Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Radical Hope: Letters of Love and Dissent in Dangerous Times

I was attracted to Radical Hope: Letters of Love and Dissent in Dangerous Times because of the outstanding contributors, including Junot Díaz, Lisa See, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Jane Smiley, and Celeste Ng. A firm believer that writers are the key to maintaining society's highest aspirations, I hoped to find inspiration and affirmation in these pages.

The letters are written to leaders of the past, to real and and to imagined future children, to strangers and to the known. Each contributor speaks of their personal journey and agony. They share a fear of our government's agenda that threatens hard-won rights and protections.

The letters are divided into three sections: Roots, which "explores the histories that bring us to this moment," and Branches, considering present day people and communities, and Seeds, considering the future who will inherit the system and world we will leave behind.

Frankly, many of these letters were hard to read, confronting us with the pain and misery inflicted upon people because of their color, sexual orientation, or ethnicity. I could only read an essay or two a day. Yet there is also in these letters a strength, a commitment, a vision of hope.

The message, says Katie Kitamura, is that this is not a time for complacency, and yet we must be open and not mired in certitude, to think and not be compelled to "ideological haste."

"Beware easy answers," warns Boris Fishman, "Lets get out of our comfort zones...let's lose our certainty--perhaps our arrogance."

"Be kind, be curious, be helpful...stay open," Celeste Ng writes to her child.
"Please promise me that you will, insoar as any person can, set your fear aside and devote yourself to a full, honest life. That, my child, is the first and most important act of resistance any of us can undertake," advises Meredith Russo to her child.

The struggle for human rights is ongoing, continual. We have seen the backlash against hard gained protections and equality. The battle continues.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Radical Hope
Edited by Carolina De Robertis
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
May 2 2017 publication
$15.95 Paperback
ISBN: 9780525435136


Sunday, May 7, 2017

Mr Rochester by Sarah Shoemaker

Sarah Shoemaker's first novel Mr. Rochester retells the story of Jane Eyre from the point of view of its hero. Readers are offered a richly imagined look into Rochester's life before Jane. Under Shoemaker's hand, the brusque, tempestuous hero is transformed into a innocent child, a victim of his father's cold calculations, a naive lover, and a man determined to do the right thing. Shoemaker gives us a kinder and more lovable Rochester.

The novel is told in the first person, and linear in time, a comfortable and cozy read that felt very 19th c. Rochester's childhood has a Dickensian feel with the early death of a beloved mother, a cruel elder brother, and a cold and uncommunicative father.

Unlike Jane, Rochester is provided with a first class education under a fair master. He makes dear friends at school; like Jane, one of Rochester's school chums dies. When his father deems it time, Rochester is given a tutor and sent to university. In Paris he fell into a loose life, meeting the dancer who becomes his mistress and whose daughter Adele he later takes in.

After his less than stellar performance at university, Rochester is apprenticed to a fatherly mill owner. He redeems himself as a hard worker and loyal surrogate son. Finally, it is revealed that Rochester is to inherit his father's West Indies plantation, and it is soon apparent that the beautiful Creole Antoinette is chosen to be his wife. Rochester's happiness is shattered as he realizes his wife is mad. He has been used badly by his father; his paradise becomes a hell.

Rochester truly wants to keep his vow to Antoinette's father to take care of her, and he does his best, first in the West Indies and later in England. But in the end, he has no choice but to lock her away in the Thornfield attic, for the safety of all.

When Jane arrives on the scene we learn the motives behind Rochester's manipulation and testing of her attachment. His endeavor to divorce his mad wife is curtailed as only by proving her adultery can he obtain a divorce.

Readers learn the historical background to Rochester's story, including Jamaican plantation life and it's reliance on slave labor and the Luddite rebellion against the mechanization of labor.

The novel stands on its own for those who have not read the Bronte novel, or like me, have not read it in several years.

According to a Goodreads poll there are 94 books inspired by Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre. I previous have read Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea which redeems Bertha from madness, the story of a sensual Creole who suffers under Rochester's Victorian morality and white man's fears. It also has a compelling description of Jamaican slavery and the fomenting slave uprising.

For over two hundred years Bronte's novel has remained a favorite. It was one of the first 'classic' novels I read, through Scholastic Books, and before that the Classics Illustrated Comic Book had been one of my favorites. It appears that the appeal of the story is not going to flag anytime soon.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Mr Rochester
Sarah Shoemaker
Grand Central Publishing
Publication May 7, 2017
$27 hard cover
ISBN: 9781455569809



Saturday, May 6, 2017

Dad's Memoir On His Exchange Student Daughter

Elina in Lapland costume
at her family home in Rovaniemi
Dad wrote about our year with Elina Salmi, the Finnish exchange student who lived with us during my senior year at Kimball High School. I know he enjoyed being her host dad, showing her America and the world he loved.

