Fenwick vs. Felicity
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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 > August
August 2009
Garrison Keillor writes a romance…
Garrison Keillor is one of our most prolific humorists. He writes books. His latest just came out. It is a collection of monologues, “Life Among the Lutherans.”
He writes newspaper columns.
Keillor is best known for his radio work. He recently celebrated the 35th anniversary of his radio program “A Prairie Home Companion”. Long time listeners might recall that Keillor stopped doing that program for a period of time when he ran off to Copenhagen to pursue an old flame a number of years ago. He’s just a romantic at heart.
Since 1993, he has produced radio pieces, “The Writer’s Almanac,” that provide many public radio listeners with their daily ration of poetry as well as recollections of important events, birthdays, and what have you.
That’s often the question with Keillor; “What have you? - with Garrison Keillor, one never knows. I have interviewed him on several occasions. His dry wit was always accessible in our conversations but there was also a frostiness, a forbidding reserve, a chilly vibe as shocking as a mid-January plunge into his fanciful Lake Wobegon.
He always addressed me as Mister Mickunas and he made it clear that he didn’t want me calling him Garrison, or even Gary. That was off putting. Heck, Charlton Heston wanted me to call him Chuck for Pete’s sake!
Keillor has another book coming out in late September, “Pilgrims - a Wobegon Romance” (Viking). I began reading it last night.
What an odd little book! Keillor takes a group of Lake Wobegon residents on a week long tour of Italy. One resident is hoping that the trip will ignite a new spark in her marriage, thus, the romance.
Keillor is literally taking them to Europe. He’s a character in his own book. He’s done this before, Some readers might recall one book that featured the adolescent “Gary Keillor”.
This book’s “Gary Keillor” is the full grown version. In the book he’s the host of “A Prairie Home Companion”, and he’s paying for all these Wobegonians to go to Europe, over 50 grand.
As always, Keillor’s humor is self-deprecating. He has a hilarious bio of himself on the back flap of the book in which he makes a big deal out of what a great singer he is. Have you ever heard him sing?
I chuckled at that. Then a few pages into the book one of the ladies from Lake Wobegon tells Gary Keillor that he has a really lousy voice and he should stop singing on the radio.
And that is Keillor’s charm. He can seem so pompous and arrogant and full of himself one minute. The next moment he pulls out a pin and pops all that puffed up pride and shrivels into a quivering pile of self-punctured mirth.
He always makes me laugh. I can’t wait to finish his new book.
(That’s Gary Keillor pictured sitting down on the right side of the book cover).
Vick Mickunas
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Is the American conservative movement in trouble?
I have been getting some e-mails from readers today with comments about my book review that ran in the newspaper this morning. Here is the review:
“The Death of Conservatism” by Sam Tanenhaus, (Random House, 123 pages, $17)
Political movements are cyclical. The Reagan Revolution of the 1980s signified the high water mark for a conservative political movement that first tasted power with the election of President Richard M. Nixon in 1968.
Sam Tanenhaus believes the election of President Barack Obama was facilitated by a decline in the vitality of American conservatism. He offers a pithy overview of the American conservative movement over the past 50 years in his book “The Death of Conservatism.”
Tanenhaus fears that “Classical conservatives have all either deserted the Right or been evicted from it.” What is the matter here? He explains: “Some see this as a triumph. The Right has been proved wrong, and that can only be good. But America needs a serious, rigorous opposition. Skeptics and outsiders perform a vital function in a democracy. It is they who ask the most uncomfortable questions, who gaze most critically at the existing arrangements of our politics and culture.”
Even so, the author sees this as a moment of great opportunity for revitalizing the conservative movement because “the nation has entered a conservative phase, perhaps the most conservative since the Eisenhower years.” So how does he think the conservative movement got off track?
Tanenhaus asserts that “it was disappointment with (Ronald) Reagan and anger at the presumed betrayals of his successor, George H. W. Bush — chosen by Reagan himself — that fed the bitterness of the 1990s, when conservatism entered its most decadent phase.”
How the mighty have fallen. The once powerful congressman Tom DeLay is appearing in televised dance contests. The author opines that DeLay “tried to delegitimize a popular president, Bill Clinton, and assembled a shadow government of lobbyists” — these actions typified the sort of rot that had set into the conservative movement.
Conservatives once accused Franklin D. Roosevelt of creating a “socialist” government. The author points out that “conservative opponents of Barack Obama have applied the epithet ‘socialism’ to his ambitious plans to exert greater federal control over health care and energy policy, even though the Bush administration, the most conservative in modern history, itself orchestrated a $700 billion bailout of Wall Street.”
This “socialist” slur is nothing new. Dwight Eisenhower was the moderate who wrested the Republican presidential nomination away from the conservative candidate, Ohio Sen. Robert A. Taft. According to the book, one disgruntled Taft supporter “grimly declared, ‘This means eight more years of socialism’.” He was referring to Eisenhower.
“The Death of Conservatism” makes some bold statements. In regard to Richard Nixon: “No modern president surpassed him in sheer ability — intellectual or political.”
And when looking at our current charged political atmosphere, the author states: “attempts to depict Barack Obama as a radical or socialist dissolve under the most rudimentary examination of the facts.”
Tanenhaus describes how Obama is approaching the myriad challenges that we are facing and that “these are the actions of a leader who, while politically liberal, is temperamentally conservative and who has placed his faith in the durability — and renewability — of American institutions.”
Vick Mickunas
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“Hot blooded- check it and see…”
Tune in to WYSO Public Radio (91.3fm) on Sunday morning at 10:30 to catch my interview with a well known crime writer.
I won’t tell you the author’s name right now. I hope that you will be able to tune in. Interviews don’t always go as smoothly as one might hope. This one didn’t go smoothly.
In fact, my guest was so ticked off that there was probably steam coming out of his ears. I’ll provide the back story and explain the reasons for his rage after the interview airs on Sunday morning.
Please, tune in.
Vick Mickunas
(with apologies to Foreigner)
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Do you support expanded passenger train service in Ohio?
I’m a train nut. Some of my earliest memories are of riding the Rock Island Line to Chicago before they eliminated passenger service. It was a revelation when I went to Europe and discovered that they still have an efficient passenger train service over there. We certainly could use one in Ohio.
Right now I’m reading a fabulous coffee table book, “Coal Trains - the History of Railroading and Coal in the United States” and it reminds me of how crucial train service used to be in America. Revive it and it could be again.
The Ohio Dept. of Transportation is conducting a survey right now. They are asking Ohioans how they feel about expanding passenger rail service in Ohio. It’s a quick survey.
To take the survey click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
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Ted Kennedy closes in on Glenn Beck…
Checking out the Amazon.com best-selling books this morning, I’m seeing that Ted Kennedy’s forthcoming memoir, “True Compass” has vaulted up into Amazon’s top ten.
Kennedy’s book is currently at #8 and rising fast following Senator Kennedy’s passing yesterday. The book will be published in mid-September.
