The Blog, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

NPR article about women in Iraq

2010-10-20T07:52:00.000-07:00

I thought this article from today about the increase in the Shiite Muslim practice of Muta'a (temporary marriages/ legitimized affairs) since the time of the U.S. invasion would be interesting in light of our reading of Sisters in War.

Sisters in War book party

2010-10-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to remind everybody about the book club, this Saturday, October 16, 6:00 PM at Sue's house. I'm going to pick up some Arab food at the Arab market in my neighborhood...hopefully Shannon will come help me pick out some good stuff! See you then.

Cindy

Sisters in War

2010-09-28T16:44:00.001-07:00

I believe that our last get-together we agreed to read Sisters in War per Mom's recommendation. Have we discussed the date of our next meeting? We are getting into holiday season and time will start to get tight. The last two Saturday's in October I am busy, so would October 16 work, or should we schedule one for November? Let's pick a date, I'm missing everyone!

Update - Little Dorrit

2010-06-03T19:26:00.000-07:00

Page 583. I've read a whole 50 pages in 20 days. Anyone else reading?

LIttle Dorrit Progress

2010-05-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

I'm on page 535. How's everyone else doing?

AHS flashback

2010-05-05T15:28:00.000-07:00

Tuesday evening after my class at RCC I was walking down a hall that passed an English Department bulletin board. One name caught my eye : Linda Stonebreaker. I looked up her schedule and found she had office hours shortly after my morning class was over. So today I decided to stop by and see if it was our very own Mrs. Stonebreaker. Glory be, yes it was. I peaked in the door and saw one student working with her, so I waited a few minutes till he left. I walked in and asked "Mrs. Stonebreaker who used to be at Arlington?" just to make sure. A smile lit up her face! She recognized me (by my face that has never changed!) though of course no details like a name, as is expected. We had an enjoyable chat.
She had started at Arlington in 1975, when it was only a year old, and figured she would stay there forever. But around 1999 a friend and previous co-worker told her she was needed at RCC as a Reading teacher, since she is also certificated in that as well. She took a year's leave of absence from Arlington to try things out. At the end of the year a full time position opened and she filled it. She plans on retiring next year.
I briefly updated her on my life and she offered best wishes. She made a comment about a reunion she recently attended for teachers from AHS in which she noticed that people don't ever really change. I'm inclined to agree. Talking to her today was so much like talking to her 18 years ago.
I am glad that I had the opportunity to thank her for all her service and all she taught me.

Great Expectations

2010-02-27T14:43:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally got around to reading "Great Expectations" and it was marvelous. I certainly did not appreciate this fully the first time I read it. I now know why it is such a popular work. Though I am not very good at putting my feelings to words, I must say that I love this book. The book is divided into three parts and I found I remembered the first two parts very well. There were few surprises (besides how much I was enjoying it). But when I got to the third part, that all changed. There was hardly anything that I remembered. I somehow knew that Joe was going to marry Betsy about the time that Pip finally realized her worth, but that was it. I couldn't remember anything else. This is rather unusual for me. Once I read something, a good part of it stays with me. I suspect that I did not finish that reading assignment. I wonder how well I did on the test and or written portions of whatever came after reading the book.

I must say that I was disappointed with Dickens' handling of the resolution of Pip's infatuation with Estella. There is a prologue that describes how he had planned on Pip never getting Estella and I felt that was the way he should have followed. Pip learned the true value of people and having a humbled improved Estella for him to find and win seemed to be a regression. He didn't learn to move on from the pain of love disappointed, he kept whining until he got what he wanted. But apparently one of Dickens' peers also whined until the author changed the ending into a nice neat little romantic fairy tale ending. He really should have stuck with his first instincts.

For some reason I always enjoy a well worded insult. My favorite Shakespeare quote is actually "A pox on you and your dog". To curse not only the one you despise, but also his loyal dog is truly a deep offense. So it should be no surprise that the following is my favorite line from "Great Expectations". The insult itself makes it quite clear who is being insulted.

"For I cannot adequately express what pain it gave me to think that Estella would show any favor to a contemptible, clumsy, sulky booby so very far below the average."

Little Dorrit

2010-02-10T21:44:00.000-08:00

New book! We are reading Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit for our next book club meeting. Just a hint if you haven't bought it yet...it's a long one!

