My New Friend, "THE WOMAN IN THE PURPLE SKIRT," by Natsuko Imamura, translated from the Japanese by Lucy North

 

Me with my new friend, The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura, translated from the Japanese by Lucy North

Hello. My name is Bobby Keniston, and books are my only friends. Before you start feeling bad for me about this, keep in mind that there are more books in the world than any of us could need in a lifetime, so... that makes me popular? Right? Right???

Or maybe I'm as invisible as I sometimes fear. Which leads me to today's new friend, The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura, translated from the Japanese by Lucy North. The Woman in the Purple Skirt is all about feeling invisible, and turning that invisibility into obsession toward one who is far more visible than you--- like a woman in the neighborhood who wears a purple skirt and seems to fascinate everyone she meets. She certainly fascinates our narrator, the Woman in the Yellow Cardigan. 

HOW I MET MY NEW FRIEND

Like most people, I like to learn about other parts of the world. I realized I hadn't nearly enough books from all over the globe. I have been particularly interested in reading more Japanese literature. So went on YouTube and found a BookTuber with a channel called Books and Bao, who had a wonderful video recommending  "30 Must-Read Japanese Books in Translation," which you can watch yourself by CLICKING HERE.  The Woman in the Purple Skirt was on the list, and, much to my delight, was carried by hometown library, the Thompson Free. 

Libraries are a great place to find new friends, wouldn't you agree?

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

Okay, so this is where things get a little difficult. The joy in reading this book is from the Imamura's brilliant creation of our narrator. This is not a plot-heavy book, but the things that do happen in the last third or so, are really big, and I would never dream of spoiling them. I can describe my new friend a little bit, but don't be surprised if I don't do it justice, because it might seem simple. But I assure you that it is anything but simple. 

The Woman in the Yellow Cardigan (which is how she likes to think of herself, though she does have a name we learn later on) watches the Woman in the Purple Skirt (who also has a name). Watches her go to the bakery and pick up a pastry, watches her go to the park and sit on HER BENCH, watches her eat the pastry. Watches her read the want ads in the paper. Watches her go home. Watches her go from job to job. Watches as the kids in the park, who seem just as fascinated by the Woman in the Purple Skirt as our narrator is, play games to decide who has to run up and tap her. 

Our narrator does all this watching, and is invisible. No one seems to ever see The Woman in the Yellow Cardigan. 

The major thrust of the book comes when our narrator, through a few little tricks, gets the Woman in the Purple Skirt to apply for  job cleaning a hotel, the same hotel where our narrator works. The Woman in the Purple Skirt gets the job, becomes very popular, all while our narrator watches, unable even now to introduce herself. 

This is about as comfortable as I am giving away plot points. Too much of the joy comes in discovering what happens next. But I can say that this is a stark portrait of obsession and loneliness. 

MY FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

I love the language. The simple, understated nature of how our narrator tells the story. What one realizes after awhile is that what makes the book so readable yet unsettling as well, is the ability Imamura has to make the narrator both relatable but completely unrelatable, too. We follow her as she follows The Woman in the Purple Skirt. And quickly learn that our narrator sees nothing at all unusual about her obsession. Nothing at all unusual about her stalking behavior. After all, how bad can it be if she, herself, is invisible to everyone?

Imamura's writing is addictive, and this is a short novel that could most likely be read in one sitting. Big credit to Lucy North's translation, as well, for capturing the spirit here. 

FAVORITE SCENES

It's hard to choose, but here are few:

There is a moment after the kids in the park have been playing with The Woman in the Purple Skirt, and they all share an apple. Once they are gone, our narrator goes to the bench, where an orange has been left behind, and bites into it viciously, through the peel, and continues to bite and bite. 

There is another moment, which made me laugh out loud, when our narrator, the Woman in the Yellow Cardigan, steals a pair of sunglasses. I will not describe the scenario any further. But it was terrific. 

FINAL TAKEAWAY

I had a blast reading this book, and it has stuck in my mind, too. One can't help but think of the chorus of "Eleanor Rigby", or a movie like One Hour Photo, other media that explores loneliness. But The Woman in the Purple Skirt feels special, perhaps because of Imamura's light, skillful touch. 

It definitely got in my head. 

Thanks for checking out my thoughts on my new friend, The Woman in the Purple Skirt. I definitely recommend you all making friends with her, too. 

See you next time, as soon as I make a new friend. 

My New Friend, "THE SWEET RELIEF OF MISSING CHILDREN" by Sarah Braunstein

 

Me and my new friend, The Sweet Relief of Missing Children by Sarah Braunstein. I'm the one in the hat. 

