Ella Enchanted

A nice, fast read for those who like the “Cinderella” family of stories, Ella Enchanted (by Gail Carson Levine) is the same type of story, but with a twist. This time the young woman, Ella, is given a gift, or a curse depending on how you look at it, by a fairy, Lucinda.  She is to be obedient, what a nice gift, huh?  Can someone bestow that on my sons?  Or even the new puppy (As an aside the puppy is the sickliest animal I ever had.  4 weeks, 4 trips to vet for different things.  This week, pink eye.  Nasty stuff! Did I tell you how expensive having a dog is?).  So with her obedience, she needs to do whatever anyone asks of her.  The prince who she falls in love with comes along, but she can’t marry him because if someone asks her to kill him, she would.  An interesting twist in that Ella has evil friends (not step sisters) too!  Throw in some ogres, a mean step-mother, and yes a concluding ball, and you have it!  Funny how the Cinderella story lives throughout history and everyone wants to repeat it, over and over.  I’m sure nieces will like better than nephews, not to be sexist.

One L

So now I have a better understanding of what it may be like attending law school. One L by Scott Turow was an autobiographical review of his first year (hence the name One L) at Harvard Law. I can’t wait to interrogate my friends who attended law school to ask the question, is it really like that? If he was keeping as many detailed notes as he did, was he really putting in 80+ hours a week studying? Come on Scott! It made me laugh that he decided to change the names “to protect the innocent,” speaking like a real lawyer. And why did he have to add that he and his wife “made love” after the big stressful night of studying for first semester finals. I really didn’t need to know that. His perspectives on the Harvard brand was much like I had anticipated; cut throat and gossipy about grades and getting ahead at all costs. I read the version where he gave a decade reflection on what he learned and the path he chose after graduation. To be honest, I thought he would have gone in a different direction based on his earlier career as an instructor at Stanford. After a wiki on him, it appears he continued the path I thought he’d travel as an educator, well novelist, same difference. Good perspective on Ivy-type law schools. Non-fiction with a lot of fiction in it; worth a read if you run out of any classics on the list.

The Red Violin...

Are you sure this is your favorite book?
 

So I scoured the library and the internet for the book, The Red Violin.  How can it be someone’s favorite book?  It isn’t a book!  I need to find out which RA actually said it was their favorite, email them and ask for a real favorite book.  If not….  I’ll disclose who they are on this site and yes all of you, their colleagues will be able to razz them a wee bit.  I did decide to watch the movie, since maybe they misunderstood me.  I don’t intend to do movie reviews, so I’ll say, A- movie. I’d add to your list if you haven’t seen it.  Back to reading!

Dear Friends

What I love about NYU is the diversity of thought and opinions.  Just take a look over the list of favorite books and it becomes crystal clear how different our students interests and motivations.  Today just finished book number 200!!!!  In a little over two years, so pacing at about 8 books a month, though in early summer months can get through 15 or so. 

Toady, I read a very different type of book, a commentary on photos of men together during the mid 1800’s – early 1900s, Dear Friends: American Photographs of Men Together, 1840-1919.  As a sociologist (I can’t really say I am one, but hey close to it I guess), the author’s concept of looking at how some men were photographed together gave a glimpse into their relationship during time of war, heartache, and industrialization.  The author/editor, David Deitcher, was trying to show that same-sex affection (and homosexuality to a stronger degree) was as prevalent as it is today.  The pictures did illustrate, in a number of cases, a strong case for men in love with each other, though as the author does at times suggest they may be related.  I think he was a bit heavy-handed in making his case and didn’t allow the pictures to do as much of the talking as he did… pretty redundant in why he was writing the book.  His research method, for those trying to do a historical study, was sound and worthwhile.  I thought the motivation (or idea behind the book) was interesting (I’ll save it for those who pick up the book).  Some of the pictures are pretty outrageous for the times – seeing men in drag in the poses they were in was something you’d see in numerous cities in America today, who da thunk it?  Quick read with pictures galore but the author did drone on a bit.

