Troy’s Book Club: Of Mice and Men

“Of Mice and Men”

I read this brief classic by John Steinbeck, during a flight back to Milwaukee, from California. I spent the better part of a week there with my family. You can see the haikus, and a few photos, that the trip inspired here.

As my family was getting ready to come home, I saw my brother, Clint, reading this book. John Steinbeck has been a long time favorite of mine – having enjoyed “East of Eden,” “Cannery Row”, and “Grapes of Wrath.” Steinbeck has a way with language that really appeals to me – simple, emotional, straight-forward, “earthy” even. Clint appeared almost through with the book, and so I asked him to pass it to me, if he finished it during the flight. He finished, he passed, and so, over a 4-hour flight, I started and finished this book.

“Of Mice and Men” is the story of two men, Lennie and George, two drifting migrant workers in California, during the Depression. George is a small, crafty sort of guy – he seems to always be looking for an angle on things and, as a reader, I wasn’t sure he was someone I’d trust too far. Lennie, on the other hand, is a large, lumbering, simple-minded man who relies of George for guidance. There are many other characters on the farm that Lennie and George come to work on, and they are given a “solidity” that Steinbeck achieves with a spareness of words. It always amazes me what a full picture Stenbeck can “draw” with a few chosen words. I could really “see” some of these characters in my mind’s eye.

George and Lennie have dreams of what they hope to someday achieve with the money they make working on the farms – a farm of their own, where they could “live off the fat of the land” and do what they please. Life has a way though, of showing us what it thinks when we try to plan our lives out…and Lennie’s and George’s plans don’t exactly come to fulfillment.

This book is short, tragic, and everyone should check it out. For as quick a read as it is, there’s no reason to not read this classic. Also, this book apparently has been the victim of people trying to ban it with some regularity, even as recently as 2007. I don’t know, I didn’t see anything that offensive in it. So, go read it just to spite those small-minded people who would ban books.

If you’re in Milwaukee, and even if you’re not, you can get a copy of “Of Mice and Men” at local book-seller, Boswell Books. Here’s the link.

Troy’s Book Club: Aikido and the Harmony of Nature

“Aikido and the Harmony of Nature” by Mitsugi Saotome

Finally finished reading this book that has been in my possession for years. I’ve probably spent a year reading it – a few pages here, a few pages there. Aikido is a martial art I first learned of many years ago, in the pages of G.I. Joe: Special Missions #4, to be exact. In this issue, “Lifeline”, the G.I. Joe medic, defeats a much larger opponent with a martial art called “aikido”. Ever since then, I’ve had a minor fascination with the art form.

In reading this book, it’s apparent that aikido is as much a life-philosophy as it is a martial art. The book is written by Mitsugi Saotome, who was trained by Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba, the son of aikido’s Founder, Morihei Ueshiba.

As always, if you choose to buy this book, please consider a locally-owned bookstore or a used-bookstore. Milwaukee’s Boswell Books can get it for you! Also, you can get this book from the Milwaukee Public Library.

Here are many of the bits I found most interesting in the book:

+”..all actions arise from an unconscious and sincerely felt respect and appreciation for the perfection of nature’s process and from the knowledge that all things have within them a living part of the Divine Spirit of Kami, the Creator and Origin of the universe. The wind has God’s name. The mountains have God’s name. Trees, grasses, animals, all things in nature are the consciousness of the Creator and manifestations of His boundless love.

+”Aikido is the love and protection of all things.”

+”Love is reality.”

+”God is not logic; God is not philosophy; God is love.”

+”…and the only constant is change.”

+”…the truth of Aikido lies in action, the theory proven in practice.”

+”Sitting is an important part of Zen training, but more important is to understand reality, the reality of sweat, of work, of responsibility.”

+”Physical attitude reflects the spirit, for they are one. If we do not train and cleanse the foundation of the body and the mind, truth cannot be expressed and we cannot help society.”

