I will unfortunately not be providing my usual weekly update of my reading habits this week. We have suffered a death in the family – Alex’s grandmother passed away last night. Please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers as we all cope with the loss of such a bright, remarkable woman.
A Week of History, Memoir and Reading Guilt
Currently Reading:
- William A Link – North Carolina: Change and Tradition in a Southern State
- Harriet Beecher Stowe – Uncle Tom’s Cabin
- Hugh Talmage Lefler and Albert Ray Newsome – North Carolina: The History of a Southern State
- Willis P Whichard – Justice James Iredell
- Ari Hoogenboom – Rutherford B Hayes: Warrior and President
- Barack Obama – Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
While I did not complete any books this week, I think that I’ve made considerable progress in a couple of endeavors that have been floating about in my mind. The first that I’d like to discuss is my forthcoming paper on James Iredell, one of the first Supreme Court justices and a leading North Carolina leader in the fight for ratification of the US Constitution. I have made progress in the one (and only) full-length biography of Iredell, which was published in 2000. That’s right, two hundred and one years after Iredell’s death, a full-length biography finally came out about him. Thus far, the biography has been well done and has been very enlightening about an obviously forgotten but pivotal character in the history of our fair state as well as the nation at large. The one criticism I have about Whichard’s work thus far is that it seems very impersonal (which, since it’s an academic biography, is not completely unexpected, but still). It is mentioned that Iredell was a slave owner, but nothing has been said yet about how many slaves he had or if they were workers on a plantation or just worked in his home. Also, he seems rather removed and absent from his home life, which is understandable since his numerous public offices over the years were ones that required him to travel extensively. However, I’d like to hear more about his relationship with his wife and children. Hopefully this will be remedied as the book goes forward.
Likewise, I’ve made progress on another new read – President Obama’s Dreams From my Father. I feel that I should admit before beginning my comments that I am not an enthusiastic fan of the President. However, he does start this work in one of the best ways – with honesty. He admits that what was supposed to be a work on race in America instead became a memoir. He also includes a story from his past about an associate during his college days who admonished him for making everything be about him. Thus far, that has proven true in his work. Almost despite himself, he provides insight into the experience of being black in America. As I read of certain snippets of his life and his observation of others, I could not help but be struck by some common experiences that are experienced by gay people in America – a feeling of having to watch what one says in certain company, a feeling at times of having to play by straight rules in a straight world, etc. Mr. Obama has a capacity for insight and understanding that few can match. However, he suffers from the hubris of feeling that he is the most interesting subject in every story. His memoir is a memoir written early in his life, preceding his actual accomplishments, and it comes across as something a younger man would write. In summation, thus far, it’s proven interesting, but I think with some revision and reflection, both the author and the issues addressed could have been presented in a more well-rounded way. Still, I’m not done with the book, and it’s possible that the rest of the book will change my opinion.
I have proceeded as dictated by the class schedule on the Lefler & Newsome and the Link North Carolina histories. The progression fell at a most opportune time as it correlates perfectly with my research on Iredell. We are now at the ratification of the US Constitution (only accomplished with a second convention in November of 1789 in North Carolina). As I read about my adopted state’s past, I feel more connected with it and feel myself growing more entwined with it and whatever destiny lies before it.
Not much progress was made in either the Hoogenboom Hayes biography or Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Part of me wonders if I am doing justice to Harriet Beecher Stowe in reading her work in such a haphazard, lackadaisical fashion. I should take up the mantra of a good friend of mine of “No Guilt,” but I do feel bad when I neglect books for one reason or another. I anticipate delving into the Hayes biography after finishing the Iredell, and Uncle Tom’s Cabin will continue as it has for the near future at least. So long as I finish it up by May when I’ll also finish the two North Carolina books, I should be content.
Upcoming reads include Concrete Island by J G Ballard (for the book club), Build Your Own Ladder (for professional development), and The Real Romney (for personal curiosity).
