5 comments about Learning to Drive: And Other Life Stories.

1. Katha Pollitt has long been known for her sharp wit and her rare ability to take an issue that confounds most social and political commentators and get right to the heart of it. I have always felt a little awestruck at her talents as an essayist, but this book impressed me, and moved me, in a totally new way. I was reminded of a quote from bell hooks: "It is easier to stand before a public world and demand justice (equal pay for equal work, reproductive freedom and more) than it is to stand in the space of our private longings for love and connection and call for a change in how we make love, how we create partnerships." In "Learning to Drive" Pollitt turns the lens onto herself, her relationships and her vulnerabilities with candor and remarkable courage, but her work of memoir is distinguished from others by her skill at making the connections between her private longings and the society that shapes them.



2. As a general rule I have found that books that consist of previously published columns and suchlike material bundled together to make a book usually aren't all that good; that they tend to be a "greatest hits" compendium of the author's (supposedly) best work in the opinion of some publishing house book editor. Pollitt's book Learning to Drive: And Other Life Stories is the rare exception to my rule.
   
   Learning to Drive is a coherent and tenderly personal progress report of Pollitt's private life and growth as culled from assorted columns published in the Nation and the New Yorker magazines. As someone or other once famously said: "The personal is the political." And Pollitt goes on to show exactly how true that observation really is.
   The "personal is political" meme therefore says that our personal lives are in considerable part politically delimited and determined so that improving our personal lives means we must collectively address our lives and relationships in political terms.
   
   The choices we make personally have political implications. Obviously the choice to be an activist or not or to support this or that political project has political implications even though it is personally undertaken. But as Pollitt shows, so do our most personal relationships. All the choices we make, even the ones that seem totally apolitical and personal, have political implications. The choice to wear make-up or not, to watch TV or not, to eat this or that or not, to wear this or that item of clothing, to use a bank or not, or as in Pollitt's case, whether to put up with an obviously unfaithful boyfriend, is a personal choice, but it is also a political one.
   
   Pollitt's mini-memoir is also replete with refreshing and honest insights about the limits of ideological purity when one's chosen ideology founders in real life practice. One of the best ongoing themes in this work is the story of her parents and especially Pollitt's father, who although a dedicated card-carrying member of the Communist Party, gives up the famous line from Stalin about having to `break eggs to make an omelet', that (paraphrasing from memory here), "I saw a lot of broken eggs, but never any omelets." Pollitt observes that her father never gave up his Marxist ideology, but he could honestly admit to its failures and shortcomings. That observation is quite Orwellian and in the most positive and affirming of ways, too. As in the way that Orwell, as a man of the Left, had no compunctions about saying what he really thought or saw, regardless of his chosen ideological leanings.
   
   Katha Pollitt's book succeeds in much the same way; she never renounces her political views, but she isn't blindly trying to superimpose ideology in place of reality by trying to call a circle a square, either.



3. Katha Pollitt is perceptive and funny, and describes some of the issues women have these days. I like her humor, and good writing, and highly recommend the essays in Learning to Drive.



4. It's hard to know in whom I am more disappointed, in Random House for publishing "Learning to Drive," Ms. Pollitt for writing it, or me for buying it. I bought this book with the expectation that I would learn something about women, a class of persons, as a heterosexual male, I have dealt with extensively and seem to have lacked a great deal of understanding of for many years.
   
   Instead what I encountered was superficiality, vindictiveness, incoherence and hypocrisy.
   
   The book starts out with a promising metaphor. ppp, portrayed as a well-meaning but rather bumbling person, is being taught to drive by a patient, knowledgeable soul. In a parallel way, the reader might think, ppp in writing this book is going to teach us in a patient, knowledgeable way, about the soul of women.
   
   But no. Instead we are treated to the most banal of stories, the forsaken lover who hurls the venom of her disappointment hither and thither, strangely much more so at a woman friend she calls Judas, pardon, I mean Judith, than at the man she believes betrayed her, whom she labels "G" (given that G is the only person in the book who gets a capital letter instead of a name, one must wonder what other capital G entity she may have been thinking of when she so designated him).
   
   The book then proceeds to wander all over the map, the opening metaphor and original romantic betrayal seemingly forgotten. Meanwhile we get sparkling insights into male-female relationships such as this: when G left her he told her he was going to live alone. But a friend of hers told her that was a lie because men can't stand to live alone for more than 10 minutes. And in fact it turned out he had left her for a younger woman! So there you are. The friend said it and her prediction turned out to be correct. What more proof could you want that men are just that way.
   
