Isabel Allende Reading

[source]

Last night a friend and I went to hear Isabel Allende speak at the beautiful All Saints Catholic church in Beverly Hills [insert joke about me not catching fire here]. I saw her a few years ago when she was promoting a different book and appreciated her wit and candor. Once again she did not fail to disappoint (although the sound system did).

A few highlights: 

•  Allende says that magical realism is definitely embedded in American writing, it’s just often referred to as either
  
  “religion or psychology.”
• Allende says that her writing style has evolved; she no longer enjoys writing like she did for House of the Spirits and "feels bad for kids in schools that have to read it." Sorry, ma'am, but I'm going to have to disagree... 
• She starts writing projects on January 8, a superstitious habit that started when she first experienced success.
• She writes for herself; she isn’t writing to give advice. 
• That being said, her favorite books are the ones she writes. The woman is as straightforward as they come.
• People wanting to write need to look at novel writing as a sport; you have to do an enormous amount of behind the scenes training before the big game.
• The one type of novel that she is “afraid” to write is an erotic one, and

  

  [All Saint's]

  that’s just because her mother is still alive. Allende also brought giggles to the audience when she said you should never have to try to force writing- it should come naturally, "like an orgasm."
• She spoke about the struggles her family has faced- the idea of addiction, prevalent in her most recent novel, Maya’s Notebook, came from losing her two step-children, one just a month ago.
• She also spoke about the memoir she wrote, Paula, after daughter’s death. She spoke of the emotional toll it took on her, and how her son-in-law made her promise that if she were to publish the book she had to make sure to portray Paula accurately and more than “just a daughter.” This one is definitely on my list now.

And, for the record, Allende looks fantastic for 70.

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

1. I'm pretty sure I just offered to paint all the baseboards in our house this summer while I'm off. I'm really excited at the prospect of bright new white borders (this is one thing we opted to not do when we moved in a year and a half ago), but I know that this is going to be the project from hell. 

2. I was able to snag an ARC today of Marisha Pessl's Night Film. Words cannot describe how excited I am  to be incredibly disappointed for her anticipated sophomore novel. 

[oh, and she's really pretty still]

3. My undying love for Vitatops is back. What? You've never heard of the magic that  is Vitatops? It's basically a denser muffin top packed full of vitamins, fiber, and even a little protein (for 100 calories). There's a bit too much sugar for my liking (9 grams), but still less than a lot of breakfast cereals (at least the good ones).

[add a banana and you've got breakfast]

4. Do you ever sign up to do less-than-appealing tasks in the future thinking "oh, it will be fine, I'll be so happy because _______ it won't matter?" For example "of, it's fine that I'm signing up to sell tickets at the Powder Puff Game on a weekend in May, I'll just be so happy because it'll basically be the end of the school year." Let me tell you, it's not fine, and we still have three long weeks left.

5. I'm going to the Isabel Allende reading tonight in Bel Air or somewhere that direction tonight. I've seen her before a few years ago and thought she was fantastic, so I'm  more than willing to make the drive. I'm currently 60 or so pages through her newest book, Maya's Notebook and while it's not as good as House of the Spirits, it's still enjoyable so far.

6. I'm currently planning out a week of lessons on an introductory end-of-the-year poetry unit and it blows. It blows hard. I understand the terms and can bullshit my way through understanding the content, but what really does me in is the stressed/non-stressed syllable nonsense. In order to understand iambic pentameter, troches, feet, and all those other related concepts you have to be able to hear what is and isn't stressed. It's starting to come back to me, but it's going to be a total pain in the ass to teach that part (thank goodness my super-smart husband has an ear and eye for poetry and is willing to answer my random texts during the day).

[poetry I can get behind]

7. I've been working on my epic "laying by the pool" playlist like it's actually truly important. Only in my backyard can you go from Rage Against the Machine to Ke$ha to Simon and Garfunkel to Tupac. I'd be worried about the neighbors if they used their fire pit less (people behind us, not the people to the side of us that I'm still on a creepy mission to befriend). BYOT (bring your own towel... or tequila... whichever...).

8. I'm hooked on FitSugar's workout videos right now. So many of them are just 10 minutes or less, which is perfect if you only have thirty minutes and want to target, say, arms, glutes, and abs.

9. The book buying embargo is officially null and void in three weeks. My cart on Amazon is already filling up in preparation.

10. I gave out summer work to my juniors the other day (I'll be taking all of them up to senior year, which will be great- three classes of kids I had, and loved, this year). They have to start writing their personal statements for college applications, choose a poet and read ten of their poems (annotating each and creating an analysis poster), and then read either Othello, King Lear, or Julius Caesar and write a paper. This now means that not only will I be reading Macbeth and Hamlet (to decide which to teach) but also those three. At least I won't be bard (get it? get it?). 

Top Ten Tuesday- The Hard Stuff

This week The Broke and the Bookish ask us to list our top ten books dealing with personally  difficult subjects, something I found disturbingly easy. I think it's fascinating that while we often use reading as means to escape, it's also reassuring when we can find something uncomfortable to relate to. My picks:

[Edited to add: have fun psychoanalyzing me...]

