Globiblio and Bluestockings

Yesterday, I went to a book club. You know, a real book club, where people discussed real literature and not some Mitch Albom, Dan Brown, or other current top 10 book. It was at 826Chi and the 15 or so of us read Monkey, apparently one of the most famous novels in China. The book is basically a group of four creatures (a priest, monkey, pigsy, sandy) who are on a quest from China to India to receive the Buddhist scriptures and hopefully gain enlightenment. Along the way, they have to overcome obstacles that challenge them emotionally, physically, and spiritually - so basically your standard epic. But instead of all the fractured stories that we tell our kids in America that pass on ethics (Johnny Appleseed, Paul Bunyon, etc.) this book would open up a world of possibilities to discuss with your child.

At first Monkey is this party crashing oaf that is pretty annoying but with amazing magical powers that he learned from a zen master so there is enough fighting to keep the interest up but then there are these profound (and somethings pithy) statements that would shape the zeitgeist of the country: "Such blank scrolls are the true scriptures." I really liked this statement which focuses on the interplay of silence and spirit. The repetition of water as a force both as an obstacle and an element from rebirth is a nice touch also.

Overall, the other members seemed like great fun; the discussion never got too deep but I'm not sure it really needs to: as Monkey-Squirrel has said, "It's the common experience that counts" - to top it off, people brought Chinese food to eat, peaches to snack on, and Tsing-Tao to drink. I can't wait for next month.

On the train ride back home, I read Lethem's 55-page short story, This Shape We're In. I'm not sure that it's a great or even good book and it doesn't really have the great description that I've come to love from Lethem - it has an interesting comment on the post-downfall of America and the interplay of sex and violence but ultimately lacks focus which is almost absolutely critical for a short story.

Eggers in Chicago

I trained into the city yesterday to check out the Valentino Deng and Dave Eggers book signing / reading yesterday. There were at least 250 people crammed into this small room - it was so packed in fact that to get from the front, book-signing part to the back, reading area, Deng and Eggers had to go out the front door and come back into the store via the back, emergency-exit-alley-way. I was fortunate enough to get there early to get my book signed before the show and still have a seat, albeit on top of a bookcase. Dave and I chatted for a couple of minutes about the need to infuse modern fiction in the classroom and how reading books like the Scarlet Letter; however good, ultimately turns kids off to reading and writing. Eggers has always been a big supporter of education (starts tutoring centers / writes about educators) and had these parting words: Keep at it. Do not tire.

When I was in college I sent my uncle a postcard of IU, he sent one back of UC with these words in closing: Do it right. I still think he influenced my philosophy of life more than any text I'd read at the time.

Do it right. Keep at it. Do not tire.

Anyway, the reading was at the inauspicious 826Chi tutoring center which can be seen to the right. The front of the store is a secret agent supply store known as "The Boring Store" because if you are a secret agent you can't be seen going into a spy store. The hope is that each tutoring center can be run self-sufficiently from the profits of the store. This summer I would like to volunteer there if they need help. I think I could help the 6-18 year olds learn more about creative writing and I would learn some new, great activities that I could take back to the classroom next year. But, that's the long view. We'll see how everything shakes out.