Reading About Nature

My goldfish pond is not exactly the same as Tinker Creek, but maybe I'll get inspiration from it!

Accomplishment!

Just have to say it is a REALLY great feeling to begin checking off the titles on my list!!! 

The Promised Land by Jay Parini

I made it through 10 out of the 13 chapters.  After reading the chapter on How to Win Friends and Influence People, I decided to abandon the book.  Parini has a bias that I have tired of. While I probably agree with his political views -- that's not what I was looking for in this book.  

In this chapter he has harsh criticism for Carnegie and accuses his philosophy for promoting everything that is bad about our capitalist society: consumerism, narcissism, and the promotion of a fear-based society.  People will buy what you're selling if they are afraid their lives will be diminished without it -- Parini extrapolates this philosophy to everything from selling soap to political agendas.  He's not so harsh in his discussion of how to win friends -- it's evident he agrees with Carnegie that smiling, being interested in what another has to say, and remembering names are important social skills.  And he's probably on target with his criticism of the art of influencing people.  It is a bit disconcerting to think how easily we can be manipulated!  

While I found it interesting to consider how these books have "changed America," I'm abandoning the book simply because I'm ready to move on to some fiction and a really good story!

Charcoal and Chalk Review

Ms. Burlingame is primarily a historian. After inheriting her great grandfather's records, she of course was motivated to tell his story, and a captivating one it is. As an immigrant from Scotland in 1867, and a missionary to the freed slaves in Lavaca, Texas, John Ogilvie found himself in a very lonely place. A lesser man would have given up the cause due to seemingly insurmountable odds. But the support he received from the black community, who desperately wanted to become literate citizens, kept him going. The struggles with the bureaucracy of the state Freedman Bureau and the American Missionary Association were maddening to Ogilvie and to me as the reader. Many times during the development of the story, I experienced a sadness about how long our African-American population has had to endure prejudicial treatment in our society. Burlingame did a good job melding facts and fiction for this first writing attempt. There were times, however, that I wished her style was somewhat less pedantic. Overall, Ogilvie's story trumps the style, or lack thereof. I think he would be pleased that it was told. 

Welcome!

Just want to say WELCOME to our friends and family who have decided to check out our blog!  Please feel free to jump in on our discussions of the books we're reading!  Also, we have a lot to learn about blogging -- so bear with us.  We're glad you're along for the ride!

The Melting Pot

The 9th chapter in The Promised Land is a book by the same title, written in 1912 by Mary Antin.  I'm not quite sure why Parini included this book among the thirteen books "that changed America."  I disagree with the assumption that this text had the same influence on American thought as did The Souls of Black Folk, or The Journals of Lewis and Clark.  The other books on his list clearly changed American thought.  They pushed the boundaries for race relations and for an enduring search for freedom and pursuit of individuality.  

The Promised Land is an immigrant memoir.  And, while I agree that it is the forerunner for many other such memoirs that shine a light on the immigrant experience in America, I don't believe this book influenced American thought about immigration. This and other immigrant memoirs have provided insight into the immigrant experience, but as evidenced by current animosity toward immigrants -- whether legal, or illegal -- it's clear that these books really haven't "changed America."  We still have a long way to go in understanding the truly inclusive possibilities for our melting pot.

I skimmed through this chapter quickly -- on to Chapter 10: How to Win Friends and Influence People.  Quite a shift in themes!!!!  

Times That Try Men's Souls

I'm three-quarters through Charcoal and Chalk and fascinated with the amount of information that the author's great-grandfather left for future generations. I've learned so much about the man, John Ogilvie Stevenson, and the challenges, successes, and turmoils that he endured as teacher of the freedmen in Texas. As one can well imagine, just communicating with his employers to remind them to send his paycheck, was one of his minor challenges. Not to mention the racism that he encountered along the way. It truly is a miracle that he survived! He was also a preacher and ministered to the folks that were his students. That is what kept him determined not to give up the challenge. Wish I had learned about his work lots earlier in my teaching career. I would have been considerably more grateful that I didn't have to walk to school in the swamps with the possibility of a Ku Klux Klanner waiting to accost me!