Stuff - Illustration Friday - Ahead

Ok, it's a little late (it's Thursday already), but here's my entry for ahead - A head.

When I was in grade school, the teacher would give us a long word, and we had to find as many words as we could, using the letters from the big word.

This is a visual version of this word game.

Books - 2010 Tennessee Williams Festival

I was able to take 1/2 day vacation to attend the 2010 Tennessee Williams Festival to hear a conversation with David Eggers. Susan Larson, the newly retired book editor of the Times-Picayune, provided the questions for this session.

The room was packed! Some audience members had to sit on the carpet.

David Eggers is an author who has other interests that are related to literacy, reading, and writing.

Although he wanted to be an artist and had the talent to do so, he realized that he was a better writer. He has fond memories of his English teachers and has kept in contact with them. Some of them are now tutors at Chicago branch of 826 Writing and Tutoring Center, a writing center for young people, now located in 7 US cities.

Even though he majored in journalism in college, he felt that he was well trained in how to write well and what he learned has helped him in being a better fiction writer. Other authors who were journalists before becoming novelists include George Orwell and Joan Didion.

Eggers realizes that print journalism is in trouble right now, but he believes there is a place for newspapers. McSweeney's Issue 33 was a newspaper. He passed around a copy to show that a more readable format must be different and worthwhile so that people will read them again.

Eggers gave advice to aspiring writers. He encouraged everyone to join a writing group. The members must be willing to give constructive criticism and help with the editing, by reading your piece six to seven times. Editors at publishing companies aren't doing the necessary editing anymore.

He shared with the audience his method of writing Zeitoun. He and Zeitoun traveled in to the sites where Zeitoun paddled around. When they went to a place for the second time, Eggers videotaped ghd location. Using this method, Eggers was able to reconstruct Zeitoun's experiences in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

After the conversation ended, audience members were able to ask questions. What a nice way to make the audience feel closer to the speaker. It was a great way to spend a nice afternoon.

Click here for other highlights from this conversation.

Stuff - St. Louis No. 2 Cemetery - Tour and Guide

In late 2008, when I was bored and unemployed, I assisted a friend in proof-reading a guide (print and Excel version) of people buried at St. Louis No 2 Cemetery. The guide is now in another revision stages; students from Xavier University are verifying or adding names in the guide as part of a service activity.

On March 27th, I was able to see the actual cemetery as part of the Save Our Cemetery Guided Tour. This cemetery is not very safe; it's in a high crime area, so don't visit this on your own.

I found out that during Hurricane Katrina, the flooding wasn't so deep: just knee deep. Many of the tombs are still standing; I really admire the craftsmanship.

Many of the people buried in the 1800s had one thing in common: their dislike of the new Americans. African-Americans and Caucasians were buried side by side, and the writings were in French and Spanish. Americans were really not welcomed here.

Some of the tombs are really elegant. This marble engraving depicts the steamboat explosion that killed a young man. Angels are ready to receive him in heaven.

This is a larger view of the same vault. Notice the elegant guardian angels. And 1-10 in the background.

Many tombs have fences around them. I love the elegant designs.

In the 1800s, benevolent societies were formed. It paid for the burial of members and assisted the widows and children. Many people paid in and were buried in one vault. (Some families also had multiple burials.)

However, not all the tombs are in good condition. Family members must maintain the tombs. However, if a family or organization don't exist or moved away, the burial places can be damaged and if no one comes forward, it can't be touched for 50 years. Only then, can the Catholic Church take over and make the repairs.

For more photographs, click here.

I plan to go on another cemetery tour in the future. Keep an eye out for the post.

Stuff - The Eruption

The Eyjafjallajokull eruption has disrupted modern life. I wonder whether it will inspire new novels like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein during the Year without a Summer.

The good thing is that no one has been killed.

Many aspects of a dystopian novel are happening now!

This blog from the Guardian on-line paper reports the following scenarios that I never imagined would ever happen:

Taking a $5400 cab ride from Norway to Belgium (paid by John Cleese of the Monty Python fame.)

Vegetarians going hungry! If flights don't resume soon, the grocery stores will run out of fruits and vegetables. Most European refrigerators are so tiny, that even if you can freeze these foods or make lots of casseroles, you can't store much in them. Wonder how long one can eat canned veggies and fruits?

No medivacs! Helicopters are also banned from flying. I just hope that no one gets seriously hurt and needs to be transported to a hospital via helicopter.

Spring break extended! Many students and teachers, who went abroad, can't get home for the last weeks of school.

Flooding! Instead of lava flows, the volcano is shooting ice in the air. The heat causes the ice to melt. And, some Icelandic farms are now underwater.