No doubt Teddy would be amused to see the book which is just ahead of his on the list, Glenn Beck’s “Common Sense”, a book that has been a best-seller all summer long.
When Senator Kennedy’s book passes the Beck book on the charts I’m imagining a toast at an Irish wake somewhere out in the cosmos. Senator Kennedy will be holding up his glass, grinning. His brothers will be cheering. His sisters, smiling.
I wonder if they serve non-alcoholic beer there?
Vick Mickunas
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Is Bernie Madoff having fun in prison?
Convicted swindler Bernie Madoff might be enjoying prison more than we could have imagined.
According to an article at comcast.net:
SWEAT LODGES AND SANDWICHES
“The Post story also reported that Madoff has begun engaging with some unexpected social groups in prison, including Native Americans. He was also making new friends among the “homosexual posse,” the Post said, adding the relationships were purely platonic, according to the sources.
The Post story also reported that Madoff has begun engaging with some unexpected social circles in prison, including Native Americans.
A shirtless Madoff has joined weekly “Native American religious purification ceremonies” that involve prayers in “sweat lodges,” rooms with heated rocks that induce sweat, and smoking from a ceremonial pipe, the paper said.
Billingsley confirmed that Butner provides a sweat lodge as a religious structure for Native American prisoners.
The Post also reported that various “gangs” at the prison were trying to recruit Madoff. Some inmates have taken Madoff under their wing, preparing “sandwich wraps” for him at their cells.
Larry Levine, a former prison inmate and founder of Wall Street Prison Consultants, which prepares people for incarceration, said he would not be surprised if Madoff were finding friends among the Native American inmates.
Levine also said Butner is known as a “cheese factory,” a nickname alluding to the many federal informants, or “rats,” incarcerated there.
“I have talked to some people that said that (Butner) is supposed to be a nice place,” he said.
As to toasting sandwiches, the Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman said inmates are not permitted to prepare food in their cells, though soup, beans and other items may be procured in the prison commissary and brought back to cells.
“They are not going to have a microwave oven in their cells,” former inmate Levine said.”
To read the entire article click HERE:
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Remembering Ted Kennedy
Senator Ted Kennedy has died, losing his battle with brain cancer.
He was the last of the Kennedy boys. His brother Joe Kennedy Jr., was the one they thought would one day be president. He died when his bomber crashed during the Second World War.
Brother John F. Kennedy won the prize, being elected president, only to be cut down by an assassin’s bullet.
Brother Bobby picked up the torch and made his run for the highest office in the land. An assassin ended his career with another bullet.
Ted Kennedy was the baby brother. How did he go on after so much bloodshed? His brothers were cut down one by one.
Nobody expected much from Ted. He was the playboy, the spoiled little brother. He went on to have a distinguished career. He dreamed of being able to work to pass laws that would provide health care for all Americans. He didn’t live to see that day come.
Will Ted Kennedy’s death give a boost to the implementation of a national health care system that will cover all Americans? Or, will his loss be just one more derailment in fulfilling that dream? What will his legacy be?
He had his faults. We all do. Let he (or she) who is without sin cast the first stone…
Vick Mickunas
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Don’t let “Jessica Biel” give you a virus…
Wow! Are you tempted to search for info about “Jessica Biel” on the internet? Don’t.
You could catch a virus. Or, at least your computer could. Computer baddies are using searches for “Jessica Biel” to infect computers worldwide with nasty computer viruses.
Reuters News Service reports:
“Biel, 27, who shot to fame in the TV show “7th Heaven” and most recently starred in “Easy Virtue,” was deemed the most dangerous, with fans having a one-in-five chance of landing at a website that has tested positive for online threats, such as spyware, adware, spam, phishing, and viruses.
“Cybercriminals are star watchers too - they latch onto popular celebrities to encourage the download of malicious software in disguise,” McAfee’s Jeff Green said in a statement.
“Consumers’ obsession with celebrity news and culture is harmless in theory, but one bad download can cause a lot of damage to a computer.”
“Every day, cybercriminals use celebrities’ names and images, like Kim Kardashian and Rihanna, to lure surfers searching for the latest stories, screen savers and ringtones to sites offering free downloads laden with malware,” the statement added.
Coming second in the list for the second year running was pop star Beyonce, with McAfee finding that putting “Beyonce ringtones” into a search engine yielded a dangerous website linking to a distributor of adware and spyware.
Actress Jennifer Aniston was third, with more than 40 percent of the Google search results for “Jennifer Aniston screensavers” containing nasty viruses.”
To read the whole article click HERE:
You have been warned.
Vick Mickunas
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Obama’s vacation reads…
President Barack Obama is vacationing with his family on Martha’s Vineyard. Much has been made of the stack of books he brought along to read. Here’s the list:
The Way Home by George Pelecanos. This is excellent crime fiction set in Washington, D.C. Pelecanos was one of the main writers for “The Wire” on HBO. I interviewed him recently for this book. That interview will air on a future date on WYSO.
Lush Life by Richard Price. A novel that is set on New York’s Lower East Side. Price is one of our leading writers of gritty, urban prose.
Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas Friedman. I went to high school with the woman who is married to Tom Friedman. Oh well, that doesn’t get him off the hook. Friedman has always struck me as a big smarty pants know-it-all and he is frequently wrong. This is the dud on the list. If you are one of Friedman’s many fans; sorry.
John Adams by David McCullough. This author makes history accessible to the masses. I interviewed him when the paperback of this book was released. McCullough has that incredible PBS voice. Try to imagine the voice of God…that majestic.
Plainsong by Kent Haruf. A deeply touching novel about a number of characters who are living in a small town on the windswept plains of eastern Colorado. I interviewed Haruf when the paperback came out. He’s an amazing writer. To my taste, this is the best book in the bunch…
Vick Mickunas
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Sony fires shot across Amazon’s bow…
The electronic book wars are really heating up. Sony has just thrown the gauntlet down in their battle with Amazon.com for e-book dominance.
According to ZDnet.com:
“Sony released a 7-inch, $399, touchscreen, 3G and Wi-Fi e-book reader this morning, and it’s never more obvious that Amazon is up against a wall in the market segment it helped create.
With this morning’s announcement, Sony is attacking Amazon on all fronts: a $199 Reader that undercuts the cheapest Kindle by $100, a more fully-featured touchscreen model at $299, and a $399 Wi-Fi, 3G touchscreen model that is smaller than the Kindle DX but two inches but also cheaper by $90.
It’s an assault across the entire product line, top to bottom: give students something affordable, give the affluent early-adopters more bang for their buck, and bring the features we’ve gotten used to — Wi-Fi, 3G, touchscreen — to the Reader as aspirational features.”
To read more click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
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Glenn Beck..
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Dayton’s best known author?
Martha Moody has written stories since she was a child. After she became a doctor, she began writing fiction during her medical residency, but she didn’t consider getting published.
