Awesome Audios!

To round out the month of July and our focus on everything audio, I present two of my favorite audiobooks. Personally, I am not an audiobook person. I appreciate the audiophiles who have such an intense love and knowledge of all things audiobook, but I seem to have a very fraught relationship with them. However, everyone once in a while, I come across one that grabs me.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

First of all, you have to read this book. Whatever format you prefer, just read this book. I highly recommend the audio version because you get the delight of a good story paired with the vocal stylings of Wil Wheaton. Actually, if you love audiobooks or Wil Wheaton, I recommend any book he narrates.

The story is set in 2044 when the Earth has been ravaged by famine, poverty, and disease. All the people who struggle with a day-to-day existence escape to the OASIS, a virtual world lacking all of the misery in the real world. The creator of the OASIS has hidden puzzles that will lead to a massive fortune, but no one has been able to unlock one until Wade comes along. From there, the story turns into a fantastic, action packed adventure into 80s nostalgia.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Authors are not necessarily the best choice as narrator for audiobooks. However, memoirs and other personal nonfiction seem to be the most logical books to be read by the author. Personal accounts of sensitive topics or life altering events can sometimes only best be read by those who lived them.  Ta-Nehisi Coates’s book, Between the World and Me, is one of these books.

Coates’s poignant memoir framed as a letter to his teenage son is a must read. It discusses the impact of American history and ideals on the safety and perception of black Americans. It is Coates’s personal history and his awakening to the truth about his place in the world, which is best told in the author’s voice rather than by a disconnected narrator. 

Dear Mr. You

Mary-Louise Parker, best known as an award winning actress, recently released her first book titled Dear Mr. You. It is a literary memoir written as collection of letters to men (and a few boys) who have helped mold her into the person she is today. The letters have a varying degree of seriousness and intimacy. Some letters, such as those to her grandfather, father, and family friend, Father Bob, are very touching, while others are incredibly humorous and lighthearted. Her letters directed at college peers, ex-boyfriends, and college professors divulge more about Parker’s struggles than the letter’s intended subject. You get a glimpse into the type of person she is and how she came to certain phases of her life by the actions of the man she’s writing to—which, of course, is her intent. Some letters, such as the one to Big Feet, are to men who were not even acquaintances, but gave her perspective on life and showed the depth of her caring or how simple interactions leave lasting impressions. In a few interviews Parker has railed against the idea that this is a memoir through letters. She argues that she didn’t look at it that way because it seems odd to tell your life story using another person, like it is a weak idea, when in fact the letters make for a fantastic literary device to convey her experiences.

Parker’s writing is lyrical and very readable, making the book flow easily from one section to the next. Being a person who loves a good memoir, I can say this doesn’t disappoint. Due to the nature of her memoir, I think a staunch fiction reader could pick this up and enjoy the arc of the story told via the letters. Parker’s writing has appeared in Esquire, Bullett, and Bust, but this is her first book, hopefully not her last. She can easily add accomplished writer to her growing list of accolades.  

A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan

Dragons are a staple in fantasy, they are powerful, destroyers, companions and enemies. Occasionally they talks and are frequently mysterious, but rarely are they ever looked at and analyzed in a scientific manner. A Natural History of Dragons takes this old standby and tells an altogether different and engaging story.

We follow the early events of Isabella, or more formally known as Lady Trent, life and rise to one of the preeminent dragon naturalist. Told in in memoir form we learn of Isabella as young girl growing up in the Scirland countryside, a country remarkably similar to Victorian England. She is given little opportunity for science in general and no opportunity to study the little developed field of dragon naturalism. But she manages persevere, acquiring the a copy of the single authoritarian text on dragons, has a chance encounter with one, finds a scholarly husband, and embarks on an expedition to Vystrana to study the local rock wyrms, who are noted for being relatively calm  The expedition is full of smugglers, superstitious locals, ancient ruins, and mysterious and characteristic dragon attacks. Isabella must use all her intelligence and courage to determine what exactly is causing the dragons to attack.

The start seemed to plod along at times, even with the consideration that it was needed to establish Isabella’s background and motivations. It seems especially slow in comparison to the concluding flurry of action. However, Brennan does a remarkable job mixing memoir, fantasy dragons, and naturalism, all with a good dose of who-dunnit.

