Second Class Citizen is a very auto-biographical account of Buchi Emecheta’s emigration from Nigeria to London. It’s a personal story, one that candidSecond Class Citizen is a very auto-biographical account of Buchi Emecheta’s emigration from Nigeria to London. It’s a personal story, one that candidly depicts the challenges of living with a difficult and unfaithful spouse, of being a young mother with little money, of the added challenge of “polite” racism that forced her to live beneath her previous standards, and even her own trivial concerns, such as not being properly dressed in the hospital after nearly dying during childbirth. One wants to reach through the pages and shake this obviously intelligent woman and make her stand up on her own. Her upbringing in Africa has taught her that women are second class and do not matter as much as their husbands, they are only to take care of the home and have as many children as possible. Thankfully, after living in London for years, she unlearns those childhood “lessons.” You can hear this woman’s voice as you read and know she is a person you could easily befriend and always be entertained by; she almost always finds the positive in the negative (and she’s got plenty of negatives!). Dr. Emecheta is an author who has been an inspiration to me; not only was she living in a foreign country raising five children and acting as the sole support for her family, but she still managed to have a career and write prolifically. Where she had the time is anyone’s guess. ...more
I cannot believe how much Future Shock is a part of my background. While reading it I remembered direct quotes spoken by my mother and teachers; it waI cannot believe how much Future Shock is a part of my background. While reading it I remembered direct quotes spoken by my mother and teachers; it was hugely popular in the 70’s. Toffler’s overall thesis is that although technology has helped humankind in gaining more choices and freedom, the acceleration of change is more than the human mind can tolerate. One of the more interesting elements of the theory is the direct correlation between dramatic change (moving, changing jobs, death of a spouse) and a negative impact on health.
It is easy to pinpoint what he got wrong, like “parents” who raise children for professional couples who don’t have enough time, but he gets a lot more right. What he foresaw was a point in time where people could electronically collaborate across countries using computers, which is exactly what we do with the internet. If I had only read this 20 years ago and invested in AOL! The text is dated, speaking of women more frequently as housewives and secretaries, but the message still resonates 40 years later. We have distanced ourselves from each other because of technology, and we have had our “future shock” in regard to the unprecedented advance of technology, but overall the pluses have given us huge advances in collaboration, creative freedom, and entrepreneurship. Go into this knowing the original publication date and see a man who saw the future along before it happened....more
Terms of Endearment is another novel, aside from the last 40 pages, that bears no resemblance to the movie adaptation. Where the movie defined the “chTerms of Endearment is another novel, aside from the last 40 pages, that bears no resemblance to the movie adaptation. Where the movie defined the “chick flick” genre, the novel is decidedly less weepy. In the book, Aurora Greenway lives in a vortex of chaos, most of which she has taken on herself. Facing the south-slope of midlife with her first grandchild on the way, Aurora is a living contradiction in terms. She’s a widow who leads on her multiple suitors but has little desire to be caught, she is the life of the dinner party yet gives over to fits of melancholy, she is incredibly self-involved and haughty yet will go to the mat and the underbelly of Houston for her loved ones. Aurora has no existence outside of her companions, and she involves herself in the lives of others to make herself feel necessary. The book is as much a character study of this complex woman and it is a circus of events that spill into her life. ...more
**spoiler alert** This novel, originally written under a pseudonym, reminds me of the big difference between gay and lesbian fiction; it is a full 200**spoiler alert** This novel, originally written under a pseudonym, reminds me of the big difference between gay and lesbian fiction; it is a full 200 pages before poor sexually stymied Theresa even gets a kiss out of her lover, Carol. In men’s fiction the story would start with how the guys hooked up. Much has been made out of their cross-country romance, but it is worth noting that the lead up to the trip is much more intense and exploratory as Theresa gains her footing in her first lesbian relationship. The 2nd half of the novel has a very American restlessness as the women drive aimlessly westward, finding themselves and their love along the way (think Thelma and Louise). Troubles bring them both back home, albeit separately, and the revalation of their relationship nearly destroys it. The novel, which was probably published as pulp in 1952, has been critiqued for its melodrama, but even as a gay man I found it hard to put the book down; enjoy the high-drama emotions of a young woman coming into her own skin. I think it is also important for younger gay kids to realize how much has changed in society; Carol has to give up everything including her family for her lover, and now lesbians are raising families. Thank you to all those who paved the way....more
The novel presents an alternative reality in which the Nazis and the Japanese were the victors in WWII, have become the superpowers, and have divided The novel presents an alternative reality in which the Nazis and the Japanese were the victors in WWII, have become the superpowers, and have divided the United States between them. Another alternative to the war's end is captured in the book at the center of the novel, The Grasshopper Lies Heavy where the Allies were successful, but also varies from history. Added to this conflicting mix are power struggles, an aging Hitler, assassination attempts, blackmail, counterfeit goods, entrenched spying, and the I Ching. What starts out as a fascinating question about what might have happened becomes mired in so many plots and subplots, mundane conversations, and the anxious machinations of many of the novel's characters, that it was a struggle to finish the book. Leave it to the infamously paranoid Philip K. Dick to place the author in the center of a coordinated assassination attempt over this controversial novel that supposedly tells the truth......more
