Summer Book Extravaganza
Welcome to August. I have read so many good books lately that I have decided to share them with you this month rather than parcel them out over time. You can take your choice among fiction and nonfiction, serious and not-so-serious. As for news, I really don’t have any. I’m still working on the book, still playing music, still doing yoga and walking the dog. So, while the sun is shining, settle down with a good book and take a mental vacation. Enjoy!
Paul McCartney: A Life by Peter Ames Carlin, Touchstone, 2009. Some biographies read like extended term papers, but not this one. The book came in the mail, I turned to the first page and read to the last, setting aside whatever I had been reading before. Carlin, who formerly wrote for the Oregonian entertainment section, offers a complete life story that really does read like a story. I am amazed at how much information he obtained and how well he wound it into a gripping narrative. It begins with Paul’s early discovery of rock and roll and his meeting with John Lennon. Step by step, we go through the stages of his career from wild beginner to Beatlemania to professional musician dealing with the disintegration of the band. We go through all the phases, the Linda years, Wings and the bands that followed, the many records, the disputes with the other former Beatles and the struggle to find his place in the 21st century. Reading this book answers so many questions and clears up so many mysteries. Carlin does not portray McCartney as a saint; he shows his flaws, but he shows them with love. As a side note, the book has a most striking cover, a close-up of a defensive-looking stubble-faced young McCartney, with not a single word. Do we need more?
Portrait of an Artist: A Biography of Georgia O'Keeffe by Laurie Lisle, Washington Square Press, 1986.This biography has more of a term-paper tone than Ames' McCartney book, but in the end it's a wonderful story, too. Lisle did not have the benefit of being able to talk to O'Keeffe; the reclusive artist was still alive but declined to be interviewed. Considering that, Lisle put together a masterful portrait of the woman, weaving the countless threads into a clear narrative that gives us the whole story from birth to death of a unique woman. O'Keeffe spent her whole life dedicated to her work. Nothing else could be allowed to get in the way. To that end, she often alienated people and eventually escaped to the New Mexico desert, where she lived alone for decades. She was married to Alfred Steiglitz, a photographer and art patron who developed her career, arranging showings and publicity at a time when women artists rarely got beyond their parlors. Steiglitz, much older than O'Keeffe, declined to have children with her, saying she couldn't possibly be both an artist and a mother. She reluctantly agreed. Art was everything. This book, dauntingly long, is well done, although I wish the photos tucked into the middle could have included more of O'Keeffe's paintings. I didn't know much about the artist before, but I am awed by her strength and single-minded use of her gift.
Childless by Hilary Crahan and Susan Hodges, editors, Lulu publishing, 2010. The good thing about this essay collection is that with only 75 pages and lots of white space it doesn't take long to read it. Unfortunately, it's just not a very good book. Unnamed authors each write for two or three pages on why they never wanted kids or why they never got around to having them. The feelings are valid and it's good to express them, but they don't add much to the conversation, mostly because they are all so general that one can't be sure what happened.
Two is Enough: A Couple’s Guide to Living Childless by Choice by Laura S. Scott, Seal Press, 2009. Scott has made childlessness by choice her mission in life. She founded the Childless by Choice Project and conducted extensive surveys and interviews to present a clear picture of the decision to remain voluntarily childless and its ramifications. Although a tad bit didactic--we don’t all care about the statistical details that she seems to labor so hard over--this is a well-researched and sympathetic book that many people reading this newsletter may want to consult. She offers sound advice for those who have not yet made the decision on whether or not to have children. She also offers extensive information and resources, including books, groups and websites. Overall, Scott’s view is that we need to learn to accept each other, no matter what our choices are regarding parenthood. This book is a good step in that direction. If you changed the theme from childfree to childless by marriage, this is the type of book I originally set out to write, although mine has changed in scope over time. Check it out. Also, visit Scott's web site at www.childlessbychoiceproject.com andher related blog, www.childlessbychoiceproject.blogspot.com.
Goat Song by Brad Kessler, New York: Simon & Schuster, 2009. This is the story of a man and his wife who leave their big-city life to raise goats and make cheese on a farm in Vermont. Kessler, who was my fiction workshop leader at Antioch, proves here that he is equally skilled in creative nonfiction. He skillfully weaves the tale of Hannah, Lizzie and the other goats through a gripping life-and-death tale, beautifully threaded with essays on the culture and philosophy of goats and cheese throughout history. For Kessler, it becomes a journey of discovery. For the reader, it is a beautiful prose poem that I never wanted to end.
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman, Viking, 2010. What a delicious book. The plot is not totally original. A 12-year-old girl goes through a horrible experience, loses her parents and goes to live with an aunt she has previously never met. Very Anne of Green Gables, except she moves to Savannah, Georgia. What follows has a lot of The Secret Life of Bees in it as she becomes friends with a group of wonderful black women. But we also get a big dose of Southern femininity in all of its many personalities, and everyone meets a few challenges along the way. Hoffman has a gift for the exact right words to paint wonderful word pictures. Her characters are colorful and loveable, and she creates a world so vivid I feel as if I could go to Gaston Street and find everything she describes. Highly recommended. Bring Kleenex.
End Notes
Happy August birthdays to William, Mike, Fred, Stephanie, Ann, Pat and Georgia. Prayers for John and Tina, having surgery this month.
It’s the last full month of summer. Don’t waste it.
Hugs,
Sue
All contents copyright 2010, Sue Fagalde Lick
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