Next meeting is Saturday, March 20th, 5:00 PM at Sue's house. See you then (if not before then).

Next Meeting

2009-12-31T13:41:00.001-08:00

New book... The Beekeeper's Apprentice, by Laurie King.

Are we all still on for next Saturday, January 9? I've been so busy I haven't had any time to blog, so we haven't kept on on the next meeting. Let me know if 1/9/10 at 5:00 at Sue's house works. If it doesn't work, we can reschedule. I've read about 75 pages and I'm loving this book so far! Great choice!

David Copperfield

2009-12-19T20:09:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I felt that the time had come for me to revisit "Great Expectations". So off to the library I went. Unfortunately someone else must have also felt it was their time. So after a brief moment of consideration (noisy little ones in a library don't allow for much of that) I grabbed the next best thing, "David Copperfield". At my first opportunity, I began reading the prologue. Unfortunately, the author of that felt it important to inform the reader of all the similarities between the author's life and his work. The result was that the book was slowly being ruined for me. What was put before the book would have been much better suited for after the book. So I stopped that and turned to the story itself. I did have some concern that this would be another dark and gloomy Victorian novel, but I am so glad to have found it otherwise. It certainly had some terrible moments in the early chapters, but by the end I felt they were vindicated. Those were character shaping moments and they were close reflections to at least the emotional trials of Dickens's early life.
Now I really want to reread"Great Expectations" and see if it is as gloomy as I remember it. I am older now and have a different view of things and also I will read it by choice as compared to being forced by a High School English Teacher.

First Book Club Meeting!

2009-11-16T21:20:00.000-08:00

Hope this works for everyone...Saturday at 5:00 at Mom's. I'm going to make the classic French delicacy beef bourgignon (beef stew). Anybody want to volunteer for French bread, salad, or a nice little French dessert? Somebody could also bring some delectable French chocolates if they want. :)

Fingers crossed that I can get this read...the only way it's going to happen is if I neglect a monstrous stack of papers that need to be graded. My students don't really care about their grades, right?

2009-11-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

I've been rereading The Three Musketeers in anticipation of our get-together and have been reminded on every page why I enjoyed it so the first time through.

Dumas has a genius for capturing an environment and portraying characters that are fascinating and enthralling despite their rather horrific activities (dueling, slashing, killing, conniving, and total disregard for moral behavior in pursuing women). I love them all now just as I did when I first read the novel.

I was really amused reading the happenings with the character Bonacieux, D'Artagnan's landlord and husband to the Queen's aide who is at the heart of all adventures that are coming. Poor Bonacieux is really an innocent by-stander who ends up being arrested for a Queen's indiscretion and who's wife is then pursued by the man (D'Artagnan) he seeks for help. While Bonacieux is presented (and treated) as if he is a witless fool, his come-backs and rejoinders while being interrigated are hilarious. He manages, while confessing to everything brought up and pleading for his life, to, nevertheless, fling one zinger after another at his accuser and interrogator. He even flings a few after the Cardinal, around whom even the King steps lightly. This is Dumas at his best.

I can't wait for the next chapter...

Word Game

2009-10-26T14:31:00.001-07:00

Here is a link to some guy's list of the "100 Most Beautiful Words in English." http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/100_most_beautiful_words.html What do you think are beautiful words? I like these words:

memory
ballerina
ethereal
watermelon
rouge
holy
undulating
halcyon (LOVE this word!)
cerulean
lilt
panacea
loquacious

Question of the Week

2009-10-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

How do you decide what book to read?

Thanks to Mom, I have always loved reading. As a kid, I liked to read stories about girls in far away places and times (Little House on the Prairie, Anne of Green Gables, Little Women) and fantasize about living in a far away place and time myself (okay, so nothing has changed much there).

I can really think of two defining episodes in my reading life. First was in eighth grade when I read Wuthering Heights and then Jane Eyre from Mom's "fancy" hardcover collection. I chose these on my own because I liked the fancy, grown-up looks of the books. From reading these I learned two things: I had crossed over into the grown-up realm with my reading and could read any long novel I wanted to, and I loved gothic page-turners. I really LOVED reading both of these books, and learned how exciting it can be to read something you love reading.

