Mark's Reading Place: Chapter Ten

^These are my GHO owlets and this is an actual photo of them, taken by a birding friend. Aren't they beauties? One day, I will have to take up photography and capture these kind of moments.



And of course the:

Audiobook:



Graphic/Comic:


Books Read So Far...

OTS- Off the Shelf

January:

1) The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher 4 stars (audio)
2) The Fact of a Body: A Memoir by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich 5 stars (audio)
3) Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright 4.2 stars
4) What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky: Stories by Lesley Nneka Arimah 4.2 stars
5) The White Album: Essays by Joan Didion 4 stars (E) OTS
6) Nicholas Nickelby by Charles Dickens 3.7 stars (audio/print)
7) The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden 3.6 stars (audio)
8) Black Swan Green by David Mitchell 4.5 stars OTS
9) A Thousand Mornings: Poems by Mary Oliver 4.5 stars Poetry OTS
10) Strange Weather: Four Short Novels by Joe Hill 4 stars (audio) OTS
11) Woodsong by Gary Paulsen 4 stars (audio)
12) The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy 3.7 stars OTS

February:

13) Only Killers and Thieves by Paul Howarth 4.5 stars (E)
14) What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi 3.8 stars OTS
15) Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead 3.7 stars (audio) AAC OTS
16) Salt Houses by Hala Alyan 4.2 stars OTS
17) The Power by Naomi Alderman 4.3 stars (audio)
18) The Largesse of the Sea Maiden: Stories by Denis Johnson 4.3 stars
19) Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions by Valeria Luiselli 4.2 stars
20) Barkskins by Annie Proulx 3.8 stars (audio) OTS
21) Artemis: A Novel by Andy Weir 3.6 stars (audio)
22) The Log from the Sea of Cortez by John Steinbeck 4.2 stars
23) The Country I Remember by David Mason 4.5 stars (Poetry)

March:

24) Don't Skip Out on Me by Willy Vlautin 4 stars ER
25) Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie 4.6 stars OTS (audio) OTS
26) An American Marriage by Tayari Jones 4 stars (audio)
27) Saving Tarboo Creek: One Family’s Quest to Heal the Land by Scott Freeman 4 stars
28) American Wolf by Nate Blakeslee 4.5 stars (audio)
29) The Night In Question: Stories by Tobias Wolff 4 stars AAC OTS
30) My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman 4.2 stars (audio)
31) Where the Dead Sit Talking by Brandon Hobson 3.4 stars E
32) Where Now: New and Selected Poems by Laura Kasischke 5 stars Poetry
33) The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks 4 stars (audio) OTS
34) Mozart's Starling by Lyanda Lynn Haupt 4 stars
35) Celine by Peter Heller 3.4 stars (audio) OTS
36) On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder 4.5 stars (audio)
37) Arthur & George by Julian Barnes 4.4 stars OTS
38) I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search by Michelle McNamara 4.3 stars (audio)

April:

39) Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu 5 stars GN
40) Since We Fell: A Novel by Dennis Lehane 3.3 stars (audio)
41) All the Names They Used for God: Stories by Anjali Sachdeva 4.5 stars
42) Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery by Scott Kelly 4.3 stars (audio)
43) We Are Okay by Nina LaCour 4.2 stars

Welcome to the AAC V! It should be another fun year. Some interesting and diverse authors.

2018 AAC

January- Joan Didion Completed The White Album
February- Colson Whitehead Completed Sag Harbor
March- Tobias Wolff Completed The Night in Question: Stories
April- Alice Walker
May- Peter Hamill
June- Walter Mosley
July- Amy Tan
August- Louis L'Amour
September- Pat Conroy
October- Stephen King
November- Narrative Nonfiction
December- F. Scott Fitzgerald

Here is a link to the General Discussion Thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/279501#

"A haunting, diverse debut story collection that explores the isolation we experience in the face of the mysterious, often dangerous forces that shape our lives."

^Okay, I finally finished Arthur & George, which was excellent, but it took me forever to read. If a book is less than 400 pages, it very rarely takes me over a week to read. Hey, at least it was a winner, right? Barnes has quickly become one of my favorite authors.

So, I will move on to a story collection called All the Names They Used for God, (great title, eh?) which I heard about on a Book Riot podcast. Not only is the author adorable, but it looks like a perfect fit for me. This will probably be my last print book of the month, but I still have an audiobook and GN going. Just sayin'...

I am conflicted about the charges of sexual harassment in the publishing industry. I am not sure that publishers should refuse to publish the works of people accused of sexual harassment. Writing a book and putting a great and wonderful story down on paper is a talent and to refuse to publish these works because of misconduct in the workplace doesn't really make sense to me. For instance, the poet Ezra Pound. This man was a virulent anti-Semite in his private life and in much of his published work. He made no secret of his views and his publisher never tried to cover them up. Granted that was a different day and time, but even knowing his views his work is still published and reproduced in English textbooks all around the world. I think the reader should be the judge of what gets published.

I also think that freedom of the press (which is what we are talking about here) is much different than harassing people in the workplace. The authors who have been accused of harassment are not accused of writing harassing works. They are accused of practicing harassment in the workplace. Those are two very different things to me. Their actions in the workplace should not be tolerated. However, what they have written in their books don't show that reprehensible personal conduct.

I have been a long-time fan of the children's book illustrator David Diaz. I still am. He is a very very good illustrator. His collaboration with Eve Bunting on the Caldecott winning children's book Smokey Night is a thing of beauty. I can appreciate that apart from his conduct in his workplace.

I don't like Bill O'Reilly's political views or his conduct on his television shows. I found his rudeness appalling and can't believe that he was allowed to get away with such conduct on-screen for all those years. However, the man is a great lover of history and his "Killling of" books have reached a wide audience. Who knows how many younger adults he has inspired to be life-long learners of history and to be life long readers? It remains to be seen how well his books will sell without his sales platform on FOX TV.

On-the-Other-Hand, I like the political views of Steven Colbert but think he is a silly author and his books not worth reading. (I haven't read a single book by Bill O'Reilly either, because there are usually better books out there on the subjects about which he writes.) It is my opinion that Colbert's books are only best sellers because of his mega-platform to drive sales - his TV show. In both cases, O'Reilly and Colbert, the market will decide if they are worthy authors. I am sure that the publishers of many gay and lesbian writers wondered if they should publish the works of authors who had a different life style.

I think that we need to separate the misconduct in the workplace from misconduct on the page. I am very sad that David Diaz will have to rebuild his career and that his artwork won't be on the pages of a book about a Mexican scientist. I think that Sherman Alexie has done good, and maybe great, literary work, and I don't think that is negated by his poor choices of conduct in a work environment. As we know, sexual harassment has little to do with sex and much to do with power. I also think sexual harassment has little to do with talent and much to do with power and how modern culture treats celebrities.

I am not sure that any of us, can boycott any authors works today, when we have a President who, treats everybody with disdain and certainly has displayed conduct in public that would have gotten him fired from any other workplace on the planet other than his own. It seems to me that there is a great deal of self-righteousness being displayed by people in high places nowadays, and the publishing industry is not an exception. As a librarian who deeply believes in the Freedom to Read, I am disturbed by book sellers and publishers who are deeply censoring reading materials. Make no mistake about it, removing authors works from the shelves is censoring. Refusing to publish a book because of who the illustrator is, is censoring. That is dangerous territory for us as readers to be entering.

>4 msf59: I love that title!

>5 benitastrnad: My issue is that it's become a witch hunt. Merely to be *accused* is instant career death. That is always, always, always wrong.

Happy new thread!

>1 msf59: That is the sweetest photo! They are so fuzzy and cute.

They are beauties,Mark! Happy New Thread! I managed another small miracle of putting a new picture of the new grand baby on my thread. Took me about 1/2 hour of fiddling around and I already forget what I did.

Happy new thread, Mark. I love the owlets.

Nice thread toppers, as usual. At some point, I'd like to give a Julian Barnes a try.

Happy new one, Mark! That topper is so sweet.

>5 benitastrnad: Whoa, Benita! You are laying some heavy stuff on me. Glad I just poured a beer. I think you bring up excellent points and I completely agree about the censorship issues. I don't think anyone here was mentioning a boycott of an author's work, but there is no question, that an author's behavior can color or sway an individual reader's opinion. I think this might have happened to me, with Alexie. Will, I never read him again? That is doubtful, but I will no longer hold him in as high esteem, as I did before.

>6 richardderus: Hi, RD! I don't want a witch hunt either, but, in the case of Mr. Alexie, he has openly admitted wrong-doing and has apologized for it. Of course, this doesn't absolve him of anything but he is clearly guilty. I am not sure about these other author accusations.

>7 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle. Hooray for fuzzy & cute. I plan on visiting them tomorrow and Friday, for a brief hello.

>8 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb. I will stop over and check out the baby photo.

>9 BLBera: Thanks Beth.

>10 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. Glad you like the toppers. Barnes is not for everybody but if he clicks for you, you will be a fan for life.

>11 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie. Hooray for the owlets!

If we required a pre-review of an author's background and character before a book was published my to be read pile would shrink.

>13 msf59: What I'm really waiting for is a new Amor Towles. He needs to get cracking.

^Okay, here is my owlet story: On Sunday, after my extensive bird walk, I took a "birding" couple, I have befriended, to see my GHO family. The man is also a photographer and took some choice shots, which he shared with me. After I left, they went on a stroll around the grounds. Well, they ran into a couple of forest rangers and it turned out one of the owlets had fallen from the nest and was at the base of the tree, about 15-20 ft down. The rangers scooped up the owlet and brought it to a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, to make sure it was okay. I called the Center on Monday, to get an update and was told that the owlet was fine and had been returned to the nest. How cool is that? B.A.G.

I plan on visiting them tomorrow and Friday after work, for a brief check-in. My wife wants to see them.

>14 Forthwith: Good point Forthwith!

>15 lindapanzo: I think Towles will be taking his time, Linda, which is okay with me. Fortunately, there are plenty of books out there to keep us busy in the meantime.

>1 msf59: LOVE it!
>16 msf59: - What a great story - and happy ending!

BTW, happy new thread, Mark

>5 benitastrnad:, >6 richardderus: I agree. For example, I love some of T.S. Eliot's work yet I abhor his politics.

>14 Forthwith: Haha, I'm sure that's too true.

Hi, Mark! Happy new thread! It's nice to get in on the ground floor. Not so many posts to get through before I can comment.

>16 msf59: What a terrific story. Look forward to an owlet update later this week.

>18 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. Hooray for the owlets! They are the coolest.

>19 Storeetllr: Thanks, Mary. Always good to see you over here.

>20 alphaorder: It will be fun following the owlets as they mature, Nancy. Looking forward to seeing them fly about. I have only seen Papa one time. I would like to get another look at him.

Happy new thread, Mark! Nice shot of "your" owlets up top.

>1 msf59: >16 msf59: How special you get the chance to see the owlets grow.
I have always mixed feelings about rescuing wildlife. There could be nothing wrong with the owlet, but there could be something wrong, that made it fall from the nest. On average Mother Nature does a better job than we humans do...

I love your owlet story! I'm very glad the little one was okay and that it was so quickly returned to the nest.

>24 FAMeulstee: It's an interesting question, Anita. Several years ago I volunteered at a bird rescue and rehab center. We did occasionally take in birds that didn't actually need care, and we were able to release them immediately. No harm, now foul (pun intended lol). Baby bird season was crazy busy, because of the sheer volume of birds coming in, and because even if they were okay we had to care for them until they were mature enough to be released. I generally agree it's best to let nature take its course, but I'm also glad there are rescue organizations that are able to help birds get back to their habitat as soon as possible.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Thursday to you.

