"So ugly, worth nuffin."

"Sometimes I wish I was not alive," Precious says. "But I don't know how to die. Ain' no plug to pull out. 'N no matter how bad I feel my heart don't stop beating and my eyes open in the morning."

Precious

by Sapphire

Book Twenty-Five

Review:

I was skeptical about reading this book, especially around the holidays, when all people want to do is feel good, eat and drink themselves silly, but I am glad I pushed myself to give it a try. A truly disturbing, sad main character, who right from the first page, sucks you in to her world, her chaos and gives you no other choice but to cheer her on. Claireece Precious Jones is abused by her mother, raped by her father and barely has a chance at life. She grows up on welfare, angry, illiterate, fat, unloved and basically nonexistent. Although her story is written in dialect, at times a tough read, you find yourself drawn to the language. If you are brave enough to feel sad, mad and pure hate for humanity, pick up Precious.

Precious is now a major motion picture based on the novel Push by Sapphire, starring Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, and Lenny Kravitz.

Featuring stories selected from thousands published in literary magazines, The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2009 is studded with great writers such as Junot Díaz, Nadine Gordimer, Ha Jin, and Paul Theroux, as well as new voices. The winning stories feature locales as diverse as post-war Vietnam, a retirement community in Cape Town, South Africa, an Egyptian desert village, and a permanently darkened New York City; the dizzying range of characters include a Russian mail-order bride in Finland, a rebellious Dominican girl in New Jersey, and a hallucinating British Gulf War veteran. The stories are accompanied by essays from the eminent jurors on their favorites, observations from the twenty winners on what inspired them, and an extensive resource list of magazines.

table of contents

Introduction • Laura Furman, Series Editor

•Graham Joyce,“An Ordinary Soldier of the Queen”

•Kristen Sundberg Lunstrum, “The Nursery”

•E. V. Slate, “Purple Bamboo Park”

•John Burnside, “The Bell Ringer”

•Mohan Sikka, “Uncle Musto Takes a Mistress”

•L. E. Miller, “Kind”

•Alistair Morgan, “Icebergs”

•Roger Nash, “The Camera and the Cobra”

•Manuel Muñoz, “Tell Him about Brother John”

•Caitlin Horrocks,“This Is Not Your City”

•Ha Jin,“The House behind a Weeping Cherry”

•Paul Theroux, “Twenty-two Stories”

•Judy Troy,“The Order of Things”

•Nadine Gordimer, “A Beneficiary”

•Viet Dinh, “Substitutes”

•Karen Brown, “Isabel’s Daughter”

•Marisa Silver,“The Visitor”

•Paul Yoon, “And We Will Be Here”

•Andrew Sean Greer, “Darkness”

•Junot Díaz, “Wildwood”

Reading The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2009

The Jurors on Their Favorites

A. S. Byatt on “An Ordinary Soldier of the Queen” by Graham Joyce

Anthony Doerr on “Wildwood” by Junot Díaz

Tim O’Brien on “An Ordinary Soldier of the Queen” by Graham Joyce

Writing The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2009

The Writers on Their Work

Recommended Stories 2009

Publications Submitted

Permissions

Book Twenty-Four

Review:

I am always skeptical when reading the "best" of any genre of writing. Sometimes I think my expectations are too high and sometimes I am pleasantly surprised at just how good the story telling really is. This edition of "The Best Stories of the Year" fell short for me. I'm not really sure why, only that I may have expected more, especially from some of the well known authors that were selected. Maybe I just do not like people telling me what is the best or worst of writing and I like to judge for myself.

Don't Know Much About Literature:

What You Need to Know but Never Learned About Great Books and Authors

by Kenneth C. Davis and Jenny Davis

Book Twenty-Three

Review:

If you love trivia, tests, quizzes and think you know everything there is to know about books and authors, I dare you to try your hand at this read. You will be surprised and fascinated by the facts and inspired to visit books and authors you may not have ever thought of before. A must have for the book lover in all of us.