"Elina Comes to America

"Although Elina had studied the English language at her school in Finland, we soon learned that we should talk slowly so she could translate in her mind what we were saying. At first Elina talked very little, so we never knew what she was thinking. We soon learned that Finns showed little emotion.

"The first meal we had as a family was eaten in our dining room. We had corn on the cob and hot dogs. Elina later told us that she had never had corn before and thought it was only fed to pigs.

"Elina loved fruit, a food that was not too available in Finland. When Joyce went shopping she would buy apples and bananas along with the other food she thought would last a week. Elina liked the bananas so much.

"One day Elina spent some time in the kitchen and baked us a Finnish desert with many layers, and reminded me of Danish pastry. It was very good.

"In the small town in northern Finland where Elina lived the local TV stations did not have many channels and most of the programs were not of interest to her. The few American programs she saw were like The Addams Family or Green Acres, so she thought Americans must be very weird.


"Like now in our country, most of the programs on Saturday morning were for children and Elina would lay on the living room floor and watch them. But after a few weeks, I noticed she no longer watched them and I asked her why. She said, "those programs are for little children." I think, though, that she learned more about the English language watching them than any other thing. To me, it seemed that she had gone through an accelerated stage that American children go through.

Elina joined our family during the month of July, 1969. We had a 16' above ground swimming pool in our back yard and she spent much time enjoying the sun and the water.

"Anita called us one day and asked if we could take one more student for a weekend, and we said we would. He was an exchange student from Brazil and he told us that his father owned a shoe factory. I suspect his family was fairly rich because they had maids and servants.
Me, the Brazilian exchange student, and Elina

"During that summer we took a trip to Tonawanda, New York where we stayed with my sister Alice and her family, husband Ken, son Dave, and daughter Beverly. While we were there I wanted to show Elina the area so we went to see Niagara Falls. Joyce did not go along so there was just Nancy, Tom, Elina and I.


"I drove to the Canadian side and we went to the Maid of the Mist dock. I parked the car and we walked down to the building to buy the tickets. The gave us rain gear to put on. When we got onto the boat it was so crowded we had a hard time finding a place along the railing to see the Falls. The water was thrashing and white with foam, and the closer we got to the Falls, the harder the wind blew and the heavier the mist.
Dad's photo of the Maid of the Mist

"As I looked up at the Falls, the boat rocked, and suddenly my back gave out and I sunk to my knees. So here I am, kneeling on the pitching deck, and nobody even saw me. When I tried to get up I could not stand straight. When we got back to the deck I was in pain and had to walk bent over up the hill to the car. I felt bad that this would ruin our day but I thought I would make the best of it and drove to a parking lot near the Falls. I parked there and sat in the car while the others went to observe the Falls from the brink.

"On the way back to my sister's house I drove through the Tonawanda Indian Reservation and the Niagara Power Plant.

"Once back at Alice's house I lay on the floor but I could not get comfortable A friend of ours, Kate Marvin, was a nurse and since it was a Sunday she was home. Joyce called her and she came over and gave me some muscle relaxer pills. Thanks to the pills and a good night's sleep the next morning I could stand straight.


"Kimball High School in Royal Oak, Michigan was the school that Nancy and Elina attended their senior year. There were four exchange students attending Kimball that year. Uta Schnubbe, a girl from Germany, Myrna Guerra from Chile, Toshihiko Fukuyama from Japan, and Elina Salmi from Finland.

Dad and Mom fall of 1969
"In those days exchange students were given free tuition, admission to all school activities, yearbooks, books, graduation gowns and pictures, and supplies. Their classmates ran various fund raising projects for money so the exchange students could go on a ski trip in Michigan, and a trip to Washington, D.C.

"Occasionally all the students would come to the house and tell of their experiences and also about their families and their country.f


Dad with Tosh
"Tosh was the nickname given to the Japanese student. His family lived in Tokyo and he said that the smog was very bad there. He told us that the dream of a Japanese student was to go to Tokyo
University. It was so competitive that many would not be able to enroll until they were 28 or 29 years old.

"Uta came from Germany. her father had a high position as a church pastor. When she went back to Germany she went to university and then became a judge.

