Joseph Sciuto's Blog: A Curious View: A Compilation of Short Stories by Joseph Sciuto, page 3

“THE UNDERGROUND LIBRARY,” BY JENNIFER RYAN

I have read many books on the German Blitz of London during World War 2 (both biographies and historical fiction), and from each book I have learned something new. That’s the thing about such tragedies, the horror of war, the inhumanity of a government against an innocent population.

“The Underground Library, “by Jennifer Ryan is the first novel I have read by this novelist, but it won’t be the last. The novel is character driven, following the stories of four courageous young women who take the remains of the Bethnal Green Library, after it is bombed, and start a library in an underground station where people shelter at night while the Germans bomb indiscriminately the city of London.

The stories of the four young women are fascinating, but what I found most interesting is the structure and backgrounds that she gives to all the characters in the novel. She covers a vast amount of territory and yet each character, from the elderly, to the young, to the super rich, to individuals of different faith, to immigrants fleeing the Germans, is as fully developed as one could ever hope for in such a story. It is an amazing feat.

Throughout the reading of this novel, I could not help drawing the parallels to the poor people in Ukraine suffering a similar fate to what the people of London suffered over 80 years ago. For Americans who don’t think we should be supporting Ukraine, let me remind you of “The Twin Tower,” on Sept. 11, 2001. America asked our NATO allies for help and they didn’t hesitate in sending troops and money.

A little less known fact, The United States of America is the only NATO member to ask for support from the member countries of NATO.

“KILL THE BODY, THE HEAD WILL FALL,” BY RENE DENFELD.

Ms. Denfeld is a fabulous novelist. In fact, I have compared a few of her novels and writing style to such greats as Conrad, Capote, and Toni Morrison. She is a novelist to be reckoned with.

“Kill the Body, The Head will Fall,” the title of an autobiography by Ms. Denfeld is quite different from her novels (The title taken from a phrase made popular by the great Muhammad Ali). Ms. Denfeld’s recounts her time when she walked into an all male gym with the intention of learning how to box. Under the tutelage of an old time trainer, Jess Sandoval, she not only learns the art of boxing, sparring with male fighters, and finally fighting in amateur fights against other women boxers but she recognizes the strength and aggression, often misinterpreted by the general public, that women quite often exhibit which are just as violent and devastating as men.

Ms. Denfeld’s autobiography on women and aggression does not achieve the high literary status of her novels ( few autobiographies do)but like in all her novels this book rings with the honesty and truth that all great writers strive to achieve.

“FRANK CAPRA, THE NAME ABOVE THE TITLE,” AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

Frank Capra, at a very early age, emigrated from Sicily to America with his parents and siblings. Everyone in the family was illiterate. The young Mr. Capra was the first to go to school and eventually graduated from Caltech with a degree in engineering.

He had many side jobs before going to work in the quickly emerging film business for Mack Sennett during the silent era.

From there he went to Columbia Studio, which at the time was considered a Ghetto Row Studio…not even close to the major Studios such as MGM and Warners. It was at Columbia, under the insane and chaotic leadership of Harry Cohn, that Frank Capra made some of my favorite movies of all time, Academy Award Winners and box office smashes, such as “You Can’t Take It with you,” “It’s A Wonderful Life,” “Lady for a Day,” “Lost Horizon,” “It Happened One Night,” “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town,” “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” etc. etc. At one time he set a record for most consecutive box office hits at 12. Using his engineering and physics background he made studio back lots look like the actual Arctic or The Brooklyn Bridge.

Before joining the military after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Columbia Studio was no longer part of Ghetto Row.

In his early forties, Mr. Capra joined the military as Major Capra and was immediately ushered into President Roosevelt’s office where they talked about the importance of film and its impact on Americans’ attitudes. He was then ushered around by military men who had no idea what they were doing when it came to filmmaking.

Finally, he was ushered into the office of the great General George Marshall who gave him control over the films Mr. Capra wanted to direct and produce.