Your owlet topper is wonderful. You're lucky to be able to watch them grow, and I'm glad the one that fell was able to be returned to the nest.

Sweet Thursday, Mark! Happy New Thread, buddy. Love the owlet photos and stories. Glad the little one is okay.

Phillips in the Trib just gave a positive review to Spielberg's Ready Player One movie. I'm glad Spielberg is the one who took it on. Sounds like it's a fun one.

I'm off to the dentist soon for a checkup. Oh boy oh boy. Sure looking forward to that.

I hope your Thursday is better than >27 jnwelch:'s.

What a great story! I hope the owlet stays in the tree now.

Good luck to your Cubs this year! I'll be watching my Jays this afternoon :)

>23 harrygbutler: Morning, Harry and thanks.

>24 FAMeulstee: Hi, Anita. It appears to me that this owl nest is a bit over-crowded. The Mom is no longer able to fit in it and I think the owlets just jostled each other, until one fell out.

>25 lauralkeet: Morning, Laura. I would definitely consider volunteering at a Wildlife Rehab center, once I retire. I think it would be a great experience.

Since, I especially love owls and other raptors, I am glad they were able to save this little guy. They told me he was perfectly healthy, so that is a good sign.

>26 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Hooray for the owlets.

>27 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Hooray for the owlets and a good review of RPO. Phillips is a tough critic, so this is a good sign. Good luck at the dentist.

>28 richardderus: LOL. How could it not, RD?

Morning, Mark! Sweet Thursday!

Beautiful topper, Mark! Happy new thread!!

#12
It was not you I was thinking of when I used the word censoring. The article from the last thread was about what is happening regarding two very well known authors -Sherman Alexie and the children's book illustrator David Diaz. That article pointed out that the latest book by Diaz (in the children's book world, authors and illustrators are treated the same for cataloging purposes) was scheduled to be published this month. Instead it was pulled from the printers and the shipping companies. Those copies of the book will be destroyed. The publisher has hired a new illustrator and the publication of the book - a biography of a Mexican Noble winning scientist - will be delayed by at least a year.

The article pointed out that many well known bookstores, including Chicago's Women and Children First bookstore, have pulled Alexie's books from the shelves and are not selling them. This is censorship. I find it disturbing and hope and pray that it is not a trend.

To me it makes little sense. There are all kinds of books published each year that I intensely dislike as a matter of principle. (The books of Ann Coulter come to mind.) As a librarian, I am obligated to purchase those books and put them on the shelf. My job is not to censor what people read, it is to provide it to them. If that book does not circulate in a specified period of time I can discard it, but I have let the marketplace determine its success or failure. I think the same should hold true for book sellers and publishers.

I think it is a shame that many men can't seem to take the word No as No, but that doesn't mean that those same men can't write a meaningful book. I think it is terribly sad about both of these talented men, who had feet of clay. I don't think that means that either one of them should return the awards they have received for their work. Their work is not their personal lives. It stands as any other book.

I think it behooves us as readers to bear in mind that all of this could easily turn into a witch-hunt, just as Richard pointed out. These men rightly deserve to be called out for their behavior, but I don't think that their work should not be published or sold. The right to have voices heard as authors and as publishers is very precious and one that we should not protect.

So read-on, and read Bill O'Rielly or whoever suits your fancy.

>29 ChelleBearss: Morning, Chelle. Hooray for the owlets, the Cubs and the Jays!

>32 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie.

>33 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda and thank you.

>34 benitastrnad: - I understand some of your points and agree with a few of them, but I think things are a lot more nuanced. If we don't hold sexual harassers/predators/abusers accountable, then all the Tsk-Tsking in the world is useless. And in the case of say, Hollywood stars or magnates, why should they earn millions of dollars after destroying some people's lives?

I do think it was silly of the publisher to destroy all the Diaz-illustrated books - they had already sunk the money into them. But in the case of not publishing further works, I think publishers are well within their rights to decide that the backlash might be strong enough not to justify the expense.

And I see your job as a librarian as completely different from that of an independent bookseller; you are a public servant, a government employee, and government censorship is unconstitutional. But a private bookstore is well within its rights to decide if it wants to give a platform to an individual or not - it's exercising it's First Amendment rights in a different way. And people can then decide whether to shop there or not.

Hi, Mark! I saw this most recent thread hadn't yet exploded, so I jumped in quick.

Interesting discussion re kinds of censorship. I do think men should be called on their behavior, of course (as should we all). And I think their work should be available if it's good enough to publish. There is a risk of hard-line behavior that will deprive all of us of both the art and the concepts of redemption and growth.

There are a few articles in this week's New Yorker about perception. In one of them, there is a discussion of a specific kind of virtual reality where you 'become' another person viewing yourself; the experience can make significant changes in people's perception of 'others' - for instance, if they inhabit a body of a different color, or a different gender. The technique was used experimentally with some domestic abusers, and it seemed to expand their ability to recognize the fear they themselves created, but didn't initially recognize. So growth can happen. Just as I believe few if any people should be imprisoned for life, I think few if any people are incapable of growth and changes in behavior if the right techniques are used and the person is willing to change. Banning Alexie, for instance, for work over his lifetime, is not an action I would take, although knowing his behavior might color my interpretation of his work, just as it does with the works of Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot.

Happy new thread, Mark. Love the owlet photos and the story of the young one that was ok after it fell.

It is hard now that the "me too" movement has moved on to the world of writers. With the censorship that is going on you may not get a chance to read any new works by Alexie. So there is that. There is also the thought that the culture that gave him the background and ability to be a powerful writer also gave him the background and ability to be an abuser. That kind of behaviour is endemic in our society.

Happy new one, Mark.

Cool owlet story, Mark. I wish your Cubs a happy BB season.

Happy New thread, Mark! Great story about the owlets. Last night the snow geese were a honking. Apparently they do they migrating at night as well as the day. I guess that is the reason for the noise. All I can say is head out to Siberia, snow geese. Go see Putin. I've had enough! :-)

>34 benitastrnad: Thanks, for the additional comments, Benita. I know this issue can get thorny. I am completely with you on the censorship threat, but I agree with Katie, that if a bookstore doesn't want to stock a certain author's books, that is up to that bookstore. But flat-out banning books, is a terrible idea.

>36 katiekrug: Thanks for chiming is on this hot-button subject, Katie and I am glad to see there was no name calling or hate-spewing. I am disturbed and disappointed by Alexie's behavior, but I think his books should be read.

>37 ffortsa: Hi, Judy. I am glad you slipped in early, before it got crazy around here. " And I think their work should be available if it's good enough to publish. There is a risk of hard-line behavior that will deprive all of us of both the art and the concepts of redemption and growth." I like the way you put this and I completely concur."

>38 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. And yah, for the owlet. I like your thoughts on the Alexie issue. Plenty to mull over on that one.

>39 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb.

>40 BLBera: Hi, Beth! Cubs win! Cubs win! Always a nice way to start the season.

>41 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb. Glad you liked the owlet tale. Maybe, someone will do an illustrated version of it. Sorry, those snow geese are driving you crazy. Soon enough, they will be gone.

Or maybe the Owl's nest was slightly defective...?

When Nature offers humans a rare opportunity to show compassion,
to help,
instead of taking the easy route and following the many other choices being made
by our government and other lunatics,
it feels good to be allowed to make the effort.

It shows again that we and Nature are not separate.

>44 m.belljackson: Amen, to that, Marianne. I checked on the owlets today and they look quite healthy and content.

^The Alice Walker thread is up. Stop over and let us know what you will be reading:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/289310#

^I am a fan of Dennis Lehane. Mystic River remains one of my very favorite crime novels and I really liked the few Kenzie & Gennaro mysteries, I have read, but for some reason I did not get to Since We Fell, which came out last May. I remember it received some solid reviews but opinion seems to be mixed here and on Good Reads. Well, it will be my next audio and I will start it tomorrow. Let's see if it works for me...

Mark. Owls. Books. Sleazy and Gropey. (The two dwarves you never hear about; there really were nine dwarves in the original story.)

I'm wary of the rush to judgment in sexual "misconduct" situations. Is Garrison Keillor really a busy-hands guy? Or did he get savaged over a single incident? A lot of stuff I don't get.

Don't feel very voluble on this or any other topic tonight. But I got a lot of thoughts tumbling and churning.

I am also conflicted on how to respond to artists who have been accused of sexual misconduct. I do think that someone can be a good artist/author and not a nice person. But I haven't been able to bring myself to watch a Woody Allen movie since the scandals about him broke; or to read Pound's poetry (unless someone posts a poem by him, then I will read it, but I wouldn't get a book). It's a gut thing.

But on the other hand, if stores take the books off the shelves purely out of pressure, I think that's wrong.

Somehow makes me think about how brave booksellers had to be to keep the Satanic Verses in circulation after the Fatwa. Obviously a different thing, but still... there is a value in not bowing to pressure.

>48 weird_O: "Sleazy and Gropey." Ooh, I heard about those two. Glad they were left out of the film. That could have been awkward. I agree with you, Bill, on the knee-jerk response. This is what I was hoping for the Alexie accusations, but then they kept rolling in and he even apologized for some of his past doings and that sealed the deal...for me anyway.

>49 banjo123: Hi, Rhonda. I have been a big fan of Woody Allen for decades, but like you, this has colored my opinion of him. I am sure I will still watch my favorite Allen films, but I am also sure this will hang, like an ugly cloud, as I stare at the screen.

I never did read Satanic Verses.

Howdy, Mark! Yesterday, the springlike rainy weather brought out some beautiful birds. I look through my guide but I can only guess at what is visiting my bird feeders. Nice yellowish green one with brilliant yellow on the upper portion of his wing. Another with pale red head and throat. To think I missed all of this when my birdfeeders were in the backyard.
Have an awesome Friday!

Morning, Mark! Hope you get some time off work for Easter!
Great discussions here about book stores and the authors accused of sexual misconduct. It's a hard one to decide on, for sure. Do they only not stock the worst of the offenders or do they remove everyone who has been accused?

I agree with Benita that censorship is not the answer to stopping these offences, but also with Katie on independent bookstores having the right to choose what they keep in stock. I don't think it would stop be from reading a book that I had already really wanted to read, but I think it would stop me from purchasing an author that I hadn't read before.
I agree that being a bad person doesn't automatically make someone a bad person, but do I really want to support that person?
Not sure.

Happy new thread!

Happy Friday, Mark.

Good luck with the Dennis Lehane. I liked Shutter Island, but otherwise didn't catch the Lehane fever. Becca has read more of his than I have.

I just started the new Joe Pickett mystery by C.J. Box. Yet another series that I can't resist.

>51 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda. Boo about the rain, but I am glad you are seeing some lovely birds. Take photos ,when you can and we will try to identify them. Your greenish, yellow bird may be a goldfinch, slowly getting its summer plumage.

>52 ChelleBearss: Morning, Chelle. We do not get any time off for Easter, but we make up for it, in other places.
Thanks, for chiming in on the censorship issue. I think a lot of this, will come down to the individual. We should continue to have a choice.

Good morning, Mark! Happy Saturday to you. I read Lehane's Mystic River and loved it, but like Joe, didn't otherwise catch the Lehane fever.

Interesting discussion - I believe that public libraries must put things on the shelves that the librarians may not agree with personally. In doing so they are providing the cultural/intellectual smorgasbord necessary to allow people to get resources they want and give them other viewpoints if they want to go beyond their comfort zone.

