CHILDREN UNDERGROUND (DVD)

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Sleeping in subway tunnels around Bucharest are the casualties of a fallen era. Disposed of, disheveled and drug-dependent, they're among the 30,000+ homeless children of post-communist Romania. 'Children' is no exaggeration, either, with kids aged 3 or 4 routinely cohabitating with 'elder' youths; mutually sharing scrounged-for food fragments, cardboard boxes, clothing and paint-thinner. The state being woefully ill-equipped to face things, the problem has essentially become part of the scenery, a permanent fixture on the post-socialist landscape.

For a period of three months, German director Edet Belzberg and a low-budget film crew monitored a handful of subway children, carefully divulging the origin and reason for each's displacement and examining the bitter reality of the mostly ineffectual attempts at intervention. In typical intrusive fashion the camera preserves the excruciating innocence of each child who, amidst the backdrop of a broader world, remains painfully unaware of their surroundings. 'Susceptibility' doesn't begin to describe their plight. Life's not so much day-to-day as it is moment-by-moment with their turbulent existence only perpetuated by hunger, disease, ignorance and brutality. Every instance, every confrontation, every awkward image of normal life drifting past is brilliantly captured by Belzberg, leaving the audience without a doubt that each kid is still just a kid, inhabiting a perversely distorted world of confusion, desperation and neglect.

The Consolation of Philosophy / Boethius

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An emissary of the Ostrogothic emperor Theodoric in the mid-6th century, Boethius rose to prominence within the Roman court until treachery by political rivals landed him in prison. Though wrongfully convicted and ultimately sentenced to death, his time in prison inspired the text for Consolation of Philosophy and other treatises on the nature of an unjust world.

The premise for 'Consolation' is an allegory whereby Boethius confronts Lady Philosophy [theoretically] on the fleeting nature of “Fortune” and the spurious prospect of permanent virtue (“one true good”). For his part Boethius postulates, among other queries on free will and determinism, why evil men often prosper through unscrupulous means while the righteous fall to ruin for their integrity. Lady Philosophy contends that “the good" (prosperity) and “happiness” are internal manifestations and that virtue—though subject to Fortune’s duality—remains constant apart of man's fallible nature.

While the life of its author was short-lived, the work itself has flourished as an important contribution to western philosophy, still credited as a precursor to modern rationalist thought. Dante, Chaucer, Milton and Aquinas have all regarded it as a foremost influence, employing similar syllogistic approaches in their own work just as more contemporary authors--Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Kafka, etc.--have mirrored Boethius allegorical style. With its concise translation and relatively easy text, this book would do well for anyone seeking a first-step-to-philosophy type read.

Tsar by Ted Bell

Alex Hawke, a modern-day James Bond who also happens to be a British Lord, is perfectly content in his quiet, secluded, slow-paced hideaway in Bermuda. A former first-class counter-terrorist , he is slowly recovering from the physical and psychological wounds he suffered at the hands of sadistic terrorists and has withdrawn from the world. But he is soon drawn back into his crucial role of global protector by the ruthless plans of a resurgent and threatening Russia, determined to “reintegrate” former territories and to blackmail the world with its huge oil supplies. Insidious technical inventions, global greed and diabolical genius make this book a nail-biting read!Shockingly current with an unsettling picture of our near future!

The Girl with No Shadow / Joanne Harris

It has been nine years since Vianne Rocher and her young daughter Anouk first arrived in Lansquenet, France, to spellbind the local populace with her exotic chocolates and mystical ways. This summer author Joanne Harris finally published the sequel!

The Girl with No Shadow finds Vianne and Anouk in the Montmartre district of Paris in the present day. Their little family has grown with the addition of Rosette who, despite her 4 years, speaks only in sign language and seems to have strongly inherited the family gift for magic. Vianne has grown weary of the Changing Wind that continually blows her and her girls from place to place, so she has resolved to suppress her magical skills and live like "ordinary" folk in order to hide from the Wind and Kindly Ones who come to call in their debts. Anouk chafes under her mother's "ordinariness" and resents not being able to use her natural gifts.

However, when a not-so-kindly (and also magical) stranger arrives and begins to insinuate herself into their lives, Vianne and Anouk must decide whether to stand up for who they truly are or try to be like everyone else and blow away with the wind.

This book is best read in sequence, so if you haven't read Chocolat, pick that one up first. If you like character-driven women's fiction with a glimmer of magical realism, this one's for you. Read-alikes include Sarah Addison Allen (Garden Spells, The Sugar Queen), Alice Hoffman (Practical Magic, The Third Angel), and Laura Esquivel (Like Water for Chocolate).

We all float down here . . .

