Touched By Ink

Girl Land

2012-01-25T11:58:00.000-08:00

Having raised two daughters, now in their twenties, and being the grandma of three young granddaughters, I find Caitlin Flanagan's recently published book, Girl Land, particularly relevant to me. In comparing the teen scenes of generations past to those of today, we find that though Girl Land is a common phase shared by all females, the stark differences between the social atmospheres over time has landed many young girls in a difficult struggle to find their places. The biggest struggle, as has been for generation upon generation in the past, is a girl's self-image and how it relates to the opposite sex. This building of the self-image requires much introspection, hence the term "finding oneself." Our culture being one of techno-media is overwhelming our girls and causing great turmoil, for instead of spending enough time in self-contemplation, they simply learn all of their information by watching the images frolicking across the various screens before them.

As we fail to provide support and encouragement for the struggling girls in our homes and communities, we need to realize that it is us who first taught them that reality is learned by watching TV. It is the parents, caregivers, and teachers who plopped our toddlers down in front of Barney, Elmo, and the like for the purpose of learning the fundamental skills that were once taught first by direct-parenting then hands-on teaching. Now these same girls are learning of the larger reality of which they are infinitely curious. The media-learning that our girls are subjected to by a society that does not have their best interests at heart is countered in Girl Land with some of the most successful teaching aids in all of history: Books. What better way to aid a young gal in her all important deep thinking moments than by giving her characters, plots, and conflicts which not only can she relate to, but which she can work through in her own imagination without the distraction of caustic images and sound bites? Give her some space where she's not being bombarded with how other people think she should act or look or think. Books have been known to encourage thinking for many centuries; the combined audio/visual media does not have this track record, and in fact seems to be failing quite miserably as a tool in personal and social development.

I have made a list of many of the books that are quoted and referenced in Girl Land. Titles such as Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret, A tree Grows In Brooklyn, and Forever, are among those that I am heading to my local bookstore to purchase. I am hopeful that the insights and situations within the pages of these books will make me a better grandparent for my granddaughters; for Flanagan's book has revealed to me just how truly difficult my generation has made it for the next generation to find happiness.

The Worst Hard Time

2011-12-11T17:24:00.001-08:00

In the Middle of the United States during the 1930's, the skys swirled incessantly with so much soil that homes could not be rid of it, animals died with it blocking their digestion, and people died of what was termed dust pnuemonia. Chains were hooked to the backs of automobiles and dragged behind in order to ground the vehicles and prevent electricution while driving, rabbits were rounded up in great masses and clubbed to death, and some folks took to canning tumbleweed for it was the only vegetation that could be found.

The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan is a tale not only of the massive dusters that plagued this era, but also of the people who confronted these conditions with the hope of coming out ahead. The hope of tomorrow. We, as readers, get to know them as they struggle within their communities from the Panhandle in Texas to the lower regions of Colorado. Each with an engaging tale of survival, cunning, and resourcefulness. As we follow along with these unforgettable hero's, we learn much about what caused the dust bowl and the approach to solving the problem that affected the entire nation.

Reading this book, I realized that greed is not a class attribute, but a universal one, that hero's truly are born everyday and come in many shapes and sizes, and that hope really is eternal.

WILD SWANS

2011-12-03T09:01:00.001-08:00

Sometimes it's hard to pinpoint when the indigo first began running off the pages of a book and squeezing my heart with inky fingers. Reading WILD SWANS, by Jung Chang is just such an instance. It is at once a memoir and a colorful, first-hand history of twentieth-century China. The "Wild Swans" are Jung Chang's grandmother, mother and herself as the story of the Chinese cultural revolution unfolds in chronological order. The grandmother was born in a time when foot binding was practiced, Jung Chang's mother was a member of the Communist forces, and Jung was born during a time of casting off of imperialistic modes as well as suffering greatly at the hands of rumor and accusation by all acounts of a violent cultural upheaval.

The scenery, characters, and emotion of this story are portrayed with dignity and strength by Jung Chang as doubts of her devotion to Chairman Mao begin to creep in. The hardships that the citizens of China suffered during Mao's purging of enemies, who's faces changed like the wind, are portrayed with passion and thought.
This is the book I recommend to all who tout the benefits of Communism, be it by labeling "class enemies," or touting a State that sees to the needs of its people.

Jung Chang was born in Yibin, Sichuan Province, China, in 1952. She left China for Brittain in 1978, soon after earning a Ph.D in Linguistics from York University.

