The Forgotten Garden and the Marriage of Past, Present, and Future
06 Sep 2011 2 Comments
in Books Tags: Australia, books, England, Kate Morton, The Forgotten Garden, writing
The Forgotten Garden
If you haven’t read Kate Morton’s The Forgotten Garden, it should be on your list of future books to read. The novel follows the story of several women over the course of three-time periods: a Victorian orphan who becomes an author of fairy tales, another woman in Australia who finds out a terrible secret about her past, and her granddaughter who must figure out what an old abandoned cottage in England has to do with her family.
The story weaves in and out from one woman’s story to the next, layers of meaning gradually unfolding to reveal heartbreaking secrets. A forgotten book of dark fairy tales as told by the Victorian author also wind their way through the story, mirroring, capturing, and even replacing the realities of the story itself. The pain and guilt of mother-child relationships, the kindness of strangers, and the escape provided by art—all form part of the tapestry. With subtle romance, vivid description, and palpable suspense, The Forgotten Garden kept me up until three o’clock in the morning.
Kate Morton’s masterful storytelling captivated me, and I am particularly fascinated by her narrative structure. On her website, she says: “I’m drawn to stories that explore the relationship between the present and the past, (I don’t see them as discrete temporal locations, rather it’s my experience that the past is always with us in the present: our memories, our dreams, and the very fabric, genetic and experiential, that makes us who we are) so I’m always looking for different ways to marry various narrative lines together in a coherent whole.”
Morton’s vision becomes a reality in The Forgotten Garden; I was ruminating about the complexities of her tale and the fate of the three women in the story long after I had finished the last page.
Should Congress Save the Post Office?
05 Sep 2011 2 Comments
in News reflections, Politics, Writing about writing Tags: cards, money, news, post office, writing
The big headline right now features the failing Post Office. We have heard rumbles about their dire straits for some time, but lately, as a nation, we seem to act at the last minute when faced with a crisis. Few entities have been allowed to fail since 2008, from the banks, to the major car manufacturers, to municipal governments, so it is hard to picture the Post Office really being abandoned.
Sadly, saving the Post Office would require more than raising postage; a dramatic restructuring would be required to pare the service down to meet the current demand. Although I still head to the mailbox with anticipation every day, I have to admit that most of what I receive is junk—unwanted offers, flyers, and advertisements. The Post Office has become a purveyor of advertisement—which could be much more effectively accomplished through other means than mass mailings. However, how important is the Post Office in our lives?
To many, I would argue the Post Office still serves the same function it always did: some don’t pay their bills online, they still write letters and send cards, and some still order things by catalogue rather than by website. Even those of us under 30 still dabble in a few of these paper-based activities from time to time. Every year I vow to send out holiday cards; some years I succeed, some I don’t. However, I still see the value of a handwritten note, even if I don’t always manage it. However, will I have to hand-deliver my cards in the future?
Visiting Edgar Allen Poe’s House in Philadelphia
03 Sep 2011 2 Comments
in Books, Photography, Poets and their poetry, Travel Tags: books, Philadelphia, photography, Poe, poetry, The Black Cat, The Raven, travel
“…suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
‘‘Tis some visitor,’ I muttered, ‘tapping at my chamber door;
Only this, and nothing more.’”
Suddenly There Came a Knocking
Edgar Allen Poe lived in Philadelphia for a time with his wife and mother. One of the houses that he lived in is operated by the National Parks Service and is open Wednesday to Sunday from nine to five. Admission is free. If you live within driving distance of Philadelphia, stop by some afternoon.
Edgar Allen Poe House in Philadelphia
The time that Poe spent in Philadelphia is considered to be one of the more productive periods of his career; although like the rest of his life, it was not necessarily a happy time.
The Raven
This iron sculpture in the side yard of the house memorializes Poe’s famous poem, “The Raven,” one of Poe’s most quoted poems and one of American literature’s most famous poems.
Edgar Allen Poe House
Much of the house is unfurnished and even un-restored…the sparse, hollow rooms recall many of the bleaker moments in Poe’s stories.
The Black Cat
“The Black Cat,” one of Poe’s short stories, may have been inspired by this enclosure in the basement of this house. If you read the story in conjunction with visiting the house, “The Black Cat” will come alive.
Edgar Allen Poe
Poe’s bust is also on display at the house. His face reveals lines of hardship and despair—it is a pity that Poe did not get to see how famous he would one day become.
For the Bugs: Hatching Baby Spiders
02 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in Photography Tags: baby spiders, photograph, photography, spiders, web
Hatching Baby Spiders
“The Angel’s Game”: A Pact with the Devil?
30 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in Books, Uncategorized, Writing about writing Tags: Barcelona, books, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Faust, Great Expectations, Jane Eyre, writing
The Angel's Game
Every summer I play a little game—a treasure hunt of sorts. Rather than simply heeding the advice and book recommendations of my friends, who avidly read, I like to discover a couple great books on my own. I wander through a bookstore or library to find a book that piques my interest based on its cover, plot summary, or the first few pages. If the book turns out to be spell-binding, I am excited about discovering a new author and another great read.
This summer I discovered two great books—my favorite, which I just finished, is called The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. If you like books with Faustian themes, this book will keep you reading until the very last page. With allusions to great works of literature like Great Expectations and Jane Eyre, allusions which take on symbolic resonance, the novel is perfect for a literary junkie like me.
