Now I should typeset Salman Rushdie

I'm realizing more and more how much type on a page means to me. I love stories, but I love them even more when they're both linguistically and visually beautiful.

All posters from spineless classics. Christmas gift, anyone?

And when it's cool type and Harry Potter, well then, I'm just in heaven.

All posters from The Modern Stylographer. Again, Christmas is coming.

I'm thinking Haroun and the Sea of Stories would make for an excellent typographical challenge. Of course, I should probably wait until I'm not killing myself with school and work.

Still, I love these ideas. And I love that I have the capabilities of creating similar designs. Specific text requests, anyone?

Some Understanding

Read for pleasure at least ten minutes every day.

I've mentioned this advice before. It was good advice, and I adhere to it well in Boston; reading on the T during the commute home has been a part of my routine for a while. But last night I realized why this advice was so important for me.

I have a thing for Salman Rushdie. No surprises there. But it's been a little while since I read any of his work (though I did purchase Luka and the Fire of Life last week), and I'd forgotten how much I luff him. I started Midnight's Children last night, sitting on the church gym floor eating Flipz and Dr. Pepper. It was uncomfortable, the basketball game going on was loud and entertaining, and I was a little concerned I'd get run over or hit in the face. But then I started to read and the world melted away:

Now, however, time (having no further use for me) is running out. I will soon be thirty-one years old. Perhaps. If my crumbling, over-used body permits. But I have no hope of saving my life, nor can I count on having even a thousand nights and a night. I must work fast, faster than Scheherazade, if I am to end up meaning—yes, meaning—something. I admit it: above all things, I fear absurdity.

And there are so many stories to tell, too many, such an excess of intertwined lives events miracles places rumors, so dense a commingling of the improbable and the mundane! I have been a swallower of lives; and to know me, just the one of me, you'll have to swallow the lot as well. Consumed multitudes are jostling and shoving inside me; and guided only by the memory of a large white bedsheet with a roughly circular hole some seven inches in diameter cut into the center, clutching the dream of that holey, mutilated square of linen, which is my talisman, my open-sesame, I must commence the business of remaking my life from the point at which it really began, some thirty-two years before anything as obvious, as present, as my clock-ridden, crime-stained birth.

Words and the power they carry, especially when wielded well, calm my soul. The awe I felt for Rushdie's ability to tell stories last night dissolved all the residual angst from the week, and it enabled me to completely realign my focus on my life. Reading helps me to be me.

There's more to life than books, I know. But not much more.

TTT: To Be Read This Fall

So I'm a day late for The Broke and the Bookish's Top Ten Tuesday, but I read The Story Girl's list and then, of course, started thinking about reading and fall. And my new house with huge bedroom windows. And old man sweaters with skinny jeans and leather boots. And mustard yellow tights. And scarves. And I really need to start school so I have less time to think about fall fashion. But fall reading list? Sign me up.

My list is very fall and very New England. And what's better than New England in the fall? New England in the fall with an old man sweater and hot chocolate curled up with one of these books, that's what.

1. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott—I've read this multiple times, but I have not read it since moving to Boston, and I feel there's something appropriate about reading it here. Though I might wait until we get closer to Christmas, it feels like a fall and winter book. Maybe go to Walden to read the scene where Amy falls through the ice after she's burned Jo's manuscript? Fun. 

2. Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson—"Self-Reliance" and "The Poet" changed my world. I'd like to read some more now that it's been a few years and see how they fare.

3. Romantic British poetry—I'm thinking "The Lady of Shalott," "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," "The Highwayman." I guess I'm getting a bit of an Anne Shirley vibe here. But they feel so New England, even though they're not.

4. Edgar Allan Poe's short stories—I don't know if I've hit them all, but the ones I have read I love. Plus, "The Murder in the Rue Morgue" is considered the very first detective story, and you know I love a good detective story. Maybe some of his poems as well, "Annabell Lee" is my favorite (though the fact that it was inspired by Lolita is seriously disturbing).

5. Pirate King by Laurie R. King—Another detective novel, the newest installment of the Mary Russell series comes out September 6. I really should put it on hold at the library.

6. Atlantic by Simon Winchester—This one was on my summer reading list. Didn't happen. But fall seems like an excellent time to read stories about the ocean. My favorite Herman Melville quote (the only part of Moby Dick I know) reads as follows:

Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off - then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.

Delicious. How could I not read Atlantic? Or maybe Moby Dick (doubtful).

7. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie—This is not about New England or fall. It's about the 1947 partition of India. But it's been a while since I read Rushdie, and I miss him.


