"The Book of the Dead" by Edwidge Danticat

In the realm of multicultural literature students often find it difficult to dive into a culture other than their own. This piece, however, beautifully traces the relationship between a father and a daughter in a way that any audience can understand. In this story the father, a former Haitian prison occupant must come clean about his life to his daughter. There is a second relationship that brings this into light, though. The second relationship is between a Haitian-American actress, Gabrielle Fontneau and her father, a former Haitian prisoner. This relationship, aided by a longing for a sculpture made by the narrator, brings the two families together. 

I found this story in my students' American Literature textbook, but I've never taught it before. It seemed a nice fit for my Identity and Society -- Multicultural America unit, so I brought it in. Although I admit I assigned it to the students after only reading the synopsis, I am very glad I did. The writing is beautiful, with detailed descriptions that require my students to make inferences about the writer and the text. It also requires students to ask themselves about the role of family in identity and what it means to be truthful to your family. The dark secrete within this story leads the narrator to question her role as a daughter and artist, and thus to question her identity within the piece. This questioning allows the artist to dive deeper into her identity and to also question the role others play within society. 

A few of the lines I found most powerful in this story really dig into the Danitcat's fluid and poignant writing style as well as the questioning of one's role in the larger realm of society:

"Anger is a wasted emotion, I've always thought that. My parents got angry at unfair politics in New York or Port-au-Prince, but they never got angry at my grades--all the Bs I got in everything but art classes--or at my not eating vegetables or occasionally vomiting my daily spoonful of cod-liver oil. Ordinary anger, I thought, was a weakness. But now I am angr. I want to hit my father, beat the craziness out of his head....It is a testament to my upbringing that I am not yelling at him"

"Those who give blows may try to forget but those who carry the scars must remember" 

Overall, a worthy read. And, unlike every book I've picked up lately, it was easy to finish. 

The Lover's Dictionary

David Levithan has done it again: writing a book I couldn't put down, that is. The Lover's Dictionary has beautifully crafted wordplay that makes the reader feel the emotions of the unnamed male protagonist. Through the dictionary format and personalized definitions, Levithan's work includes all of the drama of a relationship with the hindsight of love already sour and the hurt for when it was fresh. 

The best way to sum-up the relationship discovered in this work comes from the letter P:

punctuate: v.

Cue the imaginary interviewer:

Q. So when all is said and done, what have you learned here? 

A: The key to a successful relationship isn't just in the words, it's the choice of punctuation. When you're in love with someone, a well-placed question mark can be the difference between bliss and disaster, and a deeply respected period or a cleverly inserted ellipsis can prevent all kinds of exclamations. {page 163}

 This book is  quick read, since few definitions last more than a page. The trick, however, is when reaching the end it compels one to go back and reread the text again, wishing for a different outcome for our beloved protagonist. 

Another definition I found particularly striking:

 x, n. 

Doesn't it strike you as strange that we have a letter in the alphabet that nobody uses? It represents one-twenty-sixth of the possibility of our language, and we let it languish. If you and I really, truly wanted to change the world, we'd invent more words that started with X. {page 203}

Beautiful word-play, Levithan. I look forward to your next contribution to literary society. 

Are We There Yet?

I. loved. this. book. Okay, it had a head start. There is something about David Levithan's writing style that draws me in every time. I can't just enjoy his writing. I have to stop, reread, love, reread again, read aloud to the doctor's waiting room, and shout it from rooftops. Nearly every chapter of his books has a quote that makes me stop and underline it (even in library books! I admit it!). Here, I've complied a few of them and you are welcome to view them. 


I think the most endearing part of this book is the reality of honesty vs love. The protagonists, brothers Elijah & Danny, are stuck in that rough patch of love between brothers. One of my favorite lines in the books is:

“Brothers are not like sisters,” he says. “They don’t call each other every week. The don’t have secret worlds to share. CAn you think of two brothers who are really, inseparably close? No, for brothers it’s a different set of rules. Like it or not, we’re held to the bare minimum. Will you be there for him if he needs you? Of course. Should you love him without question? Absolutely. But those are the easy things. Do you make him a large part of your life, an equal to a wife or a best friend. At the beginning, when you’re kids, the answer is often yes. But when you get to high school, or older? Do you tell him everything? Do you let him know who you really are? The answer is usually no. Because all these other things get in the way. Girlfriends. Rebellion. Work.” (192)

This quote sums up Danny and Elijah, who are separated by a few years and thousands of ideologies.  Danny, a driven executive in New York, and Elijah is a prep school Holden Caulfield-type that enjoys spending time wasting away with his friends. When their parents trick them into taking a trip to Italy together, long-seeded brother issues come to the surface.  


I think I especially enjoyed this book because of my trip to Italy in 2008. I liked hearing the boys talk about pieces of history that I've witnessed myself! The book was interesting because I could relate.


And because David Levithan's writing is phenomenal. 

welcome

If this nation is to be wise as well as strong, if we are to achieve our destiny, then we need more new ideas for more wise men reading more good books in more public libraries. These libraries should be open to all—except the censor. We must know all the facts and hear all the alternatives and listen to all the criticisms. Let us welcome controversial books and controversial authors. For the Bill of Rights is the guardian of our security as well as our liberty. -- John Fitzgerald Kennedy 


As an avid reader my whole life, I have spent my life both devouring and savoring books. I'm now going to bring that into the world by sharing my life in books with anyone who wishes to read. Please pull a chair up to the table and feast along with me. No censoring, just my honest-to-goodness opinion about books and book related things. Feel free to comment!