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STEPHEN KING'S IT

Derry, Maine is like many towns. Families live there, jobs are adequate. Generations come and go with the years. Yet things are far from normal as hidden beneath the surface--indeed, under the very town itself--lurks a venomous evil. A creature of unearthly power and dimension, it's been a scourge of mankind for centuries, periodically sustaining its strength from the men, women and children of Derry.

Needless to say, 10-year-old Bill Denbrough knows of the terror plaguing his town. He'll never forget his brother's yellow slicker and galoshes worn the day Georgie went out to play in the rain. "Don't worry about me . . .". But Georgie was never seen again. Only in the following weeks and years will Bill piece together the fragments of what happened that day. He's not alone though. Bound by a common peril, he and his loyal friends--"the losers club"--are united in their quest; traversing space and time to unearth the ageless evil haunting their lives.

Simply put, this book is addictive. Effortlessly it entices the reader; alluringly exploring the complexity of a child's world paralleled against its (often familiar) adult antithesis. All is revealed amid the impermeability of trial-forged friendships, the trademark impressions of youth and the ugly, but redeeming reality of humanity. Maybe King's most ambitious work, this enthralling epic's not just a horror classic, it stands among the noted works of contemporary literature in recent decades.

The Forsyte Saga (The Forsyte Chronicles – 1st Trilogy) by John Galsworthy

My colleague Daniel’s review of the first book in this trilogy about the Forsyte family inspired me to read it and continue with the full trilogy, the books entitled “In Chancery” and “To Let”. Galsworthy, the author, takes you into his story gradually. The opening scene in the first book, “The Man of Property”, is of a Forsyte family gathering. As you meet the members, the family tree (provided in the front of the book) comes in handy, but the range of people across generations is a bit overwhelming at first. One has to remember that when Galsworthy wrote, people had a little more time to spare when they read a novel! But the book is so well-written and the characterization so subtle, that you are soon under its spell. No matter that some of the characters are proud and arrogant (Soames) and others inscrutable (Irene) - among the cast there is always someone whose plight touches your heart, and whose actions perfectly portray their random thoughts and intentions. The author sees the human desire to own something as cause for great folly, and beauty as its antidote, to be reveled in for its own sake, without trying to hold or possess it.

If I could just say a few words . . .

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Who hasn't run into the problem of standing up in a crowded room, intent upon delivering some rousing toast, only to realize how very bad you are at it. Here are a few helpful guides to ensure that your next impromptu oratory won't be met with an awkward silence.

Here's to You: Creating Your Own Meaningful Toast or Tribute for any Occasion / by Florence Isaacs
Longtime journalist and contributor to several noted womens magazines, Florence Isaacs has authored several books on the appropriate ways to give toasts, eulogies and introductions. Her latest book tells any would-be send-up novice exactly what should be said at birthdays, anniversaries, weddings or funerals. Whether your a son, daughter, mother, brother, co-worker or generic sympathizer, Isaacs' etiquette-first book gives the essentials of what, when and how to say to/about that special someone.

Can You Say a Few Words: How to Prepare and Deliver a Speech for any Special Occasion / by Joan Detz
Noted speechwriter within political circles and author of the well-known It's Not What You Say, It's How You Say It, Detz is very straightforward with her advice on public speaking. Among her leading points, she stresses the ability to appraise the mood ("climate") in order to deliver the necessary rhetoric (i.e.,"Nobody ever sold anything by boring his audience to death", p151). This book is split into very concise sections, each geared towards tailored events and could be a quick-reference guide for someone in a hurry.

Start With a Laugh: An Insider's Guide to Roasts, Toasts, Eulogies and Other Speeches / by Liz Carpenter
"Welcome to Texas! Whether you arrive in Texas by birth, horseback, wagon train, jetliner, auto, or UFO, Texas is the kind of state that lets you belong to it..." (opening line of speech to Women's Newcomers Club of Austin, 1994). Liz Carpenter is well-known by Texans as the presidential secretary during LBJ's tenure in office and this book lets the reader in on why she was such an invaluable addition to the White House staff. Perhaps a more an example-minded reference with dozens of self-patented speeches by Carpenter, this book tells you what you need to know about, well, 'telling the audience what they need to know'.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Podium: The Speaker's Complete Guide to Great Jokes, Anecdotes and Stories / by Herbert V. Prochnow
Public speaking guru and author of The Public Speaker's Treasure Chest, Prochnow is the defacto person to go to when you can't think of an icebreaker. His new book is essentially a cataloged list of funny anecdotal one-liners and lead-ins intended for those desperate procrastinator's in need of some filler material. Seriously though, this is exactly what you need if you're about to toast someone (anyone) and are a total moron when it comes to public speaking.

