Distance, Division and a Street in San Francisco

Michael Ondaatje the award winning author of “The English Patient” and “Anil’s Ghost” has written a new best seller, “Divisadero”. It is a story similiar to “The English Patient” in that it is more than one story within the novel. And, on first impression the reader questions how the stories are related.

“Divisadero” begins in the 1970’s in the northern California town of Petaluma. Two mothers die in childbirth, and the father of one of the infant girls, Anna, takes home the other infant, Claire. A third child, a boy named Coop, who had lost his family in a tragedy, had been taken in by the father and the deceased mother to help on the farm. So formed this makeshift family until an act of unspeakable violence divides and separates them forever.

Anna and Coop each run to escape the violence. Coop to a dangerous life in the casinos of Nevada and Tahoe. Anna, eventually, to a life as a literary scholar that leads her to the south of France. Clair, the one left behind, becomes a legal assistant in San Francisco, who lives on Divisadero St. The title “Divisadero” means "distance, division and the street in San Francisco". All three definitions play a part in the intricate themes Ondaatje has woven together in this complicated story.

The story shifts from northern California to southern France where Anna is researching the life of 20th century poet, Lucien Segura. The life of Lucien Segura becomes the focus of the second half of the book. To the reader it is not clear how the second half of the book is related to the first. But there are many parallels between the realistic, dramatic first half and the poetic, romantic story of Lucien Segura that involves gypsies and the drama and sadness of World War I. The characters in the second story, set in rural France, faintly remind the reader of the relationship of the three children growing up in rural California. All of the characters are looking for a sense of healing and shelter.

Michael Ondaatje has written several books of poetry and the second part of “Divisadero” echoes his poetic genius. “Divisadero” is a book that would easily warrant a second reading to fully appreciate the subtlety of Ondaatje’s writing and the parallels between the two stories. “Divisadero” is a story that will entice readers who enjoy a well told, well written, intricate story with unforgettable characters.

Playing Favorites

We all have authors who really resonate for us, and others whom we just don't get. It's not a matter of literary talent; it's just a matter of personal taste. I know I should like Louise Erdrich – she's certainly a talented and respected author – but for some reason her writing doesn't grab me. I used to enjoy reading Annie Proulx, but after reading her two latest New Yorker short stories all I can say is – get that woman some Prozac, she is way too bleak and depressing, even for someone like me who enjoys the darker stuff.

On the other hand we all have authors who just seem to speak our language, and we have a soft spot for them. For me Richard Ford falls into that category. The main character of his latest book The Lay of the Land is Frank Bascombe. Frank first appeared in The Sportswriter, recently divorced and mourning the death of his oldest child. In Independence Day Frank, who had switched from writing to real estate in suburban New Jersey, attempted to reconnect with his teenage son on a trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame over a Fourth of July weekend. In The Lay of the Land Frank is still selling real estate, but he has left suburban Haddam and moved to the Jersey shore. He is now in his fifties, dealing with prostate cancer, and mourning the loss of his second wife who has left him to return to her first husband. The story takes place around Thanksgiving, as Frank attempts to gather his two grown children and his first wife for a holiday dinner at his beach home. The year is 2000, so the background music is the contested presidential election. Frank's appeal for me is ordinariness and his honesty. He recognizes his own failures and, although he sometimes spends too long ruminating about his philosophy of life and the rigors of middle age, his earnest attempts to know his children better are touching but not sentimental. Ford has a great ear for dialogue and a wicked sense of humor. His description of Frank's barroom brawl in Revolutionary War roadhouse tavern is vivid and hilarious. Frank is not an heroic character, but I have grown to admire his solid, reliable sincerity.

So who is the author you can't help loving or can't love?

PS There's a great podcast of Richard Ford reading a John Cheever short story. Look for New Yorker:Fiction on iTunes - “The Reunion” May 3, 2007

You Are What You Eat

On "The Omnivore's Dilemma", by Michael Pollan

Okay, I know this book's been out awhile and is old news now, but it wasn't old news to me. I was completely absorbed in the bizarre world of U.S. food production and couldn't put the book down.

Author Pollan describes in detail the great agricultural megalopolous of the midwest, which produces prodigious amounts of corn, but not the kind we eat from the cob! Instead we eat it in every processed product we consume. U.S. Americans have more corn in their systems than do the Mexicans whose diets are directly based on maize.

The book starts out with impact, exploring corn as a commodity and following a calf from birth through the feedlot and to slaughter. Here we find out more than we want to know about the animals we consume.

The second section educates us about various permutations of organic farms and how they operate. I found this portion helpful in understanding the significance of such characteristics as cage-free, antibiotic-free, omega 3 enriched, and vegetarian fed when choosing eggs. We also see how a pure organic farm sustains itself though inter-related natural cycles.

Although the final section on preparing a meal entirely from ingredients hunted, foraged or home grown is less compelling, this is a terrific book. It's a great start to begin understanding from whence our food comes and what on earth is in it. Highly recommended.

One Hundred Year Old Stories

James Joyce has been described as a genius and his novel, “Ulysses”, as the best novel written in the 20th century. However, very few people have been able to read “Ulysses” completely. When our book club read “The Gathering” by Anne Enright, which was set in contemporary Dublin, there were references in the reviews to Joyces’ “Dubliners”. And, although the group chose not to read “Dubliners”, I did read it. The “Dubliners” is a collection of 15 short stories, written about the Irish middle class in the early years of the 20th century. Joyce wrote the stories around 1904 but “Dubliners” was not published until 1914. Joyce described the stories by saying “his countrymen could get one good look at themselves”. Many of the characters in these stories appear again in “Ulysses”.

The stories follow on overall plan, beginning with four stories about childhood, narrated by children. They progress in order to adolescence, maturity, public life and end with a story called “The Dead”. “The Dead” has also been classified as a novella and was adapted as a film, directed by John Huston. It was my favorite story because the characters were more fully developed and the story had a universal theme. Gabriel Conroy is attending a boisterous family party when he realizes that his wife has a secret that has haunted her throughout their marriage. All of the stories in “Dubliners” center on a moment when the main character has what Joyce feels is an epiphany. The characters arrive at a time of self-awareness. Something happens in the story that makes a difference in their lives. All of the stories have a bleakness about them. Alcohol and frustration play important roles in many of these stories.

“Eveline”, another story I especially liked, is from the late adolescence group. A young woman falls in love with a sailor and plots to escape her life in Dublin against the wishes of her father. Joyce writes as a neutral observer describing in simplistic language what the protagonist is doing. James Joyce had a gift of writing simple, realistic prose. His dialogue is short and to the point. His descriptions of the characters and events are beautifully written, although some of the words and phrases are unfamiliar to contemporary readers. The characters in Joyce’s “Dubliners” are often sad or lost, but the writing compels the reader on, to find out what will happen to them.

James Joyce is a legend, acclaimed by many as one of the world’s great writers. Although, reading the “Dubliners” is not an uplifting experience, it is well worth the time to experience writing that has survived over a hundred years and is still being read in literature classes, and by many for the simple pleasure of reading good literature.