I also believe that bookstores have the right to determine what's on their shelves and the audience they want to cater to. However, that leads to the problem of discrimination - what about businesses who discriminate based on racist or sexual/gender factors? I would never use a business that discriminated based on a person's race or sexual orientation, but I have never, so far, thought about what might not be on a book store's shelves. (except religious bookstores which by their nature appeal to a select group only).

It's all a muddle.

Here's a bit from an article I found on NYT from last year. He's A Creep, but Wow, what an Artist!

Caravaggio was a murderous thug. Ezra Pound was a pro-fascist and pro-Nazi anti-Semite. Virginia Woolf had an anti-Semitic streak of her own. T. S. Eliot out-and-out hated Jews. Picasso treated the women in his life abysmally; two killed themselves. Norman Mailer stabbed his wife. Walt Whitman likened the “intellect and caliber” of blacks to that of “so many baboons.” William Golding tried to rape a 15-year-old girl. The list could go on.

Of course, all those people are dead. Disreputable living artists present a more complex situation: Can we avoid having their behavior shape how we evaluate their work? How much should we be bothered that they stand to profit further by having their movies and books in circulation?

Fair questions. But there is also this reality, encapsulated seven years ago in The Atlantic by the screenwriter and novelist Erik Tarloff: “We are forced to deal with a very uncomfortable fact: Great art is sometimes — perhaps often — made by very bad people, or people who harbor very ugly attitudes, or attitudes we now find abhorrent.”

Happy Friday, Mark. I've read Shutter Island and The Given Day by Dennis Lehane and I liked them both.

#56
That article puts the dilemma in a nutshell. Thanks for that.

I have been and still am a fan of the work of David Diaz. His Hispanic influenced artwork for children's books is one voice of diversity that the world of children's book publishing needed. It is for that reason that I am conflicted about the reaction to the revelations that he has systematically engaged in sexual misconduct for years. It was no secret in the industry that he was "handsy" and so I find that some of the reaction by people in the industry is rather self-righteous and I find that offensive. He has been contrite since the industry called him on his behavior and has started the road to rectifying those behaviors. I hope he succeeds. I sincerely hope that he can rebuild his career because the power of his artwork is needed in children's literature.

When Jacquelyn Woodson came out twenty years ago, she was ostracized and shunned by the children's book industry. It took her years to rebuild her career. I am not equating her coming out with the conduct of David Diaz, but I know that watching the fall of a talented writer saddened me because I care about literature and about giving people voices through books. It is for that same reason that I am saddened about David Diaz. Fortunately, for the world and for Woodson, she managed to restore her career through the continued production of outstanding works of literature. I hope that both Diaz and Alexie can do the same. However, it will only happen if the public has access to their work. I hope that the censorship (for I can only call it that) will be short lived.

Morning, Mark! I also love Lehane, so I will be awaiting your thoughts on that one.

>53 drneutron: Thanks, Jim.

>54 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Waiting for more sunshine to appear. Funny, Shutter Island is my least favorite Lehane. I disliked the film too. I will have to ask Becca if she has read his latest.

>56 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Thanks for chiming in on the censorship discussion. I will have to circle back and read that article. Looks really interesting.

>45 msf59:

Imagine if one of our first nature writers, Gilbert White, had not helped Timothy The Tortoise! in 1780!

>57 Ameise1: Hi, Barb. Glad to hear you are a Lehane fan. I highly recommend Mystic River. That is, his best.

>58 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita. You definitely sparked an interesting discussion. I am going to have to track down some of Diaz's work.

>59 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie. Not far enough into the Lehane, for a full impression yet, but this one is unraveling very slowly.

Great owlet photos, and good to hear the owlet bungee jumper is fine and back in the nest Mark.

I must make room for Alice Walker this month, I do have a few of hers I haven't read, though I might just reread an old favourite.

Happy Friday, Mark.

We are still marveling at the 36-year old accountant/beer league goalie who had to play the last 14 minutes of the Hawks game yesterday. In the NHL, the home team has to keep an amateur goalie available in case either team loses both of its goalies to injuries. Well, Scott Foster's dream came true yesterday.

He played in college, at Western Michigan University, about 15 years ago and plays in a rec league at Johnny's Ice House, down the street from the UC. He has been the "emergency goalie" about 10 to 15 times this season, which means that he usually sits in the press box, eats, and watches the game. Yesterday, the Hawks' starter got hurt during pre-game and the rookie, just called up from Rockford, had to start his first game. Well, the rookie got hurt midway through the third period and in came the accountant. He stopped every single shot. The crowd and his teammates were going crazy.

There's a contest every home game to pick the "star of the game" and my friend and I knew we had to pick him. He ended up being the star of the game.

Back to his day job today, though.

>16 msf59: Amazing owlet story!

>58 benitastrnad: "one voice of diversity that the world of children's book publishing needed" That's how I feel about Sherman Alexie, too. It would be a shame if The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian dropped out of school curriculums (curricula? anyhooo....)

>61 m.belljackson: I am not familiar with the Gilbert White story, Marianne. I will have to research...

>63 Caroline_McElwee: Hi, Caroline. You cracked me up with the "owlet bungee jumper". I checked on them yesterday and they were healthy and hardy.

So, what is your favorite of Ms. Walker?

>64 lindapanzo: Happy Friday, Linda. Thanks for sharing the "old accountant/beer league goalie" story. That is a hoot. I don't follow the Hawks much or the Bulls, so it is nice that someone keeps me attuned.

Go Ramblers! Big day for Chicago tomorrow night!

>65 streamsong: Hi, Janet. We love our owlets around here, that is for sure. And I agree it would be awful sad to take the Alexie books off the curriculum. He remains an important voice.

>67 msf59: Yes, it is. I'm currently reading a book about the champion 1963 Loyola Ramblers. Didn't know much about them. Ramblers Loyola Chicago 1963.

I'm eager to see my first Cubs game of the season on TV tonight. I hope they can keep up their winning ways.

>66 msf59: too difficult to call Mark. See my note on her thread.

Wow, great discussion about distasteful (at the very least) yet genius (or at least good) artists. May be one reason I do not try to find out an author's life story before reading their books.

>64 lindapanzo: Great story, Linda!

I enjoyed Mystic River and Shutter Island and loved the Kenzie & Gennaro mysteries - A Drink Before the War is one of my favorite books (and favorite titles), but I haven't read any of his new stuff. I'll be interested in hearing your take on Since We Fell.

Happy Easter!

>64 lindapanzo: - So funny to read that story, Linda. It made our news tonight too, as, apparently, that goalie guy is Canadian! From Ontario! He was pretty funny in the short clip we saw.

>66 msf59:

You've got some fun research ahead!

To start, there are Gilbert White's observations of the real Timothy
or Verlyn Klinkenborg's story from Timothy's perspective:
Timothy; or, Notes of an Abject Reptile.

The goalie story was on NPR this morning. Sounded like a hoax, but April Fool’s Day is Sunday. It was a great story.

>71 jessibud2: From Sarnia, I think.

>73 benitastrnad: We were watching it as it happened, live. When the rookie had to play his first game, we wondered who is back up was. Rockford, the minor league team, isn't that far away but still probably 90 minutes. As soon as the rookie was writhing in pain, we were all speculating as to what the Hawks could do.

By league rule, the home team has to keep a local goalie on hand, in case either team loses both of its goalies. If this accountant goalie had gotten hurt, the announcers were talking about perhaps the trainer would go in. I've never heard of the amateur goalie going in but the BHawks had to dress the amateur earlier this year.

We're going to the BHawks game next Friday, April 6, but wish we'd been there last night.

Just saw this: Dan Egan's book The Death and Life of the Great Lakes was announced as the lasted selection for the PBS/NYT book club: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/the-next-pick-for-the-pbs-newshour-new-york-ti...

Also, Anita Shreve died yesterday. https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/03/30/anita-shreve-best-selling-author-th...

I hosted her a few times at the bookshop - lovely woman - and read and loved a number of her books. There are still a few on my shelves that I haven't read, so thinking about reading All He Ever Wanted this weekend in remembrance.

Hope you have a nice weekend, Mark.

I'm starting a short novel by Eudora Welty called The Robber Bridegroom. I know just one thing, which I discovered second ago whilst fixing the Touchstone; the Brothers Grim produced a tale called The Robber Bridegroom. Since I've encountered keel-boat legend Mike Fink on page 8, I think there's a connection. Miss Welty is pretty much unknown to me. I've read The Optimist's Daughter and On William Faulkner, I know she a Mississippian. I pick up two books by her at a library book-sale last Saturday. I short divergence, then back to DFW's meditation over a lobster. Followed by Alice Walker and other delights.

Love the owlets. I often hear little screech owls and an occasional barn owl's hoot hoo hoo at night.

Happy Saturday, Mark.

Got caught up in a ridiculously busy week - and missed about two threads ;)

Hope all is well and full of good books.

>68 lindapanzo: 17 innings? WOW! I went to bed long before that. Too bad the Cubs couldn't pull it out. I think you reading about the Ramblers is great. how is the book?

>69 Caroline_McElwee: Ooh, the suspense builds, Caroline. I will stop over...

>70 Storeetllr: Hi, Mary. Thanks for chiming in Lehane. Hooray for Mystic River! Gone Baby Gone was my favorite of the Kenzie & Gennaro series. Since We Fell is turning out to be just a straight dramatic story. I was expecting and hoping for something meatier and heavier.

>72 m.belljackson: Thanks for the White clips, Marianne. I will have to circle back after work to check them out.

>73 benitastrnad: >74 lindapanzo: Hooray for the goalie story!

>75 alphaorder: Happy Saturday, Nancy. Hooray for Dan Egan. He has sure been getting some well-deserved attention. I have never read Anita Shreve. Sorry, to hear of her passing. I think I had The Pilot's Wife on shelf, at some point but I think it has moved on. What is your favorite of hers?

>76 weird_O: Hi, Bill. I hope you are enjoying the Welty. She was one of the rare AAC picks, that did not fare as well, with the group. I started her big story collection, but barely made it a third of the way through and then abandoned it. I did not think her work has aged well, although I'll have to try one of her novels, at some point.

I want to see a screech owl and a barn owl. The latter are rarely seen in this part of the Midwest.

>77 Ameise1: Hi, Barb. enjoy the weekend.

>78 BekkaJo: Hi, Bekka. Good to see you. Hope things slow down for you. All is good here, my friend.

We're up early!

>80 msf59: Not sure about favorite. Sea Glass really stuck with me, as did Fortune's Rocks and The Weight of Water. But I read them all so long ago.

BTW - Dan Egan will be at the Center to talk about his book on May 17...

Looks like I forgot to hit post on the one I came here to write this am. It was:

As if we don't already have enough books in Mount TBR, here are 50 writers you should read now, according to the The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/mar/31/fresh-voices-50-writers-you-should...

>81 alphaorder: Morning, Nancy! You are up early. I am getting ready to head out to work. Thanks for the Shreve titles. I should read one of hers, in honor of her passing. Hooray for Egan being at the Center.

Thanks, for The Guardian list. I will have to check it out later. I gotta go...

Hey Mark! Add me to the Lahane band wagon. Both Mystic River and Shutter Island were fab-u-lous!
I believe you are correct! My unidentified visitor appears to be a Goldfinch. Each time he visits, I see new patches of bright yellow feathers!
I'm really digging Frankenstein in Baghdad.
Have a wonderful Saturday! Spring for a day then back to winter *pouts*

Cold rain falling, along with gusty winds. Lovely start to the work day. Sighs...

>84 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda. Cruddy start to my day here but at least the rain should be moving out.

