Shady green pastures...

It's been a good week. I'm just sayin...

I won't write some emotional screed on how much I wept, leapt, and hugged my fellow men when Barack Obama was elected president. I think I already had my "moment" when I went to Dominica in September and saw this huge Obama billboard in one of the remotest parts of the island -- an island, which by the way still few people on the planet know about. Oh, and all these Dominicans who've never even been to America kept asking American tourists about the election, virtually begging them to vote for Obama. When I saw that billboard I knew "that one" was going to be elected. Weeks before that I remember telling some dismayed, white-haired lady at a rally in New Hampshire that Obama was going to win. She didn't belive me because she thought Sarah Palin would clinch it for McCain. Ha ha! (To quote Nelson from The Simpsons) I hope she's smiling this week.

Anyway, I'm back on the corporate grind after my three-year sojourn through law school. It was a huge relief to finally get my bar results. Now, I'm just getting used to working really long days and having to squeeze in writing time in the one or two free hours I have before bed. As Whitney says: It's not right but it's okay.

What I'm reading now: Fooled by Randomness and The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. I really can't stand this guy but I like what I'm reading so far.

Since I haven't blogged in a while I really don't remember much about the books I read in the last few months. I vaguely remember being inspired by Edward P. Jones's All Aunt Hagar's Children. I'd started it when it first came out but only recently finished it. He truly is genius -- great shorts, neat but deep, no fancy undecipherable B.S. sentences, just beautiful writing, achy characters and complete, well-told stories. I read stuff like that and I just want to stop trying.

Stephen Carter's The Palace Council was okay. I finished it. I liked it well enough -- the story takes place over a long period so there's a lot of history going on beneath the plot. The problem with this book and New England White is that they're so carefully written I can feel the painstaking effort he puts into every word creeping off the page and nearly strangling me with its cold, clammy OCD grip. It's highly likely that I'm just not smart enough to appreciate what he does. But I did like the characters. It was nice to see Mona Veazie and the rest of the bunch at another point in their lives. Loved the descriptions of old Harlem. All in all, the novel could have been tighter but I get the feeling the editors already trimmed four hundred pages off the original manuscript.

On my long plane ride I read Moscow Rules by Dan Silva. Oh. My. Glob. Reading this book was like eating a dozen mini-Snickers followed by a bag of Cheetos washed down with a coffee Coolata. Just plain old fast-paced, predictable, action-packed suspense and fun from page one to the end. Pretty simple plot: Russian oligarch sells weapons to terrorists, Israeli spy/master painter and art restorer will save the day -- and of course the evil oligarch's beautiful wife. I can't wait for the movie. Considering I had three stops on my flight, one with a four-hour layover, I couldn't have asked for a better way to pass the time.

The Boston Book Bazaar in October was my last event and I thank all those who stopped by -- just in case you're out there and reading. I'll probably be doing a couple more events as the weather gets colder and people warm to the idea of staying home with a good book.

Happy reading.

Sorry, political rant

Yes, I know this site is supposed to be about books but I'm breaking my own rule today. Over the weekend I had the opportunity to hear some people (BLACK folks) make some of the most ridiculous statements I've ever heard in my life. Here are a couple:
1. "I don't see what George Bush did over the last eight years that was so bad."
2. "I want to vote for Obama but he's for abortion and I don't want to have the blood of innocent babies on my hands."
3. "Since 2001, we haven't had another major terrorist attack in America. You have to give Bush credit for that."
There were more but after a while my head began to spin so I forgot the rest of them. Let me just say this: I'm a Christian. I love the Lord. I believe Jesus Christ wants us all to go to heaven. I also believe he wants us to have a good life here on earth -- all of us, not just Americans.
And here is why I do no support the Republican party: Their ideologies and policies do not profess the love of Christ, which is the essential element of Christianity. Read 1 Cor. 13.
After watching the Republican convention last week all I saw was hate, sarcasm, belittling, baiting, blaming. Not an ounce of charity. And as a Christian I'm supposed to get on board with those people? No thanks. Would Jesus belittle the work of community organizers?
In answer to the ridiculous statements above (made by church people as you may have guessed), I would advise these people to look at the struggling economy; the fact that we've been in Iraq for seven years losing thousands of American soldiers (my brother went THREE times) and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives -- and remember this is a war that was supposed to take 50 days; the fact that babies unborn and born (see infant mortality rate among black children) continue to die under every single president since the Roe v. Wade ruling and that even though there haven't been any major terrorist attacks on U.S. soil we STILL haven't captured Osama Bin Laden -- 7 years later.
Also it's poor people who are losing their homes and their jobs and their futures in this economy -- not the rich Republicans or Democrats. I know for a fact that there are people in my church who are in foreclosure right now! And as the poor get poorer, the Republicans want you to believe that their tax cuts for the rich will somehow benefit you at the bottom. Well, that trickle down scam has NEVER worked -- unless you're in the upper tax brackets.
Here's a little economic reality: During the Clinton Administration America saw its longest ecnomic expansion, 22 million new jobs were created, the country saw the highest rate of home ownership and lowest unemployment in 30 years. Not only that people were OPTIMISTIC about this country. People had HOPE for their and their kids' futures. Poor and lower middle class people saw their lives CHANGE before their own eyes. They were INSPIRED to do better (see welfare to work programs).
Was Clinton perfect? No. Are we trying to re-elect Bill Clinton? No. But between John McInsane and Barack Obama I'm willing to bet that Obama's more likely to fix our economy and to help the people who need it the most. Listen, I don't mind paying more taxes. I really don't. I'd rather pay more taxes to support programs that will help poor people get off their feet so they don't rob me on the street at gunpoint. (Okay, that was harsh).
I'm also willing to bet that Obama won't further antagonize all the America-hating extremists (whose numbers have increased exponentially since the Iraq invasion) who want nothing but to see these country implode on itself. Like Jesus commanded, I believe we should be peacemakers first -- try diplomacy before destruction. And this is what I hear Obama saying. Not bomb first and ask questions later, as John McLame preaches.
Don't even get me started about Sarah Palin. She reminds me of so many women I see in church every Sunday. Righteous on the outside but when you look deep inside everything's a big mess. She's the kind of broad who always has something to say but never quite knows what the heck she's talking about. As long as the menfolk keep giving her talking points she'll sound halfway intelligent even though you sort of suspect that there's not a whole lot going on under that beehive. I'm done.
All I can say is no matter who wins this November, some things are going to remain the same in this country. I hate abortion but it's not going anywhere -- even though Roe v. Wade is overturned. I hate terrorism but we're not ending it by locking up people in Guantanamo Bay and depriving them of their human rights. Neither party is perfectly lined up to Christianity's principles. The Christian hoping to vote based on faith is going to make a wrong choice either way. You might as well not vote at all.
We live in a secular nation, church folk. We can't FORCE everyone to follow Christ. Not even God himself forces people to serve him and to obey Him. He gave us all a free will. So why do Christian Republicans think they have the authority to take away from people what the Almighty gave to them??

