Ellen reads in 2017 - Chapter 8

"the rain it raineth every day" by Leonard Campbell Taylor

"Gold Paw" by Peter Robinson

(I just love this cat.)

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

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
33. The Final Solution: A Story of Detection by Michael Chabon
34. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
35. The Trouble with Poetry and Other Poems by Billy Collins

COMPLETED IN MAY

36. Solitaire by Kelley Eskridge
37. A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami
38. The Chessmen by Peter May
39. All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
40. Nightmare in Pink by John D. MacDonald
41. Dust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neale Hurston
42. The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths
43. The Girl, the Gold Watch, & Everything by John D. MacDonald
44. Lola by Melissa Scrivner Love

COMPLETED IN JUNE

45. Hopper by Mark Strand
46. The Lauras by Sara Taylor
47. The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
48. Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow audiobook
49. The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths
50. Indian Killer by Sherman Alexie
51. A Change of World: Poems by Adrienne Rich
52. Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
53. The Leavers by Lisa Ko
54. The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson

COMPLETED IN JULY

55. One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg
56. Moonglow by Michael Chabon
57. The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey
58. Of Thee I Sing: Letter to My Daughters by Barack Obama
59. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
60. Hate Crimes in Cyberspace by Danielle Keats Citron

June reading plans

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
June: Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance ~ COMPLETED
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 ~ COMPLETED
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 ~ COMPLETED

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 -- Dust Tracks on a Road ~~ COMPLETED
June- Sherman Alexie -- Indian Killer ~~ COMPLETED
July- James McBride -- Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul ~~
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 hosted the CultureCAT Challenge (gulp). My topic was Religious Diversity & Freedom.
I'm slowly making my way through Islam: A Very Short Introduction from the Oxford Very Short Introductions Series.

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. And now I have also read A Wild Sheep Chase.

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 ~ Currently reading
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

Louise Erdrich Reading List:

February: The Round House - COMPLETED

March (optional): LaRose - COMPLETED

April: The Master Butchers' Singing Club - COMPLETED

June: The Birchbark House - COMPLETED

August: The Beet Queen

October: The Bingo Palace

December: The Antelope Wife or The Painted Drum (or both)

I'm so enjoying this dedicated focus on one notable author that I may add a few extras in between.

Personal Reading Challenge: Every winner of the Booker Prize since its inception in 1969

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

I'll use this post to keep track of upcoming planned shared/group reads.

I'm read The Lauras by Sara Taylor, an ER book, with Mark and others in June. Completed.

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison in July.

Kim and I are going to read Kafka on the Shore by Murakami in August. Mark and Mamie are planning to join us. Others are also welcome!!!

Also in August, Beth and I are going to read The Master and Margarita.

Currently reading:

. .

I realize that I have strayed from my National Park theme so here is the Grand Prismatic Spring (Rainbow Pool) in Yellowstone National Park.

>1 EBT1002: So, is that a particularly appropos image for Seattle, Ellen?

I have a question for you. I just finished David McCullough's biography of John Adams, and he had a lot to say about Hamilton's ambitions, political meddling, and war fever, wanting to head an army to Florida, for example, when war with France did not materialize (no thanks to him). How is this treated in the Hamilton biography?

And...Happy New Thread!! Enjoy your summer session, and I hope the obstreperous faculty member gets his comeuppance.

Not to complain too much as I know they have been working hard on the touchstones issue, but it's even worse now!

Happy new thread, dear Ellen. xx

Oh dear, Ellen. I can't possibly catch up with your old thread, but the least I can do is wish you a happy new one and browse your lists. >10 EBT1002: and >11 EBT1002: are especially intriguing for several reasons. I might suggest America's Original Sin by Jim Wallis as an addition to what's going on now.
Did you LOVE War of the End of the World? I did, obviously. Must read more VL. I'm also interested to see that the Murakamis you've read are not the Murakamis I've read. I'm convinced that however much I read, nothing is going to top *Wind-up Bird*.
I wish you a wonderful summer!

>17 ronincats: It is often an apropos image for Seattle, Roni, although we are on the downhill swing into summer when fools like me start longing for the rain. Today was weird. Cloudy and a high of about 67F. It felt colder than that.

Ron Chernow certainly discussed Hamilton's political ambitions. He portrayed him as a confident and ambitious man with a bit of a chip on his shoulder regarding his non aristocratic origins. He also portrayed him as a brilliant political thinker with a true dedication to the role of the federal government in ensuring liberty and resisting anarchy. He talked about Hamilton's detractors' assertions that Hamilton would have the nascent country return to a monarchical system but Chernow argues that this could not have been further from the truth. Meddling? Perhaps no more than any of his contemporaries. I'm not sure about the desire to head an army to Florida; honestly, it may have talked about that more than I comprehended in my desire to finish the darn thing. I would say that Chernow is a true fan of Hamilton's and he makes the case that history has mistreated the man's memory. I suspect I would have worked my way through the work and gotten more out of it had I read it rather than listened.

Thanks for the summer wishes. Honestly, I just want the obstreperous faculty member to interact with me and some of my colleagues with a more respectful tone. He is demanding something which I have no intention of giving to him. We'll see how that plays out. I get to practice calmly explaining why I'm denying his (ahem) request and standing firm in the face of his arguments. He is a clever guy so I will have my work cut out for me to engage in rational debate.

>19 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

>20 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! I'm sorry my threads get so out of hand. I know the feeling of wanting to keep up with someone and having their thread simply go too fast. I'm glad you stopped by while this one is in its infancy. :-)

I will make a note of America's Original Sin and add it to the collection of reads for this year. As I was building this thread I realized that I have falling into a bit of a mystery novel pit; I'm not saying it's not enjoyable (it is) but it is also distracting me from some of the more nutritious reading I had planned for my year.

I did love The War of the End of the World. I really want to read more of Mario Vargas Llosa's works. I have a small collection of them on the shelves. :-)

Happy new thread, Ellen. I love your toppers.

Speaking of sugar, Scout and I made strawberry jam today. She ate some strawberries and loved the jam. When her mom came to pick her up, we were talking, and Scout disappeared. We found her under the dining room table with a bowl of jam and a spoon. :) She does love her sugar.

Oh, and lots of good reading going on here.

>16 EBT1002: Happy new thread!! My goodness, you have a lot of group reads and individual goals this year!! LOVE the Rainbow Pool. I have been there and it is really THAT gorgeous. : )

Hope this week is awesome!

Happy new thread Ellen. I hope your colleague sees reason. The academic / administration snobbery thing is bizarre.

Happy New Thread Ellen!

Happy new thread! I love that silver tabby in your topper!!

>13 EBT1002: I see I have read 21 of the Booker winners Ellen, and really liked most of those, having also reread a couple of them.

Nice topper. Happy new thread.

Happy new thread, Ellen!

Happy New Thread, Ellen! Ooh, Yellowstone...Let me know how the Rich collection is. I have been meaning to get back to her and if you see anything that really stands out share it over on AAC poetry thread. Please...

Happy new one, Ellen!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Ellen!

Happy new thread, Ellen. Hopefully you are more relaxed now but keep up those steps!

Happy new thread! I see you are currently reading Indian Killer. How are you liking it? It caught my eye but I haven't had a chance to pick it up yet

Happy New Thread, Ellen!

HI, Ellen! Wow, one day away and I'm 60 posts behind. Hard to keep up.

I hope your faculty problem settles himself down. Somehow, after all this time alive, I've become much more 'woke' to sexism in my own life. I think it may be that I'm working with a non-profit project staff that is about 97% female, and when a man enters the arena, I can see immediately if he is biased. We had a phone meeting with a consultant last week, and while his comments were valuable, his attitude was not. I had a real wrestle with old traumas about not being good enough, before I recognized it for what it was and threw it away. Sheesh, you'd think at 68 I'd be over that.

The shot of the lake at Yellowstone is completely fantastic. I must go, I must, I must.

eta: Your book list reminded me that I have to read Hillbilly Elegy this month. Whew.

Happy sort of New Thread Ellen!

Love the Yellowstone photo

I have been absent from your thread for quite a while, and your last one became impossible for me to face. So, I am jumping in here, with hope to keep up.

I'm enjoying spring in Bellevue, with the garden blooming and the weather a bit more friendly. New dog is settling in, she's a character and makes me laugh often.

I'm reading Born a Crime and looking forward to receiving, from Amazon, of course, You Don't Have to Say You Love Me today!

I do like my biographies, and autobiographies.

50. Indian Killer by Sherman Alexie




"Dr. Mather, if the Ghost Dance worked, there would be no exceptions. All you white people would disappear. All of you. If those dead Indians came back to life, they wouldn't crawl into a sweathouse with you. They wouldn't smoke the pipe with you. They wouldn't go to the movies and munch popcorn with you. They'd kill you. They'd gut you and eat your heart out."

This was a reread for me and it was nothing like I recalled. John Smith, born to a 14-year-old Indian girl and given up for adoption to a white upper-middle-class couple, grows up without any real knowledge of his tribal heritage. As apparent schizophrenia develops for John, its tentacles of delusion, hallucination, and paranoia intertwine themselves with his reasonably-evolving roots of rage and isolation. John moves to Seattle and begins working construction. He also seeks belonging and safety in a world that is simply incomprehensible to him. His rage is murderous and, as he works to find his way in this city, a rash of violence emerges: white men are being killed, apparently by an Indian who leaves a "calling card" indicating his Native American identity. The violence escalates; Native American homeless people are particularly targeted for horrific battering.

This novel, surely not Alexie's best, is peopled with angry Native American students, angry white guys, a sad white Wannabe novelist who claims expertise in all things Indian, and some very sympathetic people who are just trying to get along. Its violence is real and I know that, years after the novel's publication, Alexie himself questioned his own writing and the commanding, unflinching presence of the violence. And yet. Here, in 2017, as we watch the national dialogue deteriorate inexorably into deep incivility, and as we witness ascendent, apparently incurable racist divisions and the spread of violence as a "solution," Alexie's novel is timely and astute. He may retroactively feel sheepish about his rage. But this is exactly the rage we are seeing in our society today.

>22 BLBera: Oh, I love strawberry jam! And now I have another dimension on which to feel kinship with Scout: we both have a sweet tooth. Do you make the kind of jam that has to be boiled and everything? Last summer P and I made ice box blueberry jam with fresh blueberries and I'm hoping we'll do the same thing again this year. YUM.

>23 Berly: Well, Kim, I'm a sucker for a shared read and I do have TOO many individual goals this year. I am making poor progress on most of them but I'm having fun nonetheless. I just keep getting distracted by the next good read that presents itself to me!

I, too, have seen the Rainbow Pool at Yellowstone and I agree: it IS that gorgeous! We were there in about 1998 and I very much want to return.

>24 charl08: Hi Charlotte. Happily, right now the colleague tension has taken a bit of a back seat. I expect it will emerge again as the summer unfolds. But I'm happy to have a break from it.

>25 SandDune: Thanks Rhian!

>26 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley. I wasn't previously familiar with Peter Robinson's work but I also love that silver tabby. I love it when an artist captures a cat's very cat-ness. :-)

>27 Caroline_McElwee: I have been neglectful of my Booker challenge, Caroline, and want to return to it. Even if I just knock off 3-4 of them each year, it will feel like I'm making progress. In fact, having just written that, it feels like a good goal to articulate and concretize. So. As a start, this summer (by the end of August) I will read at least one more Booker winner.

>28 scaifea: Thanks Amber!

>29 msf59: Hi Mark. Yes, Yellowstone is a very special place on earth. I want to get back there again.

I think I will have one or two poems from the Adrienne Rich collection to share on the poetry thread. Her work is rich (heh) and when it is lovely it is very very lovely.

>30 katiekrug: and >31 drneutron: and >32 Crazymamie: Thanks Katie, Jim, and Mamie!

>33 Familyhistorian: Today was not a good steps day, Meg, but yesterday was pretty good and I expect tomorrow and Friday to be good. When I run and/or ride the light rail to work, I get my steps in. Today I did neither. Tomorrow I plan to do both. :-)

>34 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle. I think Indian Killer has the reputation of being a low point in Alexie Sherman's writing career and it may well be that. But see my comments in >39 EBT1002: for how it landed on me at this point in time.

>35 jnwelch: Thanks Joe!

>36 ffortsa: Hi Judy. My threads advance in fits and starts so one day can indeed leave you gasping for breath. I wish I could be a more steady and consistent participant on LT but it just has to be erratic for now.

Your comment, "...you'd think at 68 I'd be over that" made me smile. I'm "only" 56 but I just don't think those issues of confidence go away, especially when another person acts in a way to activate them. As I used to tell clients of mine, especially women and people of color, there is a reason the "impostor syndrome" has a name. It is a real thing.

I have Hillbilly Elegy from the library at present and will likely start it this week. It's on my June list!

On that note, there was an interesting article in today's Seattle Times about a UW professor who anticipated Trump's victory. He makes the very interesting point that

The story we’ve told ourselves — that working-class whites flocked to Trump due to job worries or free trade or economic populism — is basically wrong, the research papers released this week suggest. They did flock to Trump. But the reason they did so in enough numbers for Trump to win wasn’t anxiety about the economy. It was anxiety about Mexicans, Muslims and blacks.

>37 SuziQoregon: Thanks Juli! I'm glad folks are enjoying the Yellowstone pic.

>38 maggie1944: Hi Karen! I'm so glad you're enjoying this spring we are having. I'm rather enjoying it, too, although I keep making people laugh and shake their heads when I say we still need a wee bit more rain. I think Thursday (tomorrow) is supposed to be rainy but then the sunshine is predicted to come around for much of the next week or so. That works for me! I'm also glad to hear that Gretchen is settling in nicely. I think of you whenever I see someone out walking a smallish dog. I kind of want one myself (but for now it's just us and Abby and will stay that way for as long as she graces our lives).

I thought Born a Crime was a worthwhile read. I learned a lot from it and enjoyed it at the same time!

"I do like my biographies, and autobiographies." Maybe there is a seed of something in that wonderful statement that can support our little book group. Alexander Hamilton may have been too ambitious but we could aim for something more digestible.

Up next in print:



Currently listening:



I started listening to I Contain Multitudes during my morning commute and I think it's going to be a delightful audiobook.

>2 EBT1002: I love it when cats do that! Also when they languidly get up from a snooze, and stretch the front legs, and then the back....and then saunter off without a care in the world. Oh to be a cat :)

>15 EBT1002: Hate Crimes in Cyber Space? Yikes. Not the lightest of reads!!!

ETA: from last thread I do think some of it is good old fashioned sexism, Beth. Honestly, I don't have enough experience with this particular faculty member to know for sure but I can't imagine that he would speak so condescendingly to another male faculty member.
Sheesh! What a crock.

