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The Singer’s Gun

August 21, 2019/theliterarylollipop/Leave a comment

The Singer's Gun

During a writer’s conference I attended a few years ago in New York, author Emily St. John Mandel was a keynote speaker. At the time, she was promoting Station Eleven, but the onsite bookstore carried her back titles as well. I purchased The Singer’s Gun, and it’s been sitting patiently on my bookshelf ever since, waiting for the right time. Until now.

Although I’m not usually a reader of noir, The Singer’s Gun is special. Somehow it exists simultaneously within and beyond expectations of noir. Mandel’s approach reminded me very much of Paul Auster’s New York Trilogy, though without the mind-bending existentialism. The language and dialogue has a similarly quirky, satirical quality that immediately resonated. Still, even amidst the satirical quirkiness, there remained an emotional presence, almost spiritual in its tension. I loved it. As a writer, this is as close as I’ll ever get to “jealousy,” in the traditional sense.

The plot of The Singer’s Gun is not easy to describe. There are layers, and layers within layers, but Mandel provides the puzzle pieces in clear prose. Anton is our hero – or, anti-hero – a man who grew up in a family of thieves. Unfortunately, he wants to break tradition, become a normal business man earning a living through honest means. He has no idea how hard this will ultimately be, and how difficult it will be to work against, or within, his family’s ideology. And it is hard, because he is surrounded by a network of morally ambiguous relatives, some of whom don’t respect his desire for an honest life.

More interestingly, Mandel blurs the lines of honesty and morality throughout the novel by populating her story with good people doing questionable things. Dichotomy is a frequent, undeniable theme.

The corporate satire, however, is probably the most amusing thread in The Singer’s Gun. Mandel is very precise in her depiction of office politics. I cringed when Elena was belittled by her co-worker for missing an editorial mistake in a document, an exchange reminiscent of the sharp but brutal writing one might come across in a Saturday Night Live skit. Still, the circular, back-and-forth Abbott & Costello dialogue brought a smile to my face multiple times. Although I don’t think Mandel is aiming for outright comedy, there are certainly a few notable moments.

I was especially lured and lulled by the lovely Italian landscape, as well as the philosophical energy of The Singer’s Gun. Character-driven discussions on death, afterlife, social expectation, identity, work, money, and morality peppered the text with nuggets of unique, eye-opening wisdom. Not a book I’m likely to forget anytime soon.

The Prize

August 19, 2019/theliterarylollipop/Leave a comment

the prize bialosky

The Prize by Jill Bialosky is an unexpected page-turner. At first glance, it’s cerebral, perhaps pretentious and a little fraught. Ten pages in, however, I was thoroughly invested. The Prize is enjoyably slow, echoing the patterns, concerns, and neuroses of real life. Most of the characters are narcissistic, demanding, and operate in a gilded upper middle class art world; everyone attends parties, travels to Europe frequently for business, and has the financial resources to purchase a thousand dollar pair of gloves that never get used. And yet, I was willing to spend time in their company.

Our narrator, Edward Darby, is disenfranchised with his work and family life. He struggles with melancholy, a stale marriage, and the emotional demands of a maturing teenage daughter. He is a partner in a successful New York City gallery, has built the career of many artists, but he has begun to question the pretense of networking, marketing, and endless profit projection concerns.

The crown of Edward’s portfolio is Agnes Murray, a talented but self-obsessed artist whose career he helped establish several years prior. Anxiously, he awaits her newest work, knowing that her next show represents a significant portion of gallery revenue. Over Christmas, Agnes finally invites Edward to her slick loft to view her latest pieces. Unfortunately, the work lacks cohesion, and he attempts to convey that to Agnes as delicately as possible. At first, she understands and appreciates his honesty. Then, she backtracks and drops him as her gallerist, and Edward must humble himself to the betrayal.

