Ellen reads in 2017 - Chapter 5

North Cascades National Park

Diablo Lake, North Cascades National Park

Canoeing in North Cascades National Park (Nope, that's not me; I stole it from the internet.)

My Rating Scale:

= Breathtaking. This book touched me in a way that only a perfect book can do.
= A wonderful read, among my favorites of the year.
= A great read; truly enjoyable.
= Not quite great but I'm truly glad I read this.
= A solid read, with a few things done particularly well.
= Average, and life is too short to read average works.
= A bit below average. A waste of time.
= Nearly no redeeming qualities. Really rather bad.
= Among the worst books I've ever read.

Honestly, I'm rarely going to complete any book earning fewer than two stars but I reserve the right to rate them based on my experience.

Top Reads in 2016

COMPLETED IN JANUARY 2017

1. The Association of Small Bombs by Karan Mahajan
2. Nutshell by Ian McEwan
3. Lilith's Brood** by Octavia Butler
4. A Serpent's tooth by Craig Johnson audio
5. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
6. The Mortifications by Derek Palacio
7. I Will Have Vengeance** by Maurizio De Giovanni
8. News of the World by Paulette Jiles
9. Blackballed: The Black & White Politics of Race on America's Campuses by Lawrence Ross

COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY

10. The Gustav Sonata by Rose Tremain
11. Snow Angels** by Stewart O'Nan
12. The Round House** by Louise Erdrich
13. The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America** by George Packer
14. His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet
15. Local by Brian Wood
16. The Assault by Harry Mulisch

COMPLETED IN MARCH

17. Offshore by Penelope Fitzgerald**
18. The Warden by Anthony Trollope**
19. The Lewis Man by Peter May
20. We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
21. Maisie Dobbs** by Jacqueline Winspear
22. The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron
23. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

** Off my shelves

COMPLETED IN APRIL

24. LaRose** by Louise Erdrich
25. A Fatal Grace** by Louise Penny
26. Witch Hunt (poems)** by Juliet Escoria
27. My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok**
28. I Shall Not Be Moved by Maya Angelou
29. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
30. The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks About Race** edited by Jesmyn Ward
31. AVP: Leading from the Unique Role of Associate/Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs edited by Amy Hecht
32. The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich

** Off my shelves

TENTATIVE plans for 2017

Rachel's Group Read: The Rise of Populism and Related Current Affairs

February: The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America by George Packer - COMPLETED
April: Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild - currently reading
June: Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
August: Listen, Liberal: Or, What Ever Happened to the Party of the People? by Thomas Frank
October: The Populist Explosion: How the Great Recession Transformed American and European Politics by John B. Judis
December: White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America by Nancy Isenberg

I'm also thinking I'll finally read The New Jim Crow which has been on my radar for a while.
And I have Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Y. Davis to read.

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I will host the 2017 Unregulated REREAD Challenge, for which I will reread at least four works.
Some ideas for rereads:
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
The Color Purple by Alice Walker - COMPLETED
My Name is Asher Lev by Chiam Potok - COMPLETED
Indian Killer by Sherman Alexie

American Author Challenge IV

January- Octavia Butler -- Lilith's Brood -- COMPLETED
February- Stewart O' Nan -- Snow Angels -- COMPLETED
March- William Styron -- The Confessions of Nat Turner -- COMPLETED
April- Poetry Month - Witch Hunt by Juliet Escoria -- COMPLETED
- and I Shall Not Be Moved by Maya Angelou -- COMPLETED
May- Zora Neale Hurston
June- Sherman Alexie -- I've read a lot of his work and this may be another candidate for my reread challenge, maybe Indian Killer.
July- James McBride
August- Patricia Highsmith -- The Talented Mr. Ripley and maybe Strangers on a Train and/or The Cry of the Owl
September- Short Story Month
October- Ann Patchett -- Maybe Bel Canto, which is on the TBR shelves.
November- Russell Banks -- I LOVED Cloudsplitter so maybe that will be a reread for me. Or I have Lost Memory of Skin on my shelves.
December- Ernest Hemingway -- Maybe A Moveable Feast

I have also said that I want to read, more intentionally, books by/about marginalized or oppressed peoples, diaspora, global regions that tend not to get represented in "mainstream" publishing circles. I don't have a clear picture of this yet but it is an intention that will guide my reading selections in 2017. I'm anxious to read A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz.

Three more books that I believe fit into my 2017 plans to read toward greater understanding of the political landscape (all are on my shelves):

The Possessive Investment in Whiteness: How White People Profit from Identity Politics by George Lipsitz
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama

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In April, I'm hosting the CultureCAT Challenge (gulp). My topic is Religious Diversity & Freedom.
I'm tentatively planning to read Islam: A Very Short Introduction and Judaism: A Very Short Introduction, both editions from the Oxford Very Short Introductions Series.
And maybe A History of God or The Battle for God by Karen Armstrong.
My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok - COMPLETED
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid - COMPLETED

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There are also a handful of authors by whom I have read one or two (or three) works and collected several others. I would like to dig into them in 2017, as well. They include:

Haruki Murakami -- I've read After the Quake.
William Trevor -- I've read The Story of Lucy Gault, The Hill Bachelors, and Felicia's Journey.
Mario Vargas Llosa -- I've read The War of the End of the World.
Penelope Fitzgerald -- I've now completed Offshore.

Recommendations from an excellent NPR article about fiction works that might help us better understand current events:

Jennifer Haigh's Book Recommendations:

Knockemstiff by Donald Ray Pollock
American Salvage by Bonnie Jo Campbell
Burning Bright: Stories by Ron Rash
Preparation for the Next Life by Atticus Lish
World and Town by Gish Jen

Nickolas Butler's Book Recommendations:

Sweetgirl by Travis Mulhauser
The Round House by Louise Erdrich ~ COMPLETED
The Secret Wisdom of the Earth by Christopher Scotton
Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell

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Book Riot Around the Globe in 80 Books which I may use to guide some of my reading

Tentative Louise Erdrich Reading List:

February: The Round House - COMPLETED

March (optional): LaRose - COMPLETED

April: The Master Butchers' Singing Club

June: The Birchbark House

August: The Beet Queen

October: The Bingo Palace

December: The Antelope Wife or The Painted Drum

Personal Reading Challenge: Every winner of the Booker Prize since its inception in 1969
(The touchstones won't work for this post, probably due to its length.)

1969: P. H. Newby, Something to Answer For
1970: Bernice Rubens, The Elected Member
1970: J. G. Farrell, Troubles (awarded in 2010 as the Lost Man Booker Prize)
1971: V. S. Naipaul, In a Free State
1972: John Berger, G.
1973: J. G. Farrell, The Siege of Krishnapur
1974: Nadine Gordimer, The Conservationist and Stanley Middleton, Holiday
1975: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Heat and Dust
1976: David Storey, Saville
1977: Paul Scott, Staying On
1978: Iris Murdoch, The Sea, The Sea
1979: Penelope Fitzgerald, Offshore
1980: William Golding, Rites of Passage
1981: Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children
1982: Thomas Keneally, Schindler's Ark
1983: J. M. Coetzee, Life & Times of Michael K
1984: Anita Brookner, Hotel du Lac
1985: Keri Hulme, The Bone People
1986: Kingsley Amis, The Old Devils
1987: Penelope Lively, Moon Tiger
1988: Peter Carey, Oscar and Lucinda
1989: Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day
1990: A. S. Byatt, Possession: A Romance
1991: Ben Okri, The Famished Road
1992: Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient ... and Barry Unsworth, Sacred Hunger
1993: Roddy Doyle, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
1994: James Kelman, How late it was, how late
1995: Pat Barker, The Ghost Road
1996: Graham Swift, Last Orders
1997: Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things
1998: Ian McEwan, Amsterdam
1999: J. M. Coetzee, Disgrace
2000: Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin
2001: Peter Carey, True History of the Kelly Gang
2002: Yann Martel, Life of Pi
2003: DBC Pierre, Vernon God Little
2004: Alan Hollinghurst, The Line of Beauty
2005: John Banville, The Sea
2006: Kiran Desai, The Inheritance of Loss
2007: Anne Enright, The Gathering
2008: Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger
2009: Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall
2010: Howard Jacobson, The Finkler Question
2011: Julian Barnes, The Sense of an Ending
2012: Hilary Mantel, Bring Up the Bodies
2013: Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries
2014: Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North
2015: Marlon James, A Brief History of Seven Killings
2016: Paul Beatty, The Sellout

Currently reading:



Currently listening:

Visitors welcome!

Beautiful topper. Happy new one, Ellen.

Stunning. Wish I was on that canoe! Happy new thread.

Happy new one, Ellen!

Happy New Thread, Ellen! Love those toppers. Your 2016 top reads, too - I share a number of them.

Happy New Thread, Ellen! Beautiful pictures, I want to step right in them.

Lovely photos at the top Ellen.

Happy new thread, Ellen! Wonderful toppers.

Happy new thread, Ellen. Hope your week is going well.

The Cascades look beautiful, Ellen.

Happy new thread. xx

Love the National Parks toppers, Ellen. Happy new thread. I'm thinking my April Erdrich might be The Painted Drum; it's one I haven't read. I also want to read her revised version of The Antelope Wife, so I could read that with you in December. I also want to reread The Bingo Palace and read The Birchbark House, so I will save those for the months you've selected. I also have Books and Islands in Ojibwe Country here. Lots of good choices.

Happy Tuesday.

Happy New Thread, Ellen. LOVE the Cascade toppers. Gorgeous. Hope the week is off to a good start.

I need to re-read Love Medicine. Maybe I can do that soonish, and join you for The Beet Queen and The Bingo Palace.

Happy new thread. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the toppers!! 50 pages left in LaRose! Work is getting in my way. LOL

Happy new thread, Ellen!

Happy new thread!

North Cascades highway is one of the most beautiful drives I've ever done! I had a car with a "sun roof" and having it open so I could look up, priceless!

I'm still nursing a dog who will not stop having digestive problems. I guess I need to take her in for a ultrasound so we can see if there's something in there causing all this havoc. Sigh.

Howdy!

I picked up five new (to me) poetry collections, inspired by Mark's AAC.

Gwendolyn Brooks: Selected Poems by Gwendolyn Brooks
The Trouble with Poetry by Billy Collins
A Change of World: Poems by Adrienne Rich
Wislawa Szymborska: Poems New and Collected by Wislawa Szymborska
Dog Songs by Mary Oliver

I don't know that I'll get to all of them this month but I'll have fun trying!

25. A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny




This was a solid read, good for a break in between more serious works. Penny's mystery novels are an odd blend of cozy and callous. Three Pines is a near-Utopian village in Quebec with every quaint amenity you can imagine, including a sweet bookstore and a wonderful diner that serves flaky croissants. But the characters are not Jessica Fletcher from Murder, She Wrote; each has a dark side and Penny exploits them to build suspense and develop complexity. Chief Inspector Gamache is a good guy with a ghost or two in his closet. The intersecting mysteries were interesting; I guessed most of the solution(s) correctly although Ms. Penny succeeded in throwing me off the trail near the end.

Currently reading:

and

I started both of these last night. Two good reads so far!

Thanks for your visits to my new thread, Barbara (first!), Charlotte, Katie, Joe, Lynda, Caroline, Jenny, Meg, and Paul!

>25 BLBera: Beth, the options for a year-long binge read of Louise Erdrich's works are vast. I've got the copy of The Master Butcher's Singing Club that you sent me so I will read that one this month.
I wonder if I could sneak The Painted Drum in, too.... Ha. In any case, I'm glad you're planning to join me for the ones that fit your year's plans.

>26 msf59: Hi Mark. So far my week is off to a busy but good start. This morning I was on the verge of picking a fight with a colleague (okay, not really but I did want to tell her to Chill. Out.) but then a small group of students did a presentation at our directors' meeting and they were so awesome. It was an immediate pick-me-up!

>27 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, I re-read Love Medicine late last year and it influenced my decision to do my mini-binge of her works this year. I would love to have your company for The Beet Queen (which will also be a re-read for me) and The Bingo Palace.

>28 Berly: Enjoy those last 50 pages of LaRose, Kim! "Work is getting in my way." Oh, don't I totally get that. I tell ya, we have got to win that darn lottery so we can retire early!

>29 scaifea: >30 drneutron: and >32 luvamystery65: Thanks for the thread greetings, Amber, Jim, and Roberta!

>31 maggie1944: Hi Karen. That North Cascades Highway is one of my all-time great road trips, too. I remember parking near Diablo Lake and walking over to look at it. It looked just like the photo in >2 EBT1002:!! I know people will think that is an enhanced photo (and maybe the photographer did use a filter to best capture the light) but it really is that color!

I'm SO sorry to hear that Greta is still having tummy problems! And sorry that you have to go the ultrasound route, but it certainly seems like it would be good to figure out what is causing the problem. Give her a scritch behind the ears for me.

It looks like I missed a whole thread of yours while I was off for spring break and my vacation to Berlin. I hope to keep up with you now that I am back and caught up at work.