+”Negative power is to be met, not with conflict, but joined, interpreted, and redirected through the power and balance of spiral movement.”

+” ‘I am not a man, I am the universe itself,’ said Morihei Ueshiba. This is not theology. It is truth. We are truly created from the material of the stars, the light of God, for we too began with the great explosion of light.”

+”Harmony does not mean there are no conflicts, for the dynamic spiral of existence embraces both extremes. Conflict is the beginning of harmony as death is the beginning of life.”

+”It helps to prepare for the unforeseeable future by “expecting the unexpected and be developing an open mind so that response to the unexpected is without hesitation.”

+”Only intuition and insight can decide the appropriate reaction to an ever-changing situation.”

+”I repeat, harmony is not synonymous with weakness and balance is not another word for stagnation.”

+”The philosophy of the Shinto priests…held that action is the natural consequence of prayer.”

+”He perfected his reflexes, seeking the freedom of a liberated body that could meet any situation spontaneously, without the binding chains of ego and thought.”

+”In that time of war and power struggles, guns were at first quickly adopted, but soon the bushi, who revered honor and bravery in battle above all else, came to believe that to kill with a gun required neither.” (italics added-TF)

+”What is the difference between heaven and hell? Consciousness, compassion and cooperation.”

+”Our society, our economy,our lifestyle is geared to the instant and disposable. We find no satisfaction in the process and no pride in our work or in the community…We are a materialistic society, yet we have no respect for materials.”

+”Elevators, escalators, and the automobile have rendered muscles, once firm and strong from running and climbing, weak and flaccid. Our minds have become dulled from lack of use as we allow calculators and computer to do more and more of the thinking for us. We have at our disposal more free time than ever before, but instead of using it creatively for personal study and inner growth, we lean back in the controlled comfort of our living rooms and demand to be entertained, hypnotized by the endless parade of animated figures on a television screen. …We seek a life of ease and comfort, believing that this is the way to happiness, and then wonder why life has lost its flavor.” (italics added-TF)

+”Our minds are becoming dry and static and square, for we no longer allow an appreciation and respect for creation to touch our hearts.”

+”Experience is true knowledge.”

+”The Way is very strict. You must defend yourself, and you must defend the enemy. This is your responsibility.”

+”The most important point of Budo training is to understand the enemy. If you understand, you cannot hate.”

+”It is the positive ki and reaction that makes a chivalrous, noble and awesome vibration.”

+”The truth of reality cannot be experienced by a heart that is filled with questions of victory and defeat.”

+”How long you live is not important. Life is moment by moment, and the measure of your life is the way in which your spirit blossoms each of those moments.” (italics added-TF)

+”Technique is, in one second, the creation of form.” (italics added – TF)

+”Your life is the sum of its relationships.”

+”Aikido is a dynamic poem of movement. You must become the galaxy and express it with your body. You cannot imitate the power of an ocean wave; you must become the ocean itself. You must see not just small technique but the entire picture of the movement.”

+”He taught that a mistake is an opportunity for creativity; no mistake, only change.”

+”Whenever there is greed, confusion, and a lack of communication, there is a degradation of human value.”

+”You must not spend your life searching for security. If you cover yourself with layer after layer of heavy armor you will be unable to move, unable to fight and protect yourself or others. You will never feel the warm touch of the sun nor the sharp sting of a hard rain. Joy will be lost. Your freedom and independence will be lost.”

+”In the final analysis, you and you alone are responsible for your own growth. You make your own reality.”

+Here is a portrait of Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido – TF

Troy’s Book Club: You Suck, a love story

With the latest book I’ve read, you might be inclined to think that I’m trend-wagon-hopping, as “You Suck” is the tale of vampires in love, but I assure you, Twilight has nothing on this book. I read one of this author’s other books earlier this summer, “Lamb“, and had to read more.