Throughout The Prize, Edward contemplates the various elements of his life that are causing him pause or pain: a wife to whom he no longer feels connected in a meaningful way; the possibility of an affair with someone in his art circle; professional fulfillment beyond the profit concern and malicious competition; and making peace with the limitations of one’s life. Granted, I felt a few moments of frustration, as Edward’s world is solidly middle class or above, and Holly’s blind privilege grated on my last nerve. Still, the characters are flawed in a way that resonates with real life, and Bialosky left just enough room for spiritual awakening. That, and I certainly enjoyed Agnes Murray’s gently conveyed moment of karma.

Reading the Canadian Food Price Report

August 9, 2019August 8, 2019/theliterarylollipop/4 Comments

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I’ve become one of those people who complain about food prices. On more than one occasion, I’ve whined that $20 CDN does not buy what it used to buy. Inflation is the name of the game. I can’t go into a grocery store without being prepared to plunk down $50, at the very least, for the same products I’ve always bought. Celery is outrageous. Cauliflower, too. Even sweet potato, at $2.49 a lb., gives me price tag whiplash. It’s impossible to ignore. Don’t get me started on organic prices. That’s just not going to happen. I’ll have to take my chances and wash my pesticide-laden veggies the best I can.

Full disclosure, I am very fortunate to be in a position to afford healthy foods and produce. For instance, I live in a highly populated city – for Canadian standards, anyway. Whether by foot or public transportation, I can access a variety of grocery stores within blocks of my home. I can buy kale for $3.49 a bunch and splurge on a $5.99 bottle of maple syrup, should I so desire. Still, I find the rising cost of food concerning; and, I have experienced some mildly traumatic food scarcities in my youth, which is likely why this subject resonates so deeply.

Over the years, many have participated in a Live Below the Line Challenge, sharing their experiences online and acknowledging how utterly difficult it is to feed a family on $1.50 US, per person, per day. The variables that impact food availability can run the gamut from transportation, income, and geographic region. But, most of the examples I found were American, Australian, or UK-based.

So, I went in search of Canadian statistics. What is the Canadian poverty line? As of 2017 and according to my community size, it is $20,998 for one person, which works out to approximately $1749.83 per month. However, according to the Canadian Food Price Report (9^th edition), families can expect to see their grocery bills rise by $411 to around $12,157 in 2019. Obviously, those numbers don’t agree. Time to whip out my calculator.

The Canadian Food Price Report is a fascinating document. I highly recommend a perusal, even if you don’t read it from beginning to end. The graphic on page 14 (Fig. 6, Food prices since 1986) is revealing and invites careful analysis. Also, the segment on the “protein wars” is intriguing, especially paired with predictions that show meat and seafood prices going down because of decreasing demand. Vegetables, not surprisingly, are listed as the 2019 “watch-list item,” and are slated to rise in price by 4% to 6% this year.

Variables are subdivided into three categories: macro-level, sectoral-level, and domestic-level. Everything – from consumer debt (domestic) to climate change (macro) – is listed in a chart that measures impact and likelihood. Interestingly, the report also assesses major corporate transactions in the “food arena,” noting Amazon’s recent purchase of Whole Foods.

After some snooping online, I learned that the average Canadian family of 4 spends approximately $233 per week on food. Some experts say that it can be done for $140 per week for a family of 3. (One misguided politician thought $75 per week was a reasonable amount.) What I gather from these numbers is that, on average, Canadians spend $8.32 per day, per person, without being deprived; or, potentially $6.67 per person, per day, with some extra scrimping and elbow grease, still with minor deprivation. With that in mind, what would $3 day look like, or $2 day? What kind of nutrition would that buy? I sense a future kitchen project percolating.

Duma Key

August 6, 2019/theliterarylollipop/2 Comments

duma key

I dunno, Steve. This one was tough. Overcooked. Too long, too convoluted, too much “stuff.” Duma Key began with promise. The first 300-400 pages evaporated in a flurry of curiosity. But then, it lost steam. Like getting on the wrong bus, the one that takes the circuitous route home.

As much as I enjoy Stephen King – hello, The Shining and Carrie! – I’ve had some frustrating experiences with his work lately. After Doctor Sleep landed with an anticlimactic thud, I took a break. I tentatively stepped back into the King pool with Revival, which was enjoyably ominous, and The Dark Half, good but drowning in detail.