I am also reading Strangers in Their Own Land my progress will be slow because I am also reading a Haruki Murakami book Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World. Both of these books take some concentration.

Our faculty discussion of Weapons of Math Destruction is going well. We will have another discussion tomorrow and I expect it will be as lively as the previous one.

I stop by to congratulate you on your off the shelf reading, at least two a month from your own stocks! Admirable.
I am a magpie reader and often have my lofty plans to read off the shelf, but then a book (any one will do, from any source) will catch my eye and that is it for my plans. We have of course discussed this before ;)

>35 EBT1002: My Name is Asher Lev is my absolute and utter favourite book of all time. I hope you like it. It even held up as a reread a few years back. In fact, I should try another Chaim Potok book for a reread for your challenge, I think he is a genius.

>33 EBT1002: Nice poetry stack, Ellen. I will watch for your thoughts on these titles. I am working through a healthy stack too. I think you would really like Incendiary Art. Joe is a big fan of her work too.

I WANT to find a copy of Strangers in Their Own Land. That one sounds really good.

Great poetry selection, Ellen. I look forward to your comments. I need to dive into my stack. I have an unread Oliver around.

Oh I love Billy Collins and Mary Oliver (especially Dog Songs) - enjoy!

And, as usual, your thread toppers are beautiful!

>You're doing some great reading over here, Ellen! I'm looking forward to your thoughts on Strangers in Their Own Land. I tried Hillbilly Elegy a couple of weeks ago and could not get through the first chapter. I don't think I'm in the right headspace for it right now.

>40 LovingLit: Megan, have you read the sequel, The Gift of Asher Lev? It is not quite as transcendent as the first, but I found it to be a satisfying continuation of Asher's story.

Hi, Ellen! I'm grateful for your comment on the color saturation of the header pictures. I was wondering if that was really the way it looked.

I finished Master Butchers Singing Club and posted notes after the f2f reading group meetup. I don't think there are any spoilers, but you might want to skip it until you have formed your own opinions, which I would love to hear.

I also started reading this poetry collection last night (see below). Mark included this in a book share a few months ago and I remembered that I had been saving it for this month. So far I have liked some of the poems but not others. I guess that is to be expected....



Witch Hunt by Juliet Escoria

>39 benitastrnad: I hope your trip to Berlin was memorable and wonderful, Benita!

I have barely started Strangers in Their Own Land and I expect it will take me a while to read. I have several books waiting at the library and just so many other things going right now....

I'll be interested in how the ongoing discussion of Weapons of Math Destruction goes.

>40 LovingLit: Megan, thanks for pointing out the 2-books-per-month off the shelves pace. I was determined to read more from my shelves this year but I hadn't really tracked how it has been going. I would like to say that this success is reducing the number of books on the shelves but I am still purchasing regularly.

"My Name is Asher Lev is my absolute and utter favourite book of all time." Wow. That is an impressive recommendation. I'm enjoying it so far; it is richly layered.

>41 msf59: Hi Mark! I'm feeling inspired to read poetry this month. :-)
It was fun browsing through the poetry section of the U Bookstore and just choosing what I wanted.

I downloaded Strangers in Their Own Land onto my Kindle. Which presumably means I will read it at night after P has turned out her light, so as not to disturb her sleep (I always sit up reading later than she does). But last night I just kept the light on and read My Name is Asher Lev.

>42 BLBera: This is the tallest stack of poetry books I've ever owned, Beth!

>43 Copperskye: Hi Joanne. I'm glad to hear the recommendations for Mary Oliver and especially Billy Collins, whose works I have not really read before. I just chose them because they looked appealing on the shelf in the bookstore.

And I'm glad you enjoyed my thread-toppers. I'm just sticking with my national parks theme for the year (with a nod to Mark and a nod to Terry Tempest Williams).

>44 rosalita: Thanks Julia. I feel like I'm off to a good start for the month of April. As I told Benita above, I have barely started Strangers in Their Own Land. I'm determined to read it but can resonate right now with your comment about perhaps not being in the right head space for it. So, with no self- or other-imposed deadline, I will persist.

"Transcendent" is a great word to describe My Name is Asher Lev so far.

>45 ffortsa: Diablo Lake is really that color, Judy. It's one of the more beautiful lakes I have had the pleasure of seeing. I assume it's partially glacier-fed. Lake Louise in British Columbia is about that color, too.

I will hold off on reading your comments about Master Butcher's Singing Club but I do wonder what your general assessment was: good? great? meh?

By the way, that cover image in >46 EBT1002: is one I uploaded. It's the first time I ever uploaded a cover image for a book!
My humble contribution to LibraryThing..... :-)

>50 EBT1002: - I thought I had already commented on your gorgeous toppers, Ellen, but I see I haven't. I meant to! Just fyi, Lake Louise is in Alberta, near Banff, not British Columbia. I have been there and it is also stunning.

>52 jessibud2: You know, Shelley, I wondered as I wrote that.... I have been to Lake Louise -- my partner and I went on a fabulous camping trip to Banff and Jasper about a decade ago. After some camping we were in a cabin outside Jasper. My favorite memory is going for a morning run around that picturesque town and returning to find a herd of Elk blocking my entrance to the cabin area. I stood there and stood there, thinking "these guys are standing between me and my breakfast!" but too intimidated (and certainly too wise) to approach them. I finally got through when the housekeeping staff arrived in a van and let me ride with them for the 50 yards or so required to get me past the gorgeous animals.

Anyway, I remember now that we were in Alberta, not B.C. :-)



Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada

>50 EBT1002: I'd say 'good' but not 'great'. It's not a hard read at all, very engaging stories, but perhaps a little lacking in layers.

I left a little note at the bottom of my thread having to do with Greta's health. If you have time, stop by. I'll keep it updated as best as I can.

>53 EBT1002: Great elk story. LOL. I finished LaRose. Maybe we can talk this weekend? Out Saturday night to celebrate our anniversary. Sunday? : )

I'm making a list of places to visit! Lovely photos, Ellen.

Happy Friday. I hope you have a relaxing weekend planned.

So many gorgeous places to see and only one lifetime to do it! (I feel that same way about books and most other things).

I must visit Lake Louise.

Last night we finished watching the excellent PBS show about the Brontë sisters. It was SO good. And it made me want to re-read Jane Eyre and read, for the first time, Wuthering Heights ( I may have once read this but I don't recall) or some of Emily's poetry, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and/or Agnes Grey.

>54 ffortsa: Thanks, Judy. I will go into it with moderate expectations (which can then always be exceeded but I'd rather that occur than the other way around).

>55 maggie1944: On my way over, Karen. And worrying about her (and you).

>56 Berly: I'd love to chat about LaRose on Sunday. Let me check the calendar. I think we have a meeting 4-6pm. And I need my morning run. :-)

>57 BLBera: You will need to come back to this part of the world, Beth! :-D

>58 streamsong: I'm with you, Janet. So many delights in the world -- lovely places, wonderful books, engaging people -- and we just have to fit in as much as we can with the time we're allocated. It's a bittersweet truth, I think. I certainly recommend a visit to Lake Louise.

Ellen - My nephew in Eugene is graduating in June, so who knows? I am definitely up for another trip to the Northwest - and Powell's!

>61 BLBera: You NEED to attend his graduation!!!

>60 EBT1002: Greta seems to be subdued but not in pain, and is eating a little bit at a time. Meds given by the vets seem to be helping a little bit. I'm the one who is kind of a mess. Depressed.

Congratulations on thread #5, Ellen and wishing you a lovely weekend.

>63 maggie1944: Holding you in my thoughts, Karen. I might text you this weekend, see if you feel like chatting. Totally fine to say no, or let me know what you need.

>64 lkernagh: Thanks Lori. Now if I could get around to those two (three?) overdue book "reviews"....

Happy Friday, Ellen! Hooray for goldfinch! I am enjoying Americanah, in the early going and I am having a good time with Ill Will, with no idea where it is headed. Chaon is a fine writer.

The Cubs game starts in an hour. I WILL be watching, beer in hand.

I seriously love the pictures up top!

>34 EBT1002: I just finished A Fatal Grace today and am now on to The Cruellest Month. I am trying to catch up on the series before her new book comes out later this year.

26. Witch Hunt (poems) by Juliet Escoria




My rating may be a bit harsh but this collection of bold, angry, and scorching poems failed to spark any emotional reaction in me other than occasional distaste. Escoria's voice is unvarying and her subjects are few: unhealthy relationships, unhealthy drug and alcohol use, and unhealthy sense of self. I do respect the poet's effort to unmask the truth, to speak without reservation for social niceties or others' feelings. And I understand that poetry tends to emerge from angst but this was just too much.

Here is a mild example:

Today's Tarot Spread

I do not know your fate but
I am certain it does not involve
loving me.
Just wanted to let you know.
Figured it might make you happy.
Maybe not now but
in the long run.

And another:

I Call Bullshit

The thing about drunk driving
is you're not supposed to
talk about how fun it is.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

With gratitude for Mark's generosity, regardless.

>66 msf59: I hope the Cubs are off to a better start than the Mariners, Mark. I think our guys are now 1-4. Ugh.

>67 alcottacre: I will need to read The Cruellest Month before too long, Stasia! I let too much time lapse between the first and second in the series and too many details had escaped my memory. I'm glad you like my thread toppers.

Just wanted to say "Hello," Ellen! Feels like I haven't de-lurked in a while....

22. The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron




"Though it is a painful fact that most Negroes are hopelessly docile, many of them are filled with fury, and the unctuous coating of flattery which surrounds and encases that fury is but a form of self-preservation."

"Not since the day years before when I was first sold had I felt such rage, intolerable rage, rage that echoed a memory of Isham's fury as he howled at Moore, rage that was a culmination of all the raw buried anguish and frustration growing inside me since the faraway dusk of childhood, on a murmuring veranda, when I first understood that I was a slave and a slave forever."

This controversial novel is the fictionalized story of Nat Turner, a slave who led a rebellion in southeast Virginia in 1831. Though ultimately unsuccessful, this is apparently the most sustained slave revolt, at least as documented. Styron's novel starts in a jail near the eve of Turner's anticipated execution as he is being interviewed by his defense attorney who is depicted as trying to understand one particular fact of the rebellion: that Turner's own hands murdered but one of the several victims, that he left most of the murdering to his compatriots. The narrative gradually shifts to an uninterrupted first-person telling of Nat's life as a slave, his experiences at the hands of a variety of owners, and the impact of his intelligence and the willingness of one owner to teach him to read.

Published to much critical praise in 1967, the novel quickly came under fire from the African American community, in particular, for (in Styron's words in my edition's afterword) "...having unwittingly created one of the first politically incorrect texts of our time." He decided to tackle the story, one that provided a benefit for a novelist: an intriguing historical event about which we know very little. Styron says he held fast to what seems incontrovertible, that Nat Turner was a brilliant madman with a delusional and grandiose sense of his place in God's universe. Then he took broad liberties with Turner's childhood and young adulthood, creating a historical narrative that was inconsistent with time and place (the kind of plantation on which Styron placed Nat simply did not exist in that region). Anyway, his novel came under tremendous criticism and, according to him, it became essentially novel-non-grata in college literature classes all across the country while the critical essays regarding the novel were widely read.

Essentially, Styron was tagged as racist. I can't argue one way or the other on this. As I read the novel, I was aware that a white man was writing about an experience, perhaps the ultimate American experience of abasement, degradation, and oppression, with which he could probably not really empathize. He was writing from the distance not only of time but the distance of history; had he been born in America in a different century, he would not have been enslaved. I was also aware that his novel was falling short of communicating the despair, rage, helplessness, terror, and numbness that must have lived within the souls of the Black men and women held in chains in our country's early existence. Who could ever capture what it may or must or could have felt like? I know that I can't, truly can not imagine. It is beyond my privileged capacity. And perhaps it is beyond the capacity of anyone living just far enough away from it. Reading first-person accounts of slaves themselves is the only way to truly hear their stories.

And perhaps it is because of my privileged location in our society that I can say this: setting aside those inevitable failings, the novel was brilliant. Styron's Nat Turner is a character who emerges richly from the pages. He is cold and distant as he tells his story but he evokes compassion and warmth. Perhaps one can only tell a story like this by adopting a voice as close to a reporter as possible; "I'm just telling you this story." When he describes his rage, it is not much different than when he describes the heat and the mosquitoes in the fields in which he worked or the bland food on which he usually survived. But somehow it all comes together into a compelling story and one which has stuck with me over the weeks since I finished reading it.

>68 EBT1002: Ummm... I call bullshit on the second poem. Not my cuppa. Sorry, but thanks for saving me from reading it!! : /

23. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles




Honestly, I thought I had already written comments about this delightful, charming novel but I can't find any in my prior thread.

Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov is put under house arrest at a grand hotel in Moscow in 1922. This is the story of his life therein. The Count's life is peopled with a variety of engaging characters, exquisite wine and food, and all the usual travails of love and attachment. His heart is large, his capacity for joy and heartbreak consistent with his poet's soul. The story is wonderful. The writing is exceptional! I kept stopping to reread a sentence or two, relishing Towles' remarkable gift for putting a set of words together perfectly. This isn't stuffy, flowery prose. It is the finest application of the craft of writing. If I could give A Gentleman in Moscow more than five stars, I would not hesitate to do so.

>70 katiekrug: Katie! So good to see you! I need to go delurk on your thread, too.... I hope you are doing well.

>72 Berly: Happy to take one for the team, Kim. I feel kind of badly about my rating because Mark sent the collection to me along with another book that I knew he was sending me. This one was "extra." But he didn't love it either, so I know it's okay.

Ellen - Wonderful comments on both Nat Turner and A Gentleman in Moscow. And thanks for saving me from Witch Hunt; I think we shared reading of a horrible book of poems last year -- an ER book, remember. I've been wary about picking up books of poetry that have not been recommended to me since then.

I will try to get to A Gentleman in Moscow this month.

24. LaRose by Louise Erdrich




"The mission teachers believed that educating women in the art of strictly keeping house and disciplining children was essential to eliminating savagery. A wedge should be placed between an Indian mother and daughter. New ways would eliminate all primitive teaching. But they hadn't understood the power of sunlight on a woman's throat."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"They spoke in both languages.

We love you, don't cry.
Sorrow eats time.
Be patient.
Time eats sorrow."

When Landreaux Iron accidentally shoots and kills the five-year-old son of his neighbor, an agreement is struck between the two families: the five-year-old son of Landreaux and Emmaline, LaRose, will go live with Peter and Maggie to fill the void left by the slain boy. Tapping into an ancient tradition and a deep well of intergenerational grief, this transaction leads both families into a web of healing and heartbreak. This one started a bit slowly for me but ended up being one of my favorite Erdrich novels (so far). It's beautifully written, both contemporary and ancient in its imagery and themes.

>75 BLBera: I have other poetry I plan to read this month, Beth, about which I am feeling much more optimistic!

Okay, I think I am now all caught up on reviews/comments about books I have read.

This morning I had to be on campus at 8am for a "Breakfast with Leaders" for Parent & Family Weekend. Then I worked for a couple of hours, then came home. P and I went to a favorite nursery up in Ballard to look at possible plants for our still-being-envisioned remodeled front yard. We want to dig up much of the grass and put in native plants, mostly evergreen, some flowering, and hopefully all low-maintenance.

Oh, and I have moved on to step three of the four-step process for that job I'm not telling anyone about. I have been invited for an "airport interview." Surreal.

Hi Ellen - You have been reading up a storm. I'm glad you loved LaRose; I liked The Round House much more. What did you think of the Father Travis turn of events? I didn't buy it.

You can't lose with Mary Oliver or Billy Collins. The Trouble with Poetry may be one of my favorite volumes of his.

We were posting at the same time. Good luck with your that which shall not be named.

Ooh, what's an "airport interview"?

>71 EBT1002: Thoroughly enjoyed your review of The Confessions of Nat Turner, Ellen and the two of us wrote our respective reviews within a few hours of each other and reached, I think, similar conclusions.

I think the racist charges are unwarranted and I say so not from an inherent fount of knowledge on the subject but on the fact that Styron was defended stoutly by James Baldwin who knew more than a little on the subject and I will accept and defer to the superiority of his knowledge.

Have a wonderful weekend.

>79 BLBera: Oh, I had forgotten (and perhaps dismissed) the Father Travis turn of events. That was weird, now that you mention it, and seemed out of place in the whole novel.

>80 BLBera: Thank you. :-)

>81 katiekrug: They fly me into a nearby city (and since I'm out here and they are out there, they fly me across the country) for a 75-minute interview at a business hotel near the airport. Kinda crazy but it gives them a better sense of whether they want to bring me out for what would probably be a 2-day campus visit with many interviews and a presentation and such. Usually they do airport interviews with 8 or 10 or 12 people and then bring 3 (plus or minus 1) people to campus for the full-on (and no longer confidential) visits.

>82 PaulCranswick: Your thread is on my list for Saturday night visiting, Paul, so I will look forward to your comments about Confessions of Nat Turner. I found it interesting that Baldwin apparently told Styron he would run into trouble with the novel, right about the same time that Baldwin was himself taking some heat. In my opinion, Baldwin's defense of Styron doesn't, all by itself, absolve him of the critics' charges, although it carries some significant weight given how much respect I have for JB. Ultimately, I think Styron's intentions were good. And good intentions, all by themselves, don't absolve any of us of ill impact, either. I think Styron tread knowingly into treacherous authorial waters and did a pretty good job of managing the dangers. He might have headed off some of the hullabaloo with an introduction that acknowledge the leap of understanding he was making.

>68 EBT1002: ah well, you can't winnem all ;)

I guess you can't really talk about how fun drunk driving is, even in poetry!!

>73 EBT1002: oooh, I'm tempted!! But I just ordered a book today on a whim, for full price as well/ (yikes). So I can't add any more books to my teetering tower ;) I can't remember the name of it though! It is a memoir by a woman who experienced chronic pain after an accident.
Eta: It is called A Body, Undone by Christina Crosby

>78 EBT1002:, >83 EBT1002: wow, that airport interview is so James Bond. Too bad they aren't giving you a jetpack. Good luck!

Does "Breakfast with Leaders" mean "Breakfast with Parents who Gave us Lots of Money"? My husband worked in non-profit development for many years, I picked up some of the lingo, and this struck me as an example.

Hope you're having a great weekend, Ellen!

I'm caught up with your thread. I reluctantly wish you good luck with the interview, as I sit here wishing you did not have an opportunity to leave the Pac NW, and our little struggling book group; but, of course, I do wish for the very best outcome for you and P. Exciting!

>83 EBT1002: Thanks, Ellen. I agree, it didn't fit with his character in THe Round House.

Wow, Ellen, you've got tons of excellent reading going on here! Great reviews - thanks!

And fingers crossed that the airport interview goes just the way it should for you, whichever way that may be.

>85 LovingLit: Just add A Gentleman in Moscow to your wish list, Megan. A copy will come available and truly it is a magnificent read.

>86 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. The airport interview works best if you're relatively local, or at least in the same time zone. We'll see how it goes. I hope I get to ask some questions during the 75 minutes!

LOL -- actually, I'm one of the "leaders" in "Breakfast with Leaders." It's an opportunity for parents and families (and their students) to interact with deans, directors, AVPs (like me), and other "leaders" involved in their student's education. A couple members of our Board of Regents were there, too.

Today it is sunny and lovely so I plan to go for a run, do some yard in our p-patch, and perhaps finish reading My Name is Asher Lev. I stayed up late last night reading it. SO good!

>87 maggie1944: Thanks, Karen. I'm not yet convinced that I want to leave the pacific northwest. In fact, much of me is clear that I do not want to do that. But this job, the job itself, is so interesting to me. I am working hard to be mindful and exercising the part of my brain that answers the question "what do I want?" Honestly, it's not a part of the brain I'm very good at attending to. I'm better at answering the question "what do those who are important to me want?"

I've been thinking about you a lot this weekend, my friend.

>88 BLBera: Okay, see, this is what I'm not good at. Remembering details and mentally carrying secondary characters from one novel to another. I need to go back and find a passage or two involving him in The Round House.

>89 scaifea: Thanks, Amber. Honestly, I have no idea which way would be the best way in terms of the interview. I am wanting to explore this possibility and I need to learn more about the area. I'm kind of hoping they'll work with me to enable me to stay an extra night (on my dime) so I can rent a car and drive around, see the place. It may be premature, but I want to be respectful of their time and money, and my time and energy, that if I get to the final level and engage in a full-on interview, I'm at least certain that I might say yes if they offer the job to me. I feel that way now, but there is so much that is unknown to me.

Time for my Sunday morning run, the best antidote to anxiety.

>93 EBT1002: Well, I have an advantage, Ellen. I've read The Round House about ten times; I've been teaching it. I don't remember the details of LaRose. Father Travis was injured in Beirut in a bombing. He also chased Cappy through the reservation in an historic run, and one of the funnier moments of the novel.

Good luck with the interview. I know you'll figure things out.

>91 EBT1002: Glad someone else asked the question. I wondered about that too! Good luck with the process. Hope you get a chance to decide if you like them and the opportunity.

I don't fancy the poetry or Nat Turner, but enjoyed reading your comments. Your & P's plans for the garden sound lovely. My neighbour has decided to offer me lots of her extras, but I'm running out of space myself - I think some new pots are called for!

I started working in my little garden, but am thinking that next weekend will be my big weekend for getting my pots ready. I am looking for some tall canna's to help shield my big front window from the sun, so will have to do some shopping to find what I am looking for.

>95 BLBera: I think I need to reread The Round House, Beth. I kept it because I loved it so much. And thank you for the encouragement about figuring things out. Indeed I will, one way or another. It's an interesting process to be engaging in. I'm lucky to be in the space of exploring rather than feeling desperate to make a change. As you all know, I love my current job and I love my city. But with 10-12 years left in my career, it's intriguing to consider how (and where) I might spend the next decade. I imagine we would likely retire back in this region.

>96 charl08: Hi Charlotte and thanks for the kind words.
Managing a small garden is a tricky thing. Like you, we always want more plants. We would love to have tons of space but we live in an urban neighborhood. And, really, having a small yard also helps minimize the amount of work it takes to maintain it!

>97 benitastrnad: Hi Benita! After my run this morning, I spent about two hours in the garden, mostly trying to get the choke-weed out before it can get going too enthusiastically this year. I crawled around on my hands and knees and dug and dug. Now I'm pooped. Time to sit and read a bit.

>73 EBT1002: I really need to read that one!

>76 EBT1002: I am glad to see that you enjoyed that one more than I did.

Hi Ellen! Good luck on the "airport" interview, but I think you should say in the Pacific NW.

>99 alcottacre: "I really need to read that one!" Yes, you do. Virtually everyone needs to read A Gentleman in Moscow.

>100 banjo123: *chuckles* Thanks, Rhonda. I just bought season tickets for the ACT Theater in downtown Seattle so some part of me must be assuming I'll be here past July....

When is the airport interview, Ellen? And knowing Central NY, I'm thinking it'll be in Rochester or Syracuse, maybe? (You don't have to reveal that level of detail if you don't want! I'm just having fun trying to figure out what school... Public or private? Heh. Ok, I'll stop.)

:D

>102 katiekrug: The college is not in Syracuse but the airport interview will be. April 21 or 22.

Private.

:-)

I guess I must eventually read A Gentleman in Moscow , as it has gotten so much buzz on LT! As for the Bailey's shortlist, some of the books don't appeal to me, and other are not yet available in Canada and won't be until the summer! I've got Stay With Me in the mail from the UK as it is not at my library, nor available in Canada. Dark Circle is waiting in the wings, also ordered from the UK, but then the Gustav Sonata came in from the library , as well as Hillbilly Elegy. I seem to be reading at the pace of a snail, but I'm enjoying my reading.

How exciting - the airport interview! Best wishes - and best wishes deciding what you might like to do.

"Virtually everyone needs to read A Gentleman in Moscow." Now, that is a dominant warbler, if I ever heard one. B.A.G.

Happy Sunday, Ellen. Hope you had a good weekend. I had a busy day, so I am trying to catch up on a bit of reading.

Delurking to say I've been by on most days, just no much to contribute. Rooting for you at the interview, even if the results do lead to difficult decisions.

I think I missed where you first mentioned the interview but adding my good luck charms to you. Fingers crossed for it to go whichever way you want it to! ;-)

Wow, things are hopping in your world, Ellen. How exciting that you get to travel across the country for a 75-minute interview. Huh. No worries, if anyone asks me, I know nothing about it! But I do wish you luck and the outcome that is best for you and P. As you said, you can always return to the Pacific NW in retirement.

I love your enthusiasm for Louise Erdrich. I've read most everything she's written (17 books and counting) except for the children's books, and I even read one of them! I love how intertwined her stories can be. I plan to start reading them this month or next. I will probably start with Tracks which she published in 1988. As near as I could figure out, the story takes place between 1912 and 1924 which puts it first in chronological order. I only looked at the first ten or so books she wrote. Now I'm wondering where The Plague of Doves fits in as I seem to recall it goes back to an even earlier time. More research is needed… I'm so glad Google is my friend!

The airport interview is an interesting thing, never heard of that one before! Mostly we've had them do Skype interviews to narrow things down before getting to campus visits. I agree that it all sounds very espionage-like! :)

Hi, Ellen!! Finally catching up a little on LT. Wishing you best of luck on the airport interview, even though I DO NOT want you to leave my coast. : )

I loved LaRose and we'll get around to discussing it sometime. Would love a lunch chat and the sooner the better before I forget who everyone is!! Do you have the challenge up yet? You know... the one you talked me into at Powell's. LOL I don't know where to find it and I thought it was for April...let me know.

