Richard Russo, The Bridge of Sighs

Having enjoyed Russo’s novel, Empire Falls, I decided to read deeper into his list by picking up The Bridge of Sighs. The book is one long train running. Like a train, it takes a while to get up to speed. Also like a train, it has many compartments. It starts with a first-person narrative as one of the main characters (a man who has had the nickname “Lucy” since first grade) writes a memoir mixed with a town history. The story then skips to his boyhood friend (“Noonan”), who left town at the end of high school and has never returned. This sets up the central framework of the book.

Through the course of the narrative, the reader meets most everyone in the small town of Thomastown, New York. Lucy and his relationships reveal the good, the bad, and the ugly of life in a one-company town. His naive father, his prescient mother, his rascally uncle, are the early people in his life. However, as he grows up he exists in a decaying place. Ultimately, he and Noonan part a couple of times, the second time for good when Noonan has to escape the law.

Like Empire Falls, this Russo book pries into the deepest recesses of people’s lives. He changes perspective in order to reveal different points of view of the same incident. This is where the story can be very powerful. However, at times the repetition grows tedious. Either way, Russo will take you on a long ride that can be insightful and enjoyable.

Published in: on September 18, 2008 at 12:42 pm  Comments (1)  
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Benjamin Franklin, American

It’s no secret that Benjamin Franklin is my gold standard for quality when it comes to all things American. Lately, I’ve delved into a biography by H.W. Brands titled, The First American. The book starts off with our man Mr. Franklin before King George’s Privy Council. The king’s men give old Ben a wicked dressing down. As Mr. Brands says, a lesser man would have been humiliated. Not Benjamin Franklin. He knew this was the end, as in the end of his loyalty to Britain. It was also the beginning, though the revolution wouldn’t kick off for about two more yeas.

I’ve heard various discussions here in Philadelphia about Ben Franklin, his habits, his lusts, his failings. This is pop culture balderdash that deserves no more than a passing mention in non-permanent media outlets. In this regard I subscribe to the policy of letting the man without sin cast the first stone. Every human is fallible and subject to human weaknesses be they of the flesh, the emotions, or simply errors in judgement. In fact, I’d venture to say Ben Franklin had quite a few less flaws than many other so-called great men.

Thus, there is no shame, and in fact worthy pride, that Ben Franklin is held up as not only a founding father of the United States of America, but also an example of how to conduct one’s life. He was tolerant, ambitious, learned, and wise. What frightens me most is the view of the current crop of leadership held against his silhouette. The damn fools mucking up in government today seem hell bent on the abandonment, if not outright destruction, of the principles Franklin and his band of 19th Century radicals fought to establish. Today’s leadership palls in comparison. The founding father’s had their brawls, feuds, and fights. However most of them were more a matter of how to implement a successful strategy than over what the strategy should be.

And so in this election season, I’ll judge candidates by the Franklin Standard. If they bow to opinions beyond the border, if they see the United States as a cow to be milked by whiners and half-wits, and if they refute the proven principles of limited government over the self-reliant, well, then they’ll get neither my vote nor my sympathy. On the other hand, if they lead with boldness, unafraid to speak well of a nation that has done so much for so many, and put forth a platform that recognizes the necessity of individual solutions to seemingly collective problems, then I will make my mark by their name.

As Benjamin Franklin once said of the newly formed United States of America, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

Published in: on September 12, 2008 at 3:16 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Hamilton, Bermuda, 1911

It was Mark Twain who said, “You die and go to heaven, I’ll stay here in Bermuda.” He might have been on to something. Of course I love the island of Aruba, which is a more raucous place than the more dignified Bermuda. Still, I appreciate the difference and have enjoyed several visits to Bermuda in my travels. So it was that I found this old photograph of Hamilton in the archives at the Library of Congress, where regular readers of this blog know I scour up some good finds now and then.

This photo was taken in 1911. My how things have changed! You don’t see any cruise ships in the harbor. Plenty of small buildings, the scale of which seems appropriate to a place like Bermuda. I can’t be certain, however, I think I was in that church on left side of the frame. Back in my days of photography that used film, I made some images of the stained glass windows there.

This photo is also a time capsule of sorts. It shows us what was, which can then be compared to what is today. It might also give us a glimpse of the future or at least a sense of the trend of things to come. I hope people take the time to print their digital photographs. If for no other reason, someday someone will find them and be able to do what I’ve been doing with these photos from the Library of Congress: Take a look at the past. One of my fears is that all the digital photos we take will be stored (invisibly) on a chip or CD or some other media that will become inaccessible. As the computer industry changes, compatibility is always a problem.

The best thing to do is print the good ones, and a few of the not so good ones as well. Hey, you never know. Some guy may be writing a blog or a novel and use your pictures as source material. If you’re really lucky, they’ll end up in the Library of Congress.

Published in: on September 8, 2008 at 12:23 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Still The Real Thing

I was in Doylestown, Pennyslvania, USA a couple of nights ago for a book signing. I always arrive early so there’s plenty of time to check out the local scene. I walked around the corner from the bookstore and found this small shop selling snacks. Inside I found Coca-Cola in glass bottles that are reproductions of the first bottles, the ones that came before the distinctive, bodaciously curvy one. Here’s a look:

Yes, that’s the real thing. I popped the top on this and guzzled. It was so good that I drank two.

During my book signing, I met dozens of people interested in my new novel, An Island Away. It’s a real pleasure meeting readers. They have great recommendations for other books and provide insight into stories they’ve read. This helps me become a better writer. After all, the readers are the customers. Talking to them directly gives you the chance to hear their thoughts.

With all the talk these days about how no one reads, you would think we’re headed for the dark ages. Not so. There were hundreds of people through the bookstore that night. There was an 8 year old who had illustrated her grandmother’s book there as well. Good for them! The younger the better when it comes to books and reading.

Reading, like ice-cold Coca Cola, is the real thing.

Published in: on September 7, 2008 at 2:49 pm  Comments (1)  
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