What I find more frightening in Levi’s description of his experiences in a Nazi concentration camp is not the humiliation, torture, degradation, or seWhat I find more frightening in Levi’s description of his experiences in a Nazi concentration camp is not the humiliation, torture, degradation, or senselessness of his situation, but how readily he adapts to the insane conditions in order to survive. Looking back on the events it is difficult to comprehend how such a large-scale, multi-country atrocity was possible. How could a few thousand Nazis exterminate millions without anyone trying to stop them? Levi’s first-hand account helps us comprehend. A person is completely uprooted from everything familiar: family, home, friends, work, position, and finances, and reduced to nothing more than a purposeless animal with a number. The unreality of the situation throws people so far off balance that they question the why and how of the situation and are unable to take a more active role, and the stark efficiency of the Germans is in complete contrast with what they are doing. The constant and unpredictable threat of death or worse forces one to make moment-to-moment survival choices, such as trading a ragged shirt stolen from the deceased in order to get a few extra pieces of stale bread. What I prefer in Levi’s prose is that it is very straight-forward and natural, he does not overstate his case, nor does he point an accusational finger at the Nazis. He is more journalistic as he documents his experiences with a fair amount of objectivity. A must read for any non-believer in the Holocaust....more
I am not familiar with many other books that capture the dull terror of dystopian politics, driven by secular or religious conservatives, that has as I am not familiar with many other books that capture the dull terror of dystopian politics, driven by secular or religious conservatives, that has as much resonance with the public than Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. The “journal” of an unnamed woman is set in the immediate future where religious extremists have taken over a part of the United States through lethal force. Somewhat unrelated to the civil war is a significant drop in fertility rates (which is actually occurring in most of the developed world today). Using a Bible story as justification, Sarah gave her enslaved handmaid to her aged husband in order to bear an heir, the religious order traps and enslaves fertile woman to be used for procreation. Those who cannot bear children are threatened with exile to the Colonies, areas that were left toxic after the war. The handmaids are ritualistically raped by high-ranking officials and mistreated by the jealous wives. This is history repeating itself, the same hollow justification has been used for centuries by religious orders to condone slavery and justify white supremacy.
The unnamed heroine of the book is rich, flawed, and complex. She survives her day to day “unreality” by adapting for survival, reminiscent of Primo Levi’s descriptions of life inside a concentration camp. There is the day to day oppression, fear, and self-censoring, but alongside that are little victories: fond memories of the past, reminding yourself of your own sanity, the caring touch of another human being, and most importantly, and dangerously, hope for the future.
Atwood’s narrator reveals in two sentences how totalitarian societies can exist despite the free will of humanity. When two enforcers, The Eyes, approach the handmaid but take another man nearby, she responds, “What I feel is relief. It wasn’t me.” The pervasive spying and reporting on each other, instilling distrust of everyone, enforced paranoia that you might be next, even for "thoughtcrimes"… these are the methods that dictators use to control large populations with few resources. Everyone is a part of the enforcement system, including those who remain silent. Disloyalty to the leader/party is punished with extreme measures, so everyone must remain loyal and police others or they and their family may face the consequences; real life occurs behind closed doors in whispered voices.
The good news, these regimes do not typically have long durations without using increasingly extreme measures and controls, including extermination of anyone who gets in the way. However, society as a whole is larger than those “in control”. If we continue to unite, embrace our differences, and stand up for everyone, we can collectively force change. Many comparisons have been made between the government represented in this powerful novel and current administrations around the world, and there is a need to fight back against isolationism and totalitarianism in all its forms. Atwood repurposes a fake Latin phrase from her childhood as a rallying call for this fight, “Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.”...more
Perhaps knowing Jeff Mann personally has influenced my judgment in reading Edge: Travels of an Appalachian Leather Bear, but I would have enjoyed thisPerhaps knowing Jeff Mann personally has influenced my judgment in reading Edge: Travels of an Appalachian Leather Bear, but I would have enjoyed this collection without that relationship. Mann is a worldly individual with a penchant for travelling outside of his beloved Appalachia, a man who indulges his appetites for food and drink, and one who has an artist’s eye for appreciating the beauty of men. His character is woven into these poetic stories and he comes across on the page as clearly as he does in person. Jeff is a complex individual, one who is fiercely protective of his friends and lovers, a kind and poetic soul, but despite his polite upbringing has a very low tolerance for those who are loud, obnoxious or boring (god forbid you are all three!). Then his entire soul bristles, but he avenges himself with witty barbs that border on the side of Wilde (and these I think I enjoyed as much as the descriptions of the mustachioed he-men that attract his eye.) As good as Edge is, I prefer another of his publications, Loving Mountains, Loving Men, which is a memoir/essay/poetry collection that shows the true heart of this Southern gentleman....more
I believe this is one of the first books I’ve read that is based on the movie, rather than vice versa. At times it crosses the line into sentimentalitI believe this is one of the first books I’ve read that is based on the movie, rather than vice versa. At times it crosses the line into sentimentality, but romantics will take heart and a handful of tissues. Both the movie and the book condensed and misrepresented the real history of the real Elephant Man for dramatic effect. They also got his name wrong; it was Joseph and not John, but this is a common mistake attributed to his doctor’s memoir. However, what Christine Sparks captures is the humanity of a man who was barely accepted as human, who in turn inspired others to view their own lives and the things we easily take for granted through his eyes. The earnestness of Merrick and his pure joy at the simple pleasures in life, like hearing the happy laughter of the nurses on the ward, remind the reader of how easy it to be distracted from enjoying life. ...more
Using his family history of migration across various continents as an overarching story, Mehta outlines the challenges and benefits of immigration. HeUsing his family history of migration across various continents as an overarching story, Mehta outlines the challenges and benefits of immigration. He launches his argument with a brief history lesson: the developed world enriched itself by colonizing other countries, exploited them for their resources and cheap labor, and left behind political, financial, and environmental ruin. When individuals from these countries, who have been left with few alternatives to provide for their families, try to emigrate to their colonizers, they are barred entry and disparaged with blatant racism. This includes the decedents of people who were forcibly relocated and exploited, only to be discarded when no longer needed.
