Saturday, June 4, 2016
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Over the Plain Houses by Julia Franks-Book Review-"Over the Plain Houses is a stunning novel of love, betrayal, madness and change."
Hardcover: 280 pages
Publisher: Hub City Press (May 1, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1938235215
ISBN-13: 978-1938235214
"Franks' debut is a thoughtful exploration of one woman's quest to live life on her own terms."-Kirkus Reviews
Over the Plain
Houses tells the story of what it was like
to be a woman, wife and mother in rural North Carolina in 1939. It also tells the story of the gradual
disintegration of one woman’s marriage. Over
the Plain Houses is a stunning novel of love, betrayal, madness (Brodis thought his wife was a witch and a sinner) and change.
It is filled with the rich landscapes and details of earthy country life.
In Over the Plain Houses,
we meet Irenie Lambey wife of Brodis Lambey.
We learn first hand how the life of a farm wife married to a former
logger turned fundamentalist preacher (whose self declared mission was to
spread the word of God) changes when the USDA sends Virginia Furman a modern
woman and government employee to Irenie and Brodis’s town to teach the women
modern ways of housekeeping as other USDA employees had previously come to town to encourage the men to grow “modern” crops like
tobacco that would provide a better income for their families.
The former simple lives and beliefs of many of the farmers and their wives were challenged by Virginia Furman and her progressive (at the time) ideas. One of the concepts Irenie struggled with was Brodis's interpretation
of the Biblical Eve and Adam’s relationship.
"Listen. Eve shall be ruled by her husband and in sorrow bear children. She shall spend her life disappearing, and the blue flame shall sputter and shrink into its own self for years to come."
"Do you own Mama?" she asked her father in the midst of her confusion.
Irenie's mother had said to her, " 'You don't have to be like Vina Jones.' Mrs. Jones had birthed a child every year for seventeen year running."
What did a woman in 1939 do when she did not want another child, abortion was illegal? What will Irenie do?
Julia Franks' descriptions of nature, the farm animals and the
passing seasons adds to the authenticity of the story. The descriptions are filled with sensory impressions that made me feel I was
there watching the logs tumble down the falls in the water or I was there when
the hounds went on a night walk with Irenie. I could feel the soil and the night air. I was there in Irenie’s and Brodis’s bedroom seeing the
square of light filter through the one small window at night while they lay
under a quilt in a sparsely furnished room where the Bible was by the bed. Franks’ descriptions of place with visual vignettes is superb. Franks depicted
the outer world of this couple with the eye of an artist and botanist and she
portrayed the inner world of these two with compassion and the insight of a
writer who gets her characters completely. You can’t help feel her empathy for
them even if they act terribly.
In the hands of a lesser writer Brodis and Irenie could have become one-dimensional characters, a fire and brimstone preacher and a woman who wanted to be free. In Franks’ hands they became conflicted people like many of us wanting to live their dreams.
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Before the Fall by Noah Hawley- Book Review- Grand Central Publishing
Each time I see the words Breaking News on a TV screen I
think no not another disaster. I am
desensitized to disasters from the never-ending images on the 24/7 news cycle.
It takes a while to get to the truth and news stations milk this on the hour to
captivate viewers, ratings matter.
The most compelling thing about Before The Fall was not only the way the
book reflects society and the 24/7 news cycle mirroring viewers' insatiable need
to watch news to know who is doing what to whom, but the humanity Hawley showed toward each of the characters
on the plane whether they survived or not and to the family members not on the plane whose lives were changed.
At moments the news and the horror of the crash became secondary to the way the characters were revealed to the reader. Hawley juxtaposed chapters that moved the main story line forward with chapters dealing with passengers' pasts. As much as I welcomed the information, I feel that the way these chapters were placed in the story was jarring. I found myself wanting the story’s plot to progress. I had to delay this need to know as the remnants of the plane were found and read a chapter about one of the characters on the plane. Eventually I realized it was worth it since each person from the stewardess to the copilot was humanized, I am not sure how else Hawley could have gotten so much background information in the book without this continual interruption of plot.
