75th Anniversary: Grapes of Wrath
To celebrate the
75th anniversary of the publication of The Grapes of
Wrath by John
Steinbeck, the National Steinbeck Center
http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz18588343,
Salinas, Calif., is sponsoring a tour that
will retrace the
route of the Joad family from Oklahoma to California,
beginning tomorrow
and ending October 14.
On the tour, a
team of artists, including playwright Octavio Solis,
visual artist
Patricia Wakida and filmmaker P.J. Palmer, will collect
oral histories and
aims to answer "three critical questions inspired by
The Grapes of
Wrath: What keeps you going? What do you turn to in hard
times? What brings
you joy when times are tough?"
At each stop along
the route, the Center will also host or participate
in public
programs, panel discussions and creative workshops about The
Grapes of Wrath.
At each stop, the Penguin Group will use the Penguin
Book Truck and
Penguin Pushcart to sell Steinbeck titles.
Among the stops:
the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City, the
Albuquerque Museum
of Art and History and the Coconino Center for the
Arts in Flagstaff,
Ariz.
I would like to think that this is one reason I have decent social skills, but I believe being a theater major plays a role in that as well.
Study: Read
Chekhov for Better Social Skills
Can reading
Chekhov or Alice Munro improve your social skills
According to a study
published yesterday in the journal Science,
researchers
"found that after reading literary fiction, as opposed to
popular fiction or
serious nonfiction, people performed better on tests
measuring empathy,
social perception and emotional intelligence--skills
that come in
especially handy when you are trying to read someone's body
language or gauge
what they might be thinking," the New York Times
reported.
The researchers,
social psychologists at the New School for Social
Research in New
York City, suggested the reason for this is that
literary fiction
"often leaves more to the imagination, encouraging
readers to make
inferences about characters and be sensitive to
emotional nuance
and complexity," the Times wrote.
"This is why
I love science," said author Louise Erdrich, whose novel
The Round House
was used in one of the experiments, adding that the
researchers
"found a way to prove true the intangible benefits of
literary fiction.
Thank God the research didn't find that novels
increased tooth
decay or blocked up your arteries.... Writers are often
lonely obsessives,
especially the literary ones. It's nice to be told
what we write is
of social value. However, I would still write even if
novels were useless."
I find it interesting that so many people have adapted to new ways to read, by adopting technology. Though I have a Nook reader myself, I still prefer paper books, or dead tree additions, as they say.
Some 40% of
adults, including 46% of those between 18 and 39, own an
e-reader or
tablet, double the percentages of two years ago, and 60% of
has found.
Respondents consisted of 1,000 adults; a supplemental poll
resulted in a
total of 819 e-reader and tablet owners.
Among other
findings:
* 27% of readers
polled have used Facebook, Twitter or book websites to
comment on a book,
and 50% of those under 40 who own a reading device
have used social
media to comment on a book.
* 62% of
households with annual income of at least $75,000 own at least
one reading
device.
* 35% of those
with reading devices are reading more than before.
* 51% of
respondents say a lack of time keeps them from reading more
books, while 16%
say they don't read more books due to lack of interest,
and 14% because of
a lack of quality books.
* Among those who
read more because of their reading devices, 23% said
they read more
science fiction or fantasy, 16% more mystery and crime,
14% more romance and
14% more nonfiction.
And perhaps most
important:
* 3% of
respondents say books often play a role in making new friends or
finding a romantic
partner, while 7% say this happens sometimes.
Autumn Bones by Jacqueline Carey is the second book in her "Agent of Hel" series, and, as usual, it doesn't disappoint. Here's the blurb from the jacket:
"New York Times
bestselling author Jacqueline Carey returns to the curious Midwest
tourist community where normal and paranormal worlds co-exist—however
tenuously—under the watchful eye of a female hellspawn…
Fathered by an incubus, raised by
a mortal mother, and liaison to the Pemkowet Police Department, Daisy
Johanssen pulled the community together after a summer tragedy befell
the resort town she calls home. Things are back to normal—as normal as
it gets for a town famous for its supernatural tourism, and presided
over by the reclusive Norse goddess Hel.
Not only has Daisy now gained
respect as Hel’s enforcer, she’s dating Sinclair Palmer, a nice,
seemingly normal human guy. Not too shabby for the daughter of a demon.
Unfortunately, Sinclair has a secret. And it’s a big one.
He’s descended from Obeah
sorcerers and they want him back. If he doesn’t return to Jamaica to
take up his rightful role in the family, they’ll unleash spirit magic
that could have dire consequences for the town. It’s Daisy’s job to stop
it, and she’s going to need a lot of help. But time is running out, the
dead are growing restless, and one mistake could cost Daisy everything…"
Daisy and her protector/godmother the Lamia are two of the most fantastic characters in the history of urban fantasy novels. Add in a werewolf cop (whom Daisy has a crush on) and some family squabbles with a New Orleans witchcraft bent and you have a book full of funny and fast-paced adventure. We find out that Daisy's best friend's sister becomes a vengeful vampire in this sequel, and we also learn of the limits of Hel's (the goddess, not the place) patience, as Daisy needs a computer genius/geek to set up her paranormal database, and finds that the price for so doing is to meet her employer, so the aforementioned geek can put Hel into one of his videogames.
Personally, though I understand Daisy is young, I find her naivete to be somewhat trying when she's dealing with her love life, and her attraction to Cody the werewolf seems ridiculous when she knows that he is not allowed to marry anyone but another werewolf. Sinclair didn't seem to be a great option, either, as he forgot to mention that his mother and sister are witches who will do anything to get him to abandon the life that he's chosen to come back to his home state and practice witchcraft with them. Though I get why she's intent on having as normal a life was possible, I still wonder why she slept with "officer down-low" when she knows that relationship is a dead end. I understand why she slept with Sinclair, because she was juiced from the hormones of the satyr-inspired orgy she had to break up (with the help of her Lamia godmother), but I fear that she's getting herself in deeper with the cop and that way leads to heartbreak.
However, the book itself was beautifully written, with muscular prose and Carey's usual zingy plot, which when combined with her fantastic characters and excellent storytelling creates a book that you can't put down. A well-deserved A for this installment of the Agent of Hel series, which leaves readers hungry for more. I'd recommend it to all those who love smart urban fantasy.
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