Not that kind of girl: Lena Dunham tells you what she's "learned"

Feminist lit seems to be topping the best of 2014 lists. Among the books to hit the shelves in 2014 was Not that Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham. Dunham modeled the book after Helen Gurley Brown’s book, Having it All—more in construction than message. Dunham leans a bit more to the feminist, coming-of-age bent than Brown did. I am not a diehard Lena Dunham fan, I have not watched Girls, and I generally have not enjoyed anything I’ve see her act in. However, she’s making news and is splashed across at least one major magazine cover every month. I am a fan of feminist lit, as this is touted, and I enjoy memoirs.

My perception of Dunham did not change much. She’s a rather whiny, over privileged girl from Soho. However, she disclosed in her book that she became aware of these things as she aged and tried to put things in perspective. According to her, not even the offspring of well-known artists have it easy when trying to break into the entertainment industry. Alongside the normal coming of age issues like flagging motivation and low self-esteem, Dunham has had to face sexism and age discrimination. Yes, women are still not treated fairly in the workplace (Patricia Arquette might have mentioned this recently, too.). Perhaps my favorite part of the book is Dunham’s proclamation that she will name names of the men who treated her poorly when she made it to Hollywood. She’s polite enough to wait until he’ll more than likely be dead and her career will be rock solid, but she will be telling all. I can't wait.

Lena Dunham’s book is great. A good solid read that sheds light on a new icon. If you've read other recent memoirs by female television or movie stars, such as Bossypants by Tina Fey or Yes, Please! by Amy Poehler, this would be a safe bet for your next read. Keep in mind, young women are tongue in cheek these days so don’t come expecting a lovely story about a chaste and well-mannered young woman. Life is messy and these women don’t sugar coat it. Young women, all women, should read their books and be proud of the advancements made, but also be aware  of what it took to get here and how much further we have to go.

And, just for another shameless plug, don't forget Caitlin Moran in your list of feminist reads. I recently read and reviewed How to Build a Girl, but if you're feeling particularly angsty, you should check out How to be a Woman, also by Moran.

The Big Read is fast approaching!

It might seem a little early to start pumping The Big Read, but why not let the excitement build?!

If you aren’t familiar with The Big Read, it is intended to bring the community together by reading and discussing the same book over a six-week period. The community event is sponsored by local libraries and businesses to encourage literacy and community interaction through the common thread of a single book. The Big Read strives to involve the community every step of the way by having the public vote for the book from a group of committee selected texts in October. Once a winner has been decided, the work of planning multiple events across several library systems begins. The intent is to make sure the calendars are filled so anyone can find a discussion or event to attend. In the past, author visits have also been scheduled, but (sigh) the 2014 Big Read will not include a visit from Cheryl Strayed. Speaking of Cheryl Strayed…

Wild: from lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail is the 2014 Big Read winner! Many of you might have already read Wild or at least heard of it. Oprah selected this to be her first book for the Oprah Book Club 2.0 in 2012, and the book continued to build momentum. The story recounts Cheryl Strayed’s eleven-hundred-mile solo hike on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).  At twenty-two, Strayed thought she had lost everything. After her mother's death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon shattered. Four years later, she made an impulsive decision to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State all on her own. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little more than "an idea, vague and outlandish and full of promise." But it was a promise of piecing back together a life that had come undone. Strayed weaves heartache, addiction, grief, and humor into her memoir to create a memorable experience for all readers.

Whether you are an avid reader or a dabbler, consider participating in The Big Read. You stand the chance of making new friends, potentially finding a long-term book group to fit your schedule, or just having a great book discussion. Also, don’t be afraid to attend more than one event! Just because it is the same book does NOT mean you will encounter the same discussion in more than one place. The Big Read begins on March 10 and runs through National Library Week until April 19. Here are some important links to keep you connected:

www.bigread.org

https://www.facebook.com/DaytonBigRead

www.wclibrary.info/bigread (for events sponsored by WCPL)

www.cherylstrayed.com (the author’s official website)

Summer 2013: Feed Your Travel Bug

Summer 2013: Feed Your Travel Bug

I have been noticing a growing number of people asking for travel diaries, travelogues, and in general books about going places. Now apparently Dewey did not see fit to include a travelogue section when created his decimal system. So in an effort to meet the needs of our patrons, I have composed a top 15 list of travel books.

Cockpit confidential : Everything you Need to Know About Air Travel : Questions, Answers, & Reflections by Patrick Smith

Adrift : Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea by Steven Callahan

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig.

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail / Bill Bryson

Walden on Wheels: On the Open Road from Debt to Freedom by Ken Ilgunas.

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard.

The Last Train to Zona Verde: My Ultimate African Safari by Paul Theroux

The Best American travel writing.