From Homer to Harry Potter, from Chaucer to Charlotte's Web, a compelling book of quizzes on history's most influential literary works and writers

• Did a whale named "Mocha Dick" inspire Melville's masterpiece?
• Who was the first poet to speak at a presidential inauguration?
• Which French-speaking high school football star shook up the literary world?

Do you freeze when someone mentions Faulkner? When the conversation turns to the Odyssey, do you want to take a hike? Have no fear. For years, Kenneth C. Davis's New York Times bestselling Don't Know Much About^® books have enlightened and enthralled us with a winning blend of fascinating facts and wonderfully irreverent fun. Now he sets his sights on our literary IQ in Don't Know Much About^® Literature. With this rich treasure trove of knowledge and intriguing information about the world's great books and authors, Kenneth Davis and his daughter, Jenny, demystify Dracula, capture Kafka, and help you brush up on your BrontË in the inimitable and endlessly entertaining Don't Know Much About^® style. (from back book jacket)

Kenneth C. Davis is the best-selling author of Don't Know Much About History, which spent 35 consecutive weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, sold nearly 1.5 million copies, and gave rise to his phenomenal Don't Know Much About® series for adults and children. Davis appears frequently in the media, has spoken at the Smithsonian Museum and American Museum of Natural History, and has written for the New York Times and Newsday, among other publications. He has also contributed to NPR's All Things Considered. He lives in New York City and Dorset, Vermont.

The Wild Things by Dave Eggers

Book Twenty-Two

Review:

I loved this book from start to finish! Never saw the movie, but am tempted to now. A great book for children as well as adults. Run out and get it soon.

"Maestro of the male confessional"

Shakespeare Wrote for Money

by Nick Hornby

Book Twenty-One

Review:

I would first like to say, "Thank You" to Mr. Hornby for making my "to read" list longer. This is the third collection of columns, by the author, that I read and have to say probably the most interesting. Hornby who is mainly known for his novels turned into movies, has managed to suck me in once again with his list of books he has purchased for a month and books he actually has read. The reader feels like they are witness to a private diary of accomplishments and regrets. The style is brilliant and a must read for any bibliophile. Read on Mr. Hornby, read on!

With an affectionate introduction by Sarah Vowell, this is the third and final collection of columns by celebrated novelist Nick Hornby from The Believer magazine. Hornby's monthly reading diary is unlike any arts column in any other publication; it discusses cultural artifacts the way they actually exist in people's lives. Hornby is a voracious and unapologetic reader, and his notes on books — highbrow and otherwise — are always accessible and hilarious.

-Taken from Amazon.com

"Good god I HATE my life, I want to die really bad now."

Columbine

by Dave Cullen

Book Twenty

Review:

A few months ago, I read this book and somehow blocked it out of my "to blog" list. A great chronicle of the Columbine incident from 10 years ago, written in a unique way, should not be passed over so lightly. Some fear the tragedy and would rather not know anything about it. This wasn't your ordinary non-fiction retelling of the event, but more of a story told by the major players and their families and friends. I think all educators should read this book. Be sure to check out the author's blog.

From the book jacket

April 20, 1999, two boys left an indelible stamp on the American psyche. Their goal was simple: to blow up their school, Oklahoma City-style, and to leave "a lasting impression on the world." Their bombs failed, but the ensuing shooting defined a new era of school violence-irrevocably branding every subsequent shooting "another Columbine."

When we think of Columbine, we think of the Trench Coat Mafia; we think of Cassie Bernall, the girl we thought professed her faith before she was shot; and we think of the boy pulling himself out of a school window-the whole world was watching him. Now, in a riveting piece of journalism nearly ten years in the making, comes the story none of us knew. In this revelatory book, Dave Cullen has delivered a profile of teenage killers that goes to the heart of psychopathology. He lays bare the callous brutality of mastermind Eric Harris and the quavering, suicidal Dylan Klebold, who went to the prom three days earlier and obsessed about love in his journal.

