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Baked Spinach-Artichoke Pasta
(from the New York Times) I think it's yummy as is, but you can make additions or substitutions to taste. Try other spices, yogurt instead of cream, or heartier cheese. Recipe is HERE.
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 I was anticipating something remarkable as I waited for weeks to borrow one of the library's copies. The New York Times described it as "a powerful and important and strange and beautiful collection of stories meant to be read right now; this is a dystopian story collection as full of violence as it is of heart." Indeed. Wow.
Some of the stories are intertwined, while others are a single shot of raw emotion and humanness. While I typically read dystopian tales with trepidation and discomfort, Adjei-Brenyah pulled me in and kept me wanting more. I was transfixed and transported to places I'd never been; my perspectives were both beaten and broadened. Looking forward to whatever he publishes next. I'm hooked. I'm sure many will dislike these stories, and perhaps not make it through even one of them. But for those who do: let's talk. In 2006, a young Japanese hiker was brutally murdered near Supai village in the Grand Canyon. I have always been haunted by that story, and the killer who ran free for so long. I heard author Annette McGivney speak about her related book, Pure Land at the Tucson Festival of Books and I couldn't get that out of my mind either. Her book was sold out at the Festival, so I made the long wait getting it through our public library. Whew! What an engaging and surprising read. As one would expect from an accomplished adventurer and journalist, it's a meticulous rendering of the lives of seeker Tomomi Hanamure and her teenage murderer, Randy Wescogame. In addition, it's a telling of McGivney's own deep, personal journey of traumatic stress. McGivney's research provided her with personal and historical perspectives to help us understand both the victim and her perpetrator. The spirit captured from Hanamure's diaries is bittersweet, knowing her violent end. But it prepares us for her final words spoken to Wescogame as he stabbed her to death "I respect you." Hanamure was fascinated by America's beauty and particularly, Native American culture. We learn of her many visits and special interactions throughout the country. Those many magical adventures are balanced by the oppressive history of the Havasupai people, and of the realities of a declining community in Supai village. If you're looking for a gripping, meaningful read, this may be the next book for you!   This raw, wise memoir is one of the most inspiring books I've read in many years. Holocaust survivor, psychotherapist, and storyteller extraordinaire Dr. Edith Eger offers an amazing journey of resilience, faith, family, and brutal introspection. Read it!
Between August 11 and 28 I was fortunate to enjoy 57 (yes, fifty seven!) performances, presentations, or other events at the Edinburgh International Festival, Book Festival, Art Festival, and Festival Fringe. It was a dream come true - a chance to immerse myself into the Festival season and to experience Edinburgh living as a local for three weeks (I rented a flat that was away from the typical tourist areas). My cousin, Mikey joined in for my final week there; it was his first time visiting Scotland. It was refreshing to hear perspectives and concerns from Scots and others who aren't Americans. The Book Festival was particularly meaningful, with the opportunity to hear from investigative journalists, social commentators, and political satirists from the UK and elsewhere in the EU. One (huge) book made its way home with me - "The Exile: The Flight of Osama Bin Laden" by Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark. After hearing their presentation, I was hooked. It's available now in the US, under a slightly different subtitle (and perhaps edited to remove embarrassing information about the US?). If you read it, tell me your reactions. If you're curious about immigration issues/opinions in Europe, you might read Douglas Murray's "The Strange Death of Europe." While he's clearly a man with nationalist tendencies and perspectives, it is useful to hear what's happening across the pond. Murray posits that Europe is committing cultural suicide with currents waves of immigrants. He's a rational writer and speaker, and offers a view that makes the contrasts between US and European concerns and histories more evident. A music highlight was Anoushka Shankar in concert at Usher Hall (International Festival). The opening act was the legendary Faiz Ali Faiz, playing powerful Qawwali (Sufi) devotional and ecstatic songs. Shankar spoke about many of her causes, including religious tolerance. She remarked that this concert featuring a Pakistani and an Indian was unique in these troubled times in south Asia. If you have an opportunity to see either Shankar or Faiz, don't miss the chance! The Modern Maori Quartet (find them on Facebook at @ModernMaoriQuartet) were absolutely excellent and so entertaining; I hope they'll be back. As for theater, the Fringe won out for me. Mouthpiece, presented by Toronoto writers/actors Amy Nostbakken and Norah Sadava (playing a single character, who's just lost her mother) was spellbinding. And James Rowland's performance of Every Brilliant Thing was, well, simply brilliant. Both of these were at Summerhall, my absolute favorite Fringe venue. Consider visiting Edinburgh in August to experience FESTIVAL heaven! (And, yes, I still like haggis.)        I find short stories to be a more fulfilling escape during hectic times. Thus, I turned to The Refugees from 2016 Pulitzer Prize Winner (The Sympathizer) Viet Thanh Nguyen. As promised by the NYT Book Review, the series of exquisitely written stories explore a breadth of immigrant experiences. The themes are universal, touching on family bonds, the growth of tolerance, and loyalty. It's a lovely collection for summer reading.