"Myrna came from Chile and her family lived at the Southern end of the country near Terra del Fuego. Not long after she arrived it was found she had T.B. and was placed in a sanitarium in Pontiac, MI. One day we went to visit her and told her how bad we felt because of all the experiences she was missing. But she said "Don't feel bad for me. Back home my parents could not have afforded to send me to a hospital and I would not have been treated." We felt better after that.

"Elina's family lived a Rovaniemi, Finland, a small town located on the Arctic Circle. Her mother was an inorganic chemist. Her father worked for the Finnish government overseeing the lumber camps in northern Finland. Elina's brothers were Jaako, Juha, and Risto.

"At the corner of our street, Houstonia, and Main Street was an apartment building where the Brehm family lived. Ruth and Bud were the parents and their children were Pam and Steve. Bud sold broasters and broilers to restaurants throughout the state of Michigan. He had a trailer with a broiler on it that he used for demonstrations to new customers. The machine used hot oil to cook the chicken.

"Once a year during the summer we would arrange with our neighbors on our block to have a party either at Gordon McNab's house or our back yard. There were about ten families and we would all pay Ruth a few dollars for the chicken, and the night before the party she would marinate and prepare it. With the side dishes and pop and beer in the tubs full of ice, the hot broasted chicken completed the feast. Later in the evening we might put on some music and dance in the driveway, or go into the house and sing as Gordon played the piano.

"Once during a party at Gordon's house, all the adults and children were dancing on the driveway when Nancy said she lost her contact lens. Everyone stopped where they were and dropped on their knees to search for it. Luckily, no one stepped on it and it was eventually found.

"Block parties were something Elina had never seen and she enjoyed them very much. Afterward, she thought, "these crazy Americans!"

"Elina brought a box of chocolate from Finland for us, and it was delicious. I would buy chewing gum for her like Clove, Black Jack, and Wrigleys and let her try American drinks like milkshakes, malts, hot chocolate, and sundaes. I think she took much of the gum back to Finland when she went home. I found out also that most Finns don't like peanut butter because when she went home she took some for her brothers to try and they said it stuck to the roof of their mouths.
Elina's Halloween costume 
"Since we wanted Elina to experience different things in our country Joyce and Nancy gathered a few things to make a costume for Elina to go trick and treating with Tom. When they returned home Elina was very excited because of all the candy she had collected.

"Kimball High allowed the senior class to wear a costume at Halloween to school. A neighbor, Sharon Owens, made a pilgrim costume for Nancy and Joyce dyed it gray. Elina wore her native Finnish costume.
Elina and I dressed for Halloween 

"Once school began everyone was very busy. Joyce helped Elina with her English and history classes, and I helped her with Chemistry. Luckily Tom and Nancy were not jealous of all the time we spent working with her.

"We took Elina to a church at Farmington where they had a service spoken in the Finnish language, and to a Finnish American organization where she met many Finns that asked her questions about their native country.

"During the winter Elina went on a ski trip in northern Michigan and spent the day at the Madison Heights city hall observing how the city was run. There was Youth for Understanding meeting with students and their American parents, football games, and a concert that Nancy sang in.

"At the beginning of the school year Nancy and Elina had to walk to school. Elina was always slow to get moving in the morning. If Elina was not ready in the morning when it was time to go, Nancy would say, "I'm going" and starting walking down the street. Elina would run out the door with her books and a half-eaten apple in one arm, her coat dragging down the other.

"Then [in late December] Nancy got her driver's license and she drove one of our cars. Soon the school year was half over and Christmas was approaching.
Elina and Tom at Christmas 1969
"The school year was passing fast and soon it was time to be thinking about the Senior dance. Elina's classmates provided her with a date since she didn't have a boyfriend. His name was Rick and he was a junior and on the football team. He was very nice.

"Nancy at that time did not have a boyfriend and would not be going to the dance. But she took pleasure in preparing Elina. Elina never wore makeup and had a tomboy appearance. So Nancy was going to give her a makeover.  Elina had her hair done and Nancy applied the makeup. Elina had a dress she brought from Finland made by her mother from cloth by a famous Finnish designer, Marimekko. It was a beautiful dress.
I applied Elina's make up in my room

Elina all dolled up, with Dad
"Finally, the time came when Elina's date arrived. When he walked in the door I'm sure he was amazed at how beautiful she looked!

"Elina never talked much about anything so we don't know what happened at the dance, but we think she had a good time.

