Archive | October 2006

To This Great Stage of Fools: Born October 31st

Oct31

John Keats, b.1795.

Can death be sleep, when life is but a dream,
And scenes of bliss pass as a phantom by?
The transient pleasures as a vision seem,
And yet we think the greatest pain’s to die.

How strange it is that man on earth should roam,
And lead a life of woe, but not forsake
His rugged path; nor dare he view alone
His future doom which is but to awake.

Chiang Kai-Shek, b.1887.

Sydney Taylor, b.1904. Ms. Taylor was an actress and a professional dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company in New York. But here in Semicolon family, she’s famous as the author of the All-of-a-Kind family books, from which we draw the frequently quoted phrase, “My mama smiles on me!”

Katherine Paterson, b.1932 in Qing-Jiang, China. Ms. Paterson wrote several classic children’s books including two Newbery Award books, Jacob Have I Loved and Bridge to Terebithia. She’s also the author of The Great Gilly Hopkins and The Master Puppeteer, both of which I’ve read and enjoyed. From an interview with the author at Katherine Paterson’s official website, terebithia.com:

In what ways has your religious conviction informed your writing? And would you comment on the presence (or lack ) of religious content, specifically Christian, in recent children’s literature (say the last fifteen years or so)?

I think it was Lewis who said something like: “The book cannot be what the writer is not.” What you are will shape your book whether you want it to or not. I am Christian, so that conviction will pervade the book even when I make no conscious effort to teach or preach. Grace and hope will inform everything I write.

You’re asking me to comment on fifteen years of 5000 or so books a year. Whew! We live in a Post-Christian society. Therefore, not many of those writers will be Christians or adherents of any of the traditional faiths. Self-consciously Christian (or Jewish or Muslim) writing will be sectarian and tend to propaganda and therefore have very little to say to persons outside that particular faith community. The challenge for those of us who care about our faith and about a hurting world is to tell stories which will carry the words of grace and hope in their bones and sinews and not wear them like fancy dress.

Reading Through Korea

Oct31

Tales of a Korean Grandmother by Frances Carpenter. This book is a collection of Korean folk tales framed by the story of Kim Ok Cha and Kim Yong Tu, sister and brother, and their grandmother Halmoni who tells them the stories they love to hear. The thirty two stories in the book are varied from a Korean Cinderella story to the story of The Ant Who Laughed Too Much, a kind of fable/why story. We’re still reading this book aloud during our afternoon reading time even though we’re supposed to have moved on to China. There’s also a book by the same author, called Tales of a Chinese Grandmother, that we may read next.

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park. Ms. Park has written several books for children set in Korea (The Kite Fighters, Seesaw Girl) in addition to this Newbery Award winning story of an orphan boy who wants to become a potter. Tree-Ear, named for a wild mushroom that grows without seed, lives under a bridge with his friend and mentor, Crane-man. His friend’s shriveled and twisted leg and foot makes him unable to work, and the two manage to eat and hold body and soul together by foraging among the garbage heaps. Then, Tree-Ear gets a job —and a dream of leaving the fringes of 12th century Korean society to become an artisan. This Newbery Award book is one that should capture the interest of adults and children alike. Apropriate for ages 8 to adult, the book could be read aloud to even younger children.

The Girl-Son by Anne Neuberger. Imduk Pahk, a seven year old Korean girl, becomes Induk Pahk, a boy, so that she can go to school with the boys. Only boys were allowed to go to school in 1896 in Korea, but Imduk’s widowed and illiterate mother wants her daughter to have an education to go with the pencil that she received as a Christmas gift from some missionaries. So Imduk/Induk begins her educational and spiritual journey by posing as a boy. This book, classified as fiction but based on a true story, takes Induk through her year at a boys’ school, elementary education at a mission school for girls, a quest for a secondary education in faraway Seoul, and finally imprisonment at the hands of the Japanese. Induk’s Christian faith is given minor emphasis in the book; perhaps she herself felt that Christianity was a minor influence in her life. However, when she is in prison and longs for a Bible and when she identifies her experiences with those of the apostle Paul, her faith in Christ is what sustains her and gives her hope in those dark days. Induk does indeedhave a “loud and clear voice” in the book, as the author promises, but it’s too bad if she was not allowed to speak as strongly and clearly as she might have wished about the hope that was within her. Appropriate for ages 11 to adult.

The Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi. (This review is written by Brown Bear Daughter, age eleven.) The Year of Impossible Goodbyes was a interesting and yet depressing book. It is incredible that all the things in the book are true, but it is also very difficult to believe every bit. The author, who lived during the same time in Korea, probably spoke from experience.

It is set in Pyongyang, North Korea. The book is in first person and the narrator is named Sookan, a Korean girl who live in the time when the Japanese had taken over her country. She is ten years old, and she has four brothers, three older and one younger, named Hanchun, Jaechun, Hyunchun, and Inchun. The older three are no longer at home, taken by the Japanese to work, as their father had been also. The Japanese terrorize and kill many Korean people. Then the Russians come and create even more problems, though the Japanese left when World War Two ended. It is getting very difficult to get to South Korea, where there is no communism, but Sookan, Inchun, and their mother attempt to get past the Thirty-eight Parallel, which separates North Korea from South Korea.

I won’t give away any more of the book, but it was gripping and exciting and made me want to recommend it to everyone. (Mom NOTE: I did not read this book before giving it to my eleven year old daughter. It does have some mature content, although it’s discreetly handled.) North Korea is still corrupt with communism today. I liked this book because it made me feel sympathy for Sookan and her family.

Jama Rattigan recommends Korean (American) picture books at Jama’s Alphabet Soup.

World Geography: Week 11, China

Oct30

Music:
Guiseppe Verdi—Ave Maria from Othello

Mission Study:
1. Bold Bearers of his Name: Lula F. Whilden
2. Window on the World: Newars
3. WotW: Tibetans
4. WotW: Xinjiang
5. WotW: Yao-Mien

Poems:
My Poetry Book: At Our House

Science:
Magnets

Nonfiction Read Alouds:
The Pageant of Chinese History–Seeger
China by Tami Deedrick

Fiction Read Alouds:
Little Pear—Lattimore
A Grain of Rice–Pittman
Tales of a Chinese Grandmother by Frances Carpenter


Picture Books:
The Emperor and the Nightingale—Andersen
The Five Chinese Brothers—Bishop
The Empty Pot–Demi
Ming Lo Moves the Mountain—Lobel
Eyes of the Dragon—Leaf
Tikki Tikki Tembo—Mosel
Emperor and the Kite–Yolen

Elementary Readers:
Homesick—Fritz
Mission to Cathay—Polland
Silkworms—Johnson
Eyewitness: Ancient China
Confucius; The Golden Rule—Freedman
A Boy’s War—Michell
Between Two Worlds: A Story about Pearl S. Buck–Mitchell

Other Books:
Nothing Daunted; The Story of Isobel Kuhn–Repp
The Importance of Living–Lin Yutang

Movies:
Arsenic and Old Lace

To This Great Stage of Fools: Born October 30th

Oct30

John Adams, Second President of the United States, b. 1735. “There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live.”

Richard Sheridan, playwright, b. 1751. He was the creator of the character, Mrs. Malaprop, in his play The Rivals. A malapropism is “the mistaken use of a word in the place of a similar soundong one, often with unintentionally amusing effect.” For instance Mrs. Malaprop says in the play, “He is the very pineapple of politeness!”

Paul Valery, French poet, b.1871.

Emily Post, b.1872. Her book, Etiquette: The Blue Book of Social Usage was first published in 1922.

Ezra Pound, American poet, b.1885.