“You Suck: a love story“, by Christopher Moore, is a fast-paced roller-coaster of a tale. It details the San Francisco-based adventures of a young couple in love, who also happen to be newly “initiated” vampires. For a number of reasons, this book was a fun frolic to read–a little over a year ago, Rachel and I went to San Fran; the female lead is a feisty red-head (like Rachel); the couple is still learning about themselves and each other (a situation I’m not unfamiliar with), and Moore’s use of language is at times silly and always inventive with his metaphors.

There are a lot of characters in this short novel – the Animals, Tommy, Blue, Jody, Abby Normal, and Chet to name a few of them. Moore introduces each one deftly, giving you a good sense of the character in a minimal amount of time and with a maximum amount of momentum. Moore sets up a number of plot points as well, and manages to address the majority of them in satisfactory ways. Having the book set in San Francisco also added to my enjoyment, as I could picture the locations he talked about, due to my trip there last year.

There’s a bit of a circle to the way the story ends that could be viewed as good story construction by some, but fell a little flat to me. I like that the book’s conclusion was very unexpected, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I liked the ending. I honestly didn’t see it coming at all, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.

Too, the title-aspect of the story, the love story, didn’t feel that solid to me. While I very much enjoyed the characters, I didn’t get the sense of their relationship so well and that was a bit disappointing. Luckily for me, there was so much plot movement that this hardly slowed me down as I blazed through this book in two days. If Hollywood wants more vampire material for the big-screen, I would be very interested to see what they could do with this novel.

As always, if you want to support a Milwaukee business, here’s where you can get this book from Boswell Books!

Troy’s Book Club: Texas Death Row

“Texas Death Row“, by KenLight (photos) and Suzanne Donovan (essay), is the first “photo-book” that I’ve blogged about here. I’ve owned this book for a few years now, but haven’t given it a close examination until recently, as it seemed particularly relevant considering the Texan governor vying to be a presidential candidate and the recent execution by the state of Georgia of a man whose guilt has been seriously doubted. I think our society may have a bit of a “out of sight, out of mind” attitude towards the prisoners in our country and particularly those on death row. I wanted to read this book and dwell on these photos to try and bring myself a slightly greater awareness of what life like is like for people who have been condemned to die.

This book does a good job of showing an honest view of life on death row, but does not apologize for the people incarcerated there. Moreso, this book really raises the question of whether or not a society can find justice for the victims of crime and at the same time treat the criminals in a humane fashion? It is a question that’s not answered yet, if the book is to suggest anything. Whether a person is a supports or opposes the death penalty, this book should be read and viewed. The words, photos and documents in this book do a good job of making you realize that state-sponsored execution of criminals, and the United States prison system in general, is a system that is too complex to be drawn in generalizations. The effects of prison obviously impact the individuals imprisoned in life-altering ways, and additionally, the way a country deals with prisoners affects the psyche, culture, and empathic development of the country as a whole. This is something that should be a concern to every citizen.

 

Troy’s Book Club: We the Animals

“We the Animals”, by Justin Torres, was given to me by a friend to read. They said it was interesting, well-written, distressing, and as good as it can be, for what it was. I have to report that, yes, this book definitely met those descriptors pretty well. “We the Animals” follows the childhood of three brothers growing up in a lower-class, emotionally-troubled mixed-race marriage.

The brothers make a “miniature tribe”, backing each other, chastising and disciplining each other, adventuring with each other. The parents work opposite shifts at dead-end jobs and their moods swing like a playground set. The brothers learn how to cope with the emotional abuse from parents whose moods or response patterns they can never predict–never knowing whether to anticipate a hug or a slap upside the head. The book is at times hard to read; the situations the author places this family are stressful, to say the least.

The book is short, only 124 pages. It’s a quick read–divided into short chapters with titles like “never-never time”, “talk to me”, “you better come,” and “wasn’t no one to stop this.” If anything, this tough made me reflect on my relationship with my brothers, and my relationship to my wife, my parents. Mostly, it made me appreciate them all the more because imperfect as we might all be, we still didn’t have it near as rough as the characters in this book. Honestly, I was a little out of breath at the end–it wears you out and surprises and depresses you. Heck, as I think about it, it reminds me of the movie “Requiem for a Dream”–amazing movie, but one you really don’t need to watch (or in this case, read) a second time.

