Author: JWF

Tidy Tidbits: Just Books

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BOOKS AND MORE BOOKS.  You’ll find fun with a favorite children’s book here along with Edna O’Brien’s sobering novel followed by a fast-paced thriller.

THAT CAT

I had the unexpected pleasure of reading The Cat in the Hat to a kindergarten class the other day—with some non-verbal assistance!   It was Dr. Seuss Day and the Chief Penguin and I were at the Community Day School in Sarasota.  This faith-based school is an inclusive place open to kids of all nationalities, flavors, and religions with a focus on preparing them to be global citizens and to have a positive impact on the world.    

Dr. Seuss Day celebrates the noted author’s birthday (March 2) and is a time when many schools invite volunteers in to read one of his books.  In the Sarasota-Manatee area, the event is also sponsored by the organization, Embracing Our Differences.

EVIL AND INNOCENCE

The Little Red Chairs by Edna O’Brien.  O’Brien is a noted Irish writer of stories, novels, and a memoir, and this is her latest novel.  Her first novel, which I have not read, but know of, The Country Girls, was published in 1961.  She was so severely castigated for its frank sexual content (mild by today’s standards) that she left Ireland for London and has been estranged from her home ever since.

The Little Red Chairs is a strange book but, despite my initial doubts, I ended up finding it worthwhile.  The early chapters present a bunch of characters in a small town in western Ireland and are somewhat confusing.  Eventually, things sort themselves out after Fidelma, a married woman who desperately wants a child, becomes the focal point.  She is attracted to the charismatic stranger and healer, Dr. Vlad, and ultimately seduces him.

But, Dr. Vlad is not who he pretends to be and is arrested for war crimes associated with the Bosnian War.  Horrific revenge is visited upon Fidelma for her actions and she must leave and forge a new life for herself in London.  Echoing throughout the early part are memories of and references to the massive slaughter in Sarajevo in 2002.  This is a dark novel of hate and evil based on the real war criminal, Radovan Karadzic (tried and convicted at The Hague), ending with a glimmer of hope for Fidelma’s salvation.

I read this novel for my book group here.  Everyone found it challenging, and responses to it were mixed to negative.  Some found there to be too much descriptive writing and others did not find themselves engaged with or caring about the characters, especially Fidelma.  Many of the book reviews I read consider it O’Brien’s masterpiece.  Particularly helpful for context is an interview with the 85 year old O’Brien which appeared in Smithsonian Magazine.  Had I read it before tackling the novel, I would have appreciated sooner what she was attempting.

CHANGE OF PACE THRILLER

Before the Fall by Noah Hawley.  I had put off reading this thriller since it deals with a plane crash, but once I started it, I raced through it.  It was gripping.  A private plane leaving Martha’s Vineyard crashes a a short time later, and of the eleven people on board, only two survive, a man and a small boy.  Why did the plane crash and what are the back stories of the passengers and crew?  Hawley’s novel is a fast-paced account of the TSA investigation, the role of the press, the lives of the victims before the crash, and the effect of the crash on the two survivors.  If you’re looking for a quick escape into another realm, this could be it!

FOOTNOTE

Following up on my mention of  Colson’s novel, The Underground Railroad, most of the NY Times’ Travel section this past Sunday (February 26) was devoted to museums and historic sites related to the Underground Railroad.  Many of them in Maryland.

Images:  Red chairs from the Web (litstack.com); photos courtesy of L. Hershorin.

Down Memory Lane: Betsy’s Travels

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BON VOYAGE!

Before the age of 50, my mother, Betsy, had made one trip to Europe (25th wedding anniversary to England and Portugal) and several to Ontario, Canada, but that was it for foreign travel.  In college, she studied Spanish and Portuguese and aspired to be an archaeologist in South America.  That was before her good friend Marie introduced Betsy to her brother Erich.  She married Erich, my father, and most travel, except visiting relatives in the Midwest, was shelved while they together raised four kids.

