By Jonathan Ames
Scribner
Absolutely Hilarious! It was better than Cats! I will read it again and again. Truly a great read, so much so that I wrote a fan email, which I never do, although unlike most writers I read, I felt Mr. Ames would really appreciate to hear that his work is very much appreciated; you know, to build up his self-esteem.
The adventures of the neurotic Alan Blair and his trusted valet, Jeeves, were not only deliciously funny but smart and intellectually stimulating. Ok, maybe the last comment is laying it on a little thick, but many great philosophical questions were discussed, such as “Is life long or is life short?” and “the Homosexual Question and the Jewish Question”. Oh! And Crabs…yes, there are crabs, and I am not talking about the Maryland Blue kind. Ok, maybe you wouldn’t categorize crabs as smart or intellectual so to speak, but Ames certainly manages to make crabs fun. Crabs! Fun! Who would have thought?
I declared myself a writer a few weeks back (see blog on Making of a Stand Up Guy), and I now have found my hero. The backdrop to these adventures is the writing of Alan Blair’s follow up novel, nine years in the making. I found the pitfalls to be remarkably familiar (i.e. believing solitaire to be a muse…just read my About Me!), so it is nice to know I am not the only one who is easily sidetracked. Even when Blair attends an artist colony, dedicated to allowing artists to focus on their art, he still manages to get distracted with drinking and the other mentally unbalanced artists. I can relate to dealing with crazy artists; my sister is a fashion designer and if you have ever watched Project Runway, you certainly know what I am talking about, although this season is quite tame except that girl Janine who appears to be quite overwhelmed with the whole situation. But, I digress. I do believe I have picked up a couple of strategies for overcoming by inability to put my words down on paper or on computer screen, to be more accurate from Blair/ Ames…specifically, I will wear an eye patch over my right eye to help promote growth in the right side of my brain, hence increase my creativity. Yes, it is all coming together now!
I have to say, with every book of Ames I read, I like him more and more. He certainly has gotten my attention, and I will continue to get caught up with his career by reading the five remaining books he has published to date. I am about to dig into The Extra Man, and I do so with very high expectations.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Objectively Speaking: Ayn Rand Interviewed
Edited by Marlene Podritske and Peter Schwartz
Lexington Books
My brain hurts. It has been a while since I really had to think, but now that I have, I guess I have a few opinions about Miss Rand’s philosophy. I will add this disclaimer; this book is a compilation of interviews given by Ayn Rand and is not a full view of her philosophy. I have not read The Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged, so my opinions are solely based on the views presented in Objectively Speaking.
Let me start with a few of the ideas that came up in these interviews that I agree with. First, there is the idea that “Congress should pass no law which contradicts other laws or which is unclear that no two Congressmen or private lawyers can agree what it means”. Politicians being politicians, and always worried about the next election, write laws in very vague language to please everyone, but in reality no one is happy. A) No one knows what they can and can’t do and B) the policies are open for interpretation and as such are exploited by political rivals to increase fear. If the laws were just written in clear language, using logic and reason as opposed to the prepackaged platform of a political party, the American people would no longer be held hostage by a government of non-action wasting everyone’s time and money. Speaking of wasting time, I also agree with Rand’s opinion on the filibuster. I believe in a healthy debate, but talking a bill to death for no reason other than sheer objection is blight on our democratic process. Again, debate is fine, debate is great, but following the debate there must be a vote, and that vote will be final. Now, you can either give a time limit to the debate or the members of Congress can stay there and listen until the debate is over. If it goes into a special session, it goes into special session, but there will be no overtime!! The filibuster is just a crazy concept and a total obstruction of justice.
I also agree on the importance of education and the quest for knowledge, where we differ is that in this country, this is a right and as such, I believe in public education. First, to debate the issue of Rand’s claim that public education instilling social conformity, I will agree. But, I also believe that education does not stop at school; it continues at home and other resources such as a library. This is where Rand’s concept of how man can pursue his own interest will really take off. For those truly interested in acquiring more knowledge, they will find a way to do it. I believe every American is given access to a basic education. True, some may not be into school or productive at school, but at the very least, they should learn how to read or write. They are given the basic tools to perform in life at whatever level they accept for themselves. Without that, we would be looking at a lot of ignorant people, and ignorance is not bliss Look at Afghanistan as an example; 70% of the population cannot read or write and you wonder why there is so much political and social upheaval in that part of the world.