As always, if you’d like to get this from a local Milwaukee book-store, here’s the link for you!

And to lift your spirits up, here is a photo from this summer of my brothers and I:

Troy’s Book Club: a three-fer

Three books, all quite unique, all quite lovely, all easily read.

1. The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz, is a self-described “practical guide to personal freedom”. It’s a small book, and can be read in a few sittings, or maybe even just one if you’re a real go-getter. I took it in over a few sittings–I need to digest things. The Four Agreements are quite simple, and if you can put them into practice in your life, I can see how they can make a big difference in how a person receives the world. This is no spoiler, and you should still read the book; here are The Four Agreements:

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word

2. Don’t Take Anything Personally

3. Don’t Make Assumptions, and

4. Always do your best

There is much more behind each of these ideas and they all really deserve some time to be dwelt on. Here’s a few quotes for your consideration:
“How many times do we make our spouse, our children, or our parents pay for the same mistake?”

“Use the word to share your love.”

“Making assumptions in our relationships is really asking for problems. Often we make the assumption that our partners know what we think and that we don’t have to say what we want. We assume they are going to do what we want because they know us so well. If they don’t do what we assume they should do, we feel hurt and say ‘You should have known.’”

“Doing your best, you are going to live life intensely.”

“Without action upon an idea, there will be no manifestation, no results, no reward.”

“You express your own divinity by being alive and by loving yourself and others. It is an expression of God to say, ‘Hey, I love you.’”

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2. “Chester 5000XYV” by Jess Fink, is an “adult” comicbook, or as the cover proclaims, it’s “An erotic, robotic, Victorian romance”. Even more, it’s a “silent” comicbook—while there are some sound effects and hieroglyphic-filled word balloons, there is no standard narration, which is pretty neat as the story then relies upon the reader to gather what’s happening from Ms. Fink’s great control of expressions and body language. The artwork is graphic but tasteful, full-spirited and sensitive. Simply put, it’s so well-done that I would take issue with any person who tries to describe this as “standard” pornography. There’s sex (and a robot), sure, but it sure isn’t anything to feel guilty or ashamed about. Great job, Ms. Fink!

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3. “De Tales”, by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba, is another comicbook, and it makes me want to travel. These twin brothers are from Sau Paulo, Brazil and that is where this book of short stories is set. The stories are each little vignettes and showcase the brothers’ ability to convey the mood of a setting in the artwork and to describe characters with just a few lines of dialogue. There’s not much more needed to say besides repeating what I said a few sentences ago: “De Tales” makes me want to travel, specifically to Brazil.

Support your local Milwaukee businesses!—I got my copy of “The Four Agreements” from Boswell Book Company, ”Chester 5000XYV” came from Tool Shed Toys, and “De Tales” was purchased at Collector’s Edge Comics.

Troy’s Book Club: This Is Not Civilization

Though I’ve not traveled as much as some, I have gotten some miles on my feet and appreciate a good travelogue. As a kid, I often enjoyed stories about explorers and adventurers. I can still remember reading a biography of Chuck Yeager when I was in grade-school. The idea of Robert Rosenberg’s “This Is Not Civilization”, a fictional novel (inspired by life experiences) about a Peace Corps volunteer, therefore had a good appeal to me, particularly since one of my younger brothers had also been a Peace Corps volunteer.

What is neat about reading is that often a reader bases their decision to read a particular book upon that ever-important back-cover description. Then, in reading the book with assumptions based upon that description, a reader may find things going in directions not anticipated….such was the case for me with “This Is Not Civilization.” The plot of this book, its interweaving of 4 different characters, the trials and tribulations they all go through, and most importantly, where they all end up were not what I anticipated. So, I do like it when a book throws me a curveball. I had expectations of this book and for the first third, it followed the course I thought it would…and then the direction changed. And I kept reading and the plot continued to take me to different places. It’s surprising how a book can put you off balance when it wants to.