Travels with Charley: In Search of America by John Steinbeck

Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time by Mark Adams

Italian Ways: On and Off the Rails from Milan to Palermo by Tim Parks

Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan

The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious and Perplexing City by David Lebovitz

The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific by J. Maarten Troost.

With or Without You

In previous blogs, I’ve mentioned my love of memoirs. There is something unique about being able to connect with a person through their written story. Biographies are dry, factual, not at all (ok, not always) narrative, but memoirs skate that line of fact and fiction by providing dialogue and setting through the recreation of the writer’s memory.

Recently, I read With or Without You by Domenica Ruta. This is Ruta’s first published book, but watch for more as I anticipate a wide following of her works. She was born and raised in Danvers, Massachusetts. Ruta is also a graduate of Oberlin College and holds an MFA from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin. She was a finalist for the Keene Prize for Literature and has been awarded residencies at Yaddo, the MacDowell Colony, the Blue Mountain Center, Jentel, and Hedgebrook. Pretty impressive credentials, if you ask me.

Be forewarned that most people that have published memoirs did not enjoy the best childhoods, but their writing offers catharsis for what they’ve been through and guidance for the rest of us. Domenica Ruta’s life was no picnic, but her memoir is very unapologetic. Not that she has anything to apologize for, but her writing holds no trace of the anger and resentment that you would expect. It is laid out as a “this is what happened, here I am now” style. Late in the book she does express anger for some of her mother’s actions (or lack of action), while at the same time acknowledging how much her mother did give her. Ruta’s memoir serves as encouragement to anyone that must make a choice between family and health. Recognizing that you may not be able to overcome addiction without stepping away from a loved one is an issue that many people face.  Being able to say “I was there, I participated, and I want out” is a significant achievement for a person.

I expect many great things of Domenica Ruta. Considering her age, I’m also hoping that she continues down the path of Mary Karr and gives us more memoirs in the future. Reading a memoir is a good reminder of what it is to be human. If you read one and feel relief that someone else has shared your experiences, you can take solace in their words. If you read one and feel grateful that it is not your story, you can feel compassion for another human’s trials. Either way you are better connected to the human race.

Rocking New Year

Before I realized that it is almost impossible to listen to CD books in a car where the disc gets ejected constantly, I began lining up several biographies of famous musicians to listen to while on the road. I am not an audiobook person, but I thought it seemed more fitting to listen to the biographies of people that built careers by appealing to our auditory preferences. Not to mention, several of the books are read by familiar voices. Just for the sake of name dropping, Johnny Depp and Keith Carradine make the list of rock and roll biography readers. If you decide to read rather than listen, check out our music selection for appropriate background music for your walk/read on the wild side.

Here is a list of some recent rock musicians' biographies that will be sure to spice up your new year:

Who I am: a memoir by Pete Townshend

The man who sold the world: David Bowie and the 1970s by Peter Doggett

Waging heavy peace: a hippie dream by Neil Young

My cross to bear by Gregg Allman; with Alan Light

 

 

Mick Jagger by Phillip Norman

Bruce by Peter Ames Carlin

Kicking & dreaming: a story of Heart, soul, & rock and roll by Ann and Nancy Wilson; with Charles R. Cross

In the pleasure groove: love, death, & Duran Duran  by John Taylor; with Tom Sykes

Guest blogger: Ralph Keyes

We at Fine Print are very excited to occasionally share contributions by local authors. We have asked them to share their thoughts about their favorite book, something they've read recently, or the role reading has played in their lives. Today's offering is from Ralph Keyes, whose books have included Euphemania: Our Love Affair with Euphemisms, I love it when you talk retro : hoochie coochie, double whammy, drop a dime, and the forgotten origins of American speech, and The post-truth era : dishonesty and deception in contemporary life, among others.

Some years ago I read A Fan’s Notes by Frederick Exley.  This had been recommended to me by a number of other writers, and with good reason.  Exley’s “fictional memoir” was a searing account of his life on and off his living room couch, trying to get his life on track.  The candor with which he wrote invited empathy.  Exley’s portrayal of his fraught relationship with his father was especially compelling.  This father had been a renowned high school athlete in the New York town where the author grew up.  Exley himself, a mediocre athlete, could not match his father’s renown.  In one riveting scene the two compete against each other in a father-son basketball game at the high school where Exley Sr. had once been a star.  His son has to guard him.  He crushes his 13-year-old boy mercilessly.  Afterward, as they walk home, the father rests his arm on his son’s shoulder and tries clumsily to apologize.  The son represses his urge to “sob uncontrollably, and to shout at him my humiliation and my loathing.  ‘Oh, Jesus, Pop!  Why?  Why?  Why?’”  As a memoir-writing man Exley wishes he’d done so.  Instead he just seethed and wished his father – soon to die of cancer – was already dead.  “Among unnumbered sins,” the author concludes, “from that damning wish I seek absolution.” 