The concept at the core of Duma Key, in which a contractor loses an arm to a freak accident and recovers in isolation in Florida, is powerful. Edgar Freemantle moves to Duma Key from Minnesota, rekindles his childhood love for drawing, and immediately finds inspiration in the orange sunsets and tropical landscape. He begins to paint almost maniacally, and everything he creates has energy, contains the capacity for becoming real. The content of his paintings take on a sinister quality. Edgar’s feverish artistic productivity is creepy and propels the story forward.

Duma Key is small, populated only with minimal tourists renting beachfront properties from Ms. Elizabeth Eastlake, the land’s owner. Her caretaker, Wireman, helps the operation run smoothly. Edgar, Elizabeth, and Wireman become good friends over time, but the elderly land owner has Alzheimer’s and her memory is diminishing. The reader catches glimpses into her traumatic childhood through Edgar’s artwork, and a few narrative interjections: “How to Draw a Picture.”

Unfortunately, the Evil Entity didn’t quite work. She was powerful and unnerving, of course, but the elements of her presence didn’t amount to the level of FEAR she stirred in the novel. And, though I understood the basic logistics of how Perse was released into the world, via Elizabeth’s art, it still didn’t make sense. The puzzle pieces didn’t quite come together at the end, and my attention waned during the Indiana Jones-esque adventure in the jungle at the end. The giant frogs and the animated lawn jockey didn’t convey the insanity of magic that I think King was intending.

Also, the dialogue. I read several reviews of Duma Key that railed on the dialogue, specifically Wireman’s idiosyncratic terms of endearment, muchacho. Although I didn’t mind the grandiosity of Wireman’s vocabulary, there was something about the dialogue that irked me. Perhaps it was Edgar’s friend Jack, a twentysomething that just didn’t act or sound like a twentysomething. When together in a scene, Edgar, Wireman, and Jack turned into cartoon characters – a horror version of The Three Musketeers.

In the end, Duma Key was fun to read 60% of the time, but sluggish and untethered during the other 40%. Though, I will continue to read your stuff, Steven. I will. Your mind is a spider’s web of creativity.

The Perfect Couple

July 23, 2019/theliterarylollipop/2 Comments

the perfect couple

I’ve had mixed experiences with Elin Hilderbrand. Sometimes, her books are a blast, like a vacation in a sparkly bottle of Perrier. Other times, they miss the mark and fall flat. The Perfect Couple is firmly rooted behind door number one: a blast from beginning to end, a culinary delight, and a lovely tour of Nantucket for those of us too poor to travel there.

Hilderbrand has been hailed Queen of the Beach Read. I concur. The Perfect Couple offers everything a quality beach read usually promises. A beautiful, luxurious location. Drama, romance, and a murder mystery. Wealth beyond belief. And, somewhere in the middle of all this fantasy is usually a fish, very distinctly out of water.

In this case, the fish is Celeste, a “normal” girl who grew up in a middle-class household with loving parents in a small town. She’s engaged to Benji, the son of a supremely wealthy family cocooned in Nantucket with their old money. Benji, though coddled and protected by his affluence, is relatively open-minded and considerate of those less fortunate. At least, more so than his mother, Greer, and his bratty brother, Thomas. His father, Tag – yes, Tag – is difficult to pin down somewhere between charming and creepy. The entire clan is a fortress of privilege. Celeste is the token “poor” person, a novelty with an allure attractive to both Benji, and his best friend, Shooter. Yes, Shooter. The names are unfortunate. Can you imagine all the white pants?

Alternating between past and present, the novel begins with the discovery of a body, the maid of honor, Merritt. The police investigate, interview the various family members, and gather clues. After each micro revelation, we are given a short glimpse into the past, filling in the narrative gaps.

What I enjoyed most about The Perfect Couple is the social commentary on wealth, illustrated effectively when Celeste refuses Benji’s financial help at an important moment. Throughout the novel, a distinct tension builds between the two as he increasingly takes on the savior role. He swoops in and pays for everything, saves the day, and will sometimes patronize Celeste and her family’s apparently small-time efforts. Her mother is battling an aggressive cancer, and when Benji declares that he will pay for the best doctors, Celeste gets angry – and rightfully so. Her mother already has a doctor in a local hospital that she trusts. Despite his good intentions, Benji will often assume that his privilege allows him to take control of any situation simply because he has the most resources.