The result is an astonishing account of two good students with lots of friends, who were secretly stockpiling a basement cache of weapons, recording their raging hatred, and manipulating every adult who got in their way. They left signs everywhere, described by Cullen with a keen investigative eye and psychological acumen. Drawing on hundreds of interviews, thousands of pages of police files, FBI psychologists, and the boys' tapes and diaries, he gives the first complete account of the Columbine tragedy.

In the tradition of Helter Skelter and In Cold Blood, Columbine is destined to be a classic. A close-up portrait of violence, a community rendered helpless, and police blunders and cover-ups, it is a compelling and utterly human portrait of two killers-an unforgettable cautionary tale for our time.

Elizabeth Goodman

Cat Power: A Good Woman

by Elizabeth Goodman
Book NineteenReview:

"Chan Marshall does not want you to read this book." When a book starts off like that, you have to force yourself to push forward to find out what could be so bad that a person is against you reading their story. Who is Cat Power? or Chan Marshall? This is one of those books that you want to put down many times, but are afraid you may miss out on some important message and are reluctant to abandon.

Having seen Cat Power in concert a few times, I felt compelled to getting to know her beyond the music. She has been a controversial character from the get go, whether it be her stage presence or addictions, she is dramatic in every sense of the word. After reading this book, I am still not sure it matters where she came from, because I do not have any idea where she is going. Besides indie music lovers, no one I know even knows or cares about her. It is sad to say, but I do not think she will ever become the star she has the potential to be. Her cult like following is all she really has going for her.

I just recently saw her open for The Pretenders and there were probably a dozen people in the audience who knew of her and cared that she was on stage. She really has a powerful voice, a great band behind her and a spooky stage presence that makes her worth seeing as an opener or main act. This book takes you behind the scenes and into the tormented, psychotic life of one young girl. A must read for music fans alike.

Goodman, the editor-at-large at Blender, interviews her family and friends such as Thurston Moore, Nick Cave, Dave Grohl, Jack White, Bill Callahan, Vincent Gallo, Karl Lagerfeld and Wong Kar-Wai, trying to paint the real Chan Marshall. Although, this is not an ordinary biography,Goodman really tries her hardest lure you in to the private life of an indie singer. The New York Times, Alan Light said it best:

It is very much to Goodman's credit that Cat Power: A Good Woman sustains interest, especially since Marshall refused to participate. Goodman thoroughly explores the central drama of Marshall's life: the "career-long argument Chan has with herself…about whether or not she wants to be up there singing in the first place"…Goodman makes a decent case—to this skeptical reader, anyway—for Cat Power's musical significance.

Lyrics to "Good Woman", which appears on the album You Are Free:

I want to be a good woman

And I want, for you to be a good man.
This is why I will be leaving
And this is why, I can’t see you no more.
I will miss your heart so tender
And I will love
This love forever

I don’t want be a bad woman
And I can’t stand to see you be a bad man
I will miss your heart so tender
And I will love
This love forever
And this is why I am leaving
And this is why I can’t see you no more
This is why I am lying when I say
That I don’t love you no more

Cause I want to be a good woman
And I want for you to be a good man

Zachary Schomburg

The Man Suit

by Zachary Schomburg

Book Eighteen

Review:

The Man Suit, a debut from poet Zachary Schomburg, is a collection of surreal prose poems with a sprinkle of realism. He takes us through the world of doppelgangers, talking animals and dead presidents. This book is layered with a great combination of artwork and space, allowing the reader a canvas to paint, while wrapping their head around the poetry by Schomberg. You will love the oddly wild index in the back of the book and I myself found it helpful and funny at the same time. Some of the poems in this volume first appeared in Fence, tarpaulin Sky and the Canary. "Abraham Lincoln's Death Scene" first appeared as a chapbook from Horse Less Press and "The Truth About Canada" first appeared as a tinyside from Big Game Books. Check out Black Ocean for a wide variety of mediums in the vain of art and humanity.

