What We're Reading Now | 07/25/2008 12:00 am
What is your favorite book of this summer thus far? Why?
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True enough. I have deduced that some of the posters have, on occasion, been from the star bracket. By and large, they’re way over-protective of their “image” and afraid to let their hair down amongst commoners. That’s understandable to an extent, but to not even participate in the daily back-and-forth with the posters is really short-sighted, in my opinion. It’s not as if they have to tell us the most intimate details of their personal lives, but just open up a bit on the viewpoints expressed. My guess is that the questions are posed to these stars/former stars ahead of time, so that they can respond with their thoughts by Email to the WOW headquarters. That way, they don’t have to really participate interactively, which is no doubt a disappointment to many site participants who thought these stars would volley the issues. That would’ve brought many more people to the website, and elevated the level of discussions. By the way, here’s my MySpace.com site, if you ever need to discuss something personal, like whether the Vikings, Bears, Lions or Packers will win the NFC North: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendi… . Yeah, Elaine, you posted a comment recently to the effect that bad manners might be the single biggest deterrent to more people posting on Wow. It does seem to be the same core group of posters. It’s not just the rudeness, per se, but how it reflects a lack of intelligence. Being a pro-women website, the conversations should empower or entertain women. If I were, say, an educated, professional woman, would I want to converse in a forum wherein some of the participants engage in personal attacks and other childish behaviors?
Hey James, Yeah I remember that post. I talked of that same thing of, what if a guy came by to see the site and a woman thinking of joining. if they saw how some folks act towards one another, they’d probably just move on. Ha- ha. As for me I don’t really care if the stars come on or not as I think there just like us, in as much as they are human to and probably have more issues than most, lol. I checked out your My Space, It’s cute, I mean not like girly girl cute lol, but it’s nice. I really have to say I love the part about Jesus being your hero, Amen to that! I saw your posting on all the music you like and my brother I was telling you about had all that music, Deep purple’s smoke on the water. We would just jam to the guitar riffs in that one. My brother is a drummer also and a Gemini as well. I’m not one for believing in the Horoscopes thing but have to admit, that some of the things about libra’s are true, like we hate to make a decission, but only cuz we don’t want to make the wrong one, lol. What looks like procrastination is really just extreme diligent forethought Ha!. Also have always gotten along well with Gemini’s. My sports friend I told you about, is a Gemini. I saw on your my space page a reference to a late jude, was that your wife and if so what happened if you don’t mind my asking. It sounded sad to me. I never got into the My Space thing as I just never had time to do all of that. And was leary of just anyone going into your page and seeing your personal info. Plus being married and all I wouldn’t want someone trying to hit on me. Please don’t think Me concieted, I’m so not! It’s just from the my Space pages that my friends have, it looks like there on a dating site more than a friends place to visit. I’m on Vacay now so this is kinda like a reprive for me. Not that when I go back to work, I’ll not be on WoW, just probably not as much as of late.
Jude was my beloved girlfriend. My mother said we had a “very rare” love. She was a lot older than me at the time. She passed away in 1991. Was an alcoholic, long before I ever met her. Pretty, great sense of humor, kind heart. Would be fine for a month, and then had to drink extremely hard for a day or two. It was quite tragic. I wanted to marry her, but felt it would be prudent to try to get her off the sauce, first. My half-sister, Linda, who wasn’t around much, liked Jude, and told me last year, “You should’ve married her and given her something to live for.” Perhaps she was right, but Jude knew I loved her. Of that, I am convinced.