Hooray for Lehane, goldfinch and enjoying Frankenstein in Bagdad. I might join you on that one soon.

Good morning, Mark.

At least it's supposed to warm up. Sorry you've got a cruddy start to the day.

Interesting list from Nancy in >82 alphaorder:. I WL'd The Forest Unseen from it.

NCAA Final Four tonight. For b-ball fans, this'll be fun. Nice start to the season by Cubs and Sox. I like the idea of Ian Happ as the Cubs' leadoff hitter.

Sorry to hear you're working today Mark, but at lease you're not missing a beautiful spring day! One of my boys just heard that he'll be interning at Illinois State University for the summer so it looks like a visit to Chicago is in my near future! I'll let you know if plans come to fruition - it would be great to meet you!

'Morning and happy Saturday to you, Mark!

Sorry about the cold and rainy. Just think - home, hearth, beer, and books at the end.

>86 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Well, it looks like the rain has moved right on. Whew. It is supposed to get very windy later on, but as long as I stay dry, I can't complain.

Go Ramblers! And hooray for Happ and the Cubs.

>87 vivians: Hi, Vivian. Great to see you. I would love a beautiful spring day, if I am working or not.

Congrats on your son's internship. Please let me know, when you visit. Love a Meet Up.

>88 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Hooray for home, hearth, books & beer. It keeps me going, my friend.

>79 msf59: I'm enjoying the Loyola book but I keep it in my car and read it in chunks while I'm "waiting." I read it while waiting for the doctor last week and I read it while waiting for car service this morning at the dealer.

Torn between watching the live Jesus Christ Superstar and CTM on Sunday night. Will probably opt for Jesus Christ Superstar and watch CTM on demand.

Happy weekend, Mark!!

>90 lindapanzo: Glad you are enjoying the Ramblers book, Linda. I decided to stay in tonight, so I have the Loyola game on and then I'll be watching our Cubbies.

>91 banjo123: Back at you, Rhonda.

^I am pretty sure it was the strong winds today, but something really stirred my allergies up and kind of knocked me for a loop. So, I bailed on our dinner plans and decided to chill, relax and recover at home. So, some college basketball, (Go, Ramblers!) some of the Cubs game and maybe I'll squeeze in some reading. Of course, my favorite medicine, beer, will make an occasional appearance.

You deserve a break!

>94 alphaorder: Thanks, Nancy. Sue took her young niece out, so it is just me in the Man-Cave. I am content...

>95 msf59: So the man cave is all in order etc? That's good.

The weather in March was disappointing but, fortunately the books I read were excellent. March Madness, indeed. 15 books total, nary a bum steer. I finally read my first Willy Vlautin, Don't Skip Out on Me and it did not let me down. I think NF ruled the month, though, with so many gems: Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman (my first Massie), Saving Tarboo Creek, American Wolf, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (my first Sacks), Mozart's Starling, On Tyranny & I'll Be Gone in the Dark. That is a helluva list. Fiction was no slouch either:
An American Marriage, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry and Arthur and George. This also includes my only story collection, for the month, The Night in Question, my AAC pick. I am even including a 5 star poetry collection, with Where Now: New and Selected Poems. Laura Kasischke has firmly landed on my favorite poet list.

ETA: I forgot about my OTS books for the month. I read 5. Not bad, but could do better.

Okay, April, you have a challenge ahead of you. Let's do this...

>97 msf59: Wow, that's quite a list! I can't imagine reading 15 books in a month, and they all look compelling.

I hope your allergies let up.

>96 lindapanzo: Not quite, my friend, (grins sheepishly). I have 2 of my smaller TBR bookshelves, to finish up. That shouldn't be too bad. Hopefully I can knock most of it out tomorrow morning.

Go Ramblers! Excellent first half, eh?

>99 msf59: I'm watching the Cubs but checking on the Ramblers score. (I get too nervous watching basketball.) Hope Yu Darvish settles down. No more homers for the Marlins.

Good move taking it easy, buddy. Loyola is up by three in the second half. Yu Darvish - what a pickup by the Cubs.

>98 ffortsa: Hi, Judy. Great to see you. Well, I am blessed to have audio books to help beef up my numbers. At least half of them were audios. What am I going to do, when I retire?

>100 lindapanzo: I am on LT, with the Ramblers on, checking occasionally on the Cubbies. I agree with you, I hope Darvish settles in.

>101 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. I am glad I stayed in. I really like the friends, we were going to have dinner with, but I didn't want to be a drag. Sue still went, so that is good.

Come on, Ramblers! Michigan really turning it on.

Drat. Not looking good for the Ramblers.

Woo. Michigan's defense just turned it up, and they figured it out on offense. Too many turnovers down the stretch for the Ramblers.

Great game by Michigan's Moe Wagner.

>103 lindapanzo: >104 jnwelch: I wasn't watching it as close, but Michigan dominated the second half. They are #3 for a reason. Great run for Loyola, right? Came pretty damn close.

>105 msf59: Disappointing but it was a great run for the Ramblers. Now I can focus on baseball.

>106 lindapanzo: I agree, Linda. Now, it is Cubbies time. I love watching these guys.

^Unfortunately, Since We Fell is not cutting it, but I will finish it out on Monday. I think Lehane has become hit or miss. I am LOVING my story collection, All the Names They Used for God. There has been a slew of great new voices out there and short fiction continues to rule the day. Yes, this an official warble, so make sure you hear me loud and clear.

I am also crazy about my current GN, Brazen: Rebel Ladies, which I should finish up tomorrow. And last, but not least, is my current poetry collection, My Mother Was a Freedom Fighter, which really sings.

Sorry to see you aren't feeling well. Hope the beer helped!

Hi Mark, sorry you had to miss out on the first really nice day we’ve had here at least. There’ll be more. Looks like you had a great reading month.

>97 msf59: Nice March reading, Mark. I also had a good month, with two five-star reads.

>109 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle. Glad I stayed in. I only had a couple of beers but they definitely helped. Grins...

>110 brenzi: Hi, Bonnie. We are still waiting on spring to arrive here and it looks like we are going to have cooler weather for another 2 weeks. Sighs...

Glad you are enjoying some pleasant days.

>111 BLBera: Hi, Beth. March may have been my best month so far and 2018 is off to a very good start. Yah, for a pair of 5 star reads.

Slightly late, as is my wont lately, to wish you and your owlets a happy new thread, Mark.

Have a great weekend, buddy.

We had our family Easter dinner yesterday, Mark, and no, no baby news as yet. Baby will not attend family functions for some time, I fear. She will not be exposed to homes that harbour dogs or cats for the first 6 months, , which rules out all of my side of the family for 6 months. We had a great time last night though and today I'm trying to catch up on my reading and LT.

Happy New Thread!

>113 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. Always good to see you, no matter when you stop by.

>114 vancouverdeb: Wow! Those rules are strict, Deb. Sounds like the military. Be strong, Grandma. Hope you had a nice Easter dinner. Hugs, to my pal.

^Only 38F this Easter Sunday. Coldest in many years. Last year, it was in the low 70s. Sighs...

Good morning, Mark! I hope your weekend has been treating you well.

>116 msf59: - Oh, I am copying that one! It is sunny here this morning but currently, our temp is -3C, feeling like -10C with the windchill (that is 26.6F/ 14F). Our high today is only going to be +3C (37.4F).

Yep, spring can arrive any time...yeah, sure...

Happy Easter Mark, Happy Sunday.

I'm sorry to hear about your allergies kicking in so badly yesterday. Strong winds be damned. I take Claratin-wanna-be (loratadine) every single day of my life and it keeps the allergies and sinus infections cut back to a fraction of what they'd be otherwise.

Man-Cave! Man-Cave! I think I speak for everybody who visits here that we're anxious to see pictures when it's finished.

>117 harrygbutler: Morning, Harry. My allergies have really kicked in, with all the wind we had yesterday, otherwise, I am doing fine.

>118 jessibud2: It looks like we both have the same chilly weather, Shelley and it doesn't look like things will improve, for the next 2 weeks or so. WTH?

>119 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Happy Easter. Yep, allergies are still dogging me this A.M. but I am glad I stayed in last night. I hope to work on the shelves today, so I will try to post a photo or 2.

35) Celine by Peter Heller 3.4 stars

Celine is an elegant woman, in her late 60s, who works as a private investigator. Her specialty is missing persons, and she is assisted by her kind, patient husband, Hank. She is approached by a young woman, named Gabriela, who is trying to track her father down. He disappeared from Montana, twenty years earlier.
There is a lot of back story here, as we draw parallels, between Celine's past and Gabriela's. Both women have suffered losses.
I loved Heller's first two novels, The Dog Stars and The Painter but this one never really came together for me. I did not find the back stories particularly interesting and the characters were somewhat flat. When the narrative stuck to the current plot, it worked best and I loved his descriptions of Yellowstone and the great outdoors. This is where Heller shines. A bit of a miss for me, but I will still look forward to seeing what he does next.

**As a bonus, O-Six, from American Wolf is mentioned here.



^Easily, one of my favorite places on earth.

Happy Sunday and Happy Easter, Mark.

We love Yellowstone, too.

What's this crazy drop in temperature? That was a surprise.

Is the Man Cave done? Can you kick back and enjoy it a bit?

>122 jnwelch: Happy Easter, Joe. It is chilly out there. Ridiculous, right? No, I still have books to shelve and some odds and ends to do, in the Man-Cave, but I am working a bit today on it, before we head out to dinner, but I am trying to squeeze some reading in too. Lots of buts...

^Okay these are the two main shelves. The one on the right, is my Keeper-Case, with mostly literary favorites, along with a smattering of GNs, fantasy and horror. The bookcase on the left, has Keeper books on the first 2 shelves, crime/mystery and some NF. The rest are TBR books, starting with the A's.
This continues on two smaller book shelves, directly across from these.

^Can you spot the mail-truck? It is like an Easter egg hunt. Grins...

^This is another Keeper-Case, with my nice classic volumes, along with some history, Civil War, bios and some books on the Old West.

^Mail-truck?

Happy Poetry Month, along with Easter, April Fool's,
First Day of a New Month, and avoiding the careening Chinese Space Station!

I put a note on your Poetry and Drama Thread for today's opening
of the Knopf free online poem a day.

Best wishes to Enjoy It ALL!

Just a curious kind of question for you - what sparked your interest in poetry? Were you always a poetry reader?

Dang, the photos aren't loading. I wanted to hunt for the mail truck!

>124 msf59:, !25 - just black *x*s there, Mark. Try again please! ;-)

Yes, the last two images aren't there, Mark. Have another beer and try again? lol

Hope you and your family have a lovely Easter! Hope April does not live up to her rep of being "The Cruelest Month."

Sorry, about the bookshelf photos. I will try to fix it, when I get back home and no I am not drunk. Grins...

Saw a man cave pic on FB. Looking good.

Doing a bit of reading though I’m at a “dabbling in lots of books” phase right now.

Did the photos come up this time? The first time I sent them from my cell to my email and copied them from there but it looks like I am the only one that can see it. Sorry, for the blurriness. My cell just takes okay pics.

>126 m.belljackson: Happy Easter, Marianne. I will stop over to the poetry thread, shortly. Thanks.

>127 benitastrnad: Happy Sunday, Benita. Poetry was always elusive to me, but about 4 years ago, I decided to add a poetry month to the AAC and with the help of several of my pals over here, they guided me into some perfect introductory poets. I was immediately sold and never looked back. Obviously, not everything works for me but poetry is so much easier to sample through, that you can comb through several volumes, until you find a gem or too. I am sure it will take me many years to fully appreciate it and I am totally fine with that.

