Biography, Autobiography, Memoir discussion
General Rants II
Selina wrote: "Or ONE MAN: A MEMOIR"I love this! ... lol
Selina wrote: "They should call it ROLLERCOASTER: the rise and fall of one man (or one woman)"Undoubtedly that's the next title we can anticipate from Mark Kurlansky LOL
my rant today, people who dont know how to shelve books and just leave them in messy piles and the spines not even showng so you cant even see what the book is.You dont need them in strict alphabetical order people but you dont just leave books in piles! I wonder if these types of people ever fold their clothes or know how to put laundry away, or what the state of their wardrobes looks like. They probably just leave their dishes in the sink too. grr
I'm not a librarian but I loathe people who disrespect libraries and library books. I had a friend in high school who was forever stealing a library book and tearing out the pages to hand them out to people, saying "this book is great, you gotta read it." Not that she'd read it herself, mind you; her idea of reading is pawing through a book the way a dog or cat would, noticing an occasional phrase and looking at the illustrations. If she approved of what little she saw then she would start tearing out the pages. It was the beginning of the end of our friendship.I also have a co-worker right now who admitted to me with obvious shame that she's lost borrowing privileges at several libraries because she always loses the books. I learned this at a training conference we were attending. She brought a signed copy of a library book -- written by Milton Erickson, a legendary, reclusive figure in human psychology whose autographs are rare as hen's teeth -- to the conference. Needless to say, she managed to lose the book in a barren hotel room that had nothing in it but her own belongings. I couldn't believe it. And apparently her house is packed with half-read library books from Oakland, Livingston, Wayne and Genessee Counties.
It gripes my cookies. SHE LOST A LIBRARY BOOK SIGNED BY MILTON ERICKSON.
Fishface wrote: "I'm not a librarian but I loathe people who disrespect libraries and library books. I had a friend in high school who was forever stealing a library book and tearing out the pages to hand them out ..."I am absolutely horrifed Fishface.
Your co-worker needs a trespass order and to be handed over to the Courts to deal with her, if the debt collectors are unable to recover anything.
Most libraries want book access for all but not all people ought to have access.
Selina wrote: "Fishface wrote: "I'm not a librarian but I loathe people who disrespect libraries and library books. I had a friend in high school who was forever stealing a library book and tearing out the pages ..."I've never heard of a trespass order, but the co-worker always buys a replacement copy of the missing book for the library. Now, the girl I knew in high school? Who steals books in order to destroy them? She needs legal consequences. She still lives in the same city where we grew up, where solid law enforcement is rare because they don't bother to collect the property taxes to pay police salaries. She's pretty safe from the law. Which also gripes my cookies.
Fishface wrote: "Selina wrote: "Fishface wrote: "I'm not a librarian but I loathe people who disrespect libraries and library books. I had a friend in high school who was forever stealing a library book and tearing..."Yes we did have trespass orders on people, most were for disruptive behaviour or doing drugs in the toilets. One time someone smashed the library window to steal money from the copier autoloader, but since it was empty they didnt get to steal anything, even if it had money in it would have been a few coins.
I think your High school friend just needs to learn how to read. There are dyslexia friendly books available now. One thing that used to get the librarians mad was when people ripped up the newspapers or cut out the crossword puzzles. Newspapers and magazines I would say ok, as they only last for a day or week/month and we can always photocopy them for people but books no way you do NOT rip them up.
She's not dyslexic. Before she started smoking stupidweed she was a straight-A student in the very competitive prep school where we first met. She was a far better student than I was at the beginning of the year. Then someone reintroduced her to weed and she not only started stealing books from the library and destroying them, she flunked out of school in a single semester and had to attend public school instead, where she still struggled. Her mom was obviously not pleased, especially after trying to lay down some rules for her daughter got her beaten up. Last I heard this girl -- she would now be 53 -- was waiting tables downtown.
Fishface wrote: "She's not dyslexic. Before she started smoking stupidweed she was a straight-A student in the very competitive prep school where we first met. She was a far better student than I was at the beginni..."dear. Oh dear. Drugs make you stupid, that's a fact.
