May 2017 Recap

Dear Bookclub,
Martha's team, Jeff & David, led our May bookclub into a winning evening, plying us with delicious fare. Martha, as working-wonder-woman-center, directed her team to defend against the onslaught of food -&-drink-needy women who descended upon their home court. Well prepared, we gratefully settled into our bookclub mode!

 

"Dust Bowl Girls" drew us into the golden age of women's basketball with the Oklahoma Presbyterian College Cardinals' incredible success, coached by Sam Babb, the author's great uncle. Lydia Reeder's depiction of women's sports in the 1930's era, steeped in 'girls' rules' and the attitude that sports were unhealthy for women, sent us into a tizzy of discussion, appalled that the first lady, Lou Henry Hoover led the cause with restrictions. We spent much time observing the wide spectrum of female traits that blur sexuality, perceptions and even fair play. I found a great little paper written by an NYU psychology student, illuminating the problems and attitudes still prevalent today:

"The Female/Athlete Paradox: Managing Traditional Views of Masculinity and Femininity"
http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/appsych/opus/issues/2012/fall/female

 A well-done short film, written and narrated by Lydia Reeder, tells the Dust Bowl Girls story; enjoyable if you've read the book or a great shortcut to understanding if you have not. Please take a few minutes to watch:

youtu.be/fokmbnWmp50



Martha's choices for an upcoming selection gave us fabulous variety, that did not make the decision easy:

"The Little Bookshop in Paris" Nina George
"Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking" Susan Cain
"The Sympathizer" Viet Thanh Ngyuen *chosen










And finally, from downtown, here is a three point swish (new rules), from Megan Leahy. Chosen to give a TEDx talk through her Stanford Business School program,  Meg's presentation, "The Bonding and Bridging (Im)Balance" will hopefully inspire you in a thoughtful direction:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBQC_FyYxS8 

 Next up: Ann Patchett's "Commonwealth".

Happy reading,
LK

May 2017 Bookclub News

Dust Bowl Girls

Dear Bookclub,
Lydia Reeder's "Dust Bowl Girls" is a true family story; Coach Sam Babb is her great-uncle.
Set in the depression era, it has been described as "Boys in the Boat" meets "A League of Their Own". I really enjoyed both of those so looking forward to a long plane ride to Boston on Thursday with this for my read.

Coach Sam Babb

Lydia Reeder

Please peruse Reeder's website for a great timeline, pictures, and glowing reviews, of course!

http://lydiareeder.com/

Lace up your shoes and dribble on over to Martha's next Thursday, 5/18 for a lively discussion. Please note that this meeting will be starting at 7:30 pm.

Happy 'Reeding',
LK

April 2017 Recap

heirloom King Edward VIII tablecloth

Dear Bookclub,
Like a clan gathering from their enclaves near and far(Jan!) to be together in Kentucky, a huge turnout descended upon Lynne's beautiful backyard (hillbilly analogies end here), moseyed into the dining room filling plates with lovely food and eventually settled in the inviting living room to ponder J.D.Vance's story. Mountain Dew not invited.

Adoring Maggie

Agreed that Mamaw and Papaw get the top awards for J.D.'s success, Lindsay and Usha the best supporting loved-ones, we marveled at the thoughts and actions of the hillbilly culture and yet debated that strife can and does occur at any socio-economic level. J.D.'s discovery of and success in a much higher socio-economic level is not really a new story; the colorful personal stories surrounding that journey created the unique read.  As readers expecting explanation to larger movements in this country's attitude, Vance did reveal to us the distinct flavor of the undercurrent that elected President What's-his-name.

Lynne went above and beyond in researching and presenting ideas for an upcoming selection. We processed and whittled......

choices, choices

our fearless hostess

"Lincoln in the Bardo" George Saunders
"Small Great Things" Jodi Picoult *chosen
"The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane" Lisa See
"A Piece of the World" Christine Baker Kline

All great suggestions!!


Next up: "Dust Bowl Girls".

Happy reading,
LK

April 2017 Bookclub News

no disrespect meant but I couldn't resist

Dear Bookclub,

According to Wikipedia: "Hillbilly is a term for people who dwell in rural mountainous areas in the United State, primarily in Appalachia or the Ozarks. Due to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term can be offensive to those Americans of Appalachian or Ozark heritage. The first known instances of "Hillbilly" in print were in "The Railroad Trainmen's Journal" (vol. ix, July 1892), a 1899 photograph of men and women in West Virginia labeled "Camp Hillbilly"and in a 1900 New York Journal article, with the definition: "a Hill-Billie is a free and untrammeled white citizen of Alabama, who lives in the hills, has no means to speak of, dresses as he can, talks as he pleases, drinks whiskey when he gets it, and fires off his revolver as the fancy takes him". The stereotype is twofold in that it incorporates both positive and negative traits: "Hillbillies" are often considered independent and self-reliant individuals who resist the modernization of society, but at the same time they are also defined as backward and violent. Scholars argue this duality is reflective of the split ethnic identities in white America."

