Dr. Suess and Changing Times by Warren Bull

 

Image by Catherine Hammond on Unsplash

Books Recommended by Barack Obama 1 by Warren Bull

Books recommended by Barack Obama  1

by Warren Bull

Former President Barack Obama recommended many books during his two-term presidency.  Business Insider culled through his top picks and found 21 titles that deal directly with race relations.   Thanks to Margarite Ward who wrote the article.  This adds more books to my I-need-to-read list.

 

“Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates

 

From Amazon:

In it’s [sic] most basic form, this intimate, powerful book is a letter from Coates to his 15-year-old son, Samori, on how to live in a black body in the US and how to reckon with the country’s past. 

Toni Morrison said the book should be required reading.

Warren Bull: I found it be truly illuminating. The book that gave me the clearest idea od what it is like to be black.

“Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom” by David W. Blight

 

From the Associated Press:

 

In this historical biography, Blight examines the impact Fredrick Douglass had on the US. Douglass was a slave who escaped from his slave owners in Baltimore, Maryland, to become an influential orator and author after publishing the history-making “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.” 

Warren Bull: Douglass’ eulogy about Abraham Lincoln is insightful about how black Americans perceived the “Great Emancipator.”

“Americanah” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

 

From Barack Obama:

“From one of the world’s great contemporary writers comes the story of two Nigerians making their way in the US and the UK, raising universal questions of race and belonging, the overseas experience for the African diaspora, and the search for identity, and a home.”

“The World As It Is” by Ben Rhodes

 

From Barack Obama:

“It’s true, Ben does not have African blood running through his veins. But few others so closely see the world through my eyes like he can. Ben’s one of the few who’ve been with me since that first presidential campaign. His memoir is one of the smartest reflections I’ve seen as to how we approached foreign policy, and one of the most compelling stories I’ve seen about what it’s actually like to serve the American people for eight years in the White House.

“Lost Children Archive” by Valeria Luiselli

 

From Amazon:

Luiselli’s best-selling novel follows a family on a road trip from New York to Arizona that grows increasingly tense as issues between the parents and children emerge. Meanwhile, the immigration crisis on the US-Mexico border unfolds, putting the family’s crisis in the context of a larger national one.  

“The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present” by David Treuer

From Amazon:

Academic and author Treuer combines in-depth reporting with storytelling in this best-selling piece on the history of the Native American people. The book covers everything from the rise of different tribal cultures to the seizure of their people’s land, forced assimilation, and resistance. 

“The Woman Warrior” by Maxine Hong Kingston

From Amazon:

In “The Woman Warrior,” Chinese-American author Kingston weaves together her family’s stories, her experience growing up, and ancient Chinese myths in a book that makes powerful statements on American identity. 

“Lot: Stories” by Bryan Washington

From Amazon:

Set in the bustling city of Houston, “Lot: Stories,” follows an eclectic group of characters on their individual journeys to find a place called home, including a young boy coming to terms with his gay identity, a family in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, and a drug dealer who takes a Guatemalan teen under his wing. 

“The Yellow House” by Sarah M. Broom

From Amazon:

“The Yellow House” isn’t just a story about the author’s home in a neglected area of New Orleans, but a commentary on race and inequality in the US. 

“Becoming” by Michelle Obama

“Obviously my favorite!” Barack Obama wrote in a 2018 Facebook post on his top books, which included his wife’s bestselling memoir.

Warren Bull: An articulate account of the Obama family by a wonderful writer and a woman who is, rightly, greatly admired.

“Solitary” by Albert Woodfox

 

Amazon

Albert Woodfox shares his story of surviving more than 40 years confined to a cramped cell in solitary confinement at Louisiana’s “Angola” prison — for a crime he says he didn’t commit. The story is a powerful commentary on the prison and judicial system. 

“The Underground Railroad” by Colson Whitehead

Amazon:

Whitehead’s fiction piece follows a girl named Cora, a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia who faces brutal treatment. One day, she learns about the Underground Railroad from a friend, and the pair makes the life-changing decision to attempt an escape. 

Warren Bull: Gripping and searing. Although this is a novel, sometimes fiction can give a greater emotional understanding than history books.

“Song of Solomon” by Toni Morrison

Morrison, beloved African American novelist and essayist, won the 1993 Nobel Prize in literature for this work of fiction, which follows the story of the first African-American child to be born in the hospital. 

Barack Obama:

“You can’t go wrong by reading or re-reading the collected works of Toni Morrison. Beloved, Song of Solomon, The Bluest Eye, Sula, everything else — they’re transcendent, all of them. You’ll be glad you read them,” Obama writes in his August 2019 book list.

“Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth” by Sarah Smarsh

 

From Goodreads;

Like the popular books “Janesville” and “Hillbilly Elegy,” “Heartland” paints a beautiful, but troubling, picture of America’s postindustrial decline. 

“The Nickel Boys: A Novel” by Colson Whitehead

From Amazon:

Set in the Jim Crow era, and based on a real school for boys that closed in 2011, Whitehead’s novel follows a young black man sent to a school that claims it turns bad boys into good men. 

Obama calls the book “a necessary read.”  

“The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration” by Isabel Wilkerson

 

From Amazon:

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author details one of the most important, but little-known stories in US history, the 1915 to 1970 migration of black citizens to the North and West from the South. 

 

Notes From an Amateur Book Collector by Warren Bull

Notes From an Amateur Book Collector by Warren Bull

I have a collection of mystery books. I started with the idea of buying hardback first editions in very good or better condition that were signed by their authors. I wanted to have books that reflected the history of mystery fiction. Since I am not unimaginably rich, I knew some signed books would be way out of my price range.  Knowing some authors did not sign many books, I concluded that some of what I wanted would be unavailable. I did not use first edition of the original publication as a criterion because of the rarity of many books published long ago. I also knew that I could not possibly buy a copy of every significant book in the history of mystery fiction. My plan was to get enough books to make up a sketchy outline of that history.

As a collector, writer and reader, I find satisfying one role undercuts another. A collector wants the best condition possible. An unopened, unread book is great for a collector and not so great for reader. Once read, a book is less valuable, like a new car driven off a dealer’s lot, i.e. it is automatically used. A tattered paperback may be a great read and stimulate ideas for writing, but it is rarely valuable as a commodity.

I like books that are already used that have points of interest about them. For example a have an armed services edition of Wilkie Collins’s Moonstone. The book is a paperback designed to fit in a military uniform pocket. I have no idea how many books were made of that edition, I have not seen any others but there could be millions of them. The condition is very good minus; it was the idea I liked.

I have a copy of Rex Stout’s Champagne for One that he endorsed, “April 28, 1959 For the National Jewish Hospital All Good Wishes.” The book itself is a library book with stamps and markings from the National Jewish Hospital. The condition is what you would expect from a used library book. Still, because of the inscription I find it worth owning.

I also have I, Witness an anthology from Mystery Writers of America. As with the other two there were books available in better condition. The book I bought was signed or inscribed to Aaron Marc Stein by many of the authors. He was presented with the book when he was named a grandmaster in 1979.

While every signed book is unique, I enjoy seeking out the books that have a story attached to the physical book itself.

Do you own any books like the ones I described?

The Newest Book Craze

The Newest Book Craze

by Warren Bull

If you are close to my age you might remember Donovan singing Mellow Yellow, which includes the

praises of an electrical banana.

Electrical banana

Is gonna be a sudden craze

Electrical banana

Is bound to be the very next phase

I don’t know what an electrical banana is but I’m sure you can find all sorts of explanations on the web.

I am here to announce an even greater event.  Bigger than books with titles like Sell a Million Books!  The first page reads SUCKER.  The rest of the pages are blank.  It is bigger than Snoopy with Zombies.

The link http://www.abebooks.com/books/features/adult-coloring-books/index.shtml?cm_mmc=nl-_-nl-_-CPrpt24-h00-colourAM-_-herogr&abersp=1

will take you to Richard Davies’ description of the way people reduce stress by buying and using coloring books for adults.

It could actually help.  On the other hand, it won’t help me.  I can’t draw a credible circle.  How would I write a coloring book?  Why are all those people coloring when they could be reading books?  Maybe even my books.

As Roseanna Roseannadanna would say, Never mind.  Go on with whatever you were doing.  There's 

nothing interesting happening here.

Summer Reading lists from People who Ought to Know

Summer Reading lists from People who Ought to Know

Bill Gates kindly put his suggestions for summer reading on his blog.  Thanks to Matt

Krantz for reporting this.

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh. This book collects short stories from the author’s early life. Gates says it’s a quick read, “but you’ll wish it went on longer, because it’s funny and smart as hell.”

The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins. Huge questions, like “how did the universe form?” are tackled in a readable and engaging way. “It’s also a plea for readers of all ages to approach mysteries with rigor and curiosity,” Gates says.

What If? by Randall Munroe. The author tackles answering reader questions on everything from physics to chemistry and biology. “Munroe’s explanations are funny, but the science underpinning his answers is very accurate,” Gates writes.

XKCD by Randall Munroe. Another collection of items – this time comics from the author’s blog poking fun at computers and scientists to name a few … but also journalists. “The last panel is all the reporters dead on the floor because they ate arsenic. It’s that kind of humor, which not everybody loves, but I do,” Gates says.