   Beyond her superficial observations, ppp oozes hypocrisy. As noted here is a putative feminist who blames the woman in the quadrangle she describes but not the man who betrayed her. At one point, she even in effect forgives G for leaving her for a younger woman because after all if it's available why not take it. But her claws are out razor sharp for Judith who did just that with G.
   
   Here's another strange thing: in the opening pages of this book, Ms. Pollitt per the title is, in the present tense, learning to drive. But about 150 pages later she is blithely discussing how she used to drive to her home in Connecticut apparently from New York - no mean trick for someone who later has to learn to drive. Thus the whole premise of the book seems to built on a fiction or a distortion. Very inspirational.
   
   Here's my recommendation: Don't buy the book. Better to spend your time and money on As the World Turns re-runs. At least dumb there is the expectation.



5. I went into Learning to Drive as a fan of KP's essays in The Nation and remain so. The author's keen wit in there front and center. Some of the reviews tried to put across that she was some kind of a loon for cyberstalking the ex-boyfriend. But it wasn't just that he walked out--he seems to have been living a bizarre double life, which included intimacy with women they both knew. I think KP's post-breakup "research" was just her way of trying to process a deeply weird scenario. Yes, we'd all like to think we'd be above it but miles & mocassins, &c. Anyway, the bad breakup is only a small part of this book, and it's always a delight to read KP holding forth on politics, culture, and the infinite number of ways Americans can be hypocritical on the subject of women's roles from daughters to wives to mothers.

5 comments about Switching Time: A Doctor's Harrowing Story of Treating a Woman with 17 Personalities.

1. I loved this book. I felt connected to each personality and wanted to know about them and their complicated "house". I couldn't put the book down and read it in 2 days. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the human mind, effects of childhood abuse and books that keep you wondering what will happen next. Very good read!



2. Reading this book is like rubbernecking at an accident; you're drawn to the gruesome details against your better judgment. I'm still waiting for Oprah to reveal to the world that the book is a huge hoax, though the writer's credentials with Medicare suggest he wouldn't risk his career and reputation. Her tale is horrendous but even worse is the writer's inability to talk about its effect on him. What was he thinking and feeling as this woman revealed 17 personalities to him? All we know about him is that he's ambitious and status seeking. Anything he describes beyond Karen's tale is about his career trajectory and is written like a boring resume. Perhaps it was okay for him to sit silently and observe in therapy, but as the author of this book he owes it to the reader, if not to himself, to reveal his thoughts and emotions during what must have been a harrowing and incredible experience, assuming it's true.



3. I borrowed this book from the library. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. It was the saddest story I've ever read. Karen's parents were crazy and ignorant. They choose her for abuse because of her childhood deformity and bad health. I think this proves that anyone can have children it takes special people to raise them in a health environment so that they will be healthy. I was so glad when her father died. I was happy for all the deaths of the crazy people in her life. I was fascinated by the descriptions of the intergrations. I could picture them as I read them. A very good read. It will be added to my personal collection. I'm pleased to see that the paperback copy has been published. Either edition of this book should be read and studied by every one who takes care of children. All teachers, coaches, and day care workers should be required to read this book so they know what to look for in the extreme abuse cases. It also helps to reenforce that not all child in a family will be abused. It's usually the weakest child who will be destined for abuse.



4. This is an amazing story of a woman overcoming terrible events in her childhood. It is terribly sad and difficult to believe, but it's out there. Bad stuff doesn't just happen on tv and the movies. This is real life about an amazing woman.



5. Amazing read. Really enjoyed the book. The look into the interworkings of the psyche was facinating. The way the brain can change its chemistry to a adapt to God aweful situations is prevelant in this book. The writing is not too clinical but it doesn't dumb down anything either. Highly recommended.

5 comments about American Jezebel: The Uncommon Life of Anne Hutchinson, the Woman Who Defied the Puritans.

1. The genealogy given in the appendix of this book shows the author thirteen generations directly removed from the book's subject, Anne Marbury Hutchinson. Anne's descendants are also said to include Franklin Delano Roosevelt and George Walker Bush. Other books about Hutchinson have been written, but this one is probably the most thoroughly researched.
   
