Cautionary Tales

Posted on October 22, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

I’ve been busy transitioning from Maine to Florida for the winter. It’s not so much a culture shock as an environment shock. The day before we left our place in Maine, I took this (above) picture of the view outside our living room. Yesterday morning I took this (below) picture of the view outside our living room in Florida.

Gary and I visited a friend in Bowie, MD, on the trip down. She’s widowed, 80-something, and living in a life community setting that she says was fine while her husband was alive but not her preference now that he’s gone. She’d rather be back in the town in NY that they lived in for so many years, but she can’t afford to make the move now. The main reason for her dissatisfaction is the comparative lack of acquaintances and common histories. It’s a cautionary tale. (I’m trying to make lots of friends in the cityside setting. Our island setting is spectacularly beautiful, but I wouldn’t want to be living alone there.)

The book on this friend’s reading table – she prefers newspapers and only reads one book at a time, often not bothering to finish even that – was Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman. At least, I think that was it, and yet when I check into what the book is about, I can’t believe she’s reading it. It’s a romance novel dealing with the dark side of love and having a character reminiscent of Heathcliff. This is not the sort of book I’d predict this friend (“crusty” might best describe her) would enjoy, and so I look forward to learning her opinion when she has finished.

Many books tell cautionary tales. Maybe all books do, when you think about it. Fiction or nonfiction, there’s a reason the author is writing. There’s a story to tell that could turn out well or poorly for the protagonist, or there’s information to impart that, if not heeded, could turn out poorly for the reader. Think of the last book you read. Was there a cautionary tale element to it?

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Table Talk about Books

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

Photo copyright by Meredith Rutter (not taken in Maine, but pretty, no?)

My husband and I had a wonderful dinner with friends the other night at Ports of Italy restaurant in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. The weather had turned summerlike for a few days, and we were thrilled to be given an outdoor table overlooking Commercial Street on this, one of the last nights the town would be catering to the general public before closing most places for the season. (This isn’t as big a draw for foliage as inland towns.)

The conversation turned to books, of course. I was giving back a book that one of these friends had recommended to me when I said I was working on creating a sense of place in the novel I’m writing. Her recommendation was Amagansett, a 2004 murder mystery by Mike Mills, set in 1947 Long Island. She was so right, and I got a great feel for how an author can make sense-of-place a major element of a book. My own novel will not be tied into place to that degree, but at least now I understand how to draw a reader in, in that regard, when it helps the story. If you’re into stories that revolve around the seacoast, fishing, history, and economic classes, this is a book not to miss.

Another book recommendation came from Gary, my husband, who recently finished The World Without Us by Alan Weisman (2007). BusinessWeek said, “A refreshing, and oddly hopeful, look at the fate of the environment.”  Time said, “Grandly entertaining.” I think I’m going to have to put it on my to-read list, which will please and amaze Gary.

Another book discussed was my family memoir, The Cleveland Rutters, which one of these friends had recently finished reading and truly enjoyed—thought anyone would whether they knew someone in the family or not. She called it “paradigmatic” of the times (growing up in the 1950s-60s). I’ve been hearing this from others—without the lovely big word she put on it. From her mouth to 100,000 readers’ ears. I never intended for the book to go mainstream, but it’s such a pleasure to hear good words on it.

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Book Review – 9/11 Memories

Posted on October 9, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

To read my review of Until the Fires Stopped Burning, click on the “Book Reviews” tab above. This book has had mixed reviews, with Booklist praising it and Kirkus Reviews panning it. I’m closer to Kirkus on this one, though not as cruel. I have a feeling one’s positive-negative reaction to the book reflects an inverse or negative relationship to how close one was to New York City when the event occurred (e.g., if you lived there, you’ll hate this book). Kirkus operates out of New York City, Booklist out of Chicago, and me out of Massachusetts (at the time).

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Reasons for Book Optimism

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

This picture reminds me that objects farther away are reduced in impact on the eye. If your town has no bookstore, especially if it has recently lost a bookstore, you may be thinking books are going the way of the buggy whip. Bookstores outside your town limits can look far away and powerelss.

But I still think we readers have nothing to fear about the state of books. I was struck this morning by two stories in particular (highlighted by the Shelf Awareness e-newsletter I read daily) that show we book lovers are alive and well.