Hello everyone, my name is Bobby Keniston, and my only friends are books. Don't worry about me--- perhaps there is a sweet relief that comes with being friendless except for stories, perhaps even like The Sweet Relief of Missing Children, the new friend I will be talking about today. This is the debut novel of Sarah Braunstein, an MFA alum of the distinguished Iowa Writers' Workshop who currently lives in Maine, and, according to her website (which you can visit by CLICKING HERE), teaches at Colby College. She has also been the recipient of a "5 Under 35" award from the National Book Foundation and a Ronna Jaffe Foundation Writers' Award. So, yeah, she is far too accomplished to be my friend, but at least I have her book. 

HOW I MET MY NEW FRIEND

Constant readers of my blog (Hello?! Hello?! Do you exist?!) know that I started this project with a number of Maine authors, as I am a Maine writer myself, and wanted to read more from Maine voices that didn't belong to Stephen King. When I was doing some research about writers based in Maine, Sarah Braunstein came up. I was completely captivated by the title The Sweet Relief of Missing Children, found it dark yet lyrical, a mite unsettling. The book proved to live up to these initial feelings about the title. 

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

My new friend was the recipient of the 2012 Maine Literary Award for Fiction, and deserves a higher rating on Goodreads (though many great books are divisive). 

The Sweet Relief of Missing Children begins with a short passage about Leonora, a 12-year-old girl who is taken. This is not a spoiler--- this is how the story begins and is mentioned directly on the jacket. We do not know right away how she was taken or by whom, only that she has been taken. Leonora and her story becomes the structural foundation on which the many wings of this house are built, and meant to be the device which connects them all. In this regard, it mostly succeeds. 

The several threads of the novel, which Bitch magazine called "akin to the film Magnolia (if Saul Bellow had written the novelization)", include Paul, who we meet as a young, serious boy, ditched by his mother "Goldie" on his birthday, who goes out with a photographer in hopes of becoming a model. Unbeknownst to Paul and Goldie, they are often spied on by a genuine Peeping Tom--- Tom Grant, an abortion nurse with a daughter, Jade, Paul's age. The reader will meet Paul and Jade when they are teenagers in what turned out to be my favorite section of the book. 

Other threads include Sam, the only survivor of an "accident" after his mother drove their family into a train. He is adopted by his Uncle Joe and his wife, Constance. Joe is great friends with Hank and his wife Grace, who have a daughter named Judith who one day goes missing. Sam, who would rather be losing his virginity to his high school girlfriend Helen, becomes instrumental in bringing Judith home. 

My friend jumps around in time and in perspective frequently. I am a fan of stories that are not afraid to be non-linear, and was happy to take the journey. There are a few other threads I feel I can't get into without distinct spoilers, but we do see Paul, Sam, and Judith grow up (sadly, I felt that Jade was kind of written away in just a few sentences), and, in-between, we learn more details about Leonora's life, a strange encounter she has with an adult, and, ultimately, her abduction. 

I understand that some people are frustrated by non-linear novels. I understand this fact, but don't quite get it. Novels should stretch your mind at least a little, don't you think?

FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

I like the dark, unsettling feel to much of the novel. Braunstein does well at creating emotional reactions with clear, yet lyrical prose. I wrote down many lovely quotes from the book, sentences that say far more than the number of words would suggest. When a character thinks how he "felt a desire to smash love into his body, to smash love into the world, to allow love to be the violent act he'd always suspected it was," I was struck by the beauty and darkness of the image, and impressed by the very mechanics of creating such a sentence. 

SOME CHALLENGES WITH MY NEW FRIEND

Even the best of friends can sometimes overstay a visit a little bit. After the major threads are resolved, including Leonora's, there are another fifteen pages to the book or so. And while they are not completely out of place, I would be lying if I didn't say they felt a tiny bit anticlimactic. 

FINAL TAKEAWAY

I am very happy I discovered this book. I had to get it on interlibrary loan from the Bangor Public Library. But I am happy I found it and read it. Sarah Braunstein's website says a new novel is in the works, and I will definitely read whatever she puts out next. 

I need as many friends as I can get. 

Come on back to my next post and meet the new friend I have made. Please feel free to comment below about your favorite friends, too. 

My New Friend, "MILL TOWN: Reckoning with What Remains" by Kerri Arsenault

 

Me and my new friend, "MILL TOWN" by Kerri Arsenault. It should be YOUR new friend, too.

