Posted in Book Review

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by Colson Whitehead

Posted on by Melissa
The underground railroad : a novel by Colson…

Whitehead takes us on an unconventional journey through a bleak time of history in the United States. Although he uses the factual backdrop of a period of slave-owning times, he reimagines and creates an alternative landscape in which to tell Cora’s story. Cora, a slave on a plantation in Georgia, is asked by another slave named Caesar to attempt an escape via the Underground Railroad. The factual part of the story resides in the accounts of the violence and inhuman treatment of the slaves at the hands of their owners, the slave-catchers, and all others who have a hatred of black people. Yet, the story veers off into a different world in various ways with the foremost being the fact that the Underground Railroad is here conceived as an actual railroad system built in underground tunnels running from South to North. Additionally, the several stops Cora makes along her travels from station to station and her experiences living in those are not factual to the histories of those places during this time period. Yet, it is within this re-imagined landscape where Whitehead is able to explore and examine various attitudes and treatments that history in a longer period has thrust upon (or attempted to thrust upon) minorities both here and throughout the world. Among these are forced sterilization, genocide, and re-settlement of their “own kind” in certain established areas.

For me, one of the most poignant parts of the book was when we find out what happened to Cora’s mother, herself a runaway slave who escaped when Cora was young. Cora never finds the answer to that mystery and her feelings of abandonment play a big part in the person she becomes. Although the overall narrative highlights the brutality of the slave experience, Whitehead also weaves in the truth that cruelty and kindness are not linked to one’s skin color. We see a hierarchy among the slaves wherein some perpetuate violence within their own ranks, while others go to great lengths to look out for the weak within their own population. Likewise, we have depictions of white owners whose actions make our blood boil, whereas we also see those among the white population who risk their own lives to help those traveling on the underground railroad.

It is difficult to state that a book such as this was a pleasurable or enjoyable read due to the horrific portrayals of violence found within it. Yet, I can say it is definitely a worthwhile read. It can seem a little disjointed in the way the narrative voice switches from person to person and sometimes from time period to time period. But, Whitehead ultimately weaves all these voices in so that at the last disembarkation from the railroad everything has fallen into place.

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Posted in Personal Thoughts

Here We Go Again

Posted on by Melissa

Once again I sit here with the lofty goal of resurrecting this blog that I started way back in 2008. This is not my first resurrection attempt and I can’t promise it will be the last, though I am hoping I can stay more dedicated to it this time.

The following excerpt from the About Me page explains my goals for this site:

“As you can probably tell, this site is still under construction so my plans for what I want it to look like and what I intend to discuss may vary as time passes by.  However, at this point I hope a major portion will remain dedicated to my love of books and reading – so I will share what I have read, what I am reading, and what I hope to read along with insights into how particular books have shaped my thinking.  I hope to also share some of my own writing (poems, essays, short stories) for those of you who may be interested.  And I am sure that it is inevitable that I will occasionally begin to pontificate about current events and the goings-on in the news.“

My main reason for returning to this site came about because people are always asking for something good book to delve into because they know I love to read. I feel honored that people trust my opinions and recommendations, however as I have gotten a little age on me I have more trouble recalling in the moment some of my latest reads and new favorite authors. I wanted to get back to this site to at least update my reading lists so I can direct those queries to a helpful location. I don’t guarantee that everything I have read is necessarily a good or great book. I tend to be one of those saps who finishes what they start no matter what because I feel like I would insult the author to not do so. I know, I know. They would never know the difference, but that’s just how I am. I will do my level best to begin writing book reviews again so I can better steer seekers to the reads that are more deserving. At the least, I hope to develop some sort of grading/starring system to help highlight the best of the best. Until then, feel free to just ask or message me about a particular title that sparks your interest and I’ll give you my feedback.

Hope you enjoy tagging along with me on my Reading and Writing journey and sharing aspects of your own.

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Posted in Uncategorized

Lenoir-Rhyne University Visiting Writers Series

Posted on by Melissa

Each year Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina invites a series of writers to the campus to speak. All of the events are open and free to the public. Having attended many of these over the past several years, I can attest to the high quality nature of these presentations. The speakers are usually award-winning authors in their genre and share many insightful thoughts and ideas on matters of current events. For those who love to hear from writers in their own words about their writing process make plans now to attend some of the events. Click on the link below to see a list of this year’s participants.

