Fenwick vs. Felicity
Students earn scholarships
Minster vs. Southeastern
Book Nook provides readers with insights into the world of books. Vick Mickunas takes you into the center of the publishing world with the latest book buzz, book reviews, and exclusive chats with authors..Home > Blogs > Book Nook > Archives > 2009 > May
May 2009
They sprayed us with fire hoses…
Just back from New York City and the Book Expo America Conference. I caught a direct flight to Dayton. As we made the taxi into the gate in Dayton the airport fire trucks were parked on each side of the runway. As we passed between them they turned on their hoses and soaked the plane. That was fun.
Our captain was flying his last flight before retirement. The soaking by fire hose is a traditional honor for such a moment….more later….
Vick
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: confessions of a galley slave
Book Expo America…
Book Expo America is underway in New York City at this very moment. This year’s event was supposed to take place in Las Vegas. It was moved back to New York City after the revenue stream in our incredible shrinking publishing industry became yet another victim of the worldwide recession.
I’m curious to see what is happening at this year’s BEA. I’m headed there this morning and I’ll be filing a full report on my experiences…
Stay tuned…
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: confessions of a galley slave
Obama doesn’t want this getting out…
According to an article today in The Daily Telegraph the photos of American soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners are even worse than we might have imagined. Initially, President Obama was going to allow these pictures to be published. Not any more. Here’s why:
“PHOTOGRAPHS of Iraqi prisoner abuse which US President Barack Obama does not want released include images of apparent rape and sexual abuse, Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper reported.
The images were among photographs included in a 2004 report into prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib prison conducted by US Major General Antonio Taguba.
Gen Taguba included allegations of rape and sexual abuse in his report, and yesterday he confirmed to the Daily Telegraph that images supporting those allegations were also in the file.
“These pictures show torture, abuse, rape and every indecency,” Gen Taguba, who retired in January 2007, told the paper.
He said he supported Mr Obama’s decision not to release them, even though Mr Obama had previously pledged to disclose all images relating to abuses at Abu Ghraib and other US-run prisons in Iraq.
“I am not sure what purpose their release would serve other than a legal one,” Gen Taguba said.
“The mere depiction of these pictures is horrendous enough, take my word for it.”
The newspaper said at least one picture showed an American soldier apparently raping a female prisoner while another is said to show a male translator raping a male detainee.
Others are said to depict sexual assaults with objects including a truncheon, wire and a phosphorescent tube.
The photographs relate to 400 alleged cases of abuse carried out at Abu Ghraib and six other prisons between 2001 and 2005.”
Permalink | Comments (31) | Post your comment | Categories: midnight confessions
I thought I had heard everything…
Over the last 15 years I have interviewed a lot of authors. Stuff happens. Some authors are in foul moods. Signals get crossed. Appointments are missed.
I do a lot of phone interviews these days. Some are for the Dayton Daily News. Others are taped for radio broadcast. I have done several recently and some things happened that were rather unusual.
Last week I interviewed a well known novelist. I interviewed him a few years ago. He wasn’t very friendly. I decided to risk another one.
I called him at his hotel. He was on book tour in Iowa. The desk clerk said that he was on his telephone and I got bumped into voicemail. I left a message. I called back. Still busy. I called his cell phone and it went into voicemail.
These things happen. Authors forget the time. Interviews can run long. I assumed he was being interviewed. But after 20 minutes and my 8th attempt I asked the desk clerk to send someone up to his room and ask him to get off the phone.
The next time I called he answered. He was not pleased. He was angry. He was rude. I did the interview anyway. I got lots of terse answers. He was really acting like a complete jerk. Oh well.
When I got back to my office I had a number of voicemails from this author. Apparently his line was busy because he kept calling my office demanding to know why I wasn’t calling him. His final message was laced with profanity that cannot be repeated in a family book blog.
A jerk.
Then today I did a couple of interviews with some authors whom I respect very much. The first author was on book tour in Seattle. We had a lovely chat.
The second interview was with an author out in the Boston area. I wasn’t taping it for the radio so the sound quality wasn’t that crucial. I could barely make out what he was saying to me. He explained that he was on his cell phone headset while driving his truck. Thus, the poor sound. He told me that he has three kids at home so when he wants some peace and quiet for an interview he heads out in his truck. That is his sanctuary. We had a wonderful conversation.