>45 EBT1002: I really enjoyed Hillbilly Elegy a lot, especially since one member of my RL bookclub grew up in just such an environment. Definitely a worthwhile read, although not an all-time favorite. I look forward to your thoughts on I Contain Multitudes. : )

>45 EBT1002: - I just finished listening to I Contain Multitudes, reviewed it on my thread. I look forward to your impressions

>45 EBT1002: I loved both of these. Fine choices, my friend.

^What Mark said, Ellen. I loved both of them, too. Ed Yong has a surprising knack for making the multitudes interesting and humorous.

Great comments on Indian Killer, Ellen. It's an Alexie I haven't read yet though I think I have a copy on my shelves.

My strawberry jam is the freezer type. We plan to take Scout picking some day and make some more. It seems to disappear fast.

Wow, you took a lot more from Indian Killer than I did. I just got so frustrated with it - I guess because I was expecting the style I'd got used to expecting from Alexie, all that humour and insight.

Illegitimi non carborundum, Ellen.

>43 EBT1002: Gil highlighted that Seattle Times article for me to read. We've talked about that issue and both basically agree with the professor's conclusions. I haven't read Hillbilly Elegy--one of the reasons I think is that I've been somewhat suspicious of the conclusions of a conservative (admitting my bias, here).

I read Indian Killer many, many years ago, pretty much as a straight murder mystery. I don't remember much about it, but the points you have picked up on are interesting.

A response to Deborah's comment above: this conservative has pretty reasonable, and constructive, conclusions I thought. I really appreciated the book which I took to be a very real accounting of how he escaped the trap of poverty. He does not claim to have "pulled himself up by the book straps", rather gives much credit to a grandmother, the U.S. Marines, and other benefactors along his path to middle class status.

#51
I made a trip to Seattle last summer just to make blackberry jam with my cousins. I am still eating the production of that trip and loving every minute of it. It is yum yum good stuff!

America's Test Kitchen has a great recipe for strawberry jam.

>55 maggie1944: Thank you for the information Karen. :)

You're all making me wonder if I should move I Contain Multitudes up my TBR Tower.

Hope you're having a lovely weekend, Ellen.

51. A Change of World: Poems by Adrienne Rich




A CLOCK IN THE SQUARE

This handless clock stares blindly from its tower,
Refusing to acknowledge any hour.
But what can one clock to do stop the game
When others go on striking just the same?
Whatever mite of truth the gesture held,
Time may be silenced but will not be stilled,
Nor we absolved by any one's withdrawing
From all the restless ways we must be going
And all the rings in which we're spun and swirled,
Whether around a clockface or a world.

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

Excerpt from STEPPING BACKWARD

It takes a late and slowly blooming wisdom
To learn that those we marked infallible
Are tragi-comic stumblers like ourselves.
The knowledge breeds reserve. We walk on tiptoe,
Demanding more than we know how to render.
Two-edged discovery hunts us finally down;
The human act will make us real again,
And then perhaps we come to know each other.

Let us return to imperfection's school.
No longer wandering after Plato's ghost,
Seeking the garden where all fruit is flawless,
We must at last renounce that ultimate blue
And take a walk in other kinds of weather.
The sourest apple makes its wry announcement
That imperfection has a certain tang.
Maybe we shouldn't turn our pockets out
To the last crumb or lingering bit of fluff,
But all we can confess of what we are
Has in it the defeat of isolation --
If not our own, then someone's, anyway.

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

It took a bit of practice for me to get used to the prominent style of this collection, Rich's debut, originally published in 1951. Her use of rhyme initially threw me off, leading me to mentally recite the poems with a rhythm too reminiscent of Mother Goose. Once I broke free from that, I was more able to "hear" the sentiment and "see" the images Rich's poetry evokes.

52. Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance




"Powerful people sometimes do things to help people like me without really understanding people like me."

"...social mobility isn't just about money and economics, it's about a lifestyle change. The wealthy and the powerful aren't just wealthy and powerful; they follow a different set of norms and mores. When you go from working-class to professional-class, almost everything about your old life becomes unfashionable at best or unhealthy at worst. At no time was this more obvious than the first (and last) time I took a Yale friend to Cracker Barrel. In my youth, it was the height of fine dining -- my grandma's and my favorite restaurant. With Yale friends, it was a greasy public health crisis."

I had not realized that this book, which has topped the reading lists of liberal intellectual circles for the past several months, was a memoir. I expected an academic treatise, a narrative nonfiction work of sociology. Instead, I got a very personal recounting of the life of a man born in southeast Kentucky and raised in Rust Belt Ohio by a poor and chaotic family. Vance is still in his early 30s so this is a memoir of youth. It is also an examination of the cultural dynamics of poor white "hillbillies," his own word for his extended family and their community.

One reason for the book's popularity is liberal intellectual Americans' desire to "understand" the results of the most recent election and the increasing divide between classes within our society. Vance does provide a glimpse into a culture steeped in loyalty and mistrust, deep patriotism and vilification of government, resentment of the rich and a reluctance to consider one's own contribution to stagnation. Vance explores these paradoxes with his own loyalty on his sleeve and this is one reason for the success of the work. He invites compassion and understanding, appreciation for the good in his people, even as they abuse drugs or scream obscenities at one another, and an openness to solutions that focus less on schools, for example, and more on the family unit so crucial to a child's sense of security in the world.

It's not great literature, but it's a worthwhile read.

Hi Ellen! Happy weekend. Hope life is slowing down for you a bit. I agree with you assessment of HE ^^. Nice review.

#60
I found your review fascinating. I have known about this book for a long time and have wondered about it longevity on the bestseller lists. Just why is it so popular?

Your comment about focusing less on schools and more on the family unit is interesting. Just how do you help fix a family units in a culture that persists on seeing any help in this area as "gub'nent interference?" I ask this question because I know that is how the people in my hometown in Kansas think.

Up next in print:



A gift from Beth, and recommended by The Seattle Times as well as Beth, I'm looking forward to reading this next.

>46 LovingLit: I'm with you, Megan, on all those cat things you mentioned. I also love it when artists capture cat behavior as Peter Robinson does in this painting.

Hate Crimes in Cyberspace is definitely not a light read but it is fascinating and I feel like I'm learning a lot from it. Honestly, I skimmed through some of the policy and law recommendations but I'm reading the chapter near the end on free speech considerations with great care. It's good stuff.

>47 Berly: Hi Kim. You can see my comments about Hillbilly Elegy. I did not grow up in the same environment as Vance but I did grow up in the south and there were bits of his story with which I resonated deeply. My mother grew up poor in Tennessee and I have family who live in a similar cultural milieu to that he described. Not the same, but similar. His book has evoked much thought for me.

>48 jessibud2: Shelley, I will go look at your review of I Contain Multitudes. I need to commute to work in the car more so I can make faster progress on it!

>49 msf59: I remember that you warbled about I Contain Multitudes, Mark, and I'm looking forward to it! (I've just gotten started with it, really.)

>50 jnwelch: Yes, Joe, I remember your warbling about I Contain Multitudes, too. If I recall correctly, you and Mark read it around the same time. It's what put it on my radar.

>51 BLBera: Thanks Beth, for the kind words about my comments about Indian Killer. I think it is one of his lesser-admired works but I found it interesting in light of the current national climate.

Freezer jam made from fresh strawberries! I'm not surprised that it disappears quickly. :-)

>52 charl08: I think your reaction to Indian Killer is the more common one, Beth, so I may just be a bit quirky in my response. It is definitely different from most of his work and I don't think he himself is particularly proud of it!

>53 weird_O: LOL, Bill! I had to google that and it cracked me up.

>54 arubabookwoman: I agree with the professor's conclusions, too, Deborah. In Hillbilly Elegy, he acknowledges issues of race. He also did not write the book to "explain" any electoral outcome; he wrote it to help an audience understand the mindset of his own community. In that sense, it was indeed enlightening. I think the book was finished before the November election; he does talk briefly about poor whites' mistrust of Obama but he downplays the role that racism plays in that mistrust. Rather, he argues that Obama's connection with the "elite" class of Americans underlies much of the mistrust and antipathy. I'm sure it contributes but I think Vance may be missing the role that race plays in escalating the mistrust and antipathy.

Regarding Indian Killer, I think I also read it as a straight murder mystery when I read it many years ago. This time around I discerned layers that were not apparent to me the first time around.

>55 maggie1944: Yes, I agree, Karen. I think Vance is trying to examine his own background, his own community, with a clear eye. At several points he calls out the hypocrisy that he sees in the tendency to blame the government for failing to help while making choices that clearly contribute to continued poverty. One example is a friend who told Vance that he quit his job because he didn't want to get up in the morning but later complained about the failure of the government to provide economic opportunities. Vance has no patience for such self-delusion.

>56 benitastrnad: I remember that, Benita! When we went to the Amazon bricks-and-mortar store you were coming from (and planning to return to?) some blackberry picking. Yum.

I'll see if I can find the recipe from America's Test Kitchen. Last summer we used a recipe for Earl Gray Blueberry Jam (refrigerator style) and it was quite tasty. However, it was impossible to keep the Earl Gray teabags from breaking apart so our jam had tea leaves in it. This year we plan to use the same excellent recipe but leave out the tea.

>57 arubabookwoman: :-)

>58 cameling: Caroline!!! It's so great to see you!!

I have barely begun reading listening to I Contain Multitudes so I can't provide you with the nudge you need. But I can say that Mark and Joe discussed it with such affection a while back that I immediately downloaded it from Audible.

My weekend. It has been lovely!

Yesterday I rented a power washer and spent four hours spraying the back patio and the front steps (we have concrete steps that go down to the street -- Seattle hills, you know). I was a muddy mess! And soaked. I meant to get P to take a picture so I could post it, but just imagine me in jeans and t-shirt with mud pretty much from my feet to the top of my head. Yep, even in my hair. Yikes. But the pavement looks much better as I got most of the moss and ground-in dirt out.

This morning I went for a run and started laundry (though the weather is turning out to be better for running and snails than it is for drying clothes on the line). P and I are going to see the Storm play basketball this afternoon. Kelsey Plum, the star guard from UW, plays for the opposing team. I'll be rooting for the Storm but it will be fun to see Kelsey play again and I'll hope for her to have a good day.

Tomorrow I ride the train to Portland for a 3-day work-related meeting. I don't expect to have much free time although I may try to duck over to Powell's at some point. I will also take running gear because running along the Willamette River is always a treat. Wednesday afternoon I ride the train back home. On Thursday I will be in a medical center waiting room while P has a procedure in preparation for her hip replacement (they are still trying to figure out why she got so anemic, so she gets to have an endoscopy and a colonoscopy in the same go!). I plan to read. Then we are heading to central Washington for a long weekend getaway. We'll see the Grand Coulee Dam and drive the North Cascades Highway. And I plan to read.

>61 Berly: Hi Kim! Life is not quite slowing down although both Thursday and Friday afternoons at work this past week were meeting-free and I got a ton of work done. That felt SO good. I don't remember the last time I had one afternoon free of meetings, much less two in a row. I hope more of that occurs in the next 3 months.....

>62 benitastrnad: Well, Vance doesn't really offer solutions, per se, Benita. But I took to heart his comments about the social services system that, for example, is as likely to put a kid in foster care as to allow his/her grandparent or aunt or cousin take them in. I think he was trying to say that government programs, whether intended to address poverty or to address poor school performance, are destined to fail when they don't recognize the deep and loyal family connections that exist, even when abuse and neglect are happening. With that, I could resonate. A kid may be afraid every day at home, but it is still home. And a kid who has grown up in a culture for which family loyalty is a core value, to take that kid out of even an abusive home is not as simple as it can seem. Ultimately, I think he was extending an opportunity to understand -- rather than judge -- the "hillbilly" culture that is so resistant to intervention. There are reasons it resists intervention and most of them are imbedded in culture. As a relatively wealthy white liberal who values multiculturalism, I could appreciate his thesis that nothing will change if our only approach comes from a place of condescension (i.e., "my culture is rational while yours is not, and my values are inherently better than yours" -- a stance of which I am admittedly guilty in this instance). His argument succeeds, in part, because he does hold individuals responsible for their particular choices while compassionately viewing them within the context in which they occur.

Ellen, I am jealous of your trip over the North Cascades highway. It is so stunningly beautiful, and my most memorable drive was in a Saab with a sun roof, open to look up at the peaks. A lovely drive, and I hope the eastern Washington sights are good, too. I find the dry lands a bit boring for driving through, but when one stops and looks there is beauty there, too.

There is much talk on the TV news shows of "tribes". Everyone retreating to their respective tribes and only listening to the tribal truths.... it occurred to me today that what is missing are the Chiefs. I might belong to the liberal-progressive tribe and enjoy talking with those who agree with me from the "get go"; however, I do not see any of these tribes following their Chiefs. If only! One can create agreements, and negotiations between tribes if the tribe respects its leaders and elders and their ability to represent the best interest of the tribe.

I think today's politics is much more chaotic with rampant "individualism" being the preferred stance of many more people than is "tribalism".

Above are random thoughts based on how often I hear the "tribe" metaphor on the TV news channels.

Have great trips! Both to Portland and then to the east side of Washington.

Hi Karen. I'm looking forward to our trip. I agree that the high desert of central Washington can be a bit boring and barren but, as you say, there is beauty there if one looks. I'm just looking forward to some peace and quiet. I do love living in this city but it is rarely truly, deeply quiet.

Your observation about the lack of Chiefs is interesting! At first I was thinking that the problem may be that tribe members are listening to their respective chiefs so unthinkingly, but I love how you point out the need for negotiating agreements. We are so bad at that, it seems.

Thanks for stopping by and for the well wishes!

I forgot to mention one highlight of my weekend so far: on Friday P and I met in Columbia City (Seattle neighborhood just south of the neighborhood in which we live) for dinner at Lottie's and then a movie. We saw Wonder Woman and it was great fun. I have had occasional impulses to get a small tattoo and I admit that I found myself a bit intrigued by the WW "logo" (I know that is not the right word; emblem? thingy?). I won't really do it but it's fun to think about.

After the movie we totally splurged and stopped at the new Molly Moon ice cream shop next door. I try to stay away from ice cream because of the fat and cholesterol, but lord oh lord, Molly Moon ice cream is wonderful!

Oh, and I loved the ice cream scene in the movie, too! (Thanks again for the gif, Pawsforthought!)

>73 EBT1002: The movie is so good! I'm seriously tempted to watch it again (I never watch movies twice in the cinema because tickets are so incredible expensive). Glad you liked the gif - that scene is one of my favourite in the film.

>74 PawsforThought: I really enjoyed it, too. That scene, where she is first experiencing things in the world, was so great. I cracked up more than once.

Great comments on HE, Ellen. I saw him interviewed by Charlie Rose, and I think your comments pretty much agree with what he said.

