adrift in the sea of possibility

Book Review: The Angel’s Game

2009-08-29T23:12:00.002-05:00

I eagerly awaited the release of The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon as his previous novel, The Shadow of the Wind, is one of my favorite books. However, while The Shadow of the Wind was a fairly straightforward mystery, The Angel’s Game left me confused. Was it an example of magical realism or a character study of a man slowly going insane?

This is the story of David Martin, a gifted, but unlucky writer, who accepts a commission from a mysterious publisher. In return, Martin is given a second chance at life and a great deal of money. But who is this publisher and what does he have to do with Martin’s house and its previous owner? This is what Martin sets out to discover, but when people start dying, Martin becomes the prime suspect.

The plot is worthy of Zafon; the prose is dark and elegant. However, I thought the middle dragged a bit. I didn’t feel that Martin’s motivation was strong enough. Why should he have sought out the truth behind Marlasca’s death? Because the man once owned Martin’s house? Big deal. Because the man wrote the book Martin chose from the Cemetery of Forgotten Books? More plausible (if you’ve read The Shadow of the Wind), but still not sufficient.

Buy it today at Barnes and Noble.

If I were going to recommend Zafon to a friend, I would tell them to read The Shadow of the Wind. It is by far the better book, and, if it is a 5, then The Angel’s Game is a 4.

Review: The Time-Traveler’s Wife

2009-08-24T17:24:00.002-05:00

Buy it today at BN.com

Three minutes into the movie, The Time-Traveler’s Wife, there is a beautiful shot of Eric Bana’s bare ass. At that point, I said to myself, “I love this movie.” That movie could have sucked for all I cared.

Fortunately, it most assuredly did not suck. As proof, I’ve seen it twice already.

Yes, it differed from the book a bit. A book that involved would have to be edited a lot. There is just too much information to include within a movie's timeframe.

I read The Time-Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger on the advice of a friend. I thought it was the most amazing and original piece of fiction I'd read in a long time. It's a boy meets girl with a great twist--boy has a time-traveling gene. He's evolving. I like that.

And as a writer, I was impressed by the way Niffenegger kept all the timelines straight. She doesn't go in chronological order in the book which, if you think about, would be hard to do anyway.

Which did I prefer, the movie or the book? Both. Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams are wonderful in their roles. I cried so much over the book and during the movie. BTW, a guy would definitely consider this a chick flick.

If you’re one of those people who like to look for inconsistencies (I do), watch for the exchange between Henry and Clare in her studio. As she’s making a sheet of paper, keep an eye on the mold and deckle. First, it’s face up. Then, face down. Then, face up again. (I found that the second time around.)

Whether you read the book first or last, don't wait to see the movie.

Dolphinwriter Services

2009-08-15T16:12:00.001-05:00

This is the Dolphinwriter Services logo. My homepage is http://www.dolphinwriter.com/. If you need writing and editing services, contact me. If you need a Book Doctor or a simple proofreader, contact me. If you need someone to create a newsletter, brochure, flyer, or advertising leaflet for your company, contact me.

I can be reached at (901) 283-1632 or by email at tracy@dolphinwriter.com.

Bagworm Moths-Get Rid of Them

2009-08-06T08:34:00.001-05:00

I found out what these little buggies are. They're bagworm moths, and they're pests. Apparently, once they find a food source, they hang around until it is gone. So, if I wanted to keep my evergreen, I had to get rid of the bagworms.

Using an empty plastic bag, I started picking them off one by one. I forced my daughters to help, and they were such girls about it too. Issa wouldn't pull off the bagworms that had heads still protruding from the cocoon sacks. Coral screeched everytime something flew by her head. I tried to tell her that bagworms don't hatch until September, but I don't think she was listening. There was a bee flying around her then.

It took us a good half-hour, but we got them all. I debated whether I should humanely dispose of the bagworms out in a field behind the neighborhood or not. I finally decided, not. I don't want to be responsible for causing another neighborhood infestation. All the other neighbors just cut down their evergreens and set them out for disposal, so why would I be the one who allowed them to live.

I took the full bag of cocoon and put it in a trash bag. I tied that trash bag shut-securely. (Those little suckers were not going to get out.) Then, I put the trash bag in the trash can and put the trash can out for disposal.