Countering the rabid rhetoric and fearmongering of populists, Mehta provides a broad spectrum of metrics to document how immigrants improve the economy of their new communities by creating new businesses, driving up demand for goods and services, while providing inexpensive or specialized skilled labor to their host countries. At the same time, immigrants send remittances to their home countries to help support the families they left behind, lifting their local economies in tandem. Mehta argues for more porous (but not transparent) borders in the developed world to continue driving the economy, providing a younger and energized workforce to these aging nations, and do so without changing the cultural fabric, only adding a new thread to the tapestry. For instance, following WWII, the US absorbed a quarter of the European population, which grew the economy; the immigrants retained their heritage while becoming American, and today the tech sector thrives in the US because of immigration; it is one of the strongest sectors in the economy.
In the face of growing nationalism and white supremacy, his guidance on how to improve immigration policy may seem overly optimistic. However as our growing climate crises forces millions of people to flee their countries of birth out of necessity, it would be better for the developed world to get out in front of the tide and find ways to benefit from these individuals looking to help improve their lives, not by giving everything away, but by adding their contributions to the whole. After all, the developed world created the reason they needed to flee and we should feel responsible to help them instead of paying enormous sums to set up obstacles to block them from coming....more
Tim and Pete is a testament of what it was like to live as a gay man during the AIDS crisis, before effective treatment was available to those with inTim and Pete is a testament of what it was like to live as a gay man during the AIDS crisis, before effective treatment was available to those with insurance. Back when a diagnoses was a death sentence. A generation of mostly gay men were sick and dying with no cure in sight. In the U.S. the Reagan and Bush administrations, with the vocal support of Republicans, took no action to stop the plague because the “right kind of people” were dying (gay men, Haitians, and drug users). The religious right claimed it was their god’s punishment against the heathens. ACT UP was a vigilante group battling against discrimination, for accelerated drug treatments from the FDA, and literally fighting for their lives. They were living a war that no one else acknowledged. There was a lot of fear and justifiable anger. This is the world I came of age in when I moved to NY in 1989.
This book is about that era of rage…
Tim is an emotionally conservative film archivist, Pete is a radical fronting an all gay alternative rock band. They dated for six months and have been broken up for a year when they bump into each other as the novel starts, but the wounds are still raw. Over the course of a frenetic evening, they rehash their relationship, state (and restate and restate) various political points, discuss sex, drugs and rock and roll, and tour various neighborhoods of 1990s L.A., which will appeal to people of a certain age who lived there in the years before the riots. There is anger, a lot of it, where decapitating public officials as political performance art is a running macabre joke. All of this gets buried under a landslide of dialogue that frequently does not advance the story but does maintain a level of anger that becomes exhausting. The novel is littered with dozens of ideas for songs, artwork, and activism, which are often touched upon and never developed. I admire Baker for putting two non-mainstream (albeit cisgender and white) gays at the center of this tumultuous and increasingly surrealistic (and exasperating) novel, and for reminding me of this decade of fear, guilt and rage of that era....more
Dennis Cooper my well be the David Lynch of queer culture. His shockaholic fiction ignores the superficial and drives straight down the dark road of tDennis Cooper my well be the David Lynch of queer culture. His shockaholic fiction ignores the superficial and drives straight down the dark road of teenaged boys emotionally ruined by the fragmented environments they inhabit. "My Loose Thread" is no exception, and is a tight and destructive addition to his marganalized opus. The novel centers on Larry, a boy who has so little control over his own life and sexual drives that he numbly repeats, "I'm really confused" like a modern-day mantra. He's got a lot of baggage, with an accidental slaying of a boy who loved him, a sexually abusive relationship with his 13 year-old brother, and an overpowering rage when he fucks other men. He's not gay, he claims, and he's not alone--Larry's world is overflowing with guys who aren't gay, but turn their sex into violence like off-screen heroes, the boys from Columbine who killed fellow students in a secret pact because they couldn't have sex. This is a study in dysfunctional American "culture" that worships violence over intimacy. As graphic as the alluded to sex and violence becomes, Cooper maintains a clinical distance that forces you into a submissive voyeuristic position. Share his nihlistic vision, if you dare!...more
For anyone somewhat versed in astrobiology or space exploration, this book might come across as a refresher. For anyone interested in exploring the suFor anyone somewhat versed in astrobiology or space exploration, this book might come across as a refresher. For anyone interested in exploring the subject Frank's clean and easy to digest prose will give a comprehensive introduction. The author explores the statistical possibility of other life (hopefully intelligent) in the universe by defining the parameters of The Drake Equation, and outlines the emergence of astrobiology and exoplanet discovery. While the statistics are on the side of life outside of our galaxy--we can't possibly be alone--the logistics of making that determination, or tapping into alien radio transmission from a minimum of 10,000 years ago, make it difficult to have a dialogue with extraterrestrial life.