James, I’m so sorry. My first husband was an alcoholic, a great person but couldn’t kick it. He was sobber for 1 year but then went back to it. I tried everything I knew to do and then it begins to drag you down in the process. I remember being so upset over the whole thing I went to ala-non. When I got there I was like…I didn’t care if he drank or went blind, I just wanted my life back. That may sound mean but the disease will suck you down and drain your life if you let it. I had a hard time accepting that it was a disease untill I went to the ala-non meetings, as I had wrestled with the idea that if this was a disease, then how come this person was so willing to do this to themselves? But it doesn’t work this way, no alcoholic wakes up one day and say’s gee I think I’ll become an alcoholic today. It’s progressive. I think if I’d have had an understanding of alcoholism prior to marrying him, I would’nt have. We, or rather I was 14 years younger than he and I had no clue what an alcoholic was, I thought all the guy’s drank and I did’nt have it in my family. We were married for 10 years and then I left, took the two youngins and raised them on my own as he became non functional. I don’t know where he is to this day or if he is even alive. I just ask God to watch over him where ever he is. :)
And still, with all the ruined lives, alcohol is so glamorized in our society: on TV, radio. Don’t get me wrong: I have an occasional drink, and I know that prohibition didn’t work during the Depression era. But it’s just so hypocritical the way cigarette smoking has been (rightly) ostracized by society, with all the warning labels, high per-pack taxes, non-smoking sections and entire businesses. Yet, alcohol, which also kills tens of thousands of people every year, doesn’t come with any of the disclaimers or major warnings. To me, every ad for booze should come with a disclaimer that points out how heavy drinking can lead to alcoholism.
I don’t have anything like a beach book or a summer book. I don’t read that much fiction, but just finished “A Fine Balance” by Rohinton Mistry, a scathing look at India’s caste system told within the story of three main characters and their lives. However––back to seasonal reading––every summer around this time I need to have my John Cheever fix. I don’t know why this is, but I seem to be drawn to him when summer reaches its zenith. Right now I am rereading his journals. A taste below:
Last night, folding the bath towel so the monogram would be in the right place (and after reading a piece on Rimbaud by Zabel), I wondered what I was doing here. This concern for outward order––the flowers, the shining cigarette box––is not symptomatic of our consciousness of the cruel social disorders with which we are surrounded but also enables us to delay our realization of these social disorders, to overlook the fact that our bread is poisoned. I was born into no true class, and it was my decision, early in life, to insinuate myself into the middle class, like a spy, so that I would have an advantageous position of attack, but I seem now and then to have forgotten my mission and to have taken my disguises too seriously.
1948
phyllis,
I liked “A Fine Balance” very much. Have you ever read any of Vikram Seth’s work, “A Suitable Boy”, is one that comes to mind. Also about India. I am a huge Cheever fan-have you read his daughter’s stuff-I haven’t-looking for an opinion. I will have to look into his journals; I enjoy journals, diaries and autobiographies
I too loved “a Suitable Boy” along with”A Fine Balance”, both fascinating books about life in India,
Am so glad to hear that you have read “A Fine Balance”–––I sometimes feel alone in my choices. Thanks for the suggestion of “A Suitable Boy”––––I have been fascinated by India, especially during the Raj. After reading the “Raj Quartet”, which was wonderful, I read the biography of Paul Scott by Hilary Spurling––excellent! Re: Cheever’s daughter Susan––please read her memoir, “Home Before Dark”––it is, in my estimation, a passionate and brave portrait of her father and family. I tried another book–a short novel––by her and was disappointed. Sometimes we shine once, and never quite make it glow again. Since you like Cheever I highly recommend his journals. Here’s a list of books you may like:
Greene on Capri–Shirley Hazzard
The Elements of Lavishness–letters of Sylvia Townsend Warner & Willliam Maxwell
Scenes of Childhood––S.T. Warner
Jigsaw––Sybille Bedford
When Memory Speaks–Reflections on Atobiography–––Jill Ker Conway
Iris Origo–Marchesa of Vald’Orcia–––Caroline Moorehead
phyllis,
Thanks for the recommendations; I have been wanting to read Susan Cheever’s memoir. I also have enjoyed Conway’s books. Have you ever read any of Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s diaries-well written and very good history of the time. I will check out the above-always looking for a good book-or new line of inquiry. Thanks, again.
Dear Phyllis, I loved “A Fine Balance” and have recommended it to many friends. Am now slogging my way through Salman
Rushdies The Enchantress of Florence” but not loving it as I have put it down too many times, and I usually read a book voraciously
until the end. I must say I did read both of Ken Follett’s The Pillars of theEarth and World without End and really enjoyed them, also
why not try Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, a good read.
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