Hi. My name is Bobby Keniston, and my only friends are books. You may not believe me, in which case, you have probably never met me. And if you did, you would probably say, "Yeah, books are probably your best bet." 

That's okay. 

Today I want to talk about a new friend I made, a new friend that I think is very important and one you should all make friends with, too. Not only make friends with, but talk about with other friends and your local and state representatives. 

My new friend's name is "MILL TOWN: Reckoning with What Remains" by Kerri Arsenault. My new friend is Kerri Arsenault's first book. Within the pages, she describes the many, many jobs she has undertaken over the years, but on the book jacket, it mentions how she is the book review editor for Orion magazine and a contributing editor at Lit Hub. Saying this is a stunning and accomplished debut book is an understatement.

HOW I MET MY NEW FRIEND

In the town of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, where I live, the hometown library is called the Thompson Free. It is run by people who are constantly trying to bring events to the community. There is also a book club, and one of the selections was my new friend "MILL TOWN". I am not part of the book club (see the name of the blog or the old Groucho joke about not belonging to any club that would have me as a member), but I was interested to join in on a Zoom event with author Kerri Arsenault, as I had heard nothing but good things about the book, and I always find it interesting to hear writers talk. Especially writers who grew up in Maine. 

I had only read two chapters when I logged on to the Zoom event, but still enjoyed every moment of it, and was even able to ask her a few questions. Regardless of having had dental work that day, Ms. Arsenault was very generous with her time, very encouraging of conversation, and clearly passionate about her work, while still being easygoing. If you've got a little over an hour to spare, you can actually catch this book talk on YouTube by CLICKING HERE.

A BIT ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

"MILL TOWN: Reckoning with What Remains" tells the personal story of Kerri Arsenault growing up in Mexico, Maine, near the paper mill in Rumford, responsible for the economic survival for the area. Unfortunately, as we should all know, economic survival and public health do not always go hand-in-hand. This area in Maine became nicknamed "Cancer Valley" by its own residents because of the truly shocking inordinate amount of certain types of cancers that claim both men and women in the region. Many seem to inherently understand that the Mill and its pollution are at the heart of this public health issue, but no conclusive evidence can be drawn. More to the fact, one wonders if even conclusive evidence could change things. The area recognizes that the smell that permeates their town is the smell of pollution, the smell of potential sickness. But they also understand that it is the smell of money. 

My new friend is part memoir, and partly a call to environmental action and discussion. As the great Jonathan Lethem blurbs on the back cover, Arsenault's "pursuit of truth is as compassionate as it is relentless."

I am not lying when I say this project is personal for Arsenault:  both her grandfather and father died like so many others do in "Cancer Valley". And one need only read the book and acknowledgements to see how many people she talked to for the book died throughout the writing or before publication. 

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

I love that my new friend is not just a lecture. I find Arsenault's account of growing up happy in her mill town to be an interesting memoir. Her prose is exquisite, as fine as in any literary novel, which is important, I think, in nonfiction. 

What I love most is that Arsenault's scope is wide and holistic. This is not just an environmental treatise. Her discussions of the working class and the anti-union politicians who could care less about them are just as important as the dioxin levels and chlorine gassings--- because it is the anti-union politicians and the notion of profit over public health which makes such horrors possible. Kerri Arsenault knows these people, knows Maine, because she grew up here. You can't fake that, even if people do make you feel like an interloper at times after you have left. But she knows what drove Mexico to go from overwhelming support to Obama to overwhelming support for Trump, and understands it was hope for change both times, because the working class sees very little change that has an effect on their lives. 

We all have to learn, as Arsenault lays out, that environmental health is directly related to public health, sure, but also related to poverty and grossly unchecked capitalism. 

It is literally killing us. 

PERSONAL CHALLENGES FOR ME

I read through this book slowly (twice). The reason I my readings were slow is because I live with what some call Illness Anxiety, some call Health Anxiety, and yet others simply call being a Hypochondriac (exacerbated by the pandemic, but that's another story). Reading about the levels of dioxins not only in our water but in our bodies, the levels of pollution in a place called "Cancer Valley", and the fact that it can't be addressed without major economic upheaval, makes me anxious. I can't lie. This is no fault of the book, and it is important to know these things. I just have to work hard to stay out of my head. 

And I need to buy a heavy-duty water filtration system. 