What a Difference a Week Makes
Finished Reading:
- John J Reardon – Edmund Randolph: A Biography
- Thomas L Friedman – Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution — and How It Can Renew America
- David Dachauer – Tether Me Not
- Sean Wilentz – Andrew Jackson
- Yoko Ogawa – The Housekeeper and the Professor
Currently Reading:
- William A Link – North Carolina: Change and Tradition in a Southern State
- Harriet Beecher Stowe – Uncle Tom’s Cabin
- Hugh Talmage Lefler and Albert Ray Newsome – North Carolina: The History of a Southern State
- Willis P Whichard – Justice James Iredell
- Ari Hoogenboom – Rutherford B Hayes: Warrior and President
This list looks much different than it did last week. I somehow managed to finish five books in one week. Granted, three of them were under 200 pages and one I had been working on for some time, but still.
I’ll approach the finished books in the order that I was able to finish them. Friedman’s book was very thought-provoking. The second half, he elaborated on what steps he thought we should take, as individuals and as a society, to cope with the problems he had outlined in the first half. Also, he provided examples of individuals and groups already acting towards a better and more sustainable future in addition to explaining how these challenges in fact can be opportunities to grow and expands as we might not have without the motivation. I like Friedman’s writing style as it’s approachable, and he does well at breaking down concepts to get at the root of the problem.
As Friedman’s book stimulated my mind, Dachauer’s book stirred my emotions. As a first novel, it was a solid read. As a fellow writer, there are a few recommendations that I would make in order to tighten the story a little. However, as it stands, I think that Dachauer did a fine job of creating a heartwarming and touching story that evokes emotions shared by anyone who has lost a close loved one. Strangely enough, I enjoyed the spiritual aspects of the story more than I thought I would. It has me wanting to learn more about Native American spirituality and traditions.
I finally completed Reardon’s Edmund Randolph. Overall, it was a very good read, but it’s certainly not for the casual reader. In order to get the full story with this one, one has to have the endnotes bookmarked and constantly refer back and forth. However, that being said, I enjoyed that because it made me feel as if I were in the archives with Reardon trying to uncover every last scrap of information about Randolph. Reardon did an excellent job of examining an often-forgotten but actually rather interesting and crucial figure in Washington’s administration.
I got Wilentz’s Andrew Jackson from the library a couple of weeks back because I realized I hadn’t read it yet. It’s part of the Time Books American Presidents Series, and as I had already read so many of their books, I figured I’d give it a shot. It turned out to be the most enjoyable of the books in the series yet. I also realized soon after beginning that I had read Wilentz before — his Kingdom of Matthias, co-written with Paul Johnson. I greatly enjoyed how he began the book with an examination of how Jackson has been looked at over the years and stressing that he wanted to give him a fair examination — not overly flattering but also not overly critical — and I think that he lives up to that goal. Wilentz portrays Jackson as flawed but still critical figure in American history and overall a highly successful president.
Ogawa’s The Housekeeper and the Professor is the latest read for my book club, and I must say that it’s probably the best book that I’ve read for the book club thus far. A very charming tale of a housekeeper, her son and the professor that she works for who has a short-term memory that only lasts for 80 minutes. Ogawa did a great job of drawing the reader in and making the reader feel at home in this quirky scenario and heartwarming tale.
There’s not much to say this week on my currently reading list. In both of the North Carolina history books, I’m getting into the Revolution, which should be interesting. I haven’t gotten much further in Uncle Tom’s Cabin this week. As seen above, other books took precedence. I started Whichard’s Justice James Iredell and Hoogenboom’s Rutherford B Hayes last night but have only gotten a few pages in. I imagine that I’ll have more to write about those next week, though I wouldn’t expect another week of five books completed. Even I’ve got my limits.
