The second in my Friday series….
A book (fiction): Haruki Murakami's The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
I should say first that Eriks recommended (thrust upon me?) this book years ago now. But, I was reminded of it again because Steppenwolf is considering a stage adaptation of a collection of Murakami's short stories called After the Quake (and, is, in fact, looking for Japanese actors, should you know any…)
At once a detective story, an account of a disintegrating marriage, and an excavation of the buried secrets of World War II, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle defies any true plot summary. Both lyrical and philosophical, it is more a tale of individual and shared destiny; a novel that has no comparison in English or American writers.
Murakami is generally considered the greatest Japanese writer of his generation, but skews toward Western culture in some of his themes and characters. Best known for his romantic coming-of-age story Norwegian Wood (which I frankly found overly nostalgic and somewhat overwrought), Murakami’s detective tales are much more metaphysical and magical… in a way that is entirely accessible and intriguingly foreign.
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle recognizes the world for the chaotic and overwhelming places that it is and finds a comedic thread in even great embarrassment. If I were to describe his writing in one word, it would be dreamlike. This novel particularly is big, bold and captivating and somehow makes sitting at the bottom of a well seem entirely rational, even desirable ….
A book (nonfiction): Charle’s Bukowski’s Septuagenarian Stew
Sadly, our culture doesn’t value our elderly much, but exceptions are made for literary souls. This was Bukowski’s 45th book, a collection of poems and stories written in his 70th year. It is simple, straight forward and tracks his life through poverty and plenty.
Of course, it’s not a flawless collection – in the way of other old men, there are moments that are too self-conscious or repetitive – but, overall, it is the stuff of a life lived badly and honestly.
I believe I originally bought this book to impress someone (a date who called himself a poet), but read it twice and kept it for almost a decade now because I like its sadness, its triumph and its nakedness.
A blog: sp.ookee.com
No single person has changed (not framed – ‘cause I know that would be the family, but later changed) my life more than Frank Henderson. A college professor, mentor and friend, he taught a number of political science classes, all focused on classical theory (think Mills, Rawls) and their application in contemporary life (think MLK, Cornell West). I’ve written a bit about him in other contexts, but suffice to say that if I were to describe the change in my life - it would be that before I met Frank, my political heart was 10 sizes too small - I was a bit of a citizen Grinch. It's too much to say that one person can teach another empathy, but by teaching me what to think about - he showed me the great depth of humanity that I had somehow missed.
San Franciscan Douglas Nerad was another student of Frank’s – taking the same classes maybe a decade or so before I did. He now writes sp.ookee.com – a blog, not unlike mine, melding the personal and political into a transparent point of view, mixing ideas and memories. Highly recommended.
A’nother: Keepmedia.com
This is a paid service, but one of the few content providers that are definitely worth it. Keepmedia brings together all the content from hundreds of magazines and a few newspapers into a handy searchable database with a few bells and whistles like publication browsing, recommended articles, personal libraries, etc. The major flaw is the lack of a Boolean search, but for $4 a month, it’s a lot of content for a little cash…
