Sat - January 6, 2007

Which Part of Non-Fiction Don't You Understand? Oh, the Non.

As a creative nonfiction writer, the topic of "truth" and "factuality" is something I imagine I'll always be discussing... but the spectrum of opinion about it will never cease to amaze me.

In 2003, I was a first-year student in the Creative Nonfiction program at Goucher College, and in one of the first days of residency, then-revered author, Vivian Gornick, spoke to us about her process... During the talk, she admitted to "composing" scenes and taking liberties with who said what. Obviously, our mentors were alarmed and the question-and-answer period was frankly intense and a little hard for us newbies to wrap our heads around. Talk about memorable.

Fellow student, Terry Greene, even wrote the controversy up for Salon.com and contributed to the standing public debate--three years before the James Frey scandal.

Even now, the sore subject continues to be discussed, the latest installment in the form of an interview Gornick gave to Fourth Genre, a respected publication in the field--calling everyone involved in the Goucher incident "uneducated" and "silly" for expecting memoir to be factual. Say what?!

Thankfully, I don't have to defend us at length, because Roy Peter Clark (another memorable speaker I met at Goucher) did a superb job of it in his response on Poynter.com. Highly recommended read!

P.S. Tim wants me to add that he thinks Gornick is a "scourge."

Posted at 09:51 PM     |

Fri - January 5, 2007

It Is... Unfinished

Confession time, kids! (And I hope I don't disappoint my number one fan here.) Brace yourselves for it...

I only completed the reading of 3 books in 2006.

Shocking, I know. Although I own more books than most people think necessary, consider myself fairly well-read--and ironically started a monthly book club in 2006--it was the worst reading year I've had in adult memory. Consider the logs I've kept faithfully on Listology.com. Even in good years, the numbers weren't fabulous, but at least halfway respectable:
1995 - 13
1996 - 7
1997 - 12
1998 - 6
1999 - 17
2000 -10
2001 - 12
2002 - 29
2003 - 36 (I was unemployed!)
2004 - 12
2005 - 16

So even by my standards, reading 3 books is--if you'll pardon my language--piss-poor. However, astute readers might also have noted a list on my Listology called "failed to finish: a lesson in procrastination" which highlights one of my major flaws: in my father's words, "lack of follow-through." You see, it wasn't because I wasn't reading that I didn't finish that many. On the contrary, I just wasn't reading the same book. Here's a small sampling of the books I started to read last year:

On Beauty - Zadie Smith
The Master - Colm Toibin
Saint Morrissey - Mark Simpson
Freakonomics - Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner
Fast Food Nation - Eric Schlosser
Generation Debt - Anya Kamenetz
My Fundamentalist Education - Christine Rosen
Waking Up Together - Ellen & Charles Birx

The first two I actually surrendered on purpose, but the others I still consider "in progress." You get my point, though. It's a problem. And so I'm announcing that in 2007, one of my resolutions is to read only one book at a time--and finish more than 10. Since I've got a jump-start on so many already, it should be easy!

Posted at 09:59 PM     |

Tue - January 2, 2007

In the Spirit of Resolutions

You know when you're in a bookstore and you see a title that practically says aloud, "this book was written for you"? Yeah, me too.

For me, the latest is a book by Marilyn Paul that purports to be a "holistic method" of becoming organized. I haven't sat down to do any of the exercises yet (procrastination anyone?) but I've read to page 175 and I think she's onto something. Essentially, it's less about tips & tricks--that may or may not work--and more about getting to the root of why we're messy. It sounds hokey, but depending on the way we were raised we may be acting like or reacting against our parents' level of organization, or we may have deeply held beliefs about our messes (ie, messy people are more creative).

I wasn't sure I would discover anything deep about myself, except the usual "I'm too lazy/don't have time" sorts of excuses, but I realized as I was reading that my impulse to save everything (just-in-case, or even for "posterity" although I don't plan to have children) might come from my self-appointed role as the family "memory." Generations before mine tended to lose or get rid of every keepsake... and so I tend to keep more than I should out of fear that someday this thing might be important.

Now I'm not sure whether Dr. Paul will be able to help me SOLVE this issue, but she has another 100 pages or so to try.

Posted at 10:08 PM     |

Tue - February 14, 2006

Confessions of a Bibliomaniac, Part II

"Our aspirations, wrapped up in books
Our inclinations, hidden in looks"
~Belle & Sebastian, "Books"

You all know about my little book problem, so I'm just going to list my most recent finds. (And this isn't counting the books I bought as gifts--I'll pick up almost any Julia Cameron or Mary Karr books I see just in case I need to give someone a copy...)