The seven films he made for the war department are now considered classics and any serious student of film and movies should look at. They are: 1)Prelude to War. 2)The Nazis Strike 3)Divide and Conquer 4)Battle of Britain 5)Battle of Russia 6)Battle of China and 7)War Comes to America.

They were shown to audiences in every Allied country to tremendous applause and even in Russia where Stalin ordered 500 prints of “Battle of Russia.” On the day Mr. Capra was discharged the great General Marshall awarded him the “Distinguished Service Medal.” Up to that point only two other men were awarded that medal…Generals Marshall and Eisenhower.

“The Name Above the Title,” is by far the best autobiography I have read by a filmmaker. It encapsules the movie business from the silent era through the early 1970’s.

Mr Capra stands among the giants of the movie business…in my opinion the number one giant. His ability to use his science background to enhance the processes, mechanics, and techniques in the industry, in my opinion, is to this very day unmatched. His love of reading and his collection of the classics enhanced his ability to tell a story on screen as well as anyone.

His understanding of the working class, the downtrodden, and his belief in the American dream becoming reality is a hallmark in all his movies and that is why his movies live on with as much impact today as when they were made.

JOSEPH SCIUTO: Writing Stories from a Life Well Lived

Jon Stojan March 3, 2025

Joseph Sciuto: Writing Stories from a Life Well Lived

“THE 36-HOUR DAY,” BY NANCY L. MACE AND PETER V. RABINS.

A month or so ago, I finished reading the “MAYO CLINIC ON ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND OTHER DEMENTIAS.” I found the book to be exceptionally informative and helpful in understanding Alzheimer’s disease and Dementias. I also thought it a relatively easy read.

My cousin, Helen, recommended that I read, “The 36-hour Day,” which she read while taking care of a relative suffering from Dementia.

After recently losing two friends to Dementia, and unintentionally giving another close friend the wrong information about Dementia, I had no problem following up on my cousin’s recommendation. Whereas the first book was great, Ms. Mace and Mr. Rabins, “The 36-hour Day,” published by The John Hopkins Press was even better. Not only did it cover everything the first book covered but it went into further, easy to understand details and also covered the research that is currently taking place.

Alzheimer Disease and Dementias are diseases that not only drastically affect the patient, but the whole family unit, friends, and very often neighbors. It is no wonder why this book is considered the ‘gold standard,” where families affected by these diseases turn to for guidance and support in caring for someone suffering from these diseases.

Thank you Helen for your great recommendation.

“SLEEPING GIANTS,” BY RENE DENFELD.

If one follows an author for a long time, or simply reads a number of their works one will often find subtle changes in their style and technique.

Hemingway’s early works, especially “The Sun Also Rises,” and “A Farewell to Arms,” were beautifully crafted, innovative, and creative pieces of writing. His later works, especially “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” were written more like screenplays as a famous professor once described his later works.

Truman Capote’s early works were lyrical, descriptive, magical pieces of writing. His later works were forced, savagely unappealing, and quite honestly not worthy of being read.

Joseph Conrad, unlike the previously two writers, remained mostly consistent throughout his entire body of work. His works remained highly descriptive, unforgettable in his desire to get to the truth of the human condition, psychologically and analytically uncompromising.

“Sleeping Giants,” the fourth book I have read by Rene Denfeld continues a trend from the highly descriptive, magical, and lyrical novel, “The Enchanted,” to the less descriptive, less lyrical novels, “The Child Finder,” and “The Butterfly Girl,” and to the really less descriptive and lyrical novel, “Sleeping Giants.”

Yet, unlike Hemingway and Capote her novels and writing has not diminished but remains as powerful and unforgettable as her earlier novels and why is that…because all her novels ring with an honesty that the greatest of all writers have exhibited. And like all great novelists, her characters and storylines stay with you way after you have finished reading her works.

