2 comments about Zora Neale Hurston : Folklore, Memoirs, and Other Writings : Mules and Men, Tell My Horse, Dust Tracks on a Road, Selected Articles (The Library of America, 75).

1. This book and its companion from the library of america, have everything that Hurston wrote - except some unedited manuscripts, and some articles and short stories.
   
   Her interest in language, folklore and ritual, and the cult of local color comes through in all of her works. The personalities and struggles, failures and victories of all of her characters become real for the reader.
   
   She is writing earlier in the 20th century, when people were starting to buy radios and automobiles -- she saw a lot of the south, and north, rapidly transform into the beginnings of the consumer culture we know today.
   
   When I read Hurston, it is like I feel an anxiety to preserve. I sense a underlying insight, that she probably had, that within a couple of generations, the rhythm of life would radically change.
   
   I think she saw that a lot of the folk traditions and rituals in North America would disappear, so she did what she could to demonstrate a vibrant african american cultural life, as she knew it, and interpreted it.
   
   The two collections of Hurston's work show the span of her writing, over her lifetime. These pieces reveal how many of her imagination and many of her themes and character-types evolve over the years.
   
   I recommend the two volumes.



2. The debate of whether Ms Hurston was a true Harlem Renaissance writer is does so little justice to her contributions to that scene that I spent an entire semester debating it. Of course she was and she was one of the writers who helped give it its significance. Just the scene in Jonah's Gourd where she is talking about the physical features of the male protagonist is important enough. Her "peope" are real and you wonder if she had interacted with them in real life because they are your neighbors, relatives and friends...they are just that touchable. Her pain in life comes through all her books but you are so busy savoring her prose that you only wonder about it after you are done. The best thing to do is to gather several authors from that period and read them all. She is among the genius of the era but you will see how far she stands out from the brilliant.

5 comments about A Piece of My Heart: The Stories of 26 American Women Who Served in Vietnam.

1. I read this every once in a while to gain perspective and to make sure I hear the stories of these women. To make sure I'm aware of, and to acknowledge their sacrifices. They touched so many lives then, and are still making a difference in other ways now. I think this should be required reading for every woman.



2. "A Piece of My Heart: The Stories of 26 American Women Who Served in Vietnam," by Keith Walker, is a powerful addition to the large body of writings about the Vietnam War. Walker's technique for compiling this book was to interview the featured women and turn the transcripts of the interviews into chapters. One chapter is drawn from a dual interview of two of the women, and another chapter consists of a letter written by a woman whom Walker did not get to interview. The book is full of black-and-white photographs that further document the women's service in Vietnam. Also noteworthy is the stirring foreword by entertainer Martha Raye, who briefly discusses her own experiences in Vietnam.
   
   Most of the women featured were Army nurses, but the book also includes women who served as WACs, Red Cross personnel, a civilian flight attendant, a USO worker, and more. There are some significant recurring themes that connect a number of chapters: the experience of being under hostile fire; men, women, sex, and dating in the war zone; encounters with the Vietnamese people; fun and recreation in Vietnam; challenges the women faced in doing their jobs in a war zone; and personal and psychological problems some of the women faced after returning home from Vietnam. Also, two of the women discuss possible Agent Orange-connected health problems faced by children they had after serving.
   
   There are some extremely graphic and disturbing accounts by some of the nurses as they recall the horrific injuries suffered by their patients, as well as their own struggles to deliver compassionate care in the combat zone environment. There are many other noteworthy memories, some heartbreaking, some funny. Army nurse Pat Johnson describes painting the barracks "red-and-white striped with pink polka dots." Entertainer Bobbi Jo Pettit recalls touring Vietnam as part of an all-girl band called "The Pretty Kittens." Navy nurse Maureen Walsh delivers a vivid account of an enemy rocket attack at Da Nang.
   
   The voices of these women strike many tones: feisty, introspective, proud, caring. I was especially moved by the memories of post-war reunions and experiences at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. I consider this book to be an absolutely essential complement to the many fine works, both fiction and nonfiction, written by male Vietnam veterans. Recommended as a companion text: Wallace Terry's "Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Black Veterans," which is similar in both format and impact to this book.



3. Written in 1985 when many of the wounds of Vietnam still bled fresh, Keith Walker interviewed 26 women who served in country in a variety of capacities. The result of this ambitious and courageous project is a heartbreaking, captivating and ultimately transcendent oral history.
   
   The stories here filled with an evolution that mirrors the changes of perception that accompanied the war. This is not only a history of women in Vietnam (a history all too frequently too overlooked)but also a history of America as well. Each woman, in her own way experiences the journey from ambition to horror to disillusionment to healing. Many of the women interviewed (as of 1985)are still works very much in progress- as our Nation is as well.
   