I've been watching my evergreen. Green shoots are sprouting all over the dying part, so I'm hopeful that the tree will come back. I've had to pick off a few more bagworms since then. I wasn't quite so conscientous about disposing of those ones. It wasn't worth the trouble. I just ran them over with my car.

Target - For your garden supply needs.

Could Atheists Have a Way?

2009-08-05T17:12:00.004-05:00

You can provide atheists with a way, but can you make them walk it? Eric Maisel's book, The Atheist's Way: Living Well Without Gods does not attempt to answer this question. Indeed, as a handbook, this one has very little new information to offer atheists. If you have been an atheist for any length of time, you have probably thought through all of Maisel's arguments yourself. Most atheists, Maisel included, would agree that there is no one way for atheists simply because everyone has a different thought process.

Buy it today at bn.com

Instead, The Atheist's Way seems geared more toward those people who are still seeking a life philosophy. It is less of a how-to manual than an explanation of atheism for the non-atheists.

"How can you live without believing in God?" asks the dissatisfied Christian.

"What is the purpose of life without the promise of an afterlife?" asks the nihilist.

"What do you believe?" asks the interested friend.

"I'm an atheist, now what?" asks the newly converted.

Here. Read this book.

This is an easy, fast read. If you want to know how another atheist thinks, this book provides good insight. Parts of it can be skipped (particularly chapters nine and ten). All in all, it's worth a shot. And, if you're into positive atheism, pass it on to a believer friend.

My Magnet Collection

2009-08-03T17:39:00.001-05:00

This is just one door of my refrigerator magnet collection. I'm trying to come up with a way to display them elsewhere in the kitchen. My husband bought me an 8" X 24" sheet of metal. I want to frame it with wood, but I'm not good with power tools. Actually, I'm scared to death of them. I'm liable to drill my hand open.

I proposed the project to Create magazine. I figured, if I'm going to do it anyway, I may as well have another reason to force myself. Unfortunately, I haven't heard anything from them. Not that it matters. I have to try this (though I really wish my husband would drill the holes for me next time he's in town).

I've been collecting these magnets (the thick, rectangular style) almost as long as I've been collecting dolphins. I haven't counted lately, so I'm not sure how many I have now. It has to be around 100 by now.

Close-Up

2009-08-02T18:45:00.001-05:00

Here is a close up of one of the ugly little things. They appear to be using the evergreen leaves as material for the cocoons which look bizarre.

I'm hoping they're Luna moths, but with my luck, they'll be some sort of ugly house-eating termite-like species.

Insect Invasion

2009-08-02T08:46:00.001-05:00

My evergreen has been invaded by whatever these things are. I presume they're moth cocoons. They have ruined one entire side of my evergreen, but the tree is starting to recover. There are green buds shooting out of the brown patches. If anyone can tell me what kind of moth (or butterfly) these things are, I would be grateful. I'm going to try to take photos of them everyday, so I can chronicle their growth. I haven't caught a naked caterpillar, only ones with part of the cocoon surrounding them.

When she was smaller, my youngest daughter wanted to be an entymologist. Even the word entymologist was bigger than she was, but she would tell everyone that was what she wanted to be. Her first science fair project was in kindergarden. She made a clay model of the caterpillar to butterfly metamorphosis. It was meant to be an art project, but her teacher asked us to let her display it in the science fair. She had a blast as one of the only kindergardeners in the science fair. She proudly displayed her project and talked about metamorphosis to anyone who stopped by.

That was when our family became interested in insects. And, that's why I moved past my first instinct to burn the tree. I didn't realize, at first, what it was that had eaten my tree. All I knew was that some kind of bug had invaded my yard, and I wanted it gone. Luckily, I have a husband who doesn't listen to me--ever.

Again, if anyone can tell me what kind of insect this is, I would be most grateful. I'm going to try looking up the information (we have a ton of insect books), but a boost would be more helpful. Enjoy your Saturday!

Buy it today at Barnes and Noble.

Fun in the Sun

2009-07-31T18:50:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Atheist By Default

2009-07-30T09:15:00.003-05:00

I am an a-theist by default. I have no belief in a deity. I believe there is no evidence to support the hypothesis that a supernatural being created the universe.

I have heard that I can't prove that god doesn't exist. Well, that is probably true, but it isn't the point. By default, there is no god. By default, I mean that there is a state where only the truth exists.