This force of nature is allowing me to use my imagination. I thought that President Obama would go the state funeral of late President Lech Kaczynski and his wife by flying west, landing somewhere in Russia, and then taking a train to Poland. My father mused that since the President is the Commander in Chief, he could hop on naval submarine and still arrive in time for the funeral. Well, he did neither and is staying home in D.C.

So, what else do you think could happen?

(Photo from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2010/apr/17/natural-disasters-air-transport)

Books - Book Review - A Dream in Polar Fog - Yuri Rytkheu

I found out about Archipelago Books from the Mookse and the Gripes

Of course, I got on the website and found many books that interested me.

I had a gift card that was about to expire and decided to spend some of it on ONE Archipelago book.

Readers of this blog know that I am always looking for books about cold places to read in the summer, to keep my mind off the heat. But, Polar Fog was so beautiful (wonderful paper, comfortable size) that I couldn't wait until June to start reading it.

The story is about a Canadian, John MacLennan, who is on an expedition to Siberia in the early part of the 20th century. He gets injured and is left in the care of the Chukcki. They attempt to take John to a Russian doctor in Anadyr. However, a storm overtakes them, and they stop in a village. The spiritual woman/healer is the one who cures John.

John returns to Enmyn with the Chukcki and reluctantly accepts the fact that he will be stranded there for a long time.

Orvo, who travelled on ships and learned English, is John's friend and translator, tries to make the other villagers to make John feel comfortable. Toko didn't like John's "icy, cold eyes. They had the strange quality of looking right through a person, as though that person were an empty space."

The more time that John spends in Enmyn, the more he tries to contribute to the gathering of food for everyone, instead of being a burden. One day, John observes his tanned skin and tells Toko that he has almost become like the Chukcki. Toko thinks, "Sson (their way of saying John's name), this helpless, pathethic person who had not the slightest inkling of how a real man ought to live, was gradually becoming a human being...Not long from now, Sson won't be any different from real people. He'll be able to go along, not just hunting, but to the ceremonial sacrifices..."

Sson learns the language and the ways of the Chukcki. For many years, he has no contact with any Westerners. He doesn't feel like reading the only book that he has or the need to write down things.

Of course, time doesn't stand still, and incursions happens. Sson's and Orvo's knowledge of corrupting influences helps to keep the Chucki as close to their life as possible. But, there are several discussions on how much modernization is needed and how quickly it should be done.

I enjoyed the novel, because it's told from the viewpoint of the Chucki and not the Westerner. It's interesting how they don't think that Sson knows anything and is really not human. There are many definitions and clarifications of weather conditions and clothing that the Chucki experience. Also, I learned about hunting techniques, household duties, and how to see the beauty in the Arctic.

Archipelago Books will publish another one of Rytkkeu's novels in 2011. I am looking forward to getting it for my birthday next year.

Books - Book Review - Read, Remember, Recommend - Rachelle Rogers Knight

I received this book from the publisher.

I am one who hates to compile lists. When all the literary prizes are announced, I look at the nominations but I don't blog about the list.

So, this book saves some of the work for me. Knight has listed winners (and sometimes shortlisted authors) from various awards. There is also room for 2010 to 2013 winners. She also gives a brief history of the prize and a link to the website.

I also learned about other important literary awards, such as the Miles Franklin Literary Award and James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction, that I've never read about.

What I enjoy about the lists are some books that I need to add to my TBR. Some of the prizes go back to the 1800s, so this will be fun activity to hunt these books down.

Knight's book is not just lists; there are also sections for noting books on your personal wish list, journal pages to write thoughts about novels, and several pages to keep track of books that I lend to friends.

My favorite chapter is: Resources. This lists websites or blogs related to books and literary terms. I will have fun checking out the lists.

This spiral bound book would be a perfect present for yourself or a book looker in your life!

Coming Back Soon

Sorry, I've been away. I am still in town, but so much has been going on, I just haven't been able to blog at all.

Work has really been busy, busy! I come home, and I am tired. Plus, everyone at work has had little colds or exposed to people with pneumonia! So, I've been feeling weak for about a month.

And now, my car is in the repair shop. There is a slight computer problem. No, it's not a Toyota. My Saturn Astra keeps turning on the winter driving light, even though it's spring. I keep shutting it off, but it stays on. Hopefully, the Chevrolet dealer can find some Saturn technicians to fix it. (Saturn went out of business late last year.)

I have so much to write about: 4 book reviews, one literary event, one cemetery tour, one nice bike ride, etc.

Hope to start again soon!