A Fan’s Notes gained such a following because it portrayed one man’s struggle to get a grip with such candor.  Reading about Frederick Exley’s struggle made other men feel better about their own.  It did so for me.  As an aspiring writer I found that his honest, well-written memoir gave me courage to write with greater candor myself.  Today I appreciate more than ever the author’s integrity in calling his book a fictional memoir.  During a time in which so many memoirists have been revealed as fabulists who passed their fantasies off as the truth, Exley’s honesty shines even brighter.

mem•oir/ˈmemˌwär/

One of my biggest pet peeves as a reader and as a librarian is the general jumbling together of memoir and biography. Yes, the two genres obviously relate, but you cannot carry the same expectations from one genre to the next. Biographies are a recitation of events, a sometimes emotionless rendering of a human life (yes, I generalize). However, a memoir is a vignette of a person’s life in their own words, a glimpse into the private thoughts, feelings, and events that helped to create the essence of the person. Sound good? Maybe you should jot these down…

Take for example, Townie, by Andre Dubus, III. Many of you may be familiar with Dubus’ novel, House of Sand and Fog, or maybe you’ve heard of his father, Andre Dubus, who was a short story writer and essayist. Regardless of how you know Dubus’ name, or if you don’t, I guarantee the life you’d assume he led as the son of a successful writer is far from accurate. Growing up in some of the roughest areas of Massachusetts, Dubus beautifully details his reconciliation of brawn, brains, and what it means to be a townie while he looks for the purpose of his life.

Across the pond, Jeannette Winterson delicately weaves humor into the strands of a confusing and desperate childhood in Why be happy when you could be normal?. Her honesty is brutal, her story is unique, and she is nothing less than a force of nature. It would be regrettable for anyone to miss out on her memoir. Seriously, slip her shoes on for a while and see how your life feels afterward.

The last author I’ll mention is dedicated memoirist, Mary Karr. Karr has written three memoirs over the years : The Liar’s Club, Cherry, and Lit. Each memoir details a different segment of her life beginning with her childhood in The Liar’s Club. Karr’s childhood memoir is character heavy and rich in detail. She is able to successfully show that love can still exist in chaotic, unpredictable families.

The vague descriptions of each memoir are in reverence to the writers' unique voices. Part of the enjoyment of reading memoirs is getting to experience the movement of the text as the story unfurls. All of these memoirs will leave you inspired and pondering your own journey. Perhaps you’ll even feel motivated to pen your own memoir. Besides, hiring a biographer can be expensive.

Lessons in Peakbagging

Looking for some inspiration to get the family outdoors this summer? Travel up forty-eight of the New Hampshire White Mountains with Patricia Ellis Herr and her five-year-old  daughter, Alex, in Up: A Mother and Daughter’s Peakbagging Adventure. Herr partnered up with her less than school age daughter to tackle New Hampshire’s highest peaks in an effort for both to join the 4000 Footer Club. While I can understand the overabundance of energy that Herr encounters in her five-year-old, I am in awe of her daughter’s ability to channel that energy into lengthy, uphill hikes. My children tend to request a ride (a.k.a. Mom, will you carry me) when we are taking a casual stroll around the block. I suppose potential bear encounters,  violent spruce grouse, freak electrical storms, membership in an elite club, and men in kilts make for a more exciting expedition than general suburban mayhem.

While I am not currently (one can dream) in possession of a New Hampshire weekend home, I found it very easy to relate to Herr’s commentary. Being the mother of two young girls almost identical in age to Herr’s, I found myself getting overly emotional at the small triumphs and fighting alongside her when strangers challenged her parenting decisions. As a connoisseur of memoirs, I would highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in hiking, parent-child relationships, outdoor lifestyles, homeschooling, New England, bee survival, or men in kilts. Yes, there is a man in a kilt in most of the book. The best part is, the story doesn’t end once you close the back cover. Herr writes a regular blog  about her continuing adventures with Alex and younger daughter, Sage.