   Eve LaPlante says she is a journalist; it appears that she has published a couple dozen freelance pieces as well as three other books. She also says that this is a non-fiction book. Although there is quite an extensive bibliography, there are no citations within the text, and one wonders how she knows so precisely that the sky was clear at sunrise on November 8, 1637 (p. 70), to pick an instance of literary embellishment at random.
   
   One expects a journalist to understand the difference between an institutional view and something said by a member of that institution. Thus, on page xxi, she says, "According to Harvard University, it is she rather than John Harvard who 'should be credited with the founding of Harvard College.'" She puts things better into context on pages 133f. Harvard Professor Peter Gomes calls Hutchinson the "midwife" to the College, and explains why this is appropriate. (In addition to this unintended and symbolic role, Hutchinson was a midwife in her "normal" life.) Prof. Gomes teaches the history of Harvard and is probably more qualified than any other to offer such an opinion, but to say that "Harvard University" holds this view (indeed, any view) is no more accurate than to say that the New York Times does simply because Ms. LaPlante has published there. And while both Anne Hutchinson, indirectly, and John Harvard, more directly, played important roles in the establishment of the College between 1636 and 1638, the politics are far too complicated to ascribe the title "founder" to any one person.
   
   The book is somewhat uneven; the story of Anne's trials is quite drawn out and interspersed with many flashbacks, while the commentary once she has died seems to be as rapid a recitation of whatever notes and thoughts were left over as can be stitched together. It is evident where the author's heart is.
   
   Because of these mechanical issues, I cannot give the book a full five stars. As a period piece on Massachusetts in the 1630s, it leaves a bit to be desired. But as source material on her subject with enough documentation to be able to read between the lines why she believes what she writes, it is unlikely that any other author will have the same passion for the subject, the wherewithal to carry out the research, and (mostly) the ability to pull off a moving story.



2. I'm mystified by the rave reviews here. Hutchinson is indeed a fascinating figure, but LaPlante's oddly-arranged book obscures more than it illuminates. LaPlante presents Hutchinson as a proto-feminist rather than a zealous religious dissident. Although LaPlante acknowledges that Hutchinson exhibited as much moral certitude as her prosecutors -- she believed, for example, that she could personally identify those chosen for salvation by God -- the majority of the book either downplays the significance of theological dispute in favor of gender politics (John Winthrop was primarily motivated by a desire to keep women in their place, etc.), or twists itself into knots trying to recast arch-Calvinist Antinomianism as a progressive movement. Incredibly, there is no serious discussion of theology until 50 pages into the book.
   
   Gender is naturally significant to the story (we are, after all, talking about a woman in seventeenth century Boston who brazenly challenged the city's Cambridge-educated male leadership). But the reason for Hutchinson's banishment -- like that of the more influential and sophisticated Roger Williams a few years earlier -- was theological, and the faith of Hutchinson and her slippery mentor John Cotton (grandfather of Cotton Mather) was no more rational and no less fanatical than that of Winthrop, whose tendency to seek conciliation actually marks him as a rather moderate fellow by Puritan standards. Unlike Williams, whose radical separatism led him to become one of the first notable advocates of religious freedom, Hutchinson was primarily concerned not with political liberty but with denouncing those who she believed to be under a "covenant of works." This category included all the ministers in Massachusetts except for Cotton and her brother-in-law, John Wheelwright.
   
   LaPlante is evidently not an expert on Puritan New England, and she has trouble with theology. To give one example, she employs the word "orthodox" as a general term of abuse -- using it at one point to describe the Puritans' Anglican opponents in England, and at other times to describe the Puritan leadership in Boston. Like Howard Zinn (who blurbs the book), she sympathizes with the underdog to the point where underdog status alone is apparently an indication of righteousness. In retrospect, we can see that Hutchinson's religious views were no more enlightened than those of her enemies; Hutchinson was ahead of her time only in her belief that women are as able to interpret scripture as men, and in her relatively humane views regarding Native Americans (which she shared with Williams and Samuel Sewall, among others).
   