PERSONALLY FUN FOR ME

While this book is not just for Maine readers, Maine readers (especially in the rural communities) will have extra insight. I was especially glad to read a brief section calling out former Congressman Bruce Poliquin's phoniness. He comes around my area to events like County Fairs, smiles his fake smile from his face that looks like Millhouse's dad from The Simpsons, then disappears. He is running for his old seat, and hope he will be thoroughly defeated again. 

Arsenault also has a section on her fight against Nestle and I remember much of that from the news. 

More personally, her brief section on Roxanne Quimby, Burt's Bees, and Quimby's National Park made me smile. I went to school Roxanne's son and daughter, Lucas and Hannah. But I first met them when Roxanne was in a community theater production of Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward with my parents, and us kids would hand around waiting for the rehearsals to be over. 

FINAL TAKEAWAYS

There are too many beautiful quotes to begin sharing here. 

I do not read a ton of nonfiction, but I loved this book because it is an important book that speaks to the working class, and to everyone who cares about public health, the environment. What the working class feels forced to submit to is not only dangerous for them, but for all of us who can't afford to live upstream of the pollution. 

Seriously:  read it. 

Thanks for checking out my thoughts on my new friend. Come back soon and you'll meet another new friend of mine, every Monday and Thursday. 

My New Friend "GOD IS DEAD" by Ron Currie, Jr.

 

A photo of me and my new friend. I met my new friend at the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine

Hi everybody. My name is Bobby Keniston. My only friends are books. But don't feel sad for me--- after all, a book has never called me up at 2 in the morning wanting to talk about something bad that has happened in their life, causing me to feign interest and empathy while my eyelids keep wanting to close. So... there's that. 

Today, I am going to introduce you to my new friend, "God is Dead" by Ron Currie, Jr. 

QUICK DISCLAIMER

I realize the title alone will activate the blasphemy radar for certain readers. These readers will not even want to go past the cover or title page, and probably shouldn't. While there is challenging content within the book, I would not consider it blasphemous or immoral or anything of the sort. But then, I like to read critically and think about what I've read, and am not the type of person to hide my narrow-minded world view and prejudice behind an appearance of morality and righteousness. That's just me. If you are that type of reader, you may want to skip this post altogether. 

HOW I MET MY NEW FRIEND

For the many, many readers who have been following along with my posts (is there anybody out there?), you know that I have been trying to discover more Maine authors. One of those authors has been Carolyn Chute, and when I did a search about her, I found a YouTube video of Ron Currie, Jr. interviewing her about her latest book, "The Recipe for Revolution" for the Portland Public Library. You can actually watch the video if you like by CLICKING HERE--- it's a long interview, but worth it. It may be the least pretentious interview between two authors you will ever see. This is what piqued my curiosity about Mr. Currie and his work. 

In full disclosure, I read Mr. Currie's first novel "Everything Matters!" before I read "God is Dead," which is his debut book, though a collection of thematically-linked short stories and not a novel. I may write about my friend "Everything Matters!" in a different post. 

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

As I mentioned above, "God is Dead" is a collection of short stories, starting with the title story in which God comes to Earth as a Dinka woman in the North Darfur region of Sudan. God has come, it seems, to apologize to humanity, but can do very little except sympathize and provide endless amounts of sorghum. God runs into Colin Powell, who, in the world of the story, has come back into contact with his childhood and the racism he faced, and it has made him a "foul-mouthed race warrior" as Lydia Millet said in her blurb for the book. Indeed, Mr. Powell practicing his best Samuel L. Jackson glare is a moment that made me laugh at loud, which I don't do too often when reading. 

In any case, God, while in this human form, dies, and is subsequently eaten by a pack of feral dogs, who have no idea that they are eating the "Creator", and it gives them a strange consciousness, though this  isn't fully revealed until later in the book, the sixth story, titled "Interview with the Last Remaining Member of the Feral Dog Pack Which Fed on God's Corpse", which, despite a title that will turn off readers I mentioned in the disclaimer above, is actually a fascinating tale about meaning and existence, through the eyes of a changed feral dog, who, for all its consciousness, is not deified. 

Indeed, every story after the first is an examination of how our society would change if we had distinct and definite proof that God had somehow died. Suicides for the clergy sky rocket. There is a mass panic for a time. New idols (including children) are put in place to fill the need to worship. New philosophies, the Postmodern Anthropologists and the Evolutionary Psychologists, form, indoctrinate, create zealots and war on each other (these names were another deep chuckle--- I laughed out loud when a popular country song, "Proud to be a PoMO" is played at a parade). 

Basically, the world changes completely, but not really at all. People simply scramble to look for meaning. 

Which is funny. 