If Herr leaves you yearning for adventure, check out these other books to get started on your Buckeye State hiking adventure. We may not have 4000 footers, but we do have some good trails. Don’t forget your water, bug spray, and well-toned upper torso for when the kids decide they’ve had enough.

 

50 Hikes in Ohio: day hikes and backpacking trips in the Buckeye State by Ralph Ramey

Hiking Ohio: a guide to Ohio’s greatest hiking adventures by Mary Reed 

Hiking Ohio: scenic trails of the Buckeye State by Robert Folzenlogen

Hiking Ohio’s falls: 200 more hikeable waterfalls by Tine Karle

Walks and rambles in southwestern Ohio: from the stillwater to the Ohio River  by Ralph Ramey

A Shameful Period in Our History

It seems that I have been reading a lot of books lately with the same theme or at least the same subject matter: the Japanese-American internment camps during World War II.  My grandfather was a Navy corpsman in the Pacific at Saipan and Okinawa during the war so I am familiar with some of that history.  However, I knew nothing about the internment camps in our own country.  President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized the expulsion of people with Japanese ancestry from the West coast of the U. S. on February 19, 1942, with Executive Order 9066.  Approximately 110,000 Japanese-Americans and Japanese who lived on the Pacific coast were "relocated."  This exclusion order was not rescinded until January 1945 and the last camp was not closed until 1946.  During WWII, Colorado governor Ralph Lawrence Carr was the only elected official to apologize publicly for the internment of American citizens--it cost him re-election but a statue of him was erected by the residents of Denver's Japantown.  It wasn't until the 1980s and 1990s that the internees or their heirs were paid reparations--or a formal apology was issued by the U. S. government.  Whether you believe it was justified, was racial persecution, or you are divided on the subject, please read the following books.  They will introduce you to a part of our not so distant past, teach you about hardship and resiliency, and tug at your emotions as you look through the eyes of the internees and their families.  Please read these stories because it is important to understand our history so that we're not doomed to repeat it. 

 Non-Fiction

Korematsu v. United States by Karen Alonso

Looking Like the Enemy
by Mary Matsuda Gruenewald

Farewell to Manzanar
by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston

Years of Infamy
by Michi Nishiura Weglyn

Fiction

Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
by Jamie Ford

Snow Falling on Cedars
by David Guterson

When the Emperor Was Divine
by Julie Otsuka

Southland by Nina Revoyr

Why She Left Us
by Rahna Reiko Rizzuto

Camp Nine
by Vivienne Schiffer

I Never Knew

Who's hotter than Hot? Betty White is hotter than hot! She has been in the public eye for 70 + years and has recently made an even bigger name for herself.  I always enjoyed the characters she played. However, I did not believe that she was as sweet as the majority of the characters she played.  After reading, If You Ask Me and Of Course You Won't,  her latest autobiography, I believe she is down to earth, sweet and most definitely funny.  

Her latest book is full of short essays (chapters) that I actually shared with my teenage daughter.  Betty is not at all who I imagined her to be.  She adores animals, does not seem to want to do a lot of shows, (but....she doesn't want to let anyone down either) and enjoys helping others.  I learned that one of her favorite awards was being made an honorary forest ranger.  What an amazing woman.  She is 89 and still (I'm sure) has many adventures left to make.  If you enjoy a quick, witty, exciting book written by a down to earth, lovely lady give this one a try. 

Last Dog On the Hill

I loved this book! It's a story about a very special dog but also about love, friendship, loyalty and redemption. It is a very touching tribute to Steve's dog, Lou. 

Lou's life is extradordinary, not just because of the unbelievable work that this heroic canine accomplished throughout his long and  well-loved life, but because of the amazing bond that he and Steve forged.
Steve's sense of humor comes through loud and clear in an easy, engaging read after which you wish you could have met Lou the wonder-dog yourself.

Do not get me wrong this is not your typical 'Hero Dog' story. On the contrary, throughout the book I cringed, laughed, whooped and cried. Lou starts off as an angelic flea-bag foundling. He’s super dog and mischevious mutt all rolled into one. His master's limitless patience and determination transforms him into a well-trained, thinking, master-redeemer of death-row dogs.

This book has it all, emotion, suspense, a good cast of characters, wit and precision writing. And each of these elements is vividly present in Last Dog on the Hill. Steve Duno had a special relationship with his dog and we are fortunate that Steve took the time to honor his beloved dog.

It is a must read for anyone because it transcends the "dog person" story and touches on the bonds between people as well as the bonds between humans and their pets and is filled with remarkable insight.