Selina wrote: "Oh dear. Drugs make you stupid, that's a fact."She is living proof.
Happy New Year to everyone and wishing another year of great reading!
Mod
Happy New Year to everyone here in the Bio, Autobio, and Memoir group. Is anyone doing (or did) anything fun for New Year's Eve?
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Me neither.
New Year's Eve is long gone here. It's New Year's Day! Nope, didn't do anything for NYE.
Diane in Australia wrote: "New Year's Eve is long gone here. It's New Year's Day! Nope, didn't do anything for NYE."Yes, people down under live in the future ;)!
Um did I do anything?What are you supposed to do? I did stay up and heard some fireworks. Had a party of two - looking after a friends daughter so we just put on some music and danced around in her living room and drank sparkling grape juice.
I don't think people really do anything other than countdown to midnight its more April Fools Day they do all the pranks. After Christmas everyone is kinda exhausted.
Mod
What are you supposed to do? I did stay up and heard some fireworks. Had a party of two - looking after a friends daughter so we just put on some music and danced around in he..."
In America New Year's Eve is more a holiday than New Year's Day. Lots of people go to the bars and drink and dance. The next day is for recuperating but I think people dont do it as much as they used to. Cheaper to party at home. Most places close early on New Years Eve and are closed New Years Day.
New Years Day is more the holiday here, most people have the day off. We do have New Years honours list, when people are knighted by royalty and made Sirs and Dames. I don't know who made it this year I will check.
Also, people ask each other about New Years resolutions. And change the calendars of course.
Chinese New Year is the bigger deal for my family. Anyone who's unmarried will be given lucky money in red packets by their family. There's also special new year foods, and everyone has to wear new clothes (in lucky colours). Also chuck out anything old before the New Year, clear debts etc.
Selina wrote: "Anyone who's unmarried will be given lucky money in red packets by their family. There's also special new year foods, and everyone has to wear new clothes (in lucky colours). Also chuck out anything old before the New Year, clear debts etc."Now all this sounds like an actual preparation for a new year! Clearing old debts sounds like a powerful symbolic act. Far more powerful than wearily vowing to lose 15 lbs and start visiting the kids again -- knowing it will never happen!
Bit late but.., Happy Chinese New Year! now people are calling it Lunar New Year which I am not used to, of course anyone not Chinese is probably offended in some way.
Its year of the Rat. Sorry I don't do horoscopes.
I know many people read them but...they are better off reading affirmations or devotionals than someone elses predictions of what may happen each day, week, month or year. lol
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now people are calling it Lunar New Year which I am not used to, of course anyone not Chinese is probably offended in some way.
Its year of the Rat. Sorr..."
Happy Chinese New Year to you too Selina.
Selina wrote: "Bit late but.., Happy Chinese New Year! now people are calling it Lunar New Year which I am not used to, of course anyone not Chinese is probably offended in some way.
Its year of the Rat. Sorr..."
I never heard of horoscopes being associated with Chinese astrology, only the Western kind. I am vaguely wondering whether the guy I'm not dating, born in the Year of the Rat, is going to have an especially good year in 2020. I know in Western astrology the "solar return," when the sun reaches the exact point in the sky where it was when you were born, is supposed to be a high point for you. But that's once a year, not once every several years.
Being born in a particular year is supposed to give you certain characteristics but its more used for matchmaking purposes than anything else. I suppose if you were to arrange a marriage like the Chinese used to there has to be some basis to it and certain dates are meant to be auspicious.But these days fewer people really read or consult the I Ching.
If this is general rant page ... anyone care to share their views on the outrage over American Dirt? I don't plan to read it; not my cup of tea. But the author reportedly getting death threats?
um dont know just noticed it in the store yesterday. Possibly its become a political sticking point over immigration. Reading the blurb I wonder if its because the characters leave Mexico to get away from guns and drugs and end up in the US where there are still guns and drugs.