Praise for The Man Suit:

"Zachary Schomburg's 'The Man Suit' comes to us from the past but it is a thoroughly new book. It comes to us out of the familiar and it strikes us in the face with its novelty. You will recognize your own history, the history of our nation, the influence of Mad Magazine and Benjamin Peret. And underneath it all, and what holds it all together, however unlikely, is the deep and abiding love of the little things that make up our days."--Matthew Rohrer

"It is a rare and fine thing when a poet momentarily affiliates his words and his cadences with the entirety of a world, thus freeing his poem from all burden of mediation, all transgression. In our own era, Rene Char and Pablo Neruda come most vividly to mind in this regard. With 'The Man Suit,' Zachary Schomburg, quietly but with deep conviction, begins to join their company. His book is a blessing."--Donald Revell

"Zachary Schomburg is a wildly imaginative poet who will take you many places you've never been or even dreamed of, always with grace and quirky humor. Whether you are caught in Abraham Lincoln's Death Scene or the Sea of Japan, you are certain to enjoy the original vision of this highly entertaining poet. It's a book like no other."--James Tate

White, Urban Appalachian Children

Other People's Words: The Cycle of Low Literacy

by Victoria Purcell-Gates

Book Seventeen
Review:
What type of people live in the Appalachian Mountains? Rednecks, poor white trailer park trash or just a lost group of people that no one really wants to talk about. These people are a community of illiterates who need to be educated in the U.S.A. and I think are severely over looked in our society. I never really knew what it meant when friends talked about volunteering and helping people in Appalachia or even where Appalachia was. If it wasn't for the Senator of South Carolina hitting the media recently, I still would be in the dark. This book is a case study that a college professor conducted on a mother and child who are from the Appalachian region trying to live in a more civilized city like society. The family struggles with whether or not they should stay in the modern world, illiterate and isolated or return to a world of comfort and family. The saddest part of this whole story in my opinion is that there are probably tons and tons of families in other parts of the U.S.A. that face the same issues, yet we have the best educational system in the world. How?

What is involved in the effective teaching of writing at the secondary and first-year undergraduate level?

Teaching Writing As Reflective Practice: Integrating Theories

by George Hillocks and Michael W. Smith

Book Sixteen
Review:

Although, I am not a first year teacher, the theory and practice ideas really pushed me to reflect on my own teaching of writing. Chock full of tips on how to conduct a writer’s workshop and ways to approach teaching the various modes of writing, this book is a great introduction for any teacher who is looking for validation and approval on why we do what we do when we attempt to teach writing to our students. Even though, this was a book I read for a graduate level class, I would still recommend it to anyone in the field of education or anyone who planning on going into the classroom.

"Many writing problems "are really courage problems".

The Courage to Write: How Writers Transcend Fear

by Ralph Keyes

Book Fifteen
Review:
A great book to read and re read whenever you are looking for inspiration or just a good old kick in the pants about writing. Some of the highlights are the famous author quotes and stories they told about their rituals that they had involving the writing process. This book is an excellent resource for a beginning student of writing or even a nice guide for an avid reader who appreciates the style and craft of writing.

Reality TV. Celebutantes. YouTube. Sex Tapes. Gossip Blogs. Drunk Driving. Tabloids. Drug Overdoses.

The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism Is Seducing America

by Drew Pinsky and S. Mark Young

Book Fourteen
Review:
Dive into the world of celebrity narcissism with this page turner from the man who brought you “Celebrity Rehab”. If you are interested in the fall, and I mean nose dive of Brittany Spears, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Lindsey Lohan, then look no further. This is a great companion for the “People Magazine” lover in of all us. The best part is that Pinsky takes us beyond the rumors and breaks down scientifically why these celebrities act the way they do and how we as a society are just mere spectators in their train wreck of a life. An awesome read for a pool/beach day.

His wife is not his wife.