Your weekend sounds lovely. My sister is currently in Oregon for my nephew's graduation. I was tempted to go -- what a coincidence it would have been for us to be in Portland at the same time the second time in a year!

I hope your meeting is worthwhile and that you do get to Powell's. Be sure to post any purchases.

>65 EBT1002: - In my review of I Contain Multitudes, Ellen, I mentioned a small issue I found with the sound on the audio. Not bad enough to be a deterrent, by any means, but I'd be curious to know if you notice it in your copy, as well. It could have been just my copy from my library

>60 EBT1002: Nice review! I'm about halfway in - your thoughts are dead on with mine so far.

>69 EBT1002: My hubby looked like you did today! Drenched from head to toe. Me? I was dry, but covered in dirt from head to toe. I just love yard work...not! But we made progress and it looks so much better. : ) See you soon!

>70 EBT1002: I agree that Vance doesn't offer solutions, and that's good, but he does suggest that family dysfunction is environmentally inherited, and that trauma and instability and trigger-finger rage is damaging and illustrative of what is disabling in the culture. I hope Vance find a way to ameliorate his learned reactions (aside from his wife's influence and his own intelligence). How we do that to an entire culture is another question.

Poor P, I hope all the procedures go well and they are able to go ahead with the surgery soon. Enjoy your trips to Portland and your get away to central Washington.

Hoping that you have a good week Ellen, and that P's procedure finds a solution. Your comment about meetings made me a bit awestruck. Not my favourite thing. Im for the stand up meeting where maybe everyone just gets to the nitty gritty stuff.

I'm looking forward to things calming down in July and hopefully a break featuring books. Are you planning any national park visits?

Wow, there's a lot going on on your thread, Ellen; I'll have to circle back, as we're about to run out the door.

I love Adrienne Rich, and those selections were fun for me; I know her from her later style, and I've not read much of her early stuff. I knew right away, with the rhyming, that it was early, as her change in style had a profound influence on a lot of poets.

I thought highly of Hillbilly Elegy, too, and will come back to read your review.

Sending positive thoughts about P. Hope your day's a good one.

>76 BLBera: Hi Beth. It's kind of gratifying to hear that my comments regarding Hillbilly Elegy align with the author's comments regarding his intentions. I was glad I had read his introduction; it helped ground my expectations.

The train ride down this morning was lovely. I had a window seat so I divided my time between reading The Leavers, which is completely engaging, and looking out the window. For part of the trip, the train rides right along Puget Sound. I love water!

The meeting this afternoon was worthwhile. Here is a trippy part of this experience: one of the women at the meeting is a VP at a small private school here in Oregon. She has known me since I was 12 years old. She was a student at the college in Florida where my dad taught and -- get this -- she babysat for me. It's so cool to have her presence in this milieu. She knew and loved my dad (I think she was an English major), so that is kind of fun.

(I put that in bold because I want to invite all my thread visitors to read it, and I know when one is skimming through and trying to "catch up," it is easy to seek only those posts that specifically respond to your own posts.)

I'm on a short break in the hotel room, then we have a happy hour in about 15 minutes and hosted dinner after that. I believe dinner is halibut and Dungeness crab. Yum.

>84 EBT1002: >85 EBT1002: How cool is that? To run into her at this random meeting and to have all that shared background. Fun.

Enjoy dinner and cocktails!!

Sending positive vibes to P for her procedures.. hope all goes well. Hip replacement? Make sure she is diligent about her physical therapy after!

Wow, talk about serendipity. What a wonderful chance meeting ... and she babysat for you? I think if my babysitters ever saw me again, they'd run a mile from and not towards me! ;-)

Whoohooo... Dungeness crab! Lucky you. I'm having a tomato mozarella pesto wrap for dinner.

I plan to read too, but I suspect your plans might actually be more successfully executed than mine today.

Hi, Ellen. Just a quick check in, with my pal. I hope you end up liking The Leavers as much as I did. She really did an impressive job and I hope we get more LTers on board.

>84 EBT1002: - So cool! Did you both recognize one another right away? Or did you need name tags, lol!

It is cool to run into an old babysitter. And I hope you enjoyed your meal. It sounds wonderful. I hope the rest of your conference goes well. The train ride sounds great.

I'll watch for your comments on The Leavers.

>77 jessibud2: I saw your comment about the audio quality on your I Contain Multitudes, Shelley, and I will listen for that. I'm not far enough into it to have noticed yet.

>78 drneutron: Oh good, Jim. I'm glad that my reactions to Hillbilly Elegy are getting some validation from my reading buddies.

>79 Berly: Hi Kimmers. Honestly, I'm a reluctant yard worker but once I get started my compulsive side can kick in and I'm hard to stop. I wanted to do the power washing -- I've been talking about it for weeks -- and I loved the satisfaction of seeing things come clean. On the other hand, not only was i covered with mud and gunk, but our siding and our clothes line and our fence were also covered. Luckily, those were easily cleaned off with just a regular hose with a good handle.

I ended up having an extra glass of wine with a colleague in the hotel bar tonight but I SO wanted to make my way to Powell's! Tomorrow....

>80 ffortsa: Judy, I really appreciate your comments about Vance's own trigger reactions and what that might look like in his own marriage. He was somewhat transparent about that but I did wonder how successful he is being at navigating the reflexive responses that come from a childhood of abuse (and that is my word, not his; I think he has a balanced perspective on the combination of abuse, neglect, support, and love that he experienced in his family). Current neuropsychology research is showing how "hard-wired" our responses to childhood trauma can become. It's not an easy task to override those reflexive reactions.

>81 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. P has become somewhat philosophical about the whole thing. Her iron numbers are now in the normal range and that enables some optimism. She really wants her new hip, so whatever it takes to get there, we'll do!

>82 charl08: This "meeting" is a bit different than most, Charlotte. I spend a lot of my time in meetings but this one is like a blend between a meeting and a conference. Senior Student Affairs Professionals from Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Utah.... all gathering to talk about our work, current issues in the profession, etc.
It can vary from interesting to not so much. :-)

I am SO looking forward to P's surgery, partly because I will get 1-2 weeks of family leave to stay home and take care of her -- and I will get lots of reading time in there. Next weekend we're going to central Washington to see the Grand Coulee Dam (not a national park) and our plan is to return via the North Cascades Highway. It goes through the North Cascades National Park, a lesser known example. It is a gorgeous drive!





North Cascades Highway

Diablo Lake along the North Cascades Highway

Along the North Cascades Highway

>83 jnwelch: Hiya Joe. I hope whatever you were heading out the door for was fun.

I have three collections of Adrienne Rich's poetry and, while I enjoyed A Change of World, I think I like her later works better. The rhyming pattern was frankly rather distracting for me. But, as you can see, I did like several of the poems and my copy has several post-it flags attached. I'm keeping it, having placed it on the relatively new section of my bookshelves where I keep poetry.

>86 Berly: Yeah, it has been fun to have her here, Kim. She has shared the story with folks (probably better for her to share since it involves acknowledging that she first knew me when I was twelve years old). One thing that is interesting for me is how highly she speaks of my father. I'm processing that.....

>87 cameling: Hi Caroline. Oh, I will be a regular nag about the physical therapy post-surgery! Every story I have heard suggests that the success of hip replacement surgery is directly and causally related to one's diligence in doing exercises. I think she is pretty motivated. One of our greatest shared loves is hiking in the mountains and the Oregon and Washington Cascades provide some of the best hiking on earth. We want to be able to continue to enjoy that so I think her motivation is high. We want to be able to go places like this!!



Cascade Pass in the North Cascades

>87 cameling: Apparently I was an angelic 12-year-old.... But actually, I think it is her admiration of my father than leads to such positive feelings about me. And it's kind of cool that we ended up in the same profession. Back in 1972, well, who knew?

The crab was good but not great. Tomorrow I plan to go out for dinner all by myself and to Powell's to, well, to purchase books. I'm thinking about going to Higgins, which is known for the best Sidecar in the country. We'll see.

>88 msf59: Hi Mark! So far I am thoroughly enjoying The Leavers. I also hope we can encourage some others to give her a try; this debut deserves some attention.

>89 jessibud2: What a great question, Shelley. I admit that name tags helped. I think she "sees" my dad in me but that is facilitated by her knowledge of who I am.

>90 BLBera: Hi Beth. I'm also hopeful for the rest of the conference. And I return to Seattle on Wednesday afternoon, again on the train but with an upper deck (?) seat of a train that has, well, an upper deck. I don't know for sure but it might be like this:

How cool that you've joined up with your babysitter!

The neat thing about teaching at a place like Kenyon College is that so many of the graduates go on to do pretty amazing things, and so at this point I know a bunch of younger folks out there making interesting names for themselves. Example: Charlie's babysitter from our Kenyon days is the founder and in-charge-person of Acting Against Cancer, a theater group that raises money for cancer research. It's really taking off, this group, and she's becoming a Pretty Big Deal. We're so happy and proud to know her.

>94 EBT1002: I want to go hiking there! WAH!!!

>98 scaifea: yay for Kenyon students & alumni! :)

Lovely photos and that is such a nice story about seeing your old baby sitter! Enjoy the rest of your trip!

The North Cascades are lovely. Onto the bucket list.

Does P. have a date for her surgery yet? Or does she have to get through the tests first?

I also love Rich. I think I prefer her later stuff as well. I should pick up a collection soon. Right now I'm reading Scriptorium, which is great.

Good morning, Ellen!

Those are lovely photos. Kind of opens a person up just to look at them.

>84 EBT1002: How great is that? You remember each other from the babysitting, and she's a fan of your dad. That must have been fun to meet up like that.

Those pictures of the Northern Cascades are so enticing. I'm not a hiker - that is, I've never tried hiking, coming from an very non-athletic family and perpetuating the bias myself. But I would love to get involved in some baby hiking group (of which I'm sure there are many around New York) to see how far I can go.

Best of luck to P. on her surgery and recovery. I know many people who've had hips replaced with amazing success - it seem so routine these days. Good luck!

>84 EBT1002: that was a wonderful serendipitous happening Ellen. The bold did what it should. I graze depending on time.

Enjoy that time off, and I hope Ps procedures go well and she enjoys being pampered.

>98 scaifea: That is so cool, Amber, to know young people who go on to such great things. Acting Against Cancer sounds like a worthwhile endeavor. I have to admit that UW is so huge that, while I know many of our graduates go on to do amazing things, I don't really know many of them or their stories. I think some of my colleagues who work in the student activities area of Student Life have different kinds of relationships with subsets of students and they do get to follow their trajectories.

I think I would like working at a place like Kenyon....

>99 msf59: Come on out to Washington, Mark! Honestly, I know the Oregon Cascades far better than I know the Washington section, but both are breathtakingly beautiful.

>100 lauralkeet: Hear, hear, Laura! :-)

>101 ChelleBearss: Thanks Chelle! (Have I mentioned that it's lovely to have you back in our midst?)

>102 BLBera: Well, you are warmly invited to come on out to Washington, too, Beth!

We don't have a date for P's surgery yet. Her endoscopy and colonoscopy (sheesh) are both this Thursday; after that we'll know more. Or at least we assume we will.... She also has a hiatal hernia that needs surgery, so we're not sure which will come first, the tummy or the hip. Aging. It is not for sissies.

I want to read Scriptorium, I think.

More to come, but it's time to make my way to the morning session. I am here on work, after all!

Not much walking or running happening yet on this trip. This may turn out to be a "rest" week or so. But I'm thinking about walking to Powell's later. I need to google map it and see how far it would be. I'm thinking a couple of miles. *grins*

>103 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! "Kind of opens a person up just to look at them."
Ooh, I love that my pictures have that effect!

Yes, very cool to reconnect with my old babysitter and enjoy our mutual fondness for my dad. Our memories are, of course, very different (he was her primary academic advisor, he was my dad) but our love for him is shared.

>104 ffortsa: Hi Judy. I think a baby hike is the way to go for someone who is not a hiker. I wasn't a hiker until I moved to Oregon more than 20 years ago. The mountains such as in my pictures above overrode any inclination toward sedentary ways that I had brought with me to this region.

>105 Caroline_McElwee: Oh good, I'm glad my bold font worked. I love your term "graze" for how you navigate threads; it matches my own approach. And I'll be sure to save the bold font for really outstanding stories. :-)

Say hi to Powell's for me. I was thinking of you this morning. I picked up Mikhail and Margarita from the library, and I think you bought a copy at Powell's? I'm not sure when I'll get to it. After looking at it, it seems as though I should read The Master and Margarita first... Summer will be over before I realize it.

Just dropping by to say hello. Say Hi to Powell's for me too!

>109 BLBera: Hi Beth. Yes, I did buy that novel at Powell's but I haven't read it yet. I have also thought that I should read The Master and Margarita first, too. Maybe we can schedule a shared read of that one? You'd have to put Mikhail and Margarita back on hold for the future.....

>110 nittnut: Hi Jen! I will certainly say hello to Powell's for you and Beth. :-)

>111 EBT1002: I could do that. When are you thinking?

>112 BLBera: I might be interested as well - I've never read it.

After a lovely dinner at the Red Star Tavern, I went to Powell's. I was only going to buy one book, Love That Dog, if I found it.

Here is my book haul. I love Powell's.

>112 BLBera: Well, I hadn't really thought about a timeline yet. How about if I see when P's surgery gets scheduled (I'm hoping for August!) and we can work with that. I know you'll have school starting in mid-August but, when it comes to reading, there is always something we've got to work around. I'd also be open to a July read of The Master and Margarita if that works better for you.

>113 ffortsa: Judy, join us! And I know it will depend on our timeline..... still to be determined....

>114 EBT1002: You actually got the book you went for - that's pretty good. Also an excellent and not overwhelming book haul.

>114 EBT1002: glad you found The Fun Stuff Ellen, nice haul.

>100 lauralkeet: Laura: SPeaking of Kenyon alumni who are doing impressive things - you've got one yourself! Amazing.

>106 EBT1002: It's funny you should say that you think you'd like Kenyon, because I frequently find myself thinking that you'd be a perfect fit there, when you talk about your work. But it *is* in an extremely rural setting...

>114 EBT1002: - So happy to see you found Love That Dog! You will have to not stop there, though. You must find the sequel, Hate That Cat. Honest....

:-)

>118 scaifea: aw, thanks Amber! And I also have a *gulp* rising Kenyon senior and recently made our hotel reservation for 2018 commencement. Where has the time gone?!

>106 EBT1002:, >118 scaifea: Kenyon's settting is very rural indeed, and the campus is beautiful. Gambier, OH is a nice liberal bubble but oh my the immediate surrounding area -- well, I haven't read Hillbilly Elegy but you might find similarities. Kenyon is also quite similar to the college you visited in NY. Julia visited that one and my husband commented that they seemed to be presenting themselves much like Kenyon.