One of the big questions I found myself asking was whether Steve Duno rescued Lou or whether it was Lou that rescued Steve Duno.

I hope you are as enchanted by this story as I was.  It's a story that will make you smile, laugh out-loud, make you think and yes, shed a few tears. Who could ask for more in a book?

Biographies & Memoirs

Biographies and memoirs are wonderful. I love reading about the frailty of the human spirit. Bauby's story of living with Locked-In Syndrome without whining or complaining in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a perfect example. I also love reading about people's strength to overcome incredible odds in order to achieve a better life and, sometimes, to simply survive, such as in Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall. However, I mostly love reading about, and this will make you think me shallow, the interesting facts that I can share with friends and co-workers – or even complete strangers who stand still long enough to listen.

For example, did you know that Albert Einstein (Albert Einstein by Alice Calaprice), who today would probably be diagnosed with ADHD, had multiple extra-marital affairs? Did you know that entertainer Steve Martin (Born Standing Up, a Comic’s Life) lost his virginity to Christian writer Stormie Omartian (only she wasn’t a Christian writer at the time; she was a performer)?

If you’re not sure where to start in your search for a well-written biography or memoir, try The Color of Water: a Black Man’s Tribute to his White Mother by James McBride. I’m fairly certain you will enjoy the story, will appreciate seeing how his mother overcame incredible odds, and will find an interesting fact to share with someone else.

The House at Sugar Beach

In The House at Sugar Beach, Helene Cooper, a reporter for The New York Times, writes of her African childhood in the country of Liberia. Cooper is the descendant of two families who came to African from the United States as part of the shipload of freedmen under the auspices of the American Colonization Society. Her description of her life as the daughter of a wealthy family, her loss of innocence during the bloody civil war of the 1980s, and her urge to return to the land of her childhood searching for redemption from her foster sister result in a fascinating read.

Audition

Ever wonder which famous people are great interviews---or awful subjects for interviews? Read Audition by Barbara Walters and you’ll have your answer. Walters spills the beans on the more personal side of famous people, while also divulging some very interesting personal stories of own. Whether you like Barbara Walters or not, you have to give her credit for breaking the glass ceiling in television news.

2008 Dayton Literary Peace Prize Winners

In case you were wondering, and you should be, the winners for the 2008 Dayton Literary Peace Prize were announced this week. The winner of the Fiction Prize is Junot Diaz for The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, and the Nonfiction Prize winner is Edwidge Danticat for Brother, I'm Dying. The Lifetime Achievement Award winner is Taylor Branch, notable for his Pulitzer Prize-winning trilogy, America in the King Years. According to Sharon Rab, chair of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, "This year’s winners explore both the devastating impact of violence and the power of the human spirit to overcome great pain and adversity in order to move communities and society forward. We are proud to honor artists whose creativity and unique perspectives remind us that lasting peace comes from our recognizing a shared humanity.” For more info about these authors and their prize-winning books, read the entire press release here.

Peace!

A Language Older Than Words

I don’t know what prompted me to pick up A Language Older Than Words and read it—a publisher’s blurb, a review—but by the time I finished it, I was utterly blown away. I think my whole worldview shifted, and Derrick Jensen became a sort of hero to me. For those of us whose dulled perceptions still may register a vague sense that “something” is indeed wrong, Jensen removes the anesthesia and applies a strong dose of reality. Do yourself a favor: READ IT. Then read its companion volume, The Culture of Make Believe. You may not agree with everything Jensen writes, but I guarantee you won’t view the world the same way again.

Also by Derrick Jensen: Thought To Exist In The Wild: Awakening From The Nightmare Of Zoos

Buon Appetito!

Beautifully written, The Saucier’s Apprentice is author Bob Spitz’s gastronomic travelogue. Recently divorced, Mr. Spitz sets out on a journey at mid-life, perhaps seeking to find solace in travel and food. His travels take him (and the reader) to some of the finer cooking schools in France and Italy. The author is candid throughout in sharing details of his emotional journey, but thankfully, not in a morose fashion. Along the way, he also shares some wonderful recipes. Having lived and worked in Italy myself for more than a decade, I had the wonderful opportunity to experience firsthand the cuisine of Italy. The author makes the ultimate brutta figura (faux paux) when cooking with Chef Claudio in the Chianti hills of Tuscany. In response to a beautifully prepared braciole, he exclaims, ‘Voila!’ He should have said ‘ecco qua’! Great inspiration for foodies and travel bugs ~ ‘Buon Appetito’ e ‘Buon Viaggio’!