The best laid schemes of mice and men…
Finished Reading:
- William S McFeely – Grant: A Biography
Currently Reading:
- John J Reardon – Edmund Randolph: A Biography
- William A Link – North Carolina: Change and Tradition in a Southern State
- Harriet Beecher Stowe – Uncle Tom’s Cabin
- Hugh Talmage Lefler and Albert Ray Newsome – North Carolina: The History of a Southern State
- Thomas L Friedman – Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution — and How It Can Renew America
- David Dachauer – Tether Me Not
I had intended to read more classics this year, and hopefully I can get back to that at some point as the year progresses. However, as I’ve discussed before, situations have sprung up which have necessitated my reading other books, either for class, professional development or prior obligations. As I felt that my reading schedule was getting unruly since I’ve pretty much been reading seven books since the beginning of the year, I decided to sit down and plot out a plan to get myself out of this hole as well as to anticipate what might be coming up on the “to read” list. I’ve figured out the following:
Soon to finish (tentatively in the next week):
- Hot, Flat, and Crowded
Possibly can finish soon (next week or week and a half):
- Edmund Randolph
- Tether Me Not
Probably longer to finish (next month):
- Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Expected to finish at beginning of May:
- North Carolina: Change and Tradition
- North Carolina: History of a Southern State
Have to take up in the next week or two:
- The Housekeeper and the Professor
- James Iredell
- Andrew Jackson
Coming in the next month:
- Concrete Island
- Rutherford B Hayes: Warrior and President
Would like to get to in the next month or two:
- 11/22/63
- The Lacuna
Thus, I have thirteen books that I am anticipating reading (or at least attempting to) in the next few months. It makes me feel a bit more reassured to have some plan in place, but then I’m left to wonder how did reading become such a complicated part of my life? This also begs the question of whether this complication is a bad thing or not. I’m not sure that I have an answer.
I did something this week that I’d like to do more of. I was anticipating taking the trolley into uptown, so I sat on a bench to wait and ate my lunch. As I didn’t know when the trolley was coming, I didn’t want to try to read anything and either get interrupted or miss the trolley. Instead, I sat in a Mma Ramotswe-esque way and spent some time thinking and observing the world. It was a quite peaceful exercise, especially after I made the decision not to take the trolley after all as it was taking too long to arrive. Even with an overly complicated reading schedule, one can still take time out to stop and smell the roses.
With that being said, it’s time to actually get around to discussing this week’s reading. As indicated by my schedule above, I focused my efforts on finishing Grant and getting further along in Hot, Flat and Crowded. Though I have had my disagreements with Grant’s management style and some of his policies, I am sad to reach the end of such a fascinating story. Grant, at times akin to a force of nature, could also be very weak and very human. Still, he inspired so many around the world and had a personality which drew people to him, for better or worse. I think I’ll be returning to Grant’s presidency again to learn more about it as well as the characters that played a role in his eight years in the White House. In addition, McFeely’s writing style is very approachable and understandable, I would recommend it to even the most casual of readers, but especially to someone interested in American history.
I’m finally getting to the more hopeful and optimistic part of Friedman’s book. Over halfway in, he begins to discuss how we can adjust, plan around and ultimately grow from the various obstacles in our course as a nation and, on a larger scale, as a global community. I have to admit, even as someone well aware of ecological and infrastructure problems, I was getting depressed in the first part of the book at the massiveness of the problems presented by Friedman. I had to take breaks and calm my nerves before continuing. I think the hopeful plan for the future half will go much easier.
As can probably be imagine, I’ve made little progress with Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Tether Me Not, and Edmund Randolph. However, with my schedule, I think I’ll be changing that soon. I’ve also got to get around to this week’s readings in my two North Carolina texts. I’ve been derailed (if you can imagine that) by a group discussion assignment where I had to do some research and learn about the Moravians, who are a truly fascinating group. I don’t think I’ll be able to read a book about them anytime soon, but one of these days, I’ll get around to it. I’ll add it to my long-term reading plans, once of course I get around to developing them.