Heck, it reminded me of how life itself can be. We all have thoughts, ideas, and plans that we craft for how we want our life to go. And often, for some portion of time, things go the way we plan…and then life changes direction and we find ourselves in unanticipated places facing novel challenges and dealing with heretofore unknown feelings.  So, to be frank, this book was a good read for me at this particular point in my life.

“This is Not Civilization” is available from Milwaukee’s own BOSWELL BOOKS!

Troy’s Book Club: Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal

Just got done reading Christopher Moore‘s delightful “Lamb”. What a great, fun, thoughtful book. I really can’t suggest enough that you read this, particularly if you were raised Catholic, or have any level of spirituality in you, or you like adventure stories, or you have a sense of humor, or you like dirty jokes, or you like kung fu, or you like irreverent and sensitive humor, or you’ve ever wondered what your “destiny” is. Really, this books touches on all those topics.

We’ve all heard about or possibly read the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These cover Christ’s birth and his death—but what about all the time in between? What the heck was Christ up to between the time he was 10 and 30? What does the “H” in “Jesus H. Christ” stand for?  These are the weighty questions that Mr. Moore attempts to answer. This book is “written” by Biff, who was at Christ’s side from childhood through his adult years. Biff is outspoken, has a crush on Christ’s mom, and has a lot more “street-sense” than Christ; he has quite a list of achievements!

I enjoyed the heck out of this book. Mr. Moore really wrote a lovely picture of Christ and the adventures he could have had for 20 years and how these adventures contributed to his ideas for preaching.

Check out this book here from the Milwaukee Public Library.

Buy this book here from Boswell Book Company.

Troy’s Book Club: The Boys From Brazil

I have a stack of books in my office that have been the “Gotta Read That Soon” pile for way too long. I’m making a point this summer to try and make a significant dent in that pile of books! It’s been a while since I’ve read much fiction (Yes, I read a LOT of comicbooks, but that’s different) and it seems that I’ve forgotten the excitement that can come from a well-written tale!

I have had my garage-sale-bought copy of “The Boys From Brazil” by Ira Levin for years now and only picked it up less than a week ago. Mr. Levin is known for his suspense work, having also written “The Stepford Wives”, “Rosemary’s Baby”, and “Sliver.” Stephen King has been quoted as describing Levin as, ”the Swiss watchmaker of suspense novels, he makes what the rest of us do look like cheap watchmakers in drugstores.” “The Boys From Brazil” has always had a strong reputation and I had vague ideas of its plot. It has, in my mind, been one of those “I need to read that sometime soon” books and I’m so glad I finally got to read it.

The book is a thriller, a real page-turner. I was quickly impressed by Levin’s ability to control pacing and to keep me wondering where the plot was going to go and what surprises were yet to be revealed. The plot involves the secret plan of Nazis hidden in S. America, a number of seemingly unrelated murders, and a  European Nazi-hunter’s endeavors to unravel it all. As I said, this book did a great job of making me wonder what was going to happen next. It was a quick read – less than a week for me. If you like fiction and history, you may very much enjoy this book. Though it was originally published in 1976, it STILL has a lot of punch in it!

check it out from the Milwaukee Library: The Boys…

buy your books LOCAL: Boswell Book Company

buy your books Second-Hand: Half-Price Books

Troy’s Book Club: “if the Buddha married”

Today’s post is about a book a friend lent to me. While the title is “if the Buddha married: creating enduring relationships on a spiritual path”, the book has a lot of good things to share for any relationships–not just marital. This book is written by Charlotte Kasl, who also wrote “if the Buddha dated” (which is available in the Milwaukee County Library HERE). I’ve been doing a lot of searching and thinking recently. This book shed some light on relationships for me, and made some good observations on what can help a relationship to survive and thrive.

