I'm writin' 'bout the book I read

With the 45-minute commute every day, my reading time has increased dramatically. Here is a quick review of what I have read/am reading:

Goodbye, Columbus by Philip Roth
Goodbye, Columbus is a collection of fictional novellas and short stories about the postwar American Jewish diaspora, mostly in the New York/New Jersey area (of course.) "The Conversion of the Jews" is one of my favorite short stories, but I never finished the whole book, and the short story format lends itself well to the continuous interruptions of reading on busses and trains. I love Roth's no-frills, no-nonsense, no-bullshit style, it is a welcome change from some of the flashy writers I read this summer (Hunter S. Thompson, Tom Robbins and Elizabeth Gilbert). I think "Defender of the Faith" was my favorite. It is the story of a Jewish sergeant in the US Army who receives requests for special treatment from Jewish privates. The motives of the privates are ambiguous, and it is ultimately questions how the Jewish people are going to survive. Goodbye, Columbus is a very interesting, insightful read, but I wonder to what extent someone who has had little to no contact with the American Jewish community would appreciate the intricacies and complexities of the stories.

Favorite Quote:
"I'm not a planner, Brenda. I'm a liver."
"I'm a pancreas."

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Not light reading. Picoult has written an extremely compelling and original story that continues to haunt me. It is the story of a family whose daughter Kate is diagnosed with leukemia. In order to save her, they genetically design a child, Anna, to become a perfectly-matched donor. After numerous surgeries on both girls, Kate's kidneys begin to fail, and Anna is required to give one of her own to her sister. This is the last straw: Anna files a lawsuit for medical emancipation from her family. The subsequent struggles explore medical practice, ethics, justice, the role of parent and child, honesty, lost love and how a family can burn itself out. The end is devastating. I really loved the book, but felt Picoult heaped the symbolism on where it really wasn't necessary. Also, each chapter is told from a different character's perspective, but she doesn't change her style enough to give each character a believably distinct voice. Overall, a genuinely significant work. Believe the hype.

Favorite quote:

Doubt thou the stars are fire,

Doubt thou the sun doth move,

doubt truth to be a liar,

but never doubt I love.

(from Hamlet)

The Complete Short Stories by Ernest Hemingway

Hemingway is a baller. No other words. This is an ongoing project - homeboy wrote a LOT.

Favorite quote:

psh...

Currently reading...

Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill

I love Boston.

Reporters Lehr and O'Neill were following insider's theories about James "Whitey" Bulger's informant status for the FBI a decade before this was proven to be true. As a result, this book is argumentative, fiercely research and wholly brilliant. Much better than The Departed - and I really liked that movie!

Comment:

Sarah Palin kind of reminds me of Billy Bulger. Both are scrappy, hard-line conservatives. Both value showmanship - although, in a significant variation, Bulger successfully kept his family (including, to an extent, his mobster brother) out of the public eye - and maintaining their connection to your Average Joe. Palin is definitely a throwback to the showbiz politics (on the right and the left) of the mid-20th century. Think of the Democrat political machine Tammany Hall in New York. Palin comes from that tradition, she is nothing new. Except for one twist: now its a girl who is shaking you by the collar. Just a thought...

Over break, I'm hoping to finish Black Mass and also read The Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paolo Friere. I'll let you know how all that goes.

This week is heavy on the midterms and atoning, so I won't be updating much/at all. Then I'm off to Sweden, Estonia, France and Russia. Hopefully, I'll have time to write and reflect between trips.

**EDIT**

Music I'm currently enjoying:

Move On Up  by Curtis Mayfield

If I Could Build My Whole World Around You by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

Me and Mrs. Jones by Billy Paul

It's Alright by Dar Williams (Fountains of Wayne cover off the new album)

Vietnam by Bear Hands

After the Fall by X-Patriate (Alan J. Lipman)

Boston by The Dresden Dolls

Pierre by The Dresden Dolls (this one is for you, mom! Remember Ms. Wilson's class?)

...and pretty much the entire new Amanda Palmer album - especially "The Point of it All" and "Leeds United." Thanks to producer Ben Folds (!!!), it is a lot pop-ier than her stuff with the Dolls, but she hasn't lost any of her intensity. Also, check out the videos on youtube. Gnarly.