Rant over.

Lazy, crazy days

It took a while but I'm over that stupid bar exam. Yes, it's over and I'm over it. Two weeks before results come out in November I'll start yoga, breathing exercises and meditation. All in all, I didn't think it was horrible -- except for the first half of the multiple choice. We'll see how it all turns out.

Since I don't start work till October I'm basically being a bum for now. May I say that I don't now how chronically unemployed people do it? I'm going out of my mind here. I need to work! Now!

I had to have surgery so I put off doing a bar trip. Thank goodness I went to Peru and Brazil this year so I have those memories -- and pictures -- to sustain me every time I think of my friends who are off having fun in far away places. I do plan to go home to Dominica next month -- if I can find a plane ticket that doesn't cost an arm and a leg and which doesn't involve more than three stops. I mean, really.

In the mean time, I'm resting and reading. I've caught up on all the John Grisham I missed while I was in law school. The Innocent Man -- my new favorite. Makes me want to rethink this whole corporate law track. I also read the The Appeal, which had the most unsatisfying ending of any book I've ever read. I mean, seriously. I know I'm reading fiction, I DO NOT want a realistic ending. I want the bad guy to lose and the good guy to win even though that's not the way it happens in real life. Is that too much to ask?????

I'm also reading the Palace Council by Stephen Carter. I'm enjoying it so far -- great plot and characters -- but I'm taking my time with it. Thankfully, it's not 700+ pages like New England White. Palace Council seems a bit more Ludlum-ish and that's good. I get tired of reading about upper class black folks simply because they're upper class black folks. Something's going on with this one and it keeps me wanting more but I'm reading several other books simultaneously so it may be a while before I finish it.

Stephen Carter's as deep as it gets for me. I'm still too shell-shocked from the bar to read anything serious or mentally demanding. So for now it's mass market stuff that goes down nice and easy with a glass of lemonade. This week I'm looking at Being Plumville written by my girl Savannah Frierson. I'm also reading Secret Societies by John Lawrence Reynolds and a book about Christopher Columbus's journeys -- more for research than pleasure. If anyone out there has some good reads to recommend please pass them along. I have a lot of time on my hands and surfing the Internet makes me feel guilty because -- I could be writing or reading.

The Harlem Book Fair -- Roxbury, Mass.

First, let me say that studying for the bar exam is a little slice of of hell on earth. Every day around 4 p.m. when I ponder all the other fun ways I could be spending my summer I get the urge to roll around on the floor sobbing hysterically. Instead, I pick up my Barbri books and do some more practice questions and curse the bar examiners.

BUT, life is not all horrible and depressing. Two things. I got a chance to go see my colleague Dorothy Clark perform at the Taylor House in Jamaica Plain last Friday and I was so wowed. This girl is so talented -- and a hilarious person I might add. The pianist who accompanied her was a genius. Just beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. If I could sing like that I'd never speak. I'd sing my orders at the Dunkin Donuts drive-through.

And then on Saturday I got to sit outside for a few hours in Dudley Square at the Harlem Book Fair in Roxbury. Thanks to the folks who stopped by for books and to to chat. I met some really fascinating people. That lady from Uganda -- if you're out there and you find this blog, just know that you made my day. Also know that I'm rooting for you to become president some day.

