Neighborhood News and Chat > Likes and Comments

Hello Everyone -- this thread is for you to post any news you would like to share about something happening in the neighborhood group and also for your to share news and happenings of a personal nature --book related or not. Feel free to ask a question too. This is a all purpose open thread. Don't be shy, we'd love to know what is on your mind today.

I just delivered an apple pie to my son and family for Thanksgiving. (He lives 15 minutes away.) We'll deliver another pie to a couple tomorrow along with sides ... they'll give us half a turkey and some other sides. Then about 14 of us will Zoom from 1:00 to 3:00pm on Thanksgiving Day. I think half the world will be on Zoom, so I wonder if there is enough bandwidth ... A different Thanksgiving indeed.

Hi Larry:
I wonder what will happen with Zoom too. We are considering a Zoom with family in Hawaii, and I know several large families in the neighborhood that will be zooming all about the same time.

I'm brining a turkey and will work on pumpkin pie soon.

I'm really looking ward to make a big vat of turkey soup to freeze.

Just me and my husband tomorrow.


If others see this- I am curious what was your favorite one or two dishes you enjoyed at Thanksgiving when you were growing up?

Mine was oyster stuffing - those were the days when the stuffing was baked inside the turkey, and mom's stuffing poured from the bird. The outside stuffing exposed to the oven was always crunchy and the flavor of the oysters and spices and day old bread -- just fantastic ... That was my favorite dish when I was a kid.

Sher wrote: "If others see this- I am curious what was your favorite one or two dishes you enjoyed at Thanksgiving when you were growing up?..."

When the turkey is great, it's the turkey. But I love cornbread stuffing the next day or the day after that. It usually is gone after that.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

I have just tried several times to post a new topic on the History file- The French Revolution, in order to mention Schama's 'Citizens:A Chronicle of the French Revolution.' It won't let me do it- it says there is always an error. Will try again later; off to cook lunch now, but not your lovely Thanksgiving turkey, apple pie, etc. ; a more mundane spaghetti with a tomato and oregano sauce, broccoli, carrots, roasted lamb, and a baked hooligan pumpkin husband has grown.

Carol, Sher and I have our own problems in trying to start new topics. GR is flakey. I’ll try to add that topic in a little while. And Happy Thanksgiving to you and all!

Carol wrote: "I have just tried several times to post a new topic on the History file- The French Revolution, in order to mention Schama's 'Citizens:A Chronicle of the French Revolution.' It won't let me do it- ..."

I'm a huge fan of Schama - especially his History of Britain video series. As a nerd who actually likes watching documentaries, I can recall having watched part of it ripped from discs on a long plane flight.

Trader Joe's masala chicken and mashed potatoes await for later. My mother dislikes cooking, so holiday dinners aren't exactly a fond tradition for me.

John wrote: "Trader Joe' s masala chicken and mashed potatoes await for later. My mother dislikes cooking, so holiday dinners aren't exactly a fond tradition for me..."

We carry these "traditions" or experiences deeply into our older age. My mother was a loving mother in her own ways, but she made decorating the Christmas tree a thoroughly miserable experience. I only do it now because my two granddaughters delight in it.

I currently have subscriptions to the following: The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, The Atlantic Monthly, The Washington Post, and The New York Yimes.

I am thinking on trying The New York Review of Books.

Would anyone have an opinion on that or possibly something else to suggest? I am looking for a periodical or site that offers thought-provoking articles with a focus on the literary world.

What about the Times Literary Supplement? I see Stig Abell at least once a week on the TV, who until recently was editor, and is now executive editor. I always like his opinions and how he expresses himself. I used to subscribe to the TLS but then became a bit overwhelmed with all the different newspapers etc. I was reading (am somewhat of a newsaholic!) and stopped, but I always found it a good, substantial read on a variety of literary topics.