Irresistible Finds in Amherst, MA
Oscar Wilde: A Collection of Critical Essays ed. by Richard Ellman
Oscar Wilde (Including My Memories of Oscar Wilde by George Bernard Shaw) by Frank Harris
The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester

Huge Discount Sale at Virginia Tech
Mathew Brady - Phaidon 55 series
Lisette Model - Phaidon 55 series
Joel Meyerowitz - Phaidon 55 series
W. Eugene Smith - Phaidon 55 series
Yet another copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (Penguin Classics, 2000)

Going-out-of-Business Sale (We went twice and the second time it was hardcovers for $2 and paperback for $1!)
Dream Brother: The Lives and Music of Jeff & Tim Buckley by David Browne
Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda: The Love Letters of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald ed. by Jackson R. Bryer & Cathy W. Barks
Magical Thinking: True Stories by Augusten Burroughs
First Things First by Stephen R. Covey
Tommy's Tale by Alan Cumming
The Boy with the Thorn in his Side by Keith Fleming
Revenge by Stephen Fry
Two Plays for Voices by Neil Gaiman (Audiobook)
Beyond the Words: The Three Untapped Sources of Creative Fulfillment for Writers by Bonni Goldberg
The Bitch in the House ed. by Cati Hanauer
"G" is for Grafton: The World of Kinsey Millhone by Natalie Hevener Kaufman & Carol McGinnis Kay
The Secret Lives of Girls: What Good Girls Really Do--Sex Play, Aggression, and Their Guilt ed. by Sharon Lamb
The Virgin of Bennington by Kathleen Norris
Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser
Dizzy & Jimmy: My Life with James Dean, a Love Story by Liz Sheridan
The Joy of Funerals: A Novel in Stories by Alix Strauss
The Art of the Surrealists by Edmund Swinglehurst
Yet another copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (Popular Classics Library, 2001)
Jenny & the Jaws of Life by Jincy Willett
Athena's Disguise: Mentors in Everyday Life by Susan Ford Wiltshire

Posted at 06:35 AM     |

Mon - February 13, 2006

Wilde at Heart

"Keats and Yeats are on your side
While Wilde is on mine..."
~The Smiths, "Cemetry Gates"

The weekend before last, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that a one-man play about Oscar Wilde was showing on campus. It was one I'd never heard of called "Diversions & Delights," which attempts to imagine what Oscar would have said if he'd given another public appearance as Sebastian Melmoth--the name he assumed while in Paris after his scandalous trial and 2-year jail term. (Speaking of which, I saw another great play off-Broadway called "Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde" and even corresponded a bit with the actor who played Wilde, Michael Emerson.)

From the theatre's website I learned that Vincent Price originally toured the show in the late 70's--which at first I couldn't imagine--knowing him, as everyone else does, as the creepy horror-show dude whose brilliant last role was the inventor who created Edward Scissorhands. His daughter believes his portrayal of Wilde was his best acting ever and the photograph of him in character (above right) is surprisingly convincing.

While I very much admired the performance--Young's love for his subject was apparent--I found myself feeling critical of it, too... It's odd how sometimes knowing too much about a thing can ruin your enjoyment of it. (Like my ex-roommate's boyfriend who was a film major that ripped apart every movie we saw...) With me, it's as if my mental image of Oscar Wilde is so strong that I feel protective of him. For example, "Diversions & Delights" was appropriately filled with Wilde's witticisms--something important to the audience's appreciation and understanding of who he was--but in this interpretation (perhaps as led by the script) Wilde would deliver a bon mot and then laugh aloud. Call me crazy, but I just don't think Oscar would have laughed at his own jokes. His delivery would had to have been dry--the straight man, testing his audience's intelligence. (Also, the carnation worn in his buttonhole would've been dyed green, but that's less important.)

My main issue with the work was that it completely over-dramatized Wilde's use of absinthe. Yes, he's famous for describing the effects of the "green fairy," and the circumstances of his Paris death in 1900 might point to recent usage (Who wouldn't be destroying themselves in his circumstances? He went from a social god to pariah, his mother and wife both died while he was in prison doing hard labor for two years, he never again saw his children, and the jerk he went to prison for wouldn't even share any of his gigantic inheritance.) I know I'll never really know how much absinthe Wilde actually drank, but the play belabored his dependence on it to the detriment of the audience. From the review in the student newspaper, that certainly seemed to be the main characteristic the students took away from the performance. Incidentally, you'll probably find a bunch of them down at Boudreux's drinking the newly arrived legal version, Absente.

One thing I will say, is that I'm grateful that Oscar Wilde provides such inspiration to the people of our time--it seems new material comes out all the time either adapted from or about him. A good friend of mine let me know that a new film update of Lady Windermere's Fan was released, called A Good Woman--and despite not-so-great reviews, you know I'll be seeing it.

