lit definition

Lit: A Memoir by Mary Karr is an interesting amalgamation of these two definitions.  Mary Karr the Peck Professor of Literature at Syracuse Universary. And once upon a time, she liked to get “lit” up, drunk.  And right away, she comes off as one of the most unreliable narrators I’ve ever met.

Anyway I tell this story is a lie, so I ask you to disconnect the devices in your head that repeats at intervals how ancient and addled I am.  It’s true that – at fifty to your twenty – my brain is dimmer.  Your engine of recall is way superior, as you’ve often pointed out.  From Lit: A Memoir, page 1.

This is from the prologue, which is a letter to her son Dev.  And

Maybe by telling you my story, you can better tell yours, which is the only wa to get home.  In which I mean to get free of us. From Lit: A Memoir, page 6.

Karr starts her story with her seventeenth year.  She left home to wander aimlessly with a bunch of stoner surfers, work crappy jobs, and pretty much loose herself in a confused state of blah.  After an encounter with “Sam-u-el, his name was- short version Sam” the scary, philosophy spouting, possible harmless/possible would-be rapist, drug-addled man Karr accepts a ride from while hitchhiking, she decides to get herself, NO, NOT CLEAN, but an education.  She moves to Minneapolis and begins college, where she is neither particularly promising or a waste of everyone’s time.  Luckily for her, she meets a professor who takes an interest in her mind and wants to help her.  Because girlfriend seriously needs help.

Karr is the daughter of alcoholics.  The love of alcohol is encoded in her DNA.  While drinking with her daddy (and I’m pretty sure it was at a time when it was not legal for her to do so) she says:

The bottle gleamed in the air between us.  I took the whiskey, planning a courtesy sip.  But the aroma stopped me just as my tongue touched the glass mouth.  The warm silk flowered in my mouth and down my gullet, after which a warm blue flame of pleasure roared back up my spine.  A poof of sequins went sparkling through my middle. From Lit: A Memoir, Page 43.

For me, when reading books like this, I already have an idea of how it ends.  Yes, it’s a look at Karr’s decent into alcoholism and madness.  Obviously, she’s written a book about is, so it seems she’s probably recovered. Yet my friends, the trip is worth the $14.99 paperback price and then some.  I hope from these small snippets I have given you, you can see what an amazing writer Karr is.  It was apparent immediately to me that Karr is a poet.  Her words evoke her fear, her confusion, her hope, her doubt, her madness, and her love.  Another taste:

I keep getting drunk.  There’s not more interesting way to say it.  Only drunk does the volume crank down.  Liquor no longer lets me bullship myself that I’m taller, faster, funnier.  Instead, it shrinks me to a plodding zombie state in which one day smudges into every other-it blurs time. From Lit: A Memoir, page 171.

and

Out of the kitchen holding a crockery mug comes a lady with cropped dark hair and eyes the color of fresh-dug earth.  Liz has the frank, inquisitive gaze of a trained scientist, but softer in its aspect.  The clubhouse/college-dorm feel of this place suggests a camaraderie lacking with my writer pals. From Lit: Page 241.

Literally I can turn to any page in the book and find a tiny gem.  The language is exquisite.  I adore Karr’s dark humor.  Her biting wit and sarcasm reminds me of myself… which actually may be disconcerting.  Watching Karr exorcise the demons of drink, drugs, Mother, Father, Husband, Son, and Self is fascinating.  If you enjoy such intimate looks at life, addiction, family and resurrection of self, Mary Karr is the way to go.  You won’t regret it.

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Originally published in Estella’s Revenge:  A ‘Zine About Books in June 2007. I could find no other reviews of this book through the Book Blog Search Engine, which is a crying same.  This is such a great book!

As I walked down the hall the other day at work, I abruptly decided to see if I could make it back to my office with my eyes closed – to walk as if I was blind. I would call upon my other senses; touch and hearing in particular, to help me maneuver down the hall without hitting something. Luckily no one was in the hall, as it was quite embarrassing when I promptly ran into the wall. Walking blind was not as easy as I thought it would be. I could not tell where sounds were coming from. Touching the wall worked great – until I ran out of wall. And my brain fought with me, the fear of walking into doors, people or walls made it hard work to keep my eyes shut.