Found it! April CultureCAT: Religious Diversity & Freedom. I plan on reading Why Science Does Not Disprove God.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/252664#

>91 EBT1002: ah ... thanks for defining "leader" for me, Ellen! I should have taken it literally vs. as a euphemism, eh ?

>92 EBT1002: I'm not yet convinced that I want to leave the pacific northwest.
I was wondering about that, and I like the idea you mentioned in >93 EBT1002: of staying an extra day if you can. It seems appropriate to conduct more "due diligence" yourself before moving to the next step in the process.

>101 EBT1002: I put A Gentleman in Moscow on hold at my local library, but someone has it checked out so it will have to wait for a bit :)

Happy Monday, Ellen!

Hi, Ellen.

>68 EBT1002: Oof. No, thanks.

>71 EBT1002: Excellent and fair review of Nat Turner. I thought it was brilliant, too. The criticism is to me a bit perplexing - surely most books have failings of some sort. Imagine some guy writing about the Underground Railroad as if it were a real railroad, with trains. (Subtle humor from me, great book). But it's a sensitive area. I'm glad people continue to read and appreciate the book. I still think about it, all these years later.

Off to thumb.

P.S. Oops, if you post the review on the book page, I'll thumb it.

>98 EBT1002: I'm about to start The Round House today Ellen.

Lots of goings on Ellen. Good luck with your interview.

Starting Barchester Towers this weekend if you want to join in.

>104 vancouverdeb: "I seem to be reading at the pace of a snail, but I'm enjoying my reading." I feel the same way lately and then I remind myself that enjoying the reading is the whole point! I can get caught up in a competitive-with-self mentality and start acting like I need to read as much and as many as possible. Then I say, "Ellen, breathe." It usually works. Heh.

Thank you for the kind words, Deborah. Today I'm asking myself what on earth I'm doing even considering another job in another region of the country. But I do feel compelled to pursue..... and to trust myself to make the "right" decision (assuming there is a decision to make -- it's really still early in the process).

>105 msf59: Yep, that's me, dominant warbler. Maybe enthusiastic warbler? ;-)
My Sunday was busy but excellent, Mark. I spent less time reading than I might have liked but it was so beautiful that spending time doing yard work was a pleasure.

>106 ronincats: Thanks for delurking, Roni. It's totally fine to swing through without commenting. I do that sometimes, too, on your thread. Then I feel compelled to at least say hi! Like you just did. :-)

>107 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. I don't actually know what outcome I want from this interview other than to gain more understanding of the opportunity and continue to explore whether it's a good mutual fit.

>108 Donna828: Hi Donna. I know, right? I will spend several hours traveling and 75 minutes interviewing! But it's just a step in the process. I always like traveling because I read on planes. So there is that, too.

I'm having a good time with the Erdrich year, as I'm thinking of 2017. I had long ago read and enjoyed some of her early works so I'm glad to be taking her up again. She is rather prolific.

>109 ursula: Hi Ursula. I've done both a phone and a Skype interview with members of the search firm team, and now this in-person interview with the committee, itself. The last time I was involved this deeply in a search, the same thing occurred, but that was much closer to home and so it felt less crazy. I know they are taking the filling of this position very seriously and want as much data as they can get to be sure they are getting the best person for their current needs. I'm thinking of it as a learning opportunity. And maybe a bigger opportunity. :-)

>110 Berly: Hey Kim. I could do a lunch chat this Friday. Would that work for you? I may have already forgotten much of it but we'll have fun and we'll remind one another.
I'm glad you found the April challenge. Join in! I'm reading (almost finished with) My Name is Asher Lev. It's a wonderful novel!

>111 lauralkeet: Yep, Laura, in this instance, "leader" means people like me! The parents love it, as you can imagine.

"It seems appropriate to conduct more "due diligence" yourself before moving to the next step in the process." Exactly. I will be staying an extra day, it turns out. I feel like I want to know that I really might accept the position, should I be the successful candidate, as I advance through the process. AND I keep reminding myself that I don't have to know for sure until it gets to that place and time. It all makes me anxious, I will say that.

>112 alcottacre: Waiting for A Gentleman in Moscow is okay, Stasia. Think of it as giving you that much more time to be in the lucky position of having it in front of, rather than behind you. I hope I'm not over-hyping it for folks!

>113 jnwelch: Duly posted, Joe, and thanks in advance for the thumb!

On a related note, I am currently listening to an interesting podcast. It's "On Being" and I'm listening to the January 19 installment in which she interviewed Eula Bliss, a professor at Northwestern University. The podcast episode is called "Let's Talk about Whiteness." Very interesting so far. Bliss is quite the language aficionado.

>114 Caroline_McElwee: Oh, you're in for a treat, Caroline. I loved The Round House. I should probably check my ratings because, although I loved LaRose, too, I think I loved The Round House more.

>115 luvamystery65: Hi Roberta and thank you for the good luck wishes! By "this weekend," do you mean yesterday or April 15-16?

By the way, I'm almost finished with My Name is Asher Lev. What a delightful exploration of the artist's soul (and his torment).

I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed LaRose. Another one I'm looking forward to. And, I'll be sending good thoughts your way for the interview (as we wend our way south to visit our daughter in Virginia at the same time).

Thanks Linda! Enjoy your visit with your daughter, too! Virginia is lovely at this time of year.

>120 EBT1002: It's Monday and I'm working my 3rd, 12 hour shift, so that would be 15th-16th. I look forward to moving on from "last" weekend. ;-)

Your opening image is breathtaking. We had rare spring weather of 80 degrees today. It was such a joy. I didn't realize how grey and overcast this winter was until the sun shone through.

I was too sleepy last night to persist to the end so I read the last 19 pages of My Name is Asher Lev this morning with my cup of coffee. If you look at my rating scale, you'll notice that five stars is "Breathtaking. This book touched me in a way that only a perfect book can do." That is Asher Lev. It reminds me that a true five-star work comes along only once in a very great while.

Having read the last sentence, I set Asher Lev aside and my first thought was "how do I choose something to read after that? What on earth could possibly follow?" I have several choices among my library books and books on my shelves. Okay, as you all know and empathize with, I have hundreds of options. But the ones in this month's pile include:

The Master Butcher Singing Club by Louise Erdrich
The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen
First Fix Your Alibi by Bill James
Camanchaca by Diego Zúñiga
The Lauras by Sara Taylor
Sweetgirl: A novel by Travis Mulhauser
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Islam: A Very Short Introduction by Malise Ruthven

I've decided to take I Shall Not Be Moved, a collection of Maya Angelou poems, with me for my commute today.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

>124 luvamystery65: As you can see from the list above, I'm a bit overwhelmed for April, Roberta. But I very much want to read Barchester Towers and I'd love to read it with you! So let me see how this week unfolds toward the weekend.

>125 Whisper1: Hi Linda. We have been having crazy spring weather. Yesterday the sun shone for part of the day and we had a hailstorm in the middle of the afternoon. And it has stayed cold for these parts. Today they are predicting mostly sunny and 57F. I'm rooting for 60F.

>126 EBT1002: I'm so pleased that you loved My Name Is Asher Lev, Ellen! I thought it was an extraordinary book, and I love when smart people agree with me. :-)

>126 EBT1002: - Exit West! Exit West! Exit West!

>128 rosalita: I agree with that, too, Julia!

>129 katiekrug: Just because I love you so, and because you're so enthusiastic!!, you got it. Exit West is next.

Woot! Suzanne loved it, too, so I am in excellent company. And soon you will be, too ;-)

>126 EBT1002: Well, I haven't read *any* of those, but I've heard tons of good things about Exit West (which I get the feeling Katie may kind of be okay with) and Born a Crime...

Hi, Ellen.

I'm another major fan of My Name is Asher Lev. You've probably read his The Chosen, but if not, you'll love that one, too.

>119 EBT1002: Her name is Eula Bliss, and she's quite a language aficionado. I'm halfway to Loveland with that description. Of course, if someone introduced herself to me as "Eula Bliss", I'd be agog and tongue-tied.

27. My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok




I loved this novel. Upon completion, I set it aside and wondered what on earth I could read next, what could possibly follow this exquisite work? I am a distractible and restless reader; I always know how close I am to the end of a book and, regardless of how wonderful a book is, I am almost always ready to finish it and move on to whatever is next. Not this time. I was never restless reading this and I almost wept when it was done, both because it moved me so deeply and because I felt the loss of its company.

Asher Lev is a Ladover Hasid growing up in post-WWII Brooklyn with his parents and surrounded by a loving traditional community. His father travels for the Rebbe, working to assist Jews and establish Ladover Yeshivas in communities in Europe. Asher's mother is studying Russian so that she can assist her husband in his work. Asher is a bright, respectful, and loving boy whose irresistible impulse to draw at the expense of his schoolwork is counter to all that his parents value and believe. He is destined to create art and when he discovers art supplies in the store of a family friend this destiny takes on even greater power. His compulsion to create visual art rents the very fabric of his family as his parents struggle to understand what is, to them, unfathomable. His father particularly struggles, unable to resolve himself to the fact of his son's passion and identity. To the father, dedicating one's life to the creation of art is selfish and corrupt.

As Asher approaches maturity, the Rebbe intercedes and arranges for Asher to be taught by a Jewish artist who is respected and trusted despite the fact that he does not actively practice his faith. Thus begins a transformative relationship that enables Asher to flourish into himself as an artist. He travels to Florence and to Paris to study great masters and he wrestles with the omnipresence of Christian imagery in much great art. He also struggles with his compassion for the deep hurt he is causing his parents by being himself. Asher wrestles with these various challenges to his vision of the world, pulling the story toward a terrible climax that is simple, foreseeable, and inevitable.

The narrative style is deceptively simple, reading as an almost dispassionate first-person narration of life as it unfolds for Asher. This simplicity belies the richness of this novel's exploration of the artist's soul and the dreadful dilemma created when truth to oneself hurts those most loved.

>131 katiekrug: I've got Exit West teed up on the Kindle, Katie. :-)

>132 scaifea: Hi Amber. It feels like quite a collection I have at the ready there. And yeah, I've decided to go with Katie's wishy-washy recommendation just because, well, you know, it seems like the companionable thing to do. I will get to all of them eventually. :-)

>133 jnwelch: Hi Joe. I am sure that I read The Chosen way back around the same time I first read My Name is Asher Lev. Oddly, I remember loving The Chosen but I remembered nothing about Asher Lev (making me wonder if I'm making the whole thing up about having read it way back when). Now I definitely want to read The Chosen again, too.

I have to come clean. I let a typo go. Her name is Eula Biss. Still, it's a wonderful name and she is an engaging interviewee. She teaches nonfiction writing at Northwestern University. Krista Tippett describes Biss as "interrogating words," taking them apart to more deeply understand her topic (in this instance, the state of being white in the US today). It's really good stuff. Here is a link to the episode including a transcript.

28. I Shall Not Be Moved by Maya Angelou




This small collection of poems was uneven for me; some I found myself reading twice, others left me untouched. The brilliant and beautiful "Our Grandmothers" is included. I heard Maya Angelou do a poetry reading when I was in graduate school in Illinois and I think hearing her read any of these poems would supply them with tremendous power.

Hi Ellen, wow, I now have to add My Name is Asher Lev to my list after reading your thoughts on it and seeing you give it 5 stars! I hope you are enjoying the Mohsin Hamid, I read Moth Smoke by him last year and thought he was a most promising writer.

Up next:

and

Ellen--Friday lunch should work for me. It is soooo hard to choose a new book after a five-star read. Take a breathe and reset. Hope the ones above do it for you. : )

Happy Wednesday, Ellen. I've put LaRose on my library list.

>139 Berly: Okay, Kim, I hate to do this but I now have a phone check-in with the search firm for the job-that-won't-be-named at 1:00 on Friday. I want to spend the hour before that getting myself all prepared for that conversation. Yikes, this process is all-consuming! It's all I thought about on my run this morning ~~ and I don't even know that I want the job! But part of me does, so there is that. I just don't have all the information yet. So let me regroup. Honestly, I predict that we'll not end up talking about LaRose that much but will talk about other things. You know, life and such.

>140 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara. I believe you'll enjoy LaRose. It's not my absolute favorite Erdrich but it's a very worthwhile read!

I started reading Exit West last night and so far it's living up to its billing. :-)

I think I have a copy of Asher Lev around somewhere. I need to finish cataloging my books... This summer? I have quite a few projects on my summer list, so we'll see how that goes.

It is hard to pick a book after a breathtaking read -- maybe choose something fun, that you don't expect much of? I am # 13 on the waiting list for Exit West, waiting patiently...

I hope your Tuesday is wonderful, Ellen.

>141 EBT1002: LOL. No worries. Good luck!! Let me know another time when you come up with one. ; )

>143 BLBera: Hi Beth. I would love to hear your perspective on Asher Lev. I think you would appreciate it.

Exit West is so different but also a brilliant work.

>144 Berly: Okay, will do. Thanks for understanding, Kim.

