Carpe Biblio

As Bruce Springsteen begins the Wreckin Ball tour, the 6’4” and 250-pound Big Man will be missed. Fans and band members a like will remember Clarence Clemons playing the tenor sax, and if you look close enough you just may see the a shadow in the background because he can’t be far away from the venue he loved. He died last year, June 18^th, 2011 from stroke complications.

In 2009, Clemons with the help of his good friend Don Reo published a memoir, Big Man: Real Life and Tall Lies. It will make you cry a little at his passing, but it will also make you laugh. You will also realize that he was more than just a big man in stature. He walked a broad path that touched many people.

Several incidents lead to the meeting of Springsteen and Clemons in New Jersey giving music fans a sweet blend of two wonderful personalities and musicians resulting in decades of great music. Two of the more important ones include his father’s decision to buy him an alto sax for Clemons’ ninth Christmas instead of a train. The other one occurred in Jamesburg, New Jersey, 1969.

Most people would have quit, and accepted failure but not Clemmons. He was scheduled to try out for the Cleveland Browns football team. He played semipro ball, coached at a reform school. Clemmons calls the incident a “mystical, deeply profound experience.” The motor mount broke on the dark blue Buick Regal he was driving. The car shot up to a 100 miles-per-hour, and slammed into a tree.  It nearly killed him, and wrecked his body. He would never play football again, but the world got a fabulous saxophone player.

Throughout the book, Clemmons remarks on the number of opportunities that came his way. As he puts it, “One amazing opportunity after another kept occurring. Sometimes I felt I was living a life in a book that had already been written.” To his credit, when an opportunity occurred, he grabbed it.

From the write up so far, one would think the book reads like an autobiography, but not so. It is an accumulation of short stories. Many of which tell a who’s who of the entertainment industry. It includes stories about his encounters with Bob Dylan, Jimmy Buffet, Don Reo and of course Bruce Springsteen. The readers learn about life on the road, concerts, and being a celebrity.

Their wild capers may stretch the truth a little bit. Especially the gray sections of the book, Clemons and Reo admit in the preface these sections may not be exactly accurate, but they swear the rest of the book is factual. In the forward, Bruce Springsteen claims the stories come close to the truth, and he only knows of two stories that are not true. Read the book with a wink and a nod, but enjoy the story, and appreciate the “Big Man.”

Springsteen tour update: On the current tour Clemmons’ nephew, Jake Clemmons, will be playing the sax along with Ed Manion, an original member of the Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.

January 11, 2012 marked what would have been Aldo Leopold's 125 birthday. He’s historically important because Leopold was one of the first environmentalists and conservationists as well as the founder of wildlife management. He spent almost thirty years with the U.S. Forest Service, and taught Wildlife Management at the University of Wisconsin.

Three concepts in modern environmental conservation are attributed to Leopold. First he sought to establish primitive wilderness areas. He believed, we can’t manage the land correctly, if no preserved spaces exist to use as a standard or benchmark. Primitive spaces should not have roads built through them, and they should be big enough for populations to survive. 

Secondly, Leopold wanted to reintroduce and maintain populations of predators in ecosystems. This would help balance populations through natural attrition rather than planned attrition or starvation. Environmentalist need to study wildlife areas as they once were in order to understand them. 

Most importantly, Leopold believed in a land ethic. He considered land community property, and not a commodity. The National Forest Service does not always share this opinion. He also believed people needed to do more than vote for an environmentally friendly politician. He felt people need to actively protect the environment. This included all native plants and animals, and not just the economically viable or cute ones. It also means protecting the soil, air and water as well. He did not support monocultures or single species operations currently endorsed by tree farms.

His view of land as property to be protected and not exploited was a novel notion at the time. Among some people and companies today it is still a novel notion. There are those today that still ignore the ecological value of land, and its long-term use potential. They refuse to see the necessity of preserving land for future generations.

In A Sand County Almanac, Leopold summarized his life work and his conservation beliefs. The book contains three collections of essays. The first part of the book describes one hundred twenty acres of land bought by him along the Wisconsin River in Baraboo. He referred to it as his sand farm. Leopold and his family spent their weekends restoring this little piece of prairie. A portion of this land is still preserved by the Leopold Foundation.