And so it goes. 99% of the authors I interview are friendly. Then there are the jerks. While the sound quality can be excellent or mediocre the quality of the conversation is almost always superb. I love talking to writers about their craft.
Even the jerks. They always come through loud and clear.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: confessions of a galley slave
Another Obama milestone…
President Barack Obama has announced his choice to fill the seat on the US Supreme Court that is being opened by the retirement of Justice David Souter.
President Obama has selected Judge Sonia Sotomayor. According to The New York Times Judge Sotomayor had this comment to make on her selection:
“I stand on the shoulders of countless people,” she said. But towering above all, she said, is her mother, Celina, who raised her alone after her father died. “I am all I am because of her,” Judge Sotomayor said, “and I am only half the woman she is.”
What an inspired choice. Critics will assail her as a LIBERAL. But how can opponents mount much of an opposition? She is a Hispanic woman for crying out loud.
A brilliant choice. Simply brilliant. If she passes muster and gets seated on the Supreme Court history will be made. The tilt to the right that has swayed the Court in recent years will shift ever so slightly back to the center. At least we can hope so.
Some of us…
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (21) | Post your comment | Categories: politicked
Susan Boyle
Susan Boyle. She remains a sensation. I entered her name into a search on Amazon.com and I came up with 29 hits. Music. T-shirts. None by her. Just folks trying to cash in on her sudden fame.
Have you seen the latest song? Memories from Cats?
If not, click HERE.
I wonder if she needs a ghost writer for her memoirs??
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: booms and busts
The Ultimate Woodstock book…
Check this out. I just saw this press release and I thought that I would love to review this book. Then I saw the price. Oh well, they won’t be sending out any review copies. But what an amazing book!
London, England…May 21, 2009 - In honor of the upcoming 40th anniversary of the Woodstock Festival of 1969, Genesis Publications, in partnership with Woodstock Executive Producer Michael Lang, announces the publication of a limited edition multi-media package that will be the ultimate record of the historical experience, aptly titled The Woodstock Experience. Widely regarded as one of the greatest moments in popular music history, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair was a defining event of the 20th Century, signifying change and freedom of expression.
The Woodstock Music & Art Fair is recognized as one of the seminal events in popular music history and was listed on Rolling Stone’s “50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock & Roll.” Up until a torrentially rainy weekend in mid-August 1969, the town of White Lake, New York was a little-known agricultural town in the Catskill Mountains. Then, on August 15th, 16th and 17th, a cultural explosion took place that remains alive in memories and imaginations nearly 40 years later and that is what Genesis Publications’ new book seeks to capture. As David Crosby says, “People who weren’t there love to think of it as bigger than life and yes it was an amazing scene.”
“It’s very rare that you’re in a historic moment and you know that you’re in it,” says Arlo Guthrie in an essay in the book. “It’s even more rare that you’re in a historic moment that you know is historic and you’re having fun. Woodstock was one of those historic moments. Actually it was outside the box of history.”
The hand-crafted box set not only recounts the incredible story behind Woodstock from original interviews with the musicians who played and the people who organized and attended, but also explores Woodstock from cultural, social, political and environmental standpoints. This beautiful package presents two cloth-bound volumes with additional loose leaf essays and prints, a collection of never before published lyrics, drawings, poems, monographs, diary entries, essays and works of art, which provide insight to Woodstock as experienced by the prominent artists, thinkers, politicians, writers, designers and photographers who lived it. Original content contributors include Arlo Guthrie, David Crosby, Country Joe McDonald, Ravi Shankar, Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady, Graham Nash and John Sebastian among many others.
In addition to unique guest contributions, the multi-media package is filled with original photographs and memorabilia from Michael Lang’s personal archive - including an original, unused Woodstock ticket in each box set. In a time capsule-style, the 1,000 hand bound box sets will contain a Woodstock experience that will provide a lasting tribute to one of the 20th Century’s legendary cultural events.