>134 EBT1002: I have been wanting to read My Name is Asher Lev forever and I have had it on shelf for years. I think it might be time to finally pull it down.

I just snagged a library audio copy of Exit West, so it looks like I will be joining you on that one.

Hope your week went well, Ellen.

>146 msf59: I think you will love Asher Lev, Mark. And I'm happy to have you joining me with Exit West which I'm just about to dig into for a bit of evening reading.

Stoopid me! I moseyed over here because I saw your comments on someone else's thread on Nicola Griffith and thought, I agree totally! So of course, you slew me with some book bullets. Both LaRose and My Name is Asher Lev sound fantastic.

Morning, Ellen!

I saw that you might start I Contain Multitudes soon? Can't wait to hear what you think of it. I'm starting a Heyer (The Nonesuch), and The Alchemist. I have trepidation about the latter - I've managed to avoid it for years - but a valued friend lent it to me as his favorite book ever (and read Evicted on my recommendation), so needs must.

P.S. It does have illustrations by an illustrator I like a lot, Moebius, so that helps.

Hope you have a great Easter weekend!

>148 cammykitty: "...you slew me with some book bullets."
Excellent! Thanks for visiting, sister Nicola Griffith fan (aka Katie). My Name is Asher Lev is, in my mind, a masterpiece. LaRose is also excellent but I will say that I recommend The Round House just a wee bit more enthusiastically.

>149 jnwelch: Hi Joe! I will start listening to I Contain Multitudes in the next few days. It requires a listening context since I have it on audio. I've been on a bit of a podcast binge. This is totally new for me but the podcast "On Being" with Krista Tippet is just so wonderful. I've listened to Bessel Van Der Kolk on "How Trauma Lodges in the Body" and (as I know you saw), Eula Biss on "Let's Talk About Whiteness." Both were excellent.

I have looked at The Alchemist any number of times and have had much the same avoidance impulse to which you allude. I'll be interested in how it lands on you. And in exchange for getting said valued friend to read the magnificent Evicted, well.... as you say, needs must.

Hmm, I haven't read any of Moebius' GNs. Perhaps I should give one a go?

>150 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle!

I finished reading Exit West on my afternoon commute. Wonderful!! More about that soon.

For some reason, I decided to dedicate my Friday evening to completing the essays in The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks About Race and I'm so glad that I did. I had set it aside for other things and this really is an excellent collection of essays. And a poem.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Theories of Time and Space

You can get there from here, though
there's no going home.

Everywhere you go will be somewhere
you've never been. Try this:

head south on Mississippi 49, one-
by-one mile markers ticking off

another minute of your life. Follow this
to its natural conclusion -- dead end

at the coast, the pier at Gulfport where
rigging of shrimp boats are loose stitches

in a sky threatening rain. Cross over
the man-made beach, twenty-six miles of sand

dumped on the mangrove swamp -- buried
terrain of the past. Bring only

what you must carry -- tome of memory,
its random blank pages. On the dock

where you board the boat for Ship Island
someone will take your picture:

the photograph -- who you were --
will be waiting for you when you return.

~ Natasha Trethewey

Hi Ellen, wishing you a wonderful Easter weekend.

I am looking forward to it, as I will have a new dog to introduce to you all, my friends. A new miniature schnauzer by the name of Gretchen.

>154 EBT1002: Sounds like good reading Ellen. One I will look out for here.

I haven't read much poetry lately, but picked up a copy of Penguin New Poets, bringing together three women writers. Warsan Shire, a young British Somali woman, and Sharon Olds' poetry speak to each other in ways that surprised me. I still have the third poet's work to read.

Love the Trethewey poem, Ellen.

>155 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara! Today we went and bought our favorite Fran's chocolate easter bunnies ~ dark chocolate for P and milk chocolate for me. :-)

>156 maggie1944: Will you have Gretchen in time for book group? I'm excited to meet her!

>157 charl08: I've been on a very positive reading roll, Charlotte. I absolutely recommend both Exit West and The Fire This Time.

>158 BLBera: I'm glad you like the poem, Beth. I'm also glad that I'm experiencing poetry (thank you, LibraryThing) which is still rather new for me.

Today on our adventures around town, P and I ate lunch at the cafe that is attached to Third Place Books in Ravenna (a Seattle neighborhood). In honor of National Poetry Month, all poetry books were 20% off. I resisted, but it took will power. The Greek Salad was delicious.

29. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid




"When he prayed he touched his parents, who could not otherwise be touched, and he touched a feeling that we are all children who lose our parents, all of us, every man and woman and boy and girl, and we too will all be lost by those who come after us and love us, and this loss unites humanity, unites every human being, the temporary nature of our being-ness, and our shared sorrow, the heartache we each carry and yet too often refuse to acknowledge in one another, and out of this Saeed felt it might be possible, in the face of death, to believe in humanity's potential for building a better world, and so he prayed as a lament, as a consolation, and as a hope...."

"We are all migrants through time."

As Nadia and Saeed are falling in love the militants take over their city and the populace descends into fear, hunger, and desperation. Doors are opening, though, vaguely magical doors that enable migration to another place on the glove, providing possible escape from terror and oppression. One can't be sure that the life on the other side of the door will be an improvement, but over and over and over people flee the situation in the city or country in which they were born to seek refuge and hope in another land. We follow Nadia and Saeed as they migrate a few times, each time taking the risk that they will be neither welcome nor safe. Of course these moves alter their relationship, too, and it's impossible to untangle the impact of their nomadism from the impact of ordinary time. Both profound and simple, this wonderful novel is a timely exploration of migration, of the meanings of native and refugee, and of the deeply shared essence of humanity that binds us all beyond our apparent differences.

Thank you to Katie for encouraging me to move this to the top of the reading pile!

>161 EBT1002: - This sounds so good, Ellen! Great review. The story of migration, fleeing in hopes of something better, are not new. In fact, these stories are timeless, endless. What a sad comment on humanity, that such a thing continues to be necessary, generation after generation. What is wrong with people?

I will see if my library has this book

30. The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks About Race edited by Jesmyn Ward




"To think, I remember telling my husband, our daughters will never know a world in which the president of their country has never been black. Indeed, as we watched President Obama's inauguration speech,... the world ahead for my girls seemed full of greater possibility.... Many more doors suddenly seemed open to my girls, and the 'joyous daybreak' evoked by Martin Luther King, Jr., in his 'I Have a Dream' speech, a kind of jubilee, seemed to have emerged. However, it quickly became clear that this one man was not going to take all of us with him into the postracial promised land. Or that he even had full access to it. Constant talk of 'wanting him to fail' was racially tinged, as were the 'birther' investigations, and the bigoted commentaries and jokes by both elected officials and ordinary folk.

Like Barack Obama's father, many of us had brought our black bodies to America from somewhere else. Some of us, like the president, were the children of such people. We are people who need to have two different talks with our black offspring: one about why we're here and the other about why it's not always a promised land for people who look like us."
- Edwidge Danticat, "Message to My Daughters"

My copy of this anthology is littered with post-it flags. Danticat's poignant message to her daughters is the final entry and it concludes a reading experience full of insight and challenge. The authors were asked by Jesmyn Ward to write a piece for the anthology with an eye toward the experience of living while black in America post Trayvon Martin and the dozens of other black men and women killed and denied justice by a society that fears the color of their skin and justifies violence based on that fear. Some pieces are angry, most are thoughtful and forthright and moving. Claudia Rankine's "The Condition of Black Life Is One of Mourning" is exquisite. "Know Your Rights!" by Emily Raboteau includes photographs of street art in various New York City neighborhoods, beautiful murals designed to educate those who walk by of their Miranda rights and their right not to be capriciously searched.

Highly recommended.

>162 jessibud2: I agree, Shelley. I almost said the novel was both timely and timeless but I held myself back, figuring its timelessness is yet to be determined. The timelessness of the theme, however, is (as you say) clearly already transcendent of decades, centuries, millennia.... Sigh.

One of the things I love about literature is its capacity to illuminate humans' capacity for cruelty but also our capacity for compassion and care. What a paradox.

>163 EBT1002: - Ok, this one too!!!

>164 EBT1002: - One of the things I love about literature is its capacity to illuminate humans' capacity for cruelty but also our capacity for compassion and care. What a paradox.

Well, thank goodness for that or we'd have gone extinct eons ago!! ;-) (though the current president is scaring me. He seems to be wanting to take us there just so he can say HE did it. Of course, if he does, there will be no one left to brag to...)

>90 EBT1002: OK Ellen. I can't argue with that reasoning :)

>134 EBT1002: *swoon* I love that book.

Excellent review of Exit West, Ellen. That one is on my mental TBR list. Happy Easter! I'm with Shelley, the current president is scaring me too!

Currently reading:



I read the first chapter and I am hooked.

>161 EBT1002: >163 EBT1002: - OK, you got me with both of them. I am # 12 on the waiting list for Exit West.

I saw the play based on The Master Butcher's Singing Club, and while her novels set on the rez are my favorites, I did love this one.

I'm way behind on the threads but saw your post on Kim's thread about an airport interview. I had to come here to find out what that was. Good luck with the interview and I hope your day's exploration provides you with the insight that you need.

>159 EBT1002: We didn't buy choclate bunnies or eggs this year. Our younger daughter left for a scout camp yesterday and the older one popped just in at 2am this morning on her way to the airport. By now she must have arrived in Malaga.

>161 EBT1002: Great review. My library hasn't got a copy of that one but several other books by Mohsin Hamid. Have you read other books by him too?

Happy Sunday, Ellen.

>163 EBT1002: that looks really good, Ellen. The hubs and I visited our local used bookshop on Friday, where they were having a bag sale. He picked up 3 books on race, written in 3 different time periods. One is Between the World and Me, which he has already finished. And then there's one by Frederick Douglass and another by Cornel West. Seems like he could use a feminine perspective ... :)

ETA: and his birthday is next month. Okay, just bought it.

>161 EBT1002: >163 EBT1002: you got me with both of these too Ellen. A few days ago I saw the documentary I am not your negro which I thought a fine piece of work, sadly though, Baldwin is still so relevant.

>174 Caroline_McElwee: - I read the book that the film was based on and I am hoping to see the movie soon. It sounds excellent. I also heard an interview with the filmmaker and that too, was excellent

Good Sunday morning, Ellen.

I am up early with my new companion; she ate a healthy breakfast and has had her first short walk outside. Now she's curled up on the sofa, snoring. Gretchen is easy to love! We will see you on Tuesday.

Happy Sunday, Ellen! I love all the great reading you are doing. I will be reading Exit West in a couple of days. I would also like to get to the Ward essay collection, but I do not own that one.

Happy Sunday, Ellen!

I'm so glad you liked Exit West as much as I did! It's always a bit fraught, recommending books one loves :) And your review is most excellent.

>165 jessibud2: I'm glad to have hit you with another one, Shelley! :-)

>166 jessibud2: I wholly agree. Last evening I rather innocently inquired of P, "so are we headed toward a nuclear war??" She said "yes." End of conversation. There was nothing else to say.

>167 LovingLit: I'm not always correct, Megan, but in this instance I stand confident that my recommendation of A Gentleman in Moscow will prove to be spot on for you.

Me too. I even remembered to add My Name is Asher Lev to my favorites collection, which I try to save for truly life-time favorite reads. Asher Lev has landed in my top-ten all-time favorite novels (a list I don't actually have but if I were to take the time to construct it, I fully believe that novel would find its way there).

>168 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb. I hope you keep Exit West on your TBR list. It's really different from so many things I have read but, even with that, it is consummately readable and wonderfully layered.

He's scaring me, too.

>73 EBT1002: I finished A Gentleman in Moscow early this morning (like 3am) and I loved it. My first 5 star read of the year!

Happy Easter, Ellen!

Wow, two great reviews, two book bullets, and two thumbs, Ellen. I added Exit West and The Fire This Time to the WL. What an on-target quote from Edwidge Danticat in the latter's review. (BTW, I don't think you've yet posted that review to the book page?)

Hope you and P and Abby are having a wonderful Easter.

Happy Easter!

I loved your review of My Name is Asher Lev. Chaim Potok is one of my favorite authors. It's amazing to me how he is able to bring the reader straight into a life that is very unique and how I feel I know the characters in the story.

I find the Louise Erdrich conversation very interesting. I have read a couple of her books and I really liked Master Butcher's Singing Club which turned out to be a book about women, despite the false information in the title. Many people like Erdrich's reservation novels more than her other novels, but it is important to note Erdrich's last name. It is a German last name and Erdrich's novels are autobiographical. She is not 100% Native American. She has other bloodlines as well, and these have just as much importance to her background as does the Native American part. All of them combined make her the author that she is. All of them tag-team on each other and work together like building blocks to tell a larger story. That does not mean that all of the novels are of the same quality of craftsmanship, but they do all work together.

Happy Easter Ellen. I'm in P's camp. I love dark chocolate. Hope the bunnies were good.