Watership Down

Got through another book, Watership Down!  You know, these fantasy animal books are quite the read.  When I read about the author, Richard Adams, I was surprised to hear that he generated the idea for the book from stories he told his daughters before going to bed every night.  Good for the daughters to encourage him to write it.  All kids, when they feel their parents have a talent, should strongly encourage them to go for it and commit.  I remember telling stories every night to my son Christian about Jeremy, a superhuman kid who did good for his family while always seeming to get in situations he wished he didn’t.  Every night ended with “To be continued” and Christian always said, “more dad, more”...  I miss those days.  And to think son number #1 is going to college in 7 weeks.  How time does fly.  I yearn for those days.  I wish they didn’t go so fast.  Being a father to a 5/6 year old is one of the best days of my life.  While I love having teenage/young adults, it was much easier a decade ago.  Cherish the days my friends.  Watership Down was a good journey story that challenges those who look for a better life to not be afraid to go on the journey.  I always love characters who take the advice of the “crazy” one in the group.  It is those who are a little off the norm that usually has it right.  Think about how in community we tend not to give voice to those outside the norm.  When I teach my graduate course at NYU this will serve as a really good discussion about how we deal with a loud voice who gets ostracized from others.  Funny how we as humans always believe (or want to think that) that animals behave like humans.  Animals don’t wish for that at all.  Maybe we should follow their lead.  Well on second thought, having just come back from puppy play night at the local kennel, maybe that might not be a good idea.  Biting each other on the neck and sniffing privates.  Oh, to be a dog.  I so digress….  Sorry friends.  It happens.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn… so they say this is a top read of all-time.  Ernest Hemingway declared, "All modern American literature comes from Huck Finn,” and hailed it as "the best book we've had."  I do slightly remember reading the book way back in the day.  Somewhat hard to keep attention to this classic.  The language was appropriate in having the reader go back to the day and to the area where this happened.   I don’t begin to understand the South and why slavery was important, no idea - everything about it is bad.  I happened to hear a keynote while away at my conference in the great city of Austin, sorry one last rip on it, by Bertice Berry – wow was she good.  Her point was maybe we should be reading more books about abolitionist and less about slavery.  This story would be ok to Beatrice as it illustrates support of abolitionist of sorts.  The intricacies of Huck and his decision making in committing to Jim, the slave, was admirable and hard to find, I’m sure, when all seems against you.  The story line “interruption” of the Duke and the King added little to the story for me.  While this certainly was the journey genre I tend to really enjoy, between the language and the extraneous storylines, not a great read and certainly not an all-timer for me.  Bring me Shakespeare’s Hamlet or even Dante’s Inferno.  It was hard to connect with that 1840’s – 1850’s storyline.  Thank god I was not born during that time.

A Time & Place For Both: Listening vs. Reading

The 4^th of July was a beautiful day in PA.  Hot, humid, and lots of moments to listen to Alexander Hamilton on tape and then hit The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Listening vs. reading.  There is a place and time for both.  Driving as much as I do in the car, I try and listen to “longer books” rather than the short books, though that isn’t always the case.  For instance, I listened to the Five People you Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, compared to The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas.  Dumas book took me about 4 months to finish (after I switched from reading to listening) and Albom’s took two days to listen to.  I also listen to books on tapes while at the gym, a stark comparison to the AWFUL music they play at my gym, David Barton’s (which I plan on changing next week).  Books on tapes are helped by good narrators.  Jeremy Irons read Lolita, which was excellent whereas Pride and Prejudice on tape was pretty bad.  The Hamilton book is apropos listening to on Independence Day!  A great way to celebrate and learn more about what happened in the coordination of our country.  Surprising to me how much writing our ancestors did.  I don’t think my kids have written but ten letters in their lifetime.  Hamilton must have written five letters everyday.  It is time to get the next generation to write more.  Hmm, maybe I’m serving as a role model for my kids. :)

Back to reading!

Love is a Mix Tape

Out in PA for a few days, what a gorgeous day with the family on the boat!  Actually got our new puppy, Roman, into the water swimming for a few minutes.  Hopefully he’ll learn to love it.  He did it, but begrudgingly.  Interesting read tonight after a boat ride, Love is a Mix Tape.  Was a relatively quick read, only two hours as the wife watched Law and Order in the background.  I actually love the concept of the book, by Rob Sheffield.  Since he was only a year younger than me, this autobiographic book about the love and loss of his wife (and the music that underscored the book) really resonated with me.

I remember creating actual mix tapes for parties when I was in college.  I haven’t made a mix tape since that time to be honest, but still have the 6 or so tapes that I created.  What great tapes and yes, the memories that flood my mind when looking at the cover of the tapes are amazing.  Those were great days!  The 80s, Foreigner, Journey (dang college kids listening to them still!), AC/DC, Van Halen (my son loves them!), check out this site: http://digitaldreamdoor.nutsie.com/pages/best_artists80pop.html and it will bring back all of the memories. 

A quick review ahead...

In Cold Blood

Jumped into a new book today, a big departure from my most recent reads, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote.  Having seen Capote interviewed many times on television a long time ago, I was really surprised by this type of book.  I read Breakfast at Tiffany’s awhile back and did not expect this psychological murder mystery.  When listening to Capote, I always thought of him as a modern day (NYU grad) Perez Hilton.  (As a side note, one of the staffers at NYU is very close friends with Perez.  Omar was in a MTV video clip sharing his high school experience with Hilton.  Hilton hosted our NYU Ultra Violet Live.  A disaster!  His f’ bombs and lack of humor took away from the show.  Sorry Truman, didn’t mean to connect you with another sharp tongued, but low brow comparison.)

Back to the book…

I Capture the Castle

I am fortunate to have a good amount of free time, between dog sitting – the new dog has gained 4 pound in 8 days, I guess he is hungry a lot – and summer days.  It tends to be a slower time of the year for us, though things pick up around first week of August.  Hope to get my reading in for the next 4 weeks, as not sure I will get too much in August.  My RA meetings will pick up considerably, so the list will be sure to grow through the beginning of October.  I tend to learn a great deal during the 1-1 meetings with RAs.  So I was able to jump in and read I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, completely removed from her later novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians, which turned into a movie by Disney. Click through to read more thoughts...