison, and in so doing, changes our understanding of that which might deserve a deeper look beyond the blue of the ocean and the colors of the sky.

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#AroundTheWorldChallenge: Antigua & Barbuda

2022 #32 Faculty of Murder (Wright)

Faculty of Murder: Mother Paul Investigates by June Wright
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was really hoping to love this. Supposedly June Wright's "Mother Paul" was the first nun sleuth (it's a thing), and as that's a sub-genre I really enjoy, I was excited by the prospect of reading this pioneering story.

Sadly, almost every character in this book is wholly unlikeable, including Mother Paul. I'm willing to lay some blame at the feet of my own modern twenty-first century sensibilities, as opposed to those of 1960, but my quibbles would likely be the same, even if I had read it when first published. The young women at the University of Melbourne leave much to be desired, as the vast majority are whiny, fickle, mean, and/or duplicitous. Mother Paul herself is sketchy and manipulative, and seems to operate very much in the background. Miss Marple or Sister Fidelma she is not. Instead the protagonist (maybe) seems to be Elizabeth, who is perhaps the most typecast as the easily-shocked, 1960's version of a feminist who uses her wiles to make her nondescript fiancé jealous when he strings her along for too many years.

The big reveal was a bit of a let down, only because I cared so little for any of the characters that it came as a relief just to be done with it. Detective Savage is potentially the only truly likeable character, and he too must tolerate the whims of the Mother Superior.

Lucy Sussex's introduction is a worthwhile read, and contextualizes Wright's choice of a nun as her star sleuth in an important light. It is also important to note that Wright's life took a different path and she did not continue writing as many Mother Paul mysteries as she would have liked. That is a pity, because one gets the sense that Mother Paul might have developed and grown to be more than a conniving interloper.

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2022 #31 American Gods (Gaiman)

 

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This could have been so bad. It could have been full of easy to grasp metaphors and clichés. It could have been sensationalist drivel without any depth.

But it wasn't. It was a ridiculously amazing experience.

No review can adequately carry all this book has to give, but Gaiman's intercultural pantheon is something to behold. Pulling from a wide variety of traditions (Egyptian, Nordic, African, Greek, Germanic, Haitian, and more...) somehow the "fantasy" aspects become all too believable. No need to suspend disbelief, because Gaiman crafts a world where fact versus fiction really isn't all that important. Where Lucy Ricardo can be a...prophet? A taxi driver a jinn. And an ex-con (sort of) can be one of the most likeable (and quixotic) protagonists to surface in literature of the last fifty years.

Gaiman's amazing and encyclopedic cultural knowledge flows through the book with references as disparate as Saint-Saëns and The Beatles to Hieronymous Bosch. Everything is at once theatrical and ordinary, and this is the true feat. Nothing is not darkness in this land, nothing is something into which Shadow (the protagonist) can walk "with a strange fierce joy." (484).

It is a shame that Joseph Campbell died well before this book was written because Gaiman has both challenged and bolstered the idea of the monomyth. He has captured the iterative nature of myth, illuminating how it operates in our modern lives, dancing in between religion and science. And despite the depth of the book, it is full of humor and semi-sardonic tropes: "I think," said Mr. Nancy, "that wherever two men are gathered together to sell a third man a twenty-dollar violin for ten thousand dollars, he will be there in spirit." (551)

This could be a good storybook. But it can also be much more than that. Take the time to dig in---look up the characters in world mythology. Relish the double takes. Go back, read again. You won't lose the flow because there isn't any. And that, for once, is a good thing.

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2022 # 30 Clap Back (Hopkinson) - Black Stars #5

Clap Back by Nalo Hopkinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a trip--and I mean that in the best of ways and not to imply it was frivolous, either. With a touch of Garcia Marquez-style magic realism, it occupies an interesting space that does not fully occupy sci-fi or fantasy. There is a bit of fragmentation that I found frustrating in such a short narrative, but the points are clear. I liked the clear familial connection and illumination of heritage and legacy, as well as the subtly acerbic humor. A performance artist facing off against a haute nanocouture fashion designer makes for all sorts of interesting subtexts. The next logical steps are brought into the plot, but here is where I wished it had been a novel instead of one story, because it seemed too hasty a retreat from the ramifications of it all.