"As children, Nancy and Tom had always received a weekly allowance as an incentive to do their chores around the house and to learn how to handle money. When Elina joined our family she was also given chores and an allowance. Washing, drying and putting away the dishes after a meal was a chore that was given to both Nancy and Elina.

"At first Elina washed and Nancy dried, but Elina was so meticulous and slow that Nancy got frustrated and they changed jobs. Nancy was able to rush through washing them and leave as Elina dried and but them away. Elina was unhappy about that! They acted just like sisters.

Elina and Tom, Christmas 1969
"Besides the allowance, Elina was also sent money from her parents in Finland. She had saved all year and one day told me that her goal was to buy a 35 mm camera. So one day I took her to Dunn's Camera Shop in Royal Oak. I did not know very much about cameras but after I explained what Elina wanted the salesman told me he had one in stock and would sell it at a very good price. When Elina saw it she said it was exactly what she wanted. I think the prices was $125 and Elina agreed to buy it. I have always thought the photographs Elina takes are of professional quality.

"Then the day came for Elina to return to Finland. All the exchange students in the are were to meet and spend time together and prepare to return home. The location they were to meet at was the Saginaw Valley College at Saginaw, Michigan, about an hour and half ride away. We loaded Elina's things into the car and Elina, Joyce, Nancy, Tom and I drove to the college. We unloaded Elina's things and said goodbye. As we drove away we looked back and saw Elina standing all alone by the curb, watching us leave, and we wondered what she was thinking. No one spoke as we drove home.



I am sure that when Elina returned home to Finland she had many stories to tell of "those crazy Americans" and I am sure she was surprised how tall her brothers had grown.
Elina and Jorma Kivila wedding photograph
"In 1977 Elina married Jorma Kivila. They met at university.

"During the summer of 1977, Elina and Jorma flew to Michigan to visit us on their honeymoon. Joyce and I picked them up from the Metropolitan Airport near Detroit. It was dark but on the way home I could see Eina pointing out overpasses and other sights in the rear view mirror. We had an eighteen foot, above ground swimming pool in our back yard and they spent much time sunbathing and swimming.
Tom, Gene, Joyce and Jorma eating his first corn on the cob
"During the weeks that Elina and Jorma stayed with us we took them to the Detroit Zoo, Cranbrook, Frankenmuth, and to visit relatives.

"Our daughter was married and lived with her husband in Philadelphia, PA. Our plans were that Elina and Jorma would stay with them before returning home.

"On the first day of our trip to Philadelphia, we stopped at Sea World near Cedar Point in Ohio. We drove the Ohio turnpike to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. As it was approaching evening, we started looking for a motel and found a Sheraton that was about halfway to our destination. It was a beautiful building that was located on a hill overlooking a valley. We were lucky to get two adjoining rooms with a door between so we could all be near each other. There was a game room, a swimming pool and hot tub, and a great restaurant.

"While we were driving through the mountains Elina excitedly asked us to stop. I pulled over and she jumped out of the car and ran back down the road. We found that she wanted to get a photo of the valley below.
Elina in Pennsylvania
"We stopped at an Amish farm in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. it was open to the public and we walked through the house and farm seeing how the Amish lived. They had horses and oxen for field work, made their own clothes, butter, and cheese, and drove a horse and buggy. They were hard working, good business people.
Gene, Jorma and Elina in Philadelphia

Tom and Gene on left; Gary, Nancy, and Joyce in background;
Elina on right in Philadelphia
Our son Tom had worked since he was fifteen and saved much of his money. He joined a Finnish-American organization and learned a little of the language. In 1978 he joined a group that were flying to Finland. He stayed with Elina and her family and went on trips around Finland. He went with Elina's brothers to northern Finland, called Lapland."

Tom with Elina and her brothers in Finland

Thursday, May 4, 2017

Superfandom: How Our Obessions are Changing What We Buy and Who We Are

I started quilting in 1991 and by 1992 it was how I spent most of my leisure time.

I hoarded quilt fabric, driving up to an hour or two to quilt shops. There were 'had to buy' quilt books. I joined a monthly quilt guild and a weekly quilt group and attended local quilt shows. I took quilt classes to learn new techniques and I subscribed to the important quilt magazines.

As my husband's work took us across Michigan, everywhere we went I quickly identified other quilt addicts.

Like most quilters, I discovered which national quilt teachers, writers, and artists inspired me. I bought their books, took classes with them, followed them online, and bought the fabric lines they designed.

I had become a quilting superfan.