But really sad. 

FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

There are three stories that connect into one big story:  "False Idols," "The Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit" and "Retreat". It was nice to follow these characters. 

I also like how Ron Currie's theme here, and in "Everything Matters!' is how meaning can exist if we make it so. We often try too hard, or depend on outward forces, real and imagined. But Currie seems to be telling us that we don't need to do this. There's plenty of meaning within if we just look for it in the simplest of terms. 

FUN FACT

When my new friend was first released, many compared its author to Vonnegut. Mr. Currie himself has said that he doesn't find the comparison an apt one. Neither do I. 

FINAL TAKEAWAY

I recommend it for those who want to think about our world and its quest for meaning. Be prepared--- despite some humor, it can be a big downer and isn't for those squeamish about dark comedy. 

Thanks for reading my thoughts on my new friend and its author, Ron Currie, Jr. 

Come on back to hear me talk about a new friend...

My New Friend "DEVIL HOUSE" by John Darnielle

 

Here's the cover of my new friend. I like retro feel. But don't let this cover convince you this is a horror story--- it is not. 

Hello. My name is Bobby Keniston, and my only friends are books. Don't feel sorry for me. Though if you can't help being sorry for me, at least pronounce "sorry" like Canadians do, so that it will rhyme with "story."  I love a good story. That's why books are my only friends. 

I know that all of the readers following this blog... wait... I need a break for laughter....it's just funny imagining that there are any people actually following this blog....Sorry.  

I know that all of readers following this blog are probably tired of my little project consisting only of Maine authors, so I thought I would talk about my friend "Devil House" by John Darnielle, who is not a Maine author. "Devil House" is also the newest of my new friends. Its birthday was January 25th of 2022. I was happy to find it at my local library, where I meet many of my new friends. 

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

My new friend "Devil House" is the third novel from the multi-talented John Darnielle, following his second novel "Universal Harvester" (which I have read and enjoyed) and "Wolf In White Van" (which I have not read, but which was nominated for a National Book Award merely days after its publication date--- not bad, eh?). "Devil House" tells the story of Gage Chandler, a true crime writer who was always told by his mother that he was descended from kings. He wrote a very successful true crime book about "The White Witch of Morro Bay", which dealt with Diana Crane, a school teacher who killed two young men who broke into her house and then tried to dispose of the bodies. Chandler's book, much like "Devil House", deals with the mythology a community constructs around murders and tragedies, while the complexity of the truth seems to fade away. 

Gage Chandler, on a tip from his agent, moves into what the locals of Milptas  call "Devil House", the scene of a double homicide. Milpitas is also where the events depicted in the book and film  "River's Edge" took place, and that true crime story hangs over the book in some ways. Once in the "Devil House", Gage works meticulously to recreate the crime scene, to do his best to get into the nooks and crannies, every inch of the house, looking for the story... and the "truth". 

MY FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

My friend has many things going for it, not least of which is being written by John Darnielle. Darnielle is the songwriter and singer behind The Mountain Goats, and his songs are very creative, powerful and lyrical. His prose here is also impressive, and the way he writes the first section as a true crime book itself is intriguing and effective. Reading about Gage's methods keeps the pages turning. The second section about Diana Crane, the "White Witch" is also a page-turner. Darnielle does well humanizing not only the teacher, but the two young men who attack her. In fact, he is quite good with teenage characters, which serve him well for the sections about the "Devil House." 

I also appreciate how Darnielle touches upon the "Satanic Panic" of those days, and how the Devil House murders could have fallen into that hysteria had the folks of Milpitas not worked so hard to squash the story after the sensationalism of "River's Edge". 

CHALLENGES WITH MY NEW FRIEND

There is an interlude in the book about a medieval boy becoming king, complete in medieval font, which, while well-written and entertaining, did not fully convince me that it was necessary. Perhaps this is my failing and not my friend's, I don't know. The surprise twist ending is bold and brave (and something I wouldn't even think about spoiling here), but I am still not 100% sure how I feel about it. Still, in its defense, it makes Gage confront how, no matter how well-researched and well-intentioned, "true crime" is only ever partly true and never complete. 

FINAL TAKEAWAY

Readers, if they are like me, will want to make friends with "Devil House". But, I must reiterate my warning from the caption below the above picture: do not go into it expecting a horror novel, or you may well be disappointed. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts. Come on back to see who I make friends with next...

