Tidy Tidbits: Biography, Mystery, & Memoir

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INTIMATE PORTRAIT

The Chancellor by Kati Marton

Kati Marton (The Guardian)

Members of my local book group enjoyed reading Marton’s portrayal of Angela Merkel.  It’s an accessible biography of an intensely private woman in a prominent public position.  It isn’t a comprehensive biography and does not provide detailed analysis of some of Merkel’s questionable decisions and actions.  And the author is perhaps too admiring.  

But it’s an amazing story of how Merkel, raised in then East Germany under the repressive Soviet system, was smart, determined, and motivated, and able to go beyond the constraints of her upbringing to serve Germany as chancellor for 16 years.  

Marton’s style is engaging. I particularly enjoyed the later chapters about Merkel’s genuine friendships with the younger George Bush and Barack Obama and her tussles with Trump.  In occasional footnotes, Marton comments on her own experiences.  Originally from Hungary, Marton was a news correspondent and married to diplomat Richard Holbrooke, giving her some closeness to international leaders and events. Some reviewers found her personal comments annoying or inappropriate, but I did not. Recommended!  (~JWFarrington)

SEEING THE UNSEEN

Exiles by Jane Harper

Jane Harper (Geelong Advertiser)

Exiles by Jane Harper is a fascinating crime novel built around a close-knit family full of revels and rivalries.  Friend and financial detective Aaron Falk returns to the Marralee Valley in South Australia for a christening. It’s a year after the disappearance of a mother, Kim Gillespie, whose baby is left in a stroller on festival grounds.  Friends and relatives have been interviewed and their recent interactions with Kim parsed, but there has been no answer to what happened to her or where she might be.  An older unsolved crime in the same area is reexamined for possible linkages to Kim.  

Like Harper’s other novels, the behavior of family and friends and their motivations are the primary focus.  Teenager Joel, whose father was killed in a hit and run accident, is convincingly cast. Falk is a likable guy, and his personal life gets some satisfying attention here.  I found myself pondering these characters and events anew after I finished reading.  Highly recommended!  (~JWFarrington)

ADDICTION AND PRISON

Corrections in Ink by Keri Blakinger

Keri Blakinger (by Ilana Panich-Linsman)

The title of this book and the fact that it is a memoir caught my eye while browsing in my favorite bookstore.  I had not read anything about it, nor did I know the author.  Reading the flyleaf and seeing Ithaca and Cornell mentioned further piqued my interest. I worked in Ithaca two summers during college, one on the Cornell campus.  

In dated chapters alternating between her years in prison (2010-2012) and years before and after, Keri Blakinger shares in painstaking detail her drive for perfection in schoolwork and competitive figure skating and her descent into heroin addiction.  In 2010, nearing completion of her degree at Cornell, she is arrested with a large wad of heroin on her.  

She describes the cruelty, pettiness, and nastiness of life in a county jail, what it means to be transferred to another county jail and why, and how time in a state prison is different in yet another way.  Throughout, there is a loss of personhood that comes with being in the penal system.  For Keri, who had hit rock bottom in terms of self-esteem, it took a long time after becoming clean and sober to realize that she did have something to contribute and had had an easier time than less privileged Black inmates.  It was a long journey to becoming the accomplished and recognized journalist she is today.  

This is not an easy book to read; at points the prison scenes are painful and unending, and one wonders both why she made some of her earlier poor choices and if she will ever be able to turn herself around.  It is a graphic account: candid, reflective, and wonderfully written.  (~JWFarrington)

Tidy Tidbits: Local Color

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NATURE AND ART

Perico Preserve, one of several in Manatee County

Robinson Preserve

Manatee County is blessed with a collection of nature preserves, several fairly close by. We returned to Robinson Preserve twice in the past two weeks with my visiting sisters and brothers-in-law. It’s a great place for a winding walk up, down, and around several bodies of water. Each time we were rewarded with bird sightings, particularly a large group of white pelicans.  With binoculars in hand, our guests were also able to spot the occasional songbird, along with here and there a little blue heron.   

Art Show

This past weekend was our local art show.  Residents were invited to register to display their creative work.  The range of pieces from more than twenty individuals included paintings, jewelry, photography, quilts and needlepoint, ceramics, baskets, and even fused glass art.  Not surprisingly, there were many bird photographs, both of local tropical birds and songbirds.  For the record, the Chief Penguin and I each had several of our photos on display too. It was a most enjoyable afternoon event showcasing local talent.

DINING AROUND

Mean Dean’s Local Kitchen

We’d been told many of our neighbors had already discovered this newish Bradenton restaurant, but we just had our first meal with friends.  It was a weeknight, but still very much a happening place!  Mean Dean’s has a large space with bar seating and lots of booths.  Fortunately, we had a reservation and were seated right away.  

The menu is extensive with everything from spinach dip and fried calamari to soups, salads, and tacos to a variety of meat and seafood entrees.  Think comfort food.  Among the four of us, we sampled the shrimp and grits, lobster lasagna, fish and chips, and the short rib over a Thai peanut sauce.  The lasagna and the short rib were probably the standouts.  

Shrimp and grits

Portions are generous, and everything was tasty!  The noise level is boisterous so don’t expect a romantic interlude.  We will return, perhaps after the snowbirds depart.

WHAT I’M READING

Jane Harper’s latest mystery, Exiles, is off to a promising start and is a welcome change of pace from my last long book.  Set in Australia, it again features Aaron Falk, a financial detective.  I’ve read all of Harper’s previous books and am a big fan of hers.