In all reality, there's a decent chance I won't get through seven books, let alone ten. Crazy schedule. So we'll just stop here then.

TTT: Authors

This week’s Top Ten at The Broke and Bookish is Top Ten Authors I Would DIE to meet (living or dead). So fun. And tricky. But I bet you can guess the first one.

1. Salman Rushdie. The man is a linguistic genius. And a staunch believer in the power of language and our right to use it. Check out this lovely NYTimes article. Yes, Mr. Rushdie, one day we will meet. Book signing when you write about the fatwa?

2. Thomas Friedman. Major journalistic envy for this guy. I love his writing, I love his idealism, I love his knowledge of the Middle East. I love his new NYTimes photo. Looking good, there, Tom. Are you perhaps friends with the advertising manager for the Times? We had lunch a few weeks ago, you know.

3. Chaim Potok. His books are beautiful and heartbreaking. Quite a bit of my initial Jewish knowledge came from him, and we all know how much I love that.

4. Madeline L’Engle. The older I get, the more I love her young adult fiction. I’ve read all her YA books multiple times. I like the way she blends the religious with the scientific. And there is such a thing as a tesseract. *shiver*

5. David Crystal. I love his analysis of English linguistics. Very accessible to laymen (which I am not, but still), and not so descriptive that I feel like all grammar rules are utterly forgotten. Plus, he blogs! He’s responded to comments I’ve made on the blog—does that count as meeting? I think probably no. 

6. L. M. Montgomery. I feel like I keep saying this, but I love her books. They never get old. They have also inspired me to take the ferry from Maine to Prince Edward Island at some point while I live in Boston. I want to see where the Anne-girl lived.

7. J. K. Rowling. How can I not include the woman who created the magical world of Harry Potter? Talent like that is truly astonishing, and there are so many questions I would ask her about her writing process. Plus maybe she’d invite me to have tea with her and Alan Rickman. Now wouldn’t that be something.

8. C. S. Lewis. The man is brilliant. What interesting conversations you could have.

9. F. Scott Fitzgerald. I am fascinated by his life. Could I meet Zelda too? They are so horribly tragic, but his writing is lovely. And I’d love to hear him talk about working with Maxwell Perkins. And Hemingway.

10. Margaret Mitchell. The woman who wrote my favorite book of all time, but then nothing ever again. She had a pretty interesting life herself.

I’d like to mention that I have met two authors who would normally have made it on this list, but since I’ve talked to them already they no longer qualify:

Simon Winchester. I told him his discussion of the Oxford English Dictionary was brilliant; he told me to apply for a scholarship he was starting in honor of Larry Ashmead and he’d pull some strings for me because I like his books.

Leif Enger. I heard him read from So Brave, Young, and Handsome at Powell's and fell mildly in love. His brother Lin read from his book Undiscovered Country at the same time. Both great (people and books).

TTT: Rebels

I looked up The Broke and the Bookish’s upcoming Top Ten Tuesdays, and I loved this one (and next week’s, so stay tuned! and participate!), so we’re at it again. Top ten rebels (characters or authors) in literature—those people who stood up for what they believe in despite the cost of doing so. I maybe stretched it slightly to also include people just filled with moxie. Because don’t we all wish we could be like them?

Gone with the Wind—Well we have to start with Rhett Butler, don’t we? Not received in Charlestown, not even by his own family. Blockade runner. Pirate. Frequenter of brothels (okay, maybe just Belle Watling's). Mocker of the Confederacy. Friend of Jesse James. Yes indeed, he’s at the top.

The Fountainhead—While I’m no supporter of Ayn Rand’s philosophies, I have to put Howard O’Rourke as my second rebel. The man is gutsy. Seriously, nearly every other character in the novel is out to get him, yet he still succeeds. Without showing any sign of weakness. And he gets the girl.

Little Women—She may not be exactly what they had in mind, but Jo March is all kinds of courageous. She works for her Aunt March, she goes off to New York alone, she struggles to get her stories published. Plus she feels terribly confined by her societal role as a woman and (to a certain extent) fights it. And as Jo is a reflection on her creator and her life, I’m adding Louisa May Alcott to this list.

While we’re discussing authors, George Eliot. Openly living with a married man for twenty years in the Victorian age? No wonder she used a pseudonym.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix—How could we make a rebel list without Sirius Black? Though he appears in multiple HP books, it’s OOTP that really shows his disregard for rules and his own safety, especially when provoked (by Snape) or protective (of Harry). We all cry a little at the end.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows—Another HP character who is in several books, Dobby the house elf. Sure, he’s a bit ridiculous with his adoration of Harry and his love for socks, but he does not back down. Just watched the movie again with my sister, and the scene at the end where he stands up to Bellatrix: “Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!” How can you not love him?