My New Friend "THE POLICE KNOW EVERYTHING" by Sanford Phippen

 

The author and the book. Photo from the Digital Commons @UMaine, Sanford Phippen's Literary Papers

Hi. My name is Bobby Keniston, and my only friends are books. Before you get to feeling sorry for me because of my lack of human friends, just remember that books don't mind if you wake them up at 3:00 AM because you feel like laughing or crying and don't want to be alone. So... yeah. 

If you have read my previous posts--- a prospect I find highly unlikely as generally my blogging reaches the exact same audience I would have as simply talking into a mirror--- you know that I have been reading a great deal of Maine writers lately, as I am a Maine writer myself, and want to have a wider knowledge of authors from my neck of the forest (or my shoulders of the woods, if you prefer). 

That is why my new friend is "The Police Know Everything" by Sanford Phippen. I have mentioned Mr. Phippen in my two previous blog posts because, aside from being a writer and a teacher, he also hosted interviews with Maine authors in a segment called Good Reads on Maine Public Broadcasting. This was back in the early 2000s I believe, but can be found on YouTube. On this show he interviewed the likes of Stephen King, Richard Russo, and Carolyn Chute to name a just a few. For the fun of it, you can catch his interview with Stephen King by CLICKING HERE. 

This is why the new friend I made for this post was "The Police Know Everything", which is a collection of Downeast Stories.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

"The Police Know Everything" is a quick read, originally published in 1982 by Puckerbush Press, a small publisher based out of Orono, Maine, where Phippen taught school for many years. The stories are all short and compact, but with an overarching connective tissue in its exploration of class, the art of storytelling itself, and of place and time. The title story starts off the collection, named "The Police Know Everything" because it deals with our narrator's elderly aunt and her friends as volunteer police officers. Our narrator is Andy (or "An-day!" as he is called in the vernacular of his family and friends), clearly a stand-in for Phippen himself. Many of the stories are of Andy asking questions to his friends and family and then being told the story--- kind of a story within a story vibe. Some of the stories are humorous, some of them deeply sad, and some of them upsetting in their depiction of people's ignorance (including the use of racist and homophobic words). But Phippen was trying to show "the real Maine," the kind the tourists don't see at the fancy places on the coast. He wanted to show the truth. And I feel he succeeds. 

On another note, my understanding is that "The Police Know Everything" was considered a "small press bestseller" for a number of years. I found the copy I read in my local library. 

Oh--- and Stephen King blurbed another one of Mr. Phippen's books, calling him "a Maine treasure."

WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

It was a strange, but after reading a few stories, there was such a feeling of familiarity, and I wondered where it was coming from. And then I realized--- the way the Downeast characters in this book were telling stories is the exact same way my Grandfather, Jesse I. Keniston, used to tell me, and all of his family, stories. The details, the manner of speaking, practically seeing the yarn spinning--- it all hit me with a surprising emotional payoff, thinking about being a little kid and listening to him talk. 

Next to this wonderful feeling of honest nostalgia, my other favorite thing was the story, "The Returned Native," about someone who left Maine but is back for a visit. It brings up a lot of the conflicting feelings I have about this state. How it keeps me here, but how I see its flaws (and they do feel like unique flaws), and how the flaws make me often wish I could get out--- but how long would I stay out? Phippen writes with clear honesty here, and it is worth considering. 

WHAT I FELT COULD HAVE MADE ME NEW FRIEND EVEN MORE FUN TO BE AROUND

While I did enjoy the collection, I do feel some of the stories were perhaps a bit too short, and ended abruptly at times. I also feel like my new friend could have perhaps had just a tiny bit more connective tissue for a stronger, clearer arc for the collection. But these are small complaints. 

FINAL TAKEAWAY

If you can find a copy--- and I believe a new press has taken over its distribution and that it is available on e-book as well--- I would recommend giving it a read. That is, if you are interested in looking at more of the "real Maine" instead of what you see in the travel brochures. Do not be fooled by the title and the cover artwork and think this is just a fun, silly, slice-of-life Maine humor read, a kind Tim Sample routine in book form. It is much more than that. 

Thanks for reading my thoughts on "The Police Know Everything". 

Come back soon to hear about another new friend!

My New Friend "EMPIRE FALLS" By Richard Russo

 

The hardcover edition of "Empire Falls" by Richard Russo. Note: This could just as easily be a picture from my hometown. 

Hello. My name is Bobby Keniston, and my only friends are books. Today I would like to tell you about a new friend of mine, "Empire Falls" by the author Richard Russo. I have been focusing on making a lot of new friends from my home state of Maine lately, and though Mr. Russo wasn't here in my home state, he has lived here a long time, and "Empire Falls" is set here--- and the two-part television adaptation was filmed here as well, which I will discuss more later on. 