Of all Hilderbrand’s novels, The Perfect Couple is the most aware of its own tropes and actively works against them, while still remaining fun, light, and interesting to read. Hilderbrand retains her Beach Queen throne.

Little Pleasures & Small Victories (Vol. 19)

July 19, 2019July 18, 2019/theliterarylollipop/3 Comments

Little Pleasures Small Victories 19

The past few months have been a trial, but my eyes are open and determinedly focused on the positives. And, even in difficult times, there are still things to be happy about. Yes, there are! Hard to believe, but oh so true. Stay optimistic if you can! Even when the quicksand is up around your neck, take a moment to acknowledge the breath in your lungs.

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Lois & Clark on DVD

When I was a tween, I loved this show. Seriously. I dressed as Teri Hatcher’s Lois Lane for Halloween one year, sporting my mother’s old brief case and blazer. Even now, this 90s television classic brings immense, nostalgic comfort. Yes, the special effects are kind of lame and dated. Yes, it’s obvious that Superman, dressed in glossy spandex, is on a hoist in front of a green screen. Yes, the villains are cartoonish and ridiculous. But I don’t care! Dean Cain is cuter than cute, and the romantic tension is palpable. Even Lex Luthor is pleasantly debonair. Lois & Clark is sweetly innocent. I watch Lois & Clark for the same reason I occasionally eat Kraft Dinner with Catalina salad dressing: pure comfort food.

The cardio train is back on track

The victory of this season is the resurgence of my cardiovascular conditioning. After a horrible flu and a busy, overwhelming spring, I have managed to slowly rebuild my endurance and strength. One week at a time, I carefully raised the difficulty level of my workouts, starting out light and easy. It was a painstaking process, but necessary. I didn’t want to shock my body after months of inactivity and illness. I continue to make progress, and I feel significantly better with each passing day.

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Astrology

Somehow, I ended up obsessively reading my horoscope for several weeks in a row. Not entirely sure why, but my curiosity for astrology churned up enough mental dust to warrant further reading. Did you know that we all have a “moon sign” and a “rising sign” in addition to the traditional sun sign? Me neither! Or, maybe I’ve been living under an astrology rock. Who knows? Anyhow, the whole thing is utterly fascinating. Eventually, I splurged on a copy of The Signs by Carolyn Faulkner. Bring on the birth charts!

Atomic Blonde (2017)

A couple of weeks ago, I was rummaging through the cheap DVD bin at Walmart and found Atomic Blonde for five bucks. (Remember, I don’t do Netflix.) Considering it costs more than that just to see a movie once in the theatre, I gambled on an unknown. I adore female-driven action movies, anyway, so figured it was a reasonable, low stakes risk. After the first 30 minutes, I unsure of the plot, but I was beyond impressed with the fight sequences. Charlize Theron is a force to be reckoned with. As a fellow tall, athletic girl who doesn’t fit a waifish size two, I loved that she towered over everyone and wore heels without apology. More specifically, her kicking style is incredible. Just, wow. She slams her feet into her opponent’s chest like she’s in a leg press machine, knee tucked in high, and the entire weight of her body thrown mercilessly into the movement. I was exhausted just watching her. The fights are Ah.May.Zing. Watch it. If you’re into MMA or fitness, you’ll be entranced.

Vegan Reset

Playing with cookbooks

I’m not a Goop disciple, nor am I vegan, but I’ve been experimenting with various cookbooks to infuse my meals with new flavor combinations. Vegan Reset by Kim-Julie Hansen just happened to catch my eye with its colourful cover, as well as its super simple, organized approach to meal planning. (Tofu can taste good. I swear.) Not to mention, Vegan Reset is packed full of unique mylk and smoothie recipes. Also, Gwenyth Palrow’s The Clean Plate, believe it or not, is full of interesting, healthful recipes that don’t require vast sums of money. More like, moderate sums of money. I don’t think anything Gwenyth Paltrow endorses will ever be budget friendly. However, through Paltrow, I discovered the miracle of red lentil pasta and, for that, I will forever be grateful. Sure, it’s $4.69 CDN a bag at Whole Foods – that ever present symbol of urban privilege – but I can’t help it. Lentil pasta cooks like a dream and provides 20 grams of protein per serving. I’m sold.