LOST Rehash: Every Man for Himself, or Seeing Double

Oct27

I’m late this week because I couldn’t get my LOST fix on Wednesday night. Events conspired to make that impossible. And what happens when Mama don’t get her fix? Mama had a bad day yesterday. I finally watched via computer at 11:00 p.m. last night. Then, I went over and read De-Thinkling’s live-blogging report and all the comments below.

A-a-a-h! Relief. I’m now ready to discuss the latest episode of the on-going soap opera that is LOST. As usual, if you have not gotten your fix, there are spoilers to follow. Be warned.

I’m going to go through the character list for this episode and say what there is to say.

1. Desmond. If I didn’t already have Engineer Husband . . . It’s the Scots accent and the nose. But, that aside, Desmond is definitely a prophet, and as someone noted over at Thinklings, perhaps a Christ-figure. He has the look, and the coming back naked from the blast reminded me of Gandalf. So we have Desmond-Elijah-Jesus-Gandalf. I don’t like the the idea of the “new” Lostie that Desmond borrowed the golf club from. I’m having enough trouble keeping the names and characters of the Others straight. And a guy who hits golf balls, of which there must be a somewhat limited supply, into the ocean?

2. Claire and Charlie. Claire and Charlie deserve each other, just like Sawyer and Kate deserve each other. C and C are kind of clueless but sweet and sometimes funny. Claire kind of wanders off, in her mind and with her eyes, with whichever guy pays the least bit of attention to her, but I think she’ll end up with Charlie when all is said and done.

3. Juliette and Jack. So, Jack is there to save someone’s life. Ben, most likely. Of course, being Jack, he’ll do it. If the Others had the least bit of understanding of human psychology, they would know that Jack is compulsive doctor-man, and all they had to do was ask. SO why all these psychological mind games? “We have a whole dossier on you and we know all about you.” If they’re trying to convince Jack to be cooperative, they’re going about it the wrong way. However, Juliette might be able to manage Jack if Ben would give her a free hand. Ben, however, is power-mad, and he’s probably cancerous in more ways than one.

4. Sawyer and Kate. Neither Sawyer nor Kate is too bright, if you ask me. Why did it take Sawyer so long to figure out they were watching him, and why has Kate STILL not figured that out? She saw Ben spring Sawyer’s water trap, if she didn’t hear him say that they turned off the elecrtricity, so how come she doesn’t know yet that Big Brother is watching? Hasn’t she read that book? Probably not. Of the two, Sawyer’s the more intellectual. Kate’s a Criminal Mastermind, but a hick, nevertheless. I say, as I’ve said all along, they deserve each other, and if they can ever quit conning each other, they’ll mate for life. Oh, and I understand why Sawyer couldn’t afford NOT to believe in the pacemaker, but why couldn’t he risk telling Kate to run and come for him and Jack later? And why admit up front that he’s out for himself? Wouldn’t a good con man say something like, “Honey, we’ll get out of here, and we’ll figure out a plan to come back for Jack?” Whether he planned to do so or not.

I can’t keep all the other Others straight, so I can’t really write about them. And I suppose Locke’s somewhere preparing to be the Great Deliverer. Maybe he needed another session in the sweat lodge first. (Yuck!)

Computer Guru Son, who knows all sorts of secret information about everything, tells me that some major character is slated to die in the next two episodes. He guesses Mr. Eko. I hope not because I like Mr. Eko, but I can picture him saying (in that wonderful Nigerian accent), “My mission here is ended. Now you, John, must take up my staff (Jesus Stick) and lead this people to the Promised Land.” Or revenge or something.

Questions:

Are there really two islands? Or is Ben/Henry lying again? He lies a lot.
If there are two islands, it makes sense that Rousseau never mentioned running across Other Village. But why hasn’t anyone at least seen the Other island from the original one?
Where is Rousseau? Where is to the statue with four toes? Where are Sayid and Sun and Jin? Where are Rose and Bernard? Why do we have to introduce new characters when we can’t keep up with the ones we have already?
Why does Ben/Henry think he’s God? And when is someone going to do something to convince him he’s not? I’m reading Moby Dick right now, and Ben reminds me of Ahab, spinning his webs of fantastical revenge and power. Pride goeth before . . .

