timeless - The Grapes of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

TheGrapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is one of the most powerful books i've read. It affected me on many levels, some of which i'll mention in this review. Despite having heard about this story since high school, loving the song  "The Ghost of Tom Joad" by Bruce Springsteen, and having seen the HenryFonda movie several times, this is my first reading of this novel. It has certainly earned its place in the top novels of American Literature, and, for reasons both good and bad, is a timeless story that should be read by every generation as time goes on.

The Grapes of Wrath is the elegantly told story of the Joad family, poor sharecroppers, forced from their farm in Oklahoma during the GreatDepression and Dust Bowl era, and their subsequent migration to the "promised land" of California.

Much of their journey and experiences are told in their own words, in the vernacular of the "Okies", as they were derogatorily referred to. Interspersed through the story is Steinbeck's commentary on the reasons for the sharecroppers dire situation and some of the systemic disfunction that left hard working people fighting for their very survival in a nation of wealth, abundance, and power. This is a story of desperation and hope, failure and hopelessness in the face of a financial, political, and social system in the U.S., that dehumanizes and destroys the bodies and spirits of good hard working people.

One of the levels on which this story moved me was related to my own family's history. My father and his siblings grew up during this same time period, across the state line, in the Ozarks of Missouri. Unlike the fertile river bottom farm land of the Missouri River and Mississippi River valleys in northern and eastern Missouri, the Ozark mountains are a rocky, unfriendly place to scratch out a living by farming. This was especially true in during the Great Depression. I think that one of the few ironic advantages the poor farmers of the Ozarks had over the sharecroppers of Oklahoma during the Depression was that the Ozark land was so poor that no large farming companies or banks wanted it, and therefore the farmers were not forced off. This at least saved the dirt poor farmers like my grandpa from having their land taken from them and turned into large commercial farms. In spite of being able to keep their land, my father and most of my uncles and aunts moved from the Ozarks to California during this period of history (during the 1930's). Altho the specific reasons were different, i believe the reasons were similar (economic collapse of small farming economy) and i felt like i was reading some of my own family history in this novel.

Unfortunately, the timelessness of this story is in part due to the fact that the same humiliation and dehumanization of marginalized groups in the U.S. is still going on today, and is caused by the same systemic disfunction that existed in the Depression years. Corporate and personal greed and the valuation of profits over people in the U.S. society is stronger than ever today. The timeless story of The Grapes of Wrath needs to be told today more than ever. As i think back in the history of my own family, my parents and my siblings, and the struggles they faced during the 1960's and 70's to put food on our table and clothes in our closets, i see that the hardship and struggle was in a large part due to the same systemic disfunction that existed in the Depression years. Our national priorities are political and economic power rather than the health and welfare of our citizens and immigrants. Our society is only as strong as our weakest member, not the strongest. We would be wise to learn from our mistakes, and help create a society that values all people, not just those living in privilege.

Six stars for this one!
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refired forever

"And here's a story you can hardly believe, but it's true, and it's funny and it's beautiful. There was a family of twelve and they were forced off the land. They had no car. They built a trailer out of junk and loaded it with their possessions. They pulled it to the side of 66 and waited. And pretty soon a sedan picked them up. Five of them rode in the sedan and seven in the trailer, and a dog on the trailer. They got to California in two jumps. The man who pulled them fed them. And that's true. But how can such courage be, and such faith in their own species? Very few things would teach such faith.

 The people in flight from the terror behind - strange things happen to them, some bitterly cruel and some so beautiful that the faith is refired forever."

John Steinbeck - The Grapes of Wrath - p. 122

It's the monster.

"We're sorry. It's not us. It's the monster. The bank isn't like a man."

"Yes, but the bank is only made of men."

"No, you're wrong there - quite wrong there. The bank is something else than men. It happens that every man in a bank hates what the bank does, and yet the bank does it. The bank is something more than men, I tell you. It's the monster. Men made it, but they can't control it."

John Steinbeck - The Grapes of Wrath - p.33

Gather at the River

Gather at the River: Notes from the Post-Millennial South by Hal Crowther
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is another fantastic collection of essays from Hal Crowther. Great insights, wisdom, knowledge, and views expressed in excellent writing. Mr. Crowther is becoming one of my favorite authors :)

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Wildflower

Wildflower: An Extraordinary Life and Untimely Death in Africa by Mark Seal
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is an interesting story about Joan Root and the contributions she made, with her husband Alan Root, and on her own to the cause of conservation and wildlife preservation, primarily in Africa and Kenya, but also around the world. It also chronicles her contribution to pioneering work in documentation of nature and wildlife in both motion picture and photography. Combining their excellence and passion for both film making and wildlife, they were able to be among the first to document nature as unseen by western peoples before, and to provide evidence for the tragic destruction of both wildlife and environment in Africa by business and government policy. Insight is given into the complicated, messy, and violent sociology and politics related to the environment and wildlife in Kenya, specifically around Lake Naivasha. It should serve as a warning for us, that no matter how wild and unspoiled a place may be, humankind can completely destroy it, without conscience. We have witnessed that all too often in the U.S. and North America. Joan Root paid dearly for being the conscience of nature in Kenya and Lake Naivasha.

