Carl > Recent Status Updates

SF in 1974. Prose is cruising around the city with the man who, along with Ellsberg, released Pentagon Papers. She's already (at 26) published two novels, been married and divorced. There's an attempt to portray herself as a typical struggling 20 something, but . . . trips to Mexico, India, Europe . . . back and forth to East Coast . . . $30 in poker game "penny ante." $30. My memory is $30 was two weeks groceries.

Many of these read like prose-poems. A narrative set in New England, mainly the voices of the "common folk." Definitely the understated New England manner

So, who killed Tulkinghorn. The nasty French lady-in-waiting or Lady Dedlock? Will Richard die? Will Emily marry old, rich Jarndyce or young, penniless Woodcourt.

Quite exciting.

Great readers, great poems

E. agrees to marry old Jarndyce and then, naturally, Doctor W shows up. Jo, street urchin who helps Lady Dedlock, dies. Tulkinghorn is murdered by Sergeant George. EVerything moving along except the law case.

Esther knows her mother is Lady Dedlock. Tulkinghorn great evil lawyer. Naive "heir" losing himself in the case. Jarndyce loves Esther, but she sees him (correctly) as a father figure. Her true love is off at sea as doctor. Wonderful characters, including Krook who dies of spontaneous combustion from alcoholism.

Siege goes on for a month and a half. Koresh speaking with God about when to come out; FBI thinks he's scamming them

Koresh collecting guns in preparation for end times. AFT planning on taking him without any violence. Lots of missed opportunities. AFT doesn't know their religious view embraces a final battle and death, expecting resurrection afterward. Intel is old, out of date.
Karesh-familiar story-convinces followers that he should have numerous wives in order to fulfill prophecy. Also includes underage girls in harem.

Lawsuit introduced. Young claimants introduced. Various suspicious characters including religious fanatic/bird lover, gentleman on hard times earning $ through calligraphy, etc.

continued results in Koresh changing his name (a version of Cyrus from Bible). Koresh asserts that he will be the one to break the seals described in the Apocalypse. He also claims to have been taken by angels up into the heavens. Mix of charlatan and true believer. Inarticulate as a child, but completely fluid and dynamic as an adult teacher of the intricacies of the Bible. Returns to Waco

Opening chapter describes AFT heading toward Koresh's compound. Troubled approach. Then the history. Seventh Day Adventists searching for purer life. Original founder in Waco dies, succeeded by his wife. She takes Koresh as student and then lover, despite 30 year age difference. Koresh, after power struggle with her (crazy) son, assumes control. Trip to Israel results in

Napoleon in Moscow. Andrei injured. Natasha "ruined" by her attempt to run off with another man . . . Pierre still searching for meaning of life, this time by going to the battle of Borodino where he is nearly killed.

Marriage Alamode continued

Wife realizes she has betrayed him. She decides to sit down and write a loving response. Crucial moment . . . turn back to a simpler time. As she's about to begin, her friends call for her to come with them on an outing. She knows she should refuse and write the letter. She almost does, but then decides "I can write it later."

Marriage alamode
Man, working in London and successful, takes train back to his exurban house. HIs wife has become quite fashionable with fashionable friends and interests . . . gap has grown between them. He doesn't fit and is the subject of ridicule among her new friends. Miserable visit for him. Return trip, he writes a love letter to his wife. She callously reads it to her "friends" who mock it. continued

The Garden Party by far the best story. Upper class family having party . . . they learn of the death of a lower class working man who lives nearby. One member of family (young woman) thinks it inappropriate to continue the party under the circumstances. Reactions of the rest of her family, confused gesture to the grieving family . . . all terrific.

Episode 4 twenty minutes in
BBC production
great scene with Andrei and Natasha at a ball. Marvelous acting, wonderful direction . . . tremendous combination of literature and film

Bit of an odd turn. Matthew, having become a drug dealer, is immediately confronted by drug task force officers who've been watching his new buddies. Matthew--no other choice--becomes confidential informant. He decides to use this position to get back at all the people who have done him dirt. He's wired up & tries to get wife's would-be lover to buy. Next goes after guy who fired him from newspaper. A rat.

Oh, Matthew . . . 2008 financial crisis threatening to take your home. Internet news has killed your profession as newspaper reporter . . . your wife is reconnecting with her old flame, rich guy in lumber business . . . your youngest boy is a mess. Solution: make money by selling marijuana to 40-somethings like yourself who want to smoke don't have dealers?
Maybe a little risky.

Matthew struggling. Lost his job as newspaper reporter. Failed startup. Marriage on the rocks. House mortgage (2009 crisis) underwater. Father with dementia. Definitely feeling a failure.

Goes to 7-11, meets some late teen, early twenties guys. Gets stoned with them. Comes up with idea to sell marijuana to his 40 ish friends.

Picking Worms
Lao girl goes with mother to pick worms (presumably for fishing). Mom is great at it, teenage daughter struggles. Girl has boy interested in her from school. White kid. He goes with her to pick worms on a lark. He's good; farmer likes him and puts him in charge (!?) Lao mother outraged, daughter as well. Boy invites girl to prom. He comes, knocks on door all dressed up, girl leaves him there.Payback

School Bus Driver: wife works in office while he drives bus. She's attractive and becomes mistress of her boss . . . school bus driver resigns himself to this . . . Name becomes symbol. He is "Jay" while his real name means Heart in Lao. She "fits" in new land; he doesn't.

Edge of the World
Unhappy mother . . . jigsaw puzzle of world solved by little girl . . . mother insists world is flat . . . girl says no, teacher said otherwise . . . puzzle swept to floor . . . mother leaves

Randy Travis: Lao immigrants. Mom develops crush on Randy Travis. Daughter writes RT letters for mom. Dad shrugs and goes along with it, even to the point of taking Mom to a concert of RT while also dressing as a cowboy to mimic RT. Mom's crush ends . . . she turns to casinos, slot machines . . . addiction . . . dies in parking lot

Dad, later, makes son Lao food years later, then sings a Randy Travis song well

How to pronounce Knife--More of an anecdote than a story. Lao girl is told by her father that the k is not silent. She argues with teacher, defending father and standing up her family in the new land.

Paris: Chicken rendering factory. Lao women doing grunt work, wishing they could work "out front" where the white women work. Nose jobs, hair curling, trying to fit in. Ends with her watching white woman humiliated

Not one of my favorites, but Dickens always gives some amazing, unforgettable characters and this book is no exception.

Starts attempting to keep his dignity. Life on the edge. Article accepted, a little money. Pawn something, a little money. Borrow from a friend, a little money. Scraping by. Description of how his mind works while hungry is excellent. Imagining angels in heaven discussing him.

Early foster history . . . eastern street kids packed off to the West to new homes. Children? Unpaid workers? Not clear. Orphan trains . . . get off in a town, have people look them over and select . . . not selected, then off to the next town.

17 year-old orphan train kid murders two in Wyoming. Not exactly cold, more casual about it all. National trial sensation.

Hung . . . at 17.

Similar tale of young man, killer, sentenced to life in prison for murder of fellow worker when he was 19. Killed in U-district as she tries to get him to sign up to be an Amway salesperson. To him, she's just a fool. In prison, he sees pattern of arrested, incarcerated foster kids. Investigates, forms groups, writes government leaders, does more to bring this relationship of crime/foster homes to the forefront.