Monte Walsh

In our cynical times in certain circles describing a book or movie as heartwarming can be seen as something of an insult. I guess it's not too surprising, when Hallmark has its own network and Mitch Albom's books are held up as worthy, that heartwarming might have lost its positive connotation but it's a shame because sometimes that's the best description.

I was running up againest this when trying to recommend my new favorite book, Jack Schaefer's Monte Walsh. It's the story of a life of a cowboy from the open range heyday to the twilight of the golden era of the Wild West. The book is actually a chronological series of short stories (orginally published in The Saturday Evening Post no less, something that also doesn't make people rush to read it these days) seperated by testimonials about Monte from people who knew him.

Schaefer, best known as the author of Shane, is a terrific writer in that 'not calling attention to the writing' way. The reader is so completely engrossed in Monte's adventures the miles and the pages fly by. There's trouble (Monte is a king troublemaker), heroics, romance, death (when Monte's good good horse Monkey Face died, but not till after he got Monte where he needed to be-boy howdy did I cry) but most of all it's a clear eyed story about a lifelong friendship-Monte's with his friend, Chet Rollins, and a portrait of the cowboy's singular way of life.

(Why is Chet always a sidekick name? Monte Walsh, the Hardy Boys...always a sidekick..)

What I was reminded of most was the cafe scene in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath (also the subject of the great Highwaymen song, "Here Comes the Rainbow Again") where the waitress gives the kids candy two for a penny and another customer calls her on cutting them a deal only to overpay to cover her generosity. Kind of like paying it forward or random acts of kindness without the bumper sticker. I also thought of what Kurt Vonnegut said when the film "The River" essentially stole his short story, "The Deer in the Works" -

"It's good propaganda for humanity."

You don't have to like horses (though it helps as Schaefer, God love him, describes every single one) or Westerns to like this book you only have to like a good story well told.

And, of course, be willing to have your heart warmed.

Goodbye Barbaro

val iant adj (from the Latin valere be strong) brave; courageous

Those Other Awards

Don't worry, I'll get to those nominees announced on Tuesday but first the awards handed out on Sunday night, the Oscars of Thoroughbred racing, the Eclipse Awards. Named of course for the great racehorse (the subject of the best pithy sports writing I know-"Eclipse first, the rest nowhere") they honor the best in the sport.

Invasor took Horse of the Year honors ("Invasor he eees the beeest" as Kenny Mayne would say) with 228 votes to Barbaro's 21 which seems fair. I'm glad the voters didn't let sentiment cloud their voting judgement. I have rooted for Barbaro as hard as anyone-I sent a card and everything-but one race does not Horse of the Year make. I was very happy though, to see that Barbaro's owners, Roy and Gretchen Jackson, shared the Owner of the Year honors. Their willingness to do all humanly possible to save their horse is furthering veterinary medicine immeasurably.

As I predicted Julien Leparoux did win Apprentice Jockey of the Year (you didn't have to be Nostradomus to figure that out given his number of wins) but my girl power favorite Rosie Napravnick did make the board with 7 votes, probably all from Maryland. She's still in high school so there's lots more time for her to win awards. As I wrote here back in May go Rosie go!

Hoyden on the Road

The Songwriter's Tour
w/Guy Clark, Joe Ely, John Hiatt and Lyle Lovett
Whitney Hall,The Kentucky Center for the Arts, Louisville, KY January 21,2007


In my experience vacation in January, unless it involves a beach, is almost always a "use it or lose it" affair. Finding myself with four days to blow before the end of the fiscal year I planned to go home. Winter finally showed up around the same time and made the trip temporarily questionable until my dad called to ask would I be up for a Sunday night show after driving for 6 hours. Now if there's any carrot that would make me drive through Ohio in an ice storm it's live music.

~sidenote~Ohio drivers are notoriously bad. When I lived in Kentucky we made fun of them and it amused me greatly when I moved to Michigan that they felt the same. In both states telling someone "you drive like someone from Ohio" will likely start a fight.

Seeing any one of these songwriters perform solo would have been enough, all four on the same stage promised to be a special treat indeed. John Hiatt is my absolute favorite. It won't win me any big promotions to say so but if my store was on fire the one thing I'd rush in to save would be the photo of me being embraced by Hiatt at an instore performance after I had successfully delivered my big rehearsed speech about how much his work meant to me. I am a huge fan of artists who have overcome and, now safely on the other side, write equally well about their dark nights of the soul and the small everyday pleasures they relish now.