What Light of the Stars offers to the conversation is using space exploration, particularly of our neighbors, Venus and Mars, to understand the limitations of our own planet. Discovering the rules of physics and chemistry outside of the earth allow us to understand how those same dynamics work here (without any political interference). Additionally, for our civilization to develop the ability to explore space, we had to leverage the resources of our planet, putting our over-sized thumb on the scales of the delicate planetary balance, sending us into the Anthropocene epoch. Our challenge is to find a way to achieve these ends more sustainably before our civilization burns out... but the planet has seen worse. Recommend this for earth science deniers....more
I am no stranger to books on epidemiology. It is a broad and fascinating subject that lends itself to perspectives ranging from stoic to alarmist. WolI am no stranger to books on epidemiology. It is a broad and fascinating subject that lends itself to perspectives ranging from stoic to alarmist. Wolfe's theme is the possibility for future pandemics based on past history, and he softens the alarmist tone with optimism about the future (especially when technology is introduced for monitoring the spread of disease).
Book summary: wild animals are carriers for viruses that can crossbreed within the species (aka mosaic) that have potential to infect humans via bites, blood or other fluids. Though this potential may not always provide the spark for the next pandemic, like HIV, there is a growing threat as we build roads into previously inaccessible regions, particularly in Africa and Asia where wild animals are hunted. Localized viruses can be spread globally in a matter of hours through air travel. There are no methods to monitor or track emerging diseases, it is often reactive after the genie is out of the bottle, so.... beware (or be aware!). One interesting chapter, which just barely skims the surface, is the ways in which viruses can benefit humanity, or other creatures; a book on this subject would have been interesting. Also, the threat of a pandemic is rising exponentially because of climate change and deforestation; these variables are just touched upon but could be a book on their own.
Scientific texts are typically objective. I had a problem with the author's habit of frequently inserting himself in travelogue-like anecdotes and what felt like scientific name-dropping. He often sets up a premise at the beginning of a chapter, loses focus by the center, and sets up a segue for the next chapter, only to change the direction at the beginning of the next; he could be a better story teller for the mainstream audience he is writing for. Ultimately, the book's alarmist title sets up expectations that do not really play out. For a more comprehensive read, try The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance....more
I have had the fortune of reading Paul G. Bens Jr.’s shorter work and anticipated reading his first novel. Kelland is a multi-person narrative with fiI have had the fortune of reading Paul G. Bens Jr.’s shorter work and anticipated reading his first novel. Kelland is a multi-person narrative with five interlaced storylines which reveal the secrets of his richly drawn characters, secrets that they hide even from themselves. Linking the stories across time and space is an apparition, Kelland, who appears to each person in the guise that they most desire, making them more susceptible to his influence: priest, boyfriend, lover, angel. This entity, like an undisciplined therapist, gets them to hit rock bottom in order to discover their inner-truths and unearth the lies from their past with some violent and rewarding results.
I was most drawn to the complex relationship between estranged brothers Minh and Toan, refugees from Saigon, whose avoidance of the past has led both men astray. Their relationship, along with the other storylines, is revealed in a nonlinear format that allows the reader to discover their pasts along with the characters, giving us several mysteries to solve. I especially enjoyed rocker Toan, an atypical gay character, who struts his mess-up self through various stages of his music career.
The novel has a sci-fi slant, which it has been marketed on, but it is a well-written drama that touches on the lives of five different people, and some very sensitive and relevant topics. A worthwhile read....more
The autobiography of Harriet Ann Jacobs may have changed many of the names (including her own, she wrote under the name Linda Brent) but did not alterThe autobiography of Harriet Ann Jacobs may have changed many of the names (including her own, she wrote under the name Linda Brent) but did not alter the circumstances of her life. Originally published in 1861, the book documents her young life as a slave, the 7 years hiding in her grandmother’s attic, and her eventual escape to the free states. As a slave she was chronically harassed by her owner’s father, referred to as Dr. Flint, who used threats, intimidation, and even jailed her family in his pursuit of Ms. Jacobs. She is able to avoid his grasp despite her extreme disparity in power.
The author notes that as awful as her daily existence was, hers was not the average slave story. She recounts the brutal treatment, whipping, starvation, and deprivation that was common for most people of color, and the disenfranchisement of freemen/women. She shares her firsthand observations about living as "personal property" and thus not being able to own property, of the constant fear, not knowing what might happen to yourself or your family, even after she was established in north. While the hypocrisy of the God-fearing slave owners, who worshiped Jesus, a North African, on Sunday, and tortured other human beings during the week runs through her story, but so too does her devout faith, which gave her strength to survive, along with the love of her children.
Although her autobiography documents a historical period, it is no less relevant today. Jacob’s story should be a reminder that slavery is not a thing of the past, but exists throughout the world. Millions of women, particularly emigrants, are kept in sexual servitude, oppressive poverty, and human trafficking continues to exploit those most vulnerable among us (The UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Person). Jacobs reminds us how slavery injurers all concerned: the exploited, the exploiters, and the children of both. Today hate crimes are on the rise in tandem with political populism, and the "othering” of those who are different continues to be a norm, Jacob’s firsthand account should be held up as an example of the consequences to our society....more
A number of climate change themed books track how we got to this (tipping) point and paint disaster-porn scenarios of our continued inaction. Cities uA number of climate change themed books track how we got to this (tipping) point and paint disaster-porn scenarios of our continued inaction. Cities underwater! Millions of climate refugees! Runaway temperatures! Melting icebergs! They raise multiple red flags and back up their statements with statistics and data trends. They rightfully lay blame on obstructionist government officials (looking at you U.S. Republican party), the oil and gas industry which continues to receive billions in government subsidies despite being the most profitable industry in the history of the world, and decades of over-consumption in developed countries. We have seen a growing number of increasingly alarmist reports that document the interrelated real time impacts of rapid climate change including: melting glaciers, rising sea levels, changes in the water cycle, more intense and frequent storms, more frequent and intense forest fires, warmer average temperatures, increasing death tolls, and the human-caused six extinction event (Anthropocene extinction).