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2022 #29 The Good Turn (McTiernan) - Cormac Reilly #3

 

The Good Turn by Dervla McTiernan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It feels like McTiernan has found her path with this series. I enjoyed the two-location parallel storylines and delving in more deeply to Peter Fisher's character. There's a lot to like and relate to in this particular story, and I'd rather have more of Peter and Cormac's relationship development than Cormac and Emma's, frankly.

The weakest plot point for me came in the Fisher storyline. There was too long a gap between when it was obvious who the murderer was and when Peter finally got it. I was sort of hoping the gap meant I was wrong and was going to be surprised by some huge plot twist, but...alas, no.

A better balance here of character development and police procedural, and it solves/addresses some of the unanswered questions about Cormac's situation in the previous books. It speaks well of the book that it probably would stand alone ok without reading the others in the series, but is more enriching if you have! Aoife McMahon really is a very talented reader, so heartily recommend the audiobook (although as I've noted before...sometimes her male characters aren't well differentiated by voice).

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2022 #28 Peaceful Neighbor: Discovering the Countercultural Mister Rogers

 

Peaceful Neighbor: Discovering the Countercultural Mister Rogers by Michael G. Long
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Even by the author's standards, "countercultural" seems a bit of a stretch. I think a better subtitle might have been "Discovering the not-so-light-and-fluffy Fred Rogers" (I don't actually think that's a good subtitle, but my point will be made in a moment).

Fred Rogers was, by all accounts, a hugely decent human being who used his primary platform (Mister Rogers' Neighborhood) to address pressing issues in a subtle way. As someone who grew up watching the show, it did make me want to go back and rewatch episodes that are now contextualized in a different way. Michael Long does provide a mild critique, so the book is more even-handed than I expected, but readers/listeners should be aware that is very much couched in progressive Christian advocacy, in particular Chapter 4 (A Theology of Peace). Given that Fred Rogers was a Presbyterian minister, that didn't bother me, but the tone/aim of the book blurs in a few places. For the most part, however, Long is careful not to glorify the man, and reveals tensions between Betty Aberlin (who played Lady Aberlin on the show) and Rogers when the latter, for example, refused to move beyond subversive messaging about the Gulf War. His friendship and professional relationship with opera singer Francois Clemmons receives a bit more nuance and goes beyond the well-known anecdote of when the two shared a foot soak on a hot summer's day. Here's one example where "countercultural" seems excessive--while "tolerant" (and more so than many) of Clemmons' sexuality, Rogers initially criticized Clemmons for behavior that might anger the more conservative watchers of the show (namely being seen at a gay bar) and worried that he would lose the audience he was trying to impact. It is worth noting that Clemmons maintained a deep relationship with Rogers for many years, but admitted that Rogers refused to use the show to make any kind of statement in support of homosexuals, as well as refusing to have "Officer Clemmons" and Lady Aberlin (if memory serves) marry as an interracial couple. The tensions here are presented evenly without melodrama, but Clemmons' pain is palpable and understandable in the narrative.

There are also interesting stories about Rogers' activism outside of the show. His use of Daniel Striped Tiger in negotiation with Soviet adults supports Long's primary point that Rogers was fully committed to his work and the use of storytelling to promote peace. While my memories of the puppets are blurry, it was fascinating to have Lady Elaine Fairchilde--whom I remember finding reasonably unsettling--and even Queen Sara Saturday, re-contextualized as semi-feminist icons. Long notes that Queen Saturday's wedding vows, as well as her choice to keep her name (instead of taking King Friday's name) were not commonly accepted at the time.