   This oral history depicts not only depicts the immediate horrors and consequences of combat but most importantly the post combat experience as well along with the living conditions and political environment as seen in the first person.
   
   Later adapted (by Shirley Lauro) into a powerful dramatic event, A PIECE OF MY HEART makes for a must read for anyone interested in either Vietnam history specifically or American history in general.
   
   A classic.



4. ... for all of the women who served in Vietnam. Read this book, plus the late Lynda Van Devanter's Home Before Morning and you'll see why.

   While Lynda's book is a hauntingly graphic record of the triumphs and tragedies that the ANC nurses and Army surgeons experienced in Nam, A Piece Of My Heart gives the reader a very broad perspective of the contributions of women in many other areas.

   The foreword to the book was written by the wonderful Martha Raye, whose unflinching commitment to the men and women who served in Nam led to her being a two-time Purple Heart recipient. That even an entertainer could be wounded twice in the line of duty speaks volumes about the risk level In Country.

   Equally, Civilian Flight Attendant Micki Voisard almost met her end when her airliner almost collided with a B-52 that was maintaining radio silence during an airstrike.

   Yet even though the Red Cross Donut Dollies, such as Penni Evans and "Sam" Bokina Christie and WACs such as Doris Allen all have compelling stories to relate, it is the experiences of the nurses that really stay with you, long after you have put the book down.

   For most of her post-Nam life, former ANC nurse and author Lynda Van Devanter (Home Before Morning - available through Amazon.com) was haunted by the memory of a young soldier who had no face, and who eventually had to be left to die because of the extent of his injuries.

   When you read the piece by Anne Simon Auger (91st Evac. - Chu Lai) you realize that injuries of that magnitude were not as uncommon as you might hope and pray. Anne also described a young soldier whose face had been shot away, leaving him blind and in her words, "a vegetable".

   While my own view is that people in such terrible physical condition should be given enough morphine to shut down their breathing, or in the absence of that, on the battlefield, a mercy round from an M-16, I fully accept that however you have to deal with such shocking injuries, it will stay with you for the rest of your life.

   Let us not forget that while the cowardly Stalinist flag burners were calling the returning troops "baby killers", thousands of true blue American women were risking their own lives to support the largely teenaged US soldiers in a war that increasingly made no sense to the people who were being asked to fight it.

   These women were Vets. These women were heroes. These women were angels.

   We must constantly seek ways to honour them. Their sacrifice must never be forgotten.




5. These stories are so heart-wrenching I had to take a break while reading simply to keep from falling to pieces. These women are so amazing and strong - they're inspiring. I Loved this book and GREATLY recommend the play with the same title by Shirely Lauro that was based off of these stories. It's so unbelievable and so real it makes you feel for those 6 women more than you'd ever imagine!

5 comments about I'm Not the New Me.

1. I thought this book would be good--but I was very frustrated by this book. I tried on two different occasions to get into this memoir but I gave up each time. I know I won't try again that's for sure.



2. After viewing all the reader feedback, I was eargerly anticipating the arrival of this book. I'm sorry to say I purchased this one. For those of you who can tolerate frequent (not rare or even occasional) profanity in the form of "f" this etc...this book is one you can get through. This read more like a version of "Bridget Jones Diary" with occasional references to the weight loss journey. The author uses comedy to poke fun at her experiences and, I believe we can all find things to heartily laugh at in this book. But for me, comedy doesn't come in the form of crudeness, or belittling others so the one or two laughs didn't overshadow the more frequent cringes. I don't doubt some will enjoy this book. But for others, please know that if you're looking for a clean read, full of insights and exploration of a weight loss journey, this may not be one for you.



3. I thought this book was kind of cute. It has no tips on losing weight. It is just one woman's story about dealing with life in realtion to diet issues. It was not an inspiration to me but for the price. I thought it was a decent break from dealing with my own life.



4. Wendy's book is way more honest about the ups and downs of weight loss than all the "nothing tastes as good as thin feels" b.s. I've read elsewhere. I laughed all the way through this. If you're looking for a weight-loss cheerleader this isn't the book for you, but if you want to hear what the experience is like from the perspective of a sharp, witty writer, then read this book. Wendy dismantles the fantasy that weight loss suddenly transforms all of life's other worries; at the same time, she shows how her willingness to blog about her own experiences connects her to a huge community of other women. Great reading.



5. Just the Weight Watchers cards in the middle of this book almost make it worth the purchase price! They are SO FUNNY...
   
   But the rest of the book....ehh...just ok.