The truth is that I am sitting in a room with nothing except myself and a computer (and furniture, of course—I’m not sitting on the floor). That is the default stance. A believer would have to prove to me that there is a god lurking in the shadows, watching my every move and hearing my every blasphemous thought.

Some people define an atheist as a person who believes that god (I’m using singular here, but it could just as well be the plural “gods”) does not exist. I am not one of those people. I believe that there is no such entity as god. It may be splitting hairs, but in the first definition, “god” is a subject. That is a subtle, but crucial difference.

When we say that “god does not exist,” we are, in effect, starting from the standpoint that there is a god. I want to make it clear that I do not believe that. I have said before, if there were a word to use besides a-theist, I would use that word. Until then, I stand as an atheist by default.

Technology Rocks!

2009-07-26T20:10:00.005-05:00

Buy it today at Barnes and Noble.

I finally watched the movie, Eagle Eye, with Shia LaBeouf. Like The Net and Enemy of the State and other movies before it—like the great 1984—Eagle Eye plays upon the public’s fear of technology and Big Brother. It’s not a unique movie, but it is played well.

The fear of technology is one thing I have never been able to understand. Yes, we put up video cameras everywhere. Yes, that runs the risk of being watched. It also creates safety. I am more likely to send my child into an arcade with cameras than one without. I feel safer walking through parking lots at night if I know that there are cameras watching out FOR me.

Would you like a world without technology? I certainly would not.

I enjoy reading time-travel novels, but would I want to go back to the 17th or 18th century? Not a chance. Romance writers glorify living in the past. Not me. Give me my flush toilet and toilet paper. And call me lazy, but I much prefer washing machines to washboards and stoves to fireplaces—make that microwaves to stoves.

This country (the USA, I mean) encourages the fear of technology. If certain religious groups (I’m not naming any names here, X-people, so calm down) had their way we would be way-backed to the B.C.E. when “an eye for an eye” was the buzz-word. For those who think I’m exaggerating, let’s not forget about original sin which is just “sins of the father” B.S.

Okay, maybe I went off on a tangent there. So, what?

Back to Eagle Eye. If you like Shia LaBeouf, or if you just like looking at the man, go for it. It is a thrill-ride. My daughter, though, would tell you that the solution to the whole movie will occur to you about five minutes into it. Let it go. Ride with the rest of the movie. It's a good time-killer.

Buy it today.

My Philosophy

2009-07-24T08:06:00.002-05:00

1. BE happy. Happiness can be cultivated. My happiness does not depend on other people.

2. The only guarantee in life is death.

3. Everything that happens in my life is a result of the choices that I made (unless, of course, someone took the choice away by force). Think before acting. The first reaction is not always the best.

4. I do not own my children. They owe me nothing.

5. I do not spank my children. Their bodies belong to them. No one has the right to touch them without their permission. No one has the right to invade their personal space. Not even me.

6. Let go of the past.

2009-07-23T15:56:00.001-05:00

I saw this Luna Moth one morning at the gas station. I went to put my card in the slot and screeched like a little girl. That was one huge moth. Luckily, I had my camera in my purse. I snapped three quick photos, but I didn't get very close. I was afraid. One, I was afraid I would scare it away, and two, I was scared it would fly straight at me.

Buy it today at Abe Books.

Buy this children's classic today at Barnes and Noble.

Goodwill Dolphin

2009-07-20T23:03:00.002-05:00

I have been collecting dolphins since I was eighteen. I started collecting them during a trip to Epcot with some friends. I bought a tiny glass figurine of a dolphin with a ball on the tip of his nose. That was almost twenty years ago.

Sometimes I think we call them collections because of all the dust. About five years ago, my husband bought me a curio case. I have almost outgrown it. People give me dolphins as gifts. I buy them whenever I come across them. I almost bought one in the dollar store yesterday, but I stopped myself. I think I have enough now...

No, wait. Scratch that. I can never have enough dolphins, and just because it was only a dollar didn't mean it wasn't cute. After all, the dolphin on the left is one of my favorites. I found it at the local Goodwill for $2. I'll probably wind up going back for the dollar one. Knowing me, anyway.

My mom found a puzzle of a dolphin and had it framed and mailed to me. We hung it over the television where I could see it all the time. I love it.

