"Celebrity Chekhov"

"Celebrity Chekhov" (Harper Perennial, 2010) is a collection of nineteen of Chekhov's stories "adapted and celebritized" by Ben Greenman, a New Yorker editor and author of several volumes of fiction. The conceit of the book is that Greenman takes the Chekhov stories as starting points, including plots and much of Chekhov's original (well, translated) language, but substitutes celebrities of today for the characters, and makes other adjustments as needed. Some of the celebrities that now "star" in Chekhov's stories are Michael Douglas, Jack Nicholson, Adam Sandler, Simon Cowell, Eminem, Nicole Kidman, Beyonce, Lindsay Lohan, Jay-Z, Paris Hilton, Justin Timberlake, and several more...you get the picture. This is obviously a quirky book; as I was reading it, I couldn't decide if it was "quirky brilliant" or "quirky gimmicky." Although it is a real pleasure to revisit Chekhov's stories, and the melancholy wisdom they contain, it is jarring to encounter denizens of US Magazine in these beloved stories. I understand the author's concept of reinvigorating our appreciation of the stories, reminding us of the timelessness and universality of the human feelings and relationships Chekhov portrays. I also appreciate the gentle -- and sometimes not-so-gentle -- humor that Greenman teases out of the original stories and enhances with his own interpretations. I must admit that the book was enjoyable to read, but overall I have to conclude that the experiment is an intriguing but failed effort. However, other readers may well conclude otherwise, so if the concept appeals to you at all, do check it out; it is a quick read, and you will soon know what you think (although some of the best stories are in the middle to later parts of the book, so don't stop too soon).

Ten Favorite Books of 2010

Seeing several versions of "The Best Books of 2010" in various publications, I was inspired to make my own list of my favorite books published in 2010. The list is perhaps idiosyncratic and is quite biased in certain ways: the books included are all fiction, nine of the ten are by women, and all lean toward "domestic drama" and the character- and relationship-driven books that I favor. I have posted on all of these books on this blog, so without further ado, I list my "Ten Best from Twenty-Ten."

All is Forgotten, Nothing is Lost, by Lan Samantha Chang
The Gin Closet, by Leslie Jamison
The Hand That First Held Mine, by Maggie O'Farrell
In Envy Country: Stories, by Joan Frank
The Lovers, by Vendela Vida
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, by Helen Simonson
One Day, by David Nicholls
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, by Aimee Bender
Red Hook Road, by Ayelet Waldman
The Three Weissmanns of Westport, by Cathleen Schine

My Literary Umbrella

On this rainy day in San Francisco, I have been carrying a special, lovely, big, sturdy umbrella given to me some years ago by my dear friend B. It is special because it has on its panels intricate drawings of eight famous women writers: Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, Emma Lazarus, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Louisa May Alcott, Emily Dickinson, Virginia Woolf, and Sylvia Plath. I thoroughly enjoy using this umbrella, and I often get admiring comments on it. With other more ordinary umbrellas, I don't mind much if I lend them or lose them. But I take extra good care to make sure I don't leave or lose this one. When I am using it, I always check before I leave a classroom, office, shop, or restaurant to make sure I haven't left it behind. Yes, an umbrella is a simple, utilitarian item, but mine is a depiction of some great literary women, and it gives me pleasure to use it, and to receive compliments on it. Thanks, B!

"America America"

Ethan Canin's novel "America America" (Random House, 2008) features the time-honored device of a young outsider observing and reporting on life among the rich and powerful. Corey Sifter comes from a working class family, but works for and is taken under the wing of the wealthy Metarey family. That family provides support for New York Senator Henry Bonwiller's 1972 run for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. As Corey is drawn into the Metarey family and its dynamics and secrets, he is also witness to both the good and bad aspects of the candidate and the campaign. Senator Bonwiller is a great progressive, a champion of the working class and minorities, and a voice against the Vietnam War. But he has his weaknesses as well, and is brought down by a sex scandal clearly reminiscent of that of Senator Edward Kennedy and of the tragic accident at Chappaquiddick in which Mary Jo Kopechne lost her life. The book is occasionally a bit portentous in style; the novel moves back and forth through time, and there is a little too much both of the young Corey's mysterious comments about the future, and of the current narration by the much older Corey, saying things like "if only I had known then..." or "later I would realize..." But overall the writing is good, and the story draws the reader in. The novel is an interesting and sobering reminder of the events of the 1960s and 1970s, especially for readers who remember that time period. There are several well-drawn and intriguing characters. Most of all, the novel is an extended meditation on who has power in a society, and on how it is acquired, kept, and then sometimes lost.

Writing about Food Memories

On 2/4/10 I posted about some of my favorite books on food and restaurants. Almost everyone -- not just food professionals -- has wonderful food memories evoking important times and connections in her or his life. I was recently reminded of this when I asked students in a writing class to write about a meal or dish that was significant in their lives. I asked them to describe the food itself (good practice in focusing on details) and what the meal meant to them (good practice in making larger connections). It was a topic they could all relate to, and they did some of the very best writing they had done all semester. Most of the stories had to do with family meals or specific dishes -- from dumplings to pickled vegetables to paella -- cooked by mothers, fathers, and grandparents, and symbolizing the importance and warmth of family gatherings and family ties. A couple of them had to do with meals created in students' newly independent days away from their families, as they formed their new communities with college friends. For many of the writers, these meals and dishes clearly symbolized love, caring, and connection. In all cases, the writers not only told but also showed the reader how and why these meals or dishes were important to them, and how the associated memories reverberated through the years.

Hi-Lo Books

Having a new teenaged family connection from a different country who is still working on her English, I decided to investigate hi-lo books that might interest her. Hi-lo stands for high interest, low reading level. These books are for readers who, for various reasons, read below grade level. They may also be "reluctant readers." The idea is to get kids to read books that they are interested in and that they can handle. Such books are written for various ages from middle school through high school. A typical book for teenagers would be for age 12+ but at a reading level of grades 2-4. Hi-lo books are short -- 400-1200 words -- with many illustrations. Successful hi-lo books have engaging characters; interesting, fast-moving plots; short, simple sentences; limited vocabulary; and straightforward stories with no complications such as flashbacks. Readers should be able to relate to the characters and stories. The covers, layouts, and typefaces should be clear, yet not appear childish or "different" from regular books, something young people are very wary of. These books are not literary masterpieces, and lack complexity and nuance, but they do get young people to read, and the hope is that as they read more, they will eventually read more complex books. I am in favor of anything that gets kids to read more, so I salute the writers and publishers of hi-lo books.

Literature about AIDS

Yesterday, December 1, was World AIDS Day, which made me think about the important contribution that literature about AIDS has made. Here I list some of the most well-known such novels, poetry, plays, and memoirs.

-Doty, Mark. Heaven's Coast (memoir)
-Gunn, Thom. The Man with Night Sweats (some of the poems in this collection)
-Gurganus, Allan. Plays Well with Others (novel)
-Hoffman, Amy. Hospital Time (memoir)
-Kramer, Larry. Angels in America (play); The Normal Heart (play)
-Maupin, Armistead. Tales of the City (which I blogged about on 11/30/10) (some of the later novels in the series)
-Monette, Paul. Borrowed Time (memoir); Afterlife (novel); Halfway Home (novel); Love Alone: 18 Elegies for Rog (poetry)
-Schulman, Sarah. People in Trouble (novel)
-White, Edmund. The Farewell Symphony (novel); The Married Man (novel)