It is many years since we had a real tree at Xmas, although one memorable year I bought one in the square near the cathedral at Strasbourg and hauled it by myself through the streets to daughter's home. We have had a large artificial one and as it became obvious that Covid would prevent any family get together this year we have been dismembering it and putting bits out for the dustmen (trash?) to take away. I have a little one, already decorated, and that will do us for this year and the foreseeable future.

Carol wrote: "What about the Times Literary Supplement? I see Stig Abell at least once a week on the TV, who until recently was editor, and is now executive editor. I always like his opinions and how he expresse..."

I will look into that, Carol. I do get periodic links to stories on it.

The New York Review of Books dangled ten issues in front of me for ten dollars. I am probably overloaded with reading, but it seems hard to pass up.

John wrote: "Carol wrote: "What about the Times Literary Supplement? I see Stig Abell at least once a week on the TV, who until recently was editor, and is now executive editor. I always like his opinions and h... The New York Review of Books dangled ten issues in front of me for ten dollars. I am probably overloaded with reading, but it seems hard to pass up. "

John,

I used to subscribe to the NYRB, but a few years ago, our public library started subscribing to it through RBDigital, so now I can read it for free. I find a few articles each issue to be essential reading.

I enjoyed the Times Literary Supplement also, but had so many technical problems ... that would get resolved (sometimes only with help from TLS tech support) ... and then crop up again. After about the fifth time .... over a number of months, I said "forget about this!" and even quit reading it until my subscription ran out. I miss certain parts of it a lot, like Mary Beard's column, but as I've gotten older, I decided that I just won't put up with these kind of recurring tech problems.

I do subscribe to the London Review of Books also ... as a Kindle subscription.

Here is a new thread for discussion about poetry that may interest our poetry lovers. We hope as the group grows, we will have more of us. I bet we will. Seems like many nonfiction readers also love poetry. I wonder why that is...?

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

John, I see that you are reading Fermor's Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese.

One of our friends is a person named Mimi who is a member of the Patrick Leigh Fermor society and who makes a trip--usually to Greece--every year organized by that group. Mimi always attends our Thanksgiving meals with her son John. I asked her this year about the trip and she said it was cancelled. (Last year I gave Mimi a Folio Society copy of Fermor's A Time of Gifts: On Foot to Constantinople - from the Hook of Holland to the Middle Danube -- I've been purging paper books in favor of e-books wherever possible.

Here's a link to the Fermor Society website: https://patrickleighfermor.org/catego...

Larry wrote: "John, I see that you are reading Fermor's Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese.

One of our friends is a person named Mimi who is a member of the Patrick Leigh Fermor society an..."

I recognize that Time of Gifts is his signature work, but honestly I recall liking The Traveller's Tree: A Journey Through the Caribbean Islands better. This is as good a place as any to mention that, as some people have a very poor recognition of names and faces, I (generally) have a poor recollection of details or plots of books; instead, I have a recollection of how I felt about the book which stays with me. I'm liking the travel narrative aspect of Mani, but honestly skimming through some of the (bogged down to me) history. If you're a serious Hellenophile, or specifically interested in European history, you're truly a target audience. His ability to convey a sense of place is outstanding!

John, I didn't even know about the Caribbean book. I'll add it to my list. I love his digressions.

"This is as good a place as any to mention that, as some people have a very poor recognition of names and faces, I (generally) have a poor recollection of details or plots of books; instead, I have a recollection of how I felt about the book which stays with me. "

I have a similarly poor recall for lots and details ... what is strange is how selective it is, When I look back over the lost of books that I have read the last 30 years, there are books that I can remember a good deal about and some that I recall nothing about.

I guess I'm sensitive to the fact that my best friend teaches college literature, and give details of novels easily, not necessarily limited to ones that he's taught often.

I have been to Greece once, and that was only a couple of days catching up with friends who live in the Athens suburbs, so I can say I have been to the country, but haven't really experienced it as such. I'm more familiar with Greek culture having lived in a Greek neighborhood for several years (Astoria, Queens, NYC). I wasn't planning on mentioning this title as I'm not sure it's quite so outstanding for the regular threads, but I can say that I appreciated the author's enthusiasm in Greek to Me: Adventures of the Comma Queen.

