Mini-Reviews: Sontag and Knauusgaard

This post consists of shorter reviews of several books I am reading. At this time I have not finished these books, but likely will before year's end.

Debriefing by Susan Sontag gathers her short stories together in one volume. I will admit that I have never read Sontag, although I remember when her many books came out and garnered a great deal of press. I won this book from the publisher in a giveaway.

The first story, Pilgrimage, excited me. I related to the lightly fictionalized character, based on Sontag herself, who is overwhelmed when she has tea with Thomas Mann, a writer whose books had left an impression on the teenager. I discovered Mann as a teen, his story of Tonio Krueger especially resonating with me with it's view of the artist as outsider. I had collected his novels afterward, but never read them all.

In the story, two teenagers contact Mann and are invited to visit him over tea. "We were prodigious of appetite, of respect, not of accomplishments," we are told. The teens struggle to know what to say, and listen to Mann talk. What she remembers best was embarrassment.

The first time one meets one's idol can be a shock, learning "the gap between the person and the work" a jolt.

The narrator seeks to escape "childhood's asphyxiations, the "long prison sentence of childhood" and its enforced culture of suburban life which held no meaning for her.

In one story a successful man--good job, wife, children--is tired of his life and creates a robotic substitute to take his place. The original man just bums around, but is more content with sleeping in the train station. What a condemnation of the Middle Class way of life!

Many of the other stories left me perplexed and unsure of my own intellectual capacity: what was I missing? I asked myself. Some experimented with form, such as Unguided Tour which reminded me of a Monet painting of Rheims Cathedral, leaving an impression without real detail or form. Whereas Monet leaves me with an emotional reaction, Sontag seeks to elicit an intellectual one.

Are some of these stories inaccessible to the general reader, or are they mere failures in storytelling? I would guess it is some of each.

Debriefing: Collected Stories
by Susan Sontag
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 9780374100759
Hardcover $27.00

Winter by the Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgaard is the second in his series of essays and letters written to his unborn daughter. Knausgaard is well known for his six volume biography My Struggle. His writing breaks all 'rules' about writing, and is spontaneous, unstudied, often confessional, and sometimes mundane. 

In almost daily meditations over December, January, and February, the author wrote about whatever was on his mind. Owls, Christmas, people he knows, the mythical legend Loki, and even toothbrushes. In the first letter, he warns his daughter that we expect life to be full of joy and light, but instead we encounter pain and suffering and loss. At times he shares an insight that sparks a new way of looking at things, such as the thought that society is based on a belief in the fiction that a coin has intrinsic value, but if our belief vanishes, so does a coin's value. He tries to describe inanimate things, but I note that his descriptions include concepts that are not concrete, which seems to defeat his intention. Some essays just left wondering what the point was.

I have been reading several essays each night before bed. I will finish the book, just to plumb it for those unexpected gems.

I won this book on a Goodreads giveaway.

Poetry for Kids: Robert Frost

I love the concept behind the Poetry for Kids books, beautifully illustrated selections for children ages 8 to 13, Grades 3 to 8.  Robert Frost is one of America's most beloved poets of the last century, whose poems were inspired by everyday sights and life of the country in New England.

Included are Frost's best known poems “Mending Wall,” “The Road Not Taken,” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.”

Each volume includes information for parents and teachers, including commentary, definitions of key words for each poem, and an introduction to Frost's life.

Robert Lee Frost won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry, was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal, and was named Poet laureate of Vermont.

I have not read Frost extensively and most of the poems were new to me. I appreciated the simplicity of his images, the concrete portrayal of his world, from which he drew lessons and truths. Such as in this poem:

Snow Dust

The way a crow

Shook down on me

The dust of snow

From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart

A change of mood

And saved some part

Of a day I rued.

Or these lines from Choose Something Like a Star: "So when at times the mob is swayed/To carry praise or blame too far,/We may choose something lie a star/To stay our minds on and be staid."

The 35 were poems chosen by Jay Parini, author of Why Poetry Matters and a biography on Frost. Illustrator Michael Paraskevas's work has appeared in most major magazines, he has written and illustrated 24 children's books, and has created animated series for television.

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

Poetry for Kids: Robert Frost 
by Robert Frost, edited by Jay Parini, illustrated by Michael Paraskevas
Moondance Press
ISBN: 9781633222205, 1633222209
Hardcover $14.95

Eat. Prey. Love. And Holiday News.

An a recent early morning my husband called me to the back window. A hawk with a rat in its talons was struggling to get it to the roof of the garage. 

 He sat there for a while before flying off to his official dining room.

Because we live near so many restaurants rats are a problem. As are skunk, raccoon, and coyote. Rabbits and opossum are also around. There were canine tracks in the back yard a few days ago, an overnight visitor. With no more doggies of our own the yard is usually pristine.

pristine snow. 

I am concerned a neighbor is using rat poison, which will also poison the hawk. It would be better if people 1) kept their trash in sealed trash cans 2) did not leave bags of empty soda pop bottles and cans outdoors 3) and if they cleared out the area behind their garage of tall weeds and cast-offs.

