"Singin' in the Rain" movie premiere March 27, 1952

How many times have I seen this film? Thirty? Forty? I own the DVD and I still watch whenever it comes on television.

THE BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS

March 26, 1911

"Why did I write? Because I found life unsatisfactory."--Tennessee Williams

BOOK REVIEW

Author: Trask, Kerry A.

Title: Black Hawk: the battle for the heart of America.

In ten words or less: Sauk Nation forced into exile; massacre follows.

Review: The Sauk Nation was one of the largest Indian settlements, with a population of 6000 in 1822, located east of the Mississippi River in Illinois. After years of encroachment by white settlers, the Sauks were forced into exile in the west. In the spring of 1832, Black Hawk and his followers crossed the river to reclaim their lands. The uprising ended three months later, in a tragic massacre. Trask examines the actions of Black Hawk and those of his contemporaries in light of white idealization and prejudice about Native Americans.

Why bother? Excellent and very readable examination of a part of American history that gets swept under the rugs in textbooks.

February's Books

These are the books I read last month. One of my favorites is "The Dangerous Book for Dogs," by Joe Garden. The authors are listed on the cover as "Rex and Sparky" but they are actually the folks who bring you The Onion. Even if you haven't read "The Dangerous Book for Boys," which is being parodied here, this book is funny. Included are the formal rules of fetch, building a bed out of your owner's laundry, and how to pick a pill out of peanut butter.

Sikes, T. The artful home
Baker, Ellen. Keeping the house
Niles, D. MacArthur’s War
Junger, S. Death in Belmont
Myers, T. As the world churns
Greenberg. Complete travel detective
Mischler. Blood sweat and cheers
Preston, Douglas. Blasphemy
Seebold. Almost moon
Berg, Elizabeth. Dream when you are feeling blue
Beaton, M.C. Death of a gentle lady
Streckert, Toni. Potluck: home cooking
Molt, Mary. Food for fifty
Maltman, Thomas. Night birds
Curtis, C. Bucking the sarge
Garden, Joe. The dangerous book for dogs
Mitman, Gregg. Breathing space
Goc, Michael J. Hero of the red river

Beyond the Mississippi: A Lewis and Clark Reading Guide

Thomas Jefferson chose Meriwether Lewis to lead an expedition west of the Mississippi River. From 2003-2006, there were events commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Voyage of Discovery. Here are some titles—both nonfiction and fiction—about their journey.

Ambrose, Stephen. Lewis and Clark: voyage of discovery, 1998.
In this companion to “Undaunted Courage,” outstanding photography, maps, and period reproductions invite readers along on the expedition west.

Ambrose, Stephen. Undaunted courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the opening of the American west, 1996
Ambrose pens a tale of politics, adventure, and tragedy as he follows the trail of the Corps of Discovery.

Botkin, Daniel B. Our natural history: the lessons of Lewis and Clark, 1995.
The author compares the west of 1804 to the west of today and the changes brought by industrialization.

Bowen, Peter. Cruzatte and Maria: a Gabriel DuPre mystery, 2001.
Maria’s boyfriend is working on a film crew making a movie about the Lewis and Clark expedition. DuPre discovers the missing journals of Meriwether Lewis.

Carlson, Laurie M. Seduced by the West: Jefferson’s America and the lure of the land beyond the Mississippi, 2003.
Lewis and Clark were preceded in their search for a Northwest Passage by French, Spanish, Russia, and British explorers. The author suggests political and diplomatic motives were at work.

Carter, W. Hodding. Westward whoa: in the wake of Lewis and Clark, 1994.
A lighthearted account of Carter’s attempt to recreate the voyage of Lewis and Clark by rubber raft. Carter and his friend get lost, run out of gas, and have their tent torn down by a tornado.

Cleary, Rita. River walk: a frontier story, 2000.
The first in a series of historical novels about the expedition.

Duncan, Dayton. Lewis and Clark: an illustrated history, 1997.
A companion book to the Ken Burns’ PBS film, with lots of beautiful photos.

Fanselow, Julie. The traveler’s guide to the Lewis and Clark trail, 1994.
Want to follow in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark? This guide suggests a two week itinerary, with history, lodging, sites, and side trips.

Glancy, Diane. Stone heart: a novel of Sacajajwea, 2003.
Told from the perspective of the Shoshone woman who accompanied Lewis and Clark on their journey. Exerpts from the actual Lewis and Clark diaries are interspersed through the book.

Hall, Brian. I should be extremely happy in your company, 2003.
An historical novel of the journey, focusing on Lewis, Clark, and Sacajawea. Booklist compares Hall’s writing to that of Cormac McCarthy.

The Lewis and Clark journals: an American epic of discovery, ed. By Gary E. Moulton, 2003.
An abridgment of the 13 volume edition of the journals, by the leading Lewis and Clark scholar.