As part of a special offer, the book is now available to pre-order at a discounted price directly from Genesis Publications by telephone at +44 1483 540 970. Beginning June 1st, the book will launch on the Genesis online store at www.genesis-publications.com £350.00 (approx. $533.00 USD) and will be available until the anniversary of Woodstock on August 15th. The book will then be available for £395.00 (approx. $602.00 USD) on the website, at the GRAMMY Museum Gift Shop and participating retailers.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: confessions of a galley slave
Remembering Leonard Shlain…
You might have never heard of Leonard Shlain. I interviewed him a number of years ago for his book “The Alphabet Versus the Goddess” and I was intrigued. Many listeners who heard that interview on WYSO were amazed. I still hear it mentioned. Here’s his obituary from the San Francisco Chronicle:
“Dr. Leonard Shlain, a Renaissance man whose final book is about the original Renaissance man, died Monday at his home in Mill Valley. He was 71.
Family members said the cause was brain cancer.
Surgeon, inventor, author, artist, student and teacher, Dr. Shlain defied easy categorization. He discouraged confined thinking, and studied, wrote and lectured about topics ranging from anthropology to linguistics to religion.
Along the way, he pioneered surgical techniques, designed houses and surgical tools and wrote books that won him fans as varied as former Vice President Al Gore and Icelandic singer Björk.
“I’m a synthesizer,” Dr. Shlain said in a 2008 interview with UC Berkeley’s Conversations With History project. “We need to synthesize more the relationships between artists and scientists, and men and women.”
Born in Detroit, Dr. Shlain graduated high school at 16 and medical school at 23. After two years as a captain in the U.S. Army in France, he hopped a military flight to San Francisco.
“I … had my mind blown by all the opportunities that were in California in the ’60s and ’70s,” he said. “In Detroit everything was Freud. … Out here everything was Jung.”
Dr. Shlain quickly added Eastern philosophies to his interests as he established his medical career, completing his residency at California Pacific Medical Center, before establishing a general surgery practice in 1969.
At 37, Dr. Shlain survived non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and was asked to speak in Berkeley about his dual perspectives as patient and physician. His speech led to invitations to write about his experience, but Dr. Shlain was uncertain.
“I don’t want to be a victim all the time,” he said. “I had this other idea for writing a book about art and physics. I was told, ‘Well, you know, you’re not an art historian and you’re not a physicist.’ “
But Dr. Shlain maintained his wide intellectual interests as he stretched medically, becoming a pioneer in laparoscopic surgery, a technique for which he invented several tools and trained doctors around the world.
Dr. Shlain became head of laparoscopic surgery at California Pacific Medical Center and an associate clinical professor of medicine at UCSF.
Dr. Shlain married Carole Lewis in 1964; they divorced in 1980. He married his second wife, Judge Ina Gyemant, in 1997.
“Surgeons are not technicians, they’re not mechanics. They’re artists,” he said. “I see patterns where not many other people see patterns. … I think that’s what made me a good surgeon, and now, that’s what’s making me a good writer.”
Dr. Shlain’s books reflected that perspective: “Art & Physics,” published in 1993, posited that artists such as Pablo Picasso foreshadowed in their work the ideas of modern physicists such as Albert Einstein; 1999’s “The Alphabet Versus the Goddess” suggested a link between the rise of writing and the decline in the status of women, with a corresponding link between the modern rise in women’s status and visual media; and 2004’s “Sex, Time and Power,” an exploration of links between human biology and reproduction and the development of human concepts of time, language and culture.
The books were sometimes criticized by reviewers who questioned his background and conclusions. Dr. Shlain seemed to care little, noting with a smile during his 2008 interview that the books were all best-sellers. Fans seemed to care more about his insights than his resume.
“It doesn’t have to be right,” Björk told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2007 about her reading of “The Alphabet Versus the Goddess.” “It’s just an interesting speculation.”
Gore called Dr. Shlain a “personal inspiration” in an e-mail to The Chronicle.
“His ability to synthesize not only information but also genuine wisdom across multiple and disparate disciplines was extraordinary,” Gore wrote. “His death is a loss to us all.”
Dr. Shlain recently completed his fourth book, “Leonardo’s Brain,” an exploration of Leonardo da Vinci that he said would unite the themes in his earlier books. The book will be published next spring, according to his family.
Dr. Shlain is survived by his wife; siblings Marvin Shlain of Michigan and Sylvia Goldstick of Florida; children Kimberly Brooks of Los Angeles, Tiffany Shlain of Mill Valley and Dr. Jordan Shlain of Ross; stepchildren Anne Gyemant Paris of Brussels and Roberto Gyemant Jr. of Mill Valley; and nine grandchildren - with one more on the way. He is predeceased by his sister, Shirley Wollock.