And yes, I am a big supporter of social programs. I realize there are some issues in the system. There are many that abuse the system. I would like to see more rehabilitation programs required with acceptance of social assistance, but overall, I believe in helping by fellow Americans; better Americans, better America.
My biggest criticism of Ayn Rand’s philosophy is that it can only happen in a vacuum…a utopian vacuum. She makes assumptions about man that history has proven to be untrue. No better is this illustrated than the high esteem she holds the Founding Fathers. Yes, they laid the groundwork for what will be the best country ever, but may I remind Miss Rand (yes, I know she has passed on) that these men are hypocrites. They believe all men to be free, yet they owned slaves. The believed every man has the right to be represented, yet denied votes to women and blacks. They took away the rights of the Native Americans, and worst yet, they created the Electoral College! What was that about?
Rand dismissed the warning of scientists of the 1960’s about global warning, saying they had no evidence and that the lack a serious scientific method. Now, philosophy is part of the science of man or the Humanities, yet Objectivism has never been, and most likely will never be, tested using scientific method, not on the scale where we could definitely say it would work for the United States.
I am going to conclude here, because I could honestly “discuss, not debate” this until the cows come home. Now, as Ayn Rand admitted herself, she takes life too seriously. I, however, do not. I enjoy humor, I like to escape life from time to time; I guess I subscribe to the Billy Joel philosophy if you are straight A student, then you probably think too much. I do, however, believe I use reason with any philosophical question that arises in my life. Rand may consider me subjective, but, every situation is different and may not be answered with a blanket response.
I will say this, I do not believe in the two party system of the United States. It leaves little room for individual thought and representation. I admire people like Rand that think and provide people with new ideas that open up the discussion beyond just Democrat and Republican. So, if you are looking for food for thought, I highly recommend Objectively Speaking . Alright, I got to go switch gears and read Jonathan Ames.
Lexington Books
My brain hurts. It has been a while since I really had to think, but now that I have, I guess I have a few opinions about Miss Rand’s philosophy. I will add this disclaimer; this book is a compilation of interviews given by Ayn Rand and is not a full view of her philosophy. I have not read The Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged, so my opinions are solely based on the views presented in Objectively Speaking.
Let me start with a few of the ideas that came up in these interviews that I agree with. First, there is the idea that “Congress should pass no law which contradicts other laws or which is unclear that no two Congressmen or private lawyers can agree what it means”. Politicians being politicians, and always worried about the next election, write laws in very vague language to please everyone, but in reality no one is happy. A) No one knows what they can and can’t do and B) the policies are open for interpretation and as such are exploited by political rivals to increase fear. If the laws were just written in clear language, using logic and reason as opposed to the prepackaged platform of a political party, the American people would no longer be held hostage by a government of non-action wasting everyone’s time and money. Speaking of wasting time, I also agree with Rand’s opinion on the filibuster. I believe in a healthy debate, but talking a bill to death for no reason other than sheer objection is blight on our democratic process. Again, debate is fine, debate is great, but following the debate there must be a vote, and that vote will be final. Now, you can either give a time limit to the debate or the members of Congress can stay there and listen until the debate is over. If it goes into a special session, it goes into special session, but there will be no overtime!! The filibuster is just a crazy concept and a total obstruction of justice.
I also agree on the importance of education and the quest for knowledge, where we differ is that in this country, this is a right and as such, I believe in public education. First, to debate the issue of Rand’s claim that public education instilling social conformity, I will agree. But, I also believe that education does not stop at school; it continues at home and other resources such as a library. This is where Rand’s concept of how man can pursue his own interest will really take off. For those truly interested in acquiring more knowledge, they will find a way to do it. I believe every American is given access to a basic education. True, some may not be into school or productive at school, but at the very least, they should learn how to read or write. They are given the basic tools to perform in life at whatever level they accept for themselves. Without that, we would be looking at a lot of ignorant people, and ignorance is not bliss Look at Afghanistan as an example; 70% of the population cannot read or write and you wonder why there is so much political and social upheaval in that part of the world.