However the story is pitched, these actual consequences have had little impact on changing our behavior. In fact, despite knowing about the impact of increased global greenhouse (GHG) emissions from burning fossil fuels (among other causes) for more than 100 years, we have made only minimal progress in reducing our global carbon footprint. This hard-won progress is quickly being reversed by the Trump administration. If we continue to point figures, or try to get climate science deniers on board before taking any action, we will only waste more time and energy. We cannot count on the government to take the lead, we must take matters into our own hands.
While Climate of Hope forecasts many of the most likely outcomes of rapid climate change, it also outlines some practical approaches to sustainability with thoughtful urban planning. This book is a collaborative effort between an environmentalist, Carl Pope, and a self-avowed capitalist, Michael Bloomberg. They divide each chapter between them with slightly different takes on several climate change topics, using solutions tailored to urban challenges as examples. They outline long-term green and gray infrastructure projects that not only improve quality of life, they can save—even earn—money. As the forward-thinking ex-mayor of the capital of the world, New York City, Bloomberg writes about the challenges in creating and implementing PlaNYC, which began to prepare the flood-prone city for sea level rise. New York is now one of the greenest cities in the world and continues getting greener under a new administration. Pope documents achievements made by Beyond Coal and the Sierra Club to protect the environment and human lives. Both use an economic approach to sustainable development, which not only saves cities money and lives in future environmental disasters, but can also generate new tax revenue in development while improving the quality of life. Leading the charge, mayors from around the world have forgone government obstructionism to address the urban challenges of climate change with innovative solutions that create jobs.
Some projects are costly, such as waterfront development, but have long-term savings in protecting already developed land from rising sea levels. Projects such as parks that double as rain catchment basins, restoration of wetlands, and thoughtful infrastructure in low-lying coastal areas are discussed. Solutions are not one-size-fits-all, nor are they all expensive. Many projects are affordable with substantial impact and offer a quick return on investment (ROI). For instance, green infrastructure, such as planting trees, bioswales, green roofs, and rain barrels can divert runoff from wastewater treatment plants, recharge aquifers, clean the air of particulates, reduce ambient temperature, provide wildlife with green spaces and improve the mental health of human residents, which reduces costs and creates jobs. And as a side benefit, this also reduces GHG emissions.
An underlying theme of the book is about marketing. The green movement has been driven for the last 40-50 years by a passionate sense of urgency, but has not gained much traction with politicians who create policy nor investors who are looking for yield. Short term strategies and long term projects do not play well together. An example used in the book clearly depicts this divide. In arguments to close aging coal-fired power plants, activists use warming temperatures and environmental impact studies, but Beyond Coal takes data that shows how many avoidable deaths would be caused by air pollution and how many millions of dollars rebuilding/replacing the coal plant would cost in comparison to replacing the power plant with natural gas or renewable energy. This dollars and cents approach sidesteps any environmental controversy and boils it down to the bottom line. Saving money, and lives, is an easier story to engage politicians and impacted voters. Beyond Coal has used this strategy to close 271 coal-fired power plants across the U.S. to date.
A proverb used toward the end of the book summarizes their optimism quite succinctly. “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time in today.” We may be behind the curve in addressing climate change, and we may be too late to reverse it, but we can adapt and learn to live with these changes now, and preserve our planet for future generations. ...more
Feast of the Goat blends history and fiction to depict the waning days of the Dominican dictator, Rafael Trujillo, whose 31 year reign was considered Feast of the Goat blends history and fiction to depict the waning days of the Dominican dictator, Rafael Trujillo, whose 31 year reign was considered one of the bloodiest in the Americas. Vargas Llosa gets inside the head of the man, who rationalizes his tyranny as necessary to bring a country of incompetents up to par, who, despite his Haitian immigrant background, wages a bloodthirsty war on other Haitians in the Dominican Republic, does not trust anyone around him, and consistently manipulates his cabinet officials to force his will as they stumble over each other to please him. He is also an older man with issues stemming from his age: an enlarged prostate, weak bladder, and impotence. The novel primarily takes place in two time periods, the day of Trujillo’s assassination, detailing the dictator’s final day on earth, as well as the anxious thoughts and desperate flights of his assassins. Running in parallel is the fictitious story of Urania Cabral, who returns 35 years after the assassination with a more personal and affecting story of sexual abuse at the hands of Trujillo. One sign of a talented author is his ability to weave together moments from different time periods, skillfully shifting in a single conversation between the past and the present without losing the reader; this is especially true in Urania’s chapters.
Scenes in the latter pages of the book of the systemic torture and murder of Trujillo’s assassins and their relatives are not for the weak of heart, and sadly, may not be fully rendered to capture what really occurred. Sadly, aside from the toppling of Trujillo, most of the other players escape Haiti with millions in their bank accounts.