OH, I forgot to mention, this week’s featured book on LOST was Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Someday I was going to a post on literary references in LOST, but I imagine Lostpedia has already beat me to it.

Friday’s Center of the Blogosphere

Oct27

“even if you discover all of the secrets of the universe during your research, the floor still needs sweeping.” —Keri Smith at wish jar

“When God wanted to tell us about Himself, He didn’t dictate a book of Systematic Theology (as I would have advised Him if He’d asked me). He gave us a book full of stories, stories about people’s real lives and how He’s dealt with them.” —Lars Walker at Brandywine Books

The Anchoress on the destruction of embryos for the purpose of embryonic stem cell research:

What is it about the Embryo that makes some people so determined to destroy it, to become heated and hateful if you suggest to them that they should not destroy it, that it is a being of identifiably human species and therefore worthy of respect?
I suspect that the embryo is all about promise, about tomorrow, about life and fulfillment – and there is a whole culture out there that does not want to think an embryo is anything more than “a clump of cells.” A tumor is a clump of cells. It might grow out of control, but it will never live, breathe, sing, laugh, pray, cry, create or mourn. An embryo is something more. At its core – beyond the science – an embryo is Mystery. And Mystery is too much like God for some people…or Mystery makes them contemplate, and contemplation leads to thinking about things like God, and prayer and worship.

To This Great Stage of Fools: Born October 27th

Oct27

“For unflagging interest and enjoyment, a household of children, if things go reasonably well, certainly makes all other forms of success and achievement lose their importance by comparison.”

“There are two things that I want you to make up your minds to: first, that you are going to have a good time as long as you live – I have no use for the sour-faced man – and next, that you are going to do something worthwhile, that you are going to work hard and do the things you set out to do.”

“Don’t hit at all if you can help it; don’t hit a man if you can possibly avoid it; but if you do hit him, put him to sleep.”

“I don’t think any President ever enjoyed himself more than I did. Moreover, I don’t think any ex-President ever enjoyed himself more.”

So, who was the adventurous US president born on this day in 1858?

Encouragement

Oct26

Brown Bear Daughter: Mom, you have to watch this movie and tell me whether you agree with us that it doesn’t even have a plot until three-fourths of the way into the movie!

Me: Why do you need me?

BB Daughter: Because i need to know if I’m right and if you agree with me because that’s how kids figure out stuff.

Me, thoughtfully: Oh, so you are listening. I’m encouraged.

When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro

Oct25

A quotation on the back of the book jacket from a reviewer refers to Mr. Ishiguro’s “inimitably out-of-kilter vision.” THose are just the words I was looking for as I read this book —out-of-kilter. I find that frequently as I read more recently published fiction, in the last fifty years say, I feel a sense of culture shock. These people in I’m reading about are off-kilter, not quite insane, but not thinking logically, not quite right. Eldest Daughter says it’s a feature of post modern fiction and post-modern culture. I guess I’m just a modernist, or maybe Victorian.

Anyway, I picked up When We Were Orphans at a used book sale because I enjoyed Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go so much. I didn’t enjoy this book as much. The narrator was . . . odd. (It must be the week for odd. See this review of The Book Thief.) Christopher Banks, the aforementioned narrator, is such a distinctive personality that it is hard to decide, but I almost convinced myself that Ishiguro was trying to make Banks the embodiment of what was wrong with the British attitude toward the world, and particularly China, prior to World War II. Banks is blind, majoring on minor issues that don’t seem at all minor to him, while the world around him is a literal war zone. The British, too, were blindly crying out “Peace, Peace!” when there was no peace. Then again, Banks’ blindness has to do specifically with his parents and his orphaned state. The British government wasn’t searching for its lost parents. So the analogy only goes so far before it breaks down.