Morning, Ellen!

Nice haul at Powell's. I'm envious, per usual. Some day.

We love Love That Dog! I'm glad you're another fan. I had no idea there was a sequel (thanks, Shelley). Now we'll look for that.

Nice haul, Ellen. Happy to see The Unquiet Dead.

It doesn't have to be this summer. Shall we play it by ear? I'm thinking perhaps August?

>116 Familyhistorian: I was proud of that, too, Meg! They had several copies of Love That Dog. They also had one little hardback copy of Hate That Cat but I decided to wait and get it at the library (this one little moment of restraint was remarkable for its singularity).

>117 Caroline_McElwee: Yes, I'm looking forward to reading James Woods' essays, Caroline! I still have my copy of How Fiction Works back home, too. Maybe next year I need to do a small "literary criticism" challenge. Or I can probably yet fit one or more of them into Suz's nonfiction challenge this year.

>118 scaifea: I agree, Amber!

You know, Amber, I would be content in a rural setting, although I probably have my limits. I think Hamilton's context was indeed too rural for me when all was said and done. Syracuse is only 45 minutes away but there truly is only one non-chain restaurant in little Clinton, NY. That would be challenging.

>119 jessibud2: They did have a copy of Hate That Cat, Shelley, but I decided that I could get that at the library. Why I restrained myself in that purchase and then walked about blithely picking up much larger volumes in inexplicable but there you have it.

I got up this morning and started packing. The book haul in >114 EBT1002: is indeed lovely but how on earth am I going to get those books home? I didn't follow Darryl's example and bring an extra suitcase. I should also probably confess that I have acquired two bottles of wine from the conference group -- an Eola Hills Pinot Noir and an Argyle Chardonnay. I suppose I could leave the former here, but they are two sentimental favorites from the years I lived in the Willamette Valley....

>121 jnwelch: Well, Joe, I reiterate my standing invitation for you and Debbi to make your way to Seattle again but if you want to make a Portland trip (just for Powell's!), I will drive down for the meet up!

I don't yet know that I'm a fan of Love That Dog but my prediction is that I will join you and Shelley in this fan club. :-)

>122 BLBera: Hi Beth. Yes, The Unquiet Dead was a blue book bullet from you. I'm glad they had a copy.

A friend posted this article from PBS listing 19 summer reads recommended by Emma Straub and Louise Erdrich! The Master and Margarita is on the list so I would be game for an August read. I'm also already committed to reading Kafka on the Shore in August but I think I can handle two commitments that month. :-)

I did it. I got all the books and the bottles of wine into my suitcase. I can barely lift the darn thing but that is another matter. :-)

Wow, what a great book haul. I've read Signs for Lost Children and look forward to your comments after you've read it. I anticipate some gushing praises when you're done, that's how much I enjoyed it when I read it.

From your photos, I want to hike the North Cascades! What a gorgeous place.

>126 cameling: Hi Caro! I was looking for Bodies of Light by Sarah Moss but they didn't have it in stock so the two in the photo caught my attention instead. Darryl is a fan of her work but these will be my first. I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed it when you read it!

The North Cascades (and, indeed, the central and southern Cascades) are my favorite place on earth. Along with Scotland. And the Rhone Valley. And the Oregon coast. And Powell's. Heh.

>121 jnwelch: - I take full blame (credit) for Ellen's purchase of Love That Dog. I reviewed both that and its sequel the other day on my thread. :-)

>123 EBT1002: - Well, Ellen, if it were me, I'd not leave a thing behind and instead, I'd just purchase a backpack or small carry-on type of bag.... ;-)

>128 jessibud2: I'm so glad you influenced me in this way, Shelley!

>129 jessibud2: Good advice, as usual, Shelley. It turns out that a colleague here at the meeting is driving back up to the Seattle area today (she works on a nearby campus) and she has offered to take my books and/or my bottles of wine for me. Yay!!

>128 jessibud2: Good work, Shelley! Now I need to get to your thread and read that review. :-) Thanks also for the tip on Hate That Cat.

How cool that you got to meet with your babysitter from when you were 12! And Yay for Powells.

I hope P's procedure went fine today, and that she can now schedule the hip replacement. Gil had one several, maybe 10 or more, years ago. He got immediate relief from it, though he was kind of a baby about the recovery period.

I saw on Meg's thread a discussion of graveyards, and you mentioned loving the cemetery in St. Francisville (Grace Cemetery). My grandma and grandpa are both buried there (as well as many other ancestors of mine). They both died when I was well into adulthood (my 30's for my grandma, my 40's for my grandpa) and I was at both funerals. I find it so peaceful whenever I visit. Wish I knew how to post a picture.

>114 EBT1002: Good book haul, Ellen. I read and enjoyed Alex. Good, creepy thriller. Not familiar with your other picks.

Pop into any breweries, while in Portland?

Ellen--Loved having lunch with you yesterday!! Hope the train ride back was a good one, upper deck and all. ; )

And that today went well for P. Thinking of you two!!

I am at the ALA Conference in Chicago and about to get books and on Wednesday night I was at my local Barnes & Noble for a cup of coffee and I spied Essex Serpent on the shelf. I had been looking for this one ever since Darryl had talked about it, so of course I had to buy it. And pay full price for it. Then another title caught my eye; Leavers that Mark has been warbling about, so of course I had to buy that one as well.

I didn't have to transport them that far, but really -- I am headed to a library conference and will bring back books, and I buy two book for full price the day before? Who does that?

>92 EBT1002: love road trips! And when combined with train trips? even better :)

>96 EBT1002: I heard that with knee replacements, but hips too. I had mine replaced/reconstructed/leg lengthened 12 years ago in my very late 20s, as you might already know. I did my exercises like a good girl, even though they seemed so small and precise. One for me involved placing my leg on a wine bottle (!!?? Maybe I was just using props at hand...) It was tedious....and even now I am supposed to *clench* my left glut every time I take a step, to strengthen that muscle which suffers from wastage from the joint's lack of mobility. Sigh- who can walk AND think AND think about clenching! (srsly, it's hard, try it)

>125 EBT1002: yee ha!! :)

>124 EBT1002: Great list of recommendations. I noted several of the ones I haven't read yet.

Glad you fit everything into your suitcase. If it came down to it, you could leave some clothes behind. :)

Hope all went well for P yesterday.

Love that you got to meet up with someone you've known so long. What a wonderful treat.

I have some now adult friends who to this day introduce me to people as thier babysitter.

Glad you had a good visit to Powell's.

Have a great trip this weekend.

>130 EBT1002: So which did your colleague take, Ellen, the books or the wine? Nice of them to offer. It is hard to schlep around a heavy suitcase. I have learned to travel light(ish). It is more light on the clothes with enough room for books in a small rolling suitcase. I usually try to not buy hard back or art books (that glossy paper weighs you down).

I think of all the nifty things you do, the one that really flips my envy switch is being able to get on a train and go somewhere. There have been rumors for years about restoring train service from Scranton to NYC (or at least to Hoboken where you could get a local train into the city). I dream of this.

I'm glad to hear you say you planned and enjoyed a nice dinner out by yourself. I know so many people who just wouldn't be comfortable doing that, my husband included. I don't often have the opportunity, but I have no problem sitting in a nice restaurant alone.

The Cascades look enchanting, Ellen and I can now see myself enjoying its unconfined spaces with my puff returning and my body weight declining.

Have a splendid weekend, dear friend.

I wonder if that was the "scenic" route we took across Washington on a camping trip, in a Chevy van (they were brand new then, those small vans) when I was 6, in 1961. The road clung to the mountainsides, sometimes paved, sometimes not, largely dirt with no walls and that my father was truly terrified, white-knuckled, cursing like a boiling tea kettle. He had all six of us, (one brother in utero) and an aupair plus our baggage. The only other vehicles were the occasional lumber-laden kind. It was insanely beautiful. His main refrain was "goddam goat trail" (in a high breathy sort of squeal,under his breath, not loud). We were crossing Washington state. After visiting rellies in Seattle we went south to Disneyland and no more scenic roads, only highways. We did stop to see redwoods but my father was done with roadside scenery.

Great idea to bold meeting your babysitter!

Ellen, I'm glad you are inviting others to read Master and Margarita with you. I might follow along on the conversations, though I've already read the book. I really needed someone to discuss it with then…it's just that kind of book. I'm sorry that P had to put off her hip surgery and is having several procedures scheduled in anticipation of it. I know you two are eager to get back on the trails. You have the most beautiful hiking scenery in the area taunting you.

Hi Ellen, those pictures you posted of the North Cascades scenery make me long to jump in the car and head south! We always try to stop in Winthrop for a quick stroll along the boardwalk or a meal at the Duck Brand Inn! Enjoy the drive.

I loved The Master and Margarita, Ellen. I'll look forward to following the discussions.

53. The Leavers by Lisa Ko




This is a complex novel about a young boy, born in the U.S. and sent back to his mother's village in China as a toddler to be raised by his grandfather. When his grandfather dies, 6-year-old Deming is taken back to the U.S. by a relative to live once again with his mother. At first confused and frightened, he develops a secure attachment to his mother and her boyfriend, as well as the boyfriend's sister and her son. Then, when Deming is just 11 years old, his mother disappears. A white family adopts Deming, changes his name, and does their best to love and provide for him. Now Daniel, the young man struggles with trust, identity, and his sense of place or purpose in the world. In some ways, he is a surly teenager with whom reading this novel required spending more time than I wanted. However, this is also a poignant and sophisticated treatment of issues of immigration, family attachment, and the devastating impact of adult decisions. It is also a book of hope.

As a quick update, the North Cascades Highway was closed due to a washout. Our weekend was awesome nonetheless but that was a disappointing turn of events.

So glad you liked The Leavers, Ellen. I agree the middle dragged. Still, she addressed a lot of complex issues well for a first novel.

Too bad about the highway closure.

>146 EBT1002: Good review of The Leavers, Ellen. If you post it, I will thumb it.

I am loving The Radium Girls and expect more warbling. I think this is your cuppa too.

54. The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson




"White America's heritage of imaging blacks as fierce criminals, intent on political and sexual domination, as threatening bodies to be monitored and controlled, has never disappeared."

"In many inner cities the drug trade is the only enterprise that is hiring, while the national unemployment rate for young black men is well over twice that for other young men."

"We are still killing black youth because we have not yet killed white supremacy."

Wow. Just wow. This is an excellent historical telling of the murder of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African-American boy killed in 1955 by white men in Mississippi. Emmett was visiting Mississippi for the summer; his home was in Chicago. Tyson does an excellent job of sorting through what is known, what is suspected, and what can be concluded from this brutal and senseless murder of a young Black boy at the hands of white supremacist men, angry at his apparent disrespectful comments to one of their wives. Even if Till did the worst of that which he was accused of doing: grabbing the hand of a white woman at a store counter, asking her for a date, wolf-whistling at her later as she went to her car for a pistol.... none of that even remotely deserves the kind of brutal beating and slaying to which he was subjected. His body was found a few days later, bloated and damaged, floating in the Tallahatchie River with a gin fan tied to his neck with a stretch of barbed wire. The murder is tagged as a significant catalyst for the civil rights movement of the mid-20th century.

Most of the book is an exploration of history. What happened in Leflore County of Mississippi on August 28, 1955? Tyson shifts deftly between historical record and rational deduction.

It's his epilogue, though, that lands a direct hit. He persuasively describes the white supremacy that yet permeates our society, perhaps not the virulent and visceral white supremacy of the men who murdered young Emmett Till, but the polite and practiced white supremacy of progressives (like me), well-intentioned members of society who remain immobile in the face of today's persistent and pernicious societal segregation, today's Jim Crow. Tyson is not throwing stones, but his analysis is compelling and level-headed.

This is a surprisingly quick read and highly recommended. It's a great history lesson and a thought-provoking work.

>150 EBT1002: - Such an excellent review, Ellen. Looking around us today, in all directions, at home and elsewhere, it is not just sad but tragic to see that so little has changed. The human animal is a strange creature, and can be vicious and slow to learn and change. I think this would be a painful book to read. Painful and uncomfortable, which, I suspect, is precisely the author's point. As it ought to be.

Nice review! It's a book I've been meaning to get to.

>150 EBT1002: A thumb from me on that one, Ellen. And especially poignant to read today in light of the news that came out yesterday about the Emmett Till memorial being vandalized recently. I had a chance to meet and chat with Timothy Tyson about 10 years ago, when Iowa City chose Blood Done Sign My Name as the One Community, One Book selection. He brought a gospel singer, Mary Williams, with him, who sang selections from the book, and it was transcendent. One of my favorite book-related memories.

>150 EBT1002: Great comments, Ellen. This is an important book.

>153 rosalita: It sounds like a fabulous experience, Julia.

>150 EBT1002: Fascinating review Ellen. I'll look out for this one.

>150 EBT1002: Awesome review! Sorry that the highway was closed. Trust that you still had a good time. : )

>150 EBT1002: I'm another fan of that review, Ellen. Thumb from me.

>150 EBT1002: book bullet, OUCH.

Life update
P's tests have all come back with good results so we are hoping that her hip surgery can be scheduled now. Yay!! I want that 1-2 weeks off so badly. Work is crazy busy (this is summer?!?!) but I have a 4-day weekend that starts at 5pm today. Tonight P and I are going to dinner and a show at the ACT Theater downtown. Tomorrow there will be sleeping in, going for a run, putting laundry on the line, pulling of weeds, reading, and hopefully checking in with all you lovely LT friends.

Reading update
I'm about a third into Moonglow by Michael Chabon. Despite his delightful way with language, it took me a while to get into; I think the reason was just life distractions and getting started with relatively small chunks of reading time. I am now well into it and greatly enjoying it. I certainly plan to finish it this weekend.

I'm also listening more actively than usual to I Contain Multitudes. Outside my usual reading territory (science? microbes?!?), I'm enjoying it and learning some things. So that is fun.

More soon.

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Did I mention that I have a four-day weekend coming up? *BIG GRIN*

Enjoy your four-day weekend Ellen. Glad P's tests give the go for the op.

Er...that four day weekend...ENJOY!

Happy Loooong weekend! We have one too! We are off to the beach, probably with everyone else, but I just don't care. I need some sand in my toes and salt water on my skin.

>125 EBT1002: Thumbs up for getting all your loot home. *grin*

Hooray for the 4 day weekend and for P's good test results, which, hopefully will mean her surgery will be scheduled soon.

I hope the restful holiday weekend will give you the time to really get stuck into Moonglow. I do so enjoy Chabon's style of writing. I haven't read many of his works, but so far, this one is my favorite.

I'm another Moonglow fan - I loved the grandfather/grandson relationship. It's still one of my favorite reads so far this year.