The show setup was simple-four chairs, four guys with guitars. They each performed a song one by one alphabetically (and as we later figured, chronologically) with only two songs featuring all of them. For 4 friends who've been doing this off and on since 1989, there wasn't as much interplay as we expected, John and Lyle were very chatty, the other two less so. Guy Clark seemed to be unwell, his songs were fine but he looked uncomfortable when the others were singing and even left the stage briefly. Hopefully it was a temporary ailment, not a return of the cancer he battled in 2006. Joe Ely was very fun but more than the others his songs cried out for more than just a guitar.

Highlights included Lyle's "LA County", his cover of Clark's "Step Inside This House" (my favorite Guy Clark song which almost unbelievably, turns out to be the first he ever wrote) a new one about a South Texas girl in the time before car seats, Ely's new Bonnie and Clyde song which namechecks Louisville, Clark's superhero song which I am embarrassed to say I don't know the proper title of and Hiatt's "Crossing Muddy Water", an agonizing tribute to his first wife who committed suicide which he performs only rarely.

The only other flaw with the show was a personal issue-I have seen John Hiatt so much that I no longer need to hear his "hits". Now he's a consumate showman-there's no way he's not doing "Thing Called Love" or "Memphis in the Meantime" or "Tennessee Plates" but those are the songs I want to hear least. I really just need a command performance where I would name the songs. My intense fandom also leads to a case of PCS or Premature Clapping Syndrome. I need a lot fewer notes than most to know what's coming and, even in the dark, that can be a little embarrassing.

Bond Rebooted

I am a little late to the party I know but allow me to join the chorus proclaiming "Casino Royale" a good movie and the 007 franchise officially resuscitated. I was pleased by its many BAFTA award nominations (though BAFTA sounds more like a treaty to me than a film award) including one for Daniel Craig, the first given to any actor for playing Bond. Though he wasn't my first choice (since my man Ioan Gruffud didn't suit I was in the Clive Owen camp myself) Craig made a great Bond. I like my Bond dark (and I'm not speaking of hair color, that's unimportant) and quip free. We're never going to see a Bond exactly like the Fleming books-he would be far crueler and less worldly than movie audiences would tolerate, but if they keep going in this vein they'll be true to the spirit of the books at least.

Also:

-Colorblind casting for the Felix Leiter role? Interesting. I was wondering why Jefferey Wright's name was so far up in the credits.

-One wrinkle in the flap regarding Craig's casting was that he (supposably) didn't know how to drive a stick shift. What?! He's an actor people-he only has to act like he can. Does Julia Roberts have to be able to spin a web out of her butt in order to be the voice of Charlotte? Come on.

-Does Chris Cornell gain or lose indie street cred points for doing a Bond theme? I'm confused by the math on that one.

-One small flaw, M should always wear pants no matter how tropical the climate. As I have blogged before Judi Dench kicks ass but M should not have cankles.

Back to the Badlands

Months ago I read some reviews of a book called Back to the Badlands by John Williams which is a sequel of sorts to his earlier Into the Badlands. Williams, a British music and true crime writer, came to America seeking to discover the places integral to the crime fiction he loves (Ellroy's LA, Hiaasen's Miami etc.). Intrigued by the premise, I was eager to check it out. Finally, a few weeks ago (in that 'it'll show up when you've forgotten all about it' way that the universe has) I got my hands on a copy and I gotta say I'm wondering what all the fuss was about.

The marriage of travelogue and author interview is a good idea but Williams doesn't quite pull it off. A good travel narrative makes you jazzed to remember places you've been and geeked to go to the places you haven't and that didn't happen here. The city chapters consist of him wandering around awhile before hooking up with the featured author and the transition from one to the next wasn't usually very smooth as in "Next morning I go see about renting a car. Apparently there won't be one available till this evening , so I'm going to have to take the bus to visit Carl Hiaasen."

These kind of things only work with the right host. The Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs" works because of Mike Rowe. His mix of gentle sarcasm and ability to draw out the most laconic people make the show. Michael Palin's travel shows are excellent because he's game to try anything and well, cause he's a Monty Python guy. With Williams I didn't want to go along with him, I wanted to go instead of him cause I felt I could do a better job which doesn't make for the best read. There's no doubting his love of the books he's exploring but there were some factual errors as well. George Pelecanos' Hard Revolution is not a stand alone-it's a prequel to a trilogy. Yeah, you could read it by itself but that would rob it of much of its power.