Moody practiced medicine in Dayton and kept writing. Eight years ago, she published her first novel, “Best Friends.” It really took off when it came out in paperback. “Best Friends” has sold more than 600,000 copies.
While she still practices medicine part time, mostly in a volunteer capacity, she has become a writer. Her second novel, “The Office of Desire,” takes place in a small medical office. Moody told me that “I ended up using two narrators — one of the doctors and the receptionist. That was fun to have two separate narrators in this closed environment.”
Her third novel, “Sometimes Mine,” was just released. She describes it as the story of “a very driven female cardiologist. She’s divorced, incredibly busy, overwhelmed by her patients and her work life. Her one little release is her weekly affair with a married college basketball coach who is also quite busy in his own way.”
Genie Toledo is the doctor. Mick Crabbe is the coach. She’s single in Ohio. He is a renowned, coach in West Virginia. She tortures herself by watching him on television whenever his nationally ranked basketball team is playing. She analyzes his body language and demeanor to try to realize what stresses he might be undergoing.
Early on, Genie asks Mick, “Does your wife have any idea?” Mick recalled that “the night we met, you asked if certain players made me feel like they were coaching me. I can’t tell you, this electric bolt went through me. Twenty years I’ve been with my wife and she’s never seen this. That moment I thought, I need this woman around to talk to.”
Things change and evolve over the course of their relationship. Genie becomes acquainted with Mick’s family. Moody’s descriptions of the lovers’ cascading emotions as they veer from passion to companionship to resolution is deeply moving.
Genie is crushed when she recognizes, “It hit me that the very thing that kept me going — my own will — was what had brought me down. I’d never enjoyed the moment as it happened, I’d always been preparing for the next thing. Even with Mick: all my Thursdays lying next to him. I dreamed of the days we’d be together all the time. Now I doubted we’d ever be together. The best lay behind us, not ahead.”
“Sometimes Mine” reveals a writer in the process of taking her craft to the next level. Moody resides in Washington Twp. with her husband and four sons. Her status as a best-selling author hasn’t altered her approach. She’s working on a new novel.
Jennifer Weiner, a best-selling novelist in her own right, just published “Best Friends Forever.” Can the similarity to Moody’s title be sheer coincidence? I’m reminded of the old saying, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Martha Moody will be autographing copies of “Sometimes Mine” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, at Books&Co. at The Greene in Beavercreek.
Vick Mickunas
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Is marijuana safer than alcohol?
The authors of “Marijuana is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?” (Chelsea Green) seem to think so.
Here’s one comment about the book:
“”I have always maintained that the legalization of marijuana would lead to an overall drop in substance abuse in this country. In particular, the option of legal marijuana use, as an alternative to the death and violence associated with alcohol use, would be a welcome societal change. Surprisingly, though, there has never been a book dedicated to conveying this basic idea to the public. But with Marijuana is Safer, now there is. Kudos to Fox, Armentano, and Tvert for their remarkably insightful and important book.”—Gary Johnson, former Governor of New Mexico
What do you think? Obviously, this is a moot point since marijuana is illegal. Even so, do you think using pot is safer than drinking alcohol from the standpoint of health? We can observe the dangers of booze every day (and night) in America - what about pot? Comments?
(This paperback will be published on September 15).
Vick Mickunas
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“Twilight’s” Stephenie Meyer sued…
Mega best-selling author Stephenie Meyer has been sued. Meyer, the creator of the blockbuster “Twilight” series of books stands accused of “copyright infringement” for allegedly plagiarizing some of her plot ideas from another writer. Is there any merit in this claim ? Or, is it just somebody trying to tap in to Meyer’s bulging bank account?
To read the latest on this lawsuit click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
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Does size matter?
“Imperial,” by William T. Vollmann, ( Viking, 1306 pages, $55).
“Imperial - Photographs by William T. Vollmann,” (Powerhouse Books, 200 pages, $55).
Books come in various sizes. Some are quick reads. Others are gigantic, monumental works that bear something in common with the Great Wall of China or possibly the Panama Canal. They can take a long time to construct. These books require mountains of time and patience to read. When we complete one of these volumes one feels a genuine sense of accomplishment.
Four months ago I began reading “Imperial” by William T. Vollmann. It is over 1300 pages long. I felt like a weight lifter even picking it up. Vollmann is one of our most prolific writers. He produces numerous books the way some of us produce household waste; fast, impressive stacks of it.
His book “Europe Central” won the National Book Award a few years ago. I was pleased it won - I chose it as my favorite novel that year. It is another immense Vollmann volume.
“Imperial” is Vollmann’s history of the poorest county in California. Imperial County is on the border with Mexico. “Imperial” the book is hard to describe. Words don’t seem adequate somehow. It is majestic and immense and rather dumbfounding.
Vollmann kept returning to this project while he continued to work on his other books. He imagined “Imperial” would be a novel but he couldn’t figure out how to make it so. So here it is finally in utterly sprawling splendor. I read it somewhat in the manner that Vollmann wrote it, coming back to it whenever I finished reading another book.
“Imperial” is a massive tale of ambition, hardship, foolishness and greed. Have you heard of the Salton Sea? This giant body of water in Imperial County is a monument to some stupendous notions that were eventually proven idiotic and destructive. “Imperial” is the story of how the waters of the Colorado River were diverted to transform this desert into an agricultural miracle.
That precious water transformed Imperial County into one of the largest producers of crops like lettuce and cotton. They never thought they would run out of water. The Salton Sea is the end result of this foolhardy belief, it is an environmental disaster.
Vollmann spent a lot of time on both sides of the border, what he refers to as Northside and Southside. He takes his readers on a boat trip down a polluted underground waterway. He searches for a network of secret tunnels. He looks at old photos and tries to get the locals to speak to him. Vollmann doesn’t drive nor does he speak Spanish. But he’s curious and quite eccentric.
Throughout the book he repeats the mantra that guided the early settlers to this eventual disaster. They believed that “water is here. We need to have no fear that our lands will not become better and better as the years go by.”
They squandered that water. Crop overproduction ruined prices. Imperial County is now salty and poor.
Of course one book wasn’t enough. Vollmann’s impressive photography is collected in a companion volume, “Imperial - Photographs by William T. Vollmann.”
Vick Mickunas
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National Enquirer keeps gnawing on John Edwards…
The breathless headline on Politics Daily proclaims:
“John Edwards Moves Rielle Hunter Nearby, and Elizabeth Packs Her Bags, National Enquirer Reports”
The National Enquirer has been bustin’ his chops since day one. And this guy could have been our president. Heaven help us.
To read the rest click HERE:
(Note-John Edwards has written several books. Elizabeth Edwards is also an author. Now if we could just get Rielle Hunter to write one…)
Vick Mickunas
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Van Halen and the brown M&M’s
AlaskanRiley, one of our regular posters was kind enough to send along a link that sheds some light on the old story of Van Halen and the brown M&M’s.