My second defining moment I would say was reading Tess of the d'Urbervilles for my senior English class. This really was the book that made me a Victorian literature lover. I loved Thomas Hardy's writing style and became a Hardy devotee. I loved his long, descriptive sentences, the countryside he created, the dark and brooding characters (I guess a link back to my gothic obsession). But it also was the root of my love of the psychological analysis of Victorian literature. I went on to read all of the major Hardy novels, and then discovered George Eliot and mowed through her works. If I got a PhD, I would be seriously tempted to do my dissertation on Victorian novels.

So two things that determine what I read next are a love of the gothic-type thriller and a love of the Victorian-type psychological analysis. However, I'm also obsessed with lists, so I'm constantly choosing books from lists, trying to "check" things off as I go. I have a couple of reading lists from Arlington High School that I still choose books from, a list from Chapman, and a list of the "1,001 books to read before you die" that I got from Shelley's book blog. I also wanted to start reading the Pulitzer winners, but haven't done that yet as most of them look boring to me. That's one way I decide not to read a book...if it looks boring. :)

2009-10-16T18:32:00.001-07:00

Hurrah! I figured it out! Yeah Me!

Okay, after the discussion on Sunday about "7 pounds" and the allusion to "The Merchant of Venice" I decided to read it. ("The Merchant of Venice" not "7 pounds"). Thanks to the library of Mom, I was able to quickly pick up a Shakespeare anthology. I must say, I am out of practice when it comes to reading the bard's work. On the first attempt, I think I fell asleep in about five minutes without understanding anything. Though that's probably more a reflection of my own sleep habits than the quality of the work in question. I am now a good way through it, though I must devour it in small bites. The contract involving the pound of flesh is signed very early in the work. I've not yet seen the resolution of the contract, though I can see where it is headed. (After all, isn't this a tragedy? Or am I wrong on that?)
Here's my question for the lit majors. In Act 3, Scene 1, the Shylock the Jew, who is also the creditor, wails a lament. Here's a small sampling:
I am a Jew. Hath not a
Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs di-
mensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with
the same food, hurt with the same weapons,
and of course it goes on. Reading this I was reminded of something I read quite some time ago. It seems it was written by a black woman and I think it was called "Ain't I a Woman?". I could be wrong on some of that, it is a hazy memory. I seem to remember similarities in the questions asked by the lamenter. But what is the connection or story behind this?

First Post, with an explanation

2009-10-11T20:47:00.000-07:00

I'm glad Cindy started this and I look forward to reading what everyone has to say. Often times in writing we express parts of ourselves that don't come out in daily chit-chat.

I wanted to start with explaining my choice of a favorite character. I am hoping that as each of you add to the favorites lists you too will share the why's behind your additions.

You all know I am a devoted Tolkien fan, and Samwise Gamgee is one of his creations. While I love old Bilbo and young Frodo, and of course can rarely not think of Legolas, my heart warms for Samwise. First, he was not the central character. He wasn't the hero, the one with the mission, he was the support staff. I prefer that role myself. Behind the scenes is always more productive than center stage, and who needs applause anyways?

Second, sidekicks have more of the qualities I admire than heros generally do. They are devoted, supportive, nurturing, care-giving, funny, less serious, always there, and teachable. One of my favorite side-kicks, or best friends, is Horatio, in Hamlet. I have always thought that his character has been much under-appreciated. He was devoted to Hamlet, despites Hamlet's many faults and poor choices, and gave him sound advice throughout the play. Though Hamlet brought his own destruction on himself, Horatio was there till the end, understanding the motives driving Hamlet, even though he disagreed. His grief at Hamlet's death is extremely moving to me and his declared dedication to tell Hamlet's story evidence of his devotion. I am more moved by that type of heroism that the flashier Hamlet type.

Third, Samwise was a shortish round fellow who loved to eat and to garden. He also loved a little pony named Bill. Need I say more?

2009-10-11T18:55:00.000-07:00

Ha ha ha.... I'm the first....

2009-10-11T17:17:00.000-07:00

Just getting started here, but our first book is The Three Musketeers. We'll meet at Mom's to discuss the book and dine on French cuisine on November 21. Time to be decided later.