In the Garden of Beasts....is upsetting to read but also very captivating for those of us interested in how Hitler and his Third Reich came to power a...moreIn the Garden of Beasts....is upsetting to read but also very captivating for those of us interested in how Hitler and his Third Reich came to power and kept the reins of power for so long. The is about William Dodd, appointed by FDR to the Ambassadorship in Germany, location Berlin 1933-34 and served to end of 1937. The book gives insights into Hitler's wily strategy to keep the United States and friendly countries to us I.e. England, France, even Russia deluded as to his real designs. Makes one wonder if these people ever read Mein Kampf.
Dodd's daughter Martha is a major player on the scene in the book. Her sexual adventures with Nazis, liberal writers, and later a Communist during that time period of the ascendency of Hitler although hard to digest gives a lot of insight into understanding how even A educated Americans could become enamored with early Naziism. Both Father Dodd and the daughter he loved come in time to see the horror and true nature of Hitler and his henchmen. By then it is too late. Each in his/her own way takes a principled course of action but the shadows of that period the family lived through in Berlin leaves many scars.
The truth about anti Semitism held by earnest educated U.S. Citizens who hold power over oppressed refugees I.e. In the State Department and with embassy positions made me sad. George Messersmith, a high level employee of Dodd was one of those persons who fought, good voice against Hitler but wouldn't let Jews move to the USA. based on policy. Shows weaknesses of FDR and the isolationists who were on his case. We waited too long, as we all know. Fascinating and Tragic.
If you like to read a book about women who defy the norm, about human love of animal and the natural world, and learn some American history on the si...moreIf you like to read a book about women who defy the norm, about human love of animal and the natural world, and learn some American history on the side this is a book for you. This book is a collection of short stories strung together around characters who all share a common spot on earth, A town known as Blackwell Massachussetts or Bear Valley, a symbolic description of a theme ( a Bear or bears) that reoccurs throughout the stories that begin with birth of the town and end in current time. The stories have a poetic magnificence in the writing that stems from The ability of the author Alice Hoffman to provide a deep connection to the land, the rich inheritance passed on by family ties and yearning of individuals for authenticity and at the same time a return to the mystery of the place contained in the very soil and soul of the town. Thanks Jennifer Charnofsky for alerting mr to this book.. (less)
I enjoyed reading Jane Fonda's new memoir titled My Life So Far. The book really does cover most of her life. In the end of the book she is single and...moreI enjoyed reading Jane Fonda's new memoir titled My Life So Far. The book really does cover most of her life. In the end of the book she is single and living in Atlanta which is not quite up to date. Well, she is not married but I think I read she is living at least part time in Hollywood now and has a boyfriend there Richard Perry. This is not in the book but I got the book by seeing Jane interviewed on Oprah. Jane is now 72. I think I got that from the Oprah show too.
In her latest memoir, Jane talks about her early years, the suicide of her Mother and her Father's inability to emotionally communicate with his children, Jane and Peter Fonda . In spite of the holes in her life, Jane seems resilient, ever moving on and always searching. Her long struggle with bulimia is discussed. Jane mentions the highlights of many of the movies she has acted in including how she prepared for some of the roles such as the Dollmaker, which is about an Appalachian woman who moves out of her familiar hill country surroundings and the only thing that keeps her sane is her ability to carve dolls out of wood. Jane actually lives with a poor Appalachian family spending time with an older woman and her husband in order to learn what life there is like. Dolly Parton actually drives her around in her famous RV Van to various neighborhoods in her home territory she knows so Jane can learn. Jane also discusses the emotional issues involved in producing, directing, and acting in On Golden Pond and her kind of funny and strange interaction with the aging Katharine Hepburn and the powerful non-verbal connection she has with her Father during the filming of the movie. She is very open about her feelings and sometimes her openness is quite startling but also refreshing.