Posted at 07:01 AM     |

Wed - February 1, 2006

Into the Frey-ing Pan

"But still I'd rather be famous than righteous or holy,
anyday, anyday, anyday..."
~The Smiths, "Frankly, Mr. Shankly"

Okay, so I didn't want to add to the public lambasting of James Frey... I heard about the Smoking Gun investigation before it hit major news media, but I didn't read the book, so wasn't about to play the role of reader betrayed. But as a recent MFA grad who tried her hand at memoir, I and the other folks in my program couldn't help but be completely disgusted by him.

And we were very disappointed in Oprah when she called into Larry King Live to defend the book. At that point, Tim and I even hashed out whether she still had any personal integrity or if the money and power had completely corrupted her--I was arguing that her handlers had probably forced her to be nice. I don't consider myself one of her followers, but I do maintain that she's caused a lot of everyday people (including my own mother) to examine their lives in a more serious way. After this incident, my faith in her was definitely shaken.

So I was pleasantly surprised to hear that when Oprah had Frey on her show again, she ended up apologizing to viewers and had it out with Frey the way I hoped she would! I was also proud that my favorite memoirist, Mary Karr, wrote a scathing op-ed piece for the NYTimes (scroll down to read full text here).

My favorite part is this:
"'Memoirs don't generally come under the type of scrutiny that mine has,' Mr. Frey whined during the interview.
But memoirs should always come under scrutiny: by their authors, as the books are being written."
Preach it, sister!

Now, the publishers and Frey have posted responses to the controversy on the Random House website and plan to include an author's note in future editions. But the book is still selling like mad and remains on the NONFICTION bestsellers list, much to the dismay of #2 guy, Jared Diamond.

Lastly, even if you've had enough of the Frey scandal coverage, you gotta check out this awesome Onion infograph and the NYTimes op-ed piece from Daily Show writer, Tim Carvell. (We all know where we get our real news.)

Posted at 06:59 AM     |

Thu - January 19, 2006

Toasting the Raven

"One more look at the ghost
Before I'm gonna make it leave
Come here
I've got the pieces here
Time to gather up the splinters
Build a casket for my tears..."
~Poe, "Haunted"

Yet another brilliant mind born in January, and also in Boston--Edgar Allan Poe is just a few years shy of 200 today. He died in 1849 and on the 100th anniversary of his death, a mysterious man began leaving cognac and roses on his Baltimore grave every year on January 19. Now, 57 years later, according to the curator of the Poe House & Museum, it is believed that the mystery man's son carries on the tradition. I hope someone toasts me on my birthday when I've been dead over 150 years!

The Unemployed Philosophers Guild have also honored Poe, but in a different way. They've added him to their line of plush Little Thinkers, and he comes complete with a tiny raven on his shoulder. Doesn't everybody need one? Also, my friends in Virginia will be glad to know that there's also a Poe Museum in Richmond. Maybe I'll go to the birthday party this Sunday!

Posted at 07:01 AM     |

Sun - June 12, 2005

Confessions of a Bibliomaniac

"I like to go out dancing,
My baby loves a bunch of authors
We've been livin in hovels
Spendin' all our money on
Brand new novels"

~Moxy Fruvous, "My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors"

I've been on a huge book-buying binge lately. Blame it on it being library book-sale season, or on my pending graduation and the fact that I can now go back to reading whatever I damn well please. (Hopefully that explains some of the trashy mysteries listed!) Either way, I may need to invest in yet another shelving unit. If you can identify with this problem of mine, you might like this poem by Eugene Field. Here's what I've brought home in the last few weeks:

New
Tori Amos: Piece by Piece by Tori Amos and Ann Powers
Letters to a Young Artist by Julia Cameron
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
R is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton [Lost in the airport!!]
Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott
James Dean by George Perry