 J.D. Vance has put the hillbilly culture onto our radars and it's eye-opening. Most compelling is that he is telling of today. Vance's official website includes a photo section of family and one caption that characterizes a noted trait in this culture:  "(Mamaw would murder me if she knew I put this photo on the internet.)" - not to be taken lightly.  http://www.jdvance.com/family.html  
I'm looking forward to a lively discussion!


Lynne's titles to consider for an upcoming selection:

1) "The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane" Lisa See
2) "Lincoln in the Bardo" George Saunders
3) "A Piece of the World" Christina Baker Kline

Please research for our vote this Thursday.

Happy Readin'!
LK

March 2017 Recap

Dear Bookclub,

Colson Whitehead's "Underground Railroad" had this dum-dum astounded to learn that there really was an underground railroad. Incredulous that my third-grade social studies understanding of brave actions from abolitionists, harboring slaves in a series of enclaves and ultimately delivering them to freedom, did not involve a real locomotive in dirt tunnels; I'm wide-eyed! Whitehead tells of a train with imagery and pain that's so real. Parenting, grand-parenting and life posts me messages daily, telling me how wrong-thinking is infinite. I am on-board with new understanding thanks to this book. Wait..more wrong thinking....  An enlightening evening, experienced at Julie's, as the whole lot of you were riding the passenger car of magical thinking, shocked. Still standing at the station, my wide eyes turned to dropped-jaw. Eschewing too much research into a book before reading, I really missed out! Humbled and eventually happy to know differently, Whitehead's portrayals became more poetic and the dark themes layered into a richly woven tapestry of possibilities. The metaphoric train still lives on with the amazing journeys leaving lasting legacies. Discussion, focused with Julie's prepared questions, determined that the reality of the past and the present still challenge our society with acceptance and tolerance. Be good to your neighbor. Be very good.

OK, here's the jolly report on the evening:

the knowledgeable

no explanation needed

bundt hostess

new selection options

Julie's 'spoon' accounting

Julie researched and proposed three suggestions for an upcoming selection:

"The Perfume Collector" Kathleen Tessaro
"Elephant Company" Vicki Croke
"Commonwealth" Ann Patchett *chosen



Up next: "Hillbilly Elegy".
I'm researching as you read this.

Happy reading,
LK

March 2017 Bookclub News

Dear Bookclub,
Colson Whitehead's "The Underground Railroad" bears the beautiful golden seal of National Book Award Winner, perhaps not seen if you are reading his book electronically. There is nothing more pleasing to an author,(than commercial success I suppose), than the acknowledgment of a work with a prestigious award and a nod from Oprah. Please enjoy a delightful acceptance speech by Whitehead at the awards' ceremony:

http://www.nationalbook.org/nba2016winner_f_whitehead-underground-railroad.html#.WL2_jBBVHow

 Julie has very thoughtfully chosen the following selections for your consideration for an upcoming read:

1) "The Perfume Collector" Kathleen Tessaro
2) "Elephant Company" Vicki Croke
3) "Commonwealth"  Ann Patchett

Please take a moment to research your choice and vote next week at Julie's.

Happy reading,
LK

February 2017 Recap

Degas - 'Women combing their hair' c. 1875

John Sloan - women combing their hair on Manhattan rooftop - c. 1913

Dear Bookclub,
An artistic evening at Barb's discussing B.A. Shapiro's "The Art Forger" left us extremely satisfied on many levels. Good food, good drink, sisterly sharing, and fine book analysis solidly shaped our meeting. Agreeing that we'd learned much about the art world, forgery, technique, etc., and realizing how little we still knew and understood, we all enjoyed the read and the creative story surrounding the Gardner heist. Below is a link to a really neat interactive description of the missing pieces at the Isabella Gardner museum, showing the rooms in the museum with photos of before and after the theft. The mansion being left as Isabella requested is very apparent. Best to try on your computer and not a phone or ipad:

https://gardnermuseum.culturalspot.org/home

The following is a fascinating article I strongly recommend about a forger, his craft, his motivation and the museums that fall prey. Reading this article years ago, it never left my mind. Very interesting!

Mark Landis - a  real forger

https://www.google.com/amp/www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/08/26/the-giveaway/amp?client=safari

I hope you can take the time to investigate these two links - you will not be disappointed.

Three excellent recommendations from Barb for an upcoming selection:

"Dust Bowl Girls: The Inspiring Story of the Team That Barnstormed Its Way to Basketball Glory"  by Lydia Reeder *chosen

"History of Wolves: A Novel" by Emily Fridland

"Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge" by Erica Armstrong Dunbar


Up next: "The Underground Railroad" by Colson Whitehead.

Happy reading,
LK