Summer Reading

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PURE ESCAPISM

Summer is often viewed as the time to indulge in lighter reading fare—mysteries, thrillers, beach reads and the like.  Here are two recent notable novels (one a first novel) that are well written and meet the criterion of being thrilling or suspenseful.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

Sarah Penner (deadline.com)

First time novelist, Penner has penned an historical thriller about an 18th century female healer or apothecarist who also dispenses poisons.  Nella will provide them to any woman desiring to kill off a cheating or abusive man.  She mainly provides women with helpful herbs and salves, but her own life situation led her down this alternate path.  

In the present day, Caroline Parcewell has learned that her husband was unfaithful, but proceeds alone to London on their anniversary trip.  On a mud larking expedition, Caroline discovers an old vial which leads her to a hidden apothecary.  Seeking answers, she consults someone at the British Library and delves deeper into the historic record.   

Penner does an amazing job of detailing Nella’s life and her interactions with a young girl, Eliza, and then linking that with Caroline’s research.  Some readers might think that the parallels between Nella’s work and Caroline’s marriage strain belief, but I found them convincing enough.  A most accomplished debut!

The Survivors by Jane Harper

Author Harper (sun-sentinel.com)

Australian Jane Harper is a recent favorite author of mine.  I’ve now read all four of her mystery novels.  The Survivors is set on the Tasmanian coast and concerns the recent death of Bronte, a young woman working as a waitress at the local Surf and Turf tavern.  

Twelve years ago, another young woman, Gabby Birch, died, and two men drowned in a very bad storm. Kieran was eighteen at the time of the big storm and is still haunted by guilt over his own actions that day when his older brother Finn died.  Bronte’s drowning brings up memories. Kieran and his wife, Mia, friends Ash and Sean, and his parents Brian and Verity struggle to cope while secrets long festering are slowly revealed.  This is an atmospheric mystery with more conversation and less action, but still compelling.  You won’t soon forget the underwater caves of Tasmania!

SUMMER READING

Here are some of the titles I hope to read this summer.  A couple of them are for my book group so I may put them off until early fall, closer to when the group discusses them.  Besides these titles, I have a stack of other books waiting in the wings.

Eleanor by David Michaelis

I’ve read several biographies of Eleanor Roosevelt including Blanche Wiesen-Cook’s monumental three volume work.  Nonetheless, I look forward to this recent biography drawing on new research about her life.

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

A much-praised novel about the Dust Bowl set in the 1920’s and 30’s.  Hannah is the author of twenty novels, but I don’t think I’ve read any of them.

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

This historical novel about a female aviator covers decades and locales from Montana to London to modern day Los Angeles.   Cast in the role of aviator Marian for a new film a hundred years later, Hadley’s quest to find her place dovetails with aspects of Marian’s life.  I found Shipstead’s earlier novel, Seating Arrangments, finely drawn and am really looking forward to this tome! 

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

A novel of the 1918 pandemic, this time set in a Dublin hospital. Donoghue is author of the highly touted and gripping novel, The Room, as well as Frog Music.

The Secrets of Mary Bowser by Lois Leveen

A historical novel about a real person, Mary Bowser, a slave then freed, who posed as a slave to spy on Jefferson Davis.

The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz

(goodreads.com)

For those who enjoyed The Magpie Murders, this is another puzzling murder mystery by a prolific and acclaimed English writer.  Like in the earlier mystery, Horowitz himself is a character.

The Time of Our Singing by Richard Powers

A novel of the Civil Rights era combining love and music in the marriage of a Jewish scientist and a Black singer.  Published in 2003.  Powers is also the author of The Gold Bug Variations and Overstory.

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

I very much enjoyed Gyasi’s Homegoing so look forward to this novel about a Ghanaian family in the U.S. trying to make it midst addiction, depression, and prejudice.

Note: Header image of reading couple is courtesy of www.mymcpl.org (Mid-Continent Public Library).