Jane is obviously on a quest for a deeper emotional fulfillment not quite getting there until all three husbands, Vadim, Hayden, and Turner are behind her. She is a good writer and puts things in a historical and societal perspective that makes her story more meaningful. Her experience going to North Vietnam and her movement struggle to end the war during that sad period of history gives you insight into her motives and actions that were so highly criticized by the right and many mainstream folks. At one point she describes a bombing that took place early in her arrival in Nam and how a young woman grabs and pushes her down a small hole in the ground made to shelter one person and then the reed thin young woman climbs down into the hole with her. Jane is shocked that this woman not connected with her trip would help her given her side is doing the bombing. The feeling more than the visual you get of the two of them in that hole for whatever the seconds or minutes that pass is quite dramatic.
Jane's growth as a feminist especially interested me. There is also a spiritual awakening in the book, a turn toward a healthy and progressive form of Christianity that seemed quite explainable. She is able to put both realities together into a mutually satisfying kind of a whole. You also see her humanity and her caring for people which she describes in an objective not a bragging kind of way. It is interesting when she compares her way of looking at the issues that are important to her describing how she and Ted Turner have different priorities that are explained mostly because of her feminist way of thinking. Yet you see how the two power houses together can and did make a difference in the lives of ordinary people. There is a short description of a meeting she and Ted Turner had with Nelson Mandela where Mandela spends most of his time talking directly to Jane and not Ted and this makes Ted angry (in retrospect). When I thought about it, I thought that Mandela is quite a person. If I were him, I too would prefer to talk to Jane Fonda. Certainly Mandela's politics and Jane's are closer together and after all she is a striking woman. Though Jane acted during the relationship with Ted Turner as though she was second fiddle, it is apparent from my reading of My Life So Far that there is a lot of depth and honesty there most people just don't have to share. I also liked the fact I learned that later in life Jane chose to have her breast implants reversed. Though it might sound like a small step toward wholeness, it speaks more about how far Jane's journey has come - a long way. I recommend the book.
P.S. The book was well documented and detailed. Jane knows how to write and though I am sure like most authors she had editorial help, it is undoubtedly in her own voice and in her own words. This is another reason to respect this famous actor who could have gone an easier route and used a ghost writer. I bet the writing of this memoir helped Jane. I think she says it did. I am trying to do the same. It is hard to write a memoir of your whole life. I am bogged down near the beginning. But it is useful.
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I just read Heather Seller's new book about her life with face blindness (prosopagnosia). It is a memoir
which uncovers a rare and rarely unders...moreI just read Heather Seller's new book about her life with face blindness (prosopagnosia). It is a memoir
which uncovers a rare and rarely understood condition that makes it impossible to recognize people family or anyone just by looking at the nose, eye, mouth and expression on the face itself. The book also concentrates on the author's relationship with her paranoid schizophrenic mother and her cross- dressing alcoholic father. The author through a process of self discovery bravely faces many of her worst fears and is able to put together the bits and pieces of her growing up life without losing her humanity and caring for her parents in spite of their shocking inability to parent their daughter in a healthy nurturing way. Somehow the author thrives and "comes out" by telling her colleagues she has the face recognition condition. It is an interesting tale. A true one. I recommend this book to those who really love to read autobiographical type stuff about family life and survival. (less)
I finished Room a week ago. I read it pretty much straight through in a day and a half. It was very engrossing and capitalizes on the recent news stor...moreI finished Room a week ago. I read it pretty much straight through in a day and a half. It was very engrossing and capitalizes on the recent news stories about women and/or children kept captive by psychopaths in underground or backyard or cellar spaces. In this story a young woman has been kept prisoner In a backyard shed for seven years with her son Jack who she bore in the shed 5 years earlier. This fictional work brings out the great strength and resiliency of both Mother and Son in these decrepit and horrifying circumstances. The book does not dwell on the negatives or pathology thus focusing more on how the little boy sees his life and how he thrives mostly as a result of his young Mother's love and ability to protect him from their captor and because of the Mother's facile ability to keep the boy involved and learning every day in the shed. Jack thrives in this setting and escapes eventually because his Mother devises a plan risky as it seems. It is quite a suspense story. I recommend the Room. (less)