And yes, I am a big supporter of social programs. I realize there are some issues in the system. There are many that abuse the system. I would like to see more rehabilitation programs required with acceptance of social assistance, but overall, I believe in helping by fellow Americans; better Americans, better America.
My biggest criticism of Ayn Rand’s philosophy is that it can only happen in a vacuum…a utopian vacuum. She makes assumptions about man that history has proven to be untrue. No better is this illustrated than the high esteem she holds the Founding Fathers. Yes, they laid the groundwork for what will be the best country ever, but may I remind Miss Rand (yes, I know she has passed on) that these men are hypocrites. They believe all men to be free, yet they owned slaves. The believed every man has the right to be represented, yet denied votes to women and blacks. They took away the rights of the Native Americans, and worst yet, they created the Electoral College! What was that about?
Rand dismissed the warning of scientists of the 1960’s about global warning, saying they had no evidence and that the lack a serious scientific method. Now, philosophy is part of the science of man or the Humanities, yet Objectivism has never been, and most likely will never be, tested using scientific method, not on the scale where we could definitely say it would work for the United States.
I am going to conclude here, because I could honestly “discuss, not debate” this until the cows come home. Now, as Ayn Rand admitted herself, she takes life too seriously. I, however, do not. I enjoy humor, I like to escape life from time to time; I guess I subscribe to the Billy Joel philosophy if you are straight A student, then you probably think too much. I do, however, believe I use reason with any philosophical question that arises in my life. Rand may consider me subjective, but, every situation is different and may not be answered with a blanket response.
I will say this, I do not believe in the two party system of the United States. It leaves little room for individual thought and representation. I admire people like Rand that think and provide people with new ideas that open up the discussion beyond just Democrat and Republican. So, if you are looking for food for thought, I highly recommend Objectively Speaking . Alright, I got to go switch gears and read Jonathan Ames.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Don't You Forget About Me
By Jancee Dunn
Villard
As you may or may not know, I usually am not a fan of the modern novel, but every once and awhile an exception is made. One such exception would be Don’t You Forget About Me. I read Dunn’s Why Is My Mother Getting A Tattoo last year and absolutely loved it. So, I took the chance that her novel would be equally enjoyable…I was not disappointed. The book came out in 2008, around the same time that social networking sites started infiltrating our daily lives. Never, not even in high school, have I ever been subjected to such peer pressure as I have when it came to joining Facebook. I abstained. For one, I abhorred the narcissistic tone of such posts as “Rachel is going to the grocery store right now.” Well, Godspeed Rachel, but no one gives a fuck. Do I really need to know how boring Rachel’s life is…can’t she just wow me with the highlights? The other thing I despise is all the friend requests from people that, as luck would have it, happen to occupy the same building that you did for four years. Yes, I am talking about the high school reconnect request. Maybe I would consider joining Facebook if there was a “I don’t believe I said one word to you in high school, so why would I have something to say to you now…so friend request DENIED” button, but they don’t. Really, if you were so interested in someone from high school, you would have taken the steps to maintain or create any relationship prior to the invention of Facebook. So where am I going with this? Well, like Lillian, the main character in this tale, I believe these old high school “friends” are romanticizing their glory days and forgetting there was nothing glory about them. Maybe I am a negative Nellie, but I remember the pain of high school all to well. Not that I was tormented by mean girls or a target for ridicule, in fact, I was more of an under the radar crowd, but I remember the anxiety, the self loathing, the dread, the awkwardness…all the feelings that made high school downright uncomfortable. Forget About Me does a great job reconciling the discrepancy between the “peak-end” memories (term from the book) and the realities that were high school. I recommend it to anyone who wants a fun read or anyone looking for a self-help book on moving forward with life but really don’t want to shop the self-help aisle at the bookstore! For the record, I still have exactly four and half friends from high school that I still TALK to…not Facebook with, on a regular basis; Allison, Amy, Kate, Sharon, and Melissa. Melissa is the half mainly because I didn’t meet her until the end of senior year and really consider her more of a college friend. She was also the only friend of mine that went to our 10th high school reunion and she said it was a complete waste of time. Yeah, duh!