Set in Barcelona, the story traces the life of a young man who is on a quest to become an author—but the story is far from dry and bookish. He learns as much about love, friendship, betrayal, loyalty, religion, society, corruption, greed, and reality as he learns about writing and literature. The imagery and layers of symbolism are very satisfying, but the poetic language is balanced with a tone sometimes wry, sometimes sarcastic, and sometimes downright humorous.
I loved The Angel’s Game because due to its complicated interlacing plot there was absolutely no hint as to the ending. Would the ending be tragic, overwhelmingly positive, or inconclusive? I simply could not tell until the last few pages. For me, this is the standard of a great book—pure, unwavering suspense.
A Fine Afternoon at The Old Manse in Concord, MA
29 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in Photography, Travel, Uncategorized Tags: Emerson, Hawthorne, photography, The Old Manse, Thoreau, travel, War of Independence
Sign for Old Manse
The Old Manse: Front of House
Dining Room of the Old Manse
Gateposts of The Old Manse
Study Windows at The Old Manse
View from Study at Old Manse
Vegetable Garden Sign at Old Manse
Thoreau's Vegetable Garden
Side View of The Old Manse
Schools should focus on the needs of children, not test scores
28 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in Education Tags: America, education, news, reform, school, skills, tests
Education has been on the national radar for some time now, decades in fact. The debate over education particularly flares up when Americans feel like they are losing their national edge, for example, when the Russians launched Sputnik or when the economy is in recession.
Some politicians and experts argue that education is just not efficient enough or sophisticated enough. A lot of emphasis is placed on the fact that technology has advanced, but education has not. However, in reality the factors of a good education have not changed much.
Children have been and should be the center of education; their needs should dictate how an educational system is structured. For too long, children have been regarded as data points, demographics, and subgroups in a system that has lost sight of their true needs.
Children need teachers who care about them; school systems that provide counseling, after-school and summer programs, and family services; and curriculum that focuses on service to the community, creative and critical thinking, and engagement in a democratic community, as well as basic skills. Right now, education is wholly focused on basic skills as demonstrated by test scores.
However, students need much more than reading and math skills in order to be successful in life. America needs innovative and engaged citizens with visions for new businesses, better products, and cutting-edge technologies.
While everyone agrees that education needs to be reformed, few agree on the purpose, methods, or results. How can schools build a better future for America and focus on the needs of our next generation?
What would the Eastern United States do in the event of a violent quake?
24 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in News reflections Tags: earthquake, emergency plan, meme, Missouri Earthquake, National Cathedral, San Francisco Earthquake, traffic, tremor, Washington D. C., Washington Monument
Memes are flying all over the internet since yesterday’s 5.8 earthquake in the Northeast, mocking everyone’s panic and general hysteria in the moment of the tremor. A few things need to be noted, however, in regard to this quake.
Quakes in the East do have the potential to do powerful things. The earthquake was felt from Chicago to Montreal and down into the Carolinas. Keep in mind that the 1812 quake in Missouri was so powerful that it affected the course of the Mississippi River, and it was felt over a much greater area than the famous 1906 San Francisco quake. Quakes in the East do have the potential to do great harm, although quakes here are not as frequent, and thus not viewed as a threat like the West Coast quakes. Also, the quake could be part of a chain reaction since Colorado experienced an earthquake earlier in the same day. In the last few years, quakes have been following one another in quick succession, sometimes within weeks or months. Here we saw two quakes taking place within hours of one another.
While buildings in D.C. mainly suffered plaster and paint damage, monuments and works of art took a greater hit. The “National Cathedral” lost stone carvings from its façade and pinnacles from one of its steeples. The Washington Monument is now reported as having a crack, and it is closed to the public until a solution can be found. People in the East have failed to consider what a serious earthquake could do to our cultural artifacts.
Also, roads were greatly congested as people tried to leave Washington on Tuesday afternoon. Commentators are suggesting that our emergency response plans are not as strong as they should be. What plans are in place to deal with an earthquake in the East?
A Delightful Getaway: The Thousand Islands
18 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in Travel Tags: budget trip, Canada, Gananoque, getaway, Thousand Islands, travel, trip
Living in the Northeastern part of the United States, I am amused to find out how many people think that Canada is a million miles away. Actually, one can drive all the way from Pennsylvania to the Thousand Islands region of Ontario in less than five hours. When I am craving a little relaxation, or when I’m restless and feeling the wanderlust, I head up to Canada on a Friday evening for a weekend trip. Two nights in a hotel in Gananoque, a town just across the border, costs only a couple of hundred dollars.
The St. Laurence is a breezy river, full of mystery. An impulsive adventurer can easily book passage on a boat tour: for a day, for an afternoon, or for a dining cruise. The Thousand Islands harbor castles, such as Singer Castle and Boldt Castle, each with their own tragic or mysterious legends. Gananoque has walking tours, festivals, and War of 1812 reenactments throughout the summer. The shops on Main Street are worth a peek, and two theatres on the waterfront offer Broadway quality shows.
Fortunately, I have relatives in Canada and can pop up whenever I want, but anyone who would like to escape the city on a hot weekend can travel from New York or Philly to the Canadian border in just an evening. Just remember your passport, and be ready to relax.
Happy Blog Day, to Me! Happy Blog Day, to Me!
17 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
by hopefulscribbler in Writing about writing Tags: blog, comments, happy anniversary, hits, writing
I have just finished one week blogging every day, expect Sunday. This blog has 55 hits, and my poetry blog has 5 hits. I haven’t received any comments yet, but all in good time, all in good time. I set out to have fun writing, find my voice, and publish to a wider audience. I am accomplishing all of these things, so cheers to me!