My main beef though, is with the Detroit section of the book. Now I'm not from Detroit nor have I ever lived there for real (Detroit Metro is not nearly the same thing) but I'm fond of it, sort of the way you're fond of the family screwup. Will they ever get their act together? Probably not but they sure add some color and you wouldn't want to ever not have them around. This section of the book is called "Detroit: Where the Weak are Killed and Eaten" and though yes, I have seen that t-shirt, that's just too easy. Making fun of Detroit is like making fun of Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohen, you get zero points for that. But more than me feeling protective, this chapter was the least successful at bridging the Detroit sites Williams tours with the Elmore Leonard interview that was the purpose of the visit. The interview is not a one on one, spend the day with the author like the others, it's a press junket sitdown. Probably a brief one given the fact the chapter is padded out with selections from another book that Leonard participated in. I can understand not wanting to leave Detroit out but if it can't live up to the rest, this chapter should have been the one killed and eaten.

If you are a huge fan of any of the authors contained within and you have already read all their work, by all means check out what they have to say. If not, I'd spend the time exploring the cities written about the way the author intended-between the cover of those books.

Sam's Best of 2006-Books

My listkeeping kind of fell apart late in the year so there might be a few titles I neglected to write down but here are my picks.

Eat Pray Love~Elizabeth Gilbert

I read the bit from the beginning of the book excerpted in O magazine and I was hooked. I remember pawing through some boxes to find it I was so eager. One of my guidelines for memoirs is 'do I want to be this person's friend?' and here the answer is definately yes. I was happy to go on this journey no matter where it led. I wish Elizabeth was my friend, I think she'd be good with the advice-she's certainly good with the writing. I think everyone at that crossroads time in their life should read this book.

The Frozen Ship~Sarah Moss

As a passionate fan of everything polar exploration I was the ideal audience for this book. Unfortunately, outside of a message board (polarfanz.com?), I can recommend it to no one. If you have read and enjoyed other books on the subject you too will love this one-a gossipy, academic, namedropping ball. I especially liked the parts that addressed the Poles' place in literature.

Three Dog Life~Abigail Thomas

A heartwarming, uplifting book in the best sense of those terms. An excellent recommendation for Mitch Albom fans who'd like to clear the treacle out of their craws. Thomas' husband suffered a head injury that destroyed his short term memory and this book examines, without sentimentality, her work in building a new relationship with him and a new life for herself. And if you are thinking I hate that kind of story then I say you definately need to read it. It was 2006's A Year of Magical Thinking.

The Whistling Season~Ivan Doig

Doig at his most charming-I laughed aloud several times during this one. Fans of Kent Haruf need to run, run to the bookstore and get this book. It's kind of like Sarah, Plain and Tall for grownups. A warm, well written book.

Love and Other Impossibilities~Ayelet Waldman

I only knew Waldman from the Oprah show regarding her mothering flap (she said in an article that she loved her husband more than her kids and, not surprisingly, she was taken to task for it) so this one was a surprise. She pulled off that trick you hear novice authors propose-writing some genre stuff (the Mommy Track mysteries in her case) then coming out with your big serious novel. Yes, I am a total sucker for the precocious kid characters but this story of a reluctant stepmom went far and above that. And yes, I did cry.

The Ruins~Scott Smith

This is one creepy ass book, it completely got under my skin. I still shudder just thinking about it and I read it last summer. A tip-do not, under any circumstances, read this one in a garden.

Hattie Big Sky~Kirby Larson

A young adult book inspired by the author's grandmother's struggle to prove up a homestead by herself during World War I. The 'battle at home' aspect added extra interest to this story with a great female protaganist.

Larklight~Philip Reeve

A children's book about Victorian England in space? Count me in. So fun and original with lots of cameos (Sir Richard Burton etc.) that kids might not get at all but had me smiling. Beware of the scariest spiders outside of Tolkien.

Water for Elephants~Sara Gruen

A fun novel for anyone who has ever wanted to run away and join the circus. Was it the Great American novel? No, but anyone looking for a good yarn will be happy they looked here. I've recommended it a lot and no one has come back disappointed.

True Adventures in Calamity Physics~Camille Pessel

A literate, whimsical read for book nerds only. If that isn't you you shouldn't even try this book, it will just piss you off. It got extra attention because of the author's youth and good looks which is all distraction. There's no question she's got the goods, the only question is it for you?

Shadow Thieves~Anne Urne

Two young cousins versus the bad guys of Greek mythology made this one a delightful read. Writing this list it seems like charming is a word that keeps coming up but this one definately fit that bill.

New Moon-Stephanie Meyer

I'm not usually a vampire/werewolf girl but the Meyer books are the exception. Reading them makes you feel like a teen again-yeah, not that I was dealing with the undead at that age but I was feeling alone and fearful, uncertain about the future and my place in it. Adults who dismiss these as genre are missing the bigger picture AND really good reads.