Visiting Writers Series

 

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Posted in Books, Personal Thoughts

My Reading Bucket List

Posted on by Melissa

Starting in 2006, I began compiling several reading lists that I wanted to challenge myself to complete. In part, this came about because although I had been a huge reader since childhood, I became aware that my reading diet was Vitamin C deficient. That is, I felt like I had not included enough Classics throughout that time spent in the pages of various books. I had decided that one way to remedy that was to read all the Pulitzer Prize Winners, so that was one of the first lists that I put in my bucket. Around that time as well the book 1001 Books to Read Before You Die was published. Even with such a daunting title I decided to toss that one in as well. During my time at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, I took a class in Children’s Literature. This spurred me to add the winners of the Caldecott Medal Award and the Newbery Medal Award. The bucket was beginning to get quite heavy, but I didn’t stop there. Along the way I came across other compiled lists and award designations that interested me as well. In addition, my interest in both history and politics merged together in the great idea to read at least one biography of each of the presidents of the United States of America.

The result is that I now have a total of 1,491 unique titles (I use that designation because in some cases short stories are included on some of the lists) in my Reading Bucket. As of this writing, I have read 108 of the titles on all the combined lists – a mere 7% of the total. Considering I have only been averaging reading 20 books a year for the past several years and still have 1,383 titles left to read, I only need 69 years to complete all the lists. The only problem with that is that at the age of 46 I am quite sure I can not count on living for 69 more years. So, I guess I am going to have to accelerate my pace of reading. Regardless of whether I actually complete this challenge in its entirety, it has been an interesting journey over the past several years. I have read books and authors that I probably never would have encountered otherwise. It would be dishonest to say I have enjoyed every one of the books; in fact, some I had to kind of view as the un-desired vegetable on my dinner plate – the item I had to make myself consume so that I could have my dessert after the meal. But for the most part it has been enlightening, educational, and personally satisfying to make my way through this and I look forward to the other surprises that lie ahead for me.

Here is a link to my Reading Bucket List. I am currently in the process of creating page links to each individual list that highlights my current progress in each one. Check them out, and perhaps you may want to add a couple to your own bucket.

Posted in Personal Thoughts

Just Another Voice in the Crowd, Take 2

Posted on by Melissa

So, I can safely say my New Years Resolution from the first of the year can be chalked up in the Fail Column on my scorecard of life. I had promised to get back to writing on this blog and doing a better job of updating my reading list, writing book reviews and other things hopefully to be of interest to someone. It is 7 months later and I am just now writing my second post of the year. It is not because I have been lazy. Well, okay some of those days did include me being lazy – but not all of them. I have been doing quite a bit of reading, so there are many potential book reviews that I can (and should and certainly hope to) get around to writing. I have made quite a bit of progress on my personal Reading List Challenges. Yes, challenges as in plural. More to come about those lists in my next post, which I do hope will not take me 7 months to write.

Please read my post from January to get a sense of what I hope to accomplish with this site. And please forgive me for failing as I work on forgiving myself for failing in my prior attempt. Though the reviews will not be included right away, browse around the links to my reading list if you are in search of some books to read. Hopefully, you will find something there to whet your appetite. To see other people’s reviews and conversations about one that looks interesting, I suggest checking  LibraryThing. It is my favorite book-related social media site.

Don’t give up on me yet, as I have not yet given up on my dream of sharing my thoughts, ideas, and views with others. I may never write anything that is life-changing and profound, but I may say something or steer you to some book that may inspire you to your own personal “aha” moment that is life-changing for you. If that happens, then I can put a check mark in the Success Column on my scorecard of life.

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Posted in Personal Thoughts, Uncategorized

Just Another Voice in the Crowd

Posted on by Melissa

One of my resolutions for the year 2016 includes trying to revive this stagnant blog. I knew it had been awhile since I had worked with it; but even so, I was surprised to find it had been since 2012 when I last did anything with it. During that period, there were many times I thought about returning to it, but for various reasons never did. However, my biggest stumbling block was the self-doubt that would creep in every time the consideration rose to the forefront of my mind. A little voice in my head would always question, “And what worthwhile thoughts do you think you have to contribute to the world? There are many people out there who possess much more intelligence and insight than you do. Why would anybody want to read what you have to say?”

