Holler if You Hear Me

Holler if You Hear Me: The Education of a Teacher and His Students

by Gregory Michie

Finished another of the January mid-year RA favorite books. This one is Holler if You Hear Me: The Education of a Teacher and His Students by Gregory Michie.  The book is a true-life account of Michie’s experience as an inner-city Chicago teacher during the late 1990s.  The stories track some of the relationships he had with the students, including those he stayed in touch with years later.  Michie grew up in North Carolina and then he went to UNC to begin a life as a film-producer.  Things changed when he moved to Chicago.  His profiles are real and capture poverty, lack of role models, homelessness, gangs, drugs and how some students escaped while others couldn’t get out of the way of the landmines facing them.  Michie becomes a “beloved” teacher while learning lessons all along the way.  It is a rather quick read but has some important lessons and does a good job of capturing a moment in time in our country’s history.

Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor

Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor

by Yossi Klein Halevi

One of the mid-year RAs provided me their favorite book to read, and it is a great one!  Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor by Yossi Klein Halevi.  The book is a series of letters that the author composes in an effort to explain the Jewish story and the significance of the state of Israel to Palestinians, who live on the other side of the wall.  Haveli’s goal is to provide historical context and move towards peace between the two societies.  The inability of both Jewish and Palestinians to understand and accept the centuries old divide and offer a path to a future living together in a peaceful existence is a bitter sword in the side of both cultures.  The book is a powerful read and provides context, important in this world where we seek to be understood first.  For those who are unaware of the depths of the divide, read it.  We need more people who seek creative solutions. Religion, power, land, and politics are dividing points.  What is the commonality?  Pain, love of family/God, historical significance of the land, and recognizing that, while we may not agree with another’s beliefs, we should all respect that each person deserves to have their faith’s traditions honored.  In many ways, each letter could serve as an opportunity to understand the history of the conflict, especially what has happened since 1947.  In this era of divide, reading a book that asks readers to listen is important.  

Fall RA Book Club: The Goldfinch

The Goldfinch
by Donna Tartt

Colin's review:

The Goldfinch is a non-classical take on a bildungsroman by renowned author Donna Tartt. Theo, the main protagonist of the novel, narrates his memoir as he seeks refuge at a hotel in Amsterdam twenty-some years after a bombing incident that sparks the entire novel. Through the lenses of trauma, violence, sadness, and joyfulness, Theo's life takes many twists and turns despite his nonchalant attitude with life. Some might say he finds himself at the end, others will say he's still lost, but, ultimately, Tartt writes an optimistic ending--Theo's perseverance to do the right thing gives off quite the hopeful message.

David's review:

In The Goldfinch, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Donna Tartt presents characters with vivid lives. From protagonist Theo Decker to the kindhearted Hobie and the unkempt Boris, Tartt weaves a complex and riveting coming-of-age tale marked by tragedy. After Theo loses his beloved mother in a terror-related incident at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, his life becomes a whirlwind characterized by different homes and very different people. His one source of stability is a painting, through which Theo becomes enmeshed in the world of art. Anyone who has ever questioned his/her place in the world will relate to Theo and his struggle to carve out a niche for himself. This is a superb book that readers will enjoy.

Bhavini's review:

Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch is long but lovely. It follows Theo, who loses his mother in a tragic attack and carries his grief with him through adulthood. The Goldfinch painting, which Theo steals the day his mother dies, comes with him during this complicated trajectory as a symbol of Theo's despair and an object of his obsession. The book reads as part coming-of-age novel and part love story to New York City--even if you have to get through a long section set in Las Vegas before Theo's journey reaches its climax. It's definitely not an easy read--at some passages, I felt almost as anxious as Theo--which is probably a testament to Tartt's skill in characterization and creating atmosphere. And it's in these characterizations that the book shines--all the people, from Theo's mother to the Barbours to Hobie, feel real, with recurring appearances and complex personalities that make them jump off the page.

Tosin's review:

A bildungsroman about a young Theo Decker, The Goldfinch is a long novel that details Theo's trials and tribulations that begin with complications stemming from his mother's death and their tense relationship with his father. In Donna Tartt's 784 pages, Theo's tumultuous life stems from a series of poor decisions made, some made for him, some he made for himself. Theo for me represents someone who has experienced substantial trauma following a substantial lack of support and guidance. That said, this novel told a story that could have been told better in half the amount of pages. There were several times when Ms. Tartt lost my interest and intrigue, and, after a few chapters, the book was no longer something I wanted to pick up and get lost in.