Here & There: Lakes and Trees

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FINGER LAKES

We spent Memorial Day weekend in Skaneateles, NY, a charming village on the northern edge of Skaneateles Lake. We were there for my niece’s outdoor wedding at Frog Pond.  Skaneateles is one of the eleven Finger Lakes in central New York State.   These glacier-created lakes are long and skinny, deep, and cold.  Sixteen miles in length and ranging from 148 feet to 315 feet deep, Skaneateles Lake is considered the cleanest, most pristine lake in the state. It is also the source of Syracuse’s water supply. 

Skaneateles Lake with pier

The Finger Lakes run north to south, and from east to west their names are: Otisco, Skaneateles, Owasco, Cayuga, Seneca, Keuka, Canandaigua, Honeoye, Canadice, Hemlock, and Conesus.  The larger lakes, Skaneateles, Owasco, Cayuga, and Seneca, are the better known ones.

Lakeside at the yacht club (owascoyachtclub.com)

I grew up in Auburn located at the northern end of Owasco Lake.   My childhood summers were filled with picnics and swimming outings at Owasco Yacht Club, a family club on the lake’s eastern shore.   Spring fed, the lake was often still cold in early July.  My mother never went into the water until after July 4th.

Ithaca, home to Cornell University is at the southern end of Cayuga Lake.  The campus is famous for steep gorges. Waterfalls are also numerous in this area with Buttermilk Falls and dramatic Taughannock Falls whose water plunges 215 feet.

Taughannock Falls (fairy burger.com)

Seneca Lake, 35 miles long, is the largest of the Finger Lakes and the deepest at 630 feet.  It moderates upstate New York’s temperate climate and is home to the largest number of wineries in this region. It is reported that once a century Seneca Lake freezes over.  The last time was in 1912, and some folks claimed they skated 35 miles from Geneva at the northern tip to Watkins Glen at the southern end.  

The town of Seneca Falls on Seneca’s northern shore was the site of the 1848 Women’s Rights Convention.  Today you can visit the Women’s Rights National Historical Park and the National Women’s Hall of Fame here.  

This area of New York is rich in history, and beautiful to behold with much to explore.  Best to visit in the summer, however, as even late May, witness last weekend, can be chilly!

GHOST FOREST

On one of our last days in Manhattan, we ambled into Madison Square Park and were greeted by sculptor Maya Lin’s latest outdoor work.  Called Ghost Forest, it’s a stand of forty-nine white cedar trees looming upward, but minus any leaves.  The trees are from a dead area in the New Jersey pine barrens.  It’s a haunting site, yet at the same time inviting.  Lone individuals and couples with toddlers made themselves comfortable on the ground midst the trees.  These trees will be in place into November.

Family enjoying Ghost Forest

Ghost Forest builds on Lin’s earlier climate change projects. One, called What is Missing, presents sounds of nature and animals that are endangered or have disappeared.  Missing exists both online and in several locations  The first site is a giant megaphone, The Listening Cone, installed at the California Academy of Sciences in 2009.  A treat for the Chief Penguin and me was getting to know Maya Lin a bit and visiting her in her Manhattan studio. 

TRAVEL PARTICULARS

In Skaneateles:

  • For historic charm, stay at the Sherwood Inn (1807) opposite the lake.
  • For a casual lunch or dinner, dine at Bluewater Grill overlooking the water.
  • For continental dinner fare, make a reservation for a table on the porch at Sherwood.
  • For a hearty lunch on a rainy day, indulge in a Reuben in Sherwood’s tavern, or hop a bar stool at Lakehouse Pub for local beer, quesadillas, or that regional favorite, beef kummelweck.
Lunchtime regulars at Lakehouse Pub
  • For some good Mexican food for lunch or dinner (no reservations), show up early at the Elephant and the Dove.
  • On the outskirts of town and walkable (sidewalk all the way), book at the popular Rosalie’s Cucina for generous portions of Italian meatballs, fried chicken and braciole.
  • Lastly, by car, dine at Auburn’s most sophisticated eatery, Moro’s Table.  Dishes include mussels, scallops, and sushi, along with beef sirloin, short ribs, salmon, and sea bass.
Smiles all around at the wedding reception

Note: Unattributed photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved).