Villard
As you may or may not know, I usually am not a fan of the modern novel, but every once and awhile an exception is made. One such exception would be Don’t You Forget About Me. I read Dunn’s Why Is My Mother Getting A Tattoo last year and absolutely loved it. So, I took the chance that her novel would be equally enjoyable…I was not disappointed. The book came out in 2008, around the same time that social networking sites started infiltrating our daily lives. Never, not even in high school, have I ever been subjected to such peer pressure as I have when it came to joining Facebook. I abstained. For one, I abhorred the narcissistic tone of such posts as “Rachel is going to the grocery store right now.” Well, Godspeed Rachel, but no one gives a fuck. Do I really need to know how boring Rachel’s life is…can’t she just wow me with the highlights? The other thing I despise is all the friend requests from people that, as luck would have it, happen to occupy the same building that you did for four years. Yes, I am talking about the high school reconnect request. Maybe I would consider joining Facebook if there was a “I don’t believe I said one word to you in high school, so why would I have something to say to you now…so friend request DENIED” button, but they don’t. Really, if you were so interested in someone from high school, you would have taken the steps to maintain or create any relationship prior to the invention of Facebook. So where am I going with this? Well, like Lillian, the main character in this tale, I believe these old high school “friends” are romanticizing their glory days and forgetting there was nothing glory about them. Maybe I am a negative Nellie, but I remember the pain of high school all to well. Not that I was tormented by mean girls or a target for ridicule, in fact, I was more of an under the radar crowd, but I remember the anxiety, the self loathing, the dread, the awkwardness…all the feelings that made high school downright uncomfortable. Forget About Me does a great job reconciling the discrepancy between the “peak-end” memories (term from the book) and the realities that were high school. I recommend it to anyone who wants a fun read or anyone looking for a self-help book on moving forward with life but really don’t want to shop the self-help aisle at the bookstore! For the record, I still have exactly four and half friends from high school that I still TALK to…not Facebook with, on a regular basis; Allison, Amy, Kate, Sharon, and Melissa. Melissa is the half mainly because I didn’t meet her until the end of senior year and really consider her more of a college friend. She was also the only friend of mine that went to our 10th high school reunion and she said it was a complete waste of time. Yeah, duh!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
The Harvard Psychedelic Club
By Don Lattin
Harper Collins
Ooh! Two of my favorite topics, history and drug use, all in one book! How could you go wrong? The book was definitely written in a fun way (I mean, it is about magic mushrooms and LSD, how could it not be fun?), while weaving the great story of the events that truly impacted the world of the sixties and still, today. At some points, I wondered why Lattin decided to follow the paths of these four particular gentlemen. I understood telling the story of Tim Leary and Ram Dass (Richard Alpert), their story alone is a good one and truly the focus of the book. I can also understand Weil’s place. Although absent for part of the story, he was a key player in the downfall of Leary and Alpert at Harvard and in an ironic twist, someone who became a big proponent of psychedelics after his Harvard days. I guess my real question is how does Huston Smith really fit in? Yes, he was part of the early Harvard psychedelic drug research project conducted by Leary and Alpert, but so were many others. Smith’s importance in teaching and changing people’s world view of religion is significant. In fact, out of the four men, Smith’s journey is one that I identify with the most. I guess I just don’t consider myself to be really new age, more just a common sense type of gal, not necessarily someone who is all into the “far out, man” type of thinking, so maybe that is why I see Smith as the one that doesn’t belong in this book…but that is me. And, Smith is a very interesting story, so I definitely will put his autobiography on my reading list. But I digress. I did enjoy the book. I love soaking up all the information I can that I will one day use to become Jeopardy Champion!!!! The Harvard Psychedelic Club did not disappoint me there!