>128 alphaorder: >129 jessibud2: Hopefully, I repaired the problem. I didn't realize I was having issues, until I left the house.

>130 Storeetllr: I did have another beer and now it worked just fine. LOL. Happy Easter, Mary.

>132 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. I posted it on FB, so I could copy it from there. It is usually the easiest but I don't always like sharing things over there. Not everyone knows I am such a geek or maybe they do. LOL.

The ghosts of women once girls

somewhere a little girl is reading aloud
in the middle of a dirt road. she smiles
at the sound of her own voice escaping
the spine of the book. she feeds her hunger
to know herself. She has not yet been taught
to dim, she sits with the stars beneath her feet,
a constellation of things to come.
as if a swallowed moon, she glimmers.
Her head wrap rolls out in a gutter, bare feet
scat the earth, the ghosts of women once girls
make bridge of the dust dancing behind her,
she decorates the ground in dimples
she stomps suffering out the spirit
hooves drumming the earth in circles
she holds gladness in her mouth
like a secret teased out of a giggle
joy like her sadness overflows
she is not the opinions of others
she is of visions and imagination
somewhere a little girl is reading aloud in the middle of a dirt road.
she smiles at the sound of her own voice escaping the spine of the book.
she is a room full
of listening, lending herself
to her own words
somewhere

a deep remembering of what was, she survives all.

-My Mother was a Freedom Fighter- Aja Monet I just started this collection and I am very impressed.

Watched CTM. Possibly the most depressing episode ever.

Pics showing now! Looks great. Mark, did you have to replace furniture as well as carpeting?

>137 lindapanzo: - No kidding! And some of the storylines didn't ring true for me, which is also a first, I think. Yikes

Yay for Man-Cave pics, Mark! Of course I see the mail trucks. Very, very nice, all around. Thanks for sharing.

Ok, Mark, I put My Mother Was A Freedom Fighter on the wish-list. Great poem!

Hope your allergies improve.

Good pics of the man cave, Mark. Looks like a great place for reading (and beer drinking, of course).

Happy Easter Mark!

Loved the pictures of the owlets. We had owlets in our allotment last year, and one fell out of the nest. Seems to happen with owls. We took it to a bird asylum. Sometimes the parents will still feed a young bird that has fallen out of the nest, and you can just leave it be. But there are dogs at the allotment so the owlet would not have been safe. And no, we didn't like just leaving it. Of course first everyone had to admire it, before we could let it go;-)

>137 lindapanzo: Thanks for the warning, Linda. We didn't get a chance to watch it last night.

>138 jessibud2: No, fortunately the only thing we replaced was the carpet. Me, being home at the time, saved the furniture and everything else. Whew!

>139 karenmarie: Due, to slightly blurry photos, I couldn't hide the mail-truck to good. Grins...Still working on the smaller shelves.

Morning, Mark! Loved the bookshelf photos, and I found the mail truck in both. Looks like I can take a pass on that Lehane.

Sorry about your cold front - it was 80F here yesterday and going to 82F today. Craig opened the pool yesterday, and already has his first swim in.

>140 banjo123: Glad you liked the poem, Rhonda. Strong collection. Looking forward to getting back to it.

>141 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. The Man-Cave looks leaner with much of the clutter removed. I am going to try and keep it that way.

>142 EllaTim: Hi, Ella. I hope you had a good holiday. I wonder if it is common for other raptor babies to fall from their nests? I don't see them having much of a chance to survive, on the ground. I plan on paying my owlets a visit this week.

>144 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie. I had no choice but to hide the mail-truck in plain sight. Grins...Looking forward to wrapping up the Lehane and moving on to something else. Keep cool down there. We will be lucky to get to 45. Sighs...

Morning, Mark! I found the mail truck!!

The man cave looks fantastic!

Good morning, Mark! I hope your work day goes quickly so that you can get back to the New Man-Cave.

Shoot, the photos don't come through for me, except for >125 msf59:. I'll bet the man cave does look fantastic.

Happy start to the week, buddy. I've got to spend more time with that Laura Ingalls Wilder book, Prairie Fires. I got caught up in the new Joe Pickett mystery and couldn't put it down. I'm also going to give The Invisible Library a go after Richard raved.

I forgot that April is National Poetry Month! I'll be reading Langston Hughes for a while, and I'll try to post from that and maybe one/some of mine. I like the Aja Monet one up there.

Happy Monday, Mark! Your Man Cave looks like it has come together nicely!

>147 scaifea: Morning, Amber. Hooray for locating the mail truck!

>148 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Just working a little OT. Typical, for a Monday but I will still be home at a decent time.

>149 jnwelch: Morning, Joe. Cold out, but the sunshine helps. Sorry, you can't see the photos. I did fix them, so they should come up.

Thanks for the book update. You will have to recommend some Hughes to me. I have never read him.

>150 ChelleBearss: Morning, Chelle. I am off tomorrow, so I plan on finishing up the Man-Cave then.

>124 msf59: >125 msf59: Good looking man cave!
No clue where to see mail-trucks :-(

Oh, just found the mail trucks :-)

Like the man-cave pics!

National Poetry Month. Gawd. Is it National C-A-T Month as well? Should I just crawl into a corner and hunker down while y'all do whatcha gotta do?

>153 FAMeulstee: Gld you found the mail-truck, Anita. Yah!

>154 richardderus: LOL. We will try to find other ways to entertain you, RD and the good news is, you will not see any cats over here. They slaughter birds. Grins...

Glad to see that the man cave is restored. Big waves from over the pond.

Hi Mark, I have been reading the discussion on the badly behaving authors who are now being outed along with celebrities from all areas. Perhaps there is a lesson here for us not to be too quick to assign hero status to talented people whose work we admire when we really don't know them, their back story or their cultural influences. I think Meg's point in >38 Familyhistorian: was right on the button.

I had a very successful reading month in March as well, but at this point I am feeling a little less sure about April. When I checked the reviews of the non-fiction book that I have chosen for this month I was less than thrilled to see one person call it a sh*t-sandwich.

Love the pics of your man cave. Are members of the other sex allowed in?

>136 msf59: Lovely lovely poem. Thanks for sharing.

I love your man cave! It looks like a perfect place to relax after a long day on your feet delivering mail. And yes, I saw your mail truck right away, looking like it's hiding. lol

>155 msf59:

Hey. not when the CATS are handsome, friendly, warm, emotive, and highly intelligent inside creatures
who go out only on leashes and harnesses -
and who find chipmunks a lot more entertaining than birds!

ps. Today, Penguin Books stated online that "The Crown of Literature is Poetry" !!!

>124 msf59:; >125 msf59:. Nice! Very nice Mark. Very cozy looking.

Great looking man cave, Mark! I had to look more than once to see the mail trucks! Just hide them in plain sight and I'm quite lost. :-)

>156 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb. Yah, for the Man-Cave.

>157 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. Thanks for chiming in on the bad author discussion. It can be a thorny issue. I am glad you also had a good reading month in March. Stay positive on April but boo to "sh*t-sandwiches"!

>158 streamsong: Hi, Janet and yes, members of the opposite sex are always welcome in the Man-Cave. Just ask my wife. Grins...

>159 Storeetllr: Hi, Mary. Glad you like the look of the Man-Cave. That is just a partial glimpse. Happy you found that sneaky mail-truck.

>160 m.belljackson: Honestly, I have no problem with cats, Marianne. We just don't keep them as pets. Glad to hear you think they prefer chipmunks over birds. I have no problem with that either.

>161 brenzi: This is my refuge, Bonnie. When I am home and not sleeping, I am usually found down here. Of course, this is where my lap-top station is too.

>162 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb. Glad you like the Man-Cave. Folks wanted me to post pics of the bookshelves and I honored that request.

>116 msf59: Amen, Mark. I want some 50s! We're expecting 6+ inches of snow overnight. :(

>165 BLBera: Nooooooo, to snow, Beth! That really stinks. It looks like it will be cold, all week. 50s, would feel good. I WANT the real spring to show up. Good luck, my friend.

^"A stunning memoir from the astronaut who spent a record-breaking year aboard the International Space Station--a candid account of his remarkable voyage, of the journeys off the planet that preceded it, and of his colorful formative years."

^Well, I am glad to have put Since We Fell in my rear view and I am fortunate that I jumped right into a much more satisfying audio book, with Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery, which I have had on my To-Read list for awhile. I remember Linda P raving about it. Kelly narrates too, which adds a more personal feel to it.

Endurance sounds really good! Can't wait to hear your thoughts when you finish. I'm putting it on my library's reserve list.

>158 streamsong: This woman has been in the comfortable man-cave several times.

>167 msf59: Glad you're liking it.

He and his twin brother, also an astronaut, were on the news the other day. They're identical twins but their DNA doesn't match due to their time in space.

>167 msf59: - Good to know he reads this. I have just requested it from my library.

A dissenting voice here, Mr. Mark. That's no Man-Cave. It is way too neat and civilized. Carpeting!?!! That shiny flat-screen?!! Gee whiz boom. Don't have that there TOY mail truck; get the real thing in there.

Heh heh.

My basement hermit-y place is way better. (Jus' sayin'.)

I understand you are going to get some more weather. We got about 5"-6" of snow overnight, but it sure didn't last. By noontime, the snow was gone from the paved stretches of the driveway. Another week of overcast, gloomy weather here. I blame Trumpf.

I'm going to read about the plague next. As reported by Daniel Defoe. Seems to fit the times.

Endurance: A Year in Space looks pretty interesting and I have it on library hold for my husband. (He’s just finishing up Only Killers and Thieves which he likes a lot.)

I hope Heller gets it together for his next book. He hit such a high with The Dog Stars.

You should give Homeland another chance when you’re looking for something new to watch. We’re caught up to start the current season now and although season 6 had some issues, they certainly do get you to care about the characters and the situations they get into. Sadly sometimes. It’s also very timely.

I’m glad to see you’ve got the man-cave back together!

>168 Storeetllr: Hi, Mary. I think Endurance: A Year in Space is going to be a great read and I just added The Right Stuff to my audio queue, since I never read that one. Shocking, right?

>169 lindapanzo: "This woman has been in the comfortable man-cave several times." See? Women are comfortable in the Man-Cave too!

That is very interesting about Kelly's twin brother and their DNA.

>170 jessibud2: Obviously, Kelly's narration isn't as smooth as a pros, but I think that adds to the appeal. This is going to be right up there with An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth. A perfect companion piece.

>171 weird_O: LOL. I will have to add some grunge to the mix, next time, Bill. Actually, the other side of the room, has more clutter and looks more lived in. This is the sterile wall. Grins...

Boo to the snow! Not in April! Nooooooo! "I blame Trumpf." Me too!

>172 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne. I think your husband has good taste in books. You have a good reading family. It reminds me of Joe and his clan. Glad he liked Only Killers and Thieves. It is a terrific debut.

In regards, to Heller, some think he will do a sequel to Celine. I am not excited...grins. Thanks for the Homeland nudge. I very rarely go back, once I abandon a show, so we will see...

^Just poured my second cup and things are beginning to brighten. I am off today, which is good because there will be on and off rain, and it remains chilly. The bad news: no bird strolls. WTH? Looks like I will be mostly home-bound. Working more on the Man-Cave and reading books. Actually that does not sound half bad...

Thought you might enjoy this post, Mark. The Milwaukee bookshop Liam is talking about is the one we went to. https://lithub.com/the-life-we-could-have-had-running-a-parisian-bookstore/

I am looking forward to reading Paris by the Book. It releases today and is getting a lot of attention.