Fermor actually put a visit to Crete on my bucket list as I understood he was there as a WW II soldier (okay, it doesn't hurt that one of the better lines in my life that I can remember was from Crete as well).

We have had 3 travel or journey books mentioned in the last few posts. I have short list of such books I read this year and have more to read this year. Mods, might we have a journey or travel thread?

There are so many books that can be listed under such a heading. I am also thinking of pictures people took and developed--fine photographs of natural beauties, art, cities, etc.

Also some travels are about travelling into cultures, through roadways, visiting cities, and more.

Another Question. Women's studies has still not yet quite left that collective and group biography stage. I have a collective biography of civil war nurses--not a collection of biographies, one right after the other, but of various nursing operations and nurses during the Civil War. How do you want me to categorize both

• anthologized biographies of women
• group biographies?

Perhaps you would like for me to group all the women's booms together?

Sub-question. As we continue to find, assess, and edit and then later synthesize and even later inform organizational experience, women's writing of letters, journals, day books, and narratives/memiors, we will continue to develop the field of women's history. May we have in place already threads for original documents (as named above), biographies, professionals, ruler/politicians, military participants (nurses and soldiers), etc.

Cynda wrote: "We have had 3 travel or journey books mentioned in the last few posts. I have short list of such books I read this year and have more to read this year. Mods, might we have a journey or travel thre..."

Hi Cynda - I have added the Travel Journey folder. I will let Larry deal with the womens' threads. I'm not sure how to handle that complexity.

One of the things we are finding - if we have lots and lots of subcategories, it makes the lists so long- many topics will begin to be covered requiring folks to always have to scroll and work for finding the hidden areas. We are still looking at the categories and exploring ways to organize most clearly...

Sher wrote: "Cynda wrote: "We have had 3 travel or journey books mentioned in the last few posts. I have short list of such books I read this year and have more to read this year. Mods, might we have a journey ..."

Gotcha.
And thanks for Travel Journey thread.

I suggest that Travel be broken down into regions, though not individual countries, in addition to the general folder which is fine for specific writers or Journeys covering multiple regions. Otherwise, I suspect that it will be harder for people looking for a specific area to go through a lengthy thread later.

Cynda wrote: "Another Question. Women's studies has still not yet quite left that collective and group biography stage. I have a collective biography of civil war nurses--not a collection of biographies, one right after the other, but of various nursing operations and nurses during the Civil War. How do you want me to categorize both

• anthologized biographies of women
• group biographies?

Perhaps you would like for me to group all the women's booms together?

Sub-question. As we continue to find, assess, and edit and then later synthesize and even later inform organizational experience, women's writing of letters, journals, day books, and narratives/memiors, we will continue to develop the field of women's history. May we have in place already threads for original documents (as named above), biographies, professionals, ruler/politicians, military participants (nurses and soldiers), etc"

Cynda,

I'm sorry ... just too much complexity for here.

Larry

Larry wrote: "Cynda wrote: "Another Question. Women's studies has still not yet quite left that collective and group biography stage. I have a collective biography of civil war nurses--not a collection of biogra..."

I understand. I thought about it too. If I follow directions indicated in the group name, I will only add the best of what I read every year about women. I will add maybe two or three more in a year--list the best of what I have read. When others ask for suggestions, I will have opportunity to also suggest other books. 👍

Cynda wrote: "Larry wrote: "Cynda wrote: "Another Question. Women's studies has still not yet quite left that collective and group biography stage. I have a collective biography of civil war nurses--not a collec..."

Thanks, Cynda. That is the overall plan. We'll try to stick to it.

BTW, when I add books, I have been adding the cover, as I always like to see what it looks like. I think everyone else has been adding the title and I don't think it is possible to do both. Would you prefer the title to be added, not the cover?