Have a wonderful long weekend, Ellen. Good luck with scheduling P's surgery.

Oh, enjoy your 4-day weekend, Ellen. Great about the good results for P's tests.

Enjoy the holiday weekend, Ellen!

I'm glad you're having a good time with I Contain Multitudes. He does a great job of making microbes fun to read about, doesn't he.

I'm (finally) thinking about my July reading plans.....

At least two shared reads that I can find notes about for July:

AAC: Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul by James McBride (also works for Suz's Nonfiction challenge)

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

Are there other commitments I've made that I'm not remembering?

Theater and Cinema update

Last night we saw "The Legend of Georgia McBride" at the ACT theater. The venue is an intimate theater in the round and we had front row seats. The production was delightful; it was absolutely hilarious! One scene of physical comedy funny enough to bring tears to my eyes while I laughed. It's about a young man living on the edge with his wife in the panhandle of Florida, trying to make it as an Elvis impersonator. Various circumstances conspire to end in his taking an impulsive and reluctant try at drag. The rest, as they say, is history. If you get a chance to see this one on stage, I do recommend it.

Then today, after weeding and laundry and grocery shopping, we went to the cinema to see "The Exception" with Christopher Plummer as Kaiser Wilhelm II and Lilly James as a housemaid in his home in exile. It's 1940 and the Kaiser is hoping for an invitation from the führer to return to Berlin as king. Meanwhile, his housemaid is carrying on with the German Captain assigned to protect the Kaiser.... I thought it was fascinating. It's based on the novel The Kaiser's Last Kiss by Alan Judd, a book that has received little attention here on LT (or elsewhere, I presume). I'm not sure I have any interest in the book but the movie was worth seeing.

..

>131 jnwelch: Love That Dog is definitely next on the stack of "I need a really quick read" items, Joe.

>132 arubabookwoman: Hi Benita. How interesting that your grandparents are buried in that cemetery around which P and I wandered when we had a "shore leave" in St. Francisville. It is indeed very peaceful there. I loved it.

>133 msf59: Hi Mark. Alex caught my eye and it seemed like a good creepy thriller. I don't read those too often but this one looked interesting and it was a used copy in good condition. I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed it.

I didn't pop into any breweries while in Portland but I thought about it. It's funny; I have been feeling drawn to ales recently but when the moment comes I end up having wine or a cocktail. I'm not sure what that is about....

>134 Berly: Kim, it was wonderful wonderful wonderful having lunch with you. I'm sorry we didn't know that the train north was going to be almost 2.5 hours late; we would have bombed around Portland together a bit more. As it was, I spent a lot of time in Union Station. Next time I will sign up for text updates from Amtrak. Also, the train I was taking is called the Starlight; I have since learned that its nickname is the "Starlate." It comes all the way from Los Angeles so it has lots of time to get behind.

>135 benitastrnad: Benita, I can't explain your temporary insanity in deciding to buy two full-price books while at ALA. But I can say that I very much enjoyed The Leavers and Essex Serpent is on my wish list. So I hope you like them!

>136 LovingLit: "...who can walk AND think AND think about clenching?" I must admit, Megan, it seems like asking a lot! Sometimes it's all I can do to walk much less think and think about clenching my left glut at the same time! Sheesh.

>137 BLBera: Did I mention that I had a colleague bring my six new books and my two bottles of Oregon wine home with me in her car, Beth? Clever. That's me!

>138 SuziQoregon: Hi Juli! Things went very well for P last Thursday (over a week ago now, sheesh, I really am behind) and the trip to Portland was great. Next time (and there will be a next time since this meeting is in Portland every June!) I will spend the energy organizing a larger meet up. Next time I will likely plan to stay an extra day. :-)

>139 Familyhistorian: LOL, Meg. She took both of them! She was driving so it was easy to put the books and wine and an unneeded down vest in a bag for her to carry. I got them from her this past Tuesday and the books are now happily ensconced in my various shelves and the wines are in the fridge (white) and on the rack (red).

If it had only been one or the other, I'd have brought them home myself, no problem. I'm also a pretty light packer but two bottles of wine weigh quite a bit!

>140 laytonwoman3rd: Hi Linda. I really love train rides and the time alone is downright precious. As it turns out, I had dinner with a few colleagues and that was fine. I had my alone time back at the hotel with a good book and a glass of wine. There was a time in my life when I would have felt very conspicuous and uncomfortable dining alone, especially in a nice restaurant. I guess it is significant that I can do it and love it now. Certainly I am less concerned about the stories total strangers may be constructing about me; it's also true that I know that I'm not dining along for lack of loved ones in my life. I think that comfort and confidence comes with age. There has to be some payback for creeping up on sledding towards 60!

>141 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul. The Cascade mountains are indeed special and I LOVE that you are feeling your puff return and your body weight declining! I love hiking and that is definitely motivation for staying at least somewhat in shape. As it turns out, the highway was closed due to a washout so we missed the North Cascades highway but it was a lovely and relaxing weekend nonetheless.

>142 sibylline: Lucy, it must have been the same highway. It has had lots of attention by engineers in the intervening 56 years or so but it's still a windy and edgy way. And if you were going across Washington state and ending up, eventually, in Seattle, that is the most likely pathway. Of course, in 1961 almost all the passes across the Washington Cascades (Stevens Pass, Snoqualmie Pass, White Pass, Chinook Pass) were probably terrifying.

>143 Donna828: I have had Master and Margarita on the TBR shelves for a couple of years, Donna, and so many trusted reading buddies have loved it. I think it's going to be a bit of a challenge but I will appreciate having company along the way.

>144 DeltaQueen50: Judy, I am so sorry we didn't actually get to drive the North Cascades Highway so we didn't go through Winthrop. I am interested in the Duck Brand Inn, having never heard of it. We will stop there next time!

>145 jnwelch: I thought you were another fan of Master and Margarita, Joe. I'm looking forward to finally reading it (and having company for doing so).

>148 BLBera: Hi Beth. Yes, the middle of The Leavers ran a bit slow but overall it was a really good read. The topic is so timely.

>149 msf59: Hi Mark. My review of The Leavers is now posted. Thanks for the promised thumb. :-)

I'll have to check out your comments about The Radium Girls. II have not heard about it....

>151 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley. The Blood of Emmett Till was indeed a painful book to read but the author actually managed to maintain just enough distance to make it tolerable. The horror and outrage come through loud and clear but he stays intellectually curious rather than just emotionally shocked. There are times when I am absolutely dumbstruck by the cruelty of humans to other humans, our ability to dehumanize others. In the film we saw this evening, "The Exception," Himmler makes a brief appearance. His most memorable line is nothing less than bone chilling.

>152 drneutron: The Blood of Emmett Till is actually a pretty quick read, Jim. And so good.

>153 rosalita: Julia, that event sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing about it. The Blood of Emmett Till was such a good, educational read (I'm rather embarrassed by how much I learned from it -- in the sense that it illuminated how little I previously knew about his murder and its surrounding events). In some ways we have come so far and then I look around and wonder, truly wonder, if we could allow ourselves to revert to such brutality. And then I remember that, in too many ways, we already have done.

I didn't read much about it so I'm talking out of turn but I saw something out of the corner of my eye the other day, that Steven Hawking believes that the best thing for the world would be human extinction. I'm inclined to agree. And I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that it will occur. I just hope we go quickly enough to let other species survive....

(sorry for the gloomy perspective)

>154 BLBera: Hi Beth and thanks. And I totally agree; doesn't Julia's experience sound amazing!?!?

>155 charl08: The Blood of Emmett Till is a relatively quick and yet powerful read, Charlotte. I do recommend it.

>156 Berly: Thanks Kim. And yes, we still had a good time. :-)

>157 jnwelch: Thanks Joe!

>158 Caroline_McElwee: Those book bullets do hurt, don't they, Caroline? But The Blood of Emmett Till is, as Beth said above, an excellent and an important book.

>160 Caroline_McElwee: Hi again, Caroline! The first day of our four-day weekend was excellent. I slept until 7:30, finished a graphic novel with my coffee, had a long phone conversation with my sister, spent a couple of hours pulling weeds in the back garden, did some laundry, saw an excellent film ("The Exception"), and had a nice meal at a favorite Indian restaurant in the Queen Anne neighborhood. And tomorrow may be Sunday but I don't have to spend it getting ready for work the next day! :-)

>161 nittnut: "I need some sand in my toes and salt water on my skin." Oh Jenn, I totally understand that. I am very protective of my skin now that I'm in my mid-50s but even so, on our trip to central Washington one of the highlights was spending time reading by the hotel pool. I work a long-sleeved swim shirt to protect my forearms and was thereby able to deeply relax into that experience. It was lovely! I hope you have a great long weekend at the beach!!

>162 cameling: Hi Caro! It's so great to see you around LT again these days.

P emailed her doc yesterday so we are hoping to know within the next week or so when she can have her surgery. I'm hoping for early August.

I also really love Michael Chabon's writing style. Moonglow is my third work by him. I enjoyed The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay much more than I expected to and this one is even better. I also liked The Final Solution: A Story of Detection which was a fun takeoff on Sherlock Holmes and a bit different (I think) than his other works. I have had The Yiddish Policemen's Union on the TBR shelves for years and haven't (yet) gotten around to reading it.

>163 BLBera: I also love the grandfather/grandson relationship in Moonglow, Beth. And the story has succeeded in pulling me in. I hope to spend some good hours with it tomorrow.

>164 ronincats: Thanks Roni. You can see from my summary to Caroline above in this very same post that the first day of my long weekend was excellent.

>165 jnwelch: Hey Joe. Thanks -- day one of the four-day weekend was a good one indeed! And yes, I Contain Multitudes is surprisingly fun given the topic!

55. One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg




This is a delightful graphic novel, perhaps a retelling of the Arabian Nights tale? It is the story of Cherry and Hero, two women who love one another but are destined to be separated by a patriarchal society that devalues women and forbids them knowledge. It forbids them reading!!! Talk about deprivation....

Okay, that brief summary falls SO short of what this story is about. Yes, it's about women living under the constraints of patriarchy, but it's about love and it's about sisters and it's about ... Ultimately, it's about stories and their power to transcend and transform. The narrative structure -- stories within stories within stories -- is exquisite. Brava!

I completed ten books in June. That is astonishing to me as I felt constantly overworked and overwhelmed. But then, I have been awol around here, so that was perhaps the balance.

I was talking with my sister this morning and I realized something. Perhaps in the category of "duh," I realized that my job is really intense. I'm not saying it's more or less intense than any other job (my belief about such things is that my experience is somewhere in the middle) but, for me, it is really intense. I am navigating power struggles and high demands, and I. Want. To. Be. Good. At. It.
On Friday morning I spent an hour in a meeting with a woman whom I SO admire and like -- but we are in a power struggle that is just painful. Actually, the true struggle is between the staff in a department that reports to me and a staff member who reports to her. But the project we are trying to implement right now requires the best of all of them and they are in near constant tension with one another. I am the champion for my staff; she is the champion for hers. I feel like her staff "wins" (and I hate that such language even enters into this) 95% of the time and I am so frustrated that my staff are disempowered and disregarded in the project. She and her staff are solely focused on getting it done in a short amount of time and I am not sure that the cost -- in human terms -- is not too great. I want the project done. I want it done both well and in good time. But I also believe that we can take a little time to ensure that all voices are heard and all perspectives considered.

Anyway, as you can imagine, that was a tense and emotional meeting. I'm not sure the outcome will be satisfying (for me and my staff) at all. Then, right after that, I had a meeting with another colleague who gave me some "direct and caring feedback" (her words). As it turns out, the feedback was both direct and caring, and spot on. It resonated deeply with things I have been thinking about over the past month or two; it was a call for me to lean more heavily into my positionality (her word, spell-check doesn't like it) at the institution, and to adjust my leadership/management style to more effectively use my position for good. Restating it, she was exhorting me to get out of the weeds, let others and empower others and charge others to do the detail work, and recognize that my work is being in meetings. My work is navigating the politics, keeping the even-higher-mucky-mucks informed and advised about matters, and providing inspiration and guidance for important projects in my arena. My work is delegating and facilitating others to get things done. I was reeling after this. It fits exactly with my awareness of my own needed growth and my internal struggle to own and accept my authority. I tend to feel guilty if I'm not "doing work" even though part of me recognizes that my strength is in motivating, organizing, and supporting others to succeed. I'm a good mentor and leader. So I have lots to think about on my runs these days. This morning I skipped my run in lieu of a phone conversation with my sister but tomorrow, come hell or high water, I'm going for a morning run. I need the thinking time.

I think some of this is to say that I'm surprised by how intense my job is, even in the summer. I miss spending more time on LT. I keep thinking something will shift that will enable me to be around more. And I'm realizing that this is my life right now. My work requires my near-constant attention and there just aren't breaks. Now, of course, I'm taking this four-day weekend and this IS a break. And if feels like one! So it's not that I'm letting the job consume me. But it is very consuming and I truly care about it. I hate the power struggles. I have always hated power struggles. My instinct is to give up and walk away. My reflexive stance is that nothing is so important that it is worth fighting. But, of course, some things are worth a fight. And I have to figure out how I'm going to hold my ground without losing my self.

Life is so interesting.

Happy holiday weekend, Ellen! Hooray, for 5 stars for One Hundred Nights of Hero. She has quickly become a GN favorite author.

Glad you are enjoying Moonglow. I have that one saved on audio. I recently enjoyed Summerland, which was a lot of fun.

I hope RL begins to turn around for you. Fingers crossed for my pal, along with a hug.

>177 EBT1002: very insightful, Ellen. I hope you get that run in so you can continue the thought process. Enjoy your long weekend!

>177 EBT1002: It sounds like it is not only your position that is challenging, but your ideas about it. I know you'll figure it out; you are a thoughtful person.

I also do some of my best thinking when I'm exercising. Have a great run and relax during your long weekend.

So happy you loved One Hundred Nights of Hero. It was clever, wasn't it?

And hooray for Moonglow.

Have a lovely Sunday.

Happy Sunday, Ellen.

I'm also very happy that you loved One Hundred Nights of Hero. Me, too. Isabel Greenberg came out of nowhere for me with this one and the also-excellent The Encyclopedia of Early Earth. This one is my personal favorite, but they're both remarkable.

My work is navigating the politics, keeping the even-higher-mucky-mucks informed and advised about matters, and providing inspiration and guidance for important projects in my arena. My work is delegating and facilitating others to get things done. Ah, I know that one. My sympathy. That's a tough but critical position to be in. You write beautifully about it. I have no doubt you'll sort out the areas where you think you need improvement.

That sounds like a good friend/fellow worker, who talked to you about it, BTW.

When are you going to be reading Master and Margarita? I have had that one on my shelf for a long long time and do want to read it.