At moments the news and the horror of the crash became secondary to the way the characters were revealed to the reader. Hawley juxtaposed chapters that moved the main story line forward with chapters dealing with passengers' pasts. As much as I welcomed the information, I feel that the way these chapters were placed in the story was jarring. I found myself wanting the story’s plot to progress. I had to delay this need to know as the remnants of the plane were found and read a chapter about one of the characters on the plane. Eventually I realized it was worth it since each person from the stewardess to the copilot was humanized, I am not sure how else Hawley could have gotten so much background information in the book without this continual interruption of plot.
When you read the
book you will see how Jack LaLanne influenced one of the characters in a way that enabled him to survive.
Monday, April 11, 2016
Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
I finished reading Before the Fall by Noah Hawley. After I have had time to reflect on the story, I will post a review. This was quite an amazing thriller (a contemporary who or what did it tale)that reflects not only the human response to loss and tragedy but also shows what it is like to be in the news business today. It "ain't" your mama's news anymore. A disturbing and moving story.
Monday, February 22, 2016
Bringing More Soul Into Society- The Power and Place of Poetry
Recently I was given a CD called the Power and Place of Poetry (1995), an Irish radio interview with David Whyte. I had not heard of him before. I highly recommend this CD. I found it uplifting.
http://davidwhyte.stores.yahoo.net/poplofpo.html
From the back cover jacket.
Whyte "speaks persuasively to the role of poet and poetry in the life of individuals and society. He makes it clear that what we are truly yearning for can only be found through our imagination."
http://www.davidwhyte.com/poetry.html
http://davidwhyte.stores.yahoo.net/poplofpo.html
From the back cover jacket.
Whyte "speaks persuasively to the role of poet and poetry in the life of individuals and society. He makes it clear that what we are truly yearning for can only be found through our imagination."
http://www.davidwhyte.com/poetry.html
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Cut Paper Illustrations/Matisse's Garden (Book) Friedman and Amodeo Museum of Modern Art /Video Tate Museum London "painting with scissors." Link to Artsy’s Henri Matisse page.
MATISSE'S GARDEN is a great introduction to Henri Matisse's cut paper art. It is a book created for children. It is a joy to view the book even if you are an adult. It suggests Matisse's creative process.
The book was published by the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
http://www.amazon.com/Matisses-Garden-Samantha-Friedman/dp/0870709100
Check out this You Tube Video and see Henri Matisse's cut outs. He created these late in his career.
Matisse was ill and confined to a wheel chair at times and he still created such inspiring, joyous and innovative work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLgSd8ka0Gs
Check out this link To Matisse's work
"We strive to make all of the world’s art accessible to anyone online. Our Henri Matisse page, for example, provides visitors with Matisse's bio, over 160 of his works, exclusive articles, as well as up-to-date Matisse exhibition listings. The page even includes related artist & category tags, plus suggested contemporary artists, allowing viewers to continue exploring art beyond our Matisse page."
Check out this You Tube Video and see Henri Matisse's cut outs. He created these late in his career.
Matisse was ill and confined to a wheel chair at times and he still created such inspiring, joyous and innovative work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLgSd8ka0Gs
Check out this link To Matisse's work
"We strive to make all of the world’s art accessible to anyone online. Our Henri Matisse page, for example, provides visitors with Matisse's bio, over 160 of his works, exclusive articles, as well as up-to-date Matisse exhibition listings. The page even includes related artist & category tags, plus suggested contemporary artists, allowing viewers to continue exploring art beyond our Matisse page."
Monday, January 11, 2016
1/11/16 Today's Art Post/ Mixed Media Collage/- InVision: 2D & 3D Landscape/ Davis Gallery
"InVision: 2D & 3D Landscape
2D & 3D artwork with a broad interpretation of "Landscape," including physical, spiritual, cultural, and ecological. The artwork is created in many different media—drawing, painting, mixed media, photography and more.Opening
Thursday, September 10, 2015, 5–7 pm "
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