Prodigious Liner Notes - The Sky is Open

My best of 2006 "The Sky is Open" is now available. For those lucky recipiants here are the promised notes, for the rest if it sounds like something you'd like feel free to use it as a template-there's no charge.

"Silver Bell" Patty Griffin

This is the cheater one. "Silver Bell" is the title track of Patty Griffin's missing record, the follow up to "Flaming Red" that was lost in a label switch. Some of the best songs, like "Making Pies" and "Long Ride Home", were recycled for "1000 Kisses" but I had never heard it until 2006. It's uneven and I'd say its loss was for the best but I do like this song although, of all the things I thought "Silver Bell" might be about, a skanky motel was not one of them.

"No Kind of Life" "It's Getting Light Outside" Clearlake

I heard on NPR not to buy the Arctic Monkeys because Clearlake was better so I did. (It turned out I liked the Monkeys too.) I don't know if either will stand the test of time but they're good for the straight up rock and roll. I like Clearlake's use of strings and other orchestral flourishes, like the timpani on "It's Getting Light Outside".

"Feb 14" "A World of Hurt" Drive By Truckers

DBT's "A Blessing and a Curse" is such a good record it was hard to choose which song or even to limit myself to only two. "Feb 14" has some great lines ("take your chocolates and go home") and a driving beat whose only appropriate dance is to jump up and down in place repeatedly, a dance I was able to do when we saw the Truckers live (finally!) in October. "A World of Hurt" sort of became an unofficial theme for 2006. Its bittersweet hopefulness never fails me, so much so I used some words from it on my holiday cards.

"Better Than Broken" The Bottle Rockets

"Zoysia" is a good Bottle Rockets record, the two new members fit and the sound is tight. It's not as stellar as "24 Hours a Day" or their live record from Germany but nevertheless a fine addition to the Bottle Rockets canon. I was pleased that EW columnist Stephen King chose it as one of his faves too (even if he didn't know what the hell zoysia was).

"The Sky is Open" "Honest" The Long Winters

One of my two favorite records of the year, The Long Winters' "Putting the Days to Bed" was a rollicking good time I could hardly play enough and I played that one a lot. I love the funky guitar bridge in "The Sky is Open" and the lyrics of "Honest"- "to hear him say so plainly/what your heart can vouch is true/means something is connecting you". I mean, really, what music fan hasn't felt that way about a beloved artist? Damn, John Roderick, are you me?

"How We Operate" Gomez

This Gomez record, unlike the Drive By Truckers who also have three singer/songwriters, sounded like a great mix CD instead of one thematic whole which perhaps kept it from favorite status. But this song is terrific, I love the banjo bit at the beginning especially.

"Crazy" Gnarls Barkley

I know I wasn't the only one digging this one last summer, I read a lot of best of lists that said the same. No matter how many listenings it still sounds fresh and fun. I had one customer describe it as sounding like Motown which at the time made me wonder but if she was speaking of the intricate layering that makes you wanna dance I guess I get it after all.

"World Container" The Tragically Hip

My boyfriend says this Hip record (coming in 2007 in the States) is the first I came to on my own, that wasn't shot through his musical prism first, which is very true. The first couple of days we had it we were both vying to listen which was fun. We also watched the special edition of the Canadian show "The Hour" devoted to the new record which was a fine introduction. My secular humanist self glommed on to this song as my pick because of the line "we're all songs of one song/and that song is don't forget" except I later discovered, when I could pry the lyric sheet out of Joe's hands, that the line is actually "where all songs of one song/and that song is don't forget" which isn't quite the same. But I still like it. A lot.

"Singular Girl" Rhett Miller

Rhett Miller's second solo effort, the first for Verve, was a bit of a disappointment to me. As the front man for the Old 97s he's great and yes, he does have those dreamy male model looks but their attempt to package him as a crooner didn't really play to his strengths as I see them. "Singular Girl" was about all I could salvage from it, mostly for the great line "talking to you girl/is like long division". I can't speak for any other girls listening but I simultanously want to be that girl and fear I already am that girl. The title would also make a fabulous Neighborhoodie, especially one presented as a gift.

"Rise Up With Fists!!" "You Are What You Love" Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins

My friend Marla gets all the credit for this one. I hadn't ever listened to Lewis' band, Rilo Kiley so I was completely floored by her voice and keenly sharp lyrics. I clearly remember riding in her car and thinking 'what is this?' "Rabbit Fur Coat" is my other favorite CD of 2006. I am a sucker for any of the "grace of god songs" and if you have two exclaimation points you get my attention for sure. I adore "You Are What You Love" because of the idea that you tell more about yourself, your true self, in your romantic failings and flounderings than in your successes. I feel that is true even if I never thought it till I heard the song which is one very valid song yardstick in my book.