Why indeed? I am not sure I can answer that question fully. I do know I have a handful of family and friends who are occasionally interested in my point of view on things of import. So, perhaps a few of them will drop in every once in awhile to see what I am talking about. If for no other reason than to make sure I am not talking about them in any insidious manner. Other than that, what do I have to offer a stranger who may stumble into my little corner of the world? Well, as the title of this post states all I have to offer is just another voice in the crowd.

I readily admit I am not the smartest, most well-read, most educated, thoughtful person around. So if you want expert opinions on any of the matters I hope to write about then you should seek out professionals in that particular field. All I have is a love of reading, a desire to write, and a mind that seeks to understand and make sense of this crazy thing called life. If you want to follow me on that journey, then I welcome you aboard. And if you promise to keep things civil I am also eager to hear your voice in the crowd via the comments section.

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Posted in Personal Thoughts, Religion

Changing Views

Posted on by Melissa

Many people have a particular season of the year that is their favorite. What I love and appreciate the most is the transitions from one season to the next. By the time fall is nearing I am usually ready for the cooler temperatures it promises. Likewise, when spring begins knocking on the door I am ready to shed the blankets and coats and bask in the more natural warmth provided by the sun. As dry brittle leaves of various shapes and sizes and hues continue to litter my lawn, my focus is less on where they have fallen and instead is looking where they have fallen from. A standing army of skinny skeletal tree limbs stands guard around my home. As I sit working at my desk I can look left out the window and be rewarded with a glimpse of the pond that rests beyond those wooden sentries. As I sit in my living room peering out the back window, I find myself slightly amazed to be visually reminded at how sharp the rise of the hill is that sits on the other side of the creek trickling at the bottom of the small hill that shapes the end of my back yard property.

Of course, both the pond and hill have been in their same place all summer. Yet, I am not afforded a view of either due to the heavy vegetative growth during the summer that shields them from my sight. Part of what I enjoy about fall and winter is this change in scenery that I see as I gaze out my windows. The landscape itself has not changed, instead previously hidden areas have been revealed by the curtain of leaves that has been removed.

My spiritual formation within my Christian faith has its own parallel aspects regarding transitive seasons. Here too, there are periods of beauty and greenery that inspire thoughts of life, vitality, and growth. But, I have also experienced fall-like moments where everything appears bleak, dark, and dying. What was once blooming promises of God’s grace, mercy, and love begin to fall into heaps of dry brittle remnants on the ground where I tread grimly through the days.

It is at these times I have to remind myself to not look down and focus on the things that have fallen. But instead to look up to where they have fallen from. God’s landscape has not changed. Everything that was there before is still there now. His means of renewal and regeneration are not always easily grasped. God does not cause the bleakness and darkness in my life. Yet, he uses these periods for his own good as either a lesson to be learned or a reminder of where our reliance should reside. It is up to me to take something from this varied perspective and changing view.

Soon, I will tire of the view of the pond and hill outside my windows and will be longing for some color to brighten the lay of the land. Fortunately, but not accidentally, this usually occurs around spring time when the world of nature is beginning to awake from its winter’s slumber.

Posted in Personal Thoughts

Lessons From The Falls

Posted on by Melissa

One of the hardest things watching my Rusty-Pup age has been to see him change from a vibrant young pup who loved to chase rabbits, tennis balls, and his canine friends for hours on end into a doddering old dog who stumbles and falls more frequently every day.  Despite my every effort to accomodate his increasing feebleness – portable steps for the car and ramps for the porch – I too often find myslef cringing as his little spaniel legs give way and he tumbles to the ground.  Yet, what I’ve also found is that even as he nears the end of his time here, this faithful companion who has helped me discover many life lessons throughout his sixteen years still has things to teach me. Observing his ever evolving attitude and reaction to his falls has challenged me to re-examine how I react to my own stumbles along life’s pathway.