  • The Borders-owned Waldenbooks closed its shop in Wasilla, Alaska, but within a month it is now a store called Buy the Book, and a customer has contributed $25,000 to help with start-up and operation expenses. Who knows if that donor will ever get the money back, but Wasilla will have a place people can gather and buy/talk books closer than the next nearest bookstore 40 miles away in Anchorage. You can read that article by clicking here.
  • An “Occupy Wall Street Library” germinated serendipitously to entertain people whether or not they are there as protestors. You can read about that here.

It’s true that electronic books (e-books) are rising in popularity, but I believe they will have a place alongside other forms of books. I have a Kindle next to my bed, and I leave it there. I purchase books for it that I think I won’t need to search back and forth through for names or reminders as I read. I purchase bound books that I think of as budding classics or that I predict will have me flipping around for various reasons. I have a bound book in my purse, currently three bound books next to my reading chair, and a bound book in the bathroom.

I used to read only one book at a time. Now that I’m devoting more time to reading, however, I find that I’m excited by having a variety going simultaneously. Reading habits can change, and I’ve been thrilled to watch mine expand as they have. The more I read, the more I’m capable and desirous of reading. If this is something that comes with aging, bring it on! And the more boomers leave the intense workweeks behind, the more reading is going to get done. For me, the trees in the foreground represent the books in my future.

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It’s Banned Books Week

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

Image Copyright by Roger Rich

I’m a bit late highlighting Banned Books Week, but this is a good case of better late than never. Visit the Banned Books Week website by clicking on this word website. Once there, click on the Mapping Censorship tab near the top of the home page to find example(s) of banned books in recent history in your state. I’m pretty sure this map isn’t exhaustive, but it gives a good range of what’s bothering people who want to keep kids from learning to think for themselves these days.

Click here and scroll down a little to read the top ten challenged books by year 2001-2010, according to the ALA (American Library Association). I’ll bet you’ve read more than one of these and don’t feel any the worse for it.

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Book Marketing, Part 5

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

Here’s a fun piece of book marketing, this one from Michael Moore as he promotes his memoir, Here Comes Trouble. You still have a few days (deadline October 1) to get your name in if interested. (Thx for tip from Bill and Jude Thomas for this latest example of creative book marketing). The following is quoted directly from Moore’s website:

“Want Michael Moore to bring his book tour for HERE COMES TROUBLE to your living room to read to and talk with your family and friends? In the past Mike has visited bookstores, college halls and 12,000-seat hockey arenas. Now he wants to come to your house! Here’s how it works: if you’re in the lower 48 U.S. states and want to host a date on his Living Room Tour, just send email to livingroomtour@michaelmoore.com, including your city and state and contact information. One or more winners will be drawn at random on October 1, 2011, with possible further drawings at future dates.

“The winner(s) will be notified within a week of the drawing. If you’re chosen, we’ll work with you to set up a date. Whether you want to invite your conservative brother-in-law, and whether you let him know who’s going to be there ahead of time, is up to you.”

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Book Review – On Relationship Networking

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

For those of you interested in improving your networking skills, take a look at my newest book review, located in the “Book Reviews” tab above. The book title is The 11 Laws of Likability.

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So Beautiful Is Paul Simon

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

Photo image by Steve Jurvetson*

Last spring my husband and I bought a copy of Paul Simon’s latest CD, So Beautiful or So What. Gary didn’t have time to listen to it right away, so I was with my own thoughts for the whole experience. The lone time resulted in an aha moment for this non-music-oriented consumer.

One of the few CDs I’ve truly enjoyed in the past has been Simon’s Graceland. I have also enjoyed portions of his CD Surprise. Imagine my own surprise when I listened to So Beautiful or So What and thought I recognized portions of a couple songs — several series of notes reminiscent of other Simon songs.

“That’s cheating!” my brain exploded. But I kept listening. By the time I was halfway into the songs, it hit me. Just like literary writers are known for their bodies of work and often for themes that they can’t let go of, so must be music writers, too. Well, duh! I could now relax and notice something else about Simon’s latest CD. The echoes of earlier works that I did hear were ultimately pleasing, like old friends. Mr. Simon was sharing himself, just as all writers do, and listeners, like readers, are drawn in.