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND:

"Empire Falls" was published in 2001 by Alfred A. Knopf, fine publishers indeed. It tells the story of a fictional Maine mill town after the industry has disappeared. This is not an unfamiliar story to anyone who lives in Maine, and especially not for someone who lives in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine. Our protagonist is Miles Roby, a man in his early forties recently separated from his wife Janine and on his way to a divorce. He runs the Empire Grill where he serves local regulars (including Walt Comeau, the "Silver Fox" his wife left him for), and where his brother David, who lost use of one hand in a DUI accident that changed his life, works as a cook, expanding the menu and the clientele. Miles, who never expected to return to Empire Falls until his mother was dying of cancer, goes through his life with a feeling like he has given up something, just as he knows his mother had gone through hers (Miles stayed on in Empire Falls and at the Empire Grill after his mother's death), and understands that the cause of this feeling likely has to do with the hold Mrs. Whiting has on him. Mrs. Whiting, the widow of C.B. Whiting, heir to the Whiting fortune made from the industries established in Empire Falls, owns more than half the town and seemingly half of the people within it. She has a special "fondness" for Miles, which has nothing to do with the fact that her daughter Cindy, disabled after being run over as a child, is head over heels in love with him. In fact, Mrs. Whiting's "fondness" for Miles is a mystery to him, and the reader for a good portion of the book. And though Miles suffers the trials of his deadbeat father Max, as well as the local bully cop Jimmy Minty, he takes comfort in his talks with Father Mark, a progressive priest, and finds his greatest joy in being the father of Tick, his 16-year-old daughter who means the entire world to him. He is determined that she will not repeat his fate of being stuck in Empire Falls. 

My new friend "Empire Falls" won the Pulitzer Prize and, as stated earlier, was adapted into an HBO two-part miniseries with an all-star cast including Ed Harris, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Helen Hunt, Robin Wright, Aidan Quinn, Dennis Farina, William Fichtner, and Danielle Panabaker--- and that's only naming the top principals! Russo himself adapted his novel into a screenplay, and Mr. Newman won an Emmy, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award for playing Max. 

HOW I MET MY NEW FRIEND

I had heard of the novel, Russo's fifth, soon after it won the Pulitzer. A group of my literary pals were shocked that it won the award, claiming that Jonathan Franzen's "The Corrections" should have swept ALL the awards that year (as if a National Book Award and an Oprah scandal wasn't enough). 

Later on, I was working at the historic Lakewood Theatre during "the summer of the Empire Falls..." Much of the movie was filmed in Skowhegan, Maine (in fact, a restaurant called "The Empire Grill", where many scenes were shot, remained open for a number of years, but eventually went out of business and was replaced by a different restaurant), and a good number of my theater friends got involved. Many were extras. One friend was a stand-in for Danielle Panabaker, who played Tick. Another friend worked in the costume department. In fact, one day as I was working in the box office at Lakewood Theater, this friend stopped by. She had been sent to pick up Ed Harris's jean jacket from his camp and was on her way back. I should be embarrassed to admit this, but, what the hell--- a picture exists somewhere of me wearing Mr. Harris's jacket. And if I knew where it was, I would share it here. 

I remember watching bits of the movie when it premiered, but don't believe I ever watched it straight through, though, perhaps I did. It was a while back. 

I met my new friend the latest time because I have been reading a lot of Maine authors, and decided to read this one after watching an interview between Sanford Phippen and Richard Russo that was made for Maine Public Television. You can watch that interview by CLICKING HERE

MY THOUGHTS ON MY NEW FRIEND

I am not surprised that my new friend "Empire Falls" won the Pulitzer Prize. Mr. Russo is easy to read, a genuine pleasure to read. Though there are many dark topics--- abuse, violence, and a spoiler-esque act I won't mention here--- Russo's style is friendly, and he humanizes even his most distasteful characters. He cares about them. It is this caring that seems to tell the reader, even in the dark moments, that, hey, friend, everything is going to be all right. And you almost believe him, even though the book really focuses on people who have wasted so much time and tossed away so many chances at happiness. 

Still, it's nice to have an authorial voice every once in awhile that doesn't shy away from the dark, but still somehow seems to make you feel okay. 

MY FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

"Empire Falls', though set in Maine, is not about place so much as about class, as Mr. Russo says in the interview I linked above. We need more books about class in America, especially if we are to understand what the hell is going on in our divisive politics today. 