Atmospheric Disturbances: A Novel 

by Rivka Galchen

Last December a woman entered my apartment who looked exactly like my wife. This woman casually closed the door behind her. In an oversized pale blue purse—Rema’s purse—she was carrying a russet puppy. I did not know the puppy. And the real Rema, she doesn’t greet dogs on the sidewalk, she doesn’t like dogs at all. The hay feverishly fresh scent of Rema’s shampoo was filling the air and through that brashness I squinted at this woman, and at that small dog, acknowledging to myself only that something was extraordinarily wrong.

Book Thirteen

Review:

This novel is reminiscent of Pynchon, Borges, Murakami, with a little bit of Cervantes for good measure. It is an unsettling first novel, but often funny, post modern masterpiece. What is strongest in the plots structure is the twists and turns that pull you in as a reader and have you coming back for more. There were times that I put the book down and swore I would never return, but the need to know what happens to the tragicomic hero was enough to keep me in the game. Not an easy read, slightly high brow and often painful to put down.

Summary: 

When Dr. Leo Liebenstein's wife disappears, she leaves behind a single confounding clue: a woman who looks, talks, and behaves exactly like her. A simulacrum. But Leo is not fooled, and he knows better than to trust his senses in matters of the heart. Certain that the real Rema is alive and in hiding, he embarks on a quixotic journey to reclaim her. With the help of his psychiatric patient Harvey--who believes himself to be a secret agent able to control the weather--his investigation leads him from the streets of New York City to the southernmost reaches of Patagonia, in search of the woman he loves. Atmospheric Disturbances is a "witty, tender, and conceptually dazzling" (Booklist) novel about the mysterious nature of human relationships.

Author Biography:

Rivka Galchen grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, the child of Israeli immigrants. She attended Princeton and went on to get her MD at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. During that time she spent a year in South America, working for a Hopkins' public health researcher, mostly on projects based in Lima's shantytowns and in the villages around the jungle city of Iquitos. She has received multiple fellowships through Columbia's MFA program. Rivka Galchen received her MD from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, having spent a year in South America working on public health issues. Her fiction and essays have appeared or are forthcoming in "The Believer", "Harper's", "The New Yorker", "Scientific American", and "The New York Times".

Impact and Interpretations

Casebook on Waiting for Godot 

by Ruby Cohn

Book Twelve

Review:

This book is separated into two parts- the "Impact" the play has had on dramatists and the "Interpretations" (existentialism, biblical, mythical) that many scholars have had based on the play. It dates back to Paris 1953, London 1955, Dublin 1955, Miami 1956, NY 1956 and was published by Grove Press in 1967. It is a collection of the impact, reviews, reflections and interpretations. Although, the reviews were from various Europeans and American journalists, the one that stood out the most for me was by Norman Mailer. In his review, he apologized for at first writing a negative article about the play and after giving it some serious thought, he wanted to write a positive review. The whole casebook begs to have the question who is Godot answered and my favorite attempt to solve the mystery was by Beckett himself. When asked Who is Godot? and What the mysterious Godot symbolized? he responded: "If I knew what Godot was, I would have said so."

Review from Amazon:

...of this excellent compilation when writing my senior thesis and directing Godot in 1988. Cohn collects some of the most cogent, insightful and stimulating readings on this seminal work of twentieth century theatre. If you involved in a production of Godot and want to gain insight into the layers of meaning and musicality of the text, or if you simply love Beckett and want to read some very exciting and non-pedantic writing about his magnum opus, this book is a great find.

A Tragicomedy in Two Acts

Waiting for Godot 

by Samuel Beckett

Book Eleven

Review:

"One of the most noble and moving plays of our generation . . . suffused with tenderness for the whole human perplexity . . . like a sharp stab of beauty and pain."--The London Times

Summary- Taken from SparkNotes

Two men, Vladimir and Estragon, meet near a tree. They converse on various topics and reveal that they are waiting there for a man named Godot. While they wait, two other men enter. Pozzo is on his way to the market to sell his slave, Lucky. He pauses for a while to converse with Vladimir and Estragon. Lucky entertains them by dancing and thinking, and Pozzo and Lucky leave. Pozzo and Lucky leave, a boy enters and tells Vladimir that he is a messenger from Godot. He tells Vladimir that Godot will not be coming tonight, but that he will surely come tomorrow. Vladimir asks him some questions about Godot and the boy departs. After his departure, Vladimir and Estragon decide to leave, but they do not move as the curtain falls.

