For Dola

I always try to read the last third or quarter of a book in solitude and uninterrupted. In addition to the closing words, I want to get a feeling from the work. As I moved through the final chapters of The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives by Lola Shoneyin, I had moments of sadness and one tear managed to find its way down my cheek. The book was not a sad novel but there were distinct moments of remembrance/occurrences which will evoke emotion. (I do not want to be too specific lest I spoil your read.)

The characters in the novel are strong and while my focus was initially on the women, I was reminded by Ms. Shoneyin that our male lead's "real strength of character" should not be forgotten. Each individual (wife, husband, mother, child) had their own tragedies to work through and burdens to carry. The way that each person handled their journey illustrated their individuality and courage.

Before beginning the narrative, reviews noted the book was about polygamy. As I read, I felt that the book was really just about life. Our cultures influence our behavior, our desires, and our manner of working and living. The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Lives gives us insight into a culture perhaps different from our own, but filled with respect, resourcefulness, and joy.

I read through several chapters multiple times, and it is a book that you will want to discuss with your friends. The read will also make you think twice about eating food you did not prepare in a competitive household.

The GBC wishes to extend its appreciation to Ms. Shoneyin for answering our varied questions about her novel. We learned so much from both the read and the interaction. We wish you well.

Winded

Usually if I sit in front this screen, I find words. Today is an exception. Severe weather in the area has left me with a heavy feeling that I have not been able to shake.

Everyone I know is physically well, and I am grateful. I know there are many who experienced loss as a result of yesterday's events. You have my empathy and my thoughts. For those interested, here are ways you can help.

Be kind to your neighbors. Check in on your friends. Say thanks to those to found ways to help you.

Stone Rooms Warmed by a Picture of the Queen

The April meeting of the GBC was, I hear, a delightful summer evening. A fresh spring menu, reading water, and strawberry dessert - I do not think it could have been much better. The discussion of The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives was also quite animated with GBC Milena adding a bit of background literary light. (My review is pending a few insights from the author.)

The next six months of reading selections are set, and I have a better than average chance of having them all completed since I have one down and currently reading another.

• May: Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
• June: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
• July: Saving the Queen by William F. Buckley
• August: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde [my current read]
• September: The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
• October: The Room by Emma Donoghue

Dig out your summer whites and find a comfy reading chair.

Bien Open Minded

Spontaneity led me to spend a weekend in Mobile. I was there fifteen minutes before discovering Bienville Books, a downtown independent bookstore. (The Universe was smiling.) After a two block walk, I had an hour window before closing. This was just enough time to pick up a few tiny books (a weakness), a signed copy of The Prince of Frogtown by Rick Bragg (nod to GBC CaroleKing, not the singer), and my first Carson McCullers The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. The last book was taken upon suggestion of the shop staffer who was equally enthusiastic about wee books and whose English literature background became apparent within five minutes of conversation.

The regional book section seemed to have a higher than average number of titles which involved death, hauntings, and other dark tales. (I did not want to ask too many questions about this.) The bookstore is two floors though I only managed the bottom level in forty-five minutes of meandering. Bienville Books has a mix of old and new with all titles neatly arranged. It is well worth a visit, and I can recommend a few nearby places for post-shopping reading water.

Home is Where the Art Is

"I know some lonely houses off the road

A robber'd like the look of"

-Emily Dickinson

The Lonely House

Photo taken haphazardly at the side of a road just after a visit to a funeral home.

May you not have a lonely house this weekend.

Prized Possessions

The Pulitzer Prizes were announced this week and my former home city celebrated as a finalist in the local reporting of breaking news category. The Tennessean was indeed a lifeline for news as I sat in a (very small) Parisian hotel preparing for a meeting nearly one year ago.

Other award-winning works may also make your short-list for summer reading:

• A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. The book has its own MySpace page which incidentally does not roar with music upon opening (much to the pleasure of one writer at 6:00 am)
• The Emperor of Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee. This work is a biography of cancer and makes the list for me this morning both due to content and the fact that I had to really search it out as the NYT article had a bad link. (And yes, I emailed the author to let him know.)

In non-Pulitzer news, Master Georgie received the Man Booker Best of Beryl Award last night. In this "always a bridesmaid, never a bride" honoring, Beryl was described as a "gracious non-winner." [Note: if any of you write of me in this way, I will haunt you like ghosts from an old French home site of a murder/suicide.]

Husbands and Wives

What makes a person give up their identity to adopt a life which conflicts with their core? What types of internal conversation does one have each day to keep moving forward?

Anyone who has stood at the front of a church, in an open field, or before Elvis knows that when they say "I do" that they lose a tiny bit of themselves in the trade-off for something much greater, or so one hopes. As I followed Bolanle through the opening chapters, I wondered about the event/thought/happening which made her think that this was the avenue her life should take. I wonder if she will think the trade-off was equitable, or if she will be like some of us who thought "I must be me."

Still with too much of the book yet pending to read, I will not venture on conclusions. Instead, reflections accompany my morning coffee.

Modern English

At the risk of sounding like a complete book nerd, I am looking forward to a quiet Saturday evening reading. I am undecided on the reading water as it has been a rather social week.

