Archive | June 2007

Many-Colored Question

Jun22

I’m almost afraid to ask this question for fear of being attacked, but I was told not too long ago that I’m “bold”. I didn’t know I was bold, but I like the idea. So I’ll ask the question.

Is “colored” a bad word? As in, “a colored lady” or a “colored man”? I know that it’s not the term of choice; I think that Africans and African Americans like to be called “black” nowadays. I find it it hard to keep up with the politically correct terms for various groups of people. However, I’m asking because an elderly man I know got into major trouble at the nursing home because he was calling one of the nurses “that colored lady.” This man is seventy-six years old, probably a bit racist, but in this particular case I don’t think he was trying to be rude. He grew up calling black people “colored” and truly didn’t mean to offend. He got reported, and the director of the nursing home came to speak to him and tell him that under no circumstances was he to call anyone “colored”. The entire incident seems like an over-reaction to me. Why couldn’t the nurse just ask him to call her by her name?

Hence, my question. Is colored a bad word? How about “people of color”? What about NAACP?

Poetry and Fine Art Friday: A Book

Jun22

I’ve written here before about my college professor, Dr. Huff, who was the initiator and chief of what he called “The Six Hundred Club.” For his freshman English classes, he encouraged the students to memorize six hundred lines of poetry; his upper level Shakespeare classes were asked to memorize six hundred lines of SHakespeare. Either accomplishment entitled one to membership in “that exclusive and august society, THE SIX HUNDRED CLUB.” He wrote as an introduction to the mimeographed pages of poems for the freshmen, “Because one of the fringe thrills of your life will be your ability to recall the magic of some of literature’s greatest lines long after your college years, the following selections are offered for you to commit to memory.” The following poem is one of Dr. Huff’s selections:

Girl Stands in a Field Reading Her Book

Who Hath A Book

by Wilbur D. Nesbit

Who hath a book
Hath friends at hand,
And gold and gear
At his command;
And rich estates,
If he but look,
Are held by him
Who hath a book.

Who hath a book
Hath but to read
And he may be
A king, indeed.
His kingdom is
His inglenook-
All this is his
Who hath a book.

By the way, I am a member of The Six Hundred Club, not because I memorized this poem or any of the others on the freshman poetry list, but because I once could quote six hundred lines of Shakespeare. I still know some of the passages: “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow/ Creeps in this petty pace from day to day/ To the last syllable of recorded time.”

The Poetry Friday round-up is posted at A Wrung Sponge today.

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Summer Reading Programs

Jun21

In2Books: Online reading program.

Shake, Rattle, & Read! Challenge: Register, read books, win prizes!

Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program
Get a free book when you read eight (8) other books!

Reading is Fundamental Summer Reading Contest
Reading gets you in the race to win prizes and help donate books to needy children at the same time!

Book Adventure
Book Adventure is a FREE reading motivation program for children in grades K-8. Children create their own book lists from over 7,000 recommended titles, take multiple choice quizzes on the books they’ve read, and earn points and prizes for their literary successes.

For the fall, there’s the Book It! Program for homeschoolers.

LOST Reading: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce

Jun20

I’ve heard of Ambrose Bierce’s short story, but I don’t remember ever reading it. According to Wikipedia, “Kurt Vonnegut referred to ‘Occurrence’ in his book A Man Without a Country as one of the greatest works of American literature, and called anyone who hadn’t read it a ‘twerp’.”

I guess I just escaped twerpdom, thanks to LOST. In the second season episode entitled The Long Con, “Locke is shown holding this book (Occurrence) upside down, in the Swan, flipping through the pages as if he’s trying to find loose papers between them.” So, getting overly-analytical as I’m prone to do, I wonder what Occurrence has to do with LOST? (If you haven’t read the short story, there are spoilers ahead.)

In Bierce’s story, Peyton Farquhar is a Confederate sympathizer who falls into a Union trap and tries to burn down a bridge, Owl Creek Bridge. He’s about to be hanged from said bridge and in the brief interval between drop and death, he imagines that the rope breaks, he escapes, swims downriver, and returns to his home. Alas, the return home is only a figment of his imagination, and at the end of the story, Farquhar is dead; “his body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side to side beneath the timbers of Owl Creek Bridge.”