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a hope in hell

Alan Root comments at the 1967 premier of The Enchanted Isles for the British series Survival

Q: "Are you trying to save wildlife or merely film it?"

 A: "My job is to show what is there, and not to spoil it by having a presenter for the last five minutes. If we had a film about North America before the white man came... would you want to hear an Indian chief or white man talking, or would you just want to have an hour to see what it was like?" 

"I don't think our environment has a hope in hell. I don't think mankind is smart enough to do anything about it. And Africa is going faster than anything."

from the book: Wildflower: An Extraordinary Life and Untimely Death in Africa by Mark Seal

Dr. Sagan - I miss you

The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finishing this book leaves me with a profound sense of loss realizing that Dr. Sagan is no longer with us. His voice is needed more than ever today in all areas of our society and lives. He lends such great knowledge and especially wisdom to all the subjects covered in this book. Our world would be a better place if more people had access to this book. I heartily recommend it as required reading. Spend some time learning at the feet of a true master. He was a prophet to our world, and i'm grateful he has left some of his wisdom and knowledge behind to be taken to heart.

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ps. apparently, i've set my goal too low!!!

compassionate skepticism

Timeless wisdom:

And yet, the chief deficiency I see in the skeptical movement is in its polarization: Us vs. Them - the sense that we have a monopoly on the truth; that those other people who believe in all these stupid doctrines are morons; that if you're sensible, you'll listen to us; and if not, you're beyond redemption. This is unconstructive. It does not get the message across. It condemns the skeptics to permanent minority status; whereas, a compassionate approach that from the beginning acknowledges the human roots of pseudoscience and superstition might be much more widely accepted.

If we understand this, then of course we feel the uncertainty and pain of the abductees, or those who dare not leave home without consulting their horoscopes, or those who pin their hopes on crystals from Atlantis. And such compassion for kindred spirits in a common quest also works to make science and the scientific method less off-putting, especially to the young.

 p. 300,  "The Demon-Haunted World", Carl Sagan, (c) 1996

wonderful memoir

Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this wonderful memoir of John Elder Robison's life with Asperger's syndrome. This story contains something for everyone, and i highly recommend it! It is especially interesting and inspiring to share the thoughts and feelings of Mr. Robison, and to understand a little bit more of the world as experienced by a person with autism. This is the 2nd book i've read by a person with autism, but it certainly will not be the last. I'm looking forward to reading more of Mr. Robison's books, as well as others recommended and referenced in this book. This is a wonderful story that is a delight to read. I loved this story, don't miss it!

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Strangers at My Door

Strangers at My Door: An Experiment in Radical Hospitality by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is a collection of anecdotes and meditations based on the experiences of the author in his founding and leadership role in Rutba House, a hospitality house located in the Walltown neighborhood of Durham NC. A hospitality house is a place that offers friendship, food and shelter, and most importantly, love, to anyone who knocks at the door. The personal stories of the Rutba House family are moving and inspiring, and offer a deeper perspective into my neighbors here in Durham. This book is a very worthy read, which can't help but leaving the reader asking ways they can open the door to the folks around them, and in so doing be changed for the better. The chapter "Fire in my Bones" is especially compelling and moving, and shows how little i understand of those living so close by. But the entire book opens the reader's perspective, and offers a glimpse into our brothers and sisters, and of the political and religious systems which are largely failing them. This book resonates well with the previous book i read - Five Smooth Stones by Ann Fairbairn - which gave a detailed and intimate view into the life of a young African American man and his family as he grew up in the pre-civil rights period in the U.S.

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Five Smooth Stones

Five Smooth Stones by Ann Fairbairn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow. This is one of the best books i've ever read. My wife has been telling me about it for decades and i've finally been able to experience it. Five Smooth Stones is a moving and inspiring story of African American life in the U.S. South during the early to mid 20th century. It focuses primarily on one man and his family as he grows up and evolves into a leader, championing the cause of civil rights, justice, and freedom for and with his people. The story and the characters are real, as real as any historical fiction you could read. It covers many generations and reminds me of Les Miserables in its literary style. It is wonderfully told, and takes the reader through many emotions as it unfolds. I believe that this story is so important that every American should read it. At a minimum, anyone who calls "The South" their home should read this story. We as non-African Americans need to acknowledge and confront the shame and horror of our very recent actions, and hopefully, apply the wisdom gained toward not repeating the same shameful horrors against other people groups in our community and nation (ie. LGBT). Many issues are laid bare and ugly for the reader to confront and contemplate, hopefully to grow into a better person. Six stars for this one, on my required reading list.