MacGregor, Greg. Lewis and Clark revisited: a photographer’s trail, 2003.
Photographs of the path traveled by the Corps of Discover, and capturing the images of what 200 years of habitation has done to the area.

Tubbs, Stephanie Ambrose. The Lewis and Clark companion: an encyclopedic guide to the voyage of discovery, 2003.
An encyclopedia of all things relating to Lewis and Clark—what they ate, where they camped, and the people they met along the way.

BOOK REVIEW

Author: Martin, Lee

Title: The Bright Forever

In ten words or less: A child’s disappearance is explained from difference viewpoints.

Nine year old Katie disappears on her way to return her library books. There are two suspects— creepy ex-con Raymond and Mr. Dees, a middle aged math teacher. The story is told from the perspectives of various characters, including Katie’s parents, her brother, Raymond and his wife, and Mr. Dees. This is not a traditional mystery, but a look inside the minds and motivations of the characters, and you are kept in suspense until the end.

Why bother? Everyone sees life through a different lens, and witnesses to a crime each see something unique. Readers of Ruth Rendell and fans of the tv series “Law and Order: Criminal Intent” will appreciate this novel.

BOOK REVIEW

Author: Pinkwater, Daniel.

Title: Looking for Bobowicz: a Hoboken chicken story

In ten words or less: Nick searches for bicycle thief; hears rumors of giant chicken.

As soon as Nick and his family moved to Hoboken, New Jersey, his bike was stolen. He is sure a mysterious phantom has taken it, but as he investigates, he finds no one will talk about it. In the basement of the house next door, he finds two new friends—they drink soda, read comic books, and listen to a pirate radio station. And then Nick reads about the 266 pound chicken that used to run loose in Hoboken. The friends ask the local librarian to help them find out what happened to the bird. This story is written for 8-12 year olds, but adults will love it, too. It’s even better to get the CD and listen to Pinkwater read the book himself.

Why bother? Daniel Pinkwater has sly humor, and doesn’t write down to children. Everyone will like this tale, including fans of the mythical giant chicken.

NO JOY IN MUDVILLE

Brett Favre today announced his retired from pro football. Since the media here in the frozen tundra cover the Green Bay Packers all year round, what will be filling the newspapers, and the air time? No doubt speculation on Favre's replacement. Who will it be?

BOOK REVIEW

Author: Hribal, C. J.

Title: “The Company Car.”

In ten words or less: Dysfunctional city family moves to a farm.

Emil (Emmie) is one of seven children of Wally and Susan Marie Czabek, and is meeting with his siblings do decide if their elderly parents are still able to live on their own. The story of his parents marriage is told through a series of reminisces and conversations Emmie has with his wife, Dorie.
Married after World War II, Wally and Susan Marie begin life in a new suburb of Chicago, with Wally on the road all week as a traveling salesman and his wife tending to the increasing family. In the late sixties, Wally decides to uproot the family and move to a farm in Augsbury, Wisconsin, a fictional town in the Fox River Valley.
Wally is a planner, a dreamer, and none of his farming attempts are successful. The implementation of his plans falls to his long suffering wife and children, as he continues to travel and spend time at bars. The author is a great storyteller, and the tales of one misadventure after another are hilarious. Why Susan Marie stays with Wally is a question the children ask, when they are old enough, and perhaps the parents are asking themselves the same question.
Local readers may try to puzzle out exactly where the Czabeks have settled. The Butte des Morts bridge is mentioned, as is Appleton, Neenah and other area cities. Author C. J. Hribal has said in interviews that Augsbury is a combination of several towns in the area. Although the book is fiction, Hribal himself was born in Chicago, raised on a farm in Wisconsin, and graduated from St. Norbert College.

Why bother? Fans of Richard Russo, Anne Tyler, and John Irving would enjoy this family saga, with its cast of characters that is familiar to any baby boomer.

Dexter

The new tv series, “Dexter,” now on CBS, is in its second season on Showtime. Based on the novels of Jeffry P. Lindsay, “Dexter” follows Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter analyst with the Miami Police Department. But Dexter has a secret—he is also a serial killer, who selects victims that have committed horrible crimes, but have eluded police. He is judge, jury, and executioner.

Lindsay’s three Dexter novels are: Darkly Dreaming Dexter (2004), Dearly Devoted Dexter (2005), and Dexter in the Dark (2007). They are available on audiobook, narrated by Nick Landrum. In an interview, Landrum confessed that they were his least favorite books to narrate, as they were so violent and dark.

Based on the first episode, the creators of the tv series are sticking pretty close to the books. Although there are chopped up bodies, they aren’t any bloodier or gorier than on CSI or Law and Order. The characters are very close to the books version—the suspicious cop, the ambitious but slightly clueless sister, the girlfriend who is a survivor of a violent marriage. You don’t want to like Dexter, but to be honest, you hope he’ll give the bad guys what they deserve.