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest—Randle Patrick McMurphy is a crazy (but not actually crazy—but maybe?) inmate in Nurse Ratched’s mental hospital. The entire novel revolves around his rebellion against Nurse Ratched and the way he helps the other patients stand up for themselves. You can’t help but admire him.

Peace Like a River—I love this story, and I love Davy Land. He protects his family and his girlfriend and then avoids his fate by breaking out of jail and riding away on a horse. Classic. (Sunny Sundown is pretty awesome, too.)

Last, but certainly not least (in fact, I’d argue he’s highest on my list, that’s why we saved him, best for last and all that), author Salman Rushdie. Freaking goodness. He infuriated an entire religion with The Satanic Verses, and 23% of the entire global population is Muslim* (in 2009 per Wikipedia). A fatwa was issued against him. He lived in who-knows-where hiding for ten years. His wife left him. He was not able to see his son. Talk about standing up for what you believe in despite the cost of doing so.

Okay, your turn. Favorite literary rebels?

*I am well aware that not all Muslims agreed with the fatwa or were even offended by the book. I want to make sure you know that too.

Lovin' on Portland

We did a lot of fun things while I was home: Burgerville seasonal shakes, The Dark Knight with Tanner, Murry's puppies, Boggle, delicious berry cobbler and a goat, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I with Jessie, the train game, Psych. But I think my favorite fun things happened in Portland.

On Saturday we went downtown and rode the streetcar from OHSU to NW 23rd Street. It was rainy, which was perfect Oregon weather (even if 3/4 of the family complained).

Dad and the Jessiebelle on the streetcar.

Jake's for lunch. A Portland landmark. Also a place that displays real desserts, not plastic ones. Tanner wasn't aware.

We tried on hats. Cowboygirl Jessiebelle.

Charlie Chaplain?

I told them to be in character. They did well.

Kentucky Derby, here we come.

Portland's version of the T. Except that that's really MAX. This was more fun.

View from the OHSU tram.

From the tram again.

I caught the other tram as it passed! I am a speedy-fast-like-a-jackal photographer.

Dad and Megan on the OHSU tram.

Lunch was delicious, and the OHSU tram was not nearly as terrifying as I thought it would be. In fact, it isn't terrifying at all. I'd ride it again.


Tuesday following I drove up to N Mississippi Street to have "coffee" with Malone (he drinks coffee, I drink hot chocolate). Never been there before, but I found it without incident and even parked on the curb. Of course, finding my way to a parking spot in NW Portland afterward was not so easy; I panicked and stopped six blocks too soon. But I was able to spend a lovely lunch with my kind of old but really more new friend, Charlotte. We both love blog stalking, Gilmore Girls, proper punctuation, and Bones. It was meant to be.

And what's a trip to Portland without a trip to Powell's?

Incomplete, that's what. Hello, three Salman Rushdie books for $27.

Huffington Post Was Not Quite Right

Last week, the Huffington Post ran an article comparing the Book of Mormon musical to the Qur’an burning by the (my words here, not HP) crazy pastor in Florida. While I appreciate what they were trying to do and I do like the attitude they had toward the Church’s reaction to the musical, I felt that the comparison was inappropriate. Marilyn Manson tearing up a copy of the Book of Mormon in Salt Lake is a more accurate comparison to the (again, my words) crazy pastor burning the Qur’an. So what’s the comparison to the Book of Mormon musical?

Enter Salman Rushdie. 

Now, we all know how much I’m literary crushing on Salman Rushdie. He has a beautiful mastery of the English language, and I’ll fall for anyone who does. But he did write a very controversial book in The Satanic Verses, which resulted in a fatwa calling for not only his death but the death of anyone else involved in the publication of the novel. He hid from the world for ten years, and several people died. The written word is a powerful motivator, apparently.

And while I don’t ever think it’s in any way acceptable to condemn someone to death based on their artistic work, I do understand why they felt the way they did. (I also recognize that this was a political move on the part of Ayatollah Khomeini, but the people in Britain and other parts of the world who responded in kind weren’t thinking politically.) It’s weird to see multiple sides of an issue where people demand you take just one.