Dr. Shlain’s life will be celebrated at 1 p.m. Friday at Sherith Israel Synagogue, 2266 California St., San Francisco. Memorial contributions may be made addressed to Ed Patuto, Leonard Shlain Scholarship Fund, Saybrook Graduate and Research Center, 747 Front St., San Francisco, CA 94111. For more information, call (415) 394-5675.
E-mail Matthew B. Stannard at mstannard@sfchronicle.com.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: we remember
Palin’s “Party Money” and other fashion tips…
Women’s Wear Daily reports that:
PALIN AND WAL-MART CLEARED: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the GOP vice presidential candidate who caused a stir last year when she spent $150,000 on a high-end fashion shopping spree during the election, has been exonerated by the Federal Election Commission. The FEC dismissed the case against Palin, a decision made April 30 but made public Tuesday by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, the watchdog group that originally filed the complaint. The group alleged Palin, the Republican National Committee and several operatives violated campaign finance laws by “improperly” using funds to glam up the candidate’s wardrobe at Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys New York and Macy’s for her debut on the national stage. The FEC agreed with Palin and the RNC that RNC money was used to purchase clothing and accessories and not Palin’s own campaign funds.”
and…..The FEC also closed a case filed against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. by labor groups alleging the retailer violated election laws by warning employees to vote against then-Sen. Barack Obama for president because he supported legislation that would make it easier for employees to unionize. (Women’s Wear Daily-May 20, 2009)
That FEC makes some pretty tough rulings. The Palin ruling was a no-brainer, right? Party money is party money, right? All those pretty clothes were just her way of saying Let’s Party!. I can’t wait to read Palin’s take on Apparelgate when she publishes her memoir next year…
And the Wal-Mart ruling almost seems quaint now. Apparently Wal-Mart’s opposition to “then-Sen. Barack Obama” didn’t mean much. They may be the world’s largest retailer but that and a quarter won’t even buy you a cuppa coffee these days.
And from the emailbox: Every day I get lots of e-mail from PR firms. Usually they are flacking some book or other but on occasion I get press releases pushing very non-bookish gear. For instance, I just got an e-mail with this subject line:
For More Voluptuous Lips
That stopped me. I opened it and they were pushing this product line:
DESIGNED TO MAKE EVERY WOMAN FEEL LIKE A MOVIE STAR
Three Piece Set Includes Lipstick, Lip Pencil and Custom-Designed Brush
Wowzers! They sold me. I’ll be watching closely for these women who look like movie stars. Maybe I’ll spot them at Wal-Mart?…..
I wonder what brand of lipstick Sarah uses? Maybe she’ll share that info in her memoir? I can’t wait….
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (28) | Post your comment | Categories: confessions of a galley slave
Suze Orman sued for fraud…
Suze Orman, the financial wizard and author of numerous books on financial planning has been sued for fraud. According to an article in Forbes Magazine:
“The lawsuit was brought by the two adult children of Ann Garat. She bought long-term care insurance issued by a unit of CNA Financial, also a defendant, from an insurance agent working for the tiny Suze Orman Financial Group of Emeryville, Calif. The annual premium was $1,800. Court records suggest that Garat and Orman, then and now a licensed California insurance salesperson with an office in that Oakland suburb, shared a common devotion to an Indian guru.
Long-term care policies kick in if the insured needs help with daily activities like bathing or eating, or has cognitive impairment. The 30-page promotional brochure for Garat’s policy said paid caregivers “cannot be a member of your immediate family living with you.” The complaint says Garat was fine with that, since her children—including her daughter, a registered nurse—lived elsewhere, but nearby.
When Garat was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2001 and was weakened by chemotherapy treatment, the suit says, her kids took care of her. Garat later submitted reimbursement claims. CNA refused to pay in full, citing, among other things, fine print in the policy that it said barred payments to family members no matter where they lived. Garat died in 2007 at age 67.