A quilt friend brought in her friend's unfinished quilt made by her grandmother. We discussed how it could be finished. The Dresden Plates were basted and hand sewn onto an aqua shot cotton fabric.

It had flannel sheets used for a batting and a thin cotton muslin for a backing. The fabrics were in pristine condition!

I made my first quilt in 1991, a gift to my brother. He gave it to me for repair work, the second go-around for repairs. I used fabrics from my home decorating projects, shirts, and new fabric.

 I was very ignorant and would not ask for help. For quilting, I big stitched with button hole thread.

The paisley was left from I dress I made. The tan with teal squares was curtains and a comforter we had in our bedroom.

The quilt is quite faded and looks it age, so I have simply patched it. In the photo below I found the original fabric to patch over a spot that had worn to tatters.

 I turned the top border fabric to the back to bind the quilt off.

To my brother Thomas Gochenour on the occasion of his college graduation 1991, Nancy Bekofske, Hillsdale, MI

It is comfort food weather in Michigan. I saw this easy recipe for Chicken Pot Pie on Facebook and we tried it out the next day. We made biscuits from scratch.

It uses three boneless, skinless chicken breasts in 1" pieces and sauteed in oil. Then you take a half onion chopped, two carrots peeled and chopped, and 2 stalks celery chopped and cook them in the oil along with a teaspoon of fresh thyme. When the veggies are soft add 3 tablespoons flour and stir and cook a bit before adding 2 cups of chicken broth. Simmer and stir until thickened. Remove from the heat, add the chicken and 1 1/2 cups of frozen peas and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. (I used 1 tbsp. milk and 1 tbsp. yogurt.) Place biscuits on top, brush with egg wash, and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

And we had home made bean soup for lunches.

We have put up our Christmas tree in the family room. The ornaments each have special memories, so many were gifts from people or bought at church bazaars. And there are the wooden ornaments we bought and painted for our first tree in 1972.

I am holding our pet Nasturtium in  1973. We cut the tree ourselves and

decorated it with the wood ornaments. The olive wood

Nativity set was bought at a church SERVE store in Columbus, OH.

Our tree in 1972, which we cut ourselves, and decorated with popcorn strings

and the wood ornaments.

I still remember my husband painted the purple dog above!

Our tree this year. I made the skirt in the 1990s.

I am working on cleaning up unfinished projects in the quilt room, Row By Row and single blocks, repair work, and other duties. I made a block into a large 'mug rug' with two smaller mug rugs.

I always find time for reading, regardless of holiday activities! The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin just came in from Bookish. 

Woman's Day, 1958: The Bride That Cried...

Today I am sharing the December, 1958 issue of Woman's Day magazine. What it reveals about the role of women in the home is very interesting.

In the cartoon above, a man rewards a woman for feeding him! She offers a tray of appetizers and he kisses her. I sure hope this was her husband or fiancée. It appeared in a Nabisco Thins advertisement for party food.

What pressure there was on women to please men regarding FOOD. The advertisement below concerns a 'bride' who was in tears until Bell's poultry seasoning saved the day.

A Comstock pie filling ad reminded women that "Husbands love wives who make homemade Pies with Comstock."

The message again is Food=Love. Feed them and they will come home at night.

Here a man's heart is won by Coffeematic coffee. Can't you just feel the passion?

Is food a symbol for something else?

The pressure continued. It's party season and the little lady has to put on a show to impress hubby's friends and business partners.

A women's place was in the kitchen, and the magazine is filled with recipes.

I sure remember when everyone made the All-Bran muffins. Combine 2 cups All-Bran, 1/2 cup molasses, and 1 1/4 cups of milk. Let stand until the moisture is absorbed into the bran. Then add one egg and beat well. Sift 1 cup flour with 1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir it all up with 1/2 c raisins until JUST mixed. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

 A mystery fruitcake recipe from Betty Crocker looks pretty good...if you like fruit cake.

You start with a Betty Crocker white cake mix which is baked, cooled, and crumbled. Mix together 1 cup each candied pineapple, lemon peel, orange peel, and citron. Mix it all up with the cake and pack TIGHTLY into foil-lined 9x5x3 inch loaf pans. Cover with foil, chill for 24 hours, and slice and serve.

I remember when Mom made deserts with Fruit Cocktail. Don't  you love the type font used for "Glamour Desserts", complete with little stars? To make the Christmas Cloud Pie fill an 8" pie shell with 2 cups of drained fruit cocktail folded into one packaged of cooked and cooled vanilla pudding mix. Top with Betty Crocker meringue mix and bake "as directed." Serve cool.

Gift ideas included towels and bedding. My, that lady seems quite charmed by her Cannon towel. Note the star bursts on the wall. It was a very starry time, the late 50s.

 I also note that pastes in pink, blue, green, and yellow appear in both ads.

My grandmother, who lived with us in 1958, watched Arthur Godfrey's television show. Here he poses with his trademark ukulele while enjoying instant coffee. There is no woman around, no love in his eyes. Clearly this is not something to serve to your husband in the morning before he goes to the office. He may not come home.