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Prodigal Farm!

Join me in helping fund this great project at Prodigal Farm!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/prodigalfarm/artisanal-cheese-beloved-goats-stronger-community

Happy April Fools Day - with some classic R&R!

refreshing and thought provoking!

An Experiment in Criticism by C.S.Lewis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As a reader, I found this book refreshing and thought provoking! It presented a new (to me) view of how to read, of how to receive literature. I am looking forward to re-reading this book as part of my CS Lewis book club this semester.

Below are a few excepts from the Epilogue:

"Good reading, therefore, though it is not essentially an affectional or moral or intellectual activity, has something in common with all three. In love we escape from our self into one other. In the moral sphere, every act of justice or charity involves putting ourselves in the other person's place and thus transcending our own competitive particularity. In coming to understand anything we are rejecting the facts as they are for us in favour of the facts as they are. The primary impulse of each is to maintain and aggrandize himself. The secondary impulse is to go out of the self, to correct its provincialism and heal its loneliness. In love, in virtue, in the pursuit of knowledge, and in the reception of the arts, we are doing this. Obviously this process can be described either as an enlargement or as a temporary annihilation of the self. But that is an old paradox: 'he that loseth his life shall save it'. "

"But in reading great literature I become a thousand men and yet remain myself. Like the night sky in the Greek poem, I see with myriad eyes, but it is still I who see. Here, as in worship, in love, in moral action, and in knowing, I transcend myself; and am never more myself than when I do."

C.S. Lewis - "An Experiment in Criticism" - p. 138,141

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simply overwhelming

No God But God: the Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam by Reza Aslan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Wow! This book was simply overwhelming. I was not prepared for the incredible complexity and diversity in the history of Islam. The book is well written and organized, but i still struggled to keep up with all the names, places, events, and ideas. I'd like to read more on this subject, but for now, i'll be satisfied that i have a new appreciation for all things Muslim. I especially appreciated the early history, specifically of the Prophet himself, and of his life and times.

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The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth

Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fascinating book. The sub-title is a great summary of the contents: "The Life and TImes of Jesus of Nazareth". Dr. Aslan presents a thorough, well researched, and excellent survey of the subject in an accessible and readable way. He overlays the major dimensions of the period during which the historic man we have come to know as Jesus lived. By dimensions I mean religious, sociological, political, geographical, historical, customs, etc. All these dimensions are overlaid with one another in an organized and logical manner to provide an interesting and enlightening study of much of what we know to be historically true about the man Jesus. I learned much from this book, even after being associated with "Christian" churches for much of my life. It is extremely interesting to me to see the vast number of facts about which the "church" is ignorant, or chooses to misrepresent, or to downright lie about. The dynamics of the life and death of Jesus, and the resulting groups of followers, are not as neat, tidy, and consistent as are presented in sunday school, or in so-called seminaries which take the Bible at face value, or even as literal, and ignore real history. And once again, I am fascinated at how many people who claim to be followers of Jesus don't know the critical facts about who he was and the times in which he lived. The last 100+ pages are thorough footnotes, which while not reading as easily as the main text, provide extensive references and explanation of the material in the main chapters. And unlike many authors, Dr. Aslan presents references to opposing views as well as his own. This book is a very worthwhile read if you care anything about this man who is called Jesus.


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words - beautiful and perfect

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"The Book Thief" is one of the most beautifully written stories I've ever read. Of the multitude of great books I've read, only a few merit reading and savoring every single word, every pause, every punctuation mark. This is one such book. Ironically, given the theme of the story, I don't have the words to describe the beauty of this story, and the meticulous care and love with which it was written. That such a horrible time in western history could be brought to life in such a beautiful manner fills me with awe. I feel that I have lived through both the happiness and the horrors of this place and time. Needless to say, the story is very moving emotionally, especially at the end. But from start to finish, it is filled with everything of Life, including Death, by whom the story is told. Brilliant, thoughtful, deep, and beautiful. Liesel would be very fond of the words that make this story so beautiful and perfect.

ps. love the The Book Thief Glossary

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NC Fresh Catch Winter Oyster Tour Durham event

Immigrants

some insight

The Golden Hat: Talking Back to Autism by Kate Winslet
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book provides a short account of the genesis of the Golden Hat Foundation ( http://www.goldenhatfoundation.org/ ),

"a non-profit organization dedicated to changing the way people on the autism spectrum are perceived, by shining a light on their abilities and emphasizing their great potential."

The proceeds of the sales of the book go to support the foundation.

Additionally, it provides some insight in to the challenges faced by people who communicate non-verbally due to autism, by sharing some of their first communications. The focus is primary on Keli, the son of one of the co-founders of the foundation. The additional insight is welcome and appreciated.

see also "Mother's Courage, A: Talking Back to Autism" and "The Reason I Jump".

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