One takeaway is showing how such a despicable person stayed in power for over three decades. The dictator uses a combination of fear, the power of the military, the destruction of government institutions, a puppet presidency, and rewarding those slavishly loyal to him who risk their lives and their families should they disagree. By concentrating power and wealth he is able to continue his regime. These same tactics are being employed in countries around the world; we should read this book as a warning about how history repeats itself....more
Isaac Asimov is one of the grandfathers of technology-driven sci-fi who added “robotics” to our vocabulary. I, Robot is a collection of short stories Isaac Asimov is one of the grandfathers of technology-driven sci-fi who added “robotics” to our vocabulary. I, Robot is a collection of short stories published in 1950. Many of the robots in film, TV and other media can trace their roots to this collection including Star Trek’s Data’s positronic brain, to the unstable HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the self-aware Skynet from the Terminator franchise. Asimov’s stories are littered with unstable machines who have existential crises, act subversively or react hysterically, or feel superior to their fallible creators. The only problem is, in reality, machines may fail due to systemic errors and have replaced jobs previously performed by humans, but they do not have the capacity to react emotionally nor can plot to takeover humanity. The undercurrent of paranoia has fed many techno-phobic story lines. It is easy to read the machines as human slaves; even Dr. Susan Calvin, the robopsychologist who ties the stories loosely together, dismissively refers to a robot as “boy”. On the whole the stories aren’t as strong as one would expect and Asimov, who himself felt intellectually superior to most humans, got so much so wrong. For me “Evidence” was a standout in which the question of humanity verses robotics is raised without a conclusive answer....more
What makes Philip Jose Farmer’s Unreasoning Mask interesting is his visualization of the universe and god as the same thing. The universe is god, an uWhat makes Philip Jose Farmer’s Unreasoning Mask interesting is his visualization of the universe and god as the same thing. The universe is god, an unknowing, uncomprehending super-entity which is comprised of different universes—it’s cells—and we the inhabitants are part of god, yet parasitic. The god-universe is unaware of itself, like a baby, and it is up to us to parent it, teach it to talk, assist it to grow and mature. However, we are only able to know the god-universe, it is also unaware of us as sentient beings. The story runs at a frantic pace as Hûd jumps from world to world escaping not only the Tolt who are trying to regain their egg-shaped god (the glyfa), but also the bolg, a massive planet-killing “antidote” against the humanoid “parasites.” To the novel’s detriment, almost all of these fascinating points are delivered via monologue at points where even the other characters have been restrained and forced to listen; I would have preferred that it was delivered via dialogue. Great conceptual novel, a little unevenly delivered. ...more
An excellent story in its own right, Empire of the Sun is a must read for any Ballard fan. The novel was inspired by the author’s experiences in JapanAn excellent story in its own right, Empire of the Sun is a must read for any Ballard fan. The novel was inspired by the author’s experiences in Japanese-occupied Shanghai during WWII, and it establishes the themes which are explored throughout his considerable body of work, including personal isolation, the impermanence of objects, absurdist situations, the shifting “fiction” of society, and a person’s ability to adapt despite extreme circumstances. It is a testament to what people will do to survive, not mere sustenance in eating weevils for protein, but the necessary tricks one must play on oneself to adapt, even embrace, intolerable situations to keep hope alive. The child narrator, Jim, takes us behind enemy lines into the disorganized and chronically deficient concentration camps to reveal the transparency of “normalcy” and the beauty in the macabre. This isn’t just a story of survival and perseverance, but a blueprint to the author’s psyche and the events he explores in his fiction. I’d recommend reading Empire after becoming more familiar with Ballard’s work....more
When I was a mere lad I was introduced to John Christopher by way of The White Mountains. I instantly related to the young boys who escaped being cappWhen I was a mere lad I was introduced to John Christopher by way of The White Mountains. I instantly related to the young boys who escaped being capped by aliens, which would make them like everyone else. They risked life and limb to cross a dystopian Europe to escape that fate. I reread it as an adult and saw their flight from “normality” in my own escape from rural NJ to New York to live life on my own terms as a gay man, a reading that Christopher probably never foresaw. I was curious to read his prequel to the successful trilogy. I really wanted to like this book, but it read like a forced and unnecessary explanation of the original invasion of the Tripods: part War of the Worlds, part Invasion of the Body Snatchers, part The Day of the Triffids. Although I would handily recommend it to any pre-teen reader, along with the much better trilogy and some of Christopher’s other work, I can’t do the same for an adult. The only benefit is that it exposes the evils of television… and television is very evil in these pages....more
**spoiler alert** One thing I can say about Fay Weldon is that she is a fire bug. After devouring the riotous satire The Life and Loves of a She Devil**spoiler alert** One thing I can say about Fay Weldon is that she is a fire bug. After devouring the riotous satire The Life and Loves of a She Devil, in which a woman frees herself from her unhappy broken marriage by burning down her home, we have another lady who burns down a ghost-filled house to free herself and her friends from the past. “Life Force” weaves together the lives of 4 upper-middle class women, liberal idealists who have drifted into the boredom of middle age. The women are friendly enemies tied together by the promiscuous and enormously endowed Leslie Beck; they have all shared him and been the targets of his passionate lovemaking.