I posted this on the dormant Reread Challenge thread, thought I would post here as well.

This essay about the joys of rereading was in this morning's Seattle Times. I quite enjoyed it and it has renewed my interest in the rereading challenge.

This month I will be rereading Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon. I first read it in the fall of 1981 when I was in Poland. My father was on a Fulbright teaching in Kraków and I delayed my senior year of college to join him. Also along for the trip were his then-wife (she was number two of three and the most disastrous of the bunch, not due to her own shortcomings) and her two daughters, respectively 1 and 4 years younger than me. Due to a last-minute decision to join the party and the time it took to get a visa to the Soviet bloc country, I arrived about a week later than they; the marriage had already disintegrated and I spent the next 3 months living with the other three women while my dad rented a small studio apartment on the black market. The American dollar was incredibly powerful in that time and place. We four women departed when Martial Law was declared that December; Dad stayed under the auspices and protection of the American consulate. His presence was official while the rest of us were essentially tourists so the consulate encouraged us to take our leave. So much was unknown.

ANYWAY, I don't remember anything about Song of Solomon other than that it completely engaged me, capturing my attention at a time when I had nothing but free time and was pretty isolated emotionally. I remember loving the novel. So I'm very much looking forward to this reread.

Briefly, I did get in a wonderful run this morning. Then P made waffles and our nephew and his fiancée called to invite us to lunch. Yay for Sunday!

>178 msf59: Thanks Mark. I'm enjoying the weekend so far. We are having such lovely weather: cloudy mornings in the 50s (perfect for running) and sunny afternoons in the 70s (perfect for everything else).

I'm just about to plug in this laptop for a recharge, get a LaCroix out of the fridge (it's not quite beer time), and take my kindle outside for some good reading time. I want to immerse myself in Moonglow for at least an hour and our nephew and his fiancée are coming over at 1pm to go to lunch.

Thanks for the hug, Mark. RL isn't bad, it's just busy and intense and maybe a tad bit overwhelming. P said yesterday that she believes I will be able to retire at age 62. She is basing that on no actual math, just on her sense that I'm putting a generous portion of my income away each month, but it's a nice thought. I think I am one of those people who will enjoy retirement. But I don't want to go into it too early such that I can't afford to enjoy it! LOL

>179 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. I knew as I wrote that post that it was long and perhaps just too personal for this venue, but it helped me to write about it. I used to keep a journal and I have let that particular medium go for the most part. I figure if I need to occasionally process personal matters here on LT, so be it.

I did get in a run this morning and it was lovely. Then P made waffles. I LOVE waffles. I put plain yogurt, berries, and maple syrup on them. YUM.

>180 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. I suppose it makes sense to spend a bit of time in the summer thinking about where I am professionally and what my next steps are for growth. My self-evaluation for my annual performance review is due to my boss by July 18 so this is timely. I won't say all that (>177 EBT1002:) to him, but it helps to think it through.

One Hundred Nights of Hero is the best graphic novel I have read in a long while. I absolutely loved it. Yes, clever is exactly the right word. I had such a satisfied smile on my face as I closed it and set it aside upon completion.

>183 EBT1002: Lovely essay, Ellen. Thanks for posting. I plan to reread Song of Solomon as well. I know I read it when it first came out, but I don't remember it at all. So, does it count as a reread? :)

>181 jnwelch: Hi Joe. I wasn't aware of The Encyclopedia of Early Earth but I will see if the library has a copy of that one. I hope Isabel Greenberg keeps producing GNs!!

Thanks for the kind words regarding my professional development. And I wholeheartedly agree that the colleague who provided the feedback is a good friend/colleague. She even noted that colleagues who care about one another don't give direct feedback very often. And I honestly believe that we can only grow and learn if someone is willing to be honest with us. I use the Buddha quote below in my work email signature line and I fully believe it. Evidence is that the quote isn't really from Buddha but attributing the sentiment to him fits reality.

“When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.”

>182 benitastrnad: We'll be reading Master and Margarita in August, Benita. Join us!

>187 BLBera: "...does it count as a reread?" LOL, Beth. I hope it counts! I don't remember anything about Song of Solomon, either. What I remember is loving it. That, combined with feeling like I'll be a blank slate for the experience of reading it this month is part of my motivation.

Tell Me

I am going to stop thinking about my losses now
and listen to yours. I'm so sick of dragging them

with me wherever I go, like children up too late
who should be curled in their own beds

under the only blanket that warms them.
I am going to send them home while I stay

at this party all night with the loud music pumping
and the dancers moving gracelessly under the lights

and the drinkers spilling their scotches on their sleeves.
I am going to join them. I'm going to drink until

I'm so wasted I forget I have children, I'll dance
until I ache, until I make a spectacle of myself.

So tell me. Tell me how you hurt
even though I can't help you. Tell me

their ages, how they keep you up nights,
how sometimes you wish they were dead

but keep finding yourself gazing at them
tenderly while they sleep. Then, please, dance with me,

hold me while we fool ourselves
they aren't out there, pressing their damp

hollow faces to the windows. Tell me
that if we kiss a new one won't start to slip

from each of us, tell me you can't already feel
the little hole burning in your side

or hear the others moving over to make room,
shrieking and clapping with joy.

-Kim Addonizio

^^I am not sure if you have read Addonizio, but I highly recommend Tell Me: Poems. Joe turned me on to this collection and it is excellent.

I am also currently reading In Mad Love and War, by Joy Harjo, a Native American poet. It has been amazing.

>177 EBT1002: "LIFE IS SO INTERESTING"

Isn't it just, Ellen. I do think that having friends like you in my life certainly makes it as rewarding as it is interesting. xx

>177 EBT1002: - I am the champion for my staff; she is the champion for hers. I feel like her staff "wins" (and I hate that such language even enters into this) 95% of the time and I am so frustrated that my staff are disempowered and disregarded in the project. She and her staff are solely focused on getting it done in a short amount of time and I am not sure that the cost -- in human terms -- is not too great. I want the project done. I want it done both well and in good time. But I also believe that we can take a little time to ensure that all voices are heard and all perspectives considered.

I agree that sometimes, sorting out confusing and conflicting feelings on paper is the only way to *see* them clearly. This post was very thoughtful and clear. I think the above passage might even be something you could convey to everyone who was at that meeting. Perhaps the first part might need to be tempered so as not to appear to be pointing fingers or making it an issue of taking sides, but the sentiment that you both support your own people is not actually a negative one. The final 3 sentences, though, are really the crux of it, for me. They convey the sincere desire for both quality of work and respect of all involved and the importance of having both, simultaneously. Having worked in an environment, myself, where those 2 values were not always present, I can only agree and empathize with your concern that both are equal parts of the equation of success.

>191 msf59: Mark. I love that poem. Thank you.

>192 msf59: I will seek out a copy of Tell Me: Poems by Kim Addonizio. Thanks for the tip!

I'll check out In Mad Love and War, too. Your decision to do a poetry month (was last year the first or the second year for that?) has had an impact on those of use previously intimidated by poetry, Mark. It's the coolest beans.

>193 PaulCranswick: Paul, thank you. I agree wholeheartedly. For me it is always relationships that matter most and, as we all experienced with Ellie's passing, our friendships here on LT are real. I love that.

>194 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley. It was good for me to reread that paragraph. And I do think I will take the last three sentences and emblazon them on my brain, and share them when the opportunity arises in the next week or two. Many more meetings are scheduled so I know the opportunity will arise. Thanks for offering your perspective. I repeat what I said to Paul ^ ~~~ this community of friends is so powerful and important to me.

>192 msf59: Okay, this is embarrassing. It appears that I read In Mad Love and War in 2011. I have no memory of it but I gave the collection 4 stars at the time.

Today we went to lunch with our 33-year-old nephew and his fiancée. Innocently I asked "so what have you two been up to?" and they shared that they are buying a house. This is no small thing in Seattle where the median price for a house is presently a bit over $700K. The house will need some work but the bones are good and I'm just thrilled for them!!

Then I spent a couple of hours this afternoon reading Michael Chabon's Moonglow. What a great novel.

P and I just watched this season's premier episode of "Grantchester." Now it is time for bed.

Goodnight, all, and Happy almost Monday! (I don't have to go to work on Monday -- yay!!!!!)

It turns out that with my Kindle I have the same problem I have always had with library books: I reserve them, I check them out, and I have so many I can't get to them all!

Did I mention that P and I are starting to fantasize that I might be able to retire "early"? I have been thinking that I have ten more years to work. What if I only had eight more? Or five more????

I think she is wrong but if in five or eight years I could have that much more time to read, I would be the happiest camper on earth!

>177 EBT1002: I tend to feel guilty if I'm not "doing work" even though part of me recognizes that my strength is in motivating, organizing, and supporting others to succeed.
My best ever boss didn't "do" stuff that we were doing, which at the time I mildly resented- or at least questioned on the grounds that we were so busy and I wondered what she was doing all day. But then after I reflected on her awesomeness as a boss, I found that it was because she was always there for us to guide our practice, and she as doing amazing planning and strategising in the background, and thinking beyond the now. Her getting amongst our client lists, would have sucked all her time away easily, and not made a dent in the backlog anyway, so her time was far more wisely spent doing what she did so well.
Not saying that is your gig- but a perspective nonetheless! I hope you find some peace ties your colleague(s), it makes the whole thing so mush more pleasant.

I've been away on vacation and I seemed to have missed some work stress here - let me say without really knowing what I'm talking about (and when has that ever stopped me?) that I'm thinking of you and know what you'll be able to handle whatever it is with grace and your clear natural talent for working with other folks. You're amazing, lady!

“When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.” Yes! Thanks for that, Ellen.

Honestly, I've gradually learned that even unkind true words are worth heeding, rather than trying to bat them away to protect ourselves. They show up for a reason, IMO, although sometimes that has more to do with the speaker than the recipient.

Tell Me is a poetry collection that really stands out for me. I'm glad you're going to try it. I find her honesty compelling, and sometimes startling, like Sharon Olds. And what an ear for poetic music she has.

#199
I am also fantasizing about retiring. I am not ready right now, but I know that I will be thinking more seriously about it in the next year. I am thinking of all the things I want to do, but then I start adding up the cost and wonder if I will be able to do what I want on my retirement income. So, I have decided that some of what I want to do then I am going to do now. For instance, I want to see the FDR home and library, so am thinking that this fall I will take a long weekend and do it while I have the income to pay for it.

I started Song of Solomon; I just finished a mystery and was ready for it. The beginning is wonderful. I think I'm going to appreciate it more this time around.

Hi Ellen! That's good news on P's test results---I hope the surgery gets scheduled SOON.

And sorry about all the work stress. You are right; you do have a hard job. Now that I work at a middle management job myself (really it is lower-management, I don't know where the middle comes from), I am surprised at how much responsibility and how little power is involved.

But you are doing good work! As a parent, it's good to know there are folks like you in our colleges.

I am also on a 5-8 year retirement plan, and it's nice to have that apple dangling out there.

Hi Ellen, I am sorry that you didn't get your scenic drive over the Cascades, but it sounds like a case of better "safe than sorry". The Duck Brand Inn is a really old building that is build into the side of the steep hill in Winthrop. It has a huge outdoor eating area and the irrigation water runs under the porch and it is lovely to sit and hear it bubbling away. It's a great place to sip ice tea on a hot day! Last time we went through (a couple of years ago), it was for sale so hopefully it is still there and still operating as a restaurant.

Fantasizing about retirement is a great first step! Seriously, just thinking about whether it's possible sooner than you thought -- or what it would take to make it possible -- might lead to some interesting conclusions.

>199 EBT1002: I'm beginning to fantasize too. It would be 13 to full retirement. I'm dreaming of the 8 to early.

>177 EBT1002: that's quite a lot going on, and to think about, but you acknowledge what is suggested is well within your skill set and what you get pleasure from, so I'm sure you will find a way to make the right shift Ellen. I can understand your frustration in relation to your staf though. Some equitability between the teams would seem fairer.

>183 EBT1002: I read Song of Solomon a couple of years ago, a fine novel. Morrison rarely disappoints IMO.

That was quite a time in Germany, let alone in your family's story Ellen. Vivienne wrote a fine review of Matthew Qvortrups biography of Angela Merkel, so I am now reading that.

>199 EBT1002: I have about 9 years to go to official retirement too (I'm doing contract work at the moment, but looking for permanent). I'm holding in my mind retiring up to three years early if I can.

56. Moonglow by Michael Chabon




I loved this novel. It took some getting used to, the lurching narrative pace, the narrator's use of "my grandfather" and "my mother" to denote characters rather than ever establishing them by name, these initially created a disjointed reading experience. But, once the characters took on their full three-dimensionality, I was enchanted and engrossed. Mike's grandfather is dying of cancer and Mike manages to persuade him to tell his story, the story of Mike's family history.

Most of the story centers around his grandfather's efforts during WWII to track down the inventor of the V-2, a rocket with a murderous purpose but also one important chapter in the complicated history of rocketry and space exploration. That history serves as a parallel to the history of the family; some might find it distracting but for me it served as the anchor for the grandfather's life. His passion for rocketry feels so real, so imperative to his character. His love for his wife (Mike's grandmother) and his acts of heroism and cowardice in various moments of his young adult life make a good story. But the thread of rocketry and its intersections with those heroic and cowardly and passionate moments is what pulls it all together. That said, this novel is not about rockets or rocketry. It is a family saga and a poignant story of the devastating effect of war. It is the story of mental illness born of deep trauma. It is the story of love and loss, anger and aging. And it's brilliant.

^Have a fantastic 4th, Ellen! Enjoy the holiday.

Good review of Moonglow. Thumb! I hope to get to that one in the coming months.

Up next:



The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey

>200 LovingLit: Thanks for that bit about your best ever boss, Megan. I think you have named exactly the dilemma I'm navigating. And, really, in my current role, I can't carry a caseload the way every single one of the people who report to me do." So I try to take on keeping notes in minutes and volunteering myself for first drafts of documents, etc. The former has got to go. The latter I need to manage more effectively. Sometimes I'm exactly the person to take a stab at the first draft but many times I need to charge someone else to create a draft for me to review, etc.

>201 scaifea: Aww, Amber, thank you for that. I keep hoping I can bring the polarized folks more toward the middle. No one has to give up everything, but can they find more common ground? Ha. I suppose that is what the whole freaking country is trying to figure out, right?

>202 jnwelch: Hi Joe. I had written a whole answer to your post and then I deleted it (I meant to cut it so I could paste it in another post as the touchstones had gone wonky).

Anyway, I think I said something along the lines of how true it is that even unkind but true words warrant attention. The have an origin that may be instructive if nothing else.