Here are my highlights from this swell book:

• p. 1 As we learn to bring attention to whatever we are doing, we find that all of life is a form of meditation.
• p. 7 I learned that my condition and expectations created my turmoil, not the words or actions of the other person…This awareness was key to changing my relationships because it removed all levels of blame and shame, and helped me to realize that everyone is just doing what they are conditioned to do. (my italics-TF)
• p. 12  To increase the intimacy in your life, start noticing the predictable ways in which you act and react in relation to your partner.
• p. 16 Take a moment to think of your partner as your beloved. –this special person who wants what you want–to be loved, to be free of suffering, and to experience joy. This imperfect being who has chosen you as you have chosen him or her. This one whose touch, voice, habits and smells are embedded in your senses.
• p. 25 Happily married couples foster a steady current of connection by voicing heartfelt appreciation for each other.
• p 45 Repeatedly ask the question “Am I creating closeness or separation?”  Think of a more gentle way to say what you need.
• p 47 Listen beneath the surface of a behavior..and look for positive intention.
• p 59 Successful couple are skillful at reflecting the best parts of each other…
• p 64 Take a few minutes to reflect on all the stories you tell yourself about your partner that keep you apart. Then imagine letting them all go and looking in your partner’s eyes and seeing who’s there today.
• p 81 On the spiritual path, we do’t ask the world to change for us, we reflect on our own attachments.
• p 98 …We are having a relationship with our projected images of parents or feared authority figures rather than this person we call our partner…we need to meet as peers, not as children or surrogate parents.
• p 110 Become aware of the parts of yourself you have disowned…look at the polarities between you and consider the possibility that you are repressing what is obvious in your partner (emphasis added-TF)
• p 140 (regarding apologies)..Put the focus on your partner by acknowledging the impact of your behavior.
• p 143 …if we can grasp the Buddhist principle that hurtful behavior stems from ignorance, pain and suffering, we may eventually feel mercy and compassion instead of anger and judgment. But it’s not always easy.
• p 149 To have a relationship is to be vulnerable.
• p 159 (when in an argument) Ask yourself, “How old do I feel in this argument?” Tell your partner about this.
• p 167 Going a step deeper, we need to remember that fear is often the initial feeling that precedes anger.
• p 172 The agreement that helps relationships stay alive is “I will say what’s bothering me and I will listen to what’s bothering you.”
• p 180 Keep the conflict in the “us” place. It must be focused on finding a win-win solution that both of you can live with.
• p 182 …remember that solving conflict is a form of intimacy if we listen, respond, and allow our creativity to join in the process. (emphasis added-TF)
• p 190 Once people have felt deeply cared-for and understood, solutions often come easier.
• p 208-09 re: “deepening your sexual bond”…Explore ways to be intimate emotionally without sex…take turns giving and receiving..talk about what you enjoy and what you would like to have different
• p 222 Imagine making love with a completely empty mind…Let your thoughts be only a wish that you both be happy, and feel love, and the source of all love.
• p 223 …as if you are exploring your beloved’s body for the first time…If you start to hold back or thoughts interrupt your presence, breathe, soften your belly, and come back to the sensations of the moment. Ask for what you want. Look your partner in the eyes…
• p 228 re: “bringing more vitality to your union” …Spend time together without discussing other people, injustice, politics, how bad it is in the world. Leave all negativity behind. be completely in the present…
• p 231 re: Being Creative Together …If you can join together in the “us” place knowing that being creative together is more important that anyone being right or winning, you can add spark to your relationship.
• p 232 Remember, our task is to expand our love – not to change others…We can remind ourselves that when someone is being cruel or unkind, it stems from his or her internal suffering or ignorance. We can set limits and respond simply, without throwing the other person out of our heart.

There is much more in this book, but those are some moments that really stood out to me. There really is a lot to learn from the Buddhist tradition, and I’m hoping I can continue to develop my “beginner’s mind.”