According to Snopes.com, it is true. Van Halen didn’t want any brown M&M’s. Snopes goes on to explain that the band put that in their contracts because if they found any brown ones in their candy bowls that would alert them to the fact that the concert promoters had not read the contract very thoroughly and there might be some really major problems that could occur relating to Van Halen’s massive stage.
I tried to put up a link to Snopes.com but they won’t allow it. Oh well, that page is quite interesting. They quote Van Halen’s David Lee Roth from his autobiography explaining the band’s reasoning for banning the brown candies.
To read my original Van Halen post click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
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Get ready to blow your mind…
p.s. This has nothing whatsoever to do with books!
Would you consider doing that?
Vick Mickunas
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Remembering “60 Minutes”…
Don Hewitt, the mastermind behind the long-running CBS TV program “60 MINUTES” has died. He was 86.
Hewitt was the author of “Tell Me a Story: Fifty Years and 60 Minutes in Television”.
Here’s more from CBS News: click HERE
Vick Mickunas
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Remembering Robert Novak…
The conservative columnist, pundit, and author Robert D. Novak has died. Known by some as The Prince of Darkness, Novak was 78.
To read more click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
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Ted Nugent gets the boot…
Motor City motormouth Ted Nugent has been fired from his job as a columnist at the Waco Tribune in Texas. Apparently Ted was a bit too wacko for Waco.
Some of you might recall my interview with Ted Nugent which aired on WYSO a few years ago. I spoke to the Tedster about his book “God, Guns, and Rock and Roll”.
Ted was a real handful. He accused me of being on drugs. Ted claims he has never used drugs. That is when I asked Ted about the album cover that his band The Amboy Dukes put out that pictured a pile of drug paraphernalia; hookahs, roach clips, bongs, etc. The album was called Journey to the Center of Your Mind. That band was merely a vehicle for Ted Nugent. He has always had control of his bands, from The Amboy Dukes to The Damn Yankees.
Caught in this seeming paradox, the clean living Ted versus album cover art that was nothing but illegal drug toys he lied; he claimed that somebody had pulled a fast one on him, that he had no idea what any of that stuff meant. Right.
The Nuge is an unadulterated jerk. But I was saddened to hear that my fellow ink-stained wretch just got canned. I may not agree with him but I do support his right to utter his words…
Here’s a copy of the e-mail that Captain Spandex sent to one of his buddies at Texas Journal:
“Just been fired from Waco Trib. Now they will have to rely on their other New York Times Best Sellers, and array of clever and diverse journalists to convey their diverse & tolerant point(s) of view. Here’s my Teditorial after being told to not criticize in my Sunday features that they chose to not run.
I’ll Take Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press for $100, Alex by Ted Nugent When the Nazis had the Americans surrounded in the town of Bastogne, they demanded American General McAuliffe surrender or they would level the city. General McAuliffe’s reply: Nuts!
The new editor of the Waco Trib recently told me that I could only write nice things about people, that I could not be critical. Basically, that I need to tone it down. I can not, nor will not, comply with this Romper Room request. My reply: Nuts!
The editor is wrong to try and muzzle my opinions. As a columnist, I express my opinions. That’s what columnists do. That’s also the charge of an independent and free press.
The job of the press is to be the “fourth” arm of government. To intentionally muzzle itself is to fail at its most basic watchdog responsibility. As readers, voters and citizens we should demand a watchdog press, not a lapdog press.
I can’t envision Thomas Jefferson, George Washington or Ben Franklin making a request of an anti-King George columnist to tone it down. I can’t imagine Martin Luther King toning down his message. It is impossible for me to fathom any American to tone down what is in his heart and soul.
I criticize where I believe criticism is due. That’s what Thomas Paine did when he published Common Sense prior to the Revolutionary War. He criticized King George for his heavy handed and wrong policies. We are free in large part because of Thomas Paine’s open, routine and strident criticism.
I have criticized President Obama and liberals for what I consider to be destructive, anti-American policies that will hurt our economy and harm your health. Not once have I criticized him personally because I have never met the man. As far as I know he is a decent enough guy, but in my opinion, is politically naive and very wrong, even dangerous for America. So do many other Americans as indicated by the shrinking support for his takeover of the health care system and numerous other heavy handed, foolish moves.
Obama’s policies are bankrupting America. He supports a health care bill that he hasn’t even read, nor have those in congress who support it. If that doesn’t deserve massive amount of criticism, what does? When I have criticized President Obama, I have almost always countered his dunderheaded, Marxist policies with a free market, more personal freedom alternative. More government control is not the answer to what ails America. Obama believes otherwise.
This newspaper and others should encourage spirited and lively debate and criticism, especially when so many newspapers are losing subscribers. I don’t support milquetoast journalism. It bores me. You are free to disagree with my opinions. In fact, I encourage those of you who do to fill the letters to the editor page of this newspaper. I revel in open debate. That’s the America I know and love. Express yourself, Texas. Lay it on the line. Give it your best shot. Be bold in your disagreement.
Construcitve, bold criticism is cool. It rocks. It can literally change the course and destiny of an individual, neighborhood, community, and nation. It is the most basic of our Constitutional rights — the 1st Amendment. Failing to criticize emboldens politicians to stay on course regardless how many icebergs are dead ahead. Political correctness is the cancer of journalism, not its cure.
America and Texas was born with a defiant streak. Those genes still flow through my veins. To request that I not criticize is to spit on the memory of those who gave birth to America. Again, I criticize where I believe criticism is due. That’s my civic job and your job as Americans. If the editor of this newspaper doesn’t like that, he will have to fire me. I will not surrender to his wrong demands.
In the words of another famous American military man, William Barrett Travis, commander of the Alamo: God & Texas. Victory or death.”
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Obama’s death panels…
What’s this talk about President Obama’s “death panels?” I don’t get it? I have read his books. I don’t recall him ever mentioning “death panels?”
Then I see that Sarah Palin wrote about them on her Facebook page. She claims that Obama is planning to create these “death panels.” Weird. Would Sarah lie to us?
On a lighter note; you are probably in possession of cocaine at this very moment. You don’t believe it do you? Never even touch the stuff, huh?
According to the Scientific American the chances that you have had cocaine in your possession are shall we say, a bit high?
The headline proclaims that Cocaine Contaminates Majority of U.S. Currency. That’s right. Do you ever have American money on you? Then you are probably also in possession of cocaine. What will be next, death panels for people found to be in possession of coke?
Here’s an excerpt from the article:
“For cocaine users, a rolled up $20 bill may be the most convenient tool for snorting the powder form of the drug. Or so it would seem from a new analysis of 234 banknotes from 18 U.S. cities that found cocaine on 90 percent of the bills tested.
Perhaps that’s not surprising given that the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy reports that more than 2 million Americans used cocaine in 2007, which has been linked to ill effects ranging from debilitating addiction to heart attacks. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, for its part, reported in the same year that 6 million Americans admit using cocaine annually, consuming a total of as much as 457 metric tons in a year.”