Weetabix with almond milk and maple syrup

On the subject of food and nostalgia, I’ve rediscovered Weetabix. I grew up on Weetabix. It makes me think of my grandfather’s old, brown linoleum kitchen with wood-paneled walls, where I used to eat the cereal with milk and heaps of demerara brown sugar. Though I don’t often wander through the cereal aisle at the grocery store, I did so earlier this summer and spotted a box of Weetabix for a slightly inflated price of $4.99 CDN. Rather than griping about the cost, which is borderline expensive considering the simple ingredients, I decided to splurge with gratitude. Best decision I made this season! I paired a bowl with some almond milk and a teaspoon of maple syrup (another splurge), and transformed a childhood staple into really fun treat.

Natasha

July 17, 2019July 16, 2019/theliterarylollipop/Leave a comment

Natasha

I’ve been a fan of Natalie Wood since the day I saw Splendor in the Grass, also starring the equally gorgeous Warren Beatty. In addition to the resonant ethos of a tragic love story, I was fascinated by the clothes, the prickly social commentary, and the historical drama.

Many years ago, I read Gavin Lambert’s biography of Natalie Wood, ordered – in hard cover! – from the Book of the Month Club, back in the day when I had to buy everything in US dollars from paper catalogues. I recall enjoying the book, yet periodically thrown off by Lambert’s curiously critical characterizations of Wood as clingy and overly flirtatious. I later learned that Lambert was a close friend of Robert Wagner, and that many thought the biography was unfairly biased. Still, the biography was mostly respectful and reverential.

Suzanne Finstad’s 2001 biography of Natalie Wood, Natasha, on the other hand, is not nearly as subtle. And, in a way, isn’t as respectful either. As entertaining and outright enlightening Natasha is, at the end I was left feeling a little perplexed by Natalie Wood as a person. Finstad’s biography focused almost exclusively on the salacious details, the rocky family tree, as well as the tricky mother daughter relationship we now know dominated Wood’s professional identity.

To be fair, a disrespectful biography isn’t a bad biography. The writing is clear and well organized. Finstad collaborates extensively with Wood’s two sisters. The book itself is very good, but questionably structured. Natalie Wood is painted as a complex, anxious, fearful woman; some might even say neurotic. However, I am not an expert on Wood. Obviously, I didn’t know her. I have never had a conversation with her to verify the apparently conflicting facets of her personality. I have no idea what is true or embellished. Also, we all do stupid things as teenagers, and it seems prejudicial to offer a list of those stupidities to the world in this context.

Absolutely nothing is wrong with presenting the subject of a biography – a subject beloved in the Hollywood community – in a realistic, honest light. It’s impossible to sugar coat really bad behaviour. Readers are perceptive.

On the other hand, there is a difference between honesty and sensational. The overall arc of Natasha felt a little one-sided. Finstad seemed to harp on all of Wood’s worst traits, her most unhealthy relationships, her worst decisions, and unappealing, melancholy habits. Much of the narrative focused on Wood’s psychological weaknesses –paralyzing fears and phobias that prevented her from being truly independent – rather than her strengths.

To be clear, the book includes many adoring reminiscences from Hollywood friends of Wood and Wagner, evidence of her generosity and intelligence. There are amazing stories of her ambition, her gumption, and natural talent. I doubt Finstad’s intention was to leave the reader utterly frustrated with Wood, but that is an unfortunate consequence of Natasha.

I would be curious to go back and re-familiarize myself with Lambert’s perspective, because it was vastly different from Finstad’s approach. There is much lore surrounding Wood’s life and death, so I would certainly welcome new biographies from different sources. Natasha, enthralling and in-depth as it was, left a sour taste in my mouth.