And in case you need more poetry: https://themillions.com/2018/04/must-read-poetry-april-2018.html

Didn't know if you were aware that Lorrie Moore has a collection of essays out today, See What Can Be Done. Just added it to my audio library...

'Morning, Mark! Yay for second cup of coffee, day off, and Man-Cave. Enjoy.

>176 alphaorder: >177 alphaorder: Morning, Nancy. That is an interesting article about the bookshop and this is the same one we went to, on our last visit? I was impressed. And the owner is an author too? You'll have to let me know how it is.

Ooh, a Moore essay collection. I will have to search it out too. Essay collections have really been popping lately, right along with, story collections.

>178 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. It looks like a good day to huddle down with the books.

>179 msf59:. Sorry I didn't clarify.

Liam is an author who lives in the Downer Avenue neighborhood. Boswell (the shop we went to) is the independent bookshop he frequents. His new novel, Paris by the Book, is based somewhat on the bookshop in Paris his family visited. In this LitHub piece, he talks about how it was up for sale and that his family could have become booksellers. Now that he is back in MKE, he is saying he doesn't need to open a bookshop because his neighborhood already has a good one. :)

>180 alphaorder: Thanks, for clarifying, Nancy. I should pay attention better. I thought it was called Boswell. Smiles...

Enjoy your Tuesday, Mark. Do you think spring might get here someday?

I’m hoping to finish my not so great Chicago fire book today and move on to something better.

Enjoy that second cup of coffee (and perhaps a third?) and your day off! Hope you get a decent chunk of reading and relaxing today.

stay dry and warm today, Mark.

>182 lindapanzo: Morning, Linda. Looking forward to it. Boo, to this cruddy weather. Looks like it will be like this for another week. Ugh.

Endurance has inspired me to finally bring The Right Stuff out of the mothballs. I think it will be my next audio.

>183 ChelleBearss: Morning, Chelle. 3 cups, is usually my limit. My allergies are still dragging me down, so I am going to especially enjoy a lazy day at home.

>184 weird_O: Thanks, Bill. I am off today so I will definitely stay warm & dry.

^As I was continuing to put my TBR books back on shelf, I was adding the L's and then the M's, and, Voila, I found a B stack. Really? Shuffles off to repair this bookish blunder...

^(not my book photo, but eerily similar to the stacks, I am still working on)

Well, ok...I'm officially-sort-of up to date on your threads, Mark. It's a really tough task, I gotta say. Book bullets whizzing all over the place (I'm riddled, absolutely riddled), fascinating intelligent discussion of a difficult current topic that I can't just skim, poems you need to read at least twice (cause no good poem should ever be read just once)...you're KILLIN' me. *sweet smile* I think I get complacent when I see your posts on FB, and don't realize what I'm not seeing. I'll try not to stay away so long next time.

Enjoy your day off with the books, Mark. Too bad about your weather but it makes it easier to stay inside and get things done. I had to smile at: The Man-Cave looks leaner with much of the clutter removed. I am going to try and keep it that way. Wish I had a dollar for every time I thought that about a space I just cleaned.

>188 Familyhistorian: I agree about getting a space cleaned up and hoping to keep it that way. We're in the process of painting, etc. in our bedroom. This has meant moving everything around, and I'm determined that much of the "stuff" in there is NOT going back, and that the behind-the-bed dust collection site will get vacuumed much more frequently from now on (new rug, and all that). We'll see.

Good (late) morning, Mark! I hope you're able to enjoy your day off despite the weather.

>187 laytonwoman3rd: "I'm riddled, absolutely riddled." No, wonder, people have been avoiding me. Grins...Well, I can't only warble about birds and owls, can I? I need to occasionally mention a book or 2. I have been deluged with poetry lately too, so expect more posts.

Great to see you, Linda!

>188 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg and I am not completely naive. I know the clutter, will slowly come back, just like the ubiquitous dandelion. At least, I culled some books. This is always a bonus.

>189 laytonwoman3rd: That is definitely one of the good things about painting or remodeling. You move things, that have not been moved in eons. We will also need to do that in our bedroom soon. Long overdue.

>190 harrygbutler: Good afternoon, Harry. I haven't left the house yet. If I didn't have a doctor's appt, later on, I doubt I would have.

Habitation

Marriage is not
a house or even a tent

it is before that, and colder:

the edge of the forest, the edge
of the desert
the unpainted stairs
at the back where we squat
outside, eating popcorn

the edge of the receding glacier

where painfully and with wonder
at having survived even
this far

we are learning to make fire

-Margaret Atwood

^I have not tried Maggie's poetry yet, but based on this gem, it looks like I should.

38) I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search by Michelle McNamara 4.3 stars

"You’ll be silent forever, and I’ll be gone in the dark."

“If you commit murder and then vanish, what you leave behind isn’t just pain but absence, a supreme blankness that triumphs over everything else. The unidentified murderer is always twisting a doorknob behind a door that never opens. “

For over a decade, starting in the mid-1970s, a young man terrorized California, committing fifty sexual assaults and then moving onto murder, killing at least ten people. He was never caught.
About thirty years later, Michelle McNamara, a true crime blogger and journalist, stumbles upon the case and immediately became obsessed with finding the psychopathic rapist, who she coins the Golden State Killer.
After years of researching and compiling profiles and police reports, she decided to put this all into a book. Sadly, she died before finishing the manuscript, but her outlines and notes were painstakingly documented, so her key researchers, completed the project. Good thing too, because this is an excellent true crime tale. Her prose is strong and deft, as she draws the reader into this dark, terrifying world of a relentless monster.

Gillian Flynn, introduces the book and she is the perfect choice too, (Dark Places, definitely comes to mind) and the epilogue was written by her husband, the comedian and actor, Patton Oswalt, who has also been touring and promoting his late wife's masterful book.

*This is also terrific on audio.

Mark, I think you would like Miss Burma. It's really not a book about a beauty pageant in Burma. There is a wee bit of that, but it's really a book about Burma's / Mynamar's troubled history. It's a compelling read , and is fairly dark.

>38 Familyhistorian: That might be too " scary" for me. Love the graphic - spooky! Great review!

>194 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deb. I have added Miss Burma. I like historical fiction. This is continuing education for me.

^Were you referring to post # 193? Just askin'...

^After finishing the most excellent, All the Names They Used for God, I will now turn to We Are Okay, as my next print book. Amber and Joe recently warbled about this YA and snared me with their colorful tune. I was hoping to start it today but it looks like it will have to wait until tomorrow.

Good review of I’ll Be Gone In the Dark Mark. I’ll be adding that one to my list. Btw, Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage is amazing.

>197 brenzi: Hi, Bonnie. I’ll Be Gone In the Dark is a terrific read and I am glad you are finding Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage amazing. I concur, my friend.

A couple good BB head shots there, We Are Okay, and McNamara

>199 mahsdad: Hey, Jeff. Good to see you. I think you would like the McNamara and I will be digging into We Are Okay today.

^I finally watched The Lost City of Z. Very good film and a solid adaptation of an excellent book, although the film only focuses on the historical part, featuring Percy Fawcett, the British explorer. Charlie Humman is terrific in the lead.

>125 msf59: lovely! Those keepers sure are keepers :)

Funny at the end of your last thread there was talk of Operation Paperclip, I was just talking to a friend about this very thing this weekend! I didn't know there was a book about it, so I shall let him know about it, and whack it on my WL too.

>201 msf59: I recall the buzz about this book a while back on LT!

>202 LovingLit: Hi, Megan. Great to see you. Glad you like the keeper shelves. I am interested in Operation Paperclip too. Thanks to, Bill.

If you can track down a copy of The Lost City of Z, try to do so. It is NNF at it's finest.

Hi Mark! You'd previously put The Lost City of Z on my radar. What do you think of watching the movie without reading the book? (Oh horrors!) Would it work?

I watched an oldie last night, The Long Walk Home from 1990 with a very young(!) Whoopi Goldberg and Sissy Spacek. Excellent movie and very timely with the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr's death.

>80 msf59: Can you tell me a bit about Dan Egan? I just received The Death and Life of the Great Lakes so I can follow along with the PBS/NYT Now Read This book club which I've been really enjoying. I've skimmed through most of the first chapter.

Good morning Mark! Happy Wednesday to you. Sorry about your cold and windy weather.

>201 msf59: Sigh. Now I want the book. I'm not sure about the movie, but definitely the book.

>204 streamsong:. I'll pipe in on Dan Egan, since I am a big fan.

Dan Egan is an award-winning Great Lakes Reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He has been writing about the Great Lakes for years and is now at UWM's School of Fresh Water Science. Here are some of his pieces: http://archive.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/great-lakes-268550802.html

In my opinion, Dan is a great writer and The Death and Life of the Great Lakes is a very important book for our times. I hope you find it so and encourage others to read it.

Stopped by to wish you a good day. Not sure how wintery it is by you, but you will see snow in my morning Lake Michigan picture...

Also, enjoying my latest commute book, Look Alive Out There, which was released yesterday.

Good review of I'll be Gone in the Dark. I'm not sure if it will drive me nuts reading about a crime that hasn't been solved.

Damn, it is cold out here, with a gusty and frigid wind. More like early February, than early April...

>204 streamsong: Hi, Janet. I always recommend reading the book first, although, the film only deals with part of the book, so it is your call.

I am glad an Egan expert answered your question, although I loved his Great Lakes book.

>205 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. I am glad I have all my winter gear with me.

>206 alphaorder: Perfect timing, Nancy. Thanks.

Morning, Mark! Finally all caught up with your thread. Whew! Sorry about your cold - it's 67F here already. Sending you warm thoughts, my friend.

Hi Mark. Big winds here today. So much that I actually brought my feeder in for a bit, so that it doesn't get blown down and broken again! Meanwhile, I am feeling a bit guilty as the radio seems to be exaggerating - so far, the winds have been intermittent, at best. But I will err on the side of caution, at least for a couple of hours.

You know I am not so much of a poetry person. But I actually really liked today's Google tribute to the late Maya Angelou. Click on it and listen: https://www.google.ca/?gws_rd=ssl

>207 alphaorder: Morning, Nancy. Yep, very winter like here. Probably in the teens, with the wind chill. I will have to check out your FB, lakeshore shot.

>208 ChelleBearss: Morning, Chelle and thanks. It is terrific true crime book and yes, it is scary and frustrating, that this scumbag, monster, is still roaming around.

>210 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie. I appreciate the warm thoughts and will use every one of them.

>211 jessibud2: Ridiculously windy here too, Shelley. I may have to put my rain jacket over my regular jacket, for some added insulation.

Thanks for the poetry link. I will check it out later today.

Found this oldie-but-goodie in a Pictures folder when I was searching for something else, and I immediately thought of you.



I saw this article about poets on Twitter and also thought of you. https://www.pw.org/content/the_whole_self_our_thirteenth_annual_look_at_debut_po...

Happy Wednesday, Mark.

>214 Storeetllr: *snerk*

>214 Storeetllr: Oh yeah. Exactly. Ha!

Hiya, Mark. The lark's on the wing, and the world is back in the right orbit. Endurance: A Year in Space sounds intriguing, and I'll be watching for your reactions. I LOVED The Right Stuff. I think you will, too. I hope you're having a most excellent journey with Marin in We Are Okay.

Langston Hughes: You'll like his stuff. Very accessible, no hiding the ball. Selected Poems of Langston Hughes is not that long, and is where I'd start. The library is likely to have a copy.

>195 msf59:, Yes Mark, I was referring to your post at >193 msf59:, but I looked at the book number instead. Scary! We have rain here today. Oh well. But we do have spring. Yesterday was a high overcast and no rain.