There’s a lot new in So Beautiful or So What. Paul making himself sound like the devil is a sound you have to hear to believe, and you will believe. The title song, positioned at the end, hit me as nothing short of brilliant. I’ll need to listen again to figure out why I think so.

*Link for photographer Jurvetson

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Commemorating the Tenth Anniversary of 9/11

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

It would be hard to determine a total for the number of ways people come across books they want to read. “Word of mouth” is a great catch-all term, but it can mean a zillion specific ways. For example, my grandmother heard about the book on a radio program; a friend from high school included the book in a list gathered at the last reunion; a colleague at work who usually drives me crazy recommended this book and I was surprised because it sounded terrific. I made that last example up, but it could happen, so it illustrates my point about word of mouth. Other ways people learn about books are through advertisements, reviews in various media, bibliographies, library announcements, … and blogs (though I guess blogs could also be called word of mouth).

In looking for one or more books to highlight in this posting, honoring the tenth-year commemoration of 9/11, I found one book in particular that grabbed my attention. Here’s what the publisher, Columbia University Press, says about the genesis of the book Until the Fires Stopped Burning: 9/11 and New York City in the Words and Experiences of Survivors and Witnesses by Charles B. Strozier:

  • Charles B. Strozier’s college lost sixty-eight alumni in the tragedy of 9/11, and the many courses he has taught on terrorism and related topics since have attracted dozens of survivors and family members. A practicing psychoanalyst in Manhattan, Strozier has also accepted many seared by the disaster into his care. In some ways, the grief he has encountered has felt familiar; in other ways, unprecedented. Compelled to investigate its unique character further, he launched a fascinating study into the conscious and unconscious meaning of the event, both for those who were physically close to the attack and for those who witnessed it beyond the immediate space of Ground Zero.

Being especially drawn to stories involving human behavior, this is the book I’ve picked for myself to read. There are many, many others, of course, that may suit you better depending on your own leanings. Here’s a helpful summary and link from the 9/9/2011 issue of e-newsletter Shelf Awareness:

  • The Association of American University Presses has updated and revised its Books for Understanding bibliography of September 11 titles, which was originally published the week after the attacks. The revised version has added works that examine the effects of the attacks on witnesses and first responders as well as on international relations and civil liberties. The bibliography now lists almost 1,100 titles published by 78 university presses on terrorism, the World Trade Center, Afghanistan, foreign policy, political Islam and more. Titles include:
    Until the Fires Stopped Burning: 9/11 and New York City in the Words and Experiences of Survivors and Witnesses by Charles Strozier (Columbia University Press, 2011)
    Arab Detroit 9/11: Life in the Terror Decade edited by Nabeel Abraham, Sally Howell, and Andrew Shryock (Wayne State University Press, 2011)
    9/11: The Culture of Commemoration by David Simpson (University of Chicago Press, 2006)

And, lastly, when you have some time, you may want to watch this video about the memorial site at Ground Zero.

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Just Another Puzzle

Posted on September 4, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

I enjoy puzzles. Crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, number puzzles, word puzzles like the one at the end of this posting. As a kid I loved a game now sold as Tangoes or Tangrams. It may have been called one of those when I was a kid, too. In the game, you figure out what combination of geometric shapes will form each overall silhouette depicted in the pamphlet.

Writing a novel, I have come to understand, is yet another puzzle to play with. In the initial drafting, I thought I’d figured out the puzzle. Now, in the revision process, I have “hit a wall” and I’ve been getting frustrated and a tad angry. My whole attitude turned around when I realized this was just another puzzle. Now I’m having fun again.

This explains why I enjoyed editing for so many years, and then company management, too. Everything’s a puzzle to be solved. Some games have more rules than other games, but it’s all a puzzle in some form or other. If you think you don’t enjoy puzzling, take a look at the things you do enjoy. I’ll bet there’s some kind of problem solving in there, and you’re enjoying it.

(Good luck, by the way, with the below. I’ve misplaced the answer, though I did work it through at the time. Honest. Give yourself several hours… A big thank you to my brother Bob for scanning the page on my timeline instead of his.)

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