Ms. Denfeld’s, “Sleeping Giants,” is a story about institutionalized children, who are without families,” and the cruel and unusual therapies used to treat them and make them acceptable children that families would like to adopt.

Like in all her books her characters are flawed, suffering from emotional and physical conditions that undermine their everyday abilities to deal with the simplest of everyday problems, but in the end it is their desire to get at the truth that allows them to overcome their liabilities.

Ms, Denfeld, like I have stated previously, is a major literary figure who tackles difficult subjects. Her writing, whether it is descriptive or not, lyrical or not, is nevertheless always sublime.

“WHEN WE FLEW AWAY/ ANNE FRANK BEFORE THE DIARY,” BY ALICE HOFFMAN

Ms. Hoffman is a prolific and wonderful novelist. I have read about twenty of her books and except for one everyone was exceptionally good and a few, such as “The Dovekeepers” and “The World That We Knew,” were simply great.

“When WE Flew Away/ A Novel of Anne Frank Before The Diary,” I would add, without hesitantly, to the simply great list. It is a fictional/ historical novel about the previous 3 years, when the Frank family was living in the Netherlands after escaping from Germany, before they were forced to go into hiding after the Germans had conquered the Netherlands and as part of “The Final Solution,” killed 75 percent of the Jewish population of the Netherlands.

The novel gives us a more complete picture of Anne between the ages of eleven and thirteen, and of her older sister, Margot, her father, mother, and grandmother.

Anne is portrayed as an active, curious, and intelligent young girl who loves to read, especially fairytales and as she reaches the age of thirteen she starts to think about love and intimacy

Throughout the book, the idea of “Remember us and Remember me,” is continually mentioned as her grandmother reminds her throughout the novel the one way to be always remembered is by writing…they can take everything from you except the written word.

Hemingway once famously wrote, “That the only thing a person takes with them when they die is what they left behind,” and in the case of Anne Frank she left behind a diary as important a piece of writing as the most famous novels, poems, short stories, etc.

Anne and her sister Margot were two of the millions of young Jewish children killed by the Nazis. Like so many other children, the promise of a full and promising life was cut short by a brutal and unforgiving regime whose soldiers showed no mercy and whose consciences were devoid of any morals.

Just recently Elon Musk, just before Holocaust Remembrance Day, told a group of far right Germans that they should get over “past guilt.”

Thanks to Anne Frank that is going to be a lot harder to do than the so-called genius thinks.

Yet the rise of anti-semitism in the United States and many other countries is unbelievably disturbing. It amazes me how the Jewish population of the world, that totals 0.002 percent of the entire population, could be responsible for so many dastardly crimes. And what is even more disturbing is that this hatred comes in no small part from Catholics and the tens of thousands of Christian Protestant denominations. You would think by now that they would have figured out that Jesus was Jewish.

Ms. Hoffman’s novel is a perfect compliment to the actual diary. Yes, the novel is fictional but it is so, so real in the depiction of a young, promising life robbed of its full potential.

“THE BUTTERFLY GIRL,” BY RENE DENFELD.

In my review of Ms. Denfeld’s novel, “The Child Finder,” I ended the review by writing, “Ms. Denfeld is a serious literary figure. In just the two novels of hers that I have read I can say, with little doubt, that she is one of the sublime writers of our time.”

After reading “The Butterfly Girl,” which is in many ways a sequel to “The Child Finder,” I can easily reaffirm my conviction that Ms. Denfeld is a serious literary figure.

Naomi, who is the lead character in both novels, is as riveting as ever. She is an unforgettable character in very similar ways as the character Marlow is unforgettable in a number of Conrad’s masterpieces, especially in “Heart Of Darkness.”

Like Marlow, Naomi is a flawed character. She is human in every way, doubting herself constantly, burdened with feelings of heavy guilt, problems with intimacy, and yet she gets the job done with an unbridled determination that would make other individuals weary before they even started.