Bierce plays with Time in this story just as the writers of LOST play with Time and Space in their story. There’s also a possible analogy between Peyton Farquhar’s supposed escape from death and the near-miraculous escape of the LOST survivors. (People don’t usually survive in a plane that breaks in half in mid-air and falls from the sky.) Are they really dead, as Naomi indicated when she said that the plane had been found and the passengers mourned? Maybe they’re caught somewhere between the final moments of life and death, and the Island itself is just an illusion? In the story, Farquhar imagines an alternate series of events in which he escapes the noose, escapes the bullets of the Union soldiers, and returns home to his wife, and the reader is conned into thinking that the escape is real. It feels real in the story; the circumstances surrounding Farquhar’s escape are described vividly.

So, is LOST a “long con”? I don’t really think so, but if we find out at the end that everyone’s really dead, that the entire six seasons were only a brief imaginary interval, a great many viewers are going to be unhappy. People don’t like being swindled, even by such a handsome devil as Sawyer/James/Josh Holloway.

“Doubtless, despite his sufferings, he had fallen asleep while walking, for now he sees another scene—perhaps he has merely recovered from a delirium. He stands at the gate of his own home. All is as he left it, and all bright and beautiful in the morning sunshine. He must have travelled the entire night. . . . As he is about to clasp her he feels a stunning blow upon the back of the neck; a blinding white light blazes all about him with a sound like the shock of a cannon—then all is darkness and silence!”

Lostpedia on An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.

Read Bierce’s story here.

More information about Semicolon’s LOST Reading project.

Summer Reading List: Karate Kid

Jun19

Karate Kid is ten years old. He likes martial arts (Kuk Sool Won), swimming, knights, science, and video games. Here’s his reading list for the summer:


Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. KK started this book, liked it very much, but lost the book. We need to get a copy from the library.

Henry Reed, Inc. by Keith Robertson.

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park. Since KK is interested in Korea and since he liked Ms. Park’s book The Kite Fighters., I figured he’d like this one.

The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood.

Shakespeare Stories by Leon Garfield.

Archimedes and the Door of Science by Joan Bendick.

Whales on Stilts by M.T. Anderson. KK also liked Anderson’s The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen.

The Great Brain by John Dennis Fitzgerald. Hilarious adventures of an all-American boy.

Danny Dunn, Time Traveler by Jay Williams. Old, but maybe not too dated.

I, II and II John from the Bible.

Geometry for Every Kid by Janice Van Cleave. KK has plans to learn geometry this summer. He’s using Key Curriculum’s Key to Geometry.

Einstein Anderson Sees Through the Invisible Man by Seymour Simon. Encyclopedia Brown-like science puzzlers.

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz.

The White Mountains by John Chrisopher. I still remember reading this scinece fiction/fantasy series when I was a kid, and I think KK would like it.

Math Curse by Jon Scieszka.

Time Warp Trio: Sam Samurai by Jon Scieszka. Karate Kid also likes all things Japanese, especially samurai and karate and anime.

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. I thought a little poetry wouldn’t hurt too much —especially this collection of kid-friendly poems that is still just as popular today as it was when it flew off the sheves in my school library twenty years ago.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary.

Half Magic by Edward Eager. Knights. Magic. Adventure. Classic.

Summer Reading List: Middle School Daughter.

Summer Reading List: Summer After High School.

I have eight children, seven at home, so there are more summer reading lists coming up soon.

To This Great Stage of Fools: Born June 19th

Jun19

Blaise Pascal, b. 1623 In 1656, while he was still in his early thirties, Pascal began collecting material for a book, Apology for the Christian Religion. He wrote down his thoughts “upon the first scrap paper that came to hand . . . a few words and very often parts of words only.” These fragments of thought became, after his death at age 39, the Pensees, edited by a group of monks who shared his Catholic faith. Some pensees:

“Jesus Christ is a God whom we approach without pride and before whom we humble ourselves without despair.”

“There are only two kinds of men: the righteous who believe themselves sinners; the rest, sinners, who believe themselves righteous.”

“Misery induces despair, pride induces presumption. The Incarnation shows man the greatness of his misery by the greatness of the remedy which he required.”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Prince of Preachers, b. 1834.

Every Sunday evening Mrs. Spurgeon was accustomed to gather the children around the table, and as they read the Scripture, she would explain it to them verse by verse. Then she prayed, and her son declares that some of the words of her prayers her children never forgot. Once she said, “Now, Lord, if my children go on in their sins, it will not be from ignorance they perish, and my soul must bear swift witness against them at the day of judgement if they lay not hold of Christ.” That was not at all in the modern vein, but it was the arrow that reached the boy’s soul. “The thought of a mother bearing swift witness against me pierced my conscience and stirred my heart.” There was enough in him to cause his mother anxiety. His father recalled that his wife once said to him, speaking of their eldest son, “What a mercy that boy was converted when he was young.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon: A Biography by W.Y. Fullerton

I would that my children had a mother like Susannah Wesley or Elizabeth Spurgeon, but God has given them me, and my prayers, poor and inconsistent as they are, must be enough. Finally, of course, it is God’s mercy and grace that must suffice.