Selina wrote: "Bit late but.., Happy Chinese New Year! now people are calling it Lunar New Year which I am not used to, of course anyone not Chinese is probably offended in some way.
Its year of the Rat. Sorr..."
I'm not Chinese and have never been offended by Chinese New Year! In my opinion all New Years celebrations are arbitrary, anyway. I used to go to see it with friends of my family when I lived in San Francisco and thought it was very interesting. I don't remember going in Vancouver, but might have once or twice.
Karin wrote: "I'm not Chinese and have never been offended by Chinese New Year!"In order to be offended by this you probably need to be a middle-class, European-American college student. It's not absolutely necessary but it sure helps. EVERYTHING offends them, mostly on behalf of or in defense of people they have never met and know almost nothing about.
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I just heard about this on the news. Some people think she was not accurate in her portrayal of the Hispanic immigrant or that she is not Hispanic so she cannot accurately portray the immigrant experience. The author says she spent years studying the subject. I think I would like to read this book.
Is it like the Grapes of Wrath?If you want to read about American Dirt I would recommend The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl.
I haven't read much Hispanic literature since not much of it is published in English but would be interesting to read any stories that are.
Pamela wrote: "If this is general rant page ... anyone care to share their views on the outrage over American Dirt? I don't plan to read it; not my cup of tea. But the author reportedly getting death threats?"It's kind of funny, the way everyone raved about this book until someone trotted out the phrase "cultural appropriation." Terry Gross had a long, worshipful interview with the author on NPR and Oprah added it to her book club, which to me indicates it's moving, relevant, very readable and very accessible. Now everybody's backpedalling like mad. Now I want to read American Dirt just to see what all the fuss is about.
Sounds like a repeat of the fuss over Memoirs of a Geisha (thats wasnt really a memoir, and the author wasnt even Japanese, or even female) all over again. I guess you just will have to make up your own mind about that one. Some books will not ring true all the time to the people who havent had the opportunity to publish their own stories perhaps.
Its a novel so I wouldnt expect it to be totally accurate anyway. If its a good story, most people are forgiving if they get something out of it. Like How Green was my Valley was not actually written by a Welsh coalminer. The author hadnt even set foot there and was born and bred and lived in London. Although I tried to read it I just couldnt get into that one.
I havent sold any copies of American Dirt, people here just arent interested in it. The only American books we sell that are popular would be motivational/business ones by people such as Steven Covey or Napoleon Hill. Basically books on how to get rich quick lol.
Selina wrote: "Is it like the Grapes of Wrath?If you want to read about American Dirt I would recommend The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl.
..."
Selina, the only widely-translated Hispanic literature I even know of, besides a few classics like Don Quixote, are the memoirs of the Andes crash survivors, notably Miracle in the Andes and I Had to Survive: How a Plane Crash in the Andes Inspired My Calling to Save Lives. There must be others somewhere...
Fishface wrote: "Karin wrote: "I'm not Chinese and have never been offended by Chinese New Year!"In order to be offended by this you probably need to be a middle-class, European-American college student. It's not..."
Well, none of my kids are offended by it, and all three of them have been or are European-American college students. BUT I didn't raise them to be offended by every little non-super-PC thing, either. That is one of the advantages to having homeschooled them until their teens--I used that time to teach them HOW to think. Obviously, it is impossible to not teach kids anything about what to think or they'd all get themselves killed long before adulthood, etc.
I'm not saying nothing offends my kids, because everybody gets offended by something, but not this sort of thing!
My son was very upset when one of his favourite teachers was fired from Berklee for offending a student. What he didn't tell me until I asked after reading something she wrote so I could understand what he was trying to write about in an essay (he is dyslexic and his ideas don't always make it on paper clearly), was that she is an African-American woman who is very liberal at one of the liberal colleges in possibly the most liberal state this country (he is actually at BoCo at Berklee) so what on earth could she have said that was so offensive?
Please, I am not saying whether or not we are or are not liberal, merely pointing out that it makes no sense to us what she could have said.