Outside Bookstore 1 Sarasota

Footnote: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved)

Tidy Tidbits: Art, Angst, & Autism

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BEAUTY IN GLASS

Bromeliads planted like a mosaic

Each year, Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota highlights the work of a notable artist as inspiration for special art throughout the gardens.  Other years have built on the interplay of art and nature in the works of Andy Warhol, Marc Chagall, and Monet.  This year’s focus is on the stained glass art of Louis Comfort Tiffany.  There are pieces both in the conservatory and throughout the landscape. 

Hanging stained ”glass” in the conservatory

 I think it is one of the most successful exhibits in this series.  Tiffany: The Pursuit of Beauty in Nature is on display through June 25th.  It’s well worth visiting!

Desert plants seen through a colored panel

RECENT READING

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

As has been noted, Kingsolver’s latest novel, Demon Copperhead, is a modern variation on Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield.  Demon, birth name Damon, is the child of a teenage addict and an absent father.  When his mother dies, he becomes the responsibility of a sorry welfare system and endures a series of mostly terrible foster homes.  Overworked, mistreated, and bullied, he is nonetheless a survivor.  

Lacking in self-esteem, his early shining moments are starring on the football field and being elected homecoming king.  He has artistic talent which he occasionally values, but he lacks the confidence in his abilities to seriously pursue it.  A badly injured knee damages him both physically and mentally, and he descends into a drug-fueled existence.  He functions, but not fully.

The novel is all in Demon’s voice.  The sentences are delivered in a breathless almost hasty tone with occasional staccato-like bursts.  There is humor and coarse language wrapped in a surprisingly engaging character.  

The writing is terrific, but the book is just too long!  I got bogged down with all the teenage boys’ antics and shenanigans about two-thirds in and set the book aside for a week.  Then I returned to it, determined to finish, and felt rewarded by my efforts in the last several chapters.  For me, the ending was a satisfying one.  Overall, recommended with reservations. (~JWFarrington)

OUTSTANDING SERIES

Astrid, season 1 (PBS)

I mentioned Astrid in an earlier blog post and have now watched the entire first series.  It is excellent on several levels.  Astrid works in criminal records and is blessed with an encyclopedic memory and keen observation skills. She is also autistic and at the beginning of the series quite timid in her dealings with other people and the world in general.  Paired with detective Raphaelle Coste, Astrid provides insights and knowledge of previous murders instrumental in solving the latest crime.  She even manages to win over the somewhat crusty pathologist Fournier. 

The cases are intriguing and usually hinge on some connection to an earlier crime.  What was most engaging for me was the growing friendship between Astrid and Raphaelle and watching Astrid gain in confidence, able to practice basic social niceties.  I also enjoyed the interactions between the members of Astrid’s autism support group and the wise guidance provided by William, the group leader.  The series is in French with subtitles.  Highly recommended!

Live plants echo the colors of the glass

Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.) Header photo is of a screen at Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota.

Sarasota Scene: Theater, Music, & Talk

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It was a week that showcased some of the best in culture and learning Sarasota has to offer. The play was powerful and timely, the orchestra’s performance moving, and the lecture, food for the mind.

WOMAN POWER & SCIENCE

Silent Sky at Asolo Repertory Theatre

Silent Sky cast, Henrietta at right (Your Observer)

Silent Sky by playwright Lauren Gunderson is a woman-centered work about astronomer Henrietta Leavitt.  A Harvard graduate, Henrietta, was hired as a computer in the Harvard Observatory in 1900 working under the direction of Professor Edward Pickering.  She and Annie Cannon and Williamina Fleming, her colleagues, studied and mapped star plates, but were not allowed to work on the actual telescope.  Scientist Peter Shaw made rounds to check up on them.

Henrietta had a bold spirit and a creative mind and saw stars and patterns that eluded others.  This is a marvelous play about women:  the three female scientists and Margaret, Henrietta’s composer sister, and the challenges and conflicts they faced as women.  Highly recommended!  The play runs through March 5.

ASTOUNDING MUSICIANSHIP

Sarasota Orchestra, A Romantic Affair

Pianist Tsujii (Sarasota Orchestra)

The Sarasota Orchestra is in another transition year after the untimely death of the newly hired music director, Branwell Tovey, last July.  That means this season brings another string of guest conductors, selected to deliver the programs that Tovey had developed.  This most recent concert was simply superb!  

Conductor Peter Oundjian, in his second appearance, was warm in his opening remarks and sprightly on the podium.  We heard a spellbinding performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor with Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii and a rousing rendition of Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 in C Minor.  This orchestra was at its very best!

EUROPEAN POLITICS

Macron’s Europe – or Is it Putin’s? (Global Issues series, Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning)

Author Walker (Facebook)

Martin Walker had a long career as a journalist for The Guardian and UPI and then a second career working with various think tanks.  His talk about the challenges faced by France and the European Union in dealing with Russia was informative and insightful.  The Chief Penguin and I found it worthwhile but could have done without his opening humor.  

There was a large crowd in attendance, probably partly due to Walker’s third career as the author of the Chief Bruno mysteries set in France.  It’s also worth noting that he has been a SILL speaker for thirty years.

CURRENT READING

The Chancellor: The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel by Kati Marton

More about this accessible biography in a future blog post

Note: Header photo is of the bell tower at New College of Florida ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)