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides

Issue: Bipolar Disorder

My father suffered from this mental illness until it was too much to handle- he took his own life when I was in high school. I'm so happy that people are more vocal about the condition and that there are so many more treatment options available now. 

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Issue: Fertility, women's health, living forever

I think this is a sensitive topic for most women- how long will our bodies last? 

Fathermucker by Greg Olear

Issue: Autism

As a teacher I've seen what autism can do to students and parents, and the toll it can take on families. 

Marley and Me by John Grogan

Issue: Pet's death

My dogs are both in good health, but I know that one day they won't be. It's a proactive cathartic read.

Man Gone Down by Michael Thomas

Issue: Unemployment 

The fear of job loss has always been a monkey on my back- I was terrified growing up that my parents would lose their jobs. As an adult I was pink-slipped when I taught elementary school, although I was lucky enough to never actually be without a employment.

Readacide by Kelly Gallagher
Issue: Kids hating reading
I know this may seem a bit trivial amongst mental health and unemployment, but I believe that the lack of interest in literacy amongst kids and teens is a grave problem.

A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton
Issue: Feeling responsible for the death of your child
As someone who hopes to one day have children the idea of losing one is incredibly sad and disturbing. There are so many risks that come with parenthood.

My Abandonment by Peter Rock
Issue: Homelessness
When I was little I was also very, very worried about being homeless (as well as about my house burning down, and armed robbery... I was an anxious little thing). I think people take shelter for granted- living on the streets without the security a home offers is painful to even think about.

Tortilla Curtain by TC Boyle
Issue: Illegal immigration
I rave about this book all the time, but I think Boyle does an amazing job offering a different perspective on immigration in Southern California. 

White Oleander by Janet Fitch
Issue: Foster children 
I haven't read this book since it came out in 2000, but I remember being deeply moved by the main character's experience in the foster care system. I've seen my students have both positive and negative experiences in homes and know that the right foster parent can make all the difference. 

My Weekend: Books- 0 Waterfalls- 4

"The mountains are calling and I must go"- John Muir

[View of Yosemite Valley. Pink arrow shows Half Dome, which I've hiked twice in the past]

[Fun to see up close, but sad they're not scared]

[Bridalveil Falls]

[Half Dome's face. Hikers go up the back side, later in the season when the cables are up]

[Vernal Falls, along the Mist Trail steps]

[More of Vernal Falls]

Nonfiction Nagging- Yoga, Pee Drinking, and Getting Defensive

[Showing off... because I can, and because it's taken a long time to get this]

I love yoga. Like really, really, really love it. Unfortunately, I hate getting in my car to drive there and paying the fees every month. But whatever. I still love yoga. 

Before I start talking about Yoga Bitch by Suzanne Morrison (still hate the name), I have to unload a little pet peeve of mine: I hate it when people imply that yoga is easy. I work harder and sweat more in ninety minutes of vinyasa yoga than I ever did running. I work more muscle groups and focus harder than I ever did pounding the pavement. My flexibility, strength, and balance has improved more in the last sixteen months than in the last sixteen years. Also important is the fact that it is one of the few things in my life that is a true distraction. My mind doesn't turn off- ever. Not even when I sleep (my dreams are exhausting). There's a little hamster in my head that is constantly running on a wheel that churns out thoughts, but during yoga the little thing falls asleep as I'm concentrating every ounce of energy on not falling over or bending just a little bit more. 

[does this look easy? source]

[how about this? source]

[piece of cake! source]

And now that I've confirmed everyone's suspicions that I'm crazy (and slightly more flexible than I look) I'll talk about the book.

Yoga Bitch is Suzanne Morrison's memoir of the time she spent at a yoga retreat in Bali at the age of twenty five. She's at a huge transitional point in her life, getting ready to move cross country from Seattle to New York with her boyfriend, who she obviously has some doubts about. She goes to Bali to earn her yoga teaching certificate and some perspective. When she arrives she has a lot to get used to- the weather is different, the people drink their own urine

(supposedly it prevents parasites), and they are supposed to abstain from sugar, alcohol, and sex of any sort. As the two months pass she makes friends, becomes more comfortable in her own skin, and learns to love the country. 

At first I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more yoga talk than there was. I wanted to hear more about mastering the moves and how to better embrace the physicality of the sport. But Morrison started growing on me- her skepticism regarding the spirituality component mirrors my own and her sarcasm juxtaposed the serenity of the retreat nicely. I could relate to her having to fight for calm and her need to question the intent of others. Her honesty about her need for affection and material goods was refreshing, and I loved that she managed to corrupt the rest of the group into sneaking into town for milkshakes, brownies and cocktails (my kind of girl!). 

I also appreciated the fact she wasn't preachy or so devout that she became intimidating. In fact, she took time away from her practice after her time in Bali and had to refall in love with it. Her discussion of the commercialization of the industry was interesting, as it has been something I have spent a lot of time thinking about (like when I'm looking at Lululeomon's website...). 

If you practice yoga, want to practice, or like the idea of going away to escape life and gain some perspective this book is for you. And, just so everyone knows, I don't drink my own pee.