Juneteenth

Jun18

Those of you who aren’t Texians may be unfamiliar with this holiday, celebrated on June 19th, but I’ve heard about it all my life. According to the Juneteenth website,

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free.

Juneteenth is an official state holiday in Texas and it will be celebrated tomorrow, mostly by those of African American descent, with picnics, prayer services, carnivals, parades, and other festivities. Oh, yes, a typical Juneteenth celebration usually involves barbecue, watermelon, and red soda pop. Happy Juneteenth!

Author Athol Dickson on Juneteenth, Christians, and karma.

To This Great Stage of Fools: Born June 14th

Jun14

Harriet Beecher Stowe, b. 1811. Harriet Beecher was one of eleven brothers and sisters, and she and her husband, professor Calvin Stowe had seven children of their own. In 1852, Harriet published her most famous book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Later, during their retirement years, the Stowes lived across the lawn from another famous author, Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain). During the time that the Stowe family and the Clemens family were neighbors in Hartford, Connecticutt, Mark Twain wrote his most famous novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Laurence Michael Yep, b.1948. Mr. Yep writes mostly historical fiction for children and young adults. The books are usually set on the West Coast or in Asia and feature Asian or Asian American characters. I’ve read Dragonwings and Dragon’s Gate and enjoyed them very much. Laurence Yep also has a connection with Mark Twain. Two of Yep’s titles are The Mark Twain Murders and The Tom Sawyer Fires.

Sameera’s Blog Tour

Jun13

Here in Semicolonland, we’re quite comfortable talking with fictional characters. One daughter, who wouldn’t want me to even identify her by nickname, used to walk around the house talking to her fictional friends all the time. So, when author Mitali Perkins asked if I’d like to participate in her blog tour and interview fictional First Daughter Sameera Righton, I said, “Sure!”

First Daughter has a lot of information about blogs and blogging. How did you start blogging, and why do you do it?

I started when I lived in Brussels, setting up a small myplace.com blog and inviting 29 friends to tune in. During Dad’s campaign, I widened the circle and went public so I could stay in charge of my public image. But it’s more than that, Mrs. E. I’ve always loved to write and get other people commenting and chatting with each other. And as a kid growing up with two mongo-powerful parents, I figured out early that a pen (or a laptop) has way more power to change the world than a sword. That’s why I want to be a journalist or a screenwriter. Or both. And that’s why I blog.

I know you have your own blog now where you write whatever you want, but what if you decided to write about something controversial such as abortion rights or illegal immigration or the war in Iraq? Wouldn’t your Dad’s handlers want to have prior approval on topics like that?

Tough bunnies. I draw the lines when it comes to content, not them. I’m not scared to bring up the issues I care about, but I like to ask questions instead of giving answers. Don’t worry, Mrs. E., I get that how you ask a question about an issue can show people exactly where you stand. Usually, I know Dad’s position, so if we agree, I blog away. If I don’t know what he thinks, I find out. When we disagree, I hash it out with him in private (usually over dessert on Sunday evening), and after we’ve had a good intense discussion, I ask if it’s okay to share a sound byte or two from our conversation out in cyber-space. Dad’s such a champion of freedom of speech that he’d never stop me; he’s learned that letting me have my say on Sparrowblog shows off his passion for liberty. Bottom line: he trusts me, and I’d never trash him or shame him publicly, even when he drives me nuts. But hey, it is a good idea to put a disclaimer on the blog so that people know it’s my stuff and not Dad’s official position. Thanks for the idea.

Even now, when I’m writing about the real First Kid wannabes, Sparrowblog’s not an op-ed column; it’s about safety, respect, trust, and fun, and good old-fashioned courtesy, something my Gran and Poppa hammer into every member of the Campbell clan. I want red people and blue people and purple people to feel welcome on Sparrowblog.

How many famous people have you met, and who were the most interesting celebs? Whom would you like to meet?