I just finished reading Girl in Translation which is about a gifted Chinese immigrant girl who goes to private school during the day and the rest of t...moreI just finished reading Girl in Translation which is about a gifted Chinese immigrant girl who goes to private school during the day and the rest of the time works with her Mother in a sweatshop and lives in horrible conditions at home. The ending jumps up so so quickly it takes the reader off guard. I am still trying to digest the ending which seems rather abrupt. I felt a bit cheated as I did not get to enjoy the main character's experiences as a young woman going to college. But it become apparent why that is the case. The book is very enjoyable to read, vivid descriptions of a bi cultural life lived to the fullest at breakneck speed. My only criticism has to do with the way the book leads to the last chapter. Suddenly the head chapter juost states 12 years later. I think there must have been a better way to fill in the dots here. (less)
The Murderer's Daughter is actually a fictional work about two daughters, Lulu and Merry, whose Father murdered their Mother. It is from the point of...moreThe Murderer's Daughter is actually a fictional work about two daughters, Lulu and Merry, whose Father murdered their Mother. It is from the point of view of both women as adults and as chldren. The story is very involving and feels very real. I could not put down the book. This is a very psychological journey through the lives of both women and follow the very different and individual ways both main characters had of adapting after the death of the Mother. One daughter marries and has chidlren herself. The other remains single throughout the storyline of the book. I had an uneasy feeling about how the book end especially for one of the daughters. The author shares the fact in the epilogue that she spent ten years working as a social workers and probation officer with batterers and men who are violence prone. This fact colors some of the outcomes and I am not exactly comfortable with this perspective. On the other hand, I hope someone else will read this book and let me know if they had a different kind of reaction. Perhaps, mine is too influenced by a knee jerk reaction of anger and revenge and cannot take in a very different yet perhaps, very real adaptation that is real not so made up. Ooh, one more thing, what Jewish Mother or Father names their kids Lulu and Merry? (less)
Vivid account of Alix Dobkin's, the pioneering Lesbian folksinger,early years, growing up Communist, leftwing movement experiences,in the folk and roc...moreVivid account of Alix Dobkin's, the pioneering Lesbian folksinger,early years, growing up Communist, leftwing movement experiences,in the folk and rock music scene in Village and on the road, feminist movement and friends and "coming out" experiences which are quite hilarious. A must read for those who wish to remember the Red diaper baby and teen experiences and a must read for those who should know or want to know what the movers and shakers in those times were thinking and doing. (less)
This book is written as an autobiograhical novel by a former colleague (Professor of Theater) of mine named Hal Marienthal who used to be our campus ...moreThis book is written as an autobiograhical novel by a former colleague (Professor of Theater) of mine named Hal Marienthal who used to be our campus theatrical director. It is about Hal's childhood growing up under Hitler's Nazi Germany. It took Hal until his much later years to attempt to put his mindnumbing and heartbreaking experiences Pre WWII into words. When I saw his name name of the book I knew it had to be a must read if not a good read though the title suggests some good can be found in the worst of times. I am more than half way through the pages and it has been quite a ride through another world, a nightmare filled with strange twists and turns and yes with a few good Germans mixed in there. You be the judge.
I finished the book last night, couldn't put it down. Amazing story about survival against more than just great odds. Very well written. The fact that Hal was able to survive at age six, alone in a hostile environment is testament to his courage and mental strength and to a few "good" Germans and also to timing; this all took place in the thirties not during the War years.