   Of course, historical figures should not be chastised for every transgression against contemporary sensibilities. But as someone with no dog in the fight between between varieties of seventeenth century English Protestantism, I was irritated by LaPlante's verbal gymnastics on behalf of her ancestor -- especially after she declares in the intro that her work will avoid the "exaltation" found elsewhere. While we get a sense of Hutchinson's admirable qualities, including her sparkling intelligence and stubborn bravery, criticism is limited to the occasional throw-away sentence, and there is little in the way of psychological insight. LaPlante's Hutchinson is opaque and two-dimensional -- a symbol rather than a human being. LaPlante is not (thankfully) one of those historians who dismisses all historical figures as benighted and morally backwards, but she makes an equally serious mistake in attempting to transform a proud, complex, and extraordinarily devout woman into a straightforward, easy-to-digest hero for contemporary readers.
   
   Three final points, two negative and one positive: (1) LaPlante has an unfortunate habit of substituting her own language for that of the protagonists, leading to some confusion about who is saying what. Quotes end abruptly, replaced by LaPlante's paraphrasing. I suspected at several points that her summaries were generous to Hutchinson (facilitating her transformation into a Puritan version of Susan B. Anthony) and less than charitable to her opponents. The book is at its best when LaPlante isn't speaking at all, since her commentary adds little to the drama. (2) Although LaPlante does voice some minor criticisms of Hutchinson, the general tenor of the book is hagiographic. Many of the quotes that LaPlante culls from other histories of the era seem to have been included only because they are highly complimentary of Hutchinson. LaPlante defends her subject in an almost lawerly fashion, informing us, for example, that "Harvard University" credits Hutchinson with its founding (actually, one Harvard professor!), and that Hutchinson founded Rhode Island (only very technically true, since Williams had settled Providence a year earlier). These are minor details, but combined with the suspicious paraphrasing, they undermined my trust in the author. An honest defense of Hutchinson would have been fine, but this book attempts to lionize its subject using sleight of hand. (3) I learned some things from "American Jezebel" that I had not found in other books on this period. Particularly interesting were LaPlante's discussions of Lincolnshire and Boston, England.
   
   For better books on pre-Revolutionary New England, I suggest Philbrick's Mayflower, Morgan's Puritan Dilemma (on Winthrop), Gaustad's Roger Williams, and Richard Francis' wonderful book on the admirable Samuel Sewall (another LaPlante ancestor on whom she has apparently written). American Jezebel isn't worthless, but it would be unfortunate if anyone picked up their whole education on the Puritans here -- as many of the other Amazon reviewers seem to have done.



3. American Jezebel, a scholarly work about the life of Anne Hutchinson, told through an examination of the primary sources of documentation about her life, is a well written and compelling biography of one of the true founders of what became the United States. That our educational system does not give the same attention to Anne Hutchinson's life, as is afforded to the "founding fathers", is compelling proof of the sexist nature of recorded history. Eve LaPlante, though a direct descendant of Anne Hutchinson, handles this work with both objectivity and thoroughness. Her book filled in a large gap in my knowledge of early New England. After reading this book, you will never again think of Massachusetts as that charming land of happy pilgrims and may develop, as I have, a deep antipathy for John Winthrop, a man revered in our history books, largely as a consequence of ignoring his cruelty to greater persons such as Anne Hutchinson and Mary Dyer.



4. Anne Hutchinson is one of those figures of American history I'd catch fascinating glimpses of - the Hutchinson River Parkway (named for a woman!), a few lines in Paul Johnson's History of the American People, a portion of a lecture in a Women's Studies course - but could never find her whole story in an accessible form. Until now.
   
   Eva LaPlante has the luxury of a well documented life in Anne Hutchinson. From her birth to her death, Anne was the rare non-royal woman of her time to leave her mark and her words. The centerpiece of this book is Anne's trial for "traducing" the ministers of Boston. Defying the conventions of acceptable behavior, Anne held her own, defending her own actions and quoting scriptures to support her claims. She very nearly won and even LaPlante has to admit that Anne pretty much grab defeat from the jaws of victory.
   
   But the Anne Hutchinson in these pages would have gladly taken honorable defeat over kowtowing to those she believed were corrupting the word of God. It's not easy to enter into a world where extremely fine points of religious doctrine excite such passion and controversy but LaPlante wisely uses the trial transcripts to let Anne's own words convey the passion. This was life and death, not of teh body but of the soul to Anne.
   