1 comments about Voices from Mutira: Changes in the Lives of Rural Gikuyo Women, 1910-1995.

1. When Jean Davidson went back to Kenya in 1994 to update her earlier fieldwork in the small village of Mutira, she found a culture in flux. Beset by seismic changes that rocked not only the village, but the entire country, the women she'd interviewed in for her earlier ethnographical work seemed to represent a magnified microcosm of Kenyan society as a whole, & deftly illustrated what can happen to a culture that experiences changes too large, and too quick. Wide arching changes in the political structure of the country & the ever encroaching effect of Western influence had created major holes in the fabric of the culture, doing away with old values & ethics, but replacing them with nothing. The culture Jean Davidson faithfully recorded in 1995 through her painstaking detailing of the life stories of seven rural Gikuyu women was a culture with no center of gravity, a culture that seemed on the verge of implosion. Focusing on a sample of seven, Davidson is able to identify socio-cultural factors which not only influenced the life courses of these seven individual women, but which also had a great & broad impact upon the lives of Kenyans in general. This masterfully wrought, deeply engaging ethnography, tracing the changes in the lives of these women through their own untutored testimony from 1905 through 1995, offers an engaging glimpse into another culture, which, at its most basic level, may not be so very different from our own.

5 comments about Dipa Ma: The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master.

1. I have to give great thanks to Amy Schmidt for taking on the task of creating this book. If she had not, then many people in the world would never have heard of Dipa Ma and experienced if only indirectly her liberating story. Her gentleness and compassion shine out of every page, and the humble simplicity of her practice make it accessible to anyone who wants to explore it. A truly special book and I recommend it without hesitation.



2. It was really great to read a life story of a great woman Buddhist teacher. Great meditation encouragement!



3. This is an excellent read, very inspirational and well worth the price. I think some of the reviwers slightly missed the point - whilst Dipa Ma probably didnt eat meat, Theravadin Buddhists are not vegetarian because like the Buddha himself, they rely on alms donations for food. There is no prohibition on eating meat or fish in either the vinaya or the sutras, monks and nuns in Thailand and Burma are mostly meat eaters. As for the change in title, its really just a reprint with colour photos and a new publisher - its not done to rip anybody off, the newer version I think is a better tribute to Dipa Ma's spiritual legacy. Anyhow, for anybody wanting to read about a lay meditatior who was highly acomplished and masterd the siddhis (spiritual para normal powers), the janas (absorbtions) and three of the four paths to nirvana, this is the book!
   
   Other highly recommended books to people who enjoy this one are "Life of a Siamese Monk" by Richard Randall and also Maha Bowas facinating biography of Ajan Mun, a Thai forest monk who attained nirvana and passed away in the late 1940's. Maha Bowas book is given away freely and a great read, I think its also on the internet.



4. Dipa Ma's life, practice and high level of attainment is truly inspirational. If you're looking for a book that will teach you the basic tenets of Theravadin Buddhism, this is not it. But, if you're looking for a powerfully inspirational story of a profoundly loving, compassionate master who transformed and inspired many Western practitioners this book is great. It really brought tears to my eyes and I keep rereading it and my wonder never ceases. It has good pictures and can easily be read in an evening. I've bought and sent copies to all the women in my life. Buy it, read it and enjoy!



5. I have always heard that Dipa Ma was a vegetarian. The author writes that she is not or implies that she is not. She misquoted Dipa Ma who was in fact a vegetarian.

5 comments about Shattered: Reclaiming a Life Torn Apart by Violence.

1. the fact that this is another black animal attacking white people. Do you not feel hatred for this beast? I read about crap like this happening every day and i am sick of it, arent you people? When are you going to wake up and quit allowing the media to make these oh so common attacks seen like no big deal when if the perpetrator was white the WHOLE WORLD WOULD KNOW about it.
   
   This country is sick and its because of all of the yellow bellied white people who are too cowardly to do anything about these animals.
   
   Excuse me i need to go vomit.



2. I have read mixed reviews for this book, so decided to read for myself to get an opinion. This was a well written book that seems to really get to the facts of what happened and portrays the very seriousness of this attack and the process of recovery. Debra Puglisi Sharp is an extremely strong woman who in writing this book will certainly help to aid in providing stength to others who have been through similar situations. Kudos to Debra for having the strength not only to survive this attack but to write her account of the attack and recovery to help others.



3. This is the true story of Debra Puglisi Sharp. A survivor of a horrific and violent crime she tells in detail what it was like to go through her unthinkable ordeal.
   
   A very sad and moving account. I thought this book was well done and easy to read.