Why did I decide to try this strange experiment? I recently read Robert Kurson’s latest book Crashing Through: A True Story of Risk, Adventure, and the Man Who Dared to See. I previously read Kurson’s excellent book Shadow Divers and knew as soon as he had a new book out that I would have to read it. I expected a lot, as Shadow Divers remains one of my favorite non-fiction reads and was a thrilling ride of a book – and I was not disappointed.

Crashing Through tells the story of Mike May; downhill skier, former CIA agent, entrepreneur, inventor, family man, and blind, since the age of three. Blessed with a mother who would not take no for an answer, May was never allowed to let his blindness be a handicap. He never let it slow him down and never let it hold him back – he rides motorcycles, drives cars, and travels by himself. He even holds records in downhill skiing. So, when he discovered there was a revolutionary new way for select blind people to regain their sight, and that he was an excellent candidate for the surgery, he did not let any of his misgivings – and there were many – to hold him back.

Robert Kurson has written a moving and inspirational story about one man’s extraordinary determination to be true to himself. This remarkable journey filled with suspense, romance, and courage, plus insight into the human brain, is a must read for any who have struggled with the desire to make something more of themselves.

Crashing Through: A True Story of Risk, Adventure, and the Man Who Dared to See
Author: Robert Kurson
Category: Nonfiction, Memoirs
Published by: Random House Publishing Group
Format: Hardback
Pages: 320
On Sale: May 15, 2007
ISBN: 978-1400063352
Source: ARC from the publisher, well before I ever had to tell anyone where I got it

Purchase this book:

The Book Depository |  IndieBound | Powell’s Books

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, further known as AVM, has become one of my very favorite books.  I read it for the first time back in 2008 and it changed my life.  Seriously.  I now have a garden with lots of veggies in it and I go to the Farmer’s Market once a week in the summer and probably every other week in the winter.  I now know where my food comes from (well, at least most of it) and it’s all because of Barbara Kingsolver.

When the planting season was almost upon us, I decided it was time for a reread.  You know, to get me in the mood to plant things.  Even though I really didn’t need encouragement, I couldn’t wait for it to get warm enough to plant yummy things!  But what better way to reread this book than have Ms. Kingsolver herself read it to me?

AVM is Kingsolver’s chronicle of how her family stopped using the grocery store and started using the resources that were in their very backyard.  They grew their own food, used the Farmer’s Market (ergo: their neighbors), they cooked, they canned, they kept it to a 100 mile radius (I *think* that’s right) all to see if they could!  Working together, the whole family was able to provide (most) their own food for the whole year, making it a true family affair.  This is one of the things I love most about this book.  The audio version of the book is a family affair, with Kingsolver, Hopp her husband, and Camille her daughter all narrating the parts they wrote.

One of the most powerful messages this book has is where our food comes from.  The thought of just how much OIL goes into getting our food around this country, especially in light of what is happening in the Gulf is shocking, heartbreaking, and ridiculously expensive and pointless.  My buddy Chris over at Stuff As Dreams are Made On just happened to review this book yesterday and I can think of no better way to put this than how he did:

Think of that tomato that you buy in December. It most likely comes from California where it was grown on a giant farm where it’s sprayed with tons of pesticides. On top of that, the tractors used to spray all of those pesticides are using lots of fuel. Then they go through processing and are packaged (more fuel). Then they are loaded onto an eighteen wheeler and shipped to wherever you live (a LOT more fuel). All for that one tomato. Now think of the fuel crisis we’re going through now and how DEPENDENT we all are on gasoline an

d how destructive it has become. For each meal we eat at our dinner table, an underestimate is that we might as well each drink a quart of motor oil when you consider the transport, packaging, and harvest.

Now think about this…you can get MUCH better tasting milk, cheese, oats, meat, vegetables, fruit, seafood, etc at your farmers market or even at the supermarket if your just mindful of where the food comes from. BUY LOCAL. And you stop this chain. The closer to home, the better the taste. Naturally, it’s fresher and it’s gone through less wear and tear. Even better yet, grow what you can. Even in an apartment you can do some patio peppers and tomatoes and herbs! I’m having so much fun with mine Bake your own bread! It’s so easy in a bread maker.

It is easy!  I’ve done it!