Widowed at 49, Betsy spent the next twenty-five years making up for lost time.  She and my Aunt Lee, also a recent widow, traveled to Puerto Rico together—the first of Betsy’s many jaunts.  In the early years, she routinely booked trips with the Smithsonian and bravely signed up to share a room (she was not a wealthy woman).  These well-curated trips took her to much of South and Central America—Brazil, Peru, Santo Domingo, Haiti, and Guatemala—and then to Spain, the Netherlands and Egypt, enabling her to experience Machu Picchu, Dutch tulips, and the Pyramids.  And to satisfy her curiosity about other cultures while feeding her keen interest in architecture.  Later on, her trips were more domestic as she explored Seattle and Vancouver, New Orleans and Cajun Country, Baltimore and the Walters Art Museum, Santa Fe and the Southwest, and the art museums of the greater LA area.  Wherever she traveled, she took photos.  These were the days of film cameras and slides and more slides. 

The last remnant of my mother’s memorabilia of more than 90 years of life is carousels and cartons of slides.  I’ve been reviewing these slides, carousel by carousel, box after box.  Those of weddings, graduations, and family reunions call up happy memories of my childhood and young adult years and good times with siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles. Recently, I sent a big box of these slides off to a scanning service in California and, some weeks from now, my siblings and I will each receive a DVD of this precious snapshot of the past.

Going through the travel slides, most of which have no personal significance for me, I have been reminded of the extent of Betsy’s journeys and how much pleasure she gained from these trips.  She read some of the suggested books beforehand, she kept notes, and she took pictures.  Frequently, she used these slides as material for the talks she gave to Roundabout, a women’s study club she belonged to for more than 50 years.  

I share some of my mother’s thirst for new horizons and new experiences.  I was fortunate to begin my international travel in my 20’s with a 3-week trip to England, Germany, France, and Switzerland with my then newish husband.  Thanks to the Chief Penguin’s scientific career, we two, and then three with our son, got to Europe and Asia a number of times for his commitments and once to Jerusalem for a library conference for me.

In retirement we have continued to travel to new venues (Vietnam and Valencia, for example) and old favorites (London, in particular).  About every six weeks, I get itchy feet; it’s time to go someplace!  It can be a weekend away, four weeks in NYC, a long trip, whatever, just a change of scene to mix things up.  I understand my mother’s pent-up need to see the world.

 

Notes:  Header photo of Machu Picchu and Kodak Carousel both from the web; flag globe from dreamtime.com

Sarasota Scene: Music & More

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MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC!

Recently, we’ve gorged on music—-several instrumental treats plus the Sarasota Opera’s lovely production of Madama Butterfly.  Last Music Monday, Sarasota Orchestra principal oboe, Christine Soojin Kim, was the guest along with the world renowned Bertram Lucarelli.  Although Mr. Lucarelli no longer performs (he’s 80 and reported that after the age of 70, the breathing just doesn’t work the same), it’s clear he is still passionate about this instrument.  We, the audience, were party to a coaching session with Ms. Kim.  She played a beautiful Mozart piece for piano and oboe, and he offered suggestions and comments as she played and then re-played certain sections.  It was a learning experience for us (and it seemed so for her).  She was a good sport to have a master class before 800 people!

This past week, we were introduced to a young French cellist, Edgar Moreau, and the pianist, Jessica Xylina Osborne who often plays with him.  They were a delightful pair and we learned about how she views playing with a wide variety of soloists and whether he approaches orchestral work differently than solo events.  Note that she calls herself a pianist, not an accompanist, as they are partners in the musical enterprise.  They shared works by Bach and others.

Finally, we got to hear again Sarasota’s own Betsy Traba, principal flutist in the Sarasota Orchestra, along with pianist Joe Holt and soprano Jenny Kim-Godfrey. They performed works by Poulenc, Saint-Saens, Mouquet and Mozart.  This was a Lunch Look, Listen recital at Michael’s on East and part of the Festival of French Music being offered this month and next.  All of these young (and established) musicians are worth watching!

DINING FIND–SARASOTA

Although we might not be the hip demographic Coolinary is looking to entice upstairs on Main Street, the Chief Penguin and I very much enjoyed our first meal here.  We were early birds at 5:15 for dinner before the opera and were soon joined by some other couples with the same intent.  It’s a surprisingly large space with a long bar and a mix of normal tables and those trendy high ones (my feet always dangle miles above the floor).