And I want to find a copy of Tell Me: Poems which brings up no touchstone at all. And then you mentioned Sharon Olds whom I've never heard of so now I need to look for her, as well! I love this.

No touchstone for Sharon, either. I think the touchstones have simply gone on strike. Or they just took Independence Day off. :-)

>203 benitastrnad: Since P expressed her (unfounded, in my opinion) belief that I will be able to retire early, I've been thinking about it a lot, Benita. Part of me wants to retire today. Having my whole life be like this 4-day weekend is very appealing. But I also love my work and feel that I still have something to contribute. So here is the shift I'm noticing (and this may, of course, change): I have been thinking that I would work until at least age 67. That would give me "full" retirement benefits from social security and it has just seemed reasonable. Now I'm thinking about age 65. P is talking about me retiring at age 62 but I just went to ssa.gov and the difference between my social security benefits if I retire at age 62 vs age 65 is significant! Lord knows whether social security will survive the current administration but if it's there, I want to access it. I have been contributing since I was 16 years old. And $1000/month (that is the estimated difference between ages 62 and 65 for me) is a lot!! So, I may get to that stage of my life and say that, even if I can retire at age 62, I will choose to work until I am 65. That is less than a decade from now and that seems reasonable.

>204 BLBera: You're going to be ahead of me on Song of Solomon, Beth. I requested it from the library and expect to pick it up next weekend. But I will prioritize it then so we can compare notes!

Touchstones are not working today.

Ellen - I was between library books, and I wanted to get to SoS before something else gets in the way.

Lovely comments on Moonglow; it was my first completed book of the year and is still one of my favorites. One thing that resonated for me was the sense of affection of the grandson for his grandfather. I also liked the grandfather's wit.

Happy 4th.

I understand your comments on retirement. I am loving my summer - but I still have five years left, I think. We'll see.

>205 banjo123: We got the surgery scheduled, Rhonda. P heard yesterday that her surgery date is September 1. So now we can start to plan around that.

Your comment about "middle management" cracked me up. It seems to me that there are lots of levels of "middle" in managing most organizations. There are probably more layers/levels depending on the organization. A large public IHE has many layers. I still feel very much in the middle even though I think I'm perceived as being pretty high in the hierarchy. And I am pretty high but there are still all kinds of things I don't have the power to do. I'm also trying to find ways to effectively use my influence, even when I don't have power, per se.

It sounds like we are on similar retirement trajectories, Rhonda. I'm thinking eight years now, even though P is hoping for five (see my comments to Benita above).

>206 DeltaQueen50: Judy, the Duck Brand Inn sounds like a lovely spot and something we would very much enjoy. We'll definitely look for it next time we wander through that part of the state! I did find some images and information for it, so that sounds promising in terms of it still existing!

>207 lauralkeet: I think you're spot on, Laura. At the very least, it has been an interesting thought experiment to consider whether I could retire at age 65 instead of working until I'm 67 or (horrors) 70. I wrote some detailed comments above^ to Benita, probably more financials than anyone wants to know, but I'm glad that I'm thinking about it.

>208 thornton37814: Hi Lori! It seems like a lot of us are in similar territory. For me it would be 10 to full retirement and I'm starting to think about 8 years. I think 5 is just cutting myself out of important social security benefits. I don't think my life expectancy is super long so it's a bit of a trick to retire early enough to enjoy but not so early that I run into financial trouble. I guess that is the trick for all but the most wealthy.

>209 Caroline_McElwee: Hi Caroline, and thanks for the encouragement. It's an interesting time in my professional growth. It's so interesting to be thinking about this stuff at the same time that I'm starting to think concretely about retirement. And I see that you are another in the boat of fantasizing and calculating. Maybe that is just what happens when one gets to the approximately-one-decade-to-go stage.

I'll look forward to your comments on the biography of Angela Merkel. The search function on LT seems to be completely down so I can't go see anything about it. I will do so later when things are up and running again.

>211 msf59: Thank you, Mark. P and I are driving to Olympia to take her 95-year-old father t.v. shopping and then to a barbecue with friends of his. Not especially looking forward to it, to be honest, partly because the drive back on the freeway will be a nightmare. But it's what one does for one's 95-year-old FIL.

>217 BLBera: It makes total sense, Beth. I am glad to hear that SoS is starting out well. And Caroline also enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to it when I can get to it next week.

I love all the talk about retirement. It seems like there is a good cohort of us who are in the 5-10 years territory and thinking about when we can reasonably take that leap. My current thinking is 8 years but, as you say, we will see.

I am glad the surgery is scheduled. From the experiences of friends who have had the surgery, the pain relief is so very worth it.

We actually sat down with a financial planner, who ran different scenarios and did monte carlos, and actually, it all looked pretty good. Mrs. Banjo is planning to retire in a year and a half--though knowing her she may delay it. It improved my attitude about work to know that I can retire, actually, pretty soon if I want to.

Okay, so, as I told Rhonda above, P got her surgery scheduled. It will happen on September 1. That is the Friday of Labor Day weekend so I will be taking the entire following week off and perhaps 1-3 days in the week after that. Can you say "staycation"?? :-)
Of course, I know that I will be in caregiver mode so it probably won't feel quite as free and easy as I'm imagining but I do think there will be lots of reading time while she rests.

>222 banjo123: That is excellent, Rhonda! We will do the same when the time comes. P is sooooooo miserable at work that she will likely retire within the next year (she turns 64 next May). She was actually disappointed that the surgery wasn't scheduled for early August, as she was counting on taking 6 weeks off while it's still summer. I'm just trying to get her to hang in there -- I want her to be on the payroll and getting medical benefits for this surgery as well as the next (hiatal hernia surgery to follow hip replacement....). I wish she could hang in there until she is 65 for almost-full social security but I'm just not sure she can do it.

Happy 4th, Ellen!

Oh, you'll like Sharon Olds. (You're right about the touchstones! Must be the holiday). She's wise, frank and compelling. I got to see her live here, and I was really impressed.

Ellen, you will love Olds.

You've hit me with a book bullet with One Hundred Nights of Hero and it looks like my library has a copy so yaay, I hope to pick it up later this week.

I can so sympathize with you regarding work tensions. It's not always easy for different teams to work together, even if the end goal is the same. Each team, as you've so eloquently described, has their own idea of the path to the goal and that can sometimes lead to dysfunction rather than smooth collaborations.

I've been in projects where a few people just want to get it done as quickly as possible, and find others who are more cautious, wanting to consider all the variables, annoying. The ones who are more cautious became really anxious that there could be unforeseen pitfalls that could throw the project deadlines out if all variables aren't considered and they dig their heels. Doesn't make any of them bad people, but identifying their different communication and working styles early on can sometimes help.

Have you heard of the DIsC workshop? Our company had everyone take this workshop and all new hires have to go through it as well once they've been with the company for at least 6 months. It's actually helped improve the internal communication since once we're able to identify our preferred working personalities, it's led to a better understanding of those who don't work the same way that we do, and being able to change the way we communicate with them so we achieve project goals with as little strife as possible.

So glad to hear P's surgery has been scheduled and, yes, although you'll be the primary caregiver, I hope the time will still be a lovely staycation for you and the recovering P.

Happy 4th of July!

I went dish washer shopping today. I am thinking it is time for a new one. I will be buying my mother a new washer for Christmas and think I should get the dishwasher for myself first. Besides it is cheaper! I would love to have one of those where you can just wash the top half rather than having to do the whole machine each time. For a single person that makes more sense, but those are the really expensive models. I am going to think about it for the rest of the week.

I did make progress on my kitchen in other ways. I cleaned a counter off and set up my second Kitchen Aid mixer. It looks good sitting there.

>223 EBT1002: great to have a date! And yes, you can say staycation :)

Also, great to hear you had a 5-star experience with Michael Chabon! I am still trying to crack that nut....(as in, find the love for him that others have).

Here's to Fourth of July hooting and hollering and banging and booming, Ellen.

Interesting discussions about retirement. We are also in the 5-10 years to retirement bracket. Our current thinking is that we would get J through university and then give him a year or two to establish himself, which would allow us to retire at 62. My state pension age is 67 but I'm certainly not intending to carry on working for that long. We've both got employer pensions which should allow us to do that, and we have the option of downsizing.

>213 EBT1002: Well, here's hoping you have an easier time figuring out the common ground that the rest of the country is presently. Yoicks.

>210 EBT1002: I'm so glad that you liked the Chabon! I haven't read that one yet, but I've loved everything of his that I have read.

"I keep hoping I can bring the polarized folks more toward the middle. No one has to give up everything, but can they find more common ground? Ha. I suppose that is what the whole freaking country is trying to figure out, right? " You can't retire---you have to run for President!

Speaking from the experience of two people who were involuntarily retired a bit early (my husband was downsized out of his job at 63, and I lost mine at 64 a few years later), you may find it easier than you think to manage if you've been saving up. The work-related expenses that will no longer exist are surprising, and there's another calculation you can do with the internet's help. Take the SS benefit you will receive at, say 65, compared to what you would receive at full retirement age, and work out how long you have to live to make up the difference. It's called your "break-even" age. So you calculate what that age is based on the benefits chart, and if you expect to live longer than that you're better off waiting. But if for some reason you don't think you'll live past that break-even age, you'll make out by taking benefits earlier. Try this explanation...it's better than mine!

>183 EBT1002: Would love to hear some of your experiences in Krakow before you had to leave, if you'd like to share. Did you see much of the city, or were you restricted by circumstances?

Morning, Ellen.

I like Caro's idea of learning about the different ways co-workers work - e.g. cautious vs. full speed ahead. I'm going to ask young Jesse whether that's a factor at Google. I know they do an awful lot of checking and testing for bugs.

>233 laytonwoman3rd: I was just about to say this. Just because you retire before full retirement doesn't mean you need to file for SS benefits immediately, unless you can't make your nut any other way. Your fil certainly exhibits the trait of longevity!

Sorry to read of your work stresses! Hope your summer slow down starts soon!

I was way behind on your thread, Ellen. (On all of them actually). It took a while to get caught up. Interesting discussion about work and retirement. The culture where I work is that people retire a few years before they are 65. They all look much younger after they retire so it must be true that work stress ages you. I am looking forward to that youthful effect when I retire at the end of September.

SoS is wonderful, Ellen. I realize I remembered very little of it. I'm about halfway and don't want it to end.

Hi Ellen--So sorry work has been so stressful, but glad that you are taking the time to think through your role and also the pros and cons of different retirement ages. Glad P's surgery is finally scheduled!! And that the tests came back positive. Phew! Wishing you a wonderful week as we both head back to work. And I have Moonglow waiting for me in the TBR Tower. Yay!

57. The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey


This was my first Tey, I think, and I quite enjoyed it. A man is stabbed to death while waiting in the queue for the final production of a popular stage show. No one knows who the man is and no one saw anything until he fell down dead as the queue moved toward the open theater door. CID Inspector Grant is on the case, not quite trusting his instincts in the face of substantial circumstantial evidence supporting the guilt of one certain party. A fun read.

Currently reading:



I started reading Song of Solomon over the weekend. What a brilliantly-written novel! I'm so glad I decided to do this as a reread and I can well see why I loved it so much when I first read it in 1981. Then last night I started Dennis LeHane's The Given Day on my Kindle. I was sucked right in. I reserved it at the library after reading a recent Seattle Times review of his newest novel; the critic referenced The Given Day in such glowing terms that I immediately put it on reserve at the library. I feel very lucky to be dividing my time right now between two excellent (and very different) novels.

On a more personal note, I believe I broke my toe yesterday. I rammed it into the leg of a cedar chest in our study -- I was just walking full speed ahead on my way to the other room and just ran right into it. Dumb. It's not like the chest hasn't been there for, oh, a decade. Anyway, my left little toe area is black and blue and it hurts to walk. Honestly, I have no idea whether it's broken or just bruised and I figure the treatment is the same (ice, rest, ibuprofen) so I'm just going to follow my own advice. I've been on such a roll with my daily steps, too! Rats.

>242 EBT1002: - Ouch! You own advice sounds about right. That happened to my mom a few years ago. At least it's summer and you can go barefoot for awhile instead of having to cram your foot into shoes or boots. (Do you even need boots in your area?). Anyhow, a little forced R&R might not be a bad thing....

>225 jnwelch: My first collection by Sharon Olds is waiting for me at the library. I look forward to reading her work, Joe. Thanks for the tip!

>226 BLBera: Oh good. If both you and Joe think I will love Olds' work, it seems like a good chance that I will. :-)

>227 cameling: I hope you enjoy One Hundred Nights of Hero, Caroline!
And thank you for the kind words about the workplace tension. I really believe these are all good people who want things to go well, but they are each letting their anxiety manifest in ways that impede their communication. We have a big "summit" meeting among the entire group on July 18. I hope some things get cleared up at that meeting....

>228 benitastrnad: Good luck with choosing the dish washer, Benita! We have a Bosch that I truly love. You can't do a "split" run but it does have a "quick wash" feature which we actually use most of the time.

>229 LovingLit: Hi Megan. P borrowed some "gear" (crutches, a thingy to help put on one's socks, a walker....) from a friend who had her new hip installed about 3 weeks ago. That woman is already up and about and not limping at all! She did tell P that the post-op pain is notable and that she will sleep a lot in the first week. That's my stay-cation reading time! :-D

I'm sorry Chabon doesn't work for you. I admit that it took a bit of getting used to his style but I absolutely loved Moonglow.

>230 weird_O: Thanks Bill!

>231 SandDune: Yay, another member of the 5-10 years until retirement club! Rhian, the downsizing part of the planning feels really important for us, too. It's not like our house is large but the Seattle housing market is outrageous. Our current thinking is that, when the time comes, we will sell our house here and move to a smaller, quieter, and less expensive location. That alone might help with enabling me to retire a bit earlier than I had been thinking.

>232 scaifea: Yes, I agree, Amber. Disagreements and conflict are always difficult. At least my crew hasn't started tweeting about one another yet! :-)

>233 laytonwoman3rd: LOL, Linda. I appreciate your confidence but there is NO WAY I would ever want to be president! Of anything!!!! :-D

Thanks for the link to the info about calculating the difference between SS at 65 and 67 in terms of its intersection with your life expectancy. I hope to live longer than I expect to live (having already had that first stroke) so it's a weird thing to try to figure out. My sister was also forced into retirement before she intended and before she reached full retirement age (she was laid off at age 64) and, while it was incredibly painful at the time, she has since said that it ended up being the best thing that could have happened for her. Her spouse is older and had been retired for a few years and it has given them more of their senior years fully able to enjoy one another with free time.

I did see a fair bit of Krakow before we had to leave. I will write about that when I have a bit of time to reminisce. Maybe I'll make Krakow the topper for my next thread. :-)

Ouch - sorry about the toe. On the upside, maybe I'll catch up with the stepping? :) Put up your foot and watch tennis. Go Rafa - in a tough five-setter right now. And go Venus. She looked great today. Are you watching?