>214 Storeetllr: LOL. Of course, I love my beer, Mary, but sitting outside, in the bitter cold and drinking is not one of my favorite pastimes. I want warmth and sunshine. Is that askin' too much?

I will have to save that poetry link and circle back to check it out later. It looks interesting. Thanks, my friend.

>215 Ameise1: Happy Wednesday, Barb.

>217 jnwelch: Hi, Joe. "The lark's on the wing, and the world is back in the right orbit." Well, can you ask for anything more? I know you loved the Chris Hatfield memoir, so Endurance, makes a nice companion piece. It looks like I am going to jump right into, The Right Stuff, when I am finished. It is time. I did love the film though.

I am enjoying We Are Okay and thanks for the Hughes rec. I will request that one.

^Well, despite the bitter chill, I paid my weekly visit to the owlets. This is an actual photo of them, but not from today. They were huddled together against the wind but I made a squeaking noise and they both swiveled around to look at me. I also got a good look at Mama GHO too. She was up in a pine tree, very close by, keeping a close eye on the proceedings. I think this is about 2 months, since I first started watching the nest and I have no plans on discontinuing my visits.

>220 msf59: You are so lucky, Mark, to see the owlets grow!

>218 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deb. I found I'll be Gone in the Dark, both disturbing and scary. You might want to steer clear. Sorry, to hear about your rain. We just have COLD & WIND and it is not supposed to let up, for a few more days. Sighs...

>221 FAMeulstee: I am very fortunate, Anita and I never see anybody at this site, when I go, which is extra special, since it is such a well-kept secret. My next wish, is to see the owlets flying.

>219 msf59: No, a warm and sunny spring, after a brutal winter, is NOT asking too much.

Hmm. How about this one?

(WARNING: Meme contains a word that is, under the circumstances, quite appropriate though vulgar.)

>223 Storeetllr: - I second that sentiment! ;-)

>220 msf59: Hi, Mark! Thanks for the owlet report. Glad to hear they are prospering.

>223 Storeetllr: Now, that is perfect, Mary! I think I saw a few of these guys today, with just that expression.

>225 harrygbutler: Hi, Harry. It has been great watching these guys grow. I sure hope I can see them take flight or at least practice, winging around.

>191 msf59: Funny you should mention dandelions, Mark. I have already seen some but lawn mowers have been out to take care of them. I hope your weather improves soon.

>189 laytonwoman3rd: Good luck keeping up with your good intentions, Linda.

The Right Stuff is a really fun read, Mark. And the movie made from the book also is fun. Gotta love Sam Shepard as Chuck Yeager. And Chuck Yeager as the bartender. Not to overlook Levon Helm as Ridley.

Chuck Yeager: Hey, Ridley, ya got any Beeman's?
Jack Ridley: Yeah, I think I got me a stick.
Chuck Yeager: Loan me some, will ya? I'll pay ya back later.
Jack Ridley: Fair enough.

Also

>220 msf59: Wonderful.

>214 Storeetllr: I sorta did this, when it was still winter. But the temp was obliging, so I sat on the deck with a good book and coffee. Did get chilled after an hour though. Looking for more, but none in the foreseeable future.

Early morning hello, Mark! I hope you have a good day.

I like your continuing adventures with the GHO family. Seen Daddy GHO lately?

>227 Familyhistorian: We are still a couple weeks away from dandelions, Meg. It will be so nice to see everything blooming.

>228 weird_O: That seals the deal, Bill. The Right Stuff is up next. I loved the film too and Shepard as Yeager was perfect, as was the entire cast. I forgot about Levon Helm. Grins...

>229 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. It looks like we are going to get some rain and possible snow later. Are you kidding me?

No Papa GHO sighting, for at least a month. He may have been there, but well concealed.

Good morning, Mark. I'm seeing house finches aplenty, but goldfinches are still scarce here, too. I've not started filling the nyjer seed feeder yet but will likely begin doing so soon.

Morning, Harry. I saw my first house finch on the ground the other day. I keep my nyjer feeder filled year round, but, alas, no goldfinches for the last couple of weeks.

^"A Quiet Passion is a 2016 biographical film directed and written by Terence Davies about the life of U.S poet Emily Dickinson. The film stars Cynthia Nixon as the reclusive poet."

^In honor of poetry month, I finally watched this film and it is a dandy. The writing is sumptuous. Poetry and literary fans will love it. Check it out, if you can.

Great photo of the owls! Glad you got to see them, despite the windy day!

>233 msf59: - Oh, this sounds good. I hadn't heard of it. I am going to ask the doc cinema I am a member of if they can get it.

We have a light dusting of snow covering the ground this morning but hopefully, no more, for the moment (though they are saying we could get more). At least the big damaging winds of yesterday have calmed and I have put my feeder back out. The goldfinches were waiting! I felt so guilty yesterday; they were even sitting on the long S hook that hangs from the tree limb, wondering what the heck happened to their local restaurant!

Morning, Mark! Thanks for the head's up about A Quiet Passion - I added it to my Amazon Prime queue.

>234 ChelleBearss: Morning, Chelle. Hooray for the owlets. Cold here, but less windy. It helps.

>235 jessibud2: Morning, Shelley. I think you will love A Quiet Passion. It is no rosy, bio-pic either. It has plenty of dark edges. Hope you can see it.

Hooray for the goldfinches. Still waiting to see mine...

>236 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie. A Quiet Passion is a very good film and it is available on Ammy Prime.

>206 alphaorder: Thank you for the links on Egan's work!

>209 msf59: Ah I must have missed your review of the Egan book. Skimming quickly over threads, I probably saw 'Great Lakes' and skipped over it , thinking it was an 'out of my region' regional book.

I added A Quiet Passion to my Netflix Queue.

We're also supposed to have a stormy weekend coming up, with possible snow, lots of rain and insane wind. Ugh. I'm sorry you have to be out in it.

If you want to feel better about the weather in Chicago, Mark, the forecasted low for Edmonton tonight is -20C (-4F). We've been having windchills in that range for a week now. *grumble*

Happy Thursday!

No complaints up here about the recent 2-3 inch snowfall since it yielded BIG bird tracks along Portage Road!

A solitary Sandhill crane had landed and walked up the drumlin and into the corn field creating a lovely Peace Sign pattern.

I looked up the footprints online to be sure I had to correct Big Bird and found this:

"Of Sandhill Crane Footprints and Dinosaurs Down Under" - short fun reading connecting our Sandhills with therapod dinosaurs!

Hi There Friend

I am so sorry that I haven't had time to visit threads. But, today I am taking some time to see what folk are reading and chatting about.

Since you are so wonderful about recommendations, I'd like to recommend two books to you.

If you haven't read them, I highly recommend them. I also want to say that I thought of you Monday morning, We thought we were finished with snow. Will look out at the tree close to our deck, and asked me what bird that was clinging to the snowy branch, I replied that it was the first Robin of spring....

Snow in April -- three times in five days. Yikes

or , I highly recommend both

Just passing through on my mad dash to catch up on all the threads, Mark. I don't think Spring has got the memo that she is supposed to show up any time now....
We are still getting weather cold enough that I need to pack the kids up in snow pants when we head out doors. That is not cool......

>233 msf59: Hi Mark, Thanks for the movie review! In our new (little) city there is still a DVD rental store and I will be next to view A Quiet Passion. It sounds good (not available on the Canadian Netflix=BAD). So wedding is done and dusted and was spectaular, Loving the pics of the GHO.

Been scarce on the threads for a week or so. Time to catch up. Love the owlet photo up top.

I finished Black Hammer Vol.2: The Eventyesterday. It's always nice to read a Lemire.

The Mariners aren't mathematically eliminated yet so Yay!

Our goldfinches are turning yellow and showing up in ever increasing numbers. And going through the thistle seed like they think I buy it at Costco.

I'm on the wait list at the library for Brazen: Rebel Ladies. Can't wait.

Your Man cave turned out great.

Good to hear Kelly narrates Endurance himself. Gonna have to put that one on my Audible wish list. I'm pretty sure The Lost City of Z is on my ereader (where great books go to get forgotten).

I've never read The Right Stuff but I've seen the movie several times and love it. I really should read the book.

>239 streamsong: Hi, Janet. I hope you enjoy the Egan book as much as we did. I don't think you need to live in the Midwest to appreciate it, since the Great Lakes, have had such a strong influence on our history.

Do you do discs or streaming on Netflix? Unfortunately, A Quiet Passion is not available on streaming.

Good luck with the approaching snow. We should not be saying this in April.

>240 MickyFine: Hi, Micky. That definitely made me feel better. It makes our temps, feel balmy. Grins...

>241 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne. I loved your Sandhill Crane story. I have not seen their tracks but they definitely sound prehistoric. Have you heard or seen any others?

>242 Whisper1: Hi, Linda. Great to see my long lost friend. Hooray for the robin sighting. I have been seeing them around here, on a regular basis. Sure, sign of spring, but you would never know, right?

Thanks for the book recs. I have read Euphoria and was quite impressed. I want to read more of King's work. I have read a few books by Chris Bohjalian , (I met him at my very first Booktopia) but I have not read Close, Your Eyes. He is such a prolific author. But, I now have that one on the list.

>243 jolerie: Hi, Valerie. Good luck with the mad dash. If you are away from the threads, even for a short time, it gets crazy, catching up. And yep, most of upper North America is getting slapped with this winter-like spring. Let's hope it ends soon.

>244 mdoris: Hi, Mary. Good to see you. I am glad you are up next for A Quiet Passion. It is a very good film and the literary angle is a bonus. I will have to stop by and check on the wedding reports.

>245 SuziQoregon: "The Mariners aren't mathematically eliminated yet so Yay!" LOL. Well, that's good!

Hi, Juli! Thanks for checking in. I have not really been keeping up with the latest GN series books, but I really did like the Lemire, so maybe I will request that one. I am sure you will love Brazen: Rebel Ladies! That is a keeper!

Hooray for the colorful goldfinch. They have eluded us. Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery has been very good and a fine audio too. Maybe, I'll be able to nudge you into The Right stuff. I heard, that Dennis Quaid does the narration, but I have not checked to see if he does, the one I have. Fingers crossed.

Thought you, Mr. Bird Watcher,might be interested in this. Better to discourage smoking, but this is sensible.

Hi Mark. I started to watch A Quiet Passion on Amazon a couple of months ago and never finished. Hmmmm. I’m currently reading a book you and Joanne were raving about, The Dog Stars. Picked it up at a book sale last summer.

>249 weird_O: I love those WTF Fun Facts and that one is a doozy, Bill. I know crows are super smart, so I wonder if this experiment has been a success. Love those Dutch.

>250 brenzi: Sorry, to hear A Quiet Passion didn't work for you, Bonnie. Any thoughts, about returning to it and finishing it or has that ship sailed?

I hope you enjoy The Dog Stars. Many fans of that one, around here.

I don think it as that it didn’t work for me Mark. Something interrupted me and I just never got back to it.

I doubt you and Joanne could be wrong.

>252 brenzi: Well, that's good. I was a bit worried that the film was just not working for you.

Watching our Cubbies play the Brew Crew. Lots of Cub fans in Milwaukee, even though the tickets went to Wisconsin residents.

Well, our weather is not that cold, about ??? 9 - 12 C which is???? F ? But we've had steady rain for a couple of days running now. Really fed up with that. But better than snow .

>254 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. Nice to see a strong Cubs win, against the Brew crew. I hope they come out swinging again tonight. We are going to the game on Sunday. Glad they have a dome.