My favorite dolphin, though, has to be the big three-tiered sculpture. Actually, it's made of wood, so I don't know if it can be called a sculpture. Anyway, we found it at a Renaissance Fair one year. It didn't cost quite as much as I thought it would. I was shocked that my husband said I could get it.

I used to drive by this one in Atlanta all the time. It was a totem sculpture, tall and gorgeous. In my mind, I had it appropriated. It belonged to me. I hated to leave it behind, but it just wouldn't fit in my trunk that night I tried to steal it off the lot.

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2009-07-20T09:37:00.003-05:00

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2009-07-20T09:31:00.002-05:00

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Stirring the Waters’

2009-07-14T20:52:00.002-05:00

Tipping the Velvet
Sarah Waters
Buy it today at Barnes & Noble.

I recently finished reading Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters. I had read one other book by Waters before, The Night Watch, which I found a bit dry. I thought, though, that I would give Ms. Waters another try. (I’d never heard of The Night Watch until I saw it on the remainders table.) Tipping the Velvet, at least, had more interesting characters going for it.

I don’t find whiney, insecure women all that interesting, but Nancy Astley was a bit different. Whiney, yes. Insecure, definitely. Where Nan departs from those other characters is in her resilience. Helen and Julia and Viv of The Night Watch were weak, more than a little pampered. Had they been thrown into the night and left to roam the streets (as Nancy was), they would not have bounced back so well.

From the point at which she falls in love with Kitty Butler, a male impersonator, the reader feels everything that Nan does. That is the advantage of a first-person narrative. Nancy, we know, was borne of stronger stuff. Her family were hardworking, loving people. It is much easier to believe that she would survive the streets with herself intact. It was easier, in the end, to believe that she could make the right choice because she knew what love could be. She had witnessed true, unconditional love.

The Night Watch
Sarah Waters
Buy it today at Barnes & Noble.

The reader isn’t privy to that information in The Night Watch. That story, of four Britons during the World War II era, was told backward. It was that fact that saved the book from being completely unreadable. It is an interesting way to tell a story, but I became confused. Is the end of the story meant to be the end, or the beginning? What was the point of structuring the tale that way? Certainly, it showed how humans repeat history over and over, but did anyone learn anything? Were we supposed to get to the end, then reflect on the beginning?

I preferred the straight-forward telling of Tipping the Velvet.

Okay, here’s where I have to admit, I thought “tipping the velvet” was a theater term—just as Nancy did. I didn’t make the connection until after Florence, rather graphically, defined the term. After that, I felt like an idiot. I am a fan of Aerosmith, and I know the song, Jaded. And, if you’re reading this, and you still don’t get it, I am not going to explain. You will have to read the book. It’s worth it.

Infantilizing Teens and Tweens

2009-07-13T08:43:00.006-05:00

Why does our society infantilize teenagers? I’m not talking about protecting your son or daughter from harm—harmful people and harmful situations. I’m all for that.

No, what I’m talking about is these parents who think they have to control everything their child does—whether it’s walking to school/riding the bus, or watching a certain television show, or reading a book with even a single instance of profanity—horrors!

I have never been a controlling sort of parent. I don’t believe that children should be sheltered from the world. In fact, I find it irresponsible the number of parents who loose their college students into the world after controlling their activities for all of their lives. How are they supposed to cope? No wonder so many kids return home after the first year of college.

The Road
Cormac McCarthy

Just the other day, I heard a woman comment that she didn’t think her child should read The Road by Cormac McCarthy until maybe s/he was a senior in high school—a senior in high school—because of the graphic violence in the book. What does she think this child would do if the premise of the book were to actually occur? Would she lock the child in the bedroom and stand guard outside the front door of her house?

How does she think that child will react to college on his/her own? Without Mommy there to hold the umbrella up, how will the child make it to class on a rainy day?

Yes, I’m going overboard, but—damn it, people—I’m trying to make a point. The world is a dangerous place. You might want to protect your child from it, but give them a break. You’re not helping them, you’re hindering them. Someday, you’re going to have to let go. Teach them how to deal with it, not hide from it.

Is Patriotism Justified?