The second collection of essays describes his travels while growing up, and working for the Forest Service. The sights and adventures he describes happened 70 to 100 years ago.  Few alive today could describe these scenes, but Leopold preserved them for us in his words. These essays are highly recommended for anyone wanting to experience the American wilderness from over a hundred years ago.

In the last part of the book, Leopold presents his theories on conservation, wilderness areas, and land management principles. He groups them together in what he terms the land ethic. He basis these principles on over thirty years of experience working closely with the land, and watching it deteriorate. He writes about the decreasing quality of the water as well as the impact of the extinction of species on the health of the environment. He demonstrates the need for biodiversity in ecosystems.

Aldo Leopold laid the foundation for ecology and conservation. He believed in biodiversity and sustainability long before they became buzzwords and sound bites. Because of him we still have some primitive areas to enjoy, but they are becoming fewer. He fought to keep cars out of these areas. However, today, people would prefer to drive-up, take a picture and move on to the next attraction rather than hike-in, turn off the cell phone and enjoy the solitude.

Bruce G. Smith 1/11/2012, updated 1/19/2012

11/22/63 contains a massive amount of data regarding the early 1960’s in the United States, and the events leading up to the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK). The small town flavor and the development of the local characters give the book a plus. However, if you’re expecting a Stephen King horror story, forget about it. Instead, think love story, romance and R-rated sex. It is not a typical Stephen King horror story.

Instead, King stepped out of his safety zone, and for the most part, he carried it off. The story has strong characters, and is good historical fiction. You’ll enjoy his protagonist Jack Epping, a.k.a. George Amberson. You’ll root for him as his relationship with librarian Sadie Clayton grows. The reader will wax nostalgically for the little Texas town of Jodie, and a slower way of life. It will remind you of Larry McMurtry’s, Last Picture Show.

In the early part of the book, King resurrects the Clown from his novel, It as George passes through Derry, Maine. However the scare doesn’t really go anywhere. In this book, you’ll get no vampires. Instead, you get a real-life demented fellow, Lee Harvey Oswald, notorious communist, wife beater and the man who assassinated JFK.

King had two main messages he wanted readers to take away from this book. Oswald acted alone, and history resists change. He uses extensive research to support his stance that the assassination did not have a government cover up component or unknown participants. King also repeatedly showed the difficulty associated with changing time. It resists being changed, and you certainly can't predict the outcome.

King is a master storyteller, and a successful author. Most of the book reviews endorse 11/22/63 with accolades. However, this reviewer feels the story could have been stronger by spending a little time on the editing table. King teased the reader with a taste of the eerie from Derry, Maine but he never developed this angle. It hung in the background throughout the story, almost as if King wanted to use it more.

If you like books about John F. Kennedy or Americana, buy the book. It’s well written and interesting. If you’re hoping for a horror story, then look for something else.

Bruce G. Smith 1/2/2012

Book Review: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness is the first novel in the “All Souls Trilogy”. The protagonist, Diana Bishop comes from a long line of witches. Her lineage traces back to Salem and beyond. However, she refuses to use her inherited magic. After all, that’s what got her parents killed.

Diana works as an academic, and her current research on alchemy has her delving into the ancient manuscripts at Bodleian Library in Oxford. Unfortunately for Diana, one of these is the Ashmole 782, an ancient text that causes the netherworld of vampires, witches and daemons to snap to attention.

Bishop becomes ensnared in a centuries old feud between the not so mystical beings. She has no choice, but to embrace her witching powers as Oxford employs a number of witches, vampires and daemons. They form quite a nasty crowd, and all of them want access to the Ashmole 782. In particular, geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont wants it, and maybe her as well.

Diana and Matthew soon find they share a number of common interests. The reader gets treated to a food and wine feast throughout the book as the main characters sort themselves out. Diana and Matthew share a strong chemical attraction for each other. They must determine if it is similar to the relationship between a mongoose and a viper or is it more like Romeo and Juliet? To gain time, they flee from England to Europe, and then to upper New York. As the story ends, they travel backwards in time.