Between us we sampled the Caesar salad (the addition of some apple was unusual, but good); cauliflower fritters (three large battered slices) with a blue cheesy dipping sauce; house smoked salmon; sizzling shrimp on a skillet (love the concept, but they were under seasoned which the chef could easily remedy); and the baby back ribs from the bar food section of the menu.  All the portions were decent to large size and the ribs were especially good.  

Entree choices include grouper, salmon, red snapper, beef, lamb and chicken, and at least one vegetarian dish.  Posters on the wall highlight a number of late night events with live music.  Service was attentive and efficient and we plan to return.

BOOK OF THE WEEK

I’ve had Colson Whitehead’s new novel, The Underground Railroad, on my stack for several months and just finished it.  I found it a powerful evocation of slavery and one woman’s journey toward freedom.  The cruelty, violence, brutality and denigration of slavery are all here along with the courage and risk-taking of those people who are conductors on the railroad.  When Cora makes her escape from the Randall plantation in Georgia she has limited knowledge of the fortitude and resilience that will be required of her.  

Whitehead’s choice to make the stations on the railroad real tunnels and stations is inspired, while his creation of varying sets of rules and expectations for the different states, particularly horrifying in North Carolina and on the surface more civilized in South Carolina, grounds the novel in an unexpected way.  Cora’s travels through these and other states, plus her encounters with slave catcher Ridgeway, graphically highlight how many ways there are to stifle, humiliate and even kill a person.  This book was named to 11 best books-of-the-year lists and won the National Book Award for Fiction—lots of attention and definitely deserved! I recommend it without reservation.

 

Note:  Photo of Ms. Kim from the orchestra’s web site; restaurant photo from Trip Advisor; Mr. Whitehead’s photo from literary-arts.org

Tidy Tidbits: Matters of the Heart (Mostly)

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With Valentine’s Day almost here, it seems appropriate to focus on love and romance and lighter fare.  Here are some notes on TV viewing, recent reading and a restaurant (new to us) that would fill the bill for a delicious meal.

ON THE SMALL SCREEN:  Love and Lust

Everyone learns early on that Henry VIII had six wives and that they all came to unpleasant or untimely ends.  Historian Lucy Worsley, both author and TV presenter, is our guide and expert host for a look at his queens, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr, from the women’s perspective.  Animated and knowledgeable, Worsley is ever present in this dramatization.  Her showing up as a lady-in-waiting with a wink to the at-home audience is a dramatic device I found more annoying than enlightening.  Nonetheless, this is an almost saucy take on the king’s roving eye and his desperate drive for a male heir.  Entitled, The Six Wives of Henry VIII, this three part series is on PBS.

ON THE PAGE:  Hearts & Flowers

Sometimes one craves chocolate or a bonbon.  And sometimes I need a break from more literary fiction to read a novel that is engaging, has a complement of romance, and requires no mental strain.  Novels like this present problems—tangled family relationships, secrets that are hurtful, failed marriages—but in the end, things slot into place for a happy ending.  Not a messy or twisted resolution like real life, but satisfying in a way that lets you, the reader, forget politics or the petty annoyances of your own life.

Susan Wiggs writes this kind of women’s fiction and her ongoing series, Lakeshore Chronicles, set in the Catskills, follows the trials and tribulations and loves of the various members of the extended Bellamy Family.  The most recent novel, Starlight on Willow Lake, deals with a widowed caregiver who, struggling to make a life for her two daughters, takes on the care of a prickly demanding quadriplegic whose son has been both physically and emotionally distant.  It’s a good read.  

ON THE PLATE:  Tampa Table

We went up to Tampa the other night for an alumni event at a local restaurant and were pleased to be introduced to Grille One Sixteen.  An attractive open space done in dark wood with white chair seats and a very long, white bar, this dining room delivered on the food.  The Chief Penguin sampled the shrimp and grits and I enjoyed the glazed salmon served on a bed of succotash.  The Caesar salad to start was a generous portion and nicely, but not overwhelmingly, garlicky.  Pre-dinner nibbles at the table included dumpling bites and long strips of Nueske bacon (my favorite!) in a tall glass.  Dessert was little glazed doughnuts, a house specialty.  The full menu also includes a range of steaks, baby back ribs, meatloaf, and burgers.  Based on this meal, I’d happily return!

Header photo:  Painting by Carmen Herrera photographed at the Whitney Museum.  Hearts are free clip art from the web.