"Not Ready to Back Down" the Dixie Chicks

Kinda like with the Rhett Miller I was disappointed in the newest Chicks. I have found the other Rick Rubin produced stuff so interesting and wide open I was excited by the match which probably added to the disappointment. Outside of this song, which, with its dramatic peaks and valleys (and great strings) seems a perfect encapsulation of the whole anti Bush brouhaha, the songs are lackluster at best. Call me hardhearted I couldn't even like the Katrina fundraiser song. If this is what it's like for them to write (or at least cowrite) all their own material I vote for more songwriters.

"Not California" Hem

I like the Hem, I've said it before and I'll say it again. They speak to me like no others do. When we saw them Dan, the pianist who wrote this one, said it was inspired by his wife's TV habits. The contrast of the perfection of "The OC" and her other favorites and their own messy life in Brooklyn apparently got to him one night and I'm so glad. His defiant yet pleading lyrics are a great match for Sally's vocals in this one.

"The Ring" "I Am Aglow" Sarah Harmer

Some day I'd like to have to give an acceptance speech so I can crib shamelessly from "The Ring" I think it is that fine a thank you. And because Sarah Harmer is so overlooked in this country I could totally get away with it because only you, loyal blog readers, would know and you would have long ago been won over by her and would cheer lustily for me and my good taste. As for "I Am Aglow" it (almost) makes me wish I was single again and twitterpated so I could say (or live) the line "you're a map of a place/maybe someday I'll go". It also has a stunningly beautiful video which I saw once late on a sleepless night and haven't been able to find since.


Happy Listening!

It's a Little Women Life

We had a small accident at Hanukkah that left a small burn in the good tablecloth (we have two, one for summer and one for the rest of the year). So I flipped it over and around and covered it with one of the plants. Color me Jo March! Who says reading the classics doesn't pay off?

Best and Worst of 2006

Happy New Year to All! Hope it's off to a good start. Looking back I have compiled my personal best and worst of 2006 ( I do so love the lists).

Worst

Graves Disease-ah, autoimmune disorders the gift that keeps on giving. 2006 was the year I got another one (because RA by itself just wasn't enough of a challenge) and lost a gland (goodbye dear thyroid!). Medical worries are bad in and of themselves but when you're in my income bracket it also leads to

Financial Worries-the worst of all. The wheels came off a couple of times in 2006 but I kept scrabbling away cause, really, what else can you do?

Hitcar Woes-as I have previously written my poor, poor car. Why must people keep hitting her? What has she done to anger them so?

Marathon Year postponed-2006 was declared our marathon year with me writing a book and my boyfriend training for a marathon. Due to injury and various other reasons these goals have been transferred to 2007. Go team!

Best

Jack Brady-because as Melanie says in "GWTW" "the best days are days when babies come" and because my boyfriend was asked to be the godfather ("Be my friend, Godfather").

Miraboy-the kitten that proved to be the best medicine of all. I know of few more frustrating things than having someone close to you struggling with depression (talk about having your hands tied) so anything that helps them get out of bed in the morning is a big win.

Thor-the man who came to change everything in the best possible way. I think everybody has a hard luck friend, when that luck turns it's time to rejoice.

Weddings-the plethora of summer weddings was also reason for rejoicing even if I did make fun of my constant reader status. It was a joke people!

Mike Jones-getting reacquainted with someone cool from your past is an excellent gift.

Derby Week-fun and games at home is always the best.

Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind-Sarah Weinman's blog provided me with loads of good reading in 2006. It's always a pleasure to meet another member of the Shel Silverstein cult.

Carly sleepover-three year olds make the best guests.

Dr. Arvan-being sick sucked but I did love meeting and being treated by the head of Internal Medicine at U of M. Give me a funny cursing doctor every time.

Tigers-their success made our summer (and fall!). The playoff game we attended where they took the Yankees down was one of the best group experiences ever.

Live Music-the fabulous shows we saw in 2006 well, rocked.

Joe's Birthday party-just the right amount of party for someone who didn't want a party at all.

Joe's Half Marathon-I love to watch him run and the company couldn't have been better.

Famous e-mail buddies-they make getting into your inbox worth it.


All in all 2006 was a mixed bag but when when you are with someone you love, even when it's a struggle, things are pretty good. Already in 2007 I have had all small repairs around the house completed, the carpet cleaned, oil changed, applied for a freelance writing job and donated 2 bags worth of old clothes. Not too shabby a start, we'll see how it holds up.