Vick Mickunas
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Julia Child meets Dr. Seuss…
Over the past week shoppers on Amazon.com have been searching for some book related items that have been out of stock. The new movie about Julia Child and French cooking seems to be inspiring some of the searches. Then there is the ever popular Dr. Seuss. Here’s the list of the top ten that were unavailable on Amazon:
The Mystery Method - Revelation 8 DVD and 13 Audio CD
Dr. Seuss 10 Book Set (It’s Not Easy Being Big and Others)
Mastering the Art of French Cooking Box Set (Mastering the Art of French Cooking Box Set, Volumes 1 and 2)
Handbook of Anesthesiology 2008
Dr. Seuss Books Beginning Readers and Bright and Early Books 25 Book Set…Cat In The Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, Are You My Mother…plus more classics
Ecoscience: Population, Resources, Environment
In a Dark Place
Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes and Coaches
Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1
The Matrix Energetics Experience
Vick Mickunas
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Are stupid people happier?
I’m reading If Ignorance Is Bliss, Why Aren’t There More Happy People?: Smart Quotes for Dumb Times (Harmony Books) by John Lloyd and John Mitchinson.
This book is a collection of amusing quotations. Here are some examples:
“I have opinions of my own - strong opinions - but I don’t always agree with them.” (George H. W. Bush)
“You can get much further with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.” (Al Capone)
“There is no safety in numbers or anything else.” (James Thurber)
“Why attack God? He may be as miserable as we are.” (Erik Satie)
“If God lived on earth, people would break his windows.” (Jewish proverb)
“It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.” (James Thurber)
Ah, food for thought. I always loved Thurber…
Vick Mickunas
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Is conservatism dead?
Sam Tanenhaus wonders if the conservative movement has expired? Tanenhaus considers the issue in a new book coming out in September, THE DEATH OF CONSERVATISM.
I interviewed Tanenhaus years ago on WYSO for his biography of Whittaker Chambers. We had a fascinating conversation about those long ago days of Alger Hiss, Tricky Dick Nixon, Roy Cohn, and a pumpkin filled with secrets.
Here’s a press release that gives the lowdown on this new book:
“Already discussed by George Will and George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s This Week… and interviews confirmed for NPR’s All Things Considered MSNBC’s Morning Joe, and Charlie Rose, THE DEATH OF CONSERVATISM is going to provoke debate on both the right and left.
Sam Tanenhaus is the editor of the New York Times Book Review and Week in Review and the prize-winning biographer of Whittaker Chambers. He is presently writing a biography of William F. Buckley. He regularly appears on MSNBC/Morning Joe and has written extensively for the New Republic and Vanity Fair.
Drawing on 20 years of research on modern conservatism, Tanenhaus has written a manifesto on what has gone wrong with the party and how conservatives today need to rediscover the roots of their honorable political tradition. THE DEATH OF CONSERVATISM shows that conservatism today is in fact a counter-revolutionary movement which seeks not to “conserve” the traditions of “civil society” but rather to destroy them through a politics of ideological warfare. Tanenhaus asks “why does the contemporary Right define itself less by what it yearns to conserve than by what it longs to destroy?” For seventy-five years, Tanenhaus argues, conservatives have been split between two factions: consensus-driven “realists” who believe in the virtue of government and its power to adjust to changing conditions, and movement “revanchists” who distrust government and society-and often find themselves at war with America itself, seeking revenge and retribution.”
And some blurbs:
“Taut, eloquent, provocative and carefully-argued, Sam Tanenhaus uses his mastery of American intellectual and political history to bring us a consistently original interpretation of our recent politics—and to suggest a way forward for American conservatives. The Death of Conservatism will almost certainly prove to be one of those rare books in American history that have a signal impact both on a political movement as well as the public at large.”— Michael Beschloss
“Today’s conservatives resemble the exhumed figures of Pompeii, trapped in postures of frozen flight, clenched in the rigor mortis of a defunct ideology.” -from The Death of Conservatism
Tanenhaus discusses the following:
The differences between the GOP and the conservative movement. They are not one and the same-and shouldn’t be. No party should become captive to a movement. The GOP allowed this to happen in the Bush years and must make sure it doesn’t happen again. For the moment almost every public spokesperson for the GOP comes directly out of the movement—Rush, Newt, Cheney, Palin. The nation has rejected them and the hard-edged accusatory politics they represent. The GOP must make it clear it is listening to the majority of the people and not to a small entrenched constituency.
Health care needs to be fixed. A majority of Americans are open to a nationally administered system. There is no authentically conservative reason to oppose it. This is an opportunity for Republicans to demonstrate they can govern responsibly by joining the majority, precisely as they did in 1964 when they helped passed the landmark civil rights bill.
Gay marriage and/or civil unions. A huge, missed opportunity for the GOP. Gay marriage is proof that the country is getting MORE, not less, conservative. A generation ago gays personified “alternative life styles.” Now they want to join the mainstream and uphold family values—and be responsible parents. What serious-minded conservative would oppose this?
The function of the minority or “moon” party is to keep a close watch on the governing (“sun”) party. How can conservatives do this? One way is make sure Obama-age liberalism doesn’t abandon the center and veer off into “left-liberalism”—that is, become the party of LBJ instead of FDR.
Foreign policy. The unilateralist, American-centric foreign policy of the Bush years was a failure. Why are conservatives like Cheney, Wolfowitz, and McCain trying to reestablish it in Iran even as more temperate Republicans like Richard Lugar and Henry Kissinger have praised Obama’s restraint?
“Sam Tanenhaus’s fascinating intellectual autopsy of the conservative movement comes along at just the right time to explain and illuminate this epic moment in American political history.” -Jeffrey Toobin
“Sam Tanenhaus has written a brilliantly penetrating analysis of the conservative movement’s collapse. It’s elegant, provocative and intellectually dazzling.”-Jane Mayer
“The Death of Conservatism is not another book by another liberal with a pornographic fascination with the American right. This is a work of wise and erudite reflection-political and social criticism of a classical kind. Tanenhaus writes with calm authority about ideas and power; about movements and parties, and the momentous difference between them; about the glory, and the decay, of the other counterculture of our times. His book is a service to liberalism, and to conservatism, and to America.” -Leon Wieseltier
Vick Mickunas
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Who likes ice cream?
Ice cream is a rare treat at my house. Perhaps twice a month I enjoy a few scoops of that delectable stuff. Call it a guilty pleasure.
What makes ice cream taste so darned good? The flavors are important. The textures really add to the esthetic joy of devouring a big bowl of it. And I have always felt that the quality of the cream in the ice cream is essential. Would you agree?
How can you make good ice cream without cream (or any dairy product)? I didn’t think it was possible. I’m wrong.
The other day I got an e-mail about a book called The Vegan Scoop: 150 Recipes for Dairy-Free Ice Cream that Tastes Better Than the “Real” Thing (Fair Winds) by Wheeler Del Torro. This press release had a plug from Erykah Badu. That got my attention.