What's really good about the book is that it manages to celebrate Rogers without glossing over his flaws, such as his relativism when it came to violence against animals (Rogers was an ardent vegetarian, but failed to speak against animals in captivity (e.g. Shamu)). One gets the sense that Rogers always tried to live toward an ideal, very much shaped by his faith and upbringing, but had trouble negotiating that with reality sometimes. It is valuable to get the longview. Mister Rogers' Neighborhood first aired in 1968, with its final episode (of 0ver 900) on August 31, 2001. Long divides the book into two parts: Part One - War and Peace in the Neighborhood and Part Two - Peace as More Than the Absence of War. Some of the chapters work better than others, but Rogers use of puppetry, narrative and music to advocate for pacifism is undeniable. The subtopics of pacifism are the main points of organization, rather than a chronological narrative, and this is mostly effective, although I did tire of hearing "when seen in context" since that seemed for me the reason to read/listen to the book in the first place. George Newbern's reading is calm, not unlike Rogers himself, but occasionally amplifies the Christian guise of the book (not a problem or surprising for a Westminster John Knox Press publication). My criticism is just that the book is MORE than "theology according to Fred Rogers" and even those outside of Christian belief systems might enjoy the text.

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2022 #27: These Alien Skies (Rwizi) - Black Stars #5

 

These Alien Skies by C.T. Rwizi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This started off a bit slowly for me, so I think I detached from some essential details at the beginning, as well as other less essential details (I didn't realize Msizi was he/him until three quarters of the way through). That said, it picked up speed and I very much enjoyed the plot twist, which opens the door for much deeper questions than could be contained in a short story. It is an interesting blend of disaster/stranded scenario, with an expansive look at technological evolution and mythologies that have deep connections to African spiritualities. I enjoyed it, but felt the flow was a bit uneven at the beginning--although I respect very much Rwizi's focus on character development through limited narration. Indya Moore's performance is solid, particularly in giving voice to Msizi's anguish, when it is finally fully revealed. As with other works in the Black Stars series, galactic Africa is a close reality, using themes of love, loss, and homeland, not to suspend our disbelief, but to speak truths if we choose to listen.

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2022 #26 Happiness: Essential Mindfulness Practices (Thich Nhat Hanh)

 

Happiness: Essential Mindfulness Practices by Thich Nhat Hanh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As this is a very practice-based book, I'm not sure it is the best choice as an audiobook if one wants to have the information as a reference (and doesn't want to take notes). That said, there are some really choice and good practices...some of them particular to group settings (and adapted from those at Plum Village) and others that are generally good philosophies to carry. I find the ecumenical ties encouraging: the "Today's Day" practice, for example, is very much akin to the "Haec dies" of Christianity (This is the day that the Lord has made), and a lot of other traditions that ask us to live fully in the present day and be glad for it.

I appreciated the acknowledgement that not everyone can "walk" (when discussing the walking meditation), but would have preferred some more robust alternatives rather than suggesting those who cannot walk "support" those who can. This has been one of my concerns about physical practice of meditation over all---it can be ableist. I appreciate the more flexible approaches advocated by Ten Percent Happier and others in terms of having a choice of "anchors"--not just the breath. That said, I appreciate that a lot of what comes from Thich Nhat Hanh is echoed with a slightly more secular undertone at TPH.

I did find myself wondering how parents find some of his recommendations for parenting, as he does not have children, of course. I'm not a parent, but some of the recommendations struck me as very idealistic and probably better suited for something like Plum Village rather than a household, but I am speculating. I also wondered if some of the peacemaking approaches might enable people to stay in an abusive relationship, because everyone "suffers". He does address this at times, but I can imagine that someone who has had their sense of self so altered by abuse might interpret this as a responsibility merely to communicate their suffering, rather than escape from it.

Edoardo Ballerini's narration is calming in and of itself, and now I feel that I cannot remove his voice from my reading and understanding of Thich Nhat Hanh--this is not a bad thing. He makes listening to this work a rather meditative experience with peaceful intentionality.

This is a good overview of meditative practices that can be incorporated into every day life: eating, walking, resting, communicating....so "Happiness" is an apt title. As with most of Thich Nhat Hanh's works, the Buddhist foundations are there as a point of reference, not dogma, so there is much here for those that are looking to embrace a mindfulness practice without a religious connection.

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2022 #25 The Visit (Adichie)

 

The Visit by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As is true of anything, this short story will land differently with different readers. Going in, however, you need to know that it is dystopic (but not by much), and definitely satirical (not funny, but satirical). I didn't read it as a condemnation of matriarchy, but I can see how the role reversal might not sit well even with those sympathetic to the message of the book. On that front, I didn't feel it did enough--it was too simple and binary. That said, I think it teases out some important issues and lays bare how much goes unsaid in our legislation and the assumptions that shape governmental power. And while the general gist might seem a bit binary, the characters are interesting and kept me engaged.