Harper Collins
Ooh! Two of my favorite topics, history and drug use, all in one book! How could you go wrong? The book was definitely written in a fun way (I mean, it is about magic mushrooms and LSD, how could it not be fun?), while weaving the great story of the events that truly impacted the world of the sixties and still, today. At some points, I wondered why Lattin decided to follow the paths of these four particular gentlemen. I understood telling the story of Tim Leary and Ram Dass (Richard Alpert), their story alone is a good one and truly the focus of the book. I can also understand Weil’s place. Although absent for part of the story, he was a key player in the downfall of Leary and Alpert at Harvard and in an ironic twist, someone who became a big proponent of psychedelics after his Harvard days. I guess my real question is how does Huston Smith really fit in? Yes, he was part of the early Harvard psychedelic drug research project conducted by Leary and Alpert, but so were many others. Smith’s importance in teaching and changing people’s world view of religion is significant. In fact, out of the four men, Smith’s journey is one that I identify with the most. I guess I just don’t consider myself to be really new age, more just a common sense type of gal, not necessarily someone who is all into the “far out, man” type of thinking, so maybe that is why I see Smith as the one that doesn’t belong in this book…but that is me. And, Smith is a very interesting story, so I definitely will put his autobiography on my reading list. But I digress. I did enjoy the book. I love soaking up all the information I can that I will one day use to become Jeopardy Champion!!!! The Harvard Psychedelic Club did not disappoint me there!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
The Making of a Stand-Up Guy
By Charlie Murphy with Chris Millis
Simon Spotlight Entertainment
When I picked up Stand-Up Guy to read, I thought it would be a fun read filled with many stories a la the True Hollywood Stories on the Chapelle Show, but what I got was the true story of Charlie Murphy. Charlie and I come from two very different worlds. Although we both come from Long Island, I am from an über suburban town of Smithtown, while he is from the violent town of Roosevelt (ask Howard Stern about it). The closest I ever came to Roosevelt was seeing NKOTB at Nassau Coliseum in nearby Uniondale. I never had a gun put to my head, joined a gang, or went to jail, yet, I totally identified with his story. I know what it is like not to know what you want out of life. When I was in college, everyone seemed to know what they were going to be…they took the right classes and got to work after graduation. I used to joke that I just want to be a Jeopardy champion, because all my classes, although educational, were very random. I chose my major by looking at my credits to see what I had the most classes in at the time to declare. I was aimless and wandering. Making me feel even more lost, like Charlie, I also had that sibling who always knew what they wanted to do. My sister, Kara, had known she wanted to be a fashion designer since she first got Fashion Plates as a child. She had a natural talent, but she worked her ass off to make it happen. She is hugely successful now while I am unemployed. So I now find myself asking the same questions Charlie Murphy was asking himself when he realized he didn’t just want to be looked at as a hanger on. Who am I? I have been saying for years that I want to write, yet do not have the cajones to declare “I am a writer!” Instead, I am afraid of what I have to say. I choose to write cheesy cover letters begging for a shitty job that I really don’t want all to avoid it.
Sometimes inspiration comes from the most unlikely source; for me, that source is Charlie Murphy. I was inspired from the moment I read the opening words of The Making of a Stand Up Guy, “Anyone who has given up will never know just how close they came to winning…” So today, prepared to do all the work involved, I am ready to declare that I am a writer.
Simon Spotlight Entertainment
When I picked up Stand-Up Guy to read, I thought it would be a fun read filled with many stories a la the True Hollywood Stories on the Chapelle Show, but what I got was the true story of Charlie Murphy. Charlie and I come from two very different worlds. Although we both come from Long Island, I am from an über suburban town of Smithtown, while he is from the violent town of Roosevelt (ask Howard Stern about it). The closest I ever came to Roosevelt was seeing NKOTB at Nassau Coliseum in nearby Uniondale. I never had a gun put to my head, joined a gang, or went to jail, yet, I totally identified with his story. I know what it is like not to know what you want out of life. When I was in college, everyone seemed to know what they were going to be…they took the right classes and got to work after graduation. I used to joke that I just want to be a Jeopardy champion, because all my classes, although educational, were very random. I chose my major by looking at my credits to see what I had the most classes in at the time to declare. I was aimless and wandering. Making me feel even more lost, like Charlie, I also had that sibling who always knew what they wanted to do. My sister, Kara, had known she wanted to be a fashion designer since she first got Fashion Plates as a child. She had a natural talent, but she worked her ass off to make it happen. She is hugely successful now while I am unemployed. So I now find myself asking the same questions Charlie Murphy was asking himself when he realized he didn’t just want to be looked at as a hanger on. Who am I? I have been saying for years that I want to write, yet do not have the cajones to declare “I am a writer!” Instead, I am afraid of what I have to say. I choose to write cheesy cover letters begging for a shitty job that I really don’t want all to avoid it.