Many of you know I am a Hatchards fan and there are a few new books available if you are inclined to think about summer reading and want to include a few notable characters:

• Manolo's New Shoes: Drawings by Manolo Blahnik. Hatchards has a signed copy of this one for those who like to put their best foot forward.
• And Furthermore by Dame Judi Dench. I was an existing fan of her work and was permanently secured after seeing her perform in Hay Fever (Noel Coward) in 2006.
• Transitioning now to Bond. James Bond. Carte Blanche by Jeffery Deaver will be available in late May for those of you who like to be shaken (or stirred).

Shoes, Knights and Bond, oh my.

Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This

One day you may find yourself moving down a highway at 87 mph in a 70 mph zone and pass a state trooper. As you glance in the rear view mirror to see if you will be the recipient of points on your license, you smile as you see no acceleration on his part and continue singing "Running Down a Dream." You are wondering what you will write about and think that really nothing of particularly literary note has occurred since you last picked up a book, and as you drain the final dregs of espresso from the very large cup in your hands remembering that your barista knew you by name after months of absence, you know that today will be a very fine day. You might even arrive home to find a mother duck with her flock, flight, parcel, pod, fleet, or dissimulation of baby ducks in your paved parking lot and wonder how that might happen when you are far removed from a body of water. You are also grateful that you own an OED so that you can consult Appendix XVI for groups of such animals. After checking your mail for the first time in a week, you find a postcard from your own state and laugh at the cleverness of a friend. As you type, you realize that you have thrown punctuation to the wind and accept (and share) for one morning a free-form prose.

Turn Around

"The world turns and we do too, within it" - Bolanle, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives (Loc. 641)

This quote inspired me to make my morning latte in my Nestle world mug.

I am one-fifth into our GBC April read making notes on the side and eager to see how the story develops.

Stop Look and Listen

Yesterday was a one-click day.

With my first latte, my first click was new music: 21 by Adele. My propensity to purchase music increases with warmer weather. This is attributable, in part, to my weakness for summertime bubble gum pop.

My second click (still first latte) was our next GBC read, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives by Lola Shoneyin. GBC members are particularly excited about this read as we have the opportunity to interact with the author to ask a few questions. As our group includes attorneys, educators, an architect, a former thespian and a host of geeks to varying degrees, I am fairly certain we will compose an interesting list of "must knows."

With my second latte, I started browsing travel. It should be noted that the combination of caffeine and a one-click can occasionally result in an airline ticket.

I Was a Temple Pilot

A week that began with witches should end with a temple.

Today's Friday photo comes to you from Bangkok.

Sadly, the author cannot remember which temple this is as she took lots of photos of temples while visiting.

Sawadee.

Dream On

I have always been a vivid dreamer. Unlike our journalist, Heron, in WoP I do not want a pair of scissors by the bed to "snip off the end of the dream". This is mainly because I am clumsy, but also I like to see where the dreams lead, even if uncomfortable places.

So with a sixteen hour day ahead and a restless night's sleep behind me, I pulled Dream Angus by Alexander McCall Smith (A.M.S.) from my shelves. This title is from the Myths series from Canongate, old stories retold by contemporary writers (including Margaret Atwood and Karen Armstrong).

I will leave you with a few words from A.M.S. from his 2006 Introduction:

Unlike some mythical figures, Angus does no particular moral or didactic work: his is really about dreams and about love - two things that have always had their mysteries for people. Angus puts us in touch with our dreams - those entities which Auden described so beautifully in his Freud poem as the creatures of the night that are waiting for us, that need our recognition.

Drop and Roll Monday

I had my equivalent of the dropped book last night, which with the Kindle meant I landed in The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane before hitting Great Expectations and then finally finding my place in The Witch of Portobello. [It was like a scene from HHGttG but with books rather than people...and I didn't have a towel.]

I am enjoying Coelho's read but know I am drawing nearer to the moment of Athena's death. Though this sounds like a spoiler, our author gives us this detail in the opening paragraphs. In re-reading the opening "chapter" by Heron Ryan this morning, I regained perspective of how the end of the book may start to take shape. The novel is written in the form of interviews with each section/chapter in the interviewee's voice. The book is full of memorable lines and I have used the highlighter tool a bit more than expected for sentences like "I was everyone, and everyone was me and my solitude" (Loc 1570).

With Shoneyin's debut novel next in the queue, I am assured of a very nice week of reading ahead. Wishing you a pleasant start to your week with perhaps a few landings in unexpected places.

No One Scorns the Wicked

Sunshine after long grey days is a motivator. After a flurry of activities this morning, I pause to think about books. In fact, more so than books, I am thinking of events. Local libraries are putting together some really neat gatherings in the near future. A few highlights:

• The Main Library for GBC is hosting a Salon @ 615 series which includes Erik Larson and Ann Patchette [separate events of course]
• The Rocket City Library is launching a community read of Wicked City by Ace Atkins. The kick-off events include the "Wicked City" porter brewed by local Straight to Ale [these engineers do have a sense of humor]

And as weather turns warmer and you wish to move away from your heavier reads, consider Scandalous Women: The Lives and Loves of History's Most Notorious Women by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon. Carpe diem.

Everybody Plays the Fool

A post on an odd day?

That sounds foolish.

L'an dernier, je traversais le pont pour la première fois.

- Maubourget, France