   LaPlante also does an admirable job of placing Anne's boldness in context. She was an educated, forward-thinking woman in an age when women were allowed no public voice. The mere idea of Anne "preaching" was heretical, let alone her content. I thought LaPlante avoided over-reaching the case, however, as she doesn't claim that Anne was the "first feminist" or other slightly silly claims. She keeps Anne's acts in their time and they are all the more compelling for this.
   
   The book has two narrative strains, the first is the trial and the second (woven around the first) is the chronological story of Anne's life. This can make for a disjointed feel but I adapted to the flow by chapter 4. The are no photos in this book but the maps included are fascinating. For those interested in early American history, religious history and just who "The Hutch" is named after this is fine popular history.



5. If you are looking for a readable description of Annne's life and discord with the early colonials, this is a good option. The book is both interesting and factual, additionally it provides commentatry relating colonial beliefs and lifestyle with the current day.

5 comments about The Kiss.

1. Oh, the webs we weave! Kathryn Harrison is one of the best writers around and I've read several of her books. Although this one may be dark, and it's about incest, it is an incredible journey of longing and need that takes a young woman to the very bottom of herself.



2. "The Kiss", by Kathryn Harrison, is a spectacular memoir, and I highly recommend anyone to read it. The
   
   book focuses on the incestuous relationship between Kathryn Harrison and her father, who re-enters her life
   
   during her teen years, after not having seen her for several years.
   
   When telling her story, Harrison writes in the present tense. This is a very interesting technique, because it
   
   makes the reader feel as if she is actually speaking the story out loud, telling it directly to her audience.
   
   Harrison portrays this literary talent when she writes, "After months of letters and calls, as many as three of
   
   each in a day, all promising devotion, all asking for mine, my father has prepared me for what he
   
   requests" (107). Harrison may as well be having a conversation with me when she writes this sentence, it
   
   sounds so real and legitimate!
   
   Aside from the use of wonderful literary techniques, Harrison manages to take incest, a dark and "hush-
   
   hushed" topic, and manages to convey it as a beautiful, loving, subject, "'I love you,' my father says. `I need
   
   you.' `I need you, too,' I whisper." If I had read this passage, unaware of the actual content of "The Kiss", I
   
   would never know it regarded incest, yet, two people who love each other. Harrison's story enabled me to see
   
   the true beauty of her words, and to not be so quick to undermine the love of two people.
   
   Read this book. I guarantee you will see the beauty pertained in darkness.



3. Kathryn Harrison shows compelling bravery in her memoir, The Kiss. She confides in the reader on the dark and disturbing subject matter of her incest relationship with her father. She takes us on a journey through a complex past and family life. When she was young her father was an absent mystery and she is not shy to explain that this made him an object of extreme interest to her. I love the honesty behind her writing and the extreme vulnerability she shows to the reader. She admits, "I want to be held too much to stay away" (87). The abrupt transitions between scenes from her seemingly normal everyday life and the secret she lives with her father is extremely effective in captivating the reader's attention. The pages will keep turning as she continues to be more and more affected by the haunting secret she keeps. Although she describes her encounters with her father in graphic detail, it is impossible for the reader to be disgusted. There is an ongoing feeling of sympathy for Harrison as she beautifully explains her desperate longing for love and a sense of belonging. "I'm afraid that whatever he wants, I will give him," (107) she discloses. The memoir continues to take the reader deeper and deeper to new levels of complexity especially in regards to Harrison's struggling relationship with her mother. So many knots are presented in this book that the reader cannot help but want to continue to read on and try and untie them. Every sentence in packed with emotion and despite coming from an obviously broken girl, the voice is powerful and strong. I definitely recommend Kathryn Harrisons memoir to anyone who appreciates good writing and a profound story.



4. I am glad I picked this memoir up again..after at least the second time. Parts of it were poetic and moving, and parts of it were very difficult to read. I am going to get a hold of "The Mother Knot" as soon as possible. It also is a memoir by Kathryn Harrison. After exploring (using Amazon's) search inside feature I found that I had read one of her other memoirs..titled "Seeking Rapture" I will review that one soon.



5. I picked up THE KISS this past weekend and re-read this beautifully haunting memoir about family and loss. There are so few writers who approach their subject matter in so painfully honest a way: Harrison's prose is spare and pointed, always insightful and charged with raw emotion as she plunges us deeper into the addictive relationships between mother and daughter, daughter and father. I can say, without any reservation, that Harrison's memoir is one so striking that it always sticks with me, as a book to read and re-read. Highly recommended--this is a powerful and compelling work, from a writer who is always at the very top of her game.