>170 BLBera: Glad to help with the wish list, Beth. ;-)

I am SO enjoying The Master Butchers' Singing Club. It is in some ways classic Erdrich and in some ways very different. She is a master story teller.

>171 Familyhistorian: Thank you, Meg, for checking in and for the kind words. I've mostly been excited about the airport interview and the possibility of this new adventure but today I was kind of an anxious mess. I'm not sure why. It's just an interview. They aren't committing to me and I'm not committing to them. If fact, I assume I'm one of about 8 or 10 or 12 who is at this stage of the process with them. So. Lots of terrain yet to cover. But today I was kind of a mess.

>172 Ameise1: Hi Barbara. I wasn't planning any Easter candy this year but P felt compelled to purchase just one small chocolate bunny for each of us. Fran's is high-quality chocolate so she wasn't going to get any fussing from me!

Thanks for the positive words about my review of Exit West. I hope your library gets it sooner rather than later; it's so good and so timely. I've also read Mohsin Hamid's The Reluctant Fundamentalist. I liked that but not as much as Exit West. He is an intelligent and creative writer so I will read other works by him.

>173 lauralkeet: I think it will be a great addition to your husband's race reading collection. I thought Between the World and Me was brave and honest and deeply moving. Cornell West is on my list of writers I need to read. Which one did your husband purchase? Actually, now that I think about it, I have also wanted to read Frederick Douglass' Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Maybe I tend to lean too far toward that feminine perspective. Heh.

>174 Caroline_McElwee: Caroline, I need to watch I Am Not Your Negro. I'm almost embarrassed not to have watched it yet. And yes, Baldwin remains incredibly relevant and I need to read more of his works. And reread some of his works that I have read.

>175 jessibud2: I wondered about the book, Shelley. I looked at it in a bookshop recently but didn't purchase it. It sounds worthwhile. Was the interview with the filmmaker on a podcast?

>188 EBT1002: - Ellen, it was on a radio program on the CBC. Here is the link if you are interested:

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/friday-feb-24-2017-raoul-peck-reginald-edmund-and-more...

Also, some links from the film (which I have yet to see but hope to remedy that soon!):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNUYdgIyaPM

>176 maggie1944: Karen, I can't wait to meet Gretchen! I know I will love her. I'm doing all I can to make it to Tuesday's book group. Today we had several car-and-life difficulty sort of things and I was starting to feel like my week would get overwhelming. I fly east on Friday and I'm in that "overwhelmed" space. But we found a place that could take the screw out of our tire and patch it up for us, and I think I can zoom down to Rainier Valley to get my hair cut after work tomorrow (it has to be trimmed before the interview!)..... etc. etc.
SO ---- I am planning to come to book group to see you, Karla, hopefully Bill, definitely Gretchen.... *big smile*

>177 msf59: Hello Mark! I will look forward to your take on Exit West. As you can see, I thought it magnificent. The Ward collection is also worthwhile. I feel the need to hold onto my copy for a bit but if I decide to release it before you've acquired it, you know I'll send it your way.

>178 scaifea: Thanks Amber! It was a good Sunday. Well, it started out frustratingly, but once I resigned myself to zooming south for a hair cut after work tomorrow, and once we found an open tire store to fix our recurring low-air left rear tire, the day got better. I spent a good 90 minutes turning soil and digging up weeds in the p-patch while listening to my favorite podcast, "On Being" with Krista Tippett. Some reading time, and then a nice dinner with BIL, SIL, nephew and his GF, etc. And an episode of "Call the Midwife" to watch this evening! Yay!

>179 katiekrug: I understand the fraught-ness of recommending books you've loved, Katie. I always worry that I'll warble with unbridled enthusiasm about something and the other person will read it and say, "meh." Of course, I remind myself that this is not a bad thing when it happens. We are a pretty respectful bunch around here, appreciative of differences in taste. And understanding that the impact of any read is shaped not only by the work itself but by our mood that particular week. Anyway, none of that is actually relevant!! I loved Exit West. And I'm glad you liked my review. :-)

>181 alcottacre: Yay! I'm glad you loved A Gentleman in Moscow, Stasia! Staying up until 3am to finish a work is a very good sign.

>182 Berly: Thank you so much, Kim. It was a good day (see my post to Amber ^ to get a sense of the whole day). I hope you had a good Easter Sunday as well.

>183 jnwelch: Joe, you are so good about reminding me to post my reviews to the main page of the work. I will post my review of The Fire This Time.

It was a good day, the religious meanings irrelevant for us though they are. On the other hand, I did listen to part of the most recent episode of "On Being" (podcast). Tippett was interviewing Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest who wrote Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life. Very interesting.

>193 EBT1002: The reviews are so good! Thumbered.

>184 nittnut: Jenn, I am now determined to read everything by Chaim Potok. I know I read The Chosen about 30 years ago and I want to read it again. I agree; his character development is perfect.

>185 benitastrnad: I'm thoroughly enjoying The Master Butchers Singing Club, Benita. And yes, it's clear that Erdrich has drawn from all aspects of her identity in her many novels. Though not set on a reservation, this one is still set in North Dakota and is peopled with a rich variety of characters.

>186 mdoris: Hi Mary! I'm still working on my milk chocolate bunny; his ears are long gone and much of his head is history. I hope your Easter was wonderful, too.

>189 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. I am interested and I'll listen, perhaps after I watch the film. I'm thinking we can just stream it via pay-per-view.

>194 jnwelch: *blushes*

Ellen--The fact that you are nervous about the interview may mean that you are more interested than you are willing to consciously admit, but repeat after me; "I am awesome and any college will be lucky to have me." Now breath in and out nice and slow. There. Better? I don't mean to minimize, but you really are a catch. Don't forget it!

I am halfway through Harry Potter for my Obama April re-read, and I started Why Science Does not Disprove God for your CAT Challenge. So after THOSE I may get to Erdrich. Sooner or later I want to read it, especially since you are giving it a thumbs up.

I laughed at your chocolate bunny description: " his ears are long gone and much of his head is history." LOL

Wising you a happy Monday!!

>184 nittnut: me too Jenn!!! I didn't know this about you, it makes me like you even more :)

I will have to come back when I have more time to seek out the Louise Erdrich conversation, I have mixed feelings about her writing but am willing to be convinced into trying again!!

>163 EBT1002: Constant talk of 'wanting him to fail'
Was there constant talk of wanting Obama to fail? (I did stumble across some awful memes depicting Michelle Obama as undignified and worse, because she DARED to raise her arms and cheer at a basketball game she attended with her daughters.) I am out of the USA loop somewhat so probably missed a lot of the discourse around the prez.
This book must be not of those post-trump books investigating what-the-heck-happened. I was hearing about them on chatterbox's thread last week.

Anyway I came back to find out more about Louise Erdrich, but couldn't find all the talk. I can't remember what it was that I didn't love about her one book that I read, but I recall it not wowing me .

>188 EBT1002: Thanks so much, Ellen. I put it on my library list. I hope your chocolate bunny was delicious.

>188 EBT1002: Ellen, the Cornel West book is Race Matters. Happy Monday!

Ellen, I just know that you will do fine in that upcoming interview but it does seem a bit of an unusual quandary, to be pulled in two directions between two things that are so positive and appealing. It may be no decision or a tough decision but either way, it sounds like an opportunity to grow and on some level, must feel exciting, however it works out.

Just breathe in, breathe out....! :-)

>193 EBT1002: I really enjoyed Falling Upward Ellen, despite not subscribing to one spiritual path, and am now reading Rohr's Immortal Diamond. Wisdom is egalitarian.

Good luck with the interview too.

>198 Berly: What Kim said. You will do great.

Hi, Ellen. What Kim and Beth said. They'd be lucky to get you.

>198 Berly: Kim, thank you for that. I think you're probably right about part of me, at least, really wanting this. Honestly, if the college were in this region of the country I would WANT it, so the only ambivalence I have is about geography. That is probably a good thing of which to be conscious.

Is the Harry Potter a reread for you? I'm assuming it must be as I think I am the only soul on earth who has not consumed the entire series. I read the first one and never went beyond that. Anyway, I'm glad you're planning to read The Master Butchers Singing Club eventually. It's a good one.

My entire chocolate bunny is now toast. As in gone. That, I consumed. Yum.

My Monday was not bad. We did learn about a student suicide and it is the fourth or fifth one we have had this year. It's been a bad year for that. Very sad.

>199 LovingLit: We have quite the Chaim Potok fan club emerging around here, Megan. I don't know when I will get to my reread of The Chosen but it won't be long. And I only keep the most wonderful-est of wonderful novels because I do so rarely reread. Asher Lev is staying.

I'd be interested in what your mixed feelings about Erdrich are about, Megan. It took me a while to really take to her but she is quickly becoming a true favorite.

>200 LovingLit: Well, I'm not a news-alholic but I do believe there was a lot of rhetoric from the conservative camp, if you will, of wanting him to fail. Or it may be more accurate to say that all their behavior seemed directed by a desire to see him fail, regardless of the particulars. So, it appeared that they would object to anything he proposed out of hand, independent of its content or impact on the nation. I don't remember the source but I remember conversation about the Republicans blocking legislation that they might even have been on board with because they were determined for him to fail. There are certainly others around here with better memories and generally more well-informed than I. I do think their ability to block him from making an appointment to the Supreme Court during the entire last year of his presidency was shameful and disgusting. He was still the president and was fulfilling his second term. He should have been able to make that appointment. The rhetoric then was "we need to let the voters speak" and, from my perspective, the voters had spoken when they overwhelmingly re-elected him in 2012. Since when does the last year of a four-year term not count as part of the term? Grr.

Regarding Louise Erdrich, which book did you read and not love?

>201 Ameise1: My chocolate bunny was definitely delicious, Barbara! :-)

>202 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. I think I'll add that one to my wish list.

>203 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. Yes, I'm trying to remember that this is an experience. An adventure. I do know that I have much to offer and it really depends on what they need and who else is in the pool. And what a terrific position to be in, to feel that I win no matter what. I'm breathing in and out. And tomorrow I'm going to get up a bit earlier than usual so I can get in a stress-busting run.

>204 Caroline_McElwee: Rohr sounds like an interesting writer, Caroline. I was impressed with him on the podcast. I finished listening to it on my way home this evening and I loved how he talked about the power of sitting with someone who is being truly vulnerable, how we as humans can't help but be affected by another human being's authentic vulnerability. It was terrific stuff. I agree that wisdom is egalitarian and I believe that spiritual awareness transcends religious doctrine.

>205 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! You know I will be on LT when I'm back in my hotel room Saturday night, letting folks know how it went.

>206 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. I appreciate all the support and encouragement.

Wishing you lots of luck on the interview, though I agree that any college would be lucky to get you!

In addition to the delightful Master Butchers Singing Club, I'm currently reading Hate Crimes in Cyberspace by Danielle Keats Citron. She is a law professor at University of Maryland and will be coming to speak on our campus in May. I'm just starting the book but it's excellent so far.

In terms of audiobooks, I'm officially still listening to Alexander Hamilton but it has honestly been a few weeks since I've tuned in and right now I'm digging my new favorite podcast, "On Being." I also want to listen to "Still Processing" and "99% Invisible," both of which have been recommended by trusted sources. So my listening time may start to shift from books to podcasts.

>209 banjo123: Thanks, Rhonda!

Good uck on your interview, Ellen!

>212 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl!

>163 EBT1002: That looks like pretty required reading, Ellen. I hope to go and find that one.

Wishing you all the very best with your interview. xx

Happy Tuesday, Ellen. I hope the week is off to a good start for you and speaking of starts, Exit West is on the audio agenda for the day.

>195 EBT1002: I love The Chosen! I hope you get a chance to read it again soon, Ellen.

Happy Tuesday! Good luck with the interview!

Storm Warnings

The glass has been falling all the afternoon,
And knowing better than an instrument
What winds are walking overhead, what zone
Of gray unrest is moving across the land,
I leave the book upon a pillowed chair
And walk from window to closed window, watching
Boughs strain against the sky

And think again, as often when the air
Moves inward toward a silent core of waiting,
How with a single purpose time has traveled
By secret currents of the undiscerned
Into this polar realm. Weather abroad
And weather in the heart alike come on
Regardless of prediction.

Between foreseeing and averting change
Lies all the mastery of elements
Which clocks and weatherglasses cannot alter.
Time in the hand is not control of time,
Nor shattered fragments of an instrument
A proof against the wind; the wind will rise,
We can only close the shutters.

I draw the curtains as the sky goes black
And set a match to candles sheathed in glass
Against the keyhole draught, the insistent whine
Of weather through the unsealed aperture.
This is our sole defense against the season;
These are the things that we have learned to do
Who live in troubled regions.

~~ Adrienne Rich
From A Change of World

Hi Ellen. I'm trying to catch up on LT after my return from my Art Trip, and have read through your thread (with so many excellent reviews I might add) to find that you have an airport interview coming up at the end of the week. Here's wishing you the best of luck, although I have no doubt that you will do fine.