Make today special – 10 ideas

July 15, 2019/theliterarylollipop/2 Comments

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I think it’s fair to say that most of us live in the future. Some of us harp on the past. It’s rare to find someone who can very enthusiastically and thoughtfully remain in the present moment. Curiously, many of us work hard to enjoy the future: we plan vacations; we buy tickets to concerts; we plan parties in an effort to create moments of joy weeks, months, even years down the line.

But what about today? Like, now. Aujourd’hui, to get a little fancy. I don’t enjoy wishing away my time, or spending it all waiting for something noteworthy to happen. Lately I’ve been experimenting with ways to make my perception of time slow down, to help experiences soak in deeper than they might when I only flit about on the surface of life, too busy to notice or care. Rather than waiting for an experience, why not cultivate them?

I did my best to think of ways to make today special that didn’t require spending money, or access to exclusively urban resources, though I wanted to allow for a few thoughtful indulgences. Here’s what I came up with:

Cuddle with your fur baby.

This sounds simple and hokey, but you’d be surprised. My dog is pretty spry for her age; however, she’s getting old. I get a little sentimental around her sometimes. She has such personality and presence. The other night, while closing my eyes to fall asleep, I decided to reverse the position of my pillow. My pooch always sleeps at the foot of my bed, spread out like Cleopatra, taking up as much space as possible. She’s a diva, for sure. At the last minute, I joined her at the foot of the bed and slept next to her floppy ears and twitchy paws. Throughout the night, she’d periodically let out an amusing little snort, or a wistful sigh. There is something extremely therapeutic and life affirming about listening to the steady breath of one’s fur baby.

Relax near a body of water.

Bring a book, sit quietly, or simply dangle your feet. It could be a pool, a lake, or a river; if you’re lucky, it might be the ocean. Heck, if I lived near the ocean, I’d be happier than a pig in slop. Still, don’t discount the healing properties of a local river. The sound of gently rushing water is heaven after a long day at the office. Some parks have shallow wading pools for children, and even a sprinkler could work in a pinch. We work with what we’ve got and where we live.

Give everyone you love more hugs.

Sometimes, I’ll get to the end of my day and realize I’ve forgotten to do some integral things: oddly, drink water; on occasion, I’ve forgotten to eat entire meals; and, I’ve barely hugged the people I care about. It is alarmingly easy to fall into autopilot mode. We wake up, go to work, commute, and juggle our responsibilities. Please, make some time for the people in your life! Hug your ma, your pa, your granny, significant other… you know where I’m going with this. And while you’re at it, say something nice, too.

Buy yourself a bouquet of flowers for no reason.

Okay, so, some cash might be required in this instance. (But, hey, if you have a garden, or if your neighbourhood runneth over with rogue lilacs or apple blossoms, snip a few and put them in a jar.) There is something really special about a fresh bunch of colourful flowers. It’s a treat. Celebrate something. Get some roses, or tulips, or a potted azalea. Whatever you can afford, whatever colour you feel would brighten up your space and your heart. (And you know what? If the craft store is having a sale on fabric flowers, that might work, too. At least they won’t wilt.)

Have a different, unusual, or luxurious meal.

We’re all on a budget, of course, but it can be fun to try something different when resources allow. The idea here is to get out of your culinary routine. Think outside the box. Explore aisles of the grocery store you never go. If you always make pasta, how about some fresh fish? If you always eat healthy, how about something decadent? Or, if you never bake, try making some cupcakes from scratch for dessert. Shake it up in some way. Order pizza, a Greek platter, or vegan burritos. Something different, out of the ordinary.

See a happy movie.

Earlier this month, I took a Tuesday off and saw Yesterday with my mother. It was so much fun! The music was amazing, the story was sweet, and the message was on the money. Yesterday put a smile on my face for two hours and, impressively, put me in a good mood for the rest of the week. I’m not even a super fan of The Beatles, but the songs were a treasure trove of melodies and meditations. And, at the beginning of the summer, I also went to see the new Aladdin and I nearly swooned with nostalgia. Will Smith really pulled it off! Robin Williams would’ve been proud.