In the 'old days' quilters bought cheap fabric, made cardboard or paper templates, and with a pair of scissors, needle, and thread and made a quilt. Today, quilters purchase fabric that costs over $10 a yard and buy ready made kits with pattern and fabric included. They have machines to cut patches or applique shapes, fuse applique pieces instead of hand stitching them, and pay long arm machine quilters hundreds of dollars to quilt their quilt top. National shows and quilt retreats mean overnight stays at expensive hotels, and there are even quilt cruises or trips abroad. Quilting has become big business and an expensive hobby.

Reading Zoe Fradde-Blanar and Arron M. Glazer's new book Superfandom I realized how I had become a superfan without realizing it.

The authors are the founders of Squishable.com, Inc, which produces stuffed animals for the teen and adult market--Squishable Cthulhus and Grim Reapers. They even have States of Happiness, so if you love California or Michigan you can now, well, squish them.

In the preface they tell the story creating a prototype Shiba Inu Squishable. The Kickstarter concept art was well received: a red dog with circular eye patches. But when fans saw the actual toy the fans complained. It was all wrong. To keep the fans happy they had a virtual Halloween party--in the middle of a hurricane that hit New York City in 2012.

Our Shiba, Suki
I know Shiba Inus. We have had four since 1991. Our first Shiba was home bred, her daddy champion stock. But few Americans had heard of Shibas and the breeder could not find buyers. We got our Kili cheap; it was the best $250 we ever spent. She gave us over 16 years of happiness.

Over those 16 years we bought Shiba calanders, rooted for the Shiba in the television dog shows, bought Shiba Christmas ornaments--and my brother made me a Shiba key rack.

By the time we adopted our second Shiba the breed had become the Internet sensation known as Doge.

Doge
Our (once) unusual, beloved bred suddenly was appearing on television commercials, on dog toys and pet food, and all over the Internet. We were Shiba fans before we were Superfans.


Our son funded a kickstarter for a role playing game aimed for younger children and featuring dogs. He paid to have our Shibas appear in the art work:


Now that is Superfandom.

The book dissects fandom, the motivation behind our affiliation with a sport, a cartoon character, book or movie series, why we attend Trekkie conventions and Renaissance Fairs, and invest our money, time, and emotional commitment in fan objects.

In a world where affiliation to family, place, church, or school has been disrupted by mobility, we need to find community, a common love, people 'like us'. Now we buy our way into social networks with an Apple phone, concert T-shirt, or even with a trendy dog to walk.

I received a free book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Superfandom: How Our Obsessions Are Changing What We Buy and Who We Are
Zoe Fraade-Blanar and Arron M. Glazer
W. W. Norton & Co.
$27.95 hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-393-24995-8





Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Sweet Little Somethings in Wool Applique

A Little Something: Cute-as-Can-Be Patterns for Wool Stitchery by
Roseann Meehan Kermes caught my eye right away.

The adorable strawberry needle case, scissors holder, and pincushion are sweet as can be in lovely red, white, and yellow with a touch of pink. 

I have numerous quilt friends in my weekly group who love wool applique. I know they will adore this book for the small projects that are SO giftable!

The projects are all made with hand dyed wool, washed and felted. The edges won't fray, and the shapes are easy to work with, making this the easiest of hand applique crafts.

Each pattern includes instructions for cutting, construction, and embroidery. Color illustrations and photographs include details of embroidery on the finished project. The
Ebook  includes links to download and print a PDF of the patterns.

Wool-Applique Essentials and a Resources Guide are great for newcomers to wool-applique, including great tips, cutting advice, thread options, embroidery stitch illustrations, and how to felt your own wool.

Mug rugs are very popular in my weekly quilt group. They make wonderful gifts for any occasion. The coasters finish to 5" diameter. 

These pincushions finish to 3 1/2" x 3 1/2". What a great way to use up scraps!

The folk art inspired pillow is 8 1/2" x 11 1/2". Note the detailed embroidery holding down the stems and leaves--simple, and it adds great texture. You could also make the pillow front into a wall hanging.

Sunny Days Runner is 6" x 14 1/2", and can be whipped up in a few hours. The runner has scalloped ends. I expect you can make it any length you need to fit your table.


The Autumn Abundance wall hanging represents the author's favorite season in Minnesota. It finished to 7" x 10 1/4". It can be tied to a stick for a rustic look.

The patterns are diverse, including a cell phone carrier, Treasure Tote Jewelry Bag, and this delightful Spring Bouquet Bag, 71/2" x 7".

Other patterns include Flower-head Pins, Bees and Buds Candle Mat, Upcycled Cup Stoppers, and Home Sweet Home Wall Art.