Thankfully, the weather was nice -- no rain and not too hot. Marjorie Hicks and her staff did a great job; the program was excellent. It's too bad that more people don't come out for this event. Hopefully, next year we'll be back at the old location at Roxbury Community College.

I was going to be snarky and write a whole paragraph about bad poetry. But I won't do that. Because this is not a snarky blog. But if anyone ever wants to drive me up the wall and see my inner witch come out in full force, recite some victimization-laden, incoherent, unintelligible, protest-gibberish and call it poetry. I will attempt to smash you in the head with Maya Angelou's books and hope her talent somehow sinks in. End snarkiness.

Now that I've gotten that out...

I'm back...

I've thought about this blog often over the last couple months -- usually when I was sitting in class wishing I had enough time to write. Happily, I'm through with law school; graduated today. Yay! It was quite a journey -- one I wouldn't necessarily recommend to most people but it's a great feeling to be finished and to have that lovely diploma. Now comes the hard part: studying for the bar exam.
I read very little outside of school work but I did finish The Pillars of the Earth. Can I say that this book is just a masterpiece? Wow, just wow. It's a thousand pages long but they go by pretty fast. Murder, mayhem, the Middle Ages and all you'll ever want to know about building cathedrals. It was just an amazing journey back in time. The characters I'll always remember; the plot, subplots -- everything was epic in scale and Ken Follett of course is just the master builder of this kind of stuff. What else can I say? This story was just a solid, massive piece of literature that was actually fun to read!
So, I'm in edits for my next novel My Best White Friend, which will be published next spring by Grand Central. I'm trying not to rewrite the whole thing because every time I look at the manuscript I see a million ways I could make it better. I think. Thankfully, I have a deadline to meet so I can't go too crazy.
Can I just rant and say that I absolutely HATE the busywork publishers ask of their writers. I mean, who wants to spend valuable time filling out an author questionnaire and running around town trying to find a photographer to take a picture? The picture thing really bugs me, too. Sorry, that kind of stuff is not fun. I'm trying to move. I have to study. I have to write. I have to watch reruns of King of the Hill!
One more thing before I sign off. People need to leave Michelle Obama alone. That is all.

I'm trying and trying not to get too obsessed with this election season ... but it's HARD. What ends up happening is that I get way too emotionally involved and before you know it I'm yelling at the TV, talking back to the New York Times via laptop screen, and avoiding people I know who don't support my candidate. So, I'm gonna keep it together this time around. All, I'll say is Senator Obama is what this country needs right now. If Hillary Clinton wins the Democratic nomination .... well, John McCain's wife will make a beautiful first lady. I just wanted to post a quick review of How to Read the Bible by James Kugel. This book is over 700 pages long -- 691 of text and the rest is reference material. But it is so worth it. The most striking thing about it is its honesty and even-handedness. I believe the author is an Orthodox Jew as well as a renowned scholar who taught at Harvard for a long time. What does that mean? The book is thoroughly researched and contains all different points of view. Sometimes it reads like a legal treatise -- he lays out all the different arguments and takes each one apart piece by piece. It can be very academic at times but Kugel's sense of humor lightens it up. Overall, the book is balanced, well-written and accessible to all readers. Kugel makes me wish I could go to divinity school and study under brilliant guys like him. But this is not the kind of book you're gonna read and shout Hallelujah every two pages. It makes you think and it challenges your beliefs. For example, Kugel points out that there is absolutely no archeological evidence that points to the Exodus ever taking place and that the people of Israel may have lived in Canaan before all this wandering in the wilderness. He also examines the cultural norms of the entire region during biblical times and writes that some of the best-known stories of the Old Testament may exist to serve a utilitarian purpose. Story telling was a way for those communities to explain their present while holding some significance to the past. He also points out that there is much disagreement among scholars about whether Moses wrote the first five books; whether Isaiah was written by one person; that David may not have written the Psalms at all. However, there is enough evidence to quiet the naysayers. For example, the discovery of the Mari tablets near the Euphrates and other archeological finds that coincide with the story of Abraham. Also, discovery of pottery and other artifacts that establish the presence of various peoples of the Bible during certain periods. So what does it all mean? Kugel makes it clear in the beginning that his faith is not swayed by any of this. And I feel the same way. I'm glad that I'm more aware now of what Biblical scholars argue about -- and I pity them. This, to me, is like making sausage. In fact, Kugel writes at one point that some students tend to study this stuff and lose their belief. But I wonder why. My opinon is that the Bible is the word of God but it's also a historical document and if I can't write an accurate account of what happened to me last week then how can a person accurately present a story that was passed down orally from a previous generation, translate it into another language and not make a single error? I know it's not that simple, of course. Apparently there are the Four Assumptions, Documentary Hypothesis and all these other fancy theological concepts discussed in this book that make the arguments more cogent -- and more complicated to me. I will say that this book takes the reader on an intellectual journey that won't soon be forgotten. If you're a firm believer you'll be challenged by what Kugel writes but ultimately you'll be grateful that you have more understanding. Now, I really am prepared to get into an argument with some of these folks out there who say the Bible is just a fairy tale. Ha ha.