 Unless you look like this.

In which case, your man would be glad to see you.

I'm not sure I like the look in this man's eye at all. Perhaps it is that over-the-top hat. Pepsi-Cola is wishing people a "light-hearted holiday," which apparently involves Pepsi and weird floral hats as aphrodisiacs.

Wait! There is more than food and men! The little lady can read short stories by Faith Baldwin, learn about houseplants, read the story The Wonderful World of Aunt Tuddy to the kiddies, and learn about books and records...to give as gifts, because obviously she doesn't have time to read a book or the sophistication to listen to Classical music...

Books suggested for gifting includes The Travels of Jamie McPheeters by Robert Lewis Taylor, which I have read, and which was the basis for a television show; The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden, which I have also read, Godden being one of my favorite forgotten writers, whose ebooks have been released in the last year; The King Must Die by Mary Renault; C. S. Forester's Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies; Around the World with Auntie Mamie by Patrick Dennis; and books by Woodehouse Nevil Shute, Marquand, John O'Hara, Peter de Vries, and many others whose names are no longer familiar to most.

It was the age of LP records and stereos. "When you use your head, it's easy to measure a collector for a record without his knowing it..." Yes, it was assumed these gifts were for MEN. First mentioned was Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle, noted as rarely recorded, the "last mortal sin" of his old age. Next was pianist Serkin's Variations on a Theme by Diabelli, followed by de Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain directed by Artur Rubinstein; Wagner, considered 'controversial'; and the Berlioz Requiem "always considered genius-laden." Others mentioned include Segovia, Luci di Lammermoor, Fidelio, and The Tales of Hoffman.

Then we are warned that the following recordings are not for the casual listener. This is hard-core stuff. Included are Bruckner's Symphony No. 9, Mahler's Resurrection Symphony, Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition (I'm shocked its in this category!), and Gluck's Orfeo et Euridice by the Met.

And so I close the pages on this glimpse into 1958. No people of color or ethnicity appear in its pages, no working women, college co-eds, no nurses or teachers. Men all wear suits and look like Cary Grant. Cooking appears to be women's most important duty, even before motherhood.

Works in Progress: Quilts, Books, and More

I am slowly finishing Row By Row kits and patterns which I obtained two summers ago. This kit featuring goldfish is so pretty, complete with crystal air bubbles. 

 The quilt was made with fusible applique and machine quilting.

I am also getting back to making blocks for my Great Gatsby quilt. Here is Jordan, Daisy's friend the tennis star. The design is based on a fashion illustration circa 1924.

I still have embroidery to do on this block showing Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway. The design is based on a fashion illustration circa 1924.

I have started the Peter Pan Story Book Quilt blocks, designed by Marion Cheever Whiteside Newton. I found a copy of the pattern on Etsy.

 Tink needs hair still.

 One mermaid's tail still needs appliqueing.

On my reading list right now:

• Only Child is an e-galley from First to Read and concerns a family in crisis after a school shooting.
• I just completed The Winter Station, based on a real plague in 1910 Manchuria.
• Starlings is a book of short stories.
• Self-Portrait with Boy was given high praise from a Goodreads friend.
• As Bright as Heaven is historical fiction about the 1918 Spanish Influenza, set in Philadelphia.
• I finished The Immortalists, in which children who learn the day of their death must decide how to live their lives.
• Poetry for Kids Robert Frost is part of a series of books I have enjoyed reviewing.
• West is a novel that intrigued me when I saw it on Edelweiss, as did The Which Way Tree which I saw on NetGalley.

Not yet downloaded from NetGalley are First Ladies of the Republic by Jeanne Abrams, Gateway to the Moon by Mary Morris, and Lear by Harold Bloom.

I am still reading giveaway wins Debriefing by Susan Sontag and Winter by Karl Ove Knausggard.

W.W. Norton shipped me this slender book. I am saving it for when I have a full afternoon free to read it in one sitting.

 And also still to be read is this LibraryThing book.

We have new siding and gutters! We changed where the gutters were, added rain barrels, and put gutters on the garage.

When my husband saw this Gum Drop tree in a catalog he remembered how his grandmother always had one. So we bought one!

It was so cool to see this Tammis Keefe linen towel ad in a 1958 magazine! I purchased reproductions several years ago and use them in my decorating. You can see one under the Gum Drop tree above.

My hubby has been making cookies! I went on a butter run today. He is enjoying making bread and baking and cooking now the yard and garden work is over. That gives me more time for reading!

The 1958 magazine had some cute illustrations of Christmas shopping. Don't you love how the lady is shopping in heels?

She changed her scarf color and how is wearing boots with the kids. Balloons in winter--that is novel.

I don't have much Christmas shopping to do and the big gifts are taken care of. For our gift to ourselves we bought tickets to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. We will take our son to two concerts at Orchestra Hall, and we bought tickets to the Neighborhood concert series.

What are you working on? How is your shopping and decorating going?