5 comments about An American Childhood.

1. Never before have I actually woken up the next morning with the book on my face.



2. As a child who grew up in Pittsburgh, Pa during the timeframe of the book. I was expecting something along the lines of "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash". Instead I got a self indulgent muse of a pampered life that did not embrace working class Pittsburgh of the 50's and 60's. A great let down.



3. I don't relate at all to this "American Childhood." The author uses vocabulary that shows how many obtuse words she knows. This is not effective communication. I am well educated and would still have to look up many words which interrupts the flow of her story.



4. Suddenly this book hit me, what a prize it was, out of the blue. Who was expecting it? Like when you hear a song you will love forever. This is it. She has had many of the same fascinations I had--rock collecting, for example. And her words are just right, how it's like entering a cave, and a new world opens up, that was just invisible before, taken for granted. The whole book is about how she moves thru life that way. She does everything on a far grander scale than I ever did, her reading is omnivorous and extensive. I love the way she writes so economically about her feelings, and yet the way she says it is just right. I don't think I've ever read a book that describes inner thoughts like this before. I just discovered Annie Dillard as a writer.



5. I'll be honest; I absolutely *hated* this book when I first read it (for a class, the summer after 7th grade). As many of the other reviewers have mentioned, it is indeed a collection of vignettes about the author's childhood that don't flow into one another. However, the descriptions are beautiful, really giving a feel of living in the city (as opposed to the suburbs) of Pittsburgh. I probably would have only dealt this three stars had I not just spent four years of my life at college in Pittsburgh--this book captures the city's character superbly, something most reviewers probably don't relate to, but I can safely say:
   
   Annie Dillard does a fantastic job of sketching the wonder of a precocious child that most of us cannot appreciate until we are well out of our childhood years ourselves. If you don't like this book now, pick it up in ten years, you might have a change of heart.

5 comments about My Life at Grey Gardens: 13 Months and Beyond.

1. I have to give this book three stars just because the writer shared her experiences with the public. But considering, as she tells us, that she ended up taking two of the many ghosts in the Grey Gardens house with her when she was packing to return to her home...Well, you don't get a lot of objective observation. You don't get much extra insight about Grey Gardens. What she writes about is pretty much what you already saw in the film "Grey Gardens." I hoped to learn more about the rooms and what happened to all the furniture. She treats her stay there as just another day in the life of and with no one in particular. REAL disappointment.



2. Jackie O's aunt and cousin lived in a Munster-type mansion in East Hampton. Edith Bouvier Beale (or 'Big Edie') was the sister of Black Jack Bouvier. Edie had a daughter, 'Little Edie', and both lived in harmony and dis-harmony in the ramshackle old house. Author Lois Wright, artist of questionable talent and palm reader, lived with the ladies for 13 months. The book is based on Wright's journal, which she kept during the 1970's. Big Edie, who was bedridden upstairs, had cats and the cats had fleas. Wright described the agony of the fleas, as well as raccoons climbing out of the ceiling (which Little Edie fed daily) and rats that jumped on the author and Little Edie on occasion. Wright wore boots and a hat 24/7 to ward off most of the critters. Newspapers were placed on beds, on floors, even in the Edies bathtub for the cats. Nevertheless, they were allowed to "go" where they pleased. If a cat or kitten died, Big Edie kept it on her bed for a couple of days, covered with a Kleenex. Contrary to past publicity, Jackie O and Ari stepped in and helped her relatives - Ari sending gifts, Jackie paying bills. The eccentricities of the three ladies are well worth reading about in this mesmerizing page-turner (Wright seemed a bit 'off' herself.) Just to let you be aware that there are DVDs available about Grey Gardens, starring the Beales, that are excellent. It brings Ms. Wright's pages to life, which completes their picture.



3. An interesting remembrance of months living at Grey Gardens by an offbeat friend of the Beales. Would be helpful to have read, which I have, or viewed the DVD Grey Gardens before reading this book. An interesting view of these most unusual mother and daughter combination.