I downloaded this short book on my new IPAD. The book was written in the late twenties and is about two light skinned African American women who use...moreI downloaded this short book on my new IPAD. The book was written in the late twenties and is about two light skinned African American women who used to be friends growing up, one of them passes for white and lives with a racist husband. All the main topics addressed are still relevant today. This is a book about race and class seen through the eyes of a professional class woman of color who can't seem to come to grips with the reality of her life. The mystery woman who was her old friend passes for white and has a deep desire to make contact with old associates and her roots. The writing is good but there is a stilted quality reflecting the Victorian influence on writers of that period.
Reading this book now and enjoying it. It is about a 32 year old guy from Washington, DC area. One minute he is working in his Dad's delicatessen and...moreReading this book now and enjoying it. It is about a 32 year old guy from Washington, DC area. One minute he is working in his Dad's delicatessen and the next he is on his way to Moscow for a job interviewing former political prisoners of the former Soviet Union. It is full of characters who will intrigue you. I will let reader know my score and whether I really liked the book when I finish it. I am savoring the book and not devouring it as I usually do with books. The Unpossessed City: A Novel(less)
I found the early years the most interesting. The major accomplishments seemed a bit whitewashed. I lost interest after the first half of the book but...moreI found the early years the most interesting. The major accomplishments seemed a bit whitewashed. I lost interest after the first half of the book but plan to go back eventually and pick up where I left off. (less)
Read only if you can handle reading about adolescent men of college age who are quite obnoxious especially the founder of Facebook. But it is an inter...moreRead only if you can handle reading about adolescent men of college age who are quite obnoxious especially the founder of Facebook. But it is an interesting story. The author has biases but the basic story is quite well reported. (less)
Yes, I read this a few years ago and enjoyed it very much. I see Mary Henry also has read it and highly recommends it. It became a movie. It is defini...moreYes, I read this a few years ago and enjoyed it very much. I see Mary Henry also has read it and highly recommends it. It became a movie. It is definitely women centered. (less)
I read this in December. I am an Augusten Burroughs fan and loved running with Scissors but was not that enthralled with his following books i.e. Dry...moreI read this in December. I am an Augusten Burroughs fan and loved running with Scissors but was not that enthralled with his following books i.e. Dry and Side Effects until I read his more recent one titled You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas. His capture of his earlier years are the best though several of these stories take place as a Gay man searching for a partner. The one about the boyfriend who doesn't invite Augusten home for Christmas is quite compelling. The best one is when Augusten made a ginger bread house for the holiday and the only person who would eat it was his brother, now famous for his book about himself with Asperger's diseaase.
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The only feminist book on aging and old women that is theoretical, relevant , and recent. She mentions OLOC, Old Lesbians Organizing for Change and ...moreThe only feminist book on aging and old women that is theoretical, relevant , and recent. She mentions OLOC, Old Lesbians Organizing for Change and though I do not necessarily agree with all her points as she takes issue with the idea of OLD being an identity, the book is well worth using and reading before our conference in Cleveland 2010. Margaret Cruikshank is one of OLOC's keynote speakers at the OLOC Gathering, July 2010. WWW.OLOC.org. (less)
This is a classic written in the sixties. I am using it as a reader in a class I am teaching, my last at CSUDH, titled Sociology of Deviance. Becker ...moreThis is a classic written in the sixties. I am using it as a reader in a class I am teaching, my last at CSUDH, titled Sociology of Deviance. Becker was ahead of his time applying social constructs describing the culture of jazz musicians and of those who used marijuana as examples of normal run of the mill types of deviant behavior that make contributions to society as a whole but end up labeling whole classes of people as deviants. How this affects the individual being labeled and how the individual takes on a so-called different way of thinking and being. The point being anyone can be a deviant if they find themselves in the right place (subculture) at the right time (socialization) and it sticks. Personally I prefer the writings by Erving Goffman in Asylum and Presentation of Self in Everyday Life but the Becker book has a better direct application to the subject at hand. (less)