Dine alfresco.

This works if you’re a homeowner or an apartment dweller. If you don’t have a balcony, pack a picnic and stroll over to the nearest green space. Eating outside is a really fun way to break up the monotony of routine, especially if you work in an office indoors. It’s liberating to kick off your shoes and socks, roll up your sleeves, and enjoy a meal in nature.

Take a nap.

Don’t laugh or roll your eyes. Sleep is special. Sleep is powerful. We make poor life decisions when we’re tired. We go into autopilot mode when we’re tired. However, when I wake up from an afternoon nap, my brain feels recharged and my observational prowess improves by at least fifty percent. I’m more alert and aware. If you are exhausted and you have the flexibility in your schedule or family life, I highly recommend a quick 30-60 minute snooze.

Take the day off.

I write this fully aware that everyone has different responsibilities, jobs, and benefits. We can’t all take a day off, or afford a day off, in which case think of this concept from a philosophical perspective. For example, if you work a full 40 hours throughout the week, take Saturday “off.” Don’t run errands or clean the house. Spend the day completely goofing off. Read or watch movies or go outside for a walk. Eat cereal or pancakes for dinner. Let your routine go off the rails. For just a day, allow your to-do list to collect dust. Give yourself permission to be playful and lazy. If you are able to take a day off in the middle of the week, that’s great, too.

Laugh.

I’m currently reading Goldie Hawn’s autobiography, A Lotus Grows in the Mud, and she is a huge believer in the power of laughter – obviously. Pairing that with what I learned from Kate Hudson’s Pretty Fun, I am totally convinced that both mother and daughter are capable of making just about any situation enjoyable. Over the last few weeks, I’ve made a conscious effort to loosen up and joke more, find the joys in everyday life. Opportunities for delight are everywhere. Sometimes, I’m just not looking, or I’m not paying attention. Laughter is free, people. Take advantage.

How to Kill a City

July 4, 2019July 4, 2019/theliterarylollipop/Leave a comment

Without an ounce of intention, my internet activity melted away almost completely for over two months. I stopped going online, and I became a relative social media ghost. I went silent on Facebook, and this blog as well. All things internet simply dropped off my radar like an airplane vanishing into the Bermuda Triangle.

Even more curious, my reading and journaling habits faded away into the background, too. My brain simply didn’t have the “bandwidth,” as our corporate colleagues would say. However, one of the few books I managed to finish this spring is How to Kill a City by Peter Moskowitz, probably the most affecting, robust, brutally honest analysis of gentrification I’ve had the opportunity to read.

Divided into four sections – New Orleans, Detroit, San Francisco, and New York – How to Kill a City is an unnerving examination of gentrification within the various, complex phases of its cyclical evolution. For example, New Orleans and Detroit are exhibiting early symptoms, while San Francisco and New York have advanced through several cycles, pricing out most middle and upper-middle income earners.

Although his perspective is American, I can certainly apply his philosophical observations to Canadian cities of concern, such as Toronto and Vancouver. The policies in place are different, but the overall impact on community is very similar. Like New York, it is not uncommon for Vancouver to have entire streets of proprieties sitting dark and empty for months at a time.

Moskowitz examines the early push for city dwellers to own homes in the suburbs, the implications of mortgage policies during the post WWII decades, and the economic reasoning behind the shift. Families bought cars to commute, and furnished their new homes with washing machines and refrigerators. Those left behind in collapsing urban neighbourhoods did what they could with the limited resources they were allotted. Moskowitz even provides some interesting Hollywood examples from the 1950s that portrayed life in the suburbs as the ideal.

Now, ironically, the migration appears to be reversing. The appeal of suburbia diminished as generations who were raised there grew disenchanted with its sterility. City living has become a beacon of luxury and privilege, and everyone who can’t afford to stay in properties with rising rents are banished to the less attractive suburbs, where amenities are not as well maintained, and public transportation barely reaches. Rates of evictions are troubling, as well, and it is normal for some people to see their rents double, triple, or even quadruple overnight once a district has been re-zoned for new condos.