>255 vancouverdeb: Sorry, to hear about your continuing rain, Deb. We have had rain, snow and cold temps and it looks like it will last through the weekend. I am tired of it too, Tonto.

Good morning, Mark. Yesterday was a quiet one on the bird front. I have to get out and pick up some more suet this weekend, as with the grackles and starlings back around, it doesn't last quite so long.

Morning, Harry. Thanks for the bird update. Not much to report on my end either, although I did see a male goldfinch yesterday and he had most of his summer plumage. Always nice to see.

Morning, Mark. Hope you are bundled up today. We woke to heavy, wet snow this morning. Gross.

Good morning, Mark, and happy Friday to you!

I've had Euphoria on my shelves since Sep 2016. Maybe it's time to crack it. Thanks to Linda and you for putting it back on my radar.

I saw one male Goldfinch two days ago, decked out in his breeding splendor. I'm sure the finches have been visiting my feeders, but females and nonbreeding males are hard to tell apart for me.

Happy Friday Mark - hope you have a lovely weekend.

>259 ChelleBearss: Morning, Chelle. Boo to heavy, wet snow! We had a coating over night but it is gone, leaving just the wind and the cold. It is April, right?

>260 karenmarie: Happy Friday, Karen. Euphoria is very good, plus it is a shorty. Yah, for colorful goldfinch!

>261 BekkaJo: Happy Friday, Bekka. Great to see you.

>233 msf59: Soon-to-be-Governor Nixon is excellent in that film. So mellow and then the heart, it breaks, and all on its own.

Happy Friday, Mark, another weeknd is upon us. Where does the time go? No big plans for the weekend, perhaps some shopping and of course plenty of reading! Have a good one.

>263 richardderus: Hi, RD! Good to see you. It sounds like you appreciated A Quiet Passion and Nixon's performance. Being able to see a good "literary" film, is like spotting a rare bird.

So, you think Nixon has a good chance, at NY governor?

>264 DeltaQueen50: Happy Friday, Judy! I know where my time goes...WORK! Grins...What ever you decide to do this weekend, enjoy. I work tomorrow and then we go to Milwaukee on Sunday to watch our Chicago Cubs play. They have a dome, so we will be inside. Whew!

Mark, I just saw an item on our tv news about some ball game last night where a bald eagle actually landed on the pitcher! Did you hear about it? Crazy!! It all ended well but yikes, can you imagine???

https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb-pitcher-incredibly-keeps-cool-bald-eagle-lands-shou...

>265 msf59: In this bizarre political landscape, I wouldn't bet against it.

>266 jessibud2: Wow! I wish a bald eagle would land on me, while walking the route, Shelley. It looks like this bald eagle was part of the opening day proceedings, it wasn't wild, but I wonder what drew it to this particular player. He showed great poise, didn't he? Thanks for sharing.

>267 richardderus: Good point, RD. Honestly, I am not familiar with Nixon's politics, but I would make a guess that she leans more toward more liberal and progressive dogma. No?

Yes, Nixon's ticket is Progressive. I don't think it's such a great idea to elect an actor to the New York Governorship, except maybe Robert DeNiro, but we need some changes.

>269 richardderus: DeNiro does not like Drumpf and I love it!

^After finishing the excellent Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery, I thought the perfect segue, would be to jump right into The Right Stuff. I am embarrassed to admit, that I have never read it. Yes, I am just as baffled as you are. I have always loved the film version, which is a knockout and I like Tom Wolfe too. Go figure!

Scott Kelly, said that reading The Right Stuff was one of his first inspirations in becoming a pilot and he became friends with Wolfe too.

I listened to the first couple of hours of the audio today and was immediately drawn in. Wolfe is a master of narrative and I like his sense of humor too.

Nixon is very progressive and has been an activist for progressive causes for seventeen years. I’d love to see her as governor. That said, I don’t think she stands a snowball’s chance in hell of beating Cuomo.

>268 msf59: / >269 richardderus:

Cynthia Nixon's candidature is interesting at least. Andrew Cuomo's manufactured and calculating rise through the Kennedy clan and his daddy's shirttails may deserve the people's stern judgement. Rather than his self to serve he has been about serving his self.

My guess is that his mooted run for the White House and the need to keep progressives a little on his side may mean that Nixon will indirectly force him into a much more progressive stance on issues at least until he is re-elected.

Have a great weekend, mate, by the way.

Have a good weekend, Mark, even though you have to work tomorrow. Do you have Monday off? I am off to book club tonight and a genealogy conference tomorrow. Should be interesting.

>272 brenzi: Thanks for chiming in on Nixon, Bonnie. Glad to hear you are a fan. Have you read The Right Stuff?

>273 PaulCranswick: >274 PaulCranswick: Hi, Paul. It sounds like you know more about NY politics, than I do. Grins...

You have a good weekend too!

>275 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. I am off Wednesday next week. It looks like it will warm up mid-week, so I am looking forward to it. Hope book club goes well.

Have a good weekend, Mark. However you choose to spend it.

>277 weird_O: I thought you were still working on your new thread, Bill. LOL.

I am working tomorrow. Cubs & Brewers game in Milwaukee on Sunday.

You've hit me with a movie bullet this time, Mark. I, too, have put A Quiet Passion on my video viewing list.

>279 laytonwoman3rd: Happy Saturday, Linda. Glad I got you with the movie bullet. Let me know what you think of it. It is a very good film.

^Sadly, I have not read read, Alice Walker, since reading The Color Purple back in the mid-80s. Well, fortunately April's AAC is giving me a chance to remedy that. I decided to go with her NF and I will start In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens: Womanist Prose.

I also have Possessing the Secret of Joy home from the library, but not sure I will get to it...at least not this month.

Morning, Mark! Try to enjoy your working day today. Cubs game tomorrow, eh? Have fun!

Good morning, Mark! I hope your work day goes well.

>266 jessibud2: Amazing. That is a very large bird (or a BAB as my husband and I would say - Big-Ass Bird).

While charter-boat ocean fishing in the early '80s, a pelican landed on my shoulder. Heavy, potentially dangerous, but one of the crew got him off me quickly.

>282 ChelleBearss: Morning, Chelle. Looking forward to the Cubs game tomorrow but we won't be able to tail-gate beforehand. It will be to damn cold. We will probably knock back a couple of beers, while sitting in our vehicle.

>283 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Very chilly start. Only 20, on the way in but at least there will be plenty of sunshine.

Great pelican story. They are BABs for sure.

Look forward to hearing what you make of the Walker, I've not read anything by her apart from the Colour Purple. I have just read a really good review of Imagine wanting only this, very tempted to get my own copy. Have you read this one? (sorry if I missed it).

>285 charl08: Hi, Charlotte. Good to see you. Looking forward to cracking the Walker collection, a bit later on. Imagine Wanting came up a bit short and I think it did for Joe, as well. Give it a try and see for yourself.

Well, I hope that the warm up and your Wednesday off coincide, Mark. Book club was good. Now I am off to the conference in the pouring rain. *sigh* I am having problems getting an Alice Walker book from the library. Will see if one turns up this month. The first one I put on hold seems to be lost.

Happy Saturday, Mark. Spring will come soon, right. It must be miserable for the baseball players so far.

So glad to see LT is back.

A snowy Home Opener today. Very glad I didn’t get a ticket this year. Much better in Milwaukee, under the roof yesterday, right Mark?

Yahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

^Now my life is back in order. Unfortunately, it is snowing in Chicagoland. You gotta love, spring, right?

>287 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg. Yes, the warm up begins on Wednesday, so perfect timing with my day off. Hope you can track down a Walker.

>288 BLBera: Hi, Beth. It is going to be a cold and wet Opening Day, for the Cubbies.

>289 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda. Very happy to see LT back up and running. Nearly wore out the refresh button.

Yes, it was very comfy in the dome yesterday and a perfect shut-out for the Cubs.

Morning, Mark! Snowing?!

Morning, Mark! Hope you enjoyed your ball game yesterday! My Jays are off to a good start this year :)

Sorry to hear that you're back to snow. Send lots of spring waves over the pond.

>292 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie. Yep, it was snowing. It looks like it has stopped now and I doubt it will stick around for very long, but we want warmth and spring color.

>293 ChelleBearss: Morning, Chelle. We had a great time at the game yesterday and saw a Cubs win to boot. Glad to hear your Jays are off to a good start. I hope it continues for them.

>294 Ameise1: Hi, Barb. Thanks for all the spring waves. We could use them.

>291 msf59: things are looking up though. 70 by Friday.

>291 msf59: That was a long time without LT! Good to see you again, Mark. Hope you have a good day out there in the snow. I just checked the library site and they are trying to trace the second book I put a hold on. Not looking good for the Walker so I checked with another library system and put a hold on The Color Purple.

Hiya, Mark. We're back. I won't mention the snow, and I'll go with Linda's "things are looking up." Debbi was so mad about the snow this morning! Not that I'm mentioning it.

The Right Stuff is so good! It's my favorite of his books by a long shot.

>291 msf59: "Very happy to see LT back up and running. Nearly wore out the refresh button". Me too! I'm happy to be back and get my fill of book talk - my tank was running low.

I hope the snow disappears quickly!

Hi Mark and happy Monday to you!

I don't know what time LT came back online, but I was sure getting twitchy without it and all my friends here. I've been busy helping set up for our Friends of the Library Spring Book Sale - 6 hours yesterday 6 hours today. tomorrow will be about 3 1/2 or 4..... I'm sure getting a good idea of where the bodies are buried so I can buy some good ones first couple hours of the sale. *smile*

Can't believe the Cubs got snowed out but the Sox were able to play.

>301 lindapanzo: The Sox play down south, Linda. :-)

Good morning, Mark! I hope you've had a good Monday despite the snow. Quite cool here, but not that cool.

Finally home from work. Mondays are usually our heaviest day. Now to get caught up and then get a new thread started...

>296 lindapanzo: Looking forward to some warmth, Linda. It was another chilly one today but at least the snow departed quickly.

>297 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg. I think that was the longest LT outage I have experienced. Just about to go in withdrawals. My day went fine and the snow is gone. Glad you were able to put a hold on a Walker.

>298 jnwelch: Welcome back, Joe. Wish the weather could have been better for your return. Yep, I am loving The Right Stuff. This will easily be a 5 star read for me.

>299 streamsong: "and get my fill of book talk - my tank was running low." I am sure you were not alone, with those feelings. We were adrift.

Hi, Janet. The snow departed pretty quickly but it was another chilly one though. Nice warm-up coming on Wednesday.

>300 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. I think LT came back up, around 915-930 eastern time. What a relief. Hooray for helping out at the book sale and paying attention to where those bodies are buried. Grins...

>301 lindapanzo: >302 jnwelch: Of course the Cubs will take some ribbing for that one. I wouldn't be surprised if the field was covered with snow this morning. Maybe, the south side didn't get as much.

>303 harrygbutler: Hi, Harry. My day went fine and the snow melted away by noon, so not bad. Just chilly. It should be looking much better on Wednesday.

>305 msf59: I've seen some amazing pictures of Wrigley today. The only time I've seen snow there was at the Blackhawks/Red Wings game there on New Year's Day back about 9 or 10 years ago. Today, it looked like a snowglobe. A lot of the Cub players looked like they had a good time playing in the snow.

>306 lindapanzo: I will have to see if I can find any snowy photos of Wrigley. I wonder if the Cell had snow cover?

Great man-cave Mark. And glad the owlets are doing well. I've been in absentia due to family bereavement, but will be peeking round the door more soon.

I loved the film of The Right Stuff, must get to the book.