 

The next night, Vladimir and Estragon again meet near the tree to wait for Godot. Lucky and Pozzo enter again, but this time Pozzo is blind and Lucky is dumb. Pozzo does not remember meeting the two men the night before. They leave and Vladimir and Estragon continue to wait.

 

Shortly after, the boy enters and once again tells Vladimir that Godot will not be coming. He insists that he did not speak to Vladimir yesterday. After he leaves, Estragon and Vladimir decide to leave, but again they do not move as the curtain falls, ending the play.

*I haven't read the play since college and wanted to refresh my memory before seeing it in previews at Studio 54. Nathan Lane and John Goodman are the big names that draw you to this production but Bill Irwin's mastery of physical comedy steals the show and your heart. John Glover's Lucky is heart rending. The result is a comical wordplay of poetry, dreamscapes and nonsense, which has been interpreted as a somber summation of mankind’s inexhaustible search for meaning. A highbrow delight. See it while it's playing.

What do people have to say about Leonard Cohen?

LEONARD COHEN AND HIS CRITICS 

by Michael Gnarowski

Book Ten

Review:

So much to say about Cohen and here are a few words of wisdom from the great man himself.

”Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in. 

”A scar is what happens when the word is made flesh” 

”Every heart to love will come – but like a refugee” 

”Act the way you'd like to be and pretty soon you'll be the way you act” 

”I don't consider myself a pessimist. I think of a pessimist as someone who is waiting for it to rain. And I feel soaked to the skin” 

”The term clinical depression finds its way into too many conversations these days. One has a sense that a catastrophe has occurred in the psychic landscape” 

“We are so small between the stars, so large against the sky” 

This is from the blurb on the back:

"Poet, singer, novelist, song writer, pop saint - Leonard Cohen's writing is discussed here from many points of view. The essential reviews, articles, fascinating interviews and controversies are gathered together for the first time from sources as diverse as Canadian Literature, The Village Voice, Weekend Magazine and the New York Times Review for Books, among many others.

Michael Gnarowski's Introduction offers a perspective in which each contribution takes on added significance, while the collection itself provides context in which not only individual passages but all Cohen's novels and poetry may be further appreciated..."

Yes, Leonard Cohen is a poet!

Stranger Music: Selected Poems and Songs

by Leonard Cohen

Book Nine

Review:

Even if you aren't familiar with Cohen as a musician, you've probably heard his music. "Suzanne" "Bird on a Wire," "Famous Blue Raincoat," "Joan of Ark", and "Hallelujah". Cohen has written many other songs too, as well as poetry and prose poetry not set to music. If you have not read any other Cohen books, read this first - it has a great variety of poems and clips of prose. The chapters are laid out by book and album title.

I suggest you listen to some of the poems that turned into songs after you read this book to really get the feel for the "voice" of the man. A few months ago, I had the pleasure of seeing Cohen perform at the Beacon Theater and was mesmerized by his stage presence. The crowd of people that he attracted was unbelievable. There were a ton of celebrities, musicians and travelers in the audience. You could tell that you were in the presence of something special. If you haven't been exposed to Cohen, you need to rush out now and grab onto anything you can find.

Why all the fuss about Gary Lutz?

Stories in the Worst Way 

by Gary Lutz 

Book Eight

Review:

I have nothing to say about this book. Utterly shocked. Here are a few links to reviews, interviews and samples of his work that I thought were worth reading.

www.bookslut.com/features/2006_07_009366.php

www.believermag.com/issues/200602/?read=interview_lutz

www.5cense.com/Lutz.htm

www.thevalve.org/go/valve/article/gary_lutz_my_hero/

www.webdelsol.com/lutz/

www.webdelsol.com/lutz/lutz-sm.htm

www.elimae.com/fiction/lutz/lps.html