It is not my intention to sound preachy, but it’s hard not to! I’m frustrated with this country and myself, because I know I’m not doing enough and I have changed so much in the last two years.  The changes Kingsolver makes are an accumulation of years of changing her family’s eating habits and I hope I am doing the same.  All these pictures?  They are from my own garden.  I am hopeful that I will have enough tomatoes this year to can and use all year until next spring, when I’ll start all over again with an even bigger garden than this year.

Trust me.  Growing your own food (or getting it from the farmer’s market!) tastes better than anything you will find in a grocery store.

And you’ll feel good doing it.

Start small.  Check out your neighborhood farmer’s market.  They are popping up all over the place.  Even if you live in an apartment and don’t have a yard, you can grow tomatoes in a pot.  I’ve done it! And get this book.  Kingsolver has the perfect reading voice, not too fast, not to slow and soothing as a mother singing a lullaby to a baby.  All the recipes Camille mentions in the book are also posted on their website.  Here is one of the favorites of mine that I have tried.

[print_this]

GRILLED VEGETABLE PANINI
From Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver

Summer squash (an assortment)
Eggplant
Onion
Peppers
Olive oil
Rosemary
Oregano
Thyme
Salt and pepper

Slice vegetables lengthwise into strips no thicker than ½ inch. Combine olive oil and spices (be generous with the herbs) and marinate vegetables, making sure all faces of the vegetable slices are covered. Then cook on grill until vegetables are partially blackened, you may want to use grill basket for onions and peppers.

2 loaves French bread (16 to 18 inches)
2 balls mozzarella (8 oz.)
3 large tomatoes
Basil leaves

Cut loaves of bread lengthwise. Arrange bread on baking sheets and layer with slices of mozzarella first, grilled vegetables next, and slices of tomato last. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and place the baking sheets under a broiler until cheese in melted. Garnish with leaves of fresh basil. Cut in pieces to serve.[/print_this]

It’s delicious!  And if you worry that there isn’t any meat on it, get a Portabello mushroom.  It’s so meaty, you won’t miss the meat.

For more recipes, either read the book or visit the Animal, Vegetable, Miracle website.  But really, read it, it is such a good book.

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The Book Depository | IndieBound | Powell’s Books

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Goodness…bunches!

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if you buy a book through one of my links.

Weekend Cooking hosted by BethFishReads every weekend.  It is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog’s home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

The Patron Saint of Used Cars and Second Chances

Title: The Patron Saint of Used Cars and Second Chances
Author: Mark Millhone
Reading Level: Adult, Non-fiction
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Rodale Books (July 7, 2009)
ISBN-10: 1594868239
ISBN-13: 978-1594868238
Rated: 4/5

A man reconnects with his dad and finds his way back from a year filled with tragedy and loss in this touching memoir that puts a humorous cast on some of life’s darkest moments…

Mark Millhone has just had the worst nine-months of his life.   His youngest son, Benny, almost died from birth complications.  His emotionally distant father was diagnosed with prostate cancer.  His neurotic mother died of a heart attack.  His son was mauled by the family dog.  And his once idyllic marriage is slowly coming apart at the seams.

What is a guy to do?

Why, what any other red-blooded American man would do!  Late one night, Millhone logged on to “The Patron Saint of Used Cars” aka EBAY and bid on a vintage BMW.  Loading up the kids and wife, Millhone drops them off with her parents in upstate New York and heads to Texas.  There, with his Dad, he picks up the car and commences on a road trip to find himself, a little perspective, and the sheer will to just keep going on.

Mark Millhone pulls no punches in this wry, hilarious and heartfelt look at the worst year of his life.  It is a unique male perspective on marriage, child-rearing, loss, love and rekindling the romance in a faltering relationship but it will appeal to both sexes without a doubt.  I really enjoyed this little book and laughed, and cried, along with Millhone every ‘mile’ of the way.

Many thanks to TLC Book tours for the review copy.

Check out these other tour dates:

Wednesday, August 5th:  Book, Line, and Sinker

Thursday, August 6th:  The Book Lady’s Blog

Monday, August 10th:  2 Kids and Tired Book Reviews

Wednesday, August 12th:  A Sea of Books

Wednesday, August 19th:  Luxury Reading

Friday, August 21st:  Beth Fish Reads