(I must admit, I could not finish The Sympathizer. While it received prizes and accolades, it was somehow too violent and male for me. Perhaps it triggered my Vietnam War sore spots, or maybe the timing was wrong.) GET OUT and see "Get Out." It's a comic horror story that offers the most compelling social commentary on African American history that I've ever seen. Jordan Peele's genius as a writer and director is stunning. It's everything the consistently fabulous reviews promised, and more.   On Christmas Day I hosted our family to an afternoon showing of Fences. It was a good choice, at least for those seeking depth of content and superb acting. The casting was perfect, and each performance was compelling. It is a play adapted to the screen, and not a motion picture based on a play. It is theatrical, maintaining a cadence and intensity typical of the stage. It's great material; The sixth of August Wilson's Pittsburgh Series, it won a Pulitzer Prize for drama and several Tony Awards.
I saw Fences when it first opened on Broadway in 1987. James Earl Jones played Troy and Mary Alice was Rose. I still remember it as one of the best plays I 've ever seen. When Fences had a Broadway revival in 2010, Denzel Washington joined Viola Davis in the lead roles. Tonys flowed again. Both of those actors plus others from the 2010 Broadway run grace the film adaptation. This explains the cohesion and depth for most of the film's characters. Denzel Washington also directed! Mykelti Williamson's portrayal of Gabe was, for me, the finest performance - but they were all truly fabulous. See it. Bring tissues, plenty of them if you are easily moved by a touching story and great performances!  Are you in need of a good book to escape in, and prefer something in line with your refined intellect? Do you enjoy Shakespeare and/or Margaret Atwood? Then Hag-Seed could be just the recent release for you.
While the NYT and The Guardian reviews differed in the level of enthusiasm, neither could deny Atwood's ongoing talents as a writer and a weaver of great stories. The many layers of her weaving, all connected to The Tempest, are clever and engaging. Humor and tragedy are strategically placed, and the pace was perfect for me. Read the reviews if you need to know more, or just take my suggestion and read it. Perhaps this book held special meaning for me as it is partially modeled after Ontario's Stratford Festival, a place I've visited faithfully since my teens. On my last visit there (with my mother), we saw Christopher Plummer's Prospero in The Tempest, a performance that Atwood acknowledges as instrumental in creating Hag-Seed. Whatever my own connections might be, I found this read to be a welcome escape and reminder of how healing great literature can be. Let me know what you think!  If you've savored Louise Erdrich's work in the past, it's time for another treat. I just finished "LaRose" and it was a captivating, thought-provoking journey. Her prose is as crisp and multi-layered as ever, and her characters carry complexities that are endearing at one moment and repelling at another. Erdrich's grasp on human nature is firm.
The story revolves around a tragedy that is "solved" by an Ojibwe tradition. A young boy is accidentally shot by a neighbor. To compensate the grieving family, the shooter gives them his own son of a similar age, LaRose. The story is woven through extended families on and off the reservation, and spans generations of LaRoses. This beautiful book made me cry, wince, and laugh out loud. Its characters will remain as inner companions for a long time. Read it! |
Good reads, etc.
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