Kaila's review:

Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch tells the story of Theo Decker, who we first meet as a 13-year-old boy being raised by his mother in New York City. After surviving a terrorist bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that killed his mother, Theo is bounced between the homes of family friends and his abusive father, ultimately settling into a life of crime and drug abuse as an adult. Following the death of his mother, Theo clings to the only piece of stability in his life, a small, Dutch Golden Age painting, The Goldfinch, which he took from the rubble of the museum following the attack. While the painting serves as a reminder of his final moments with his mother, the criminal way in which it was acquired haunts Theo and underlies some of his worst criminal behavior. Though Theo's story is long, it is packed with an overwhelming amount of detail and unexpected twists and turns. At its core, The Goldfinch is not only an entertaining read, but it imparts important wisdom on the mysteries of love, identity, and art through one boy's captivating coming-of-age journey.

Nanako's review:

The Goldfinch was a beautiful read. It demonstrates the complex nature of humanity, particularly involving the relationship between greed, love, and loss. The protagonist, Theo, is brave yet naïve. Throughout the story, he is constantly betrayed by people he trusts as a result of their greed, such as his own father and his once good friend Boris. Each time he is betrayed, the reader and Theo himself are discouraged from giving people the benefit of the doubt and to cherish the people who are there through the difficult times through and through, such as Pippa. Theo is also frequently a victim of loss of both material things and people he has loved. Interestingly, though, Theo's relationship with Pippa at the end of the book, which epitomizes romanticism, depicts romance as the cure to the pain and suffering Theo has endured throughout his lifetime. I, frankly, did not appreciate this part of the book; if I were to write the ending differently, I would've made Theo's journey more existentially awakening, and I would hope that he finds a cure within himself to his losses. All in all, I enjoyed the book very much and took a lot away from it!

Breanna's review:

Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch is a remarkable novel about the growth of a young child after his mother traumatically dies in an attack on the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Although the book is formidable in length, the plot is never dull and never ceases to surprise the reader. The main character, Theo, is forced to grow up very quickly after losing his mother and being unable to contact his estranged father. Through the various relationships he forms over the years, however, he is able to find temporary homes. Immediately after losing his mother, he lives with the Barbour family and eventually learns to feel comfortable with them and is on the cusp of becoming a full-fledged member of the family when his father suddenly shows up to fulfill his parental duties. During that same time, he also meets Hobbie, who becomes an important mentor, and falls in love with Pippa, a young girl who was also injured in the attack on the museum. Although Theo’s father proves to be indifferent to his son and only uses him to make money, Theo does find friendship in a fellow student, Boris. Boris may not be a good influence, but he is a loyal friend and comes to Theo’s rescue when he is on the verge of suicide after a troubled trip to Amsterdam. This experience forced Theo to change his ways and take responsibility for all of the poor decisions he made throughout his life. Theo’s journey, although a bit unrealistic, is exciting and gripping until the very last page.   

Kosar's review:

The Goldfinch was a very interesting read. I had to force myself to close the book at times. I connected a lot with the main character, Theo, since I did lose a parent at a very young age. I understood his grief and his reactions to that grief, but there were many instances where I got angry with some of his choices. I really enjoyed the beginning and middle of the book since the anticipation of what was coming next was high, but that feeling kind of fell off near the end of the book. I thought it was a little too rushed. It was like a piece of artwork that looked great two-thirds of the way in, but the final touches soured the piece. Nonetheless, I would still recommend this book to anyone since many people in the book club interpreted this book differently and had different reactions.

The Eternal Ones

The Eternal Ones

by Kirsten Miller

Met a new RA for the spring and they suggested reading The Eternal Ones by Kirtsen Miller.  It was a fast-moving book about a young girl (Haven Moore) growing up in Tennessee who has visions of people from a past life.  Her grandmother, a devout Christian, prohibits her from thinking about the visions from her past, suggesting the devil is trying to take over her granddaughter.  Eventually her gay male friend (Beau) helps her find her missing love – Iain Morrow, a billionaire in NYC. She begins to remember him as “Ethan” from her previous life.  The story quickly leads the seventeen-year-old to escape to NYC on a mission against evil people who have all been reincarnated and are trying to ‘resolve’ their issues in life with each return to earth.  The story reminded me of a Lifetime series movie with lots of “turn the corner” to face your evil villain. She receives new information that makes the reader think that her lover is an enemy, but she continues moving closer to defeating the true evil people from the past.  Interesting fact about the book: much of the action is set across the street from my office in the Washington Mews! Wow, small world....  It’s a “no-thinking” type of book that could be read in a few hours while waiting in a doctor’s office to take your mind off what may be facing you.  Not much thinking needed, semi-entertaining, but also somewhat predictable as I already knew who the real evil character was. 