The encouraging moments in How to Kill a City are few, but there are admirable portraits of activists and activism, people who are trying to save their neighbourhood from losing its character, landscape, and history; people who are trying to keep the cost of living at a reasonable, affordable, sustainable level. Unfortunately, there are policies in place with unfair loopholes that ultimately result in evictions and displacements that are nearly impossible to fight long term.

How to Kill a City is not depressing so much as realistic. Moskowitz is hopeful, but also mindful of current market trends and economic predilections. He is also very honest about accountability and culpability, that we all contribute, unwittingly or not, to the gentrification machine.

On a positive note, Moskowitz does argue that, out of all the cities he profiled, New York is the most well-positioned to make changes to housing policies because of its pre-existing rent control laws, many of which don’t exist in New Orleans, Detroit, and San Francisco. I hope he’s right.

The Voice Is All: The Lonely Victory of Jack Kerouac

April 23, 2019/theliterarylollipop/Leave a comment

the voice is all

Joyce Johnson is a gifted writer. I’ve had the pleasure of reading her memoir Minor Characters; as well as Door Wide Open, a series of letters between her and Jack Kerouac during the height of their relationship in the late 1950s. The Voice Is All, her biography of the troubled beat “genius,” is an unlikely page-turner, a masterpiece of research, literary analysis, and social commentary. I devoured this 400+ page hardcover over the long Easter weekend, riveted by the masochistic goings-on and literary labors of Jack and his merry band of rebels. Even if you’re not a fan of the beats, their self-indulgent philosophizing, and their misogynistic, outright abusive tendencies, The Voice Is All captures a significant moment in time.

Johnson purposely avoids Kerouac’s successful years and focuses on his early childhood, his aboriginal and French Canadian lineage, and his early attempts at writing and publishing. The Voice Is All stops at 1951, just as he cultivates the narrative thread of On the Road, well before his financial and literary ascension. She delves deeply into Kerouac’s early, fluctuating influences, the friendships and experiences that later became the basis for On the Road, and his first published novel The Town and the City. I was especially impressed by the level of detail that Johnson was able to glean from journals and letters to establish a chronology of Kerouac’s development as a writer and human being. She provided a legitimate interpretation of his internal monologue without putting words into his mouth.

Although there were moments I thought she was too sympathetic and forgiving of Kerouac’s abusive and selfish qualities, I appreciated Johnson’s careful, strategically placed personal commentary. Very rarely did she inject a defense of his character. She managed to maintain a reasonable level of neutrality throughout, and frequently recognized that the reader would grow impatient with Kerouac’s – and Neal Cassady’s – treatment of women, including his own daughter, Jan. The subtitle, “the lonely victory,” is a perfect description of Kerouac’s devotion to writing. He goes through waves of internal and literal isolation, often alienating his circle of friends with rude, violent, or shocking behaviour, usually the result of creative frustration and the depression that plagued him whenever he experienced writer’s block.

The reader is given a truthful and unromanticized window into the lives of the Beat Generation, as it became known: Allen Ginsberg, as he developed his poetic voice and sexual identity; Lucien Carr and the murder for which he became famous; Neal Cassady, the focus of Kerouac’s questionable admiration; Carolyn Cassady, the beleaguered wife of Neal, who was left with two children to support; William Burroughs and the real life addiction that would inspire his novel Junkie; and, of course, the multitude of women Kerouac bedded and professed to love. I was fascinated by Kerouac’s intensity of feeling, how he could “fall in love” so easily and with astounding fluidity. He was attracted to energy rather than gender.

My only complaint is that the ending – the last couple of chapters – are almost too granular and untethered. The narrative stops rather abruptly in 1951 with little fanfare and an unsettled conclusion of Kerouac’s mental state. Still, I am willing to overlook this one defect because the work as a whole is so well executed and organized. The Voice Is All will not cultivate admiration for Kerouac. He’s not a very likeable guy. Johnson’s biography, however, is remarkably humane in its presentation of his faults, fears, and obvious talents.

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