I am convinced. Next shopping trip I'm picking up some felted wool and making myself a little something for spring!

Visit the author's blog at Rosebud's Cottage http://www.rosebuds-cottage.com

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

A Little Something
By Roseann Meehan Kermes
Martingale
Publication May 2 2017
$19.99 soft cover, 80 pages
ISBN: 9781604688504

Monday, May 1, 2017

As I Knew Him: My Dad, Rod Serling

Anne Serling's memoir of her father Rod is a moving and loving tribute to the man she knew as a fun companion, a sure foundation, and an adored father who died much too young.

Anne talks about her father's beloved parents and his love of family, his encountering prejudice even from his mother-in-law, and the devastating experience of war in the South Pacific that left him with nightmares. Therein are the roots of the values we discover in his Twilight Zone episodes, his nostalgic idealization of childhood and children, the power of compassion and forgiveness, the need for civilization to "remain civilized."

After his war service, tortured by PTSD, Rod turned to writing as catharsis. He believed that prejudice was the basic evil from which all evils took root. The stories he wrote attack the worst of mankind, and extol our best efforts. And yet, behind this tortured and angry righteousness lay the heart of a child, a man who loved to be goofy, who got on his hands and knees to play with his beloved dogs. He loved watching The Flintstones and Huckleberry Hound with his girls, Christmas, trips to Disneyland, summers at the cottage, and It's A Wonderful Life.

He was a lifelong smoker, never without a cigarette, his girls gagging and coughing and complaining in the car and throwing out his cigarettes behind his back. I had to smile, for I had done those same things to my mother.

Rod was a very short man, fit and tan, with dark wavy hair and eyebrows, dark eyes. I had never it considered before, but he looked like my own father. Dad was 5' 7" and 130 pounds most of my life, with dark wavy hair and thick eyebrows. The resemblance strikes me now.
Rod Serling

My dad.
As a girl watching the Twilight Zone, my favorite show at age 8, I did notice Rod's smoking. I thought that when I grew up and smoked I'd buy cigarettes from the company that was his sponsor. I never did smoke, thankfully.

As I read Anne's story about her father's last days and death I shared her grief, recalling my own father's and mother's death by cancer. I feel great sympathy. She was only twenty when she lost her dad and it took many years for healing to come.

The writer's role is to menace the public's conscience, Rod Serling wrote. The parables and messages of his work are as relevant today as they were in the 1960s.

This is a beautiful memoir about a man who did not expect to be remembered but who has impacted generations.

Read the beginning of the book at As I Knew Him. Visit Anne Serling's web page at http://www.anneserling.com.
Read more about the Twilight Zone and it's value lessons at
https://theliteratequilter.blogspot.com/2017/04/everything-i-need-to-know-i-learned-in.html

Sunday, April 30, 2017

Mozart's Starling: An Exploration of Nature, Music, and Creativity

"A blend of natural history, biography, and memoir, Mozart's Starling is a tour de force that awakens a surprising new awareness of our place in the world." from the publisher
First I was charmed, then delighted; then I felt educated, and finally, elevated. In beautiful language and uplifting insight, Mozart's Starling is my most unexpected find of the year. I loved every page.

The book is a wonderful blend of subjects. A nature study of the starling and its ability to mimic; a memoir of life with Carmen, the starling; a consideration of the creative life and person of composer Mozart, the beauty of his music and the depth of his personal philosophy; the interrelation of all living things--Haupt takes us on a continually deeper look into the human experience.

Haupt, a naturalist and birder, was inspired to verify the story of Mozart's pet starling which reportedly sang a line of his Piano Concerto no. 17 in G major. There were so many questions. How did the starling learn the music? What was the bird's role in Mozart's personal and creative life?

In America, starlings are held in disdain. What good could be associated with this bird? Haupt questioned.

So Haupt arranged to adopt a baby starling to learn more about the species and their rare ability to mimic. Carmen is a wonderful character and helps us understand why pet birds were so popular in 18th c Europe.

We follow the author to Europe, into Mozart's home, searching for his final resting place. She upends many myths about the composer, such as the pauper's grave. Her portrait of the composer is sensitive and insightful.

This is a beautiful, uplifting book. I heartily recommend it.

a murmuration of starlings
Enjoy this video with Haupt about her book
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHnCwvtW8go

I received a free ebook from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Mozart's Starling
Lyanda Lynn Haupt
Little, Brown & Co.
$27 hardcover
ISBN: 9780316370899