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2022 #24: Upgrade (Crouch)

Upgrade by Blake Crouch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read Crouch's Dark Matter four years ago and very much admired how the author seems to negotiate that oh-so-fine line between the "sci" and the "fi" of the genre. This was my first time listening to his work and it was a very different experience than that of reading.

I appreciate the "realistic" dystopias like this one--those that remind us this is probably NOT a far off distant future, at least in some respects. Gene modification is certainly a growing aspect of our lives, and the ravages of climate change are inevitable. Crouch digs in to the moral questions connected to our survival of a species, and not in the same old clichéd ways. As with in Dark Matter, the book is threaded with a tale of decision making, and how one person's "save humanity" is another's "lose our humanity." Everyone has their own justifications, and I think Crouch really brings that forward with his protagonist, Logan Ramsay.

Where I didn't enjoy the experience of the audiobook is the lists....there were a lot. I think reading through lists of gene names (HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee symbols) would have been less irritating than hearing them read to me. I longed for a genetic upgrade to speed up time during those passages. Perhaps those who really dig details like that feel differently, but it did nothing for me except make me feel impatient.

Still, the story shares with good spy novels the sense of never knowing who you can trust -- even the protagonist. A lot of the characters operate at Anakin-as-older-padawan level (sorry for the Star Wars reference, which is a first for me). But that's good character writing--and it turns out that messing around with our genetics doesn't really change the human capacity to straddle good and evil...well, until the Epilogue. I would have preferred just the letter of the epilogue, but Crouch spares us a totally clichéd reunion (e.g. overwrought with emotion), at least.

The book spends too much time with cat and mouse/fugitive scenarios, and then seems to remember its raison d'être in fits and starts, so the rhythm of the book in that sense is my biggest issue. I also didn't really care for Henry Levya's reading. His voice is fabulously comforting as Logan--but a bit too much. Even in scenes that warranted the character having a strong emotional response, everything felt a bit too even-keeled -- playing chess was about the same experience as coming under gunfire. Levya is a great choice, in some respects, because he does really help us understand Logan as a sort of "everyman" character--but it all starts to blend a bit a couple hours in.

All in all a worthwhile experience, and it teases out some larger questions with which we should be grappling now, not "in the future."


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2022 #23: The Prestige (Priest)

 

The Prestige by Christopher Priest
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It has been awhile since I've read/listened to a literary work that I would describe as "unique", but this warrants it. I'll put out there that I have not seen the film (nor did I know it existed until much later in my listening), and I don't really care to because the audiobook experience was so vivid and complete.

Both the narrative structure and the content are compelling. We first meet a character who at least initially, seems sort of incidental -- Andrew Westley. We know little about him except that he's adopted, a disgruntled journalist, and a recipient of a book written by one of his biological ancestors. Refreshingly, Christopher Priest does not fall on "adoptee" clichés (either positive or negative), and Westley feels he must have a twin brother out there and he wants very much to meet him. This would be a good foundation for a story, but soon we forget that it is even there...for awhile at least.

What follows is a chronicle, in epistolary style, of a feud between two magicians, and one that gives new meaning to the "sins of the fathers..." Each magician gets substantial air time to be centered as the ...protagonist? Tough call. Alfred Borden and Rupert Angier each share details of their childhoods and development of their careers as magicians, as well as their complex perspectives that inform their actions and reactions in their feud with each other. Admittedly, some of the descriptions of certain illusions contained so much detail that my attention started to drift, but the detail, particularly in the case of Angier's narrative is actually where the devil is. We shall leave it at that.

This truly was an experience--I got lost in the story and forgot why it started. Of course the book returns to where it began, with Andrew (and the Lady Katherine...Angier). Just when I felt like it was enough to bear witness to the lives of Alfred Borden and Rupert Angier, Priest throws in...not a twist per se, but takes us where we might not wanted to have gone. Simon Vance's narration is excellent-- expressing nuances of jealousy, concern, regret, and fear, spread over several characters. Ultimately it is a story about hubris and ambition, but also about love and vulnerability. And on top of all that, a good-old-fashioned mystery--not so much a "whodunnit" but more of a "whodunwhat".