The complaint, which seeks unspecified damages from CNA, Orman, her firm and others, quotes repeated advice in Orman books to buy long-term care coverage. (She has had endorsement deals with several carriers.) It also cites Orman’s declaration that a person’s financial adviser has the obligation “to make sure you understand all the ramifications of the policy.” The court file contains a 1999 disclosure statement from Orman herself saying she was an “investment adviser” to Garat with a “conflict of interest,” presumably due to a commission she received for the policy sale.”
Years ago, before Orman became such a huge success I was offered an interview with her. I turned it down. Financial planners were a dime a dozen. How could I have known that she would become famous?
Oh well….
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: booms and busts
Amy Tan coming to Columbus…
This press release appeared on Facebook of all places:
The Ohio State University’s Office of Minority Affairs presents a reading and lecture with Amy Tan
Presented by Greater Columbus Arts Council
5/22/2009
The Ohio State University is proud to present an evening with award-winning author Amy Tan as part of The President and Provost’s 2008-09 Diversity Lecture & Cultural Arts Series and The Big Read Columbus at 7 p.m. at Mershon Auditorium.
Tan will read from her classic novel The Joy Luck Club and will discuss her work. In addition to The Joy Luck Club, Tan’s novels include The Kitchen God’s Wife, The Hundred Secret Senses, The Bonesetter’s Daughter, and Saving Fish from Drowning. She served as co-producer and co-screenwriter for the film adaptation of The Joy Luck Club. Born in America to immigrant parents from China, Tan’s current work includes writing a new novel.
This event is free and open to the public. Tickets can be picked up at the Mershon box office in advance or the day of the event.
PRICE
$FREE
ORDER & BOX OFFICE INFORMATION
Box Office: (614) 292-3535
VENUE
Mershon Auditorium
1871 N. High Street
Columbus, OH 43210
http://www.wexarts.org
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: that's what they say
“The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society”
“The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (Dial Press, 290 pages, $14).
Thousands of books are published every year. Out of all these books it is very rare to find even one book that could be called a phenomenon. “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” is such a book.
In 1980 Mary Ann Shaffer paid a visit to a small island off the coast of France. Guernsey is one of the Channel Islands, a part of England that was occupied by the German Army during World War II.
Shaffer, a lifelong lover of books, saw a story in it. It took her a long time to decide to write it. The members of her writing group encouraged her. Twenty years later she began writing what would eventually become this book.
It was published in July of last year. Shaffer’s one and only novel has dominated the best-seller lists, selling over half a million copies in just 10 months. But Shaffer didn’t live to enjoy it.
She became too ill to finish what she began so she passed on the project to her niece, Annie Barrows. Shaffer died five months before the book came out.
In an interview, Annie Barrows explained her role in the creation of this whimsical novel: “ My aunt had finished the story but there was a lot more that both she and the editor wanted to add to the book. She couldn’t do it. I went back, I started at the very beginning and added all the way through, giving more detail about the story that was there.”
And what a story. The book is written in the form of a series of letters. In January 1946, the main character Juliet Ashton, a writer living in London, receives a letter from Dawsey Adams, a resident of Guernsey. He is a member of a book club called the “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.”
Intrigued, Juliet begins a correspondence which takes her to Guernsey where this marvelous, heartwarming story unfolds. It should come as no surprise that this book about a book club has become a huge hit with book clubs.
It’s romantic, sentimental, heartbreaking and healing, all wrapped up in one big swirling ball of letters and books. Barrows said that “a huge piece of this book’s appeal is that it’s a bouquet to book readers and to books themselves.”
When Shaffer dreamed up the character of Juliet, she was inventing a fictional variation of herself. Barrows explains that in Juliet “there’s this wonderful charming voice right there from the beginning.”
I assumed that Shaffer had to be British. She wasn’t. She grew up in Martinsburg, W.V., and briefly went to college at Miami University.
Barrows explains: “She didn’t stay — she hated college.”
When the paperback version of the book debuts on the New York Times bestseller list in the coming week, it will gain a special distinction. It will join up with the hardcover version on the charts, where it has soared since last year. Now that’s phenomenal.
Annie Barrows visits Books & Co. at The Greene in Beavercreek at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20.
She visits Joseph-Beth Booksellers, 2692 Madison Road in Cincinnati at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 21.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: confessions of a galley slave
“The Week in Cheney”
Andy Borowitz seems to have blogs everywhere these days. The writer and comedian just posted a short video over at The Daily Beast. I visit the site regularly to peruse The Book Beast.