Carol wrote: "BTW, when I add books, I have been adding the cover, as I always like to see what it looks like. I think everyone else has been adding the title and I don't think it is possible to do both. Would y..."

It is possible to add both. Cover only doesn't work as well for folks on mobile devices.

The Apparitionists: A Tale of Phantoms, Fraud, Photography, and the Man Who Captured Lincoln's Ghost

Carol,

Do add both. Some of our readers use smartphones the GR app on those devices, as John says, just doesn't work well if its just the image.

Thanks.

Larry

When I look at a book I just added to my current reading list, I like to click the prompt for all editions. If I cannot match up the edition I have, then I like to pick one out that is nicely done.

There is this book publisher — I think the name is Bathsheba? — and they have the most unique and colorful covers. You might have a Dickens title with with a wonderful almost tropical-looking cover of reds, yellows. It is counterintuitive, but it works in my mind.

Larry wrote: "Carol,

Do add both. Some of our readers use smartphones the GR app on those devices, as John says, just doesn't work well if its just the image.

Thanks.

Larry"


Hello Carol:
Yes, if possible please add both or the direct link without cover, because just the cover does not work well for folks who use their phones. I go back and forth between my phone and the laptop all day long... Phone when I am working down at barn, and laptop when up at house. I hope this helps.

John wrote: "When I look at a book I just added to my current reading list, I like to click the prompt for all editions. If I cannot match up the edition I have, then I like to pick one out that is nicely done...."

Hi John-- That's a fun little detail about choosing editions. Carol recently posted a book that I moved through all the editions before finding a non-French edition. Sometimes a Kindle edition pulls up, and I try to make sure I have the print edition since I do not use Kindle. But, my choices are not informed by anything as whimsical and color oriented as your choices are. :)

Will have a go. Have been learning how to use a smart phone so am getting into the technological age properly. Son and daughter-in-law gave me a lesson on Skype yesterday. Had migraine at the time so could hardly see them, let alone the phone. However, I did my best and they discovered I was clutching the side of it and so turning it off all the time. I am not anticipating making many calls with it, but need it for other things such as paying for parking meters without touching the buttons. Or if you go to be covid tested I gather you are guided how to do it, in your car, using your phone. I can see life can become quite difficult without it although I have a very strong attachment to my land line.

John wrote: "When I look at a book I just added to my current reading list, I like to click the prompt for all editions. If I cannot match up the edition I have, then I like to pick one out that is nicely done...."

I will look it up. I love colours and beautiful covers. So few books seem to have a good cover; I don't really understand why.

Carol wrote: "I love colours and beautiful covers. So few books seem to have a good cover; I don't really understand why...."

Carol, I have read a lot of comments over the past few years about how British produced books have deteriorated greatly in their physical characteristics, binding, etc.? Do you find that to to be case?

Larry wrote: "Carol wrote: "I love colours and beautiful covers. So few books seem to have a good cover; I don't really understand why...."

Carol, I have read a lot of comments over the past few years about how..."
No, I don't. They seem much the same as they have always been. It is the covers which I generally find rather boring and not distinctive.

Has anyone seen the recent statue of Mary Wollstonecraft? I am very disappointed and rather shocked by it. She is portrayed naked. A similar male figure would not be portrayed in this way. She is widely regarded as the first British feminist, and was very much an intellectual with strong opinions. I think the statue degrades her. We would not appreciate seeing a naked Washington touring the soldiers at Valley Forge (in the famous painting of him on horseback in the snow, although the soldiers themselves were, in fact, mostly naked) or the intellectual, Thomas Paine, or the revolutionary, Robespierre. I believe she is described as being Universal Woman. Still no excuse, I think.

"Has anyone seen the recent statue of Mary Wollstonecraft? I am very disappointed and rather shocked by it. She is portrayed naked." Nudity doesn't upset me, but this just seems totally senseless and like you say, degrading.

Carol:
Where is the statue and who made it? It sounds like her nudity is symbolic and in your face. I'd like to know more... When was it raised?