My absolute favorite thing about my new friend, however, are all the scenes with Tick. She is well drawn and believable, and it is impressive how real many of the scenes with her in the high school feel. 

A favorite quote:  "After all, what was the whole wide world but a place for people to yearn for their hearts' impossible desires, for those desires to become entrenched in defiance of logic, plausibility, and even the passage of time, as eternal as polished marble?"

LEAST FAVORTE THING ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

My new friend is a little long-winded, and maybe could have stood to lose about 10,000 words. Though it is hard to fault a book that is trying to enrich itself at every moment. 

FINAL TAKEAWAY

I am glad I made this new friend, and would recommend you meeting them either at your local library, independent bookstore, or online. 

That's all for now. 

I'm off to make a new friend. 

My New Friend "Letourneau's Used Auto Parts" by Carolyn Chute

 

The original hardcover edition of "Letourneau's Used Auto Parts" by Carolyn Chute

Hi. My name is Bobby Keniston, and my only friends are books. You might think this is sad, but as Emily Dickinson said, "There is no frigate like a book." Or, as a thirteen-year-old boy in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, might simply say, "Frig it."

In any case, the first new friend I want to write about here on this little piece of the internet that will likely only have an audience in the single digits, is Carolyn Chute's brilliant second novel "Letourneau's Used Auto Parts." Carolyn Chute came to wide public recognition with her first novel, "The Beans of Egypt, Maine," and as she told Sandy Phippen in an interview for Maine Public Television, her subsequent book tour and speaking engagements made her a kind of "specimen," a "trained tiger," if you will. If you are interested in this terrific interview, you can watch it by CLICKING HERE. 

Perhaps instead of treating her like a specimen, more people should have listened to her and read her books closely. Carolyn Chute may be one of the finest writers about rural, white poverty in the last 50 years. Though I don't intend for this to be a political blog per se, I can't help but say that if Democrats want to understand working people and rural poverty, they would do well to read a book like "Letourneau's Used Auto Parts" and take copious notes. 

I have been having a Maine-author theme for my reading of late, since I am a Maine writer myself. Carolyn Chute not only expertly evokes class, but a sense of place as well. Her voice is fiercely all her own, somewhat minimalist, character-driven, and packs a punch. 

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

My new friend "Letourneau's Used Auto Parts" takes place in Egypt, Maine, and centers around Big Lucien Letourneau, who doesn't appear very much in the novel, but has an almost mythological feel about him. We hear about his "heart of gold," his terrible headaches that lead to screaming, and mostly, his many, many women and many, many children. Everyone in this book is somehow attached to Big Lucien and his business. And as more and more people lose their homes, Big Lucien and his heart of gold keeps them in trailers on his property, which is a thorn in the side of the local selectmen who believe it looks trashy. 

Chute, as I mentioned, is a character-driven writer, and the characters jump off the page. I have seen these people. I know them. I live in small town Maine, and I have seen this poverty (and lived it) and the rage and shame and hopelessness that comes from it. My favorite character is Junie, one of Big Lucien's daughters from a previous relationship, though he has never been a father to her directly. We meet Junie at 15, as she tries to get money any way she can (most humorously by telling futures to tourists for a dollar) because she wants to have a sports car some day. 

Ms. Chute gets into the heads and lives of her characters and never judges them. 

SOME QUOTES FROM MY NEW FRIEND

"'In the old days, somebody tried to take your home, you'd put one of these inside their head.' He holds one of the shells toward the light. 'But nowadays...' He sighs, his clear green eye fixed to Severin. 'Nowadays when they come to make you go, you take a shell like this one here...' He rolls it between his fingers. '...and you put it in your own head.'"

Some folks are reacting to a suicide, and many are shocked to hear about it. One deputy is not. The reason he gives for not being shocked still haunts me:

"Kids n' bills. Kids n' bills."

MY FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT MY NEW FRIEND

As I have said, I appreciate Chute's unflinching look at poverty. It isn't always easy to take, but it is important. Her minimalist language and rich characters also make for a truly engaging read. 

FINAL TAKEAWAYS

Not always an easy read. Often hard to take, but that doesn't mean it isn't important to read. Friends aren't always uplifting, but the good ones always leave an impact for the better. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts about "Letourneau's Used Auto Parts" by Carolyn Chute. I will have a new post very soon about a whole new friend!

In the meantime, I recommend getting "Letourneau's Used Auto Parts" at your local library, or ordering it from your favorite independent bookstore.