2009-07-11T21:57:00.004-05:00

Written for:
Wolfchase Writers Group
July 2009

Writing Assignment: patriotism

From the subjugation of native Americans and the enslavement of Africans to the prejudice suffered by immigrants and citizens of ethnic-descent, America has a longstanding tradition of denying freedom to minority groups. Even today, a majority vote can deny our fellow citizens the basic human right to marry the person of their choosing. We applaud this tradition from the comfort of our homes, while purposefully ignoring the damage being inflicted.

The Founders fought to protect the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” But only so far as the majority saw it. They meant for the majority to prevail (they even wrote this into our Constitution) because they, themselves, defined the majority—white, male property owners.

As a nation, we have instigated some protections for minorities, but only after bloody infighting threatened the foundations of government. And only so far as it allowed the majority to continue its rule.

Minorities face new battles everyday for the right to enjoy the pursuit of happiness while still celebrating patriotism. They fight battles—they die—for America with “don’t ask, don’t tell” keeping them from the complete pursuit of their own happiness.

Is your patriotism justified? Not if you choose to keep your ass in the air and bury your head in the sand. If you’re not choking to death, I hope you’re fighting for the rights of ALL Americans.

My Favorite Books (The Short List)

2009-07-09T11:31:00.005-05:00

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay—Michael Chabon
Anything written by Jasper Fforde
Pride & Prejudice—Jane Austen
Emma—Jane Austen
Possession—A. S. Byatt
The Time-Traveler’s Wife—Audrey Niffenegger
The Shadow of the Wind—Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Wicked—Gregory Maguire
The Life of Pi—Yann Martel
The Da Vinci Code—Dan Brown

The Default Atheist

2009-07-05T23:09:00.006-05:00

The God Delusion
Richard Dawkins
Buy it today at Barnes and Noble.

It pisses me off when people insist that Atheists have to prove god(s) do(es) not exist. I don’t have to do that. I’m not the one making a presumption.

In his book, The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins lays forth his Spectrum of Belief. In his scale of 1—7, 1 is the equivalent of a “Strong theist” and 7 is a “Strong atheist.” Dawkins defines his Strong theist as someone who believes “I know there is no God, with the same conviction as Jung ‘knows’ there is one.” Even his level 6: De facto atheist (which Dawkins claims himself to be) believes “God is very improbable.”

If there were another term, one that didn’t involve the root theos, I would use that. Atheism is a misnomer because the word itself presupposes the existence of gods. A-theism is “without gods.” With his very inadequate definitions of an atheist, Dawkins is essentially stating that gods potentially exist, I just choose not to believe it.

Granted, it is hard not to mean A-theism in this day and age. God is like some kind of insidious creature whose minions are lying in wait. They want to trap you, and drag you over to their side so they can build more fabulously expensive – and expansive – architecture.

Everyone, it seems, starts out with the assumption that gods are staring down like celestial Big Brothers. Like guardian angels have their clipboards and pens, and they’re hovering over your shoulder judging your every move.

“Premarital sex?”

Check.

“Blasphemy?”

Check, and double check.

“Profanity?”

Good god, I’m gonna need a new form for this one.

Our (meaning the US) laws are made according to the values of the Christian majority. We’re taught that, as Americans, we have the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Then, we’re told, “Screw that, gay people.” I’m not gay, but I am an American. I have an OBLIGATION to be upset when someone’s rights are denied.

“In God we trust” is stamped on our money; politicians are careful to be caught on camera coming out of church on Sunday; convicts wanting early parole find god in prison; and, Sunday morning television sucks.

I reject religion because I don’t need it. I don’t need the image of a benevolent, vengeful god, or a glorious afterlife, in order to make my life feel worthwhile. I submit that Dawkins create a level 8: Default category.

The Default being someone who starts with no belief and builds on that. Because until someone invents another word for atheist, I’m stuck with the misnomer.

The Pillars of the Earth

2009-07-04T22:50:00.008-05:00

The Pillars of the Earth
Ken Follett
Buy it today at Barnes and Noble.

When I first started reading The Pillars of the Earth, I have to admit, I almost gave up. This book is almost a thousand pages which was daunting, to say the least. I persevered, though, mostly because I’d paid $15 for the book, and I didn’t want to give up on a reading group pick.

Part 1 proved to be boring. The family of Tom Builder, around whom much of the novel revolves, spends nearly a year walking in a wide circle around the countryside. They nearly starve to death as there is no work, and they cannot afford to eat. There are several action scenes, true, but I still didn’t enjoy it much. In Part 2, the story begins to pick up. People begin to build relationships, crossing and double-crossing each other. Now, I would say that the book becomes engaging here.