I love Erykah Badu’s music. I had the opportunity to see her perform a few years ago when Dave Chappelle sprang his big September surprise with an extra day of the AACW Blues Festival here in Yellow Springs. Dave’s musical friends put on one heck of a show and Erykah Badu stole the evening with her sultry, sizzling sounds.
So I replied to the e-mail. Sure, I said. I’ll check it out. Then I forgot about it. The other day I was puzzled to get a delivery from FedEx. It was a big box. I opened it and was pleasantly amused. It contained a big chunk of dry ice. You guessed it. The box was full of ice cream. Vegan ice cream in a variety of flavors.
This box arrived a day before the book did. I sat down to conduct my research. Could this dairy free ice cream be as good as the stuff I love? I have been a fan of dairy products since the moment I came into this world. I cannot imagine life without them. Cream in my coffee. Cheese on my burger. Root beer floats.
But I understand that there are lots of people who try to avoid dairy for various reasons. Health concerns. Allergies. Ethics.
So I made the ultimate sacrifice. I sat myself down and began eating all the ice cream in the box. I know what you are thinking; that Vick is a glutton. No. They were teeny tiny containers. Here are my findings:
Strawberry - Oh my. Mountains of luscious fruit. My taste buds are doing some silly dance. Spectacular flavor. I don’t miss the cream. It’s vegan! How is that possible?
Chocolate Coconut - Do you remember when you were a kid and they let you have one of your favorite candy bars? It’s like that. Oh, yeah.
Cherry Vanilla - This one is more subtle. It has a tartness that would appeal to some palates. OK - but not my favorite. Lots of cherry for texture.
Maple Walnut - Hello Grandma. I’m channeling Ethel Lee, my maternal grandmother. She was the ultimate ice cream lover. My grandpa Amos used to take us kids down to the basement to crank up that ancient ice cream bucket. He used lots of fresh cream. Ethel would have smiled over this maple walnut. It has that old-timey flavor and texture. Late Victorian. 1890’s. What made America great. Down home delicious - crunch!
Espresso Chip - I’m a coffee nut so I was looking forward to this one. The coffee flavor is excellent. I’m not too big on the chips, though. Are they carob? I need to look up this one in the book to see what they used for the chips. This book is 240 pages long and it contains a plethora of vegan ice cream recipes.
Peanut Butter And Jelly - This came with a separate container of jelly for the topping. Ok, I’m applying it now….Wow! That is amazing. A bizarre yet delightful flavor. What am I tasting? It almost has a hint of garlic? Can that be? Have you ever tasted garlic ice cream? I had some once and it was superb.
This vegan ice cream is delicious. Are you are looking for some non-dairy dessert alternatives? Scoop up this book.
Vick Mickunas
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Why America Fights…
I’m reading a fascinating new book about American wartime propaganda. WHY AMERICA FIGHTS - Patriotism and War Propaganda from the Philippines to Iraq (Oxford University Press) by Susan A. Brewer takes readers from the days of the Spanish American War (Remember the Maine?) right up to our present day.
This is amazing stuff. Citizens have gotten whipped into a frenzy over the years by what Donald Rumsfeld euphemistically described as “perception management.” This book contains numerous reproductions of wartime posters that are incredibly clever while also being weighted with the messages the propagandists were delivering.
Years ago I went to an estate sale. The fellow who had died was an avid collector of World War One vintage posters. Apparently he had collected them as a child in Philadelphia during the war. There were hundreds of them wrapped in plastic up in the attic. They were incredible. Most of them were priced between 50 and 100 dollars each. Some of them depicted monstrous German soldiers.
I have been kicking myself ever since for not buying one of them…
Vick Mickunas
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Bill Veeck’s Cleveland Indians…
Dayton, Ohio is Cincinnati Reds country. I understand that. Even so, back in the late 1940’s the Cleveland Indians had a fan base that extended across the midwest, from Chicago to Pittsburgh. There were even Cleveland Indian fans in the Dayton area.
Bill Veeck owned the Indians during those glory years long before he moved on to other franchises in other cities. My friend Paul Dickson is one of our greatest baseball writers. He is working on a book about Bill Veeck and he wants to learn more about those days from Indians fans who remember those teams.
Do you know any old-timers who might want to share their memories and recollections of those Indians teams? Perhaps you remember them? If you can help out with this project drop me an e-mail. Thanks!
vick@vickmickunas.com
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Genuine moon walkers are hard to find…
This is my 260th weekly Book Nook column — spanning 52 columns per year over five years. Actually, I only wrote 51 last year. I missed one in September when that freak windstorm knocked out my electricity.
Which means I’m a week late in writing this fifth anniversary column. Prior to my stint in print, I was at WYSO Public Radio in Yellow Springs. Some readers might recall the radio incarnation of the Book Nook.
I’m looking back at 15 years of books — at WYSO, I did more than 1,000 author interviews. And I’m still doing them for this column. Talking with writers about their work is one of my greatest joys.
I have interviewed politicians (Gary Hart, John Kasich, Barbara Boxer, George McGovern, John Glenn, Byron Dorgan and Mario Cuomo); some movie stars who are no longer with us (Peter Ustinov, Janet Leigh and Charlton Heston); astronauts (John Glenn, Buzz Aldrin and Gene Cernan); and musicians (from the Doors and the Rolling Stones to the Animals).
I have conversed with fascinating people. Some authors don’t like to discuss their work. Their creative process can be mysterious. Early on, I discovered a trick to get them to open up; I demonstrate knowledge of their work. That can lead to a real exchange.
The art of conversation survives. I want to be respectful, but sometimes questions must be asked. I spoke to Jim Lehrer and inquired about how he asks really tough questions on PBS? He said he just goes ahead and asks. So I did that. I don’t think he liked it too much though when it was being done to him.
My favorite interviewer of authors is C-Span founder and Book TV host Brian Lamb. I had a chance to interview him. I don’t think he liked being the one answering the questions, however. Interviewing can be a one-way street. Asking the questions is the fun part.
Here are a few of my favorite interview memories: Buzz Aldrin telling me what it was like to step out on to the surface of the moon. Terry Waite describing what it felt like to be held hostage in Beirut. He craved books. He would sit in the darkness and imagine that he was reading his favorite books. Janet Leigh said Alfred Hitchcock filmed her shower scene in “Psycho” with very cold water over multiple takes.
John Glenn was my longest interview. We talked for more than an hour. This childhood hero of mine told me about almost flying his jet into Chinese airspace in hot pursuit of an enemy plane during the Korean War. He recalled his amazing orbit around the earth in a space capsule that now seems so primitive it is hard to believe he even made it back.
Gene Cernan never thought that he would be the last man up on the moon. Fifteen years ago, Pat Conroy said that his next novel would probably be published posthumously. It is finally coming out next week. Hang in there, Pat.