The author of this “memoir,” Nora, is the mild-mannered wife of a milquetoast book editor. She spends her afternoons at a boring secretarial job in a realtor’s office (the market was bad in the 70s too) toiling over a memoir that bares her and her friend’s more adventurous past. Through Nora and an art gallery owner, Marion, Weldon is able to skewer society, the art world, and industrialists, and most especially the unnecessarily complex relationships between men and women. The book is also about creation: artwork, writing, babies, and the fictions we spin in our own lives.
One question remains, is it better to be a woman with a man in her life or to succeed on your own? Weldon supplies a spectrum to choose from. Of Leslie’s 2 prudish wives, the 1st is married for her connections and goes crazy when she discovers his infidelities, and the 2nd, a former mistress, is married out of convenience and dies early, ignorant of his continued infidelities. 2 of the women in the quartet hide Leslie’s children in plain sight from their clueless spouses, and a 3rd has been abandoned by her husband and lives the cloistered life of a "not quite widow". The last, Marion, the only self-made single lady in the group, had to sell her baby to get ahead in the world and might as well be called a spinster since she chose career over marriage. No one wins except the purchased love child, Marion and Leslie’s son, who has money, art and possibly the physical endowment of his father… And, men, apparently size does matter. I thought you might like to know....more
What is enjoyable about this book is the unabashed look at the gay sexual scene of a tiny slice of English aristocracy where every man is available foWhat is enjoyable about this book is the unabashed look at the gay sexual scene of a tiny slice of English aristocracy where every man is available for the asking. However, unlike Hollinghurst's more recent novel, The Line of Beauty, which is a very similar look at class stratification in gay English society, this early novel never quite gels. As an avid reader of gay fiction, erotica, and English literature, I found Swimming-Pool to be as directionless as the characters. The book becomes a banking ledger of random sexual trysts lacking eroticism, passion or detail. The novel documents the sexual exploits of two fairly similar narrators, affluent and aimless William Beckwith and the affluent and quirky Charles Nantwich as chronicled in his decades of journals. There is very little story to propel the novel forward. While I have known gay men who have similar prolific appetites and love to regal their friends with details of their adventures, the ease with which these two men move from encounter to encounter without any chase makes the sex feel routine and boring; there is literally no friction. Another issue I have is that when authors intentionally choose to include diary excerpts of their characters, but then write those passages in the same voice of the author and as if speaking to an audience other than oneself... people making notes to themselves in their journals do not write in lucid and coherent prose. I am thankful to have a wide spectrum of gay literature, and that this novel made such a splash on its release, but will try later works by the author. Recommended to readers who want to indulge in the fantasy of sex between English schoolboys....more
When I was in high school I came across this book in the school library, which, honestly, is probably inappropriate for teens. I devoured it on the fiWhen I was in high school I came across this book in the school library, which, honestly, is probably inappropriate for teens. I devoured it on the first read, but it took years to remember who wrote it… Heinlein is hit or miss, but for me this is one of his best efforts. A rich eccentric elderly man has his brain transplanted into the incredibly beautiful body of his personal assistant (who is accidently killed and they have the same rare AB blood type). As a man inside a woman’s body, he continues to “hear” the woman who was the previous tenant, and she instructs him in the ways of womanhood. He learns how to live and love as a woman, taking up with the manager of his company who he eventually beds, as well as the dead woman’s husband, an artist who did her body paint (it’s a complex relationship!). Being a woman is not as easy as it looks, and this is a very different story from a normally misogynistic Heinlein. This gender-bending novel introduced me to fantasy, science-fiction, bisexuality, free love and yoga, all in one throw. It took me years to refind the book and I enjoyed it as much the second time as the first. It is a controversial Heinlein as his wife was editor while he was extremely ill and may have had more input than one might ordinarily; but honestly it is one of my favorites of his and if she had some impact, it was for the better....more
Manzower traces the origins of the UN Charter signed in 1945 and the ways in which it succeeds, and more often fails, to live up to our expectations fManzower traces the origins of the UN Charter signed in 1945 and the ways in which it succeeds, and more often fails, to live up to our expectations for this international organization. Our hindsight view of the UN’s original mission might be altruistic, even Utopian, but as the motives of the primary players are revealed we get the unsanitized reality behind the UN’s first decades. The charter was a document of its time, drafted as an optimistic response to the devastating aftermath from a second World War. However, it was more or less a continuation of the failed League of Nations, and created to secure the power of the ruling countries and keep imperialism alive and well. The charter’s European focus, led by Anglophile Jan Smuts, who dreamed of whites settling and improving Africa, completely—one might say intentionally— ignored the rights of minorities; it was in their best interest to be led by those who knew better. The chapter dealing with the resettlement of displaced European Jews in the Middle East, thus displacing Arabs and causing tensions that remain today, was the most fascinating section in light of current events. Luckily the UN has changed with the times, and though it may not be a perfect organization, the charter did leave the door open for smaller countries with less powerful voices, who have recently become more visible. ...more
I had the good fortune to meet Mr. Crisp in the mid-90s through performance artist, Penny Arcade, who I worked with when she staged "Bitch!Dyke!FaghagI had the good fortune to meet Mr. Crisp in the mid-90s through performance artist, Penny Arcade, who I worked with when she staged "Bitch!Dyke!Faghag!Whore!" at the Village Gate. Mr. Crisp was—without a doubt—an original person. In New York he was known for his purple fedora, lavender ascot and the elegant way he held himself, his bearing so regal that he was artfully cast as Queen Elizabeth in Sally Porter’s film of Virginia Woolf’s gender-shifting “Orlando”. His startlingly honest observations about societies’ quirks are from an outsider’s point of view and are delivered with Mr. Crisp’s patented charmingly acerbic and self-effacing humor and the driest wit imaginable. At the core of this auto-biography is a man who is a walking contradiction in terms. Mr. Crisp is a social misfit who lives openly, though quietly, as a flamboyant homosexual in pre-sex-lib London. He is peacock-proud of his appearance, literally becoming artwork (his primary profession is as an artist’s model), and his most fascinating subject is himself, yet he also revels in his deficiencies in keeping house and confused about the chaos he creates by his alternative appearance. He pokes gentle fun at his friends and marginalized flatmates, especially the hooligans and diligently unoccupied denizens of SoHo. You will either find him hysterical or sad, but most likely somewhere in between. A picture of Dorian Gray, only funny and with extensively more flair....more
Wayne Courtois delivers an Odyssey of extreme-bondage and tickle-torture sure to elicit gasps and groans in equal measure. My Name is Rand explores neWayne Courtois delivers an Odyssey of extreme-bondage and tickle-torture sure to elicit gasps and groans in equal measure. My Name is Rand explores new sexual territory where men are bound and tickled to the point of madness, submitting completely to their master’s desires. This goes well beyond the typical S&M scenes you’ve become accustomed to; Wayne Courtois takes you on a strange and intensely erotic journey you’ve never yet imagined.