I didn’t find any of the characters particularly likable, but some of them are interesting. The character I like most is Ellen. She has a strength of character that the others don’t seem to have. She gives birth to and raises her son on her own, a rarity for that time period. She lives in a cave in the forest for years, hunting and gathering to feed herself and her son, Jack.

In many ways, Ellen is the antithesis of Tom Builder. She is smarter and stronger. She teaches Jack to read and write and recite long poems in French. She doesn’t take crap off anyone, including the clergymen and noblemen. Even in extreme circumstances, she gives up a life of comfort in order to remain true to herself. I like that in a female character.

Most of the women in this book have a strength of character that the men all seem to lack. William Hamleigh is so vile, he’s not worth discussing. Richard of Kingsbridge isn’t “worth ten” of his sister, Aliena, according to Prior Philip. Alfred is a bully and not worth the care his father feels for him.

Tom Builder and Prior Philip have much integrity, but they are blind to anything except the cathedral. While people starve in the countryside, Philip continues to pour precious resources into this building. For what purpose? To glorify god, of course. I have to wonder why anyone would devote themselves to a god who would prefer building a church to feeding the people. But, maybe that’s me.

Even Jack, the other character I most like, is blind to everything but his two loves, Aliena and the cathedral, to the point that he agrees to become a monk (a profession for which he is the least suitable).

*****SPOILER ALERT*****SPOILER ALERT*****SPOILER ALERT*****

I was disappointed when Hamleigh finally got his comeuppance at the end. Why do authors spend so much time making the reader hate a character, then try to make that character pitiable at the end? I hate that. Why waste the energy making the man so vile? Is this a point of morality that I just don’t get?

I did get a kick out of Richard refusing Prior Philip the use of the quarry. Jack made a good point when Philip confronted him about it. For all those years, Philip had forced Jack and Aliena to live apart because Philip believed in the letter of the law. To have the letter of the law then thrown into his face was a particularly just moment.

Philip tries to wriggle out of this by claiming that there is a difference between God’s law and man’s law. Now, I’m the first to admit that I have a prejudice against Philip’s argument. However, setting aside my refusal to indulge in a belief that gods exist, Philip is overlooking a crucial fact: he follows God’s law because he is a monk. He lives in a monastery and spends his every moment in God’s service. Of course he follows God’s law.

Richard, however, does not live in a monastery. He has to live and work according to the laws of the land. (Here, Follett skillfully skews the subject by making Richard worthless as an earl.) He has spent much of his life fighting for the laws of either King Stephen or Duke Henry. These are the rules by which he lives.

My point is that they are both in the right, and they are both in the wrong. As in life, there are two sides to every argument. Two sides to every conflict and war. Religion and government will always be at odds because they take their laws from different places. That is why I believe religion should be kept in the church, or temple, or synagogue, or mosque, or whatever, and out of government. And, government should be kept separate from religion. I think Ken Follett has illustrated this point rather well.

Why I Gave Up Trying to Believe

2009-07-01T09:05:00.006-05:00

I was sixteen when I gave up trying to believe in god. I had never been convinced of a higher power, but at sixteen, I just couldn’t fake it anymore. It felt cheap.

Praying had always felt like a conversation with myself. At that time in my life, it only made me feel more insane. In a world that had spun out of orbit, and into a mirror universe, I had to start believing in myself and not a magical fix-it guy.

I could no longer justify that adage, god helps those who help themselves. If he did, hardworking people wouldn’t be starving, or living in the streets, or dying from cancer. And how did he justify heaping horrible abuse and disease on children? Children couldn’t take care of themselves. They couldn’t be expected to help themselves out of appalling situations.

On a television talk show one day, a woman crying about her dead child told the audience that god sent the baby to teach her a lesson. How arrogant, to say that god would cause a child to suffer just to teach her a lesson. There had to be another way for her, or me, or everyone else in the world, to learn a lesson. Frankly, I would rather die than allow a child to suffer because of me. But whatever makes her feel better, right?

I disagree. She, like other parents in similar situations, went on television to proselytize to the world that her/their child died so that the audience could learn a lesson, too. So, basically her child died so that the parent of a child with the same disease/illness could learn a lesson.