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2022 #22: Japanese Farm Food (Hachisu)

 Cross-posted at the Lady of Shallots

Japanese Farm Food by Nancy Singleton Hachisu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am working my way through two Japanese cookbooks right now, both of which are filled with insight and craft (my review of Sonoko Sakai's Japanese Home Cooking: Simple Meals, Authentic Flavors coming soon!).

Nancy Singleton Hachisu's Japanese Farm Food is, as advertised, very much about farm life in Japan and the food that grows there. For that reason, it resonates more as a narrative for me than a cookbook, as many of the ingredients are specific and connected to the life of the farm. She is not as free with the substitutions as Sonoko Sakai, but there are a few (blackstrap molasses for kuromitsu, for example). To call her a purist wouldn't seem totally correct, and that's largely because of the beautiful narrative she constructs about life on the farm and learning how to acculturate in meaningful ways. In truth it is inspiring, if somewhat a bit daunting at times.

In addition to spending massive amounts of time preparing food (most of it grown on the family farm), Hachisu also runs an English-immersion pre-school/kindergarten, adorably called "Sunny-Side Up!" Her anecdotes about the children and the photographs (by Kenji Miura) of their wonderful joy are one of the best parts of the book.

Originally from Northern California (Bay Area), Hachisu describes herself as a "town girl" (182), and one gets the sense that everything is indeed relative. She advocates buying local, and one might find themselves frustrated on that front if "local" isn't Japan. As with most cookbooks, the book suffers a bit from inconsistent cross-referencing and incomplete indexing: If a recipe calls for dashi, it often includes the page reference for making the dashi. However, I'm still waiting for the cookbook that indexes ALL the recipes that use dashi (or any other distinctive ingredient to that cuisine). Sometimes the recipes are helpfully grouped together, as is the case with the kaeshi on p. 310, which is necessary for flavoring the dashi of the following recipe, "noodle dipping sauce." But these are nitpicky quibbles. Many of the recipes, particularly some of the salads and vegetable dishes, are accessible for novices, and require only basic staples such as soy sauce and miso. The majority of the dessert recipes are for ice cream (mostly adapted from Lindsey Shere's Chez Panisse recipes), and you'll want to have an ice cream maker (although the patient internet searcher can likely come up with alternative methods). I am curious to try her method for making anko (the sweetened paste made with azuki beans) since I made Sonoko Sakai's version, which was wonderful, but time-intensive.

One of the most valuable parts of the book--and here I'm considering photocopying the pages and laminating them since I suspect I shall return to them often--are the charts and glossaries in the back. The "Vegetables by method" and "Fish and Seafood by Method" charts motivate the cook to actually understand, not just follow, the recipe. It is also very useful should one have to decide based on what's available/in season.

The whole book is beautifully produced, from the lovely "matte" finish of the photography, the easy-to-read font, and the overall design. Her stories--interspersed and as prefaces to recipes--are wonderful to read, and tinged here and there with the wistful and nostalgic, but also the pragmatic sensibility of living and eating in communion with the earth. As I explore the recipes I may make a substitution here or there that Hachisu might frown upon, but I will at least try to approach my cooking with the reverence and sincerity she seems to bring to her craft.



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2022 #21: Why We Cook: Women on Food, Identity, and Connection (Gardner)

 

Why We Cook : Women on Food, Identity, and Connection by Lindsay Gardner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lindsay Gardner's whimsical-yet-substantive illustrations make this a charming book that is a pleasant mish-mosh of reflections, substantive essays, and lighter fare (inspirational quotes and magazine-type survey questions). While there are a few recipe, it isn't a cookbook--although I certainly would have appreciated an index (foods, recipes, people). The table of contents suffices, however, split into "Memorable Meals", "Kitchen Portraits", "Essays", "Home Cooks in Conversation", "Recipes" (listed by contributor, rather than dish), "Profiles" and "Contributors in Conversation." I found the "in conversation" bits to be the least engaging on the whole, although the occasional nugget of wisdom or a surprising witticism made them worth reading. Not all the "essays" carry the same weight -- Cara Mangini's list of seasonal eating choices doesn't really compare to Osayi Endolyn's "Like Paradise" that uses five paragraphs to offer an intimate, honest, and humble look at the importance of our quirky roots and spaces where cooking happens. That said, I'm glad both were included, but I would have liked a bit more sense of narrative and build across the book. The Profiles and Kitchen Portraits are where I think the book has the deepest value--illuminating and amplifying important women who have contributed much to the world of food in multiple ways.