The narrator starts off exploring his unique fetish with a tickle-master met online, but is abducted before he can return home. He is removed to The Compound, a tickle-torture camp where people are literally tickled to death. He is run through a gauntlet of tickling and bondage that leaves him near madness, and then left to face the nemesis of Dred Junior, a psychotic who can mentally tickle you. The narrator stumbles upon a hiding place where other inmates are planning escape, and they take spiritual and sexual solace in one another.
Already becoming a cult classic among foot and tickle fetishists worldwide, My Name Is Rand is a powerful and delirious novel which will introduce you to a whole new world of sex play. Welcome to your new fetish. ...more
I had the good fortune to have seen Millennium Approaches, the first half of this epic theater piece, when it was originally staged on Broadway. ReadiI had the good fortune to have seen Millennium Approaches, the first half of this epic theater piece, when it was originally staged on Broadway. Reading the script reminded me of the power that live theater can have over an audience.
Kushner takes on multiple big subjects, among them religion, sexuality, politics and AIDS. He uses overlapping relationships to raise unanswerable questions. The two primary storylines are driven by very different men living with AIDS at the height of the health crisis. Roy Cohn, inspired by the controversial NY lawyer (and Donald Trump's mentor), is a mean spirited and closeted gay man who has amassed an empire of favors, but suffers in silence alone. In the parallel story, Prior Walter emerges as a prophet (a fantasy which may or may not be related to the high fevers of his illness), who fights for survival and builds relationships with complicated people. By setting these men in opposition, Kushner presents alternative examples of how to live your life while facing death. Although the play touches on several different religions, one theme that drives the piece is karma; you get what you put into the world.
The play uses the stage well, pairing scenes that play off each other, often blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. For me, the first half is more powerful, but the second, Perestroika, is more intellectually meaty....more
"...I realize how open we are to the persistent message that we can avert death." -- Joan Didion from The Year of Magical Thinking
This is my first exp"...I realize how open we are to the persistent message that we can avert death." -- Joan Didion from The Year of Magical Thinking
This is my first exposure to Didion. While I was reading Magical Thinking I watched a very favorable documentary about her, The Center Will Not Hold, in which this book is described as a non-believer's guide to grieving. What I am taking away from this meditation on the sudden death of a loved one, in this case Didion’s spouse and writing partner of nearly 40 years, is that death itself is not the tragedy. You may be numb to reality and surrounded by people who love and help you through the funeral. The lingering tragedy lies in the constant reminders of your loss that occur when you are alone over the months and years that follow, and when people grow impatient with your loss and advise you to move on. These memories may be triggered by completely random things: places stayed, books read, and objects that her spouse owned — these all have the potential to become emotional landmines (she refers to the maelstroms as "vortexes"). Didion journals her “irrational” responses in this memoir, trying to make sense of what cannot be rationalized. For instance, she learns the process of letting go of her husband’s clothes is an acceptance that he will never return; she had refused to part with his shoes for fear he would not have them when he came back.
Looking at death with a journalistic lens may make many feel uncomfortable, especially the repetitive and often mundane details that she must now face alone. Over the course of the memoir she tries to reconstruct the last moments of her husband's life, documenting the time of the 911 call, the amount of time they tried to resuscitate him, the terminology that was used. Didion obsesses over a clear timeline of his last hours, only to expand the narrow focus into the months and years earlier, in which the clues to his “sudden” death were already known; he had been diagnosed with a heart condition, which his doctor referred to as “a widow maker”. It is her emotional distance, however, that allows the reader to take this year long journey with her, without wallowing in self pity.
Running parallel to the loss of her husband is Didion's vigilance at her daughter’s beside as Quintana lies in a coma, partially recuperates, and then outside of the pages of this memoir dies an an early death. Most people do not experience this much tragedy in such a short period of time, however as Didion grapples with her loss, it is not bad luck, nor good luck, but only life. Her life. Her living with loss....more
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