Mr. Ishiguro tells a good story and creates intriguing characters, even if his protagonist does have a bit of a bug in his brain. The other characters in the novel are believable, but negligible. Christopher Banks is the center of interest. The setting for the second half of the story is Shanghai, 1937. Wartime Shanghai is vivdly portrayed, even though the person doing the portraying is somewhat myopic. Somehow the author manages to enable us to see through his narrator. And that vision leads to an ambiguous ending in which Christopher Banks believes he has finally found out what happened to his parents, but I’m not so sure I’m buying the story. So we’re left with more post-modern ambiguity. It’s pretty good slightly off-kilter ambiguity, as evidenced by the fact that I’m still trying to figure it out two days later, if you like that sort of thing.

If you’ve never read anything by Ishiguro, I recommend Never Let Me Go. (Semicolon review here.) If you like that one, and if you like off-center, you’ll probably enjoy When We Were Orphans, too.

Potatoes

Oct23

Hold your taters! (books)

Backyard Ballistics: Build Potato Cannons, Paper Match Rockets, Cincinnati Fire Kites, Tennis Ball Mortars, and More Dynamite Devices by William Gurstelle. You can read here about how Engineer Husband and Karate Kid planned to build a potato cannon. I will finish the story by reporting that the potato cannon was a huge success, the potatoes hit the fence with a satisfying thud, and no animals were injured or mistreated in the production or execution of this project.

In Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner, Willy must harvest the potato crop by himself when Grandpa becomes ill. Here’s a teaching activity to accompany the reading of this book. (The book continues as Willy enters a dog sled race to raise money to pay the taxes and to save Grandpa’s farm.)

More Potatoes! by Millicent Selsam is an older, out of print, beginning reader about how potatoes get from the field to the table. It’s told as a story, and it’s a good introduction to food production in general for younger children.

Potatoes, Potatoes by Anita Lobel. Potatoes, love and war all in a picture book.

Blue Potatoes, Orange Tomatoes by Rosalind Creasy. This picture book actually tells how to grow blue potatoes —and other vegetables in rainbow colors.

The Amazing Potato: A Story in Which the Incas, Conquistadors, Marie Antoinette, Thomas Jefferson, Wars, Famines, Immigrants, and French Fries All Play a Part by Milton Meltzer. Also out of print, but worth tracking down in the library or used bookstore, this book tells the history of the potato for upper elementary age children. I like the long title, don’t you?
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Hot potato (quotations):
“What I say is that, if a fellow really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty decent sort of fellow.” —A. A. Milne

“Money is the root of all evil, and yet it is such a useful root that we cannot get on without it any more than we can without potatoes.” —Louisa May Alcott

“Let the sky rain potatoes.” —Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor

“Papa, potatoes, poultry, prunes and prism, are all very good words for the lips.” —Charles Dickens

Pierre had not eaten all day and the smell of the potatoes seemed extremely pleasant to him. He thanked the soldier and began to eat.
“Well, are they all right?” said the soldier with a smile. “You should do like this.”
He took a potato, drew out his clasp knife, cut the potato into two equal halves on the palm of his hand, sprinkled some salt on it from the rag, and handed it to Pierre.
“The potatoes are grand!” he said once more. “Eat some like that!”
Pierre thought he had never eaten anything that tasted better. —Tolstoy War and Peace

“Po-ta-toes,” said Sam. “The Gaffer’s delight, and a rare good ballast for an empty belly.” —JRR Tolkien

Couch potato (links)
History of the Potato

The Potato Museum Blog

Potato links for students and educators.

Of course, Rebecca Writes’ October, 2006, archive page with all the Potato Fest entries will be the go-to place for potato information in the blogosphere from now on.

Mashed potatoes (news)

“The United Nations (UN) has declared 2008 as the International Year of the Potato, in Resolution 4/2005 of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, adopted on 25 November 2005.”