On Immunity by Eula Biss. A “pleasure” to read, says Gates, features the misinformation that cause some parents to fear vaccinations.

How to Lie with Statistics by Darrell Huff. This book, first published in 1954, highlights how data can actually mask the truth. “A timely reminder, given how often infographics show up in your Facebook and Twitter feeds these days,” Gates writes.

Should We Eat Meat? by Vaclav Smil. Gates himself has been writing about the virtues for sustainability by shifting away from animal production for meat. This book by an author he often refers to, builds the case. “I’m betting on innovation, including higher agricultural productivity and the development of meat substitutes, to help the world meet its need for meat. A timely book, though probably the least beach-friendly one on this list.”

As posted by Kate Torgovnick May, Dave Isay of StoryCorps, the winner of the 2015 TED Prize, has centered his life around the art of the interview — where stories of everyday individuals are surfaced and the gift of listening is given. His recommendations, naturally, gravitate toward magical conversations:

Up in the Old Hotel by Joseph Mitchell. “The astounding collection of profiles from a legendary The New Yorker writer. Too many good stories to list, but I named my daughter after ‘Mazie,’ his profile of the foul-mouthed ticket taker/bouncer/angel of a low-rent movie theatre catering to homeless men in New York.”

They Called Me Mayer July: Painted Memories of a Jewish Childhood in Poland Before the Holocaust by Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett and Mayer Kirshenblatt. “Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett spent forty years interviewing her father about the Polish town where he grew up. After decades of prodding, Mayer — a retired house painter — picked up a brush and began painting his memories of the town as well. The book creates a singular portrait of a world wiped off the face of the earth.”

Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman. “In this graphic novel — one of the greatest works of the twentieth century, in my opinion — Spiegelman interviews his father about living through the Holocaust.”

The Bridge: The Building of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge by Gay Talese. “An ode to the men who built the Verrazano-Narrows, it centers around the question, ‘Who are the high-wire walkers wearing boots and hard hats, earning their living by risking their lives in places where falls are often fatal and where the bridges and skyscrapers are looked upon as sepulchers by the families and coworkers of the deceased?’”

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson. “I’m currently reading this autobiography. As Bryan Stevenson said in his TED Talk: ‘We will ultimately not be judged by our technology; we won’t be judged by our design; we won’t be judged by our intellect and reason. Ultimately, you judge the character of a society by how they treat the poor, the condemned, the incarcerated.’ This book is not to be missed.”

The Four Things That Matter Most: A Book About Living by Ira Byock. “A small, beautiful book which reminds us to say the important things we want to say to the people we care about.”

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Is This a Golden Age of Crime Fiction?

Is This a Golden Age of Crime Fiction?

I believe it is.  For one thing, writers considered literary like Joyce Carol Oates and Margaret Atwood choose to write genre fiction.  For another, crime fiction anthologies such as the Akashic Noir series seek short stories from poets and acknowledged literary writers to include in their books.

Currently crime writing covers a multitude of approaches and prose styles, covers many different themes and sometimes references other literature.  Among authors described as literary are Louise Penny, Daniel Woodrell and Kate Atkinson.  Note:  Your list might well differ from mine.

I also think the quality of crime fiction by itself is sufficient to label the current era as a golden age. Elmore Leonard, Walter Mosely and Carolyn Hart among others are writers that I believe will still be read a century from now.

I find it interesting that the very idea that literary crime fiction exists generates strongly emotional responses on both the pro and con side of the proposition. 

What do you think? 

My "new" Bible

The newest addition to my library is a Bible, a gift from my mother who inherited it from her aunt Surilda.  It is the oldest book I own.  The Bible was printed by Robert Martin in Birmingham, England, in 1789. The printer is mentioned in a 1906 manuscript about printers in old Birmingham.   Clearly the book does not have its original binding.  My mother had it re-bound with embossed gold lettering. 

The Bible includes the Apocrypha with notes and annotations.  Page headings estimate the dates when the events described within its pages occurred such as Before Christ 1053. The Bible has wood cut illustrations.  The cover is ten inches high and nine inches wide; it is three and a half inches thick.  I’m not sure how much it weighs but it is a substantial opus.  The Ss look like modern fs.  The pages are foxed. 

 Over the years I acquired a tome about ancient coins published in 1895 when I was actively collecting coins. I also bought a dictionary published in 1879, which I use  when I write about events in the 1800s. 

It would be fascinating to know the history of the owners of the Bible over the nearly two and a half centuries since its creation.  I wonder how many Bibles were printed and how many have survived.