Baiqiao Tang

2011-06-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

My Two Chinas: the memoir of a Chinese counter-Revolutionary is an in-depth look of the struggle of Baiqiao Tang as he went from being a student leader during the pro-democracy movement, to improsonment under the charges of being a counter-revolutionary, to becoming a voice to free China. Everybody should read this book. Within these pages are descriptions the Tiananmen Square Masscre, prison life in China, a great deal of the humanity that binds all people together, as well as depictions of Chinese culture, including family life and allusions to great Chinese poets.

I was inspired by this book to work harder on my poetry writing, to take it more seriously than I have done in the past because this man, Baiqiao Tang is obviously a modern day hero and in this book he reveres poets as well as including some poet terminology within his work. That, despite the fact that on June 4th, 1989 the Tiananmen Square Massacre claimed the lives of thousands of peaceful protesters.

Baiqiao Tang lived to tell the story of that massacre, and that's what he has devoted his life to ever since his escape from China. This is a book of courage and strength that is well told with poetic prose and frightening reality.

The "Wagon's West" series

2010-11-06T21:02:00.000-07:00

I usually try to avoid reading series for a couple of reasons. One, I'm afraid I'll lose interest or become disappointed somewhere down the line, thereby discrediting the original passion that I had for the initial book. Another reason is, I just hate the thought of waiting and waiting and waiting for a new installment only to find that, for whatever reason, the author can't or won't be writing more of the series. I stumbled across what I thought was a relatively new series and since it was written in my favorite fiction genre and titled after the state that I live in, I picked it up.

With a little searching, I came to find out that what I'd purchased brand new was actually a reprint of a series that was printed in the late seventies to late eighties, the "Wagon's West" series by Dana Fuller Ross. Not only is the series already complete, and not only did I begin reading it out of order, but there are a total of 24 titles in the series with an additional series shooting off from it. The secondary series is entitled "The Holts, An American Dynasty," and has a total of ten titles.

I'm hooked on the "Wagons West" series in a bad way. I have read volumes 1-8, mostly in order. Having searched used book stores and such for the books, I could not always find the book that I needed, so I read what I could find. It seems the publisher who is putting out reprints is in no hurry to get them on the shelves, probably trying to re-kindle the original draw to the series by releasing them in the same time period as they were originally released. I don't know, but waiting drove me crazy, so I searched the used book stores and picked up what I could because I'm feverish with obsession.

This series is a fantastic read for lovers of historical fiction, westerns, romance or action-adventure books. My favorites so far have been "Texas" and "Nevada," because the action is non-stop. Not one of the books in the series thus far has been a sleeper, though. The characters are unforgettable and the situations are believable. The interactions, introductions, and continuations are flawlessly executed. The writing style of Dana Fuller Ross keeps me turning page after page.

Wagons West

1. Independence! (1979)

2. Nebraska! (1979)

3. Wyoming! (1979)

4. Oregon! (1980)

5. Texas! (1980)

6. California! (1981)

7. Colorado! (1981)

8. Nevada! (1982)

9. Washington! (1982)

10. Montana! (1983)

11. Dakota! (1983)

12. Utah! (1983)

13. Idaho! (1984)

14. Missouri! (1984)

15. Mississippi! (1985)

16. Louisiana! (1985)

17. Tennessee! (1986)

18. Illinois! (1986)

19. Wisconsin! (1987)

20. Kentucky! (1987)

21. Arizona! (1988)

22. New Mexico! (1988)

23. Oklahoma! (1989)

24. Celebration! (1989)

"Essays of E.B. White"

2009-12-31T17:34:00.000-08:00

E.B. White was an extremely talented writer of essays. He wrote thousands of essays for the "New Yorker," from its inception in 1925 to the day of his passing in 1985 at the age of 86. No one would argue that E.B. White was the Master of letters of the 20th century. His writing style is conversational, and his subject matter is interesting and timeless, like a very good story that you just can't put down.

This particular collection of essays contains essays on the demise of the railroad as transportation, the female raccoon who gives birth to her young in White's tree every year, the harmful effects of radiation, and much more. Each essay has within it the power to make the reader care about whatever the subject is. One of my favorites is the essay in which he lovingly extols the beauty and idiosyncrasies of his Model T.

What it was about this collection of essays that I enjoyed most was the way in which they encouraged me to think about the everyday things in life. I am encouraged to appreciate loved ones more, and take care not to take them for granted. I feel as though I should look on all that I have and really, really be thankful.

The Shack

2009-10-30T01:12:00.000-07:00

Being that "The Shack" has sold over 7 million copies, I suppose that it is a book that has been reviewed by countless bloggers. Regardless, once in awhile there comes along a book that has a message that reflects what people are feeling, and this is one of them. So, though it's been reviewed by many already, I will attempt to add something to the table.