Because the book does not have an overarching narrative, however, it is a great gift for the cooks in your life. It is easy to put down, easy to pick back up, and would be of interest for a cook who may not be an avid reader. We need more of this type of book that will amplify lesser-heard voices and appeal to a wide audience through beautiful illustrations and an approachable tone.

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2022 #20 Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education (Tobin/Behling)

Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education by Thomas J. Tobin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an engaging and informative (yes!) basic introduction to implementing the core principles of UDL (Universal Design for Learning) into higher education. What is particularly useful (and sets it apart from other books on the topic) is the "multiple paths" through the book. A useful "Suggested first-read chart" outlines the various readerships that might benefit from the book and which chapters might be most relevant, making it an excellent resource for small-group reading circles of administrators, staff, and faculty. Chapter 1 is a great primer on concepts such as learner variability, Universal Design (overall) and basic tenets of accessibility in higher education. Chapter 2 is a useful overview of some of the lawmaking surrounding accessibility, and is an important read for those who may need to make a case to administrators. The most compelling point is that the UDL framework can "reduce the need for individuals to have to ask for special treatment." The strange land that lies between accessibility and accommodations is one that is just now being more deeply explored as differences between "inclusion" and "belonging" are also being better understood.

Part 2, Reframing UDL, includes chapters on Mobile Learners and Digital Learners, but it is Chapter 5 that will resonate the most for faculty who may want to make changes but don't know where to start. The UDL framework, as fully presented by CAST, can be daunting. Tobin and Behling advocate for a "plus-one" approach that promotes a pre-emptive, responsive, and iterative process to designing assignments, syllabi, and/or assessment. This is a manageable strategy that can both temper the workload that may seem required to integrate UDL into a course, and it very well may bring skeptics on board, who might benefit from how to make "one assignment" more accessible (rather than "how to make YOUR TEACHING more accessible").

Chapter Six seems to widen the ambition, telling us that "UDL is too big to do alone," and while the point is well-taken, this would be one of those chapters that would be less useful to the skeptical faculty member. It will, however, motivate the faculty member who doesn't need to be convinced and is looking for allyship and teamwork in implementing UDL on a more curricular level. The greater point here is that UDL has the greatest impact on an institutional culture when supported across departments and at all levels.

Having prepared the reader for that concept/endeavor, Part 3 is devoted to "Adopt UDL on Your Campus" which provides solid guidance for moving from the individual "plus-one" to the institutional level. The final chapter "Engage! The UDL Life Cycle" is most useful for the condensing of information and review in a digestible format.

The book is beautifully researched and referenced, yet written in an inclusive and accessible tone. There are places that get rather heavy-laden with acronyms (other than UDL) , and while they are mostly cross-referenced, I would have loved to see more regular footnoting or parenthetical reminders of what they stand for. I was also a bit concerned when reading about the instructor who taught two sections of the same course and changed the approach to design and studying in only one of them as an experiment. Students are always subject to our pedagogical experimentation in some sense, but it didn't sit well with me to suggest that multiple sections of the same course (taught by the same instructor) should be drastically different to benefit our own learning as professors. While the data this professor received was valuable to implementing UDL more widely (and that was the point of including the anecdote), I do think we have to be careful about "experimenting" with inclusion in a way that can put others at a clear disadvantage.

The index makes it a great reference and resource, and the book is definitely one of the first I would recommend to faculty members who are interested in creating more inclusive spaces or who feel that "accommodations" are not supported. The book unapologetically subscribes to UDL as a framework, but even for those who prefer to pick-and-choose some of the ideas from UDL, it is a meaningful read. I'd also recommend that chairs, deans, VPs, provosts, and anyone in higher education read this book, especially if the institution is one that draws a strong line of demarcation between faculty and admin. Joint learning would go a long way to smoothing that divide and changing campus climate for the better.

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