The second book in the Trilogy, Shadow of the Night is scheduled for release in July 2012. The main characters return to Elizabethan London so Diana can polish her witches’ skills from some of the greatest witch and warlock masters of all time. Being a vampire, Matthew already lived through this era once, and he must deal with some enemies from his past.

The author, Deborah Harkness hails from the burbs of Philly. She’s also lived in Chicago, upstate New York, and both Northern and Southern California. She loves to drink her wine and write about it too. She is a fellow blogger, and even though she can probably afford wallet tingling wine, her blog provides witches wanting affordable wine some recommendations.

She spent many years, working, studying and doing research in London and Europe, but mostly Oxford. Harkness has worked at many famous libraries including the Bodleian Library at Oxford. Who better to write about the inner workings of this esteemed depository of books.

Besides her writing, she currently pesters the minds of young scholars at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Her courses cover European history as well as the history of science. This is probably a good thing, since she manages to keep the science of genetics in A Discovery of Witches in terms we can all understand. She also provides the reader with good science unlike some television shows.

Deborah Harkness incorporates her knowledge and experience into writing Discovery of Witches. As a result, the story flows smoothly and provides great entertainment. She began this endeavor to answer the question, if there really are vampires, what do they do for a living? Enjoy reading the book, and discovering the answer.

After the Michigan State loss to the Wisconsin Badgers, I needed a little levity, so I popped on Richard Pryor’s Live on the Sunset Strip. One thing leading to another, I decided to write a little piece on Richard Pryor.

Pryor would have been 71 on December 1^st had he not died in 2005. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1986. He also experienced heart disease with quadruple bypass surgery. It was a heart attack that killed him.

He’s best known for his abrasive often vulgar comedy about black life on the streets, and his characters portrayed winos, junkies and bums. Pryor’s hard life made him a perfect candidate for telling their stories.

Born in 1940, his mother abandoned him, and his grandmother raised him. She ran a brothel in Peoria, Illinois. Pryor found himself exposed to the seedier side of life at an early age. He was raped by a neighbor at the age of six, and molested by a Catholic priest.  Given his background, he was no angel. He had his troubles with the law and addictions. At the age of 14, he was kicked out of school and became a janitor for a strip club. He was also early discharged from the military for getting into trouble.

One of Pryor’s lowest points would have to be June 9, 1980. He set himself on fire. According to an article in People Magazine, Pryor admits he had been freebasing cocaine for three days prior to the fire, but he says, the fire occurred after the drugs were gone. He was drinking 151 – rum. He was lighting a cigarette when the rum and he caught fire. The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) quotes Pryor as admitting it was an attempted suicide. Regardless of the cause, Pryor suffered severe burns. He spent six weeks in the hospital with 3^rd degree burns over most of his body. After this terrible episode in his life, Pryor cleaned up his act so to speak.

In addition to his stand-up comedy, Pryor starred in television and the movies. He wrote for shows like Sanford and Son, and did some directing. He wrote an autobiography, and made several comedy albums. My favorite movies of his include Brewster’s Millions, See No Evil, Hear no Evil and Stir Crazy. My favorite album by him is Live on the Sunset Strip.

Richard Pryor’s comedy exhibits profanity and social insight. He made us laugh with him, at ourselves and at society. Pryor actively opposed animal cruelty and the use of animals for research. His work earned him many awards including an Emmy and a Grammy as well as a lifetime achievement award in comedy and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

 Biographies:

 Pryor Convictions, Richard Pryor, 1997 (limited availability)

If I Stop, I’ll Die: The Comedy and Tragedy of Richard Pryor, John A. Williams and Dennis A. Williams 2006

Richard Pryor: The Life and Legacy of a “Crazy” Black Man, Audrey Thomas McCluskey 2008

Jokes My Father Never Taught Me: Life, Love, and Loss with Richard Pryor, Rain Pryor, 2007 

Bruce G. Smith 12/4/2011

Jay McInerney wrote Bright Lights, Big City a quarter of a century ago. He spins the tale of a twenty something male growing up in Manhattan during the mid-eighties. It offers misguided love and eighties style club scenes. It reads fast, keeps you interested, and you’ll want to read it cover to cover.

The reader never learns the name of the protagonist. Instead, McInerney tells the story in the second person, you. It is an interesting approach that forces the reader to identify with the main character. For instance, "this isn't the type of bar you would find yourself in at this time of the morning, but yet, here you are." 