How about if no child contracts the disease/illness at all? Then, no one has to die, and no one has to learn a lesson. We can all move on to the next lesson. How about that scenario?

Why do people say, you were lucky to survive that crash. God must have been watching out for you. Shouldn’t god have stepped in before the accident? Wouldn’t it have been lucky to have NOT crashed at all, rather than just to survive?

Paradise Lost
John Milton
Buy it today at Barnes & Noble.

I once wrote a paper on Satan in which I praised Satan as the Hero of Paradise Lost. I used much the same arguments in the paper. The instructor accused me of being angry with god.

Let me be clear. I believe that the Judeo-Christian concept of god/gods (as I understand it) cannot, and does not, exist. Therefore, I cannot be angry at him/her/it.

I’m angry with the people who use their belief to hide from the world. I’m angry with the people who force their beliefs on others, including those people who force their beliefs on children. I’m angry because they don’t use their god-given [pun intended] brains to think through what they are saying.

Some people believe that faith is the absence of reason. At the least, it is the subjugation of reason. I reasoned myself out of believing, but I believe that someone else could justify belief based on reason. Unfortunately, I have yet to see that. Someone surprise me. Please.

The Book Vs. the Movie Adaptation

2009-06-30T08:07:00.006-05:00

I know this will sound like sacrilege to many book lovers (I’m one, too), but sometimes I want to see the movie before I read the book. Why? Well, actually, there are several reasons.

In the case of Atonement, I had Ian McEwan’s book on my TBR list for a number of years. I just never got around to it. Then, I found out that the movie was going to star James McAvoy and Keira Knightley.

Atonement
Ian McEwan
Buy it today at Barnes and Noble.

The thing about it is, when I’ve read the book first, I spend the entire movie nitpicking.

“That didn’t happen in the book.”

Or, “That didn’t happen that way in the book.”

Knowing that two of my favorite actors were going to be the leads, I didn’t want to spend the entire movie comparing it to a book it could never properly imitate anyway. (Though, I do think the movie didn’t deviate all that much.) Let’s face it, there is only so much you can show on film which is superficial by nature.

Michael Crichton knew this, and used it to his advantage. If you’ve read Jurassic Park, you know that Alan and Ellie are not lovers. In the movie adaptations, the relationship was invented to give Ellie a more compelling catalyst for venturing into the jungle. She isn’t just trying to save her boss, but the man she loves. Alan isn’t just trying to save two children, he’s preparing for fatherhood. (Granted, the point is moot by Jurassic Park III, but I prefer to ignore that movie.)

Jurassic Park
Michael Crichton
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The point is, there are changes that have to be made in order to make the movie more exciting. You can’t read a novel in the 2.5-3 hour time span of a movie. You also cannot shove a novel’s worth of plot and subplot into that time allotment. Something has to be cut. Some things have to be combined. And, sometimes, even the ending has to altered in the interest of entertainment.

The cost of a movie ticket and the cost of a mass market paperback are somewhat similar. However, when you compare the time invested in each, a movie costs more per minute of use. It damn sure better be an exciting adaptation.

That’s why, sometimes, I prefer to see the movie before I read the book.

Murder By Poison: Killing Your Characters

2009-06-29T19:11:00.011-05:00

Book of Poisons
Serita Stevens and Anne Bannon
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What is the most fundamental technique of the mystery novel? What is the easiest way to surprise your readers during a significant moment? Kill off a minor, but important, character. This was brought home to us in a big way during this summer’s blockbuster film, Star Trek.

For the writer, murdering characters can be both horrifying and cathartic. It can be hard to let go of a good friend, even an imaginary one. On the other hand, it can provide a catalyst for a story that has stalled or for a protagonist whose commitment is wavering.

One of the best methods for this killing spree is poison. The most obvious examples include arsenic, cyanide, and strychnine. Some of the lesser known poisons, though, include nutmeg and caffeine, in large doses. Lucrezia Borgia became infamous for the cache she kept hidden in a ring. In fact, women are more likely to murder by poison, rather than a weapon, because it’s more personal and the clean-up is minimal.

So, the next time you read a novel and a character is poisoned, should you suspect a female? Don’t count on it. If you’re writing a novel and feel a great need to poison a good guy, know that your readers may be apt to suspect a woman. Write, or don’t write, accordingly.