What I’ve Been Reading
If you get bold enough to read 1984, of course you’ve got to follow it up with Brave New World. Which I must say I liked significantly less.
I get Huxley’s point, I really do, warning us that human beings don’t need a totalitarian system to crush the our spirit into sand….we can entertain ourselves into dumbness and passivity and inert happiness. Can’t argue with that. But the sour and savage distaste for the female body in this book–either as a voluptuous, pneumatic instrument of seduction and promiscuity and more of that mindless pleasure that’s going to ruin us all, or as a fat (horrors!), filthy, weak, flabby embodiment (literally) of mortality and corruption–well, that made it hard to appreciate the savage satiric genius. I could see that the genius was there, but I couldn’t much enjoy it.
And it’s not just the body, it’s the human spirit that is rendered disgusting in Huxley’s antiseptically clean prose. 1984 made me feel that the humanity was at risk, but still precious. Brave New World made me feel that the human spirit wasn’t worth the struggle. Might as will take a gram of soma and go to the feelies and watch it disintegrate.
Read MoreWhat I’ve Been Reading
The remarkable Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist. Will Porter, blind since birth, experiences sight for the first time after a corneal transplant. Wonderful, right? A miracle of modern medicine, right? Not exactly.
The ending is a bit rushed, which is a real shame, because the book up until this is a fascinating and entertaining musing on honesty, beauty, and the many different types of perception. Sharp, funny, not in the least sentimental, and guaranteed to make you think.
Read MoreThe Man, His Work, and Its Impact–The Dr. Seuss Controversy
Not one of Dr. Seuss’s finer moments. He did get better.
Maybe you’re not up on what’s going on with Dr. Seuss? For details of the current controversy, check out this and this.
I was going to post my thoughts, but I have to take a back seat to Grace Lin here: she says everything that needs to be said, thoughtfully and wisely and eloquently.
A few highlights:
We know that Dr. Seuss’s early career is filled with creations of racist propaganda. He drew horrible stereotypes against Jews, African-Americans–you name it…. However, as time passed, Geisel began to regret his earlier images. It is widely accepted that his beloved book, “Horton Hears a Who!” was his way of apologizing for his earlier art….That is what makes Geisel a good man and artist. Because he was willing to grow from his original mindset, realize the harm the his work could do and get better.
No artist deserves to be judged and dismissed on the basis of one work or one image. No artist gets to be judged and idolized only on the works he or she would prefer to be selected.
Read More
Ninjas in the Library
We had an awesome Deadly Flowers event at the Portland Public Library last Saturday! Our fearless and stealthy readers hunted for clues in the stacks (learning just a tad about the Dewey Decimal system in the process), figured out a rope puzzle (not easy!) and practiced sneaking up silently on a blindfolded partner (no peeking!). And of course many left with signed copies of Deadly Flowers and the brand-new Deadly Wish.
All this was courtesy of the excellent game kit created by the brilliant Kirsten Cappy of Curious City. To recreate this event, download the kit and buy yourself a few dozen Japanese Kit-Kats for snack (we had them in raspberry, strawberry, and green tea flavors). I guarantee you an adventurous event!
Read MoreSarah L. Thomson
A children’s book author publishing award-winning nonfiction, poetry, picture books and novels including…
“Thomson focuses on newfound connection, magic, and suspense to conjure a fast-paced, heartwarming mystery. Thomson’s world is populated by resourceful protagonists, fanciful creatures, and quirky supporting characters.”
—Publishers Weekly