Borowitz has his usual irreverent take on former Veep Dick Cheney in this video; The Week in Cheney.
To check it out click HERE:
p.s. Can the short story be saved? click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (19) | Post your comment | Categories: laughable
Sarah Palin signs monster book deal…
According to the Anchorage Daily News:
“Gov. Sarah Palin has signed a book deal with Harper Collins Publishers for what is described as her memoir.
“There have been so many things written and said through mainstream media that have not been accurate, and it will be nice through an unfiltered forum to get to speak truthfully about who we are and what we stand for and what Alaska is all about,” Palin said in an interview Tuesday announcing the deal.
Neither Palin nor HarperCollins would say how much she was being paid. Asked why, the governor and 2008 Republican nominee for vice president said she didn’t want to distract from the substance of the book.”
So why won’t she say how much money she’s getting paid? Gee whiz, is it because so many people would see that as a reason to dislike her because she’s getting say, 10 million big ones for it? Are they afraid that it won’t sell?
I’ll bet she’s getting even more than that. What do you think? How much cold hard cash will Sarah be raking in for a book that will surely be written by a ghost writer?
Note that she said “what we stand for.” That would be the Royal We as she continues to cash in on her 15 seconds of fame. What a country!
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (27) | Post your comment | Categories: politicked
Steal This Book.
Some readers might recall that about 35 years ago the radical Abbie Hoffman wrote a book called Steal This Book. While it was a popular book most bookstores didn’t like carrying it. The reason is obvious.
The title presented an irresistible challenge to some shoppers which led to a shrinkage problem for many retailers. For every copy they sold another one vanished. I’m sure that some shoplifters who got caught pilfering Hoffman’s savage tome tried to make the lame excuse that they were merely following the author’s instructions.
How times have changed. Digital piracy has altered that larcenous playing field. Music has been bootlegged for years but the computer age made ripping off music as simple as pressing a key. No need for rubber dubbers in this age of high-tech hackers and digital grifters.
Movies became inviting targets for massive theft and piracy. I met a fellow once who bragged about the unreleased movies he watches. I have never seen one myself and I don’t plan to do so but I hear the picture quality isn’t that bad on most pirated films.
With the arrival of wireless reading devices like the Sony Reader and the Amazon Kindle the latest wave in digital piracy is in the world of books. Can you believe it?
Abby Hoffman must be spinning one in his grave. To find out how digital thieves can Steal This Book click HERE:
I wish I had my old copy of Hoffman’s book. I think somebody probably swiped it…I just checked Amazon.com to see if the book is available. You’ll love this; it is being re-issued next month on the veritable Penguin Classics imprint. Penguin Classics only reprints the classics of literature. That makes me feel like a fossil. Do you remember when the book came out?
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: booms and busts
Some things I take for granted…
Life is good. It is so easy to whine about petty inconveniences. I do it. Even so, we live in the lap of luxury.
I was reminded of that when my high speed modem failed Sunday night. I was crestfallen. Poor, poor pitiful me. No high speed internet. Right.
So I took a flying leap into sweet luxury’s lap to fix my problem. I called my service provider’s toll free phone number. They had me on hold forever. While I waited I did some paperwork. Sure, I could whine about my long wait but what’s the point?
The young man who finally helped me out was highly competent. He said his name was Gary. I detected a slight accent. He was so brutally efficient and good natured that I’m presuming he was somewhere far away. We always took those jobs for granted didn’t we?
He gave me the toll free phone number for the people who would sell me another modem. The woman who answered the phone had a slight accent. I didn’t catch her name. I was a bit shocked by her first question. She demanded to know how I got that phone number? I knew I was in the fast lane then. That Gary had really hooked me up.
She was also incredibly competent. She took care of my order quickly. She took all my information; name, address, e-mail address, account number, credit card number, phone number - without making any mistakes! Amazing. I’m assuming she was thousands of miles away. We always took those jobs for granted, right?
I was sitting in front of my house today. I didn’t want to miss the FedEx truck that would hopefully be bearing my modem to me. At about 11am it pulled up. There was my package. It had been shipped from Utah and was in my hot little hands in less than 24 hours. We take overnight delivery for granted. What a country!