When I bought this book it was titled something like A Rat's Tale but Firmin is the name of the rat so I guess the title changed to name of the narrat...moreWhen I bought this book it was titled something like A Rat's Tale but Firmin is the name of the rat so I guess the title changed to name of the narrator of the book who is a Rat named Fermin. I just got it Vermin, Fermin. It does have a funny side but it is also funny sad. I say who when referring to Fermin because this rat learns to read by living in a bookshop in a poor rundown section of NYC. Fermin also becomes quite the philosopher of life. This is a sad story about a world and a few people the rat comes to know or should I say observe and/or both. It is a love story too. It is the saddest book I ever read but I still love Firmin. I can say this was one of the best most profound books I have ever read. It you can take the painfulness of Fermin's life, it is more than a worthwhile read. When I bought this book in a bookstore in SF, the book was shaped in the form of a Rat. All the kids and mothers were drawn to the book and asked about it. I would just say this is not a kid's book. Not a kid's book at all but I can imagine reading it as a kid and understanding it and then later really understanding it. This is not a book you can read straight through. I could only take it in small doses as it wore me out on a psychological level. (less)
A Gift of Age will grab you. Each story is a separate adventure and all the Lesbians interviewed have fascinating and productive lives. It has been a...moreA Gift of Age will grab you. Each story is a separate adventure and all the Lesbians interviewed have fascinating and productive lives. It has been a while since I read the book but figure I need to go back again again and refresh my memory of sisters who had the strength to endure and thrive in homophobic times. Not that anything has changed so extremely much but still the fifties and forties were very difficult times for Lesbians trying to find a place in the world. I look forward to new volumes of the book which will be forthcoming. Looking back and summing up is always and important enterprise and Arden Eversmeyer has made an important contribution to our (Lesbian) herstory by conducting and presenting these interviews with the help of Margaret Purcell. (less)
The story of a young girl's experiences told in the first person about life in a series of foster homes and orphanages. It is well written and reveals...moreThe story of a young girl's experiences told in the first person about life in a series of foster homes and orphanages. It is well written and reveals the tragedy of the foster care system which is clearly broken. The writer Ashley Rhodes-Courter has some great insights on the problems that exist; Unfortunately, she gained these insights after experiencing horrendous abuse first hand from various foster parents, one in particular, and from ooutrageous neglect on the part of those who are supposed to be in charge. It has a seemingly happy ending but one wonders since the writer is so young, where she is going in the long run and is will she be bought off by the prestige she has managed to obtain by writing books and giving speeches. I hope she writes another book ten years from now on same subject.
Fascinating account combines science and history of one African American family and the Mother of that family Henrietta Lacks whose DNA is found to be...moreFascinating account combines science and history of one African American family and the Mother of that family Henrietta Lacks whose DNA is found to be immortal. The book documents the story of one woman who died and left an unusual legacy to the world upon which no value can be given though corporations have and will make billions from her cells that still reproduce and live in cell cultures around the world. On the other hand, the children and grandchildren and other descendents of Henrietta Lacks are left nothing and for some not even the privilege of having decent health care. The discoveries from Lacks' cells have contributed to great advances in medicine and science i.e. the polio vaccine, the fight against cancers, and other infectious and deadly diseases i.e. AIDS and Parkinson's and almost every disease known to humans. The contrast between Lacks contribution to science and her actual economic journey in life and her family's boggles the mind. (less)
I read this several months ago. It takes place in the South in the sixties and is focused on the relationship between a young woman reporter/writer w...moreI read this several months ago. It takes place in the South in the sixties and is focused on the relationship between a young woman reporter/writer who naively decides to write a book based on interviews Black women who work as maids in white middle class and wealthier homes. The project changes her and the women she interviews. The author is a white woman and that is controversial in and of itself but Stockett does a pretty good of taking the reader into another place and time. There is an excitement that keeps building as you read and also fear and tension that people will get discovered doing rebellious acts against
Southern apartheid. I enjoyed the read but kept thinking about the ethics therein. (less)
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