I'm kind of wondering if this is the same small college in the area that my younger daughter Mia attended a summer session at when she was in 8th grade under the John Hopkins science program. I'll be interested to learn the identity of the college when you make the "reveal."

The first poetry book you reference at the beginning of the thread from which you quoted two of the "milder" poems sounds awful, so I'm glad your later poetry reading this month has gotten better. When we were at Powells I bought a poetry book called Poems That Make Grown Women Cry, so I hope to dip in and out of that a bit to help ameliorate my poetry illiteracy. (Although of the bit of contemporary poetry I've read, I like Billy Collins and Mary Oliver.)

>134 EBT1002:, >135 EBT1002: "I am sure that I read The Chosen way back around the same time I first read My Name is Asher Lev. Oddly, I remember loving The Chosen but I remembered nothing about Asher Lev" I know I read both novels long ago, and I know that I loved The Chosen, but was not particularly taken with Asher Lev. I believe I shall re-read it, given your response to it. I expect to be better able to appreciate it at this stage of my life than I was in my 20's. (You know there is sequel, right? The Gift of Asher Lev revisits Asher a couple decades on in his life.)

>214 PaulCranswick: It's a good collection, Paul. I hope you find a copy. The later pieces got my attention more effectively than the earlier ones did.
Thanks for the interview wishes!

>215 msf59: Oh Mark, I'm optimistic about your experience with Exit West.

>216 alcottacre: I will read The Chosen soon, Stasia. I just have to do so.
Thanks for the interview mojo. I'm a wee bit less nervous today than I have been the past couple of days. I've managed to spend some time thinking about it, mentally reviewing ideas and thoughts I'll want to share, looking over the position profile..... oh! and I went for a run this morning! That always helps. :-)

>218 arubabookwoman: Hi Deborah and welcome back! I will shuffle over to your thread to see updated comments about your Art trip. I hope it was spectacular.

The interesting thing about New England is how many small colleges are there! Here's a hint: their teams play in the Division III New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), of which I had never heard before. LOL. They have a webcam on campus and I keep looking at it. It looks truly lovely. My interview will be in a hotel near the Syracuse airport but I definitely plan to rent a car and drive to the campus on Saturday afternoon. I hope the weather holds.

My poetry reading has definitely taken a turn for the better after the early part of the month! I'm enjoying Adrienne Rich and looking forward to reading both Mary Oliver and Billy Collins before the end of April.

>219 laytonwoman3rd: Interesting that our experiences with Chaim Potok's novels seem to have mirrored one another, Linda. I do think my current stage of life made this a good time for My Name is Asher Lev. I'm not sure I would have appreciated it in my 20s (which is when I know I read The Chosen). I did know that there is a sequel. For some reason, I'm not drawn to read it. I think I'm worried it would disappoint and I kind of like where the story left me with Asher.

>221 EBT1002: - Just to clarify, though, New York is not technically part of New England. My prep school was also in NY and competed in New England conferences, though...

I know, I know. I'm a pedant... :-P

I love the Rich poem, Ellen. She is wonderful.

I hope your week is going well.

I caught Miss Scout biting the head off her chocolate Easter bunny. She gave me a sliver, too. On Kim's thread I shared the story. She was sitting behind the couch, supposedly playing with her Easter toys, and was, instead, chowing on chocolate. I hope her mom lets her keep the candy.

>223 katiekrug: Right, Katie. I actually knew that and just let my brain go sideways. I had been looking at photos of other schools in that athletic conference ~~ three of them are in Maine, three in Connecticut, one in Vermont, three in Massachusetts, and one in central NY.... So, kind of like your prep school, it has a New England flair. :-)

>224 BLBera: Hi Beth. My week is going well so far. I'm rather looking forward to the time on the airplane on Friday -- I will be doing some mental preparation for Saturday but I'll also let myself read and maybe listen to one episode of "on Being."

I will go read about Miss Scout and the Chocolate Bunny. I hope her mom lets her keep the bunny, at least!

>207 EBT1002: We did hear about a lot of that style of Obama blocking down here. I fee like it is now high time for the same techniques to be applied to current leadership. Not blocking for the sake of it, but if the majority in the senate (is that what it is called there?) becomes Democrat, can't the same powers of veto apply?

I read Tracks by Louise Erdrich and didn't love it, but I read her memoir of motherhood The Blue Jay's Dance and luuurrrved it. So, I guess my memories are coloured by the one I didn't love :)

>223 katiekrug:
>225 EBT1002:
I'm confused. The school I was thinking of is in NY, so when you mentioned the New England conference (and I know nothing about sports so that clue would not have helped anyway), I assumed that it was not the college I am thinking of. But my guess may still be in the running if the college is in NY.

Ellen--My brother and I both went to school in the NE area and, not that I want you to move, but I did love it out there. I have lived in NJ, CN and MA (5 times!). My brother went to Skidmore and I went to Amherst. Sorry to hear your chocolate bunny is no more. : ( LOL.

>225 EBT1002: Hope the time on the plane is productive, Ellen. They'd be lucky to have you, of course.

Hiya, Ellen. Sending positive thoughts.

Me too! I just know that whatever the outcome, this will have been an adventure for you!

Sending good karma your way, Ellen.

Sending you Hit-It-Out-Of-The-Ballpark Interview Whammies. Not that you'll need them. I'm familiar with all of the colleges of NESCAC and am sure you would like any of them.

Rock it, girlfriend! (And enjoy that precious off the grid airplane reading time, too!)

Texted with Ellen this morning and she wants everyone to know that she is on her way and bringing all our LT love with her. She is going to try to get online tonight, but it might not happen until tomorrow after her interview.

Let's keep sending positive mojo her way! : )

Positive mojo has been sent, renewing on the hour!

Knock 'em dead, Ellen!

Adding to the LT mojo.

More positive LT Mojo!

Mine too!

Adding all the mojo from Texas that I can!!

I'll send you a positive mojito, which is what I thought the initial reference to mojo said....but I think it works. Who doesn't need a mojito!?
I hope you are acing the interview Ellen, and getting a feel for whether this is your new thing!

I like the idea of sending mojitos! Hope things have gone well Ellen!!

Break a leg, Ellen!!

Fingers and toes crossed, mojo sent.

Just checking in...

Wow, I had fallen so far behind! Or this thread moves lightning quick (or both). Anyway, Good luck today!

More renewed positive mojo being sent your way!

We are on tenterhooks, madame! What transpired?

Hope the interview went well

>226 LovingLit: Yep, Megan. First, the senate would have to become majority Democrat. At present, and shockingly from my perspective, we have a Republican president, and majority Republican representation in both the House and the Senate. The fact that Mr. Trump has not been able to do just what he wants absolutely when he wants to speaks volumes, but it's a dicey situation. I'm hopeful that the mid-term elections will create a balance in one of those bodies (House or Senate), at least.

That's so interesting, in that I read Tracks long ago and LOVED it. I would have said it was a favorite Erdrich except that, now that I have read more of her works, I would be hard-pressed to name a favorite. I am almost done with and loving The Master Butchers Singing Club. Interestingly, said singing club is so minor (so far) in terms of presence in the story.

>227 arubabookwoman: It's in New York. My geographic ignorance was showing, Deborah. It's in what I now know to be "central New York." Looking at a map of the state, it really is central, too! (I wonder what college you have had in mind.)

More about today's interview after I catch up with all my visitors.

>228 Berly: It's a beautiful area, Kim! The grass is very green but the deciduous trees are still mostly bare. It's hilly and appealing. And rural.

Driving from Syracuse to the town village wherein sits the college, I saw two groundhogs hanging out by the side of the highway. They are such cute creatures!!!!

>229 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. As I think you all know, I cherish plane time as Ellen-time. I read. I might listen to music or a podcast if my eyes get sleepy. I do NOT chat with strangers. But this woman next to whom I had been standing while waiting to board ended up being my seat mate. We just connected. We both wanted to read (she is reading Lab Girl while I'm reading The Master Butchers Singing Club). But we ended up chatting more than usual. We talked about book groups. We talked about living in/near Seattle. She is a clinical social worker in in dependent practice in Bellevue so we have professional background in common. She is much more active than I: she does yoga and pilates, hikes, bikes, kayaks..... But in any case, it was a nice connection and we exchanged contact info. It means I read less than I would normally have done.

>230 jnwelch: Thanks Joe. Positive thoughts are much appreciated.

>231 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley. I will write more in a bit but the initial returns are that I think I did well, I absolutely loved the people on the search committee (they would be awesome colleagues), and I think they liked me. I don't think I convinced them (or myself) that I can make the jump from a huge urban public institution to a small rural private liberal arts college. I think I could do it but they will have a strong pool of applicants. My assessment is that they will have 3 finalists to bring to campus who are more fully steeped in the small private liberal arts milieu. I would love working there. I don't know whether I would love living in a village in central New York. So -- upshot. Your word "adventure" fits perfectly. This was a worthwhile use of time and energy. I've learned -- and am still learning -- a lot from the experience.

One thing I've learned is that I can do a day of travel without it being that much of a big deal. It means I can visit my sister more often and for shorter periods of time. Just because it takes a full day to get to NC, and another full day to get back, doesn't mean it's not doable and worth it.

>232 BLBera: Thanks Beth!

>233 michigantrumpet: Thank you so much, Marianne. You can see the start of my reflections in my comments above to Shelley. I would love working there. But there are other facets about which I'm not sure, and I suspect they are unsure of me, too. Not because I'm capable, but because the jump is a large one, conceptually.

>234 Berly: Thanks for posting my text comments, Kim!! And here I am, post-interview, posting away.

>235 ronincats: Wow! Hourly mojo! Thanks, Roni. No wonder the interview went well!

>236 katiekrug: Thanks Katie!

>237 Caroline_McElwee: And thanks to you for the positive mojo, Caroline!

>238 vancouverdeb: Yay! Thanks, Deb!

>239 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley! I'm feeling all the mojo all the way out here in my little hotel room in Syracuse!

>240 alcottacre: Well, Stasia, mojo from Texas is BIG mojo, right? :-) And SO appreciated!

>241 LovingLit: Oh, Megan, a positive mojito would be most appreciated! Positive mojo, yes. Positive mojito, even better! Thank you!

>242 lauralkeet: Yes, me too. Perhaps just one wee mojito before the interview would have made it go even better!

>243 scaifea: Thanks Amber!

>244 streamsong: Thanks Janet. Crossing of fingers and toes is a generous effort!

>245 ronincats: Thanks Roni. More details in a moment.

>246 sibylline: Ha, Lucy, this thread moves especially quickly when I'm on a job interview and all my LT buddies are sending me mojo, mojitos, and just random posts. :-)

>247 jnwelch: Thanks Joe!

>248 ffortsa: Update pending, Judy. Thanks for inquiring!

>249 SuziQoregon: Thank you much, Juli!

Dear amazing and wonderful LT friends, here is the interview update:

I think I did well, I absolutely loved the people on the search committee (they would be awesome colleagues), and I think they liked me. I don't think I convinced them (or myself) that I can make the jump from a huge urban public institution to a small rural private liberal arts college. I think I could do it but they will have a strong pool of applicants. My assessment is that they will have 3 finalists to bring to campus who are more fully steeped in the small private liberal arts milieu. I would love working there. I don't know whether I would love living in a village in central New York.

But I feel good about how I did. Yes, I can think of an improvement here and there ("ack, why didn't I mention xxx when I answered that question?!?") but I was myself and there was great energy in the room. If the institution were less competitive, I think I would rise to the top, but I just think they have so much going for them that I won't make that cut. In the interview, they very transparently (and warmly) noted that I am "the wild card" in their pool of candidates, someone who got their attention but who comes from such a different educational milieu that they are skeptical. I don't know that I was going to be able to reassure them about that.

I'm not really sure about the outcome yet. I think I would have heard from the search committee this evening if they were wanting to invite me to campus for an on-site interview. But they may still be deliberating. I'm just figuring that silence is a poor sign. If they invite me for an on-campus interview, I will enthusiastically accept. I did drive around the area today after the interview and it's lovely. It's rural. It's so different from the region in which I currently live.

I had a really great conversation with a trusted mentor on Wednesday, and if this does not work out for me (and truly I am thinking it's not the perfect fit), it is serving as an opportunity for me to reevaluate my relationship with Seattle. I need to think about what is missing for me there. I need to think about what it would mean for me to finally, after ten years, finish unpacking my boxes and think of it as home. Financially, it's a stretch because of the cost of living and the amount of total lifetime income we are spending on our home. But we have everything we need and many things that we want. So how do I reconcile that and how do I build into my life some of the things that feel absent? This is a growth opportunity regardless.

In books, I continue to love The Master Butchers Singing Club and should finish it tonight. I also brought along First Fix Your Alibi which I read about in the Seattle Times a few weeks ago (see? The Seattle Times. What's not to love?) and it looks like a fun police procedural. And I love the title!

I'm glad things went well today Ellen, and I'm fascinated by your thought process and how this has made you reassess how to get more of what you need, right where you are. I will follow your journey with interest!