New Micro (Extra Book)

New Micro: Exceptionally Short Fiction

edited by James Thomas & Robert Scotellaro

Thanks to Brandon for giving me a new book to read: New Micro – Exceptionally Short Fiction, edited by James Thomas and Robert Scotellaro.  The editors capture what they call, “the best of the best” of a relatively new genre of writing – stories that are short! The concept is that the stories bring you to a place of emotion, memory, or awakening in a “brief moment” compared to the traditional novel.  In this day and age of “get my attention fast” or lose it, the genre makes a great deal of sense.  All of the stories in the book are shorter than 300 words.  The ninety stories bring the reader to a point of recognition and then…the next story begins.  The stories in this book focus on relationships, the meaning of death, misunderstandings, missed opportunities, and silly anecdotes.  One thing I realized as I was reading (especially as a ‘speed reader’) is that one must really be “all-in” or you will need to go back and re-read the story.  While you may be able to zone out for a moment in a novel and still catch up, the micro story doesn't quite work that way!  Lesson learned: pay attention as it is really a quick moment to enjoy.  There are certainly some styles I enjoyed more than others, but love the concept, and a number of the stories were great.  It reminded me of attending the Moth events (https://themoth.org/).  Thanks again, Brandon!

Belong (Extra Book)

Belong

by Radha Agrawal

Happy Thanksgiving!  Finished a very reflective ‘self-help’ book called Belong by Radha Agrawal.  The book is broken into two parts: help for self and help to be connected in community.  This is a great New Years/holiday gift for someone special in your life.  The book can certainly help someone to think deeply about what it is they want to be in life.  Agrawal suggests that we start by writing it down, noting the high and low points in our lives. After that, we dig deep into identifying our values, interests, and abilities.  From there, we start with finding our healthy energy, get off social media, and begin to find those people who give us positive energy.  Such important aspects of being a better person.  Her formula for gaining energy includes: DOSE – Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphins.  Yes, changing attitude, having physical contact with others, getting exercise, dancing/laughing and sweating all make us healthy and happier.  The second part of her book focuses on how we build a community with others in the center of it.  Agrawal has created a business-building community through her Daybreaker initiative consisting of early-morning connections through dance, yoga, healthy eating and other high energy outlets (on a boat, in the park, on the streets, etc.)  Her model for community development is applicable to anyone interested in making connections with others.  A terrific book worth reading!  I plan on using it for a program at ACUHOI this summer.

The Second Sex

The Second Sex

by Simone De Beauvior

During my travels to Australia and service on the faculty of GHTI, I was able to finish the last RA Favorite book for the 2018-19 RA staff.  The longest read for this year (and known as a ‘hallmark’ book for the beginning of the ‘second’ feminist movement), I finished Second Sex by Simone De Beauvoir.  The book is a historical and sociological review of the experience of women throughout the ages and the stages of being a woman (child, youth, teenager, sexual initiation, getting married, being a mother, social life, maturity, and old age).  Published in 1964, De Beauvoir captures the European (mostly French) and American female experience of the day. Her introductory question is ‘what makes a woman’? as compared to man, woman is considered the devalued gender and she supports her claim with data and rich experiences taken from her research, novels surrounding the plight of women, and her own experiences. She shares how reproduction has hindered the view and strength of women and reaches back to the Goddesses succumbing to the Gods as the beginning of the plight of women. She provides historical perspectives to the role women play in family, in sex, in marriage, and in parenthood.  She shares perspectives and data on women joining the work force and experiencing “second-rate” pay, opportunity, and respect.  She uses works from D.H. Lawrence, Breton, Stendhal, Ibsen, Poe, Shakespeare and Goethe to illustrate her examples of women as the ‘other’.  She goes into depth on the social life of the rich married women and the other end of the spectrum, prostitutes.  She ends her book reviewing the independent woman, leading to the idea of women moving towards liberation, a goal she hopes is attained, where women and men will be completely equal.  It is one of the most detailed books on a dearth of issues surrounding the female experience.  This is a great book for any sociology students looking to do in-depth analysis as to where females sit in our society, from early civilization through the 1960s.  Important read!