I ran the installation disk and in clear, concise language it guided me through the activation of my new Motorola (made in China) modem. Within 15 minutes I was ensconced in my beloved internet wasteland, checking my blog comments, my sports scores, my fantasy baseball stats, my news headlines, my e-mail. So much stuff that we take for granted.
I won’t even get into the obvious stuff; the internet, fresh water, the daily newspaper, electricity, safe streets, piles of books to read, wacko politicians…..
And here I am posting again on my blog. Life is lovely. Don’t you even dare to consider whining!~
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: confessions of a galley slave
A Luddite’s delight….
The light went out on my modem last night. It was a calm evening, No rain, No lightning. Little wind. The trees were barely rustling. Then the electricity went out on our road. It was only gone for about ten minutes. Long enough to annoy my Siemens high speed internet modem. It died.
I spent an hour on hold today trying to order a replacement. I’m hopeful that it will arrive soon. In the meantime I’m writing this post at my local library. My dial up modem at home is so primitive I cannot write blog posts, check scores, spend money, etc.
Oh well, I guess I’ll go read a book….
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: confessions of a galley slave
Globalization can be such a pain…
“The Weight of Heaven,” by Thrity Umrigar, (Harper, 365 pages, $25.99)
Thrity Umrigar is intrigued by how cultures blend. A native of India, Umrigar spent 17 years writing for newspapers like the Washington Post and the Akron Beacon Journal.
She made the transition from journalist to novelist, writing books like the acclaimed “The Space Between Us.” Umrigar’s latest, “The Weight of Heaven,” reveals once more a talent on the rise.
As “The Weight of Heaven” begins a young couple, Frank and Ellie Benton, are mourning the death of their 7-year-old son, Benny. Frank is employed by a small firm in Ann Arbor. He was out of the country on business when Benny died.
Ellie is consumed by guilt. She wonders if there was anything that she might have done to save Benny’s life. Frank is angry. He blames Ellie. He cannot find it in his heart to forgive her.
Their marriage is in turmoil. Everything about their lives in Michigan reminds them of their loss. Frank is offered a job running a factory his company owns in India. He jumps at the chance. The grieving parents move to a small village on the Indian coast.
This is where Umrigar’s storytelling kicks into top form. Frank’s company makes a drug that prevents diabetes. The drug is made from the leaves of trees that grow in the area of this village. Frank’s company “leased” all the trees in the forest. The natives are now prohibited from gathering the leaves.
This village has never had a case of diabetes. Generations made their livelihoods by gathering the leaves. That ends with the arrival of Frank’s company. Frank’s factory provides employment for some. The majority of natives are angry the Americans are monopolizing the trees.
In an interview Umrigar explained how she plotted this clash. She said that “they are not demonic men. These are decent men, good-natured men. They go into this strange, alien place with all the good intentions in the world. But what they don’t have is any real understanding of a different culture.”
She continued: “I think that’s the difference between Ellie and Frank. Ellie comes to India with an open mind and takes it at face value without judgment … Frank tries to impose his American values and his sense of morality, you know; the workers are too slow, that kind of thing — his work ethic if you will, onto a place that just has a different pace and values.”
Ellie embraces the people and their culture. Frank is baffled by it. He rejects it with one notable exception. Frank is obsessed with a young Indian boy. He schemes to take the youth away from a poor family to raise him as his surrogate son, a replacement for the lost Benny.
Frank descends into madness. Ellie is the helpless bystander sucked into a nightmare her husband creates. Frank’s inability to forgive bears a steep price. Cultural shock ensues. Globalization’s cautionary impact spirals and sizzles throughout this superb novel.
Thrity Umrigar visits from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at Books & Co at Town & Country, 350 E. Stroop Road, Kettering.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: clearing the cobwebs
Say it ain’t so, Manny…
Star slugging outfielder Manny Ramirez has just been suspended for his next 50 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball club for failing a drug test. The Dodgers have been running away with the National League’s western division, powered by the remarkable hitting of their eccentric star slugger.
New books detailing the alleged past drug use by that current New York Yankee star Alex Rodriguez and former Yankee star Roger Clemens were published this week to considerable fanfare. Now this.
To read more about Manny’s suspension for using a banned substance click HERE:
Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment | Categories: booms and busts
What is President Obama reading right now?