Mr. William Paul Young wrote "The Shack" in just four months and printed 15 copies at an office depot, delivering a copy to each of his 6 kids and mailing the rest to friends who passed them onto their friends. This book started as a pass-along, word-of-mouth book, and that's also the way it became a best seller.

I would call the book unorthodox in its approach to theology, but I would say that Young is dead-on with his depictions of human relations with each other and with the God-head. The protagonist, Mack, is a likable character with inner demons that we can all relate to, and has issues with God that are not difficult to understand. The story is totally believable, though we know it to be fiction. It is a story that we can't walk away from without feeling a little more whole, or without having something make a little more sense. It is a book that certainly depicts how humans struggle with God and with themselves. In a nutshell, the message of the book is that humans spend all of their mental and emotional energy on politics, religion and economics and very little of their energy on their relationships.

The humor in the book is sprinkled in at the right moments. I've honestly never actually imagined God as having a sense of humor. It is with humor that Mr. Young has succeeded in putting an approachable face on God. I would suggest that if it's a theologically accurate book of fiction you're looking for, "The Shack" is probably not for you. If it's an uplifting, fantasy-type fiction that you want, then you will enjoy this book. "The Shack" will aid your imagination, rub salve on your wounds, and stretch the boundaries of your heart.

I've worked at a book store for over four years and "The Shack" is the first book that I've ever seen sell completely off the shelves simply by word of mouth, over and over again, the way that "The Shack" has done. I'm not going to give away any of the plot of the book in this blog, I only hope to write enough about the book to encourage people to read it themselves.

George Orwell's "1984"

2009-09-11T23:57:00.000-07:00

Referring to "1984" during talks of politics always seems to do a fine job of nipping the conversation in the bud. I find that referring all political arguments to this book is a succinct and effective tool for summing up my belief, or lack thereof, of politicians in general and political parties specifically.

The main character of the story is Winston Smith, who has the job of re-writing history in all available formats when one of the three existing superpowers is at war with another. By doing this, Big Brother keeps the citizens of Oceania brainwashed as to true world events. The other two superpowers, Eastasia and Eurasia, undoubtably operate in the same way as Oceania. One would think that such brain-washing would be unlikely, if not entirely impossible, except that Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin used mind control devices quite effectively during their regimes.

We learn of Big Brother's control of Winstom Smith's life from the very beginning of the story, when he is roused from slumber by his monitoring screen (telescreen). Big Brother has these mounted in every nook and cranny throughout Oceania and is watching for deviants from the acceptable behavior of Big Brother.

Our character, Winston, falls away from the acceptable norms of Oceania by thinking for himself. He falls in love with a co-worker and they try to form a plan to get out from under the watchful eye of Big Brother. Big Brother finds out and this is where the brutality of a totalitarian government is exposed.

I think about "1984" often, I see it as prophetic and genius. Orwell included some pretty ingenius contraptions in his tale. Located in the walls of Winston's building at work were waste disposals for incinerating the old news, there were vacuum tubes being used to transfer Winston's work assignments to and from his desk. It seemed that he worked on the internet - though it wasn't actually what we have these days, but it could be viewed as such in a loose sense of the word.

As for contemporary times and changing the news, how could that happen these days with so many web pages being uploaded daily? I suppose monitoring would be key. I imagine that given enough "Big Brother" employees, each page could easily be censored before being approved for display.

My lesson from "1984" was that I don't want any Big Brother watching me, I don't want Big Brother to be responsible for my food, clothing, shelter, or my health. Thank you Mr. Orwell for helping make my political conversations so simple.

Geoffrey Chaucer, "The Canterbury Tales"

2008-09-13T23:11:00.000-07:00

I picked "The Canterbury Tales" up without having any idea of what to expect. Reading through, I was surprised to find myself laughing out loud over some of the scenes presented within the tales. This book rammed a lightning bolt through the area of my brain which housed preconceived notions. The first notion that was shot to hell was that anything that is over 500 years old wouldn't be funny. Another notion that was put to an end while reading this book was that the art of poetry has evolved over time.

My first laugh came so unexpected that I practically choked. It was a scene where a guy thought he was going to kiss a gal, but got the husbands rear end instead. He'd had his eyes closed and fell for it hook line and sinker. The rhyme schemes of "The Canterbury Tales" are such that one can remember the tales and then re-tell them with ease.

It's been a long while since I've read any of "The Canterbury Tales," but I do know that it is an ingenius piece of work. It is a collection of tales told among a group of travelers during a long journey. This is a must-read. It's funny, creative, and a great way to learn to break down those preconcieved notions.