Manhattan Moments: Addiction & Art

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MASTER WORK

Empire of Pain:  The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe

For anyone who’s read Radden Keefe’s book about the Irish Troubles, Say Nothing, you know him as a nonfiction writer who draws you in with meticulous detail and creates a novel-like reading experience.  His latest work, Empire of Pain, is equally meticulous and an absolutely fascinating study of the self-absorbed, greedy, and corrupt Sacklers.  How many museums or universities here and abroad have Sackler Wings?  The family was eager to put its name on and in buildings as a condition of its philanthropy.  But they were secretive to an extreme about not having the Sackler name appear anywhere in relation to their business ventures.  

The first hundred pages of this hefty work are the history and legacy of Arthur Sackler, older brother to Mortimer and Raymond, and the individual responsible for crafting the questionable marketing practices later adopted by Purdue Pharma.  Purdue Pharma, as is well known today, is the maker of Oxycontin and was controlled and micromanaged by the Sackler brothers and their children.  Their total denial of any connection between their product and addiction and their singular lack of any remorse for the opioid epidemic are appalling, as is the almost complete lack of any penalty for their actions.  

It’s a case study of a family living in their own bubble aided and abetted by a cadre of loyal staff and easily manipulated government officials.  Highly recommended!  (~JWFarrington)

WORKS OF ART

Museum of Modern Art

Fruit Dish, 1908-09, Pablo Picasso

This was our first visit to MoMA since they added on to their building in 2019.  We were pleased with the larger space and the chance to see more of the permanent collection on display.  We went during the members’ hour on Monday and had many of the galleries to ourselves.  We spent our time on the 5th floor and delighted in seeing familiar works (Monet’s huge water lilies in their own room) along with ones new to us.  I especially liked a Picasso still life in greens against brown, a bold flower-dominated canvas by Stettheimer, and a colorful lady in the park by August Macke.  The latter one really captivated me. 

Family Portrait, II, 1933 by Florine Stettheimer
Lady in a Park, 1914 by August Macke

Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer by Edgar Degas

There is so much to see at the Met that we went back for a second visit.  This time, we were interested in viewing the Impressionist collection and other works of that period.  I was struck by this striking bronze sculpture of a young dancer wearing a tutu made of cotton.

I also very much liked two ladies in pink by Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt.

The Pink Dress, c.a. 1870 by Berthe Morisot
The Cup of Tea, c.a. 1880-81 by Mary Cassatt

Central to these galleries are the marvelous paintings from the Annenberg Collection.  The Philadelphia Museum of Art had hoped to be the hometown beneficiary of Walter and Lenore Annenberg’s collecting, but alas for them, it was not to be.  Once loaned to the Met for six months each year, their collection then was given to the museum in a bequest.  

Bouquet of Sunflowers, 1881 by Claude Monet

Here is gallery after gallery of Renoirs, Cezannes, Manets, Monets, Pissarros, and Van Goghs.  They are a treat to behold!  And since we went first thing in the morning, the galleries were empty for for awhile. 

FOOD FARE

As I have mentioned before, our most frequent go-to place for dinner is the small French restaurant, Sel et Poivre.  It’s comfortable, quiet, with relaxed service, a nicely priced prix fixe menu, daily specials, and other tempting dishes.  Recently, we’ve made more selections from the main menu.  Here are two of them:  a white asparagus special and tomato and mozzarella salad.  Both appealing on the plate and both very good!

Note: All photos by JWFarrington. Header photo is a flower box near Rockefeller Center.

Manhattan Potpourri

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NAVIGATING MANHATTAN

Manhattan is beginning to come back to life and there is something approaching normalcy.  But, it’s hard to be spontaneous.  Museums require some form of advanced ticketing or reservation, there are usually lines to enter, masks and social distancing are the norm, and you will most likely have your temperature taken.  