Many months ago, when he initally began falling his immediate reaction was to begin flailing around in a desperate attempt to upright himself as quickly as possible.  This desperation seemed to arise from a combination of shock, fear, and shame. Most of the time he was more than capable of pulling himself back up on all four legs.  There were times, though, when he required a little help, a little push from me to help give him some leverage.  As he has aged those times of needing my assistance have become more the norm than the exception.  At the same time, a notable change has taken place in how he handles himself now after he falls.

For one, he has learned how to roll with the falls. He seems to know in an instant whether a particular stumble will result in a full tumble or just a minor trip-up.  When he realizes he is not going to recover he resolutely accepts his fate, and instead of fighting the inevitable he simply goes with it and accepts it with as much grace and ease as he can muster.  Second, once on the ground he no longer flails around trying to immediately get up. Instead, he takes a deep breath and appears to mentally assess his situation.  More often than not he does not even attempt to stand by himself, he has accepted that his little legs are just to weak to recover on their own anymore after such a shock.  So, he lies there patient and content with full faith and knowledge that I am nearby to give him the necessary assistance his predicament requires.  Working together, we get him back on his feet and once again moving toward whatever is his momentary goal.

Fortunately, I am not plagued with the frequent misfortunes of physical falls and tumbles. Less fortunately, I am prone to mental and/or emotional stumbles as I tread my way through life.  There have been a few major falls in my life that have been akin to falling into a large pit, requiring quite a bit of climbing and clawing to get myself back on solid ground with stable legs.  In addition, there have been countless minor ones that still trip me up but from which I find it easier to recover from.

Like Rusty, in the past I reacted to finding myself being down for the count with shock, fear, and even shame.  I too would flail around looking and hoping for the quick fix to bring me back to my feet as fast as possible.  As he has discovered, and I am discovering, this is not always the optimal strategy. It often accomplishes little and at times only aggravates and makes things worse.  The wiser course of action is to take a deep breath, assess where you are, and map out a plan to steadily get back on track. The shock is inevitable.  So too, in many cases, is the fear.  The shame, however, can and should be banished.  I have to remind myself I’m not the first, the last, or the only one to ever encounter such a mishap.  There is no shame in experiencing a malady that is ever present in and among the human collective.

Perhaps the most important lesson I can take from my canine friend and companion is to learn how to rely on others.  When he is able he handles it on his own.  Yet, he has learned to welcome the helping hand when it is necessary.  He allows me the privilege to love him enough to be there to help him at his time of need.  I prefer doing what I can on my own when possible.  That is not inherently a bad position to take at times.  We gain strength of mind and character when we attain some dreams and goals on our own.  Yet, there is also strength in being able to acknowledge when you need help from others.  We have to allow others the opportunity and the privilege to love us enough to help us through our own trials and times of need.

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Posted in Book Review, Books

THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER by Jed Rubenfeld

Posted on by Melissa

The Interpretation of Murder by Jed…

A compelling murder mystery that combines the psychology of Freud, musings on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and descriptions of New York at the beginning of the 20th Century. Part of a group entertaining Freud during his first and only visit to America, a young doctor is asked to apply this burgeoning practice of psycho-analysis on a young woman suffering from amnesia who is believed to have been attacked by the murderer of another woman. Not everyone is convinced this new type of therapy is sound medicine as evidenced by an inner plot line that reveals another set of men trying to undermine Freud’s work. Consisting of believable, well fleshed out characters, as well as an adequate but not mind-numbing amount of twist and turns, The Interpretation of Murder is a pleasant and enjoyable read. A few times I was a little perturbed to begin a new chapter hoping for the action of the previous one to be continued only to be met with one of Rubenfeld’s digressive depictions of some part of New York society or architecture. However, they were deftly kept short, informative, and interwove themselves well within the story so I usually became unperturbed very quickly. Overall, would recommend this book to anyone looking for a murder mystery that contains a little depth of inner reflections as well.

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Posted in Personal Thoughts, Religion

Stepping Out on Faith

Posted on by Melissa

Following is a link to the copy of the Sunday morning message I delivered on April 29, 2012 at Reeps Grove United Methodist Church in my role as a Lay Speaker filling in for our pastor.

Stepping Out on Faith

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