It is made by Maggi Hambling, a sculptress and painter. The naked figure is at the top of what looks like a rock but is, I gather, meant to be other female forms.

I'd have to see a picture of it to make a judgment on the "artistic merit."

Carol wrote: "It is made by Maggi Hambling, a sculptress and painter. The naked figure is at the top of what looks like a rock but is, I gather, meant to be other female forms."

Carol:
Where In England? Can we see it?

Sher wrote: "Carol wrote: "It is made by Maggi Hambling, a sculptress and painter. The naked figure is at the top of what looks like a rock but is, I gather, meant to be other female forms."

Carol:
Where In En..."

It is 10 feet high and is in Newington Green, North London. I have seen it in close-up on the TV but have only managed to find small pictures of it on the net, just by typing in Maggi Hambling and statue of Wollstonecraft. There is much anger about it. Suspect it won't last long without being vandalised or removed. People managed to throw the large statue of Colson in the river at Bristol, so I don't think its size will be a problem. There seems to be often controversy about Hambling's sculptures, but not about her paintings, often of waves, which look attractive and not out of the usual. She made a statue of Oscar Wilde, which was widely criticised, called 'A Conversation with Oscar Wilde'. I have only seen that in a small picture, though, so find it difficult to make a judgement.

Another controversial statue here is that of Verity, by the famous artist, Damien Hirst. She stands 66 feet tall, at the end of the pier at Ilfracombe harbour. She is made of bronze and steel and according to Hirst is an allegory for truth and justice. She has the stance of Degas's 'Little Dancer of Fourteen Years'. She is a naked, pregnant woman, whose stomach is cut open, exposing her internal organs and a foetus. She holds a sword aloft, carries the scales of Justice and stands on a pile of law books.
Some people hate it, others love it. I find it striking but wish it had been put somewhere other than the beautiful setting of the coast at Ilfracombe harbour. I grew up there, and feel it destroys its sense of antiquity, of timelessness. It is just so enormous and intrusive in the landscape. Perhaps on the outskirts of the town in a field. It has been loaned to Ilfracombe for 20 years by Damien Hirst so hopefully he will one day take it home.

Here are two pictures of the statue and an article about it and the controversy.

I was interested to know who or what entity commissioned this work, and that wasn't clear to me in the article. When you look at the body of Hambling's work-- how could the commissioning group not expect something controversial. If the square and received a bronze sculpture of the real Wollenstonecraft in any depiction o her life as a real person. I imagine most people would have walked on by not looking and not asking any questions. That this piece is gaining so much criticism and attention -- makes one wonder was that intended?

I have read the critical response. It is interesting to me how different interpretations are possible. I am surprised I rather like this work and have my own view of it that veers from what we read in this article. But, I need to see it in its setting.

I also looked at the body of Hambling's work, and I find many of her pieces quite powerful. Sorry to be an outlier here-- just expressing my first response.

I do get your point Carol-- about _Verity_. how would I feel if it was placed overlooking the Pacific Ocean where I lived in Alaska... Does the work change the ocean or our experience of it. Perhaps this is a choice we have? 66 feet of this violent image... but can it be viewed symbolically? Now I need to go and see it... Thanks Carol for bringing these pieces to attention...

The work of Damien Hirst strikes me differently, and I am sure because it deals, in part, with animals in boxes surrounded by formaldehyde.

The wealthiest artist in the UK.

This article show images of the statue _Verity_ and also delves into a bit of interpretation and criticism. https://elephant.art/damien-hirst-ver...

Among other things, colorists are artisans who spend much time on color and perception, perception of color, of meaning. As a colorist, I am glad a popular science venue got it right:

Sher, when we read the epic a couple of years ago, the Aeneid, we did not read about blue waters or blue skys. It struck me as odd. This video explains how there could be no mention of nlue in the Aeneid.

That's a fun video Cynda. I never thought about blue not being mentioned in those texts... The host of that show is really cute -- fun to watch. Thanks.

Why is there no mention of blue in the Aeneid?