4. Shattered is a gripping story about the day that Debra Puglisi's life changed forever. While out planting her new roe bushes, Donald Flagg sneaks into her house, shoots her husband and rapes Debra. He then kidnaps her and keeps her for 5 days while her children and family are questioned as to the stability of their home and the possibility that their mother killed their father. During those 5 days, Debra is beaten, raped and left to believe that she will die eventually. After 5 days she manages to get free of her ropes that bind her and call 911 for help. That is the beginning of a long road to recovery. This is an amazing tale of strength and courage against all odds of an everyday woman. A very inspiring story and one that I believe every person that has been the victim of violence should read.



5. I remember the very first time I read Shattered...I could not stop crying as I read. I cried for the loss of Nino, for Michael and Melissa, for Debbie and the rest of her family...I cried tears of genuine sadness, grief, and longing; I cried tears of hope and renewal. This book is very well-written, in very much the same style as if you sat down and talked to Debbie, or attended one of her many speaking engagements...
   
   I believe this is a must-read for all victims of sexual abuse and/or assault, however, it will trigger thoughts and feelings you believed you dealt with--it did for me. By no means let that stop you, though...
   
   I have read this book many, many times since then, and each time I thanked God for my dear friend Debbie Sharp and the courage He blessed her with.

5 comments about Surprised By Truth 2: 15 Men and Women Give the Biblical and Historical Reasons For Becoming Catholic..

1. If Surprised by Truth 1 wasn't enough, these real testimonies are light in a dark world. This book is good for Protestants, secular people, as well as Catholics thinking of leaving. This wealth of touching stories is bound to offer something to people from a variety of denomenations and backgrounds.



2. This book puts together a collection of powerful testimonies from people who discovered or re-discovered the True Faith laid out by Christ (the Catholic Church and its teachings). I was most inspired and deeply moved by these testimonies. I will contact at least one of the contributors to this book. I felt particularly identified with his story and will seek advise on how to follow the path he took to "Rome". Buy and distribute among your friends the Surprised by Truth series. I did give away my copy of the preceding book of this Surprised by Truth series and I am pleased to inform that it helped to convert my friend to Catholicism. I am looking forward to read the third book of the Surprised by Truth series.



3. I highly recommend this book and the first "Surprised by Truth" book. Very inspiring testimonies by a wide variety of people who write about their search for religious truth. If you have questions or doubts or just want to know the facts, this is the book to read.



4. This book was as good as the first. I think it gives a good understanding as to why someone would convert. As a Catholic myself it has made my faith stronger. I bought the book to then pass on to someone who is considering becoming Catholic. I would not however try to force my beliefs on someone but if someone is interested to understand more it is a great book to read.



5. Conversion stories are always a fun read, when one is reading the stories of those who convert to their own faith.
   
   Of course, when the conversion is one away from one's own tradition, that is another thing entirely.
   
   However, fair is fair, and evangelicals have been publishing and telling conversion stories about how people were "saved" from the Catholic Church since the beginning of their movement some 400 years ago. It is remarkable therefore that some would criticize these humble and powerful stories of people who "swam the Tiber" in the other direction as "triumphalist" (whatever that word means) or inappropriate. Yet that is exactly what many evangelicals have done regarding the renaissance in Catholic apologetics that has occurred over the last 20 years.
   
   However, in my opinion, this renaissance is neither "triumphalist" in a negative sense, nor inappropriate. For, in theology, the only way to get at the truth is to use the time honored tool of philosophical reasoning when discussing Divine Revelation. That means making arguments from Sacred Scripture. Arguments invite counterarguments. Reformationists reject the authority of the Church to settle arguments when they get out of hand, or threaten unity. Therefore, we will continue to argue with each other, even while we often work side by side in the trenches fighting things like abortion.
   
   This book clearly shows that ideas have consequences, especially when those ideas are religious ones. Every person whose story is in this book is someone who had the courage to not only challenge received "dogma" but also live their life in a way in conformity with their ideas, regardless of the consequences.
   
   Luckily, these brave individuals are not building their houses on the sand of their own understanding, but rather on the rock of Jesus Christ and the teachings of His Church.
   
   This book and its companion volumes are a great tool when one needs the support they provide. They are also useful for explaining to reasonable non-Catholics why people would find it necessary to call the Catholic Church their spiritual home.
   
   I struggled with whether to give this book series 4 or 5 stars. As collections of conversion stories go, these are excellent. However, conversion stories are monologues, not dialogues, and are therefore less interesting to me than a good discussion of various theological issues. I feel good editing and inclusion of other ideas (perhaps a commentary?) could have addressed this weakness to some degree. However, fair is fair, and most other faith traditions (especially Fundamentalist Protestantism) don't extend the same intellectual courtesy when discussing the conversion stories of those who choose to leave the Catholic Church.
   