Isn't it amazing that SoS was written forty years ago and yet is still so true? The sign of great writing. I have underlined many passages.

>234 jnwelch: I think understanding one another's working style can go a long ways towards workplace effectiveness and equanimity, Joe. I also think this comes into play in personal relationships, lol!
I'll be interested in Jesse's take on how this plays out at Google.

>235 ffortsa: Yes, Judy, one thing we're trying to figure out is how much of her various retirement accounts P should draw on when she retires next May/June (I think we've landed on that, at least). She has one pension from which she will start drawing immediately. And then a variety of other things (tax deferred, not tax deferred, SS, etc.). Based on her father's longevity (and her mother's, too, since she died at age 90), P can enjoy a pretty long life expectancy. I, on the other hand, do not come from such hearty stock. It's all such a gamble!

>236 ChelleBearss: Thanks Chelle. The fact that I'm here, on LT, catching up during my lunch hour is a good sign! :-)

>237 Familyhistorian: End of September, Meg. That is soon! I anticipate that you will enjoy it.

>238 BLBera: Beth, I am loving Song of Solomon! I'm so glad I decided to reread it!

>239 Berly: Thanks for all those kind words, Kim. I know we'll all get through this process and I can already tell some things are shifting. It's a roller coaster, I guess, but not in a bad way.
Oh, methinks you will love Moonglow!

>243 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley. It's kind of hard to know what footwear is best right now. I wore my usual running shoes to work today and now I want them OFF. But the idea of walking around in sandals doesn't appeal much, either, because I feel like I need some support. ANYWAY, I just rearranged my afternoon such that I get to leave work at 2pm. I plan to go home, change into comfy clothes, ice and elevate my foot, and indulge myself by digging back into Song of Solomon and/or The Given Day. Yay!! (and I think that counts for the enforced R&R -- big grin)

>248 BLBera: Yes, the foot hurts like the devil right now, Beth. I am at work so I'm not free to watch tennis. And I had to walk across campus (and this is a BIG campus!) and back this morning. But I will be going home early today so I can elevate it and put it on ice. And either watch tennis or read. Next year I think I should plan for the day that is "manic Monday" at Wimbledon and plan to take that day off. :-)

My copy of SoS is from the library but I have been wanting to underline passages. I agree wholeheartedly ~~ it has stood the test of time extremely well (in some ways, that is a sad commentary but it does speak volumes about her amazing writing). It may turn out to be my favorite work by Toni Morrison.

Enjoy The Given Day is a good book. I've read it five years ago and still remember it.

Hi, Ellen. One of my personal book challenges is to reread Morrison. I plan on starting it sometime this year.

Glad you are having a good time with The Given Day. I enjoyed that one too.

I hope your foot feels better sooner, Ellen. I think you're right about the treatment, though.

So, I know you haven't been able to watch a lot of tennis, but do you have any favorites?

Your poor toe!! Ouchie. Been there done that. Heal quickly!!

Oh, dang! I'm sorry about your toe! I hope it's at least a little better today...

>252 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara. I'm getting into The Given Day a bit slowly since my primary read right now is Song of Solomon. But so far I am loving it. I can see why Lehane is a popular writer.

>253 msf59: Oh, rereading Toni Morrison is a great personal challenge to have, Mark. I am not a huge rereader and every time I reread one of hers it is worth it. Beloved was a great reread and I'm truly loving Song of Solomon. Do you know which of her works you plan to reread later this year?

>254 BLBera: Hi Beth. Right now I'm sitting in front of the telly - with my foot up! - and with tennis on. Of course, it's raining in London.... I was pleased to see Venus make it into the quarter finals. And Vandeweghe. I don't have favorites in the women's singles the way I sometimes have. They're getting ready to show Venus and Ostapenko, making a large deal about the age difference. I like both of them.
In the men's side, I like Murray because he is a Scot. I was sorry to see Rafa get knocked out but the new generation is coming on in the men's side, too.

>255 Berly: Thanks Kim. I thought about posting photos of my toe. It is swollen and purple. I'm really bummed because I was enjoying my running and this weather is perfect for morning runs! Right now it's cloudy and cool (low 50s) out there.... Oh well. I will get to mess around on LT a bit more. I'm not sure what shoes to wear today so I'm delaying the decision by staying home for an extra hour or two in my pajamas.

>256 scaifea: Thanks Amber. It doesn't feel much better this morning which is not a good sign. I wish I could just stay home all day but I have meetings I don't want to miss. But I'm going in late to minimize the time I spend on it.

Yesterday I was on Laura's (lauralkeet) thread and I decided that I'm going to start using FictFact to track my series reading. So that is a project for one of these days when I'm on my laptop instead of out for a run. :-|

>259 EBT1002: FictFact is perfect if you're worried that you're not spending enough time playing with book cataloguing instead of reading! (I'm over there, too.) :-)

So I can find it later, I'm posting the link to this list of great second-half 2017 book preview from The Millions.

>260 rosalita: LOL, Julia! I have to admit that I have resisted FactFict because it feels like one more way to spend time playing with book cataloguing instead of reading! I manage to use LT to effectively know which book is next up in any given series, but I like the look of that spreadsheet.....

I want to go take a peek at FictFact, too. 'Course I have said that before...Where does all my time go? : ) Enjoy PJs and tennis.

>263 Berly: I wish I were staying home all morning in PJs and watching tennis! Of course, here I sit, all dressed and ready for work, and getting caught up in LT and the Konta-Halep match. But really, I must go....

And it's about time for a new thread, isn't it?

Ouch. I don't know what there is to do for the little toe. Unless it's a seriously displaced fracture or a dislocation, you're probably right about the treatment. You might add an anti inflammatory like Aleve (or the generic) which is what my doc recommended - two to start and then 3x a day. The inflammation can add a lot of pain to a break.

And I completely empathize about the perfect weather. It's been great walking weather here too, but I can't do much until I get some relief from what my doc thinks is tendinitis. Sigh.

I belong to FictFact but don't use it much. Since I spend most of my time here on LT I figure that FictFact is superfluous.

>265 ffortsa: Oh, yes, you are right Judy. I did take 600 mg of Ibuprofen (my go-to anti-inflammatory) on Sunday evening and then again yesterday. I just hate taking them as I think they are so hard on the stomach. But in this case, it's probably wise. I am sitting here awkwardly at my desk with my left foot up. It is probably a good thing I have a massage scheduled for this Friday.

Sheesh, listen to me. I sound like I'm falling apart. Which I am decidedly NOT!

Ugh to tendinitis (which I think is spelled oddly -- isn't the noun tendOn?). I hope that improves quickly!

>266 benitastrnad: Yeah, I have been wondering about that, Benita. But the spreadsheet where you can see all your series in one place is appealing. I have a hard enough time keeping up with this site, though!

>257 EBT1002: "Do you know which of her works you plan to reread later this year?" I may just start from the beginning. Fortunately, I have 2 collections of her work, on shelf. The only one I liked but did not love was Tar Baby.

Sorry, to hear about the foot issues, Ellen. I hope this improves for you.

BTW- I am finally reading Arab of the Future 2. It got lost in the stacks and of course I wanted to read book one first. I really like these Syrian memoirs.

I'm a fan of FictFact. I don't really spend too much time on it, mostly when I want to know which book comes next in a series.

Sorry your toe isn't feeling better. Maybe you should stay home.

I LOVE the Millions' list.

>269 BLBera: I tend to go in spurts — I don't look at it for weeks, and then I spend an hour or so updating all my series in one fell swoop. Or one swell foop as my niece would say. I do find it a bit easier for tracking series than LT. LT has a page where you can see all your series, but it's polluted with things that other people think are series and I don't, so it looks like I'm reading hundreds of series. Yuck! On FictFact it only has what I choose to tell it.

Ouch, sorry about your toe! But at least it's an excuse to sit and relax and perhaps read! :)

>267 EBT1002: I was actually surprised at the dosage of naproxen my doctor prescribed, but his only caution was to take it with food. I haven't been icing, which I should, but I've been out and about and that makes it harder.

And yes, between my eyes and my foot, I sound like I'm falling apart too, but I'm definitely not. It reminds me of my father, who, when we had passed someone on the street with some far more drastic problem than we had, would say to us 'we have no problems'. He was right. For all our complaining, we are lucky.

58. Of Thee I Sing: Letter to My Daughters by Barack Obama



Sweet.

>268 msf59: "I have 2 collections of her work, on shelf." Starting at the beginning sounds like a great plan, Mark. I think her development as a gifted and courageous writer will be so apparent.

Oh, Arab of the Future and its sequel. Yes, good stuff!

>269 BLBera: Yeah, I think the only thing I will do with FictFact is keep track of my series reads and see what is next. I can do that on LT but I like the spreadsheet. :-)

"Maybe you should stay home." You're probably right, Beth. I am leaving early again today to go home to put ice on it.

>270 rosalita: I'll probably be a swell fooper, too, Julia. I tend to do things that way. :-)

>271 ChelleBearss: Yes, my daily steps are going to tank while I try to let this toe recover, Chelle. And, as you say, that means more reading! :-D

>272 ffortsa: "For all our complaining, we are lucky." Amen to that, Judy.

>270 rosalita: I completely agree with you about FictFact as a better way to track series progress than LT. If LT introduced similar features, I'd be a very happy camper indeed.

I posted this on FB but wanted to share it with my LT buddies as well. It's a great list of Thirty-four books by women of color from Electric Lit. These are new books and I want to read almost all of them!

Sorry to hear about your toe, Ellen. I know from first-hand experience how painful that is. I wanted to let you know that I finally got to All the Pretty Horses and I loved it. I had only read The Road by this author previously and now I consider myself a fan and want to read everything by him!

Ellen, the best advice I ever received for PAIN was the doctor who told me to take ibuprofen and acetaminophen (Tylenol) together. They work on two separate pain pathways, so, you get double the relief, but not double the toxicity. Give it a google or check with your doc. But for me, it works.

May your toe feel better soon!

I also am a casual user of both FictFact and GoodReads. With FictFact, I like knowing which is my next read for various series all in one place. I can tell quickly what I have on hand that needs to be read if I'm in the mood for a mystery or whatever. I'm sincerely trying to cut down on the number of unread books around here. (Insert winky face here).

Ain't no doubt, though - LT is the bestest!

>276 EBT1002: Thanks Ellen - I found a few more to add to my list. Some I'd already gotten from the Millions' list. Off to check to see if they are available in my library.

How's the toe today?

>276 EBT1002: I saw this list and definitely agree, very curious about these books. Thanks for posting them.

Quick howdy Ellen

59. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison




This beautiful early novel by one of our greatest modern novelists is a gem. With subtle elements of magical realism throughout, it is the story of the Dead family and most particularly the story of Macon "Milkman" Dead, the grandson of the first Macon Dead who obtained his name through a weird twist of drunken fate at the time of emancipation. Moving back and forth in time, illuminating the power of even unknown family past in shaping lives, and poignantly exploring the deep ties of family, friendship, and place, the novel remains remarkably timely even 40 years after its first publication. I'm so glad I reread this one.

60. Hate Crimes in Cyberspace by Danielle Keats Citron




This in-depth investigation of cyber harassment is well-researched, thoughtful, and somewhat terrifying. A law professor, Citron spends significant time exploring possible legislative remedies for this ubiquitous and trivialized phenomenon, but she also considers ways for internet intermediaries, parents, schools, and even participants in on-line spaces to address the issue. She addresses concerns about first amendment protections and demonstrates the parallels between virtual and "real" spaces. She also references the struggle in the 1970s and 80s to get law enforcement officials, judges, and the public to take sexual harassment and domestic violence seriously; she argues compellingly that we are currently in a similar process with regard to online harassment which usually contains elements of sexism, racism, and other forms of identity-based oppression. Worth reading, even if you skim some of the middle chapters.

Happy Friday, Ellen.

I hope the toe is getting better.

Great comments on SoS. >283 EBT1002: sounds good as well, important today. It's interesting that she ties online harassment to sexism and racism.

>275 lauralkeet: Great idea for LT to integrate some kind of spread sheet function similar to FictFact, Laura.

>277 DeltaQueen50: Thanks Judy. I have decided that I did not in fact break the toe but just badly jammed it. The bruising is starting to turn from dark purple to that odd green tinge that healing bruises get. This is a good thing.

I'm so glad you enjoyed All the Pretty Horses! I still have The Road and The Crossing on my TBR shelves and I don't know when I'll get to them but if AtPH is any indication, I expect to love them.

>278 streamsong: Hi Janet. I have never heard of the ibuprofen/acetaminophen combo for pain. I will google. Luckily, the pain has subsided a good deal such that I'm even starting to think I might be able to go for a run on Sunday. Or at least get back to it next week. I'm missing my morning runs and the weather here is perfect for it.

I'm thinking I would like FictFact for that very function and nothing else ~~ knowing exactly where I am in a series and thereby being able to easily identify the next one I "need." And, um, "I'm sincerely trying to cut down on the number of unread books around here." Insert winky face indeed. My reaction when I read that was "uh huh." Hopefully you can hear my warm but skeptical tone. :-)

I have a Goodreads account but honestly I never pay any attention to it. LT IS the bestest and it's the only book related website on which I spend any time. I spend way more time here than on any other website, including FB and even the New York Times. :-)

>279 BLBera: Between the Millions list and the Electric Lit lists, Beth, I am set for at least another year! Of course, that doesn't take into account all the books I had already planned to read in the next year or so! Ha.

The toe is better. As I said above, I don't think I actually broke it. The bruising is easing and, though I probably should not have walked up the Ave to the U Bookstore today, I think it's okay. Tomorrow I will not run, partly because I have a date with Venus at 6am, but I'm thinking I might be able to run on Sunday.

>280 ffortsa: It's another good list, Judy. We can't have too many lists around here! :-D

>281 luvamystery65: Hi Roberta! I had lost track of your thread and I'm trying to reconnect.
Thanks for doing the reciprocal drive-by. :-)

>284 BLBera: Hi Beth. It was a good Friday, starting with a massage at 9am. :-)

My toe is getting better. Yay!

Danielle Keats Citron provides data indicating that most of the online harassment is identity-based. Women are far more likely to be subject to online harassment than men and the content is usually overtly sexual and often violently so. She delves into the terrain of revenge porn which is something about which I knew very little. People of color are also more likely to be harassed and anyone whose sexual orientation or gender expression is non-normative are also more vulnerable. I think her work is important in the current national climate. I also heard her speak on our campus in May (in fact, I got to be on stage with her and we did a Q&A session together at the end of her lecture) and she is brilliant and engaging. I love hearing someone with her kind of intelligence speak about complex matters.