My general rant today is how schools and especially principals have no idea of what it takes to run a library and how we cant do it effectively without a budget. Of course I tell them but they dont listen.
The other rant is how they think children are gonna learn by giving out devices, and then completely ignore the resources at hand...eg the BOOKS.
Selina wrote: "The other rant is how they think children are gonna learn by giving out devices, and then completely ignore the resources at hand...eg the BOOKS."Yes, this is inane!
Karin wrote: "Selina wrote: "The other rant is how they think children are gonna learn by giving out devices, and then completely ignore the resources at hand...eg the BOOKS."Yes, this is inane!"
Hear here!
they also dont seem to understand why librarians withdraw books. grr. if a book hasnt been borrowed in 20 years I reserve my right to withdraw it and maybe someone WILL read it because they find its withdrawn and they dont need to give it back to the library.
Selina wrote: "they also dont seem to understand why librarians withdraw books. grr. if a book hasnt been borrowed in 20 years I reserve my right to withdraw it and maybe someone WILL read it because they find i..."
They do it to make room for new books. I don't like it, either, since there are a few books they have withdrawn that are out print that I'd have loved to have been able to keep, but I do understand why they have to. This is especially true in the children's section because children don't usually check out old books. Even classics need to have newer covers, etc, to appeal to them.
withdrawn books are usually put on a trolley free to take or to sell for a small donation, they arent just chucked away. Only really badly damaged books are chucked.
my rant today is gay authors banging on about being gay when they have no need to, but worse is they want to make out how evryone else is latently gay too, even when theres no evidence that people are?! Im not sure why they wanna keep digging in that hole. Not sure I REALLY want to read the lasicvious thoughts of anybody, whether its gay or straight.
Everyone has some sort of axe to grind on that subject. I've heard ppl get ripped up one side and down the other because they mentioned bisexuality and some ppl have it in their heads that it's impossible to be bisexual. Others get mad at you for not using the precise wording they would use. So ridiculous. Instead of calling him gay or straight or bicurious or pan, can't I just call him Bill?
yep. dont label ppl. If their name is not Gay, then dont call people that. One of my former workmates is Gay, because its short for Gaylene and thats her name.
Selina wrote: "withdrawn books are usually put on a trolley free to take or to sell for a small donation, they arent just chucked away. Only really badly damaged books are chucked."Here they sometimes give withdrawn books to the Friends of the Library to sell, but often they are shipped somewhere else.
Karin wrote: "Selina wrote: "withdrawn books are usually put on a trolley free to take or to sell for a small donation, they arent just chucked away. Only really badly damaged books are chucked."Here they some..."
Our old books are picked up to re-use or recycle but we also have a area for patron book donations for our friends of the library book sale. They don't sell library books there-I think since the patrons already pay taxes on those books that we can only give them away or donate them.
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Interesting concept that they cant sell their own books. Now that you mention it, I dont think I see library discards on the for sale shelf at our library either. Personally, I dont think anyone would mind paying 50 cents or a dollar for a library discard to help support the library. Our library doesnt have a book sale anymore. They decided the amount of library staff hours spent on the sale wasnt worth it.
If they are withdrawing/weeding regularly and there is just a trolley of books in the foyer that's always there for sale - 20 cents or 5 for a dollar or something, it's not actually a huge thing to look after it. Depends on the workflow of the library and how it's run. Another thing libraries might do if they have a huge amount to withdraw is send them to schools in developing countries...I sent a huge lot of picture books to Samoa. A teacher had already arranged a container of school resources to be sent off so I took advantage of that.
Biography, Autobiography, Memoir
Books mentioned in this topic
Jacinda Ardern: A New Kind of Leader (other topics)Jacinda Ardern: The Story Behind an Extraordinary Leader (other topics)
Jacinda Ardern (I Know This To Be True): On kindness, empathy & strength (other topics)
Taking the Lead: How Jacinda Ardern Wowed the World (other topics)
Don Quixote (other topics)
More...
So they can put on it NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE.
Never a minor one and never a film or movie. A motion picture! Who calls..."
Just call it a memory book.