   At the very least, these books prove that the Catholic faith is compelling, and reasonable. I, of course, believe it to be true. However, until He comes again, I fear that debate will continue. When we are Christian it will be a good discussion. When we fail, it will be shouting match. Such is the Christian experience post the reformation.

1 comments about Women, Art, And Power And Other Essays (Icon Editions).

1. Nochlin's collection of essays really hits the mark. Accessible to both the casual art lover and the afficionado, "Women Art and Power" is a truly stunning contribution to the canon of feminine art theory.

5 comments about Superstud: Or How I Became a 24-Year-Old Virgin.

1. Feig has done what is seemingly impossible: He has topped his first book.
   
   The relatability of Feig's experiences is again the main attraction. This book is about the "Kick Me" growing up and dealing with the problems of libido and the need for sexual satisfaction. These stories rang true, because Feig's experiences are shared ones that a lot of young adult males have. This book is about him having sex, but like most guys, he wants it to be right when it happens. For example, we have the story of his first overeager girlfriend, who he escapes only by moving to California for the summer. Feig's description of the circumstances and the actual experience of his first time is one of the most authentic accounts I have ever found in print.
   
   As in "Kick Me", Feig's way with words makes the essays in this book snappy and humorous. The turns of phrase are what can make an ordinary sentence laugh out lound funny. It is no wonder that he is a part of the team that created 'Freaks and Geeks'.
   
   I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know what adolescent and young adult males' lives are really like. The book will make the reader laugh, but also cringe with recognition of things that he himself or a fellow man has done.



2. Do you laugh at awkward situations? Cringe in empathy towards another's embarrassment while enjoying it in some strange way?
   
   Feig is a great story teller.



3. This book, as well as his first book (Kick Me), was very funny. I enjoyed it and so did everyone I have lent it to.



4. This story sounds so much like my own adolescence that I was truly amazed. I couldn't recommend this more highly.



5. I just finished reading the book and I truly loved it.
   
   The author has chosen to share some of his most embarassing adolescent moments in the book and for this I am grateful. I don't think that I have laughed so much in such a long time.
   
   I am very much looking forward to reading the author's other book "Kick Me", I am hopeful that it will be just as enjoyable.

5 comments about Two Lives: Gertrude and Alice.

1. This short book rounds out a few pieces of the Gertrude/Alice relationship. I liked the way she gives a flavor of Stein's first book, relieving me of any desire to read it myself. Malcolm is a good writer and she touches on subjects relating to her own drama being sued for fabricating quotations and she inserts her own biases as in, "Wills are uncanny and electric documents. They lie dormant for years, and then spring to life when their author dies, as if death were rain. Their effect on those they enrich or disappoint is never negligible, and sometimes unexpectedly charged. They thrust living and dead into a final fierce clasp of love or hatred. But they are not written in stone--for all their granite legal language--and they can be bent to subvert the wishes of the writer. Such was the case with Stein's will."



2. Interesting, but I fear the author seems to set out to defend an agenda rather than seeking to a rational conclusion from the evidence at hand. She also falls prey to a need to appear very clever which she may well be. Is she more clever than profound?



3. Malcolm writes very well but she fails to offer any reason why Stein/Toklas were (was?) worth the effort of researching and writing, or reading, this book. To a non-specialist reader, Stein's writings seem like either baby-talk (Toklas called her Baby) by the youngest of five children who was petted when she talked that way, or an outright scam, or perhaps both. It appears that these two Jewish ladies were near-collaborationists during the German occupation of France where they inexplicably lived openly while other Jews were being dragged out of hiding places to be murdered. But even if they were merely friends with highly-placed Vichy officials who protected them, no one suggests they played a particularly admirable role at that time. What, then, makes them worth close study now? This book did not answer this basic question for me and it certainly did not inspire me to go read something by Stein - the few examples in the book are nonsense and uninspired nonsense at that.



4. Then don't read Janet Malcolm. Malcolm is not the kind of biographer who delivers more than you ever wanted to know about a subject. But if you want to know how biographers do their sleuth work, how one wrong date can determine whether we think Stein horrid or not, and how the personalities of Stein scholars have shaped what we do and don't know about this writer, then read Malcolm. Along the way, you will be treated to delectable prose and delicious literary gossip. And you will get to know the personalities of Stein and Toklas in all their lively and quirky splendor.



5. Concisely told biographical work of Stein and Toklas. If you are looking for a definitive biography, this is not the book for you. If you want to understand the essence of their relationship and enjoy good writing and insightful phrasing, pick this up.