Unfortunately, some of our favorite restaurants are gone, there are too many empty storefronts, and reservations for dining are almost always a must.  There too, they take your temperature, often request contact info, and sometimes require that you sign a health form.  Strange times we’re living in, but at least it’s possible to see an exhibit and eat a meal at a restaurant, either outdoors or inside.  It’s been a long wait, but we are enjoying both:  viewing art and eating well!

CANVASES IN BIG SPACES

Frick Madison

During renovation and expansion of its home building, the Frick has re-located to what was the Met Breuer and is now called Frick Madison.  It was both a surprise and something of a shock to see these works, normally hung close together in very decorated furnished rooms, spread out on vast walls.  Some works stood out in a new way which I appreciated.  I especially enjoyed seeing the four Fragonard pieces on the progress of love in this venue.  Another standout was the portrait of Sir Thomas More by Hans Holbein the Younger. And I loved the tiered displays of ceramics—jugs, vases, teapots—arranged by color, one of blue and white pieces, the other works in shades of magenta.

There is a printed guide to the collection, but it isn’t that easy to follow, so I recommend downloading the Bloomberg Connects app before you visit.  It includes guides to this museum and others in NY and the U.K. There is a QR code at the museum to do this, but that didn’t work for us.  

Although the museum shop is closed, the café is open.  With our friends, we enjoyed coffee and cookies before our entry time. Since the Frick doesn’t allow any photos, you must visit to see the art!

BLACK LIFE IN BLACK AND WHITE

Whitney Museum of American Art

The Chief Penguin was particularly interested in the special photography exhibit at the Whitney.  We got tickets for opening time; the entry line was short and moved quickly.  

A Couple in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY, 1990

Dawoud Bey is a contemporary photographer.  This exhibit was entitled, “American Project.”  Using a variety of different techniques and camera sizes, Bey focused on Black life in several cities, Syracuse, NY among them.  He also made a series of portraits of teens from different schools paired with written statements from each.  Many of the photos are black and white.  

Cupboard VIII, 2018 by Simone Leigh

We also spent some time looking at paintings and sculpture from the permanent collection.  Some we’d seen before; others were new to us. I particularly liked the larger than life Black woman with a raffia skirt.

OUTSTANDING TV SERIES

Philly D. A. (PBS Independent Lens)

This eight-part series focuses on newly elected District Attorney Larry Krasner’s first term in office.  It is excellent!   Krasner campaigned on structural change and reducing the high figures for mass incarceration in the city of Philadelphia.  Statistics showed that Philadelphia had a very high prison population, many Black or Brown, and sent youthful offenders to reform institutions at a much higher rate than almost anywhere else.  Krasner’s goal is to undo 30 years of practices that don’t work and bring about cultural change.  It’s an incredibly difficult and complex challenge; watching him struggle to be successful on several fronts is fascinating.  

You get to know some key staff, meet several police district captains, follow a long-term prisoner petitioning for early release, and learn about the entrenched and powerful Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police.  It’s a study in how municipal government does and doesn’t work for the community and how so often perception prevails over reality.  

I worked in Philadelphia for almost twenty years so the attitudes and some players were familiar.  But even for those elsewhere, the issues will resonate and are at the forefront of Black Lives Matter.  As a footnote, Larry Krasner is being opposed in the Philadelphia Democratic Primary election next week; we will be following his fate. Highly recommended series!

PERFECT LUNCH!

Meme Mediterranean

In the past, we had frequent dinners at this small restaurant on Hudson Street in the West Village.  It’s only a short walk from the Whitney.  On this day, we had a delicious lunch at a corner table inside, with the door to the outdoors wide open.  We shared our favorite fried artichoke, sampled the meatballs with yogurt and mint, and loved the chopped salad with chickpeas, tomato, cucumber, and grilled chicken.  To top it off, abandoning noontime restraint, we each had a glass of a refreshing Albarino.  

Note: Header photo by Dawoud Bey is entitled A Man at Fulton Street and Cambridge Place, Brooklyn, NY, 1988. Photos taken by JWFarrington.