Used
Vox by Nicholson Baker
Jane and the Stillroom Maid by Stephanie Barron
Jane and the Ghosts of Netley by Stephanie Barron
Lulu in Hollywood by Louise Brooks
Possession by A. S. Byatt
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
Living the 7 Habits by Stephen R. Covey
Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss by Hope Edelman
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
My Mother, My Self by Nancy Friday
Marion Davies by Fred Laurence Giles
N is for Noose by Sue Grafton
P is for Peril by Sue Grafton
Cary Grant: The Lonely Heart by Charles Higham and Roy Moseley
The Camera My Mother Gave Me by Susanna Kaysen
Crazy Sundays: F. Scott Fitzgerald in Hollywood by Aaron Latham
The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade by Thomas Lynch
Belladonna by Karen Moline
Soul Mates by Thomas Moore
The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life by Thomas Moore
Flirtology: Over 100 Ways to Release Your Inner Flirt [Advance Uncorrected Proof - Not for Sale] by Anita Naik
The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris
Tales of Terror and Detection by Edgar Allan Poe
The Gold-Bug and Other Tales by Edgar Allan Poe
Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett
Fierce Pajamas: An Anthology of Humor Writing from the New Yorker by David Remnick and Henry Finder
The Witching Hour by Anne Rice
A Creative Companion: How to Free Your Creative Spirit by SARK
Inspiration Sandwich: Stories to Inspire our Creative Freedom by SARK
The Bodacious Book of Succulence: Daring to Live Your Succulent Wild Life by SARK
List Your Self: Listmaking as the Way to Self-Discovery by Ilene Segalove and Paul Bob Velick
Hitchcock by Francois Truffaut
The ESP Affair - An Erotic Romance by Alison Tyler
Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde [Eaton Press illustrated edition]
Emily Dickinson by Cynthia Griffin Wolff
Disappointment with God by Philip Yancey

[Photo Copyright Michael Julius]

Posted at 12:33 AM     |

Mon - May 16, 2005

The Trouble With Poetry

Another Reason Why I Don't Keep a Gun in the House

The neighbors' dog will not stop barking.
He is barking the same high, rhythmic bark
that he barks every time they leave the house.
They must switch him on on their way out...

~Excerpt from a poem by Billy Collins

Today I had the privilege of meeting Billy Collins, a poet unlike any I've read or heard... by which I mean to say, one whose work is both accessible and deeply meaningful.

The New York Times described him this way: “Luring his readers into the poem with humor, Mr. Collins leads them unwittingly into deeper, more serious places, a kind of journey from the familiar to quirky to unexpected territory, sometimes tender, often profound.”

His humor and simplicity make it seem that reading and writing contemporary poetry is a viable pursuit. His style may be just what the world needs to reawaken the slumbering giant that is poetry. It's shocking then to find out how few people know his name, despite poetry record breaking sales and having been (twice appointed) United States Poet Laureate from 2001-2003 and then New York State Poet 2004-2006. During his talk at George Eastman House tonight he joked that his ultimate goal is to be honored by his zip code.

For more info on my new hero, Billy Collins, check out these links. (Click here for another amusing picture from Baltimore photographer, Michael Northrup. Click on his photo above for a link to his stock photo site.)

Posted at 10:40 PM     |

Sat - January 8, 2005

Phantom Nightmare

"And if I died today I'll be the happy phantom
And I'll go chasing the nuns out in the yard
And I'll run naked through the street without my mask on."
~Tori Amos

Just finished reading The Phantom of Manhattan by Frederick Forsyth--a book given to me by my childhood friend, Heidi. It purports to be a sequel to Andrew Lloyd Webber version of The Phantom of the Opera (not Gaston Leroux's book) and follows the Phantom to NYC where he makes his fortune at Coney Island. Then, 13 years after fleeing France, he secretly finances the building of the Manhattan Opera House in order to lure Christine to the US to sing. The interesting twist is [Spoiler Alert!] that she now has a 13 year old son and a husband with an injury that prevents him from being able to bear children....

*Cue suspenseful "Angel of Music" chords*

I've had the book for a few years now but I hadn't been moved to read it until seeing the new film version of the musical, starring a grown-up Emmy Rossum from the film Songcatcher. I had seen the live musical several times in Toronto, but hadn't listened to the soundtrack for ages. Now I've pulled out the music and this book and have been humming the tunes for weeks...

It seems to me that the film makes the Phantom to be a bit more violent and stalker-ish than the musical (or Forsyth's book)--rather than being a scapegoat, he commits murder to escape the circus freakshow his mother sold him into and later kills a stagehand to keep the theatre people in fear--not a very attractive background for wooing beautiful women when you have a face like that. Still, he has a great voice and is pretty sexy until you see him without his wig. I thought the director (Joel Schumacher, who also filmed the classic Lost Boys) did a great job with the visuals, and the vocals were impressive, but it's not for everyone--unless you love the musical as much as I do.

Posted at 05:08 PM     |

Wed - January 5, 2005

Ivy League Daydream

"That's not the beginning of the end
That's the return to yourself
The return to innocence. "
~Enigma

My newly formed book club just completed our first selection: The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason. We decided it was a quick, entertaining read, but not the well-written, challenging read we were hoping for. Personally I'd recommend The Secret History by Donna Tartt over Rule of Four any day, but I was amused to find out that the publisher of the latter included some games on their website. It helps if you've read the book, but isn't impossible if you haven't.

Meanwhile in Secret History news, Miramax is supposedly sitting on the rights to make a film version, starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Now that, I'd love to see.

Posted at 12:32 AM     |