Most of the movie stars I’d want to meet are dead — that’s the down side of being into classic films. I have to say it was freaky meeting Governor Schwarzenegger in California, because I couldn’t stop imagining him terminating me. I guess I like the old meaning of “stars” better — people who shine in the universe because of how they serve the planet, not because of how beautiful or powerful they are. When it comes to that kind of celeb, I’d love to meet Aung San Syuu Ji of Burma, who’s spent the last decade under house arrest taking a stand for democracy. My Mom met her years ago, and said she’s as lovely and graceful in real life as she seems in the media. Or >Given Kachepa and Grace Akallo, two former child slaves who have become on-fire abolitionists. Now those are shiny people. I’d also like to host a retreat for all the real First Kid wannabes where we could chat about how to take charge of your own image, handle the press, how to date in the public eye, and what to do when your parents are driving you crazy but you have to campaign with them anyway.

Do you feel a lot of pressure to always look and sound your best? How do you get opportunities to relax and be casual?

You bet I feel pressure, but that’s part of the game. The weird thing was figuring out that I look and sound my best when I’m not worrying about how I look or sound. The blog definitely helps me stay real. But I also head to my grandparents’ farm as often as I can (milking definitely gets your mind off yourself), and on Sundays, we go to church in the morning and chill at home without screens and plugs for the rest of the day. Despite my addiction to techno-toys, I have to admit that I wouldn’t survive without our Sundays. I also go dancing with my buddies, love, love, love movies, and of course, there’s nothing more peaceful than noshing on oatmeal scotchies and watching a House and Garden channel show with my cousin Ran.

If your dad weren’t running for president, whom would you like to see in the 2008 race? Which Democrat candidate? Which Republican?

I’m all for making this as interesting an election as possible to bring out a gazillion voters. Every four years, we get the chance to show the rest of the planet how awesome it is to be free. Take the extra-tight race a few years ago where Mr. Gore eventually lost to Mr. Bush and nobody tried to off anybody or start a civil war. How great is that? The more people who vote this time, the better the ad for democracy. That’s why I’d like to see an Obama-Clinton combo versus a Romney-Rice Republican ticket in November ‘08. A Christian convert Democrat taking on a Mormon Republican, and Dr. Rice debating Mrs. Clinton — now that would get people into the election, wouldn’t it?

When does your book come out? What do you like about the book Ms. Perkins wrote about you and the campaign? What would you change if you could?

First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover releases in June 2007, and the sequel, First Daughter: White House Rules, releases in January 2008. Here’s my beef — if she’d have put a bit more action into it, like have me or Ran get kidnapped or something (rescued eventually, of course), or maybe have me try and elope with Bobby, the Walden Media people or Disney just might have optioned the books for a movie. Now that would be sweet. One of the girls who played Parvati or Padma Patil in the Harry Potter movies could play me. Oh wait, they’re Brits. I’m sure there are great South Asian teen actors in the States, but they’re all unknown, so (sigh) Vanessa Hudgens would probably end up hitting the tanning salons and getting the job.

Thanks for a fun interview, Mrs. E. I’m so glad you and Brown Bear liked the book.

And thank you, Sameera and Mitali for an enjoyable read and something to look forward to in presidential election year 2008.

Sherry’s Semicolon review of First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover.

Brown Bear Daughter’s review of First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover.

To This Great Stage of Fools: Born June 13th

Jun13

Dorothy L. Sayers, (b. June 13, 1893) “I always have a quotation for everything – it saves original thinking.”
Dorothy Sayers quotations.
Jill Paton Walsh and Dorothy Sayers
Top Ten Mystery Writers
Biographical Sketch of Dorothy L. Sayers with a list of her published writings.
Dorothy L. Sayers’ Feminism by Susan Haack

I like Dorothy Sayers. She was something of a character. She was one of the first women to graduate from Oxford with a degree in Medieval and Modern languages. She had an illegitimate son, Anthony, when she was thirty years old, and although she felt she could not raise him herself, she entrusted him to the care of a cousin and supported him financially and by writing him letters. She later married a war hero, Arthur Fleming, who was in poor health, and she took care of him until his death. She taught herself old Italian and translated Dante’s Divine Comedy She also translated Song of Roland from the French..

“The only Christian work is good work, well done”

“I am occasionally desired by congenital imbeciles and the editors of magazines to say something about the writing of detective fiction “from the woman’s point of view.” To such demands, one can only say, “Go away and don’t be silly. You might as well ask what is the female angle on an equilateral triangle.”

Dorothy Sayers was first of all a Christian, secondly a writer and a scholar, and her identity as a woman came in a distant third–or later.