Which brings me back to this lovely (slight sarcasm) new musical. I’ve been thinking about the two in relation to each other, and I’m having a tricky time resolving both. We took a quiz in my literature class in which our professor asked us if the content of The Satanic Verses is inescapably blasphemous. I responded as follows:

Since we first discussed Rushdie and the fatwa, I have been struggling with the motivations that Rushdie had for writing this novel. He has said in interviews that he didn’t mean to intentionally offend anyone but he did want to talk about subjects that are often considered taboo. While I understand that and think that it is absolutely worthwhile to discuss issues people often think are off-limits, I can still see how some of the scenes in the novel can be very offensive to some devout Muslims and considered blasphemous. Is the controversy inescapable? No. Any time you engage a religious topic there will be controversy; he just sparked a lot more controversy than other writers have. But is his project inescapably blasphemous? I’m not so sure about that one.

Roughly a month ago, a musical opened in New York called The Book of Mormon. Written by the creators of South Park and Avenue Q, it has been described by critics as very funny and entertaining, but also highly irreverent. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (very commonly known as the Mormon Church), and it has been interesting to me to hear about this musical and read reviews while also reading Satanic Verses. From what I have read and seen, I suspect that I would find parts of this musical very funny and clever; however, I am certain I would also find many parts of it completely inappropriate and perhaps offensive. I struggle with the idea of free speech and using whatever material you want in an artistic endeavor—ideas that I strongly support—at the expense of a group of people, particularly if it’s a group I am a part of or care for. And while I do support people’s freedom to express themselves, I also feel like there are boundaries that should not be crossed (how to define them is another matter entirely).

The only way I’ve been able to (partially) resolve this issue for myself is to look at the writer’s intent. In an interview on the Daily Show (starts at minute 14), the writers of The Book of Mormon mentioned how they do poke fun at everyone, but ultimately they are just interested in Mormons and the culture and it was their way of saying something like, “Hey, we don’t understand them at all but we think they’re fascinating.” Their intent wasn’t malicious or destructive in any way, and so even though I’m sure I would see some of the content as irreverent and inappropriate, I am willing to let those things go because they were not trying to cause harm. However, I am not so sure about Rushdie’s intent. Some of the scenes hit too close to home, especially considering he was a part of the Muslim world and knows how important Muhammad and the Qur’an are. His writing is very powerful, and it might have lost some of its power if it were not so blasphemous. However, that doesn’t necessarily make it right.

So, Salman, I do love you, but I’m still on the fence. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t love The Satanic Verses, because I did. And you all should read it.

As for the Book of Mormon musical, I think I’ve landed pretty much in line with the Church’s response. But they usually get things spot on.

A post in which I rave about Salman Rushdie but do not write a book review

I had a series of interesting gchat conversations yesterday, beginning at 3:00a.m. when I’d accidentally left gmail up (no, Mom, I was not awake):

3:05 AM Amy: reading some Rushdie these days?

11:44 AM Andrew: ok, what are satanic verses

 me: hahaha

11:45 AM it's a book by Salman Rushdie

 Andrew: right

  has Boston turned you to the dark side?

 me: no, it's for my literature class.

  it's actually a phenomenal book so far, my favorite in the class

 Andrew: interesting, would you recommed it?

 me: yes I would.

12:15 PM Matt: you're reading the satanic verses?

 me: yes I am

12:16 PM Matt: i was gonna make that my next book!

  you like it so far?

 me: haha, awesome.

  yeah, I really do

1:43 PM Angela: satanic verses?

1:46 PM me: haha, it's a book

  for my literature class

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_satanic_verses

2:33 PM Michael: SATANIC VERSES?

 me: a book for my literature class

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_satanic_verses

2:34 PM Michael: NO THANKS

2:36 PM me: haha

  I forgot, you don't like to read

10:43 PM Calvin: alliegm "Satanic Verses"

  hilarious

 me: hahaha

  that gchat status has prompted more conversations than anything else ever has.

10:44 PM Calvin: i can imagine

  hilarious when people don't know

10:45 PM me: oh it is

I guess that’s what happens when your status looks like this:

 Really though, in the last 48 hours Salman Rushdie has overtaken my life, and if I didn’t have a real job I would sit and read all day. This book is so dense, but it’s rich and engaging and amazingly done. Pop culture, religion, literature, political figures, mountains, historical events, current (then) events, all are referenced and alluded to up the wazoo. And it’s all done with amazing prose that I just can’t describe so I won’t begin to try.

Man. A little bit in love with Salman Rushdie. At least his mastery of language anyway.

Read it. And if you think you don’t have time to invest in this book, which I do understand, then read The Shelter of the World. Lovely short story that gives a small taste of his abilities as a writer.