4. Having been a fan of the play and documentary I found this book to be very revealing and touching at the same time.



5. Welcome back to Grey Gardens! I just received this from Amazon last night, and I am 1/2 through it already!It truly IS a page turner. A must for all fans of these fabulously eccentric,and theatrical ladies.It is a light,diary-entry style read.It will hold your interest, for sure. These women were fascinating characters, Lois Wright included.How wonderful it would have been to know Big and Little Edie.However, we must settle for just reading about them here,in this gem of a tell-all.I agree with the other reviewer....No mention of Jerry Torre (The Marble Fawn), was strange, as he seemed to be an integral part of Grey Gardens machine.

5 comments about The Friendship of Women: The Hidden Tradition of the Bible.

1. In a day and age where individualism and self-sufficiency is prided as characteristics of success and power, a voice that reminds us of the true role and import of friendship needs to be heard - and Joan Chittister offers one such voice. Using women biblical figures as a springboard and chapter mastheads, Chittister develops a short reflection on what the true meaning of friendship is and how is should be cultivated today.
   
   From a refreshingly feminine perspective, Chittister approaches the topic of true friendship from the projected experience of the women for whom each chapter is named. While in no way a scholarly or academic work (most observed in the lack of authoritative scripture references, scholarly endnotes/footnotes or exegetical analysis of implicit scriptural references - although she does list the biblical passages at the end of the book where each woman could be found mentioned in scripture), this book is a wonderful meditative tool for one's own reflection on friendship.
   
   In the spirit of full-disclosure, I should note that I am a male in religious life (in contrast to the author, a female in religious life, and the audience which appears to be primarily women). This perhaps limits my ability to fully appreciate the impact this work has on a female reader. I can attest to the fact that two very close women friends have read and recommended this book to me and they have found great solace and inspiration from it. I enjoyed it very much and it has allowed me to reflect on both friendship and women in the Bible in new ways.



2. This small book is packed with information about the women in the Bible and how each personifies as aspect of friendship. There is a chapter on Ruth, a chapter on Anne, and some women that have received very little attention. There are interesting thoughts about each of them and how they represent different aspects of friendship. I am enjoying it so much that I only allow myself a chapter at a time to read and ponder. I think this will be the book I give to women friends this year. This is a keeper.



3. You may know about the women in the Bible that are written about, but the author brings you up to date with your own personal life...also a good discussion for small groups or a friend...another Chittister winner.



4. I gave a copy of this book to everyone in a group of women friends I have when we all went away for a weekend. We had fun reading about the friendship of the women of the Bible and why they are important in todays context, however we all wish that each story was much longer, more indepth and more detailed. Nice read for a weekend.



5. I have enjoyed every one of Joan Chittister's books that I have read. However this one truly spoke to my heart. I have only recently realized how important community is in my spiritual life. This books explains what I could never put into words myself regarding the special friendships of women. I have given it as gifts to five of my very special friends.

5 comments about Angelina Jolie's: Notes from My Travels.

1. One of the most treasured books in my home library, Angie's courage and compassion for those less fortunate comes alive in every page of this book. This book is very inspiring and very humbling at the same time. My respect for Angelina has increased a thousand fold from reading this gem...plus she is donating all her proceeds to the UNHCR! I hope she writes more books!



2. Angelina Jolie has a very personal connection with those who are in hard circumstances like the poor in Africa, one can speculate why but cannot realistically claim it is not sincere. She spends a lot of her time and money there and writes with warmth and humility. She expresses appreciation for those things in other areas that help keep poverty and related problems at bay. A good read as a eyewitness account of what people are going through but also a meaningful social commentary, most of all I find this book an inspiring example of how to bravely contribute whatever one can.



3. These extracts from Angelina's journal provide a unique insight into the plight of refugees all over the world. It is heart-wrenching to read about the terrible ordeals these people have faced during war & continue to face even after the fighting is over. The courage they show during such adversity is humbling & inspiring to the last page. A must-read book if you have any interest in the plight of your fellow man.



4. AUTOBIOGRAPHY ON ANGELINE JOLIE AND A LOG OF HER TRAVELS FOR THE UNITED NATION. VERY INTERESTING. JM



5. This is a very moving book. It gives us a glimpse into the suffering around the world and motivation to help.

5 comments about Everyday Sacred: A Woman's Journey Home.

1. It's a great description of the Spritual Cure.... but we never analyze what was wrong in the first place... it's a type of Narcissism which in her case comes into conflict with her religious values and forced her to develop her spritual walk as a cure.
   