^Thanks, Laura. :-)

I always like a good win/win situation Ellen, and am confident whatever the outcome you will grow and find a way to thrive. I'll look forward to following your story.

Oh, good, a nice meaty description and response to chew over! Indeed, it sounds like it's been a very positive experience for you however it goes, Ellen. And now I'll dial back the mojo a bit and send some nice Washington wine instead...

Fingers crossed, Ellen. It sounds like you win no matter what happens. I'll watch for your comments on TMBSC. Tracks remains one of my favorites. My top three are Tracks, The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse and Love Medicine.

>260 Caroline_McElwee: I am a huge fan of win-wins, Caroline. And thank you for your words of kindness and optimism. I know myself pretty well and I agree that I will find a way to grow and thrive out of this. There is always something to learn.

>261 ronincats: LOL, I will thoroughly enjoy that Washington wine, Roni! I did mention to P that our wine selection would alter noticeably if we made this move.... I would still like to get an on-site interview but I'm feeling philosophical about it either way (easier to say after a few hours of chewing on it).

>262 BLBera: Well, I need to get around to reading The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse, Beth. Of course, I don't have that on the list of planned Erdrich reads for 2017 so I may have to sneak it into one of the odd months. :-)

And how was the first class experience??
Glad the interview went well, and you have some thinking points from it at least!!

I'm glad to hear that the interview went well.
Happy Sunday, Ellen.

>256 EBT1002: Thanks for sharing your interview impressions with us, Ellen. What made you the "wild card" and got you on the list will hopefully carry you to the next stage of the selection process. Wishing you all the best always. xx

Fascinating description of your experience. I love that you are perceptive of the committee's possible view of you and your interview! I can really identify with the pull of a small town "rural" environment. Reminds me of how much I loved living on Vashon island, which is sort of semi-rural, but very near the urban center. One disadvantage I experienced on Vashon was the speed with which a job mistake on my part was spread throughout the community and negatively affected my work experience. I was very grateful to have the option of returning to an urban job.

I know you will be wise and respond to the results in a way which enriches your life.

You are doing better with your Erdrich reading than I am. I was planning on THe Painted Drum this month, but I don't think that's going to happen. Next month? I really am not good with planned readings, other than those of my book club.

>264 LovingLit: The first class experience is today, Megan. I am up and showered in my little hotel room. It's a lovely day! I wish this were my day to drive around central New York. The sky is flawlessly blue and it's cool but not freezing. But, alas, to the airport I must go. I'm looking forward to the flight in first class. I will read. :-)

I slept very badly last night. Second night in a new time zone and lots of rehashing the interview. In the immediate aftermath, I felt good about how I did. As time progressed, my brain got very good at honing in on all the less-than-stellar moments. Our brains are funny organs. They aren't always that helpful, to be honest.

Well done on the interview, Ellen! And I want to just say that I want to be just like you when I grow up - your ability to assess the experience in such a thoughtful and insightful way astounds me. You're amazing.

>265 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara. It's good that I'm checking my thread and reminding myself that I thought the interview went well! Overnight my brain took me to places I just don't want - or need - to go.

>266 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. I'm okay either way on whether I advance to the next stage. This has been a great experience and when the next job possibility arises that really is a great fit for me, I'll have this experience to enhance my performance at that juncture. Or, I might just settle in and make myself more at home where I am. Heh.

One thing I would be loathe to give up is the book scene in Seattle! The library in this (central New York) region is, let's just say, not as outstanding as SPL. I suppose I would have fun buying books on the occasional Big Apple junket, but I'm trying to spend less money on books, not more. :-)

>267 maggie1944: That is an interesting point, Karen. There are definitely some down sides to living and working in a small community. The city offers some anonymity.

As I was driving around yesterday, I was reflecting on the conversation P and I have had, wanting to live somewhere just a tad bit quieter. But this might be too quiet. So, as we look ahead to retirement, we'll be considering our options. I think I would love living on Vashon but the cost of living isn't all that much lower there than it is in Seattle proper, I don't think. Maybe. I should investigate.

And thank you for the kind and encouraging words about my proclivity to a "wise" response to whatever happens. I am determined to integrate the experience in a positive manner. I just don't see any benefit to any other approach.

>268 BLBera: Well, Beth, some other planned reads have fallen by the wayside while I have been prioritizing Erdrich. I had terrible insomnia last night so I sat up at about 3:30am and finished The Master Butchers Singing Club. I really loved the novel and I'll have to think about my rating. It gets at least 4 stars, probably 4.5.

Planned reads are still supposed to be fun, I say, so you get to The Painted Drum when you get to it. I'm certainly not keeping score! :-D

>270 scaifea: Amber, thank you for that post. Could you please call the search committee and tell them how amazing I am? LOL
Truly, I am touched by your words. Thank you.

Happy Sunday, Ellen! Thanks for summing up the interview for us. Sending you lots of positive vibes for your future.

I have to get back to reading Erdrich. You guys are giving me that itch.

Ellen, I am always impressed by your ability to analyze and articulate a situation, even one so personal to you as this job interview process. I wish my brain worked like yours more often. (Though m brain does work like yours in your description of re-hashing the interview and focusing mostly on the negative!).

Enjoy the trip back - First Class coast to coast will be lovely!

And you've moved The Master Butchers Singing Club up my Rad Soon pile!

Hiya, Ellen.

Safe travels home, and enjoy first class!

It will work out the way it's supposed to, but that sounds like a great interview experience.

I'm another one who has added The Master Butchers Singing Club to my WL, thanks to your enthusiasm.

>273 EBT1002: Thanks for not keeping score!

>275 katiekrug: What Katie said. We - or should I say "I" - are not always good at learning from situations that don't turn out as we would wish. You have obviously thought about this, so no matter what the end result is, you will have gained from the experience. Bravo.

And have a lovely first class flight back.

Hiya everyone. Reading through and posting via my phone (always dangerous) at the Syracuse airport. I'm reading The Final Solution: a Story of Detection by Michael Chabon on my kindle and First Fix Your Alibi by Bill James in paperback. Both are short. Maybe I'll finish both during today's travels!

*posting from the airport, using my laptop -- this airport has wifi that works!*

>274 msf59: Hi Mark. You do need to read some more Erdrich. I will support you in doing so. But, as we always say, there is not a dearth of good reading material out there.

>275 katiekrug: Hi Katie. Thanks for your reflections on my thinking process. It is funny how universal is the brain's tendency to go for the dark side of any experience, is it not?

Yes, I am excited about first class coast to coast! I plan to partake of the "free" wine.

As is so often true of Erdrich's works, the characters in The Master Butchers Singing Club are richly and vividly wrought.

>276 jnwelch: Hiya Joe. Thanks, as always, for your cheerful presence on my thread. I'm hanging out in the Syracuse airport, listening to "Modern Love" podcast, and catching up. I was walking a bit, figuring the exercise wouldn't hurt me, but then I realized that I had access to wifi and my laptop was in my backpack! Yay!

>277 BLBera: Hi Beth. In my sleeplessness last night, i was certainly in that universal bleak space, but my optimism (for which I thank the universe) has a way of reasserting itself.

#279
I found that the small airport in Lincoln, Nebraska had WiFi that worked too! Along with good connections to larger airports that was very positive and made that small town even more attractive as a place to relocate to on retirement.

Hope your journey home is comfy Ellen. I've been out in the garden enjoying the sunshine after a very lazy day reading. Your reading of the interview is so constructive, I can only echo Amber.

>256 EBT1002: Sounds like it was a good thing no matter what happens.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the interview and its aftermath, Ellen. Your evaluation is probably spot on and it will be interesting to see how the situation plays out for you.

I hope you had a good trip back, Ellen, and that you get plenty of sleep tonight. Sometimes you just have to turn your brain off by telling it "what will be, will be." There is nothing that you can do to influence the decision right now.

Hi Ellen! Sorry for the sleepless night. I suspect that everything will work out fine, and this college does sound way too remote. BUT... I think that you are underestimating what you have to offer to a liberal arts college. My daughter is currently at a small liberal arts college (which has been great for her) and it's made me aware that these schools are in the midst of a lot of change and challenges in order to keep going. For most of them, things are tight financially. I think most schools could use a bit of an outsider perspective, because it can be so easy to keep doing things the same way, instead of looking at new, evidence-based approaches. Also you would be well able to help make the school a more welcoming place for a greater diversity of students.

Ellen, thanks for your post @256. I'm so sorry that Seattle does not quite feel like home yet. And the decisions that lie before you. In one of your posts you mentioned how you still miss Willamette Valley in Oregon. I think I was struck " dumb." Though I was born in Winnipeg, I lived here in Richmond for 45 of my 56 years. I really love it hear and can't imagine having to move away. We did move into a smaller community, Ladner , just a half hour away from Richmond, but in 7 years of living there, I never felt at home. The population on the area was just 20,000 and I never felt that was a part of that community. I also felt it was very small and gossipy. We finally sold our home and moved back to Richmond, and purchased our townhome. I love the people in the townhouse complex - helpful and friendly, but not in your face . I love Richmond - friendly , but you can also be somewhat anonymous . It is just my place and my husband and sons seem to feel the same way.

My heart hurts for you that you are not living where you feel " at home". That said, I'm really not an " easy mover." I have an great aunt who says she is any " easy mover" and can set down roots most anywhere.. Not me.

Best wishes with your decisions. ((((hugs )))))

Just checking in here...Hope the plane ride back was enjoyable. Catch up with you soon!

>281 benitastrnad: Hi Benita. I have generally had poor luck with wifi in airports so I was pretty excited about its functionality in Syracuse!

>282 charl08: Hi Charlotte. My ride home was comfy indeed. The 5-hour-53-minute flight from DC to Seattle was much more pleasant in first class! I have more to report about the post-interview process but I may save it for my new thread (which I intend to create momentarily).

>283 SuziQoregon: Yes, Juli. It was a good thing despite the outcome that I did not advance to an on-campus interview. More about that soon. :-)

>284 alcottacre: I do think my evaluation was spot on, Stasia. I did not advance to the on-campus interview stage but I got positive feedback and there were some other nuances that I hadn't thought of that made them reluctant to take the risk with me. Ultimately, this is all turning out well and I'm learning from it.

>285 Familyhistorian: Oh Meg, I had a good trip back but Sunday night was another insomnia-cursed night. I got very little sleep and I am feeling it today! I'm less good at turning off my brain at 2am than I am at 2pm...

>286 banjo123: I think you're right, Rhonda, that small liberal arts colleges are facing a bit of a crisis. One thing that was appealing about this college is its excellent financial situation. They have a very healthy endowment and I admit that I found the idea of spending less time managing scarcity and more time serving students to be an appealing one! And yes, I am learning through this experience and it's helping me feel more solid about what I have to offer here and what I might offer at a small liberal arts institution in the future. And I'm glad to still be living in a place that has more than two restaurants!

>287 vancouverdeb: Deborah, thanks for that post. You know, someone very wise said to me last week that if I got this job and if I left Seattle, I might find that I was leaving more a community behind than I realize. And I think there is some truth in that. In many ways, Seattle does feel like home. But I am drawn to a somewhat quieter milieu (just not that quiet!). The town we lived in back in Oregon was about 55,000 people. I don't know that I want to go any smaller than that. The population in the village in which the college I visited is located was 1,942 at the 2010 census. That is tiny.

I'm also shifting my thinking to focusing on what I love about my current job and home, and what I need to change to make it even better. I need to get back to yoga. I need to attend more book-and-author events. I need to find a second book group, one that is larger and already established and thriving (I LOVE my RLBC but we are small and sometimes struggling). I need to extend myself into friendships and colleague relationships here to expand my sense of community.

>288 Berly: Hi Beth!

>291 EBT1002: Hah!

It sounds like this has been a good experience, Ellen. Sorry you didn't make it to the next step -- they are really missing out.

>289 EBT1002: I was going to say I'm sorry that you didn't make it to the next round of interviews, Ellen, but in reading your posts it's clear that you are making the most out of the entire experience. I am so impressed with your capacity for reflection and personal growth. I have struggled my entire life with being able to see "the big picture" and envision what I want my life to be a few years down the road, and I feel that lack more keenly as I get closer to retirement and begin to contemplate all the things I will never do.

Of course, equanimity is a little easier to attain when you come away feeling that it was not the absolute perfect job for you — those are always easier to let go.

>293 rosalita: Indeed, Julia, equanimity is easier to come by when there was some ambivalence embedded in the experience. Going from a large city, with all its delights and its headaches, to a village of under 2,000 souls would have been a big leap for me.

I appreciate all the support this group has given me as I've wandered through this exploration. And I'll just say this: having an awesome therapist helps. At least, it helps me. :-)

>289 EBT1002: Ellen, I always think an interview is a success as long as you come away with some valuable feedback, so many companies don't offer it, despite all the work you will have put in.

Taking time to reevaluate where you are on a regular basis is satisfying and productive. It sounds like you are doing all the right things.

>295 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caroline!