Body Surfing / by Anita Shreve

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Fortune hasn't exactly smiled on Sydney Sklar of late. At 29, she's been divorced once, widowed once and employed at several teaching jobs only to be left still contemplating her destiny. So when a unique opportunity courts her in the form of Julie Edwards, the beautiful but mildly-challenged daughter of a well-bred New England couple, Sydney sees nothing to lose. Hospitable people despite some characteristically WASPish airs, the family--Sydney in tow--is currently summering at their New Hampshire beach house where surf, sand and sea air provide a welcome break from routine, even more so when the Edwards' two sons--Ben(35) & Jeff(32)--arrive for weekend visits.

Both single yuppie-types, they make no pretense about their interest in Sydney whose amiability to both at first starts to favor Jeff as the summer progresses. As if reinforcing her convictions, even brief distractions like Julie's sudden disappearance fail to waver Sydney's strengthening feelings as, shortly after the girl's safe location, wedding plans are swiftly set in motion. Rejoicing for the happy couple is overshadowed by family tension, however, as restrained animosity between both brothers plus Mrs. Edwards' increasingly irritable behavior start to impose on the occasion. With Julie (legally 18) choosing to live separate from her parents, a steady stream of repressed emotion seeps into an already disquieted atmosphere, unleashing a tidal wave of bad blood by the story's end.

Anita Shreve is quite a well-known author in contemporary circles, penning bestsellers A Wedding in December, The Pilot's Wife and Weight of Water prior to Body Surfing. Exposited with extreme intuition, the author's focus remains largely on the predisposition(s) of Sydney's character, more or less negating any objective view of the Edwards clan. It's not long before the reader is lured into unsuspecting waters whereby some surprise bombshells promptly shake things up. Shreve's writing is esteemable enough and the story won't disappoint most readers even if some may be let down by the ending.

Gung Ho (DVD) 1986 w/ Michael Keaton, Mimi Rogers, & Gedde Watanabe

Rust-belt America circa 1985. Even if no one's owning up to it, the heyday of American manufacturing is deteriorating. Not only are production methods outmoded, profit margins are declining as buyers and markets shift their interests overseas. Though circular reasoning might pin the problem on an insupportable American labor-force, there’s obviously more to the situation...Nowhere is the labor crisis more evident than Hadleyville, U.S.A. where a defunct automotive factory has left people jobless and hopeless until news of a new --foreign--contractor’s potential investment in the town raises spirits. Needing a labor representative to negotiate with corporation bigwigs, 'working joe' Hunt Stevenson is given the responsibility of meeting (and subsequently partnering) with the head office, even as he's totally clueless about all things Japanese and has even less managerial business sense. An insecure but optimistic Hunt nonetheless plows ahead with positive ambitions, delivering high-minded promises at both ends of the corporate spectrum in a desperate effort to make everyone happy. Only too late does Hunt realize how his shaky bargaining has endangered not only his livelihood, but the well-being of the hundreds of fellow workers as his lofty words just aren't panning out into like production numbers. Fortunately, Hunt's not alone in his trouble as he's paired with Oishi, his Japanese supervisor and cohort who'll be in worse trouble than Hunt is if the factory fails.

This movie was released to mixed reviews, drawing criticism for its weak supporting cast and pedestrian script. Yet it still merits attention nowadays for its intimate portrayal of international business relations at a time when the economic balance of power was shifting. Revealing the often grim underpinnings of mergers and acquisitions, the film observes the culture divide between East and West in very plain terms of labor habits, individual vs. group dynamics and project management. Michael Keaton as Hunt gave a great performance as the typical worker-friendly leader in an American work environment trying (and failing miserably) to embrace the Japanese mode of standards-driven performance. (DVD GUNG)

Happy Feelings

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Norman Rockwell: Pictures for the American People / Maureen H. Hennessey, ed.

If ever an artist defied convention, it was not Norman Rockwell, whose ultra-contemporary portrayals of everyday life seeped into the national conscious during the ‘Greatest Generation’ era. A man whose work rarely featured anything but scenes from an idyllic mainstream, Rockwell’s art basically hinged on two things: nostalgia and charm. Children especially and family life in general were a favorite of Rockwell's whose representations of boyhood pastimes, little girl tea parties, and patriotic sympathy could hardly fail to bring a grin.
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It was "The Saturday Evening Post" magazine which so readily delivered his artwork to the masses, the publication's covers featuring his clever caricatures for decades. Likely no other individual did more to secure the “good ol’ days” for those whose experiences during that time (1920-1960?) were at all worth remembering. Fans of the visual arts can't go wrong with this sample of his work, or any of the library's other seven Norman Rockwell books.