   And it's a good cure, often overlooked because we neglect to name the Beast thats at the core.So the spiritual cure goes untried.



2. After witnessing the recent horror (school massacre) inflicted upon the Amish community, "Everyday Sacred" is a timely reminder that they and the human spirit will endure.
   
   It reminds us to ask not what we lack, but to appreciate, daily, what we already have. My favorite quote from the book is: "Don't try for perfection. Trying to be good enough will be plenty."
   
   I am giving it my highest recommendation because it is more than good enough - it is a spell-binding read!
   
   Reginald V. Johnson, Author, "How To Be Happy, Successful And Rich"



3. "Everyday Sacred; A Woman's Journey Home" by Sue Bender is a book about the author's spiritual journey while living amidst the Amish. Bender highlights that each day, and the 'everyday' within each day is sacred. There are many opportunities to experience sacred encounters in one's life, by focusing on appreciation of simplicity and the little things in life such as enjoying a warm cup of tea or noticing the beauty of flowers in your garden. All in all 'Everyday Sacred' offers clarity, optimism and hope amidst our modern world that is all too often hectic and stressful. What I enjoyed most about 'Everyday Sacred' is that reading the book really did take me on an experiental journey into the sacred; most remarkable! Congratulations Sue Bender on writing such an inspiring and successful book.
   
   If you like 'Everyday Sacred' then you'll love NEXUS by Deborah Morrison and Arvind Singh, a successful, new age debut novel, an absorbing guide to the dazzling universe of spirituality in terms of life's joys and sorrows. NEXUS enriches our understanding of heart-centered, soulful living, enlightenment and compassion. All over the planet people of all faiths and backgrounds are suddenly experiencing an intense attraction for the wisdom and knowledge of NEXUS, a book that has already achieved top 100 status on several bestsellers lists! Nexus: A Neo Novel



4. I was given a copy of this book many years ago..it sat on a shelf for a number of years before one day I picked it up and started to read it. It is one book both men and women should read. I have given it as gifts at least 60 times and just recently purchased 3 more for gifts. It truly hits the soul...if you want to do something for "yourself"...read it!! You won't be sorry.



5. I read this book years ago and forgot about it. At a recent book club meeting, I noticed a similar picture on the book of a friend. I went in search to find it. It's second only to her first book, Plain & Simple, which I've enjoyed immensely and purchased several copies as books. A good book for our times.

2 comments about A Summer of Hummingbirds: Love, Art, and Scandal in the Intersecting Worlds of Emily Dickinson, Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Martin Johnson Heade.

1. The overall symbol of the hummingbird to describe how America was changing from a staid worldview to a more transient, evanescent one in the Civil and post Civil War period is probably insightful. The author also gives us some biographical details not well known about well known luminaries (and people who would become luminaries) of that period. HOWEVER, his writing is pedestrian and I found the book quite a slog. I'm a huge fan of Emily Dickinson(who knew?) and an admirer of Mark Twain, et al. So, I persevered; but I kept thinking about how dull this English professor's classes must be, despite the interesting subject matter.
   
   I don't think this book would capture/retain the interest of the general reader.



2. Hummingbirds! I would have never thought of them as some kind of ambiguous stand-in for a number of concerns of the period (marital infidelity or bliss, abolitionist arguments of freedom, a hint of tea totaling or the pleasures of a sumptuous life) but I'm sure I'll see them everywhere now.
   
   Benfey provides you with a paragraph or so of Twain, a few stanzas of Dickinson, a painting of Heade and then composes fascinating readings, sensitive of them by combining close analysis and historical detail. His pleasure and enjoyment of these authors and artists is palpable and contagious.
   
   I really appreciate the way this book resists the common urge to treat Dickinson's biography as freakish (the white dresses, the recklessness, etc.). Benfey calls her a "stay-at-home visionary" and points out that "by April 1882, Dickinson could have published a volume of her poems had she wished to do so."
   
   One of my favorite aspects of this book is the way it makes moments of the nineteenth century seem so close to our own experience. Benfey ends a description of the "hotel-world" that Henry Flagler creates: "Guests arrived at the resort in luxury railroad cars designed by Flagler, bearing the same yellow trim--`Flagler Yellow'--as the arches and windows of the hotel. The transition between railroad and hotel was seamless..." Doesn't that just sound like the branded, constructed trip one would get from, say Disney?