Thanks for listening, and thanks for reading.
Vick Mickunas
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A dog named Hitler…
Art on the Lawn is going on right now (Saturday) in Yellow Springs. It is a great place for obtaining art and plenty of good conversation.
While I was there I ran into an author I know. She had a bestseller a few years ago. She probably will prefer that I didn’t mention her name. She’s married to an author who is also somewhat well known. (You never know who you’ll meet in Yellow Springs).
Anyway, we were chatting and we got into a conversation about animals. She was in rural Kentucky recently and she thought that she saw a bobcat, or perhaps it was a lynx? It was crossing the highway. I figured it was possible. Is it?
Then she remembered that the last time we talked I had mentioned that an old tomcat of mine was ailing. She asked how he was doing? I told her that he had died a couple of months ago.
Then I mentioned the cat network. I really believe that cats have one. About 4 days after that cat passed on there was a ruckus among some of the other cats who remain. One cat was in the closet and she had her claws caught in some clothes. She was really making a fuss. This cat gets upset rather easily.
One could have assumed that she was perturbed about her claws being snagged. That wasn’t the exact cause of her disquiet though. There was a black cat in the laundry basket. He wasn’t the same black cat I was used to seeing. He was a new cat who just showed up and moved in. That’s how the cat network works you see, one leaves and another one shows up fairly quickly. We named him Satan. One friend of ours thinks the name Satan is a bit sacrilegious. I used to have a cat named Beezlebub and I can assure you that these kinds of names can be well deserved.
When my friend (the author) heard that my new cat is named Satan she recalled an incident where one of her friends had been bitten by a German shepherd that was seriously deranged. The dog’s name? You guessed it; Hitler.
Now why on earth would anybody name their dog that?
Vick Mickunas
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Tips for debating universal health care…
It seems apparent that many Americans want to have access to health care insurance. Those who oppose universal health care for all Americans seem to have their own agendas.
The columnist, commentator, author and blogger David Sirota has a blog post today that offers some points that can be made in this heath care debate.
He makes some persuasive arguments. I’m curious to know what readers think about them.
Here’s an excerpt from Sirota’s post:
“I’m also fairly certain that when many of you run into the Me-First, Forget-Everyone-Else Crowd, you don’t feel like confronting the faux outrage. But on the off chance you do muster the masochistic impulse to engage, here’s a guide to navigating the conversation:
What They Will Scream: We can’t raise business taxes, because American businesses already pay excessively high taxes!
What You Should Say: Here’s the smallest violin in the world playing for the businesses. The Government Accountability Office reports that most U.S. corporations pay zero federal income tax. Additionally, as even the Bush Treasury Department admitted, America’s effective corporate tax rate is the third lowest in the industrialized world.
What They Will Scream: But the rich still “pay close to 60 percent of this nation’s taxes!”
What You Should Say: Such statistics refer only to the federal income tax. When considering all of “this nation’s taxes” including payroll, state and local levies, the top 5 percent pay just 38.5 percent of the taxes.
What They Will Scream: But 38.5 percent is disproportionately high! See? You’ve proved that the rich “contribute more than their share” of taxes!
What You Should Say: Actually, they are paying almost exactly “their share.” According to the data, the wealthiest 5 percent of America pays 38.5 percent of the total taxes precisely because they make just about that share — a whopping 36.5 percent! — of total national income. Asking these folks to pay slightly more in taxes — and still less than they did during the go-go 1990s — is hardly extreme.
Stripped of facts, your conversation partner will soon turn to unscientific terrain, claiming it is immoral to “steal” and “redistribute” income via taxes. Of course, he will be specifically railing on “stealing” for stuff like health care, which he insists gets “redistributed” only to the undeserving and the “lazy” (a classic codeword for “minorities”). But he will also say it’s OK that government sent trillions of dollars to Wall Streeters.
And that’s when you should stop wasting your breath.”
To read it all click HERE:
Well, what do you think?
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (32) | Post your comment | Categories: booms and busts
“Buy it, or skip it?”
The National Post is a Canadian newspaper that has a blog on books called The Afterword. Blogs are always searching for new content. Over the past year or so I have noticed that they have picked up some of my book reviews and posted them under the caption Buy It, or Skip it?
I tend to give mostly positive reviews to books because I want readers to discover the good stuff. When I write a negative review I do it to warn readers to avoid a particular book.
Recently, I gave a very bad review to a book about Facebook. the social networking website. My review was just picked up by The National Post.
To read it click HERE:
Did you like that? Here’s another one for Lee Child, click HERE:
And one for Lisa Gardner, click HERE:
OK, and one more for Cooking Dirty, click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
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Remembering Hiroshima…
On this date, Aug. 6, 1945, we dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. 66,000 residents of Hiroshima were killed instantly. Many more were to die from radiation sickness.
On this date each year I revisit my copy of Hiroshima (1946/Knopf) by John Hersey. Originally published in The New Yorker, my copy of the book is a first edition.
Here’s an excerpt from the chapter A Noiseless Flash:
(page 23) “Everything fell, and Miss Sasaki lost consciousness. The ceiling dropped suddenly and the wooden floor above collapsed in splinters and the people up there came down and the roof above them gave way; but principally and first of all, the bookcases right behind her swooped forward and the contents threw her down, with her left leg horribly twisted and breaking underneath her. There, in the tin factory, in the first moment of the atomic age, a human being was crushed by books.”
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Electronic book wars…
The battle for dominance in the embryonic market for electronic books is growing more intense.
Amazon.com rolled out the Amazon Kindle wireless reading device in late 2008. Since then Amazon has upgraded the device and lowered some of their prices. Many current books are available from Amazon as Kindle downloads for around ten dollars.
Those prices are making some people in publishing uncomfortable. The disparity between ten dollars for a Kindle download and 20 to 25 dollars for the typical new hardcover book is eroding the already shrinking profit margins for some publishers.
Some publishers assume that every e-book sold represents one less hardcover book profit being made. Now Sony, which has their own electronic reading device, the Sony Reader, has thrown down the gauntlet in this battle for e-book superiority. Think Beta versus VHS.
Sony just announced price reductions for e-books that are competitive with Amazon’s prices.
An article in the New York Times describes this heated battle and some of the disparities between the competing devices:
“Sony’s price cut on digital books and the new devices may not be enough to help it catch up to Amazon. One significant drawback to Sony’s new devices is that, unlike the Kindle, they cannot connect wirelessly to an e-book store. Owners of Sony Readers must plug their devices into a computer to buy and download books.
The new Readers also cannot access magazines or newspapers, and Sony has yet to develop a version of its reading software for other devices like the iPhone. Mr. Haber from Sony said that the company was working on developing all of these features.”
To read the entire article click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
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Shades of Lorena Bobbitt…
Do you remember Lorena Bobbitt? She had some anger issues with her husband. A recent incident in Wisconsin brought her to mind. There’s gotta be a book in here somewhere….