The main character’s favorite party companion, Tad Allagash, works in the advertising field, but his primary occupation is partying. He keeps the protagonist well stocked in cocaine, and a constant supply of female friendlies. Tad knows everyone. He gets drugs easily, the best-looking girls dangle from his arm, and he knows where to find a party.

The protagonist in Bright Lights, Big City parties all night with Tad and attempts to work all day. He works as a fact finder for a major magazine. This story takes place before the Internet. The job entailed thumbing through reference guides, and calling people to make sure information is accurate. His headlong plunge into self-destruction comes about because of tragedies in his life, and he is not mature enough to handle the difficulties.

McInerney's style makes this book a good read. He uses only active voice and dialogue. The lack of passive voice keeps the story moving quickly. McInerney uses dialogue to tell the story. He doesn't do data dumps. New writers should study his style.

9/23/2011

Richard Matheson published his first short story, Born of Man and Woman, in 1950. Most readers of horror and science fiction know him for his publications I am Legend, Hell House and The Shrinking Man.

In addition to his short stories and novels, he wrote many television episodes for several series including Twilight Zone, The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler. He worked on a number of movies including Twilight Zone: The Movie and Jaws 3-D. His I am Legend has been adapted to the movie screen at least three times. Will Smith starred in the most recent rendition. Two of his other works made into movies include The Incredible Shrinking Man, and The Legend of Hell House.

Matheson’s stories do not border on the macabre and strange; they stand dead center of weird and supernatural. His tales always end with an eerie twist, and the reader should not expect a happy ending. His characters don’t exhibit any redeeming qualities, and the reader won’t shed a tear for them. Unlike in real life, the nasty protagonist actually gets what he or she deserves from an even nastier antagonist.

He Is Legend pays tribute to the great Richard Matheson. A notable list of current horror authors utilizes their favorite Matheson story to create a new terror tale. The author may choose to do a prequel or a sequel. They may choose to change the characters around a bit, but keep the plot.

For instance, Joe Hill and Stephen King collaborate in Throttle. They slightly twist the plot of Duel, a 1971 movie. Matheson wrote it and Stephen Spielberg produced it. In this road rage story a trucker and a motorist duel across the desert. In Throttle, Hill and King, modernize the story to include rogue bikers, meth, and an enraged truck driver. Stay alert for the emotional twists.

Mick Garris writes a prequel to I am Legend. In Matheson’s written version*, a viral disease killed off most of the population. Bob Neville remains healthy, while Ben Cortman turns into a cross between a vampire and a zombie. Throughout the story Ben and Bob try to kill each other. In Mick’s story, I am Legend, Too, the readers find Bob Neville and Ben Cortman have a history of antagonism for each other that stretches before the viral outbreak. Matheson challenges society’s choice of what is normal? What is an abomination? Garris asks the reader the same question, who is the villain? Who deserves to die?

Return to Hell House provides the reader with a prequel to Hell House. Nancy A. Collins, author of modern vampire stories, gives the reader a haunted house story. The previous owner, possibly now deceased, but most definitely mentally diseased with a strong sexual appetite, treats the ghost hunters to a ravaging time. Only young Benjamin Fischer escapes intact. Unfortunately, he didn’t learn his lesson and returns to the Hell House at a later date in Matheson’s version. Not a good read for young readers.

Collected Stories (1989) inspired Whitley Strieber’s Cloud Rider, possibly the best story in the anthology. Strieber’s pens a horror/science fiction tale of modern greed. Infinitely rich investment moguls use secret technology to control the commodity market. With them more is not enough, they also want the power that comes with it. They show no concern for the individuals that get hurt in the process. In this lighter than air story Chris Booker takes on the owners.

He Is Legend contains fifteen stories of horror and science fiction modeled after Richard Matheson creations. Some of the stories are a bit odd, but then so were some of Matheson’s stories. The collection sought to offer readers a piece of nostalgic horror, and they have accomplished the task.

* The short story, I am Legend has a different ending than the movie versions Omega Man and I am Legend. The two movies also have different endings.

Bruce G. Smith May 18,2011