Alamut

Alamut

by Vladmir Bartol

Sometimes I need to be much more careful about the author’s name before reading one of the RA’s favorite books as I read the wrong version!  The book Alamut by Vladimir Bartol tells the story of a warring nation, ideological religious differences, revenge, deception, and the death of innocent youth.  The story is set in the eleventh century in the area known today as Iran. Hassan-I Sabbah, one of the two warring factions, was banished years ago after losing to the members of the Seljuk empire.  He has not forgotten his loss and creates a plan to defend his current land holdings (and take on more).  He is currently located in an area of beautiful gardens, hidden from sight, and the castle of Alamut, which he is defending against the mighty empire.  Hassan uses trickery to convince his soldiers, three of whom the story describes in depth (Yusef, Suleiman, and Ibn Tahir), that he is the decedent of the great prophet and can provide them all the entrance into paradise.  He creates an elaborate plan to drug the three young soldiers and have them awaken in the gardens, surrounded by a youthful harem of beautiful girls, whom he has enslaved over the years.  After they return, believing they were in paradise, each of them believes Hassan is the prophet and work to overthrow the Seljuk leaders.  Two of the soldiers are so convinced they will return to paradise when they die that they kill themselves, and, through this action, convince the rest of the present army members that Hassan is the prophet, frightening the enemy and disrupting their movement towards Alamut.  The book, written half a century ago, serves as a precursor to what has happened in groups like the Talban and Al Queda: a belief that acting on behalf of a religious zealot, even if it means killing yourself (and others), will lead to becoming a prophet oneself.  This was a book I couldn’t put down as it really captures what we are experiencing in our society today, following people who do evil in the name of “God”….  There were a number of sub-plots which connected to the larger story, including the role women played in the society.  Well written, engaging, and fast-paced story.  Glad Fabio let me know I read the wrong version!

Turtles All the Way Down

Turtles All the Way Down

by John Green

I stayed up late to finish Turtles All the Way Down by John Green, a writer whose other books I have enjoyed reading.  I’d say I didn’t like this one as much…the message is good, but the story, ho-hum.  It is the tale of sixteen year-old Aza Holmes, whose father died suddenly a decade before, and now deals with anxiety and OCD with the fear of dying herself.  She doesn’t take her medications regularly, and so she suffers from severe anxiety when pressured into any given situation and has time to think.  She is smart, does well in school, and actively engages with her friends.  Her best friend, Daisy, becomes a bit of a detective when an old friend’s billionaire father, Russell Pickett, mysteriously disappears while being sought after for a slew of illegal business practices.  Aza had met Pickett’s son, Davis, when they both attended a summer camp for children who had lost a parent (Davis’ mother had died from an illness).  Aza and Daisy are motivated to become sleuths when they hear there is a $100,000 reward for information about Russell Pickett’s whereabouts.  Aza reacquaints herself with Davis who gives the two girls $100,000 to have them stop looking for his dad.  Meanwhile, Aza deals with the reality of her anxiety disorder throughout.  The weird twist to the story is that Davis’ dad left all of his billions to a pet tuatara, which he believes can help provide the key to infinite life.  The story is a bit over the top for me, but I do think the realistic aspects of what OCD can do is an important lesson to all.  In the end, Daisy and Aza do find the missing father, Davis and his younger brother make some choices that leave us with a sense of resignation, and Aza hopes to believe in something more than what her mind keeps telling her.  Again, not my favorite Green book.  I enjoyed Looking for Alaska much more.  Not exactly what I expected from the story, seemed a bit anti-climatic….

Mating in Captivity

Mating in Captivity

by Esther Perel

Getting to the end of the RA Favorite Books….  Finished reading Esther Perel’s Mating in Captivity, a book written from a therapist’s stand point on what makes a monogamous relationship successful.  Perel shares a newer perspective on how to keep intimacy and sex with the same partner exciting for decades.  Written in 2007, Perel had over twenty years of experience and draws on many stories from clients. The failures of many sustained physical connections was a result of not understanding and owning our own histories and issues related to ourselves.  Why does sexual desire end despite the fact that we love the one we are married/partnered to?  How come sexual desire wanes as the years progress?  How does one unlock ‘erotic intelligence’? She goes in depth on how security can sap our vitality for the one we love and the need to know why we go back to our instinctual responses, unable to resist them.  At times, the book felt like I was reading the headlines you see on a magazine, such as Men’s Health or Vogue: “How to excite your partner by doing the unexpected” or “Unleashing the animal in you”….  It certainly can resonate with anyone committed to lifelong love and excitement with your partner, but, in the end, it also reads as a collection of case studies with the reader searching for the chapter that resonates with them.  Certainly a different type of read than I have been given before.  That’s why it is so fun to work at NYU!