Kim Edwards, "The Memory Keeper's Daughter"

2008-09-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

"The Memory Keeper's Daughter," is nothing short of a page-turner. The plot unfolds at a steady pace and the characters are revealed in meaningful, succinct doses. I was instantly immersed in the story. It begins during a snow storm during which twins are born to David and Nora Henry. The male (Paul) of the twins is perfect, but the female (Phoebe) has Down Syndrome. David Henry decides to send the baby to a home, but he tells Nora that the baby had died. The next twenty years or so of the story display how that one decision has shaped the lives of all the characters.

I cried twice during the reading of this book. I admit that I've cried at a movie or two, but I can't say that I'v actually cried while reading a book before this one. Laugh out loud, yes. Cry? Not to my memory. There is a nurse in the story, Caroline Gill, who raises Phoebe as her own daughter, it is the story of Caroline and Phoebe which brings tears to my eyes.

This is a touching story in that it demonstrates the power and reason of love. The love of family, and the love of friends. The love of a down syndrome person, and the love of twins. By reading this book I have further understood how the choices that I make will affect not only me, but other people, and not just in the here and now but for many years to come.

Charlotte Bronte, "Jane Eyre"

2008-09-13T16:46:00.000-07:00

Charlotte Bronte published "Jane Eyre" in 1847. It is a novel that I read in my early 30's upon realizing that I could not recall ever reading a novel written by a woman. Hence, "Jane Eyre" was my introduction not only into reading the classic books that I'd never read, but also a head-first fall into the fact that I'd had no female influences in my life up to that point. Charlotte Bronte, over a century and a half after she'd written "Jane Eyre," taught me that I should think like the individual that I am and not be a clown dancing to the tune of the society which I live in.

In the novel, Ms. Bronte's character stays true to herself throughout the entirity of the story. Through home-life hardships, dramatic confrontations, societal customs, and heartaches, Jane Eyre struggles through to solve problems, make peace, mend fences; whatever is needed to survive and hold her head up.

I consider myself fortunate to have read "Jane Eyre" as my introduction into women's literature in particular and classical literature in general. It held my attention from beginning to end, all the while hardly slowing my reading to even eat.

Ray Bradbury, "The Martian Chronicles"

2008-09-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

Have you ever read "The Martian Chronicles," by Ray Bradbury? I remember when I read it many years ago, I was wondering why Bradbury was spending so much time describing the husband playing his music at the beginning of the story. Not only that, but I also remember that Bradbury was describing the scene from the wife's point of view.

I was well into the book before something about that opening scene struck me. Bradbury was showing the reader the loneliness and isolation that the wife felt because her husband neglected her needs. I remember realizing that the scene concentrated on the fact that the wife watched her husband's hands with a passionate yearning for his touch. The subtlety, grace and compassion with which Mr. Bradbury presented that scene is forever endeared in my heart as nothing short of genius.

I have not read much in the sci-fi genre, but I am a huge fan of Ray Bradbury because of his mastery of character development. Kudo's to Mr. Bradbury I'd say, for he knew that where a man's hands are; there his heart is also.

Stephen King, "Gray Matter"

2008-09-13T16:40:00.000-07:00

The first book that I ever read by Stephen King was a collection of Short Stories entitled, "Night Shift." I was a Junior in high school when Stephen King spanned the miles to impart the character of the young, scared, lonely boy in the story, "Gray Matter," to me.
"Gray Matter" may not strike every reader the same way, but I brought to the story quite a bit of experience concerning alcohol. It's a great horror story in that the effects of a tainted beer wreeks havoc on the boy's father. What I delighted upon personally was the fact that the father became poisoned "gray matter," which is another word for the brain. The implication of the story is that innocent people were losing their lives because of his behavior. Another striking resemblence to my personal experiences was the fact that the father had to continuously feed the thirst of the gray matter. With beer.

Why this story delighted me, and endeared Mr. King to me for nearly thirty years now, is that I knew that I was not alone. What Stephen King did for me with that one story, besides making me a life-long fan, was show me that I was right. My feelings of isolation, fear, neglect, and anger, associated with my childhood were justified. I felt overwhelmingly akin to Mr. King. I felt that if the boy could get out alive, then I could too. I felt empowered for the first time in my young life.

I no longer read Stephen King's books. The last thing I read was more than fifteen years ago when I read "IT." One reason that I no longer read his stories is that I get too involved, can't put the book down, am unable to meet the responsibilitys of my "real" life. Another reason is, I've transferred my horror reading to the horrors of other realities.
Hats off to Mr. King for fantastic, believable characters and for helping us deal with the horrors in our lives.