She doesn’t know boundaries and is willing to accept help from the most unlikely characters in her search for her younger sister who she left behind when she escaped bondage when she was just a child.

In this novel, the help comes in the form of a twelve year old girl named Celia who lives on the streets, after being raped and brutalized by a stepfather and a heroin addicted mother.

Ms. Denfeld’s writing in the first book I read by her, “The Enchanted,” was very descriptive but in both the “The Child Finder” and “The Butterfly Girl,” she balances her indelible descriptions with pitch perfect dialogue.

She is, as I have stated repeatedly, one of the more serious literary figures of our time.

“WHERE THE DOG STAR NEVER GLOWS,” BY TARA L. MASIH.

This is the third book I have read by Ms. Masih. The first, “How We Disappear: Novella & Stories,” I found so fascinating that I almost immediately read, “My Real Name Is Hanna,” which I thought was very simply great.

It is a habit of mine, that when I read a writer, a poet, novelist, short story writer, or a historian for the first time and I really like them that I pick up a second book by them. If I like the second book, I usually go on to read all their books or close to as many as I can. After reading, Toni Morrison’s, “Beloved and The Bluest Eye,” I went on, in a very short time, to read all her novels. The same is true for Don DeLillo, Ann Patchett, Doris Kerns Goodwin, Mary Karr, Wendy Waters, Andres Lopez, etc.

So after reading Ms. Masih’s, “My Real Name Is Hanna,” I picked up the first book she wrote, a collection of short stories, titled, “Where the Dog Star Never Glows,” and like “How We Disappear: Novella and Stories,” I found this book just as fascinating.

Many of the stories have a Hemingway quality to them (That is the highest praise I could give a short story writer because I have never read a better short story writer than Mr. Hemingway.). Her writing style is completely different than Hemingway. Ms. Masih is much more descriptive, but her use of nature and the environment is very similar to Hemingways, but what I found most interesting is that like Hemingway, Ms. Masih’s stories continue to go on in the reader’s head way after you have read the last word of the story. She leaves it up to you to figure out what the next move is, how does everything turn out for the characters. Hemingway was described to me by Nobel Laurette winner as, “A thinking person’s writer,” and in so many ways Ms. Masih’s short stories challenge the reader to come up with a conclusion. This quality is especially apparent in the short stories, “Champagne Water, Ghost Dance, Asylum, and The Burnings,” where by the end of each of these stories I ask myself and what’s next for this character or characters.

Ms. Masih is a wonderful talent and I strongly recommend you reading this collection of short stories as I pursue my quest to read more of her works.

“THE CHILD FINDER,” RENE DENFELD.

I will not even try to compare the brilliance of Ms. Denfeld’s “Enchanted,” with the brilliance of her novel, “The Child Finder.” Unlike the “Enchanted,” Ms. Denfeld’s “The Child Finder,” doesn’t have the poetic rhyme like in Truman Capote’s earlier works, or the breathtaking, piercing descriptions of Conrad, or the magical symbolism of Toni Morrison.

What it has is a riveting number of storylines and an unforgettable character like Naomi who doesn’t remember the first ten years of her life and whose career choice is to find missing children who are just as likely to be dead as alive. She is the best at her business, obsessive in her determination to find the missing children, and yet sensitive enough to form bonds between the grieving parents, law enforcement, the Librarian, and the waitress.

Naomi’s search for Madison Culver, a five year old girl, who disappeared in Oregon’s Skookum National Forest would be eight years old when Naomi’s parents hire her to find their missing child. She enters the mysterious, snow covered, dangerous terrain of the forest and gradually unlocks the secrets of her own past in her search for the child.

The narrative is presented in the alternating voices of both Naomi and the imagination of a child who thinks that she was born of the snow…a creation of the snow.

Ms. Denfeld is a serious literary figure. In just the two novels of her that I have read I can say, with little doubt, that she is one of the sublime writers of our time.