To read more about it click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
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The Manson Family’s Antioch College connection…
The filmmaker John Waters has written a book, Role Models, which will be published next year by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. The book is being described as a “self- portrait told through intimate literary profiles of his favorite personalities; some famous, some unknown, some criminal, some alarmingly middle of the road.”
The Huffington Post is publishing some excerpts from the book. The first one ran today. Here’s an excerpt from that excerpt:
“Rolling Stone gave me the go-ahead to pursue the Leslie Van Houten interview so, in 1985, seven years after her final conviction, I wrote to “The Friends of Leslie”, a now-disbanded, loose-knit support group made up of Leslie’s real family (Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters — all glad to have her back from Manson even if it was in prison) and her jail-house teachers and counselors who had seen how this teenage girl had been completely dominated by one of the most notorious madmen of our time during the 1960s, a decade which may never be surpassed in misguided revolutionary lunacy. Susan Talbot, one of the organizers, who met Leslie through classes offered in prison through Antioch College wrote me back and told me that Leslie was not interested in being in Rolling Stone or any other magazine at the time, but recommended I write Leslie to see if there was any rapport. In other words, Susan (who did know who I was, whereas Leslie did not) was intrigued and slightly puzzled by my offer of support but mistrustful of my intentions. Who could blame her?”
Wow! Can you believe it? Leslie Van Houten is serving a life sentence for crimes that she committed as a member of Charlie Manson’s cult. While is prison, Van Houten took courses taught under the auspices of the now defunct Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. If it wasn’t really true somebody would have probably made it up, right?
To read the entire excerpt, click HERE
Vick Mickunas
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James Lee Burke is simply the best…
James Lee Burke is that rare author who just keeps getting better with each book. That’s hard to do. He is best known for his series that features the Louisiana lawman Dave Robicheaux. Last year, he published his 17th book in that series.
Burke has written a dozen other books. These include short story collections, stand-alone novels, and a series featuring former Texas Ranger turned Montana lawyer Billy Bob Holland. Burke’s latest novel, “Rain Gods,” is a stand-alone that reconnects readers with Billy Bob’s cousin, Hackberry Holland, a Texas sheriff.
Long-time fans might recall the last time Hackberry turned up in a Burke book. It was back in the early 1970s. Well, Hack is back, older and still fiercely enforcing the law in his rural county on the Mexican border.
As “Rain Gods” opens, Sheriff Holland has gotten an anonymous tip about a terrible event. Human smugglers murdered a group of women. Hackberry Holland finds their graves near an old deserted church. Who could have done such an awful thing?
Hackberry and his deputy, Pam Tibbs, focus in on their only clue, the anonymous tipster who called in the information that led to this gruesome find. It came from Pete Flores, a young veteran of the Iraq War. Pete and his girlfriend, Vikki Gaddis, have gone underground, hiding out from the killers who once offered Pete money to help smuggle those unfortunate women across the border.
When the smugglers began killing the women, Pete ran off. Now everybody is looking for him; the sheriff, federal agents and a network of shadowy professional assassins. Pete already had plenty of demons on his plate. Badly burned by an explosion in Iraq, he has nightmarish memories. He battles a powerful temptation to drown his emotions with alcohol.
This struggle with alcoholism is a recurring theme in many of Burke’s books. Dave Robicheaux is a recovering alcoholic. His best friend and sidekick, Clete Purcell, remains a heavy drinker. This creates conflict in their relationship.
Sheriff Hackberry Holland is another former imbiber. He resists the infrequent desire for a shot of Jack Daniels on ice. Like Pete Flores, Hackberry is also plagued by flashbacks to wartime atrocities. His war was the Korean War. He was a POW, and tortured.
Burke’s villains are extraordinary creations. “Rain Gods” has an entire range of bad guys; pornographers, drug smugglers, cold-blooded enforcers. Jack Collins is the worst of these. They call him “The Preacher.” He has to be the most complicated, perplexing villain Burke has ever done.
“The Preacher” believes that he is on a mission from on high. His warped and distorted vision of heavenly retribution is brutally enforced with his Thompson sub-machine gun. In classic Burke fashion, the good guys and the bad ones circle one another until the final showdown.
“Rain Gods” is a potent allegory that kept me up until the wee hours of the morning. James Lee Burke never cheats his readers — nobody does it better.
Vick Mickunas
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Now if I just had some pitching…
The trading deadline for major league baseball passed yesterday. There was a flurry of trades between contenders like the Red Sox and also-rans like the Indians.
For those of us who play fantasy baseball the trade deadline can cause some moments of anguish. My league is all National League players so when a star player gets sent to the American League it can be responsible for some gnashing of teeth.
It’s August, baseball is in the stretch run. I’m looking over my fantasy team and I’m seeing some good things and some disasters. Here’s what comes to mind:
Good Things
Mark Reynolds (Arizona Diamondbacks). He’s having a career year with big numbers in home runs and a pleasant number of stolen bases. He still strikes out a lot but his batting average is actually half decent. A major reason why I’m leading my league in stolen bases.
Justin Upton (Arizona Diamondbacks). He’s young and he has power and speed. He’s turning into a fantastic offensive force.
Raul Ibanez (Philadelphia Phillies). I sneaked this player out of our draft day auction. He carried my team during the first half. An injury slowed him down but he is still poised to put up career numbers in HRs and RBIs. A major reason why I’m leading my league in Home Runs.
Pablo Sandoval (San Francisco Giants). They call him Panda. He’s another player that I sneaked past everybody at our draft. He swings at everything and fortunately he frequently makes contact.
Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles Dodgers). Has become the ace of my pitching staff.
Disasters
Jay Bruce (The Reds). I didn’t want him. I figured the Reds would be terrible as usual. And I was right about that. When I put Jay Bruce up for bids in our auction I assumed that one of my Reds-loving buddies would bid on him. I was wrong. Nobody even bid. I got stuck with him. His batting average just kept dropping. Then Dusty Baker decided to give Jay some bench time to get his head together. In Jay’s very first game back he broke his wrist almost immediately. Nice coaching, Dusty.
Brandon Webb (Diamondbacks). I didn’t do my homework on the pitchers. Webb has been a real stud the past few years. I figured it was a no-brainer to draft him as the ace of my staff. He hasn’t pitched since opening day. There’s something wrong with his arm. They keep saying he’ll be back so I have been wasting a spot all year long on my bench. Now they are talking about shutting him down for the remainder of the season. If I had gotten even 6 or 7 wins out of him I might be leading in that category. I certainly would not have the most losses, which I do.
At the moment I’m in third place overall. I’m just barely trailing the guy in second. And the fellow who has been leading our league all season long is finally looking like his team is fading. I’m optimistic that I can finish well.
Oh, and I have some fantastic baseball books to read. They just re-issued TY COBB - My Twenty Years in Baseball and CONNIE MACK - My 66 Years in the Big Leagues.
Ah, baseball…..
Vick Mickunas
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