Sometimes inspiration comes from the most unlikely source; for me, that source is Charlie Murphy. I was inspired from the moment I read the opening words of The Making of a Stand Up Guy, “Anyone who has given up will never know just how close they came to winning…” So today, prepared to do all the work involved, I am ready to declare that I am a writer.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
You Better Not Cry
By Augusten Burroughs
St. Martin's Press
Hi, my name is Jill and I am addicted to Augusten Burroughs. I have been eagerly awaiting the release of You Better Not Cry since June 20. That is when I had the opportunity, thanks to the best library system in the world (Clark County Library District), to attend an evening with Augusten Burroughs. They may have called it a reading, but I will not, as there was no reading, just Augusten talking off the cuff. It was amazing…he is hilarious and also a lot thinner than I thought. Anyway, it was there that he shared the idea behind this new work. And now, after waiting all that time plus waiting my turn in the library hold system, I finally got to read it. I was not disappointed. Now, I admit, I may lack objectivity when it comes to Burroughs, but I do thoroughly enjoy all he has written. After Running With Scissors, Dry, and A Wolf At The Dinner Table, you feel as you know Burroughs intimately. The additional books of essays and stories are just like kicking back with a friend and sharing the embarrassing stories from our past (or yesterday!). Cry was no different. It is something I think we all can relate to, as Christmas can often fall below our expectations of the holiday. Now, I never ate a plastic Santa or slept with one either, but, it is always something. One thing Augusten does offer in all of his Christmas from hell stories is hope. Maybe, we can just appreciate the day and the season for what it is, a comedy of errors…and the birth of Jesus-Santa!
Friday, January 22, 2010
The Captain Is Out To Lunch And The Sailors Have Taken Over The Ship
By Charles Bukowski
Black Sparrow Press
When I noticed, at my wedding reception, that someone was about to step on my dress, I said something bridely like “Oh, my dress!” to which my Grandmother replied “You’re never gonna wear it again.” (God, I love and miss her!) It is this kind of wisdom that I found in The Captain; the words of someone who has seen enough of life to know what is important and certainly what is not. I think people can read as many self-help books as they would like, but I do not believe it would help as much as an aging cynic’s views to truly see how silly they are. Some may say there was a morbid tone, but I don’t believe this to be true. It was honest and fearless. Bukowski was 71-72 years old in the period of these journal entries, wise in the knowledge he should have been dead years ago but also knowing death was not far away. It had been eleven or twelve years since I last read Bukowski, and then it was his writings from his earlier years. The stories and poems were wild and untamed, as was I. The Captain was still Bukowski, just in the calm of his life, as am I.
Black Sparrow Press
When I noticed, at my wedding reception, that someone was about to step on my dress, I said something bridely like “Oh, my dress!” to which my Grandmother replied “You’re never gonna wear it again.” (God, I love and miss her!) It is this kind of wisdom that I found in The Captain; the words of someone who has seen enough of life to know what is important and certainly what is not. I think people can read as many self-help books as they would like, but I do not believe it would help as much as an aging cynic’s views to truly see how silly they are. Some may say there was a morbid tone, but I don’t believe this to be true. It was honest and fearless. Bukowski was 71-72 years old in the period of these journal entries, wise in the knowledge he should have been dead years ago but also knowing death was not far away. It had been eleven or twelve years since I last read Bukowski, and then it was his writings from his earlier years. The stories and poems were wild and untamed, as was I. The Captain was still Bukowski, just in the calm of his life, as am I.
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