Frederick Douglass & a quote on fantasy

This plan never seems to have existed at more than the level of fantasy—

but then the level of fantasy is one of the most important levels at which things can exist.

~ in an article about Frederick Douglass, by Adam Gopnik (source)

  This gem of a quote came up, as I expanded my reading about Frederick Douglass; I have been slowly reading "Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom" since last year. The biography has been well worth the time, but the above quote is worth some thought for completely different reasons. 

Bougainvillea: a joyful family weakness

  Bougainvillea is, apparently, a family weakness. I was talking to my parents the other day, and it came up that they are 'disputing' the respective values of the tangerine and bougainvillea trees that are beside each other in their yard. The (perfect) shaping of the two seems mutually exclusive. Being shown the competing plants from a distance, I had to agree that the bougainvillea did seem to have the better claim to more space. (Of course, my opinion did nothing to sway the tangerine supporter.)

   Last year, my first bougainvillea gave great beauty and joy as it flourished, as depicted below.

As you can see in the next picture, this winter was not particularly kind to it. I have not been able to revive it to its normal vivacity, even though it is not without color or bloom. Even this picture has a certain pleasing symmetry, doesn't it? 

This next bougainvillea is much smaller (same one as the first picture) and was a gift on my last birthday. It is a really lovely, bright red. I don't recall ever seeing one in quite this shade. It is thriving, as the next 3 pictures show.

 

My final bougainvillea spent the winter outside because it is in a large, unmovable pot. Although it was a mild winter, a late cold snap almost doomed this one. It is finally putting out new leaves and promises to shed a different sort of beauty this summer than previously.

You can also see the ivy in the foreground here, as well as vaguely others in the background - wandering jews and a hardy, frequently-blossoming plant whose name I don't know. From a different perspective, you can see the other plants that share this final bougainvillea's pot... a spider plant and a little ground-cover plant that produces blue flowers.

Other plants (ferns, an avocado, aloe plants, long grass, and more) are sprinkled around the terrace, but these are the ones that are thriving at the moment.

exploring new book-worlds

 As we continue through this unusual time of being at home, I have found myself with unusual mental space for new reading material. When my mind is cluttered by what is going on around or within me, I typically resort to re-reading books I have read with value or enjoyment before. This provides something of an escape and a space for considering daily goings-on from a different perspective.
 These days, however, while I do not necessarily have a lot more time for reading, I have found myself with a less cluttered mind. Thus, I can more easily read from new sources. Today I started David deSilva's book Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture. It's been on my wishlist for 2-3 years, but it went on a significant sale, so I decided to sample it (on my Kindle). The sample led me to buy it. There's a lot to consider in it. Some of you may have noted my interest in honor-shame dynamics within both Scripture and culture over the last several years.

   I'm about 10% of the way through the book, and, so far, deSilva has done a good job describing the ancient world and then showing the connections to both the Scriptures and the practical daily contexts of their world and ours. I will include just one quote since most of the other parts that I have appreciated need more context to be meaningful. See if you can hear the resonance with Paul urging the Roman believers to 'outdo one another in showing honor' (see post "The Honor Competition.") 

Hence Isocrates advises his student to “consider it equally disgraceful to be outdone by your enemies in doing injury and to be surpassed by your friends in doing kindness” (Ad Dem. 26), that is, to take pains to win when presented either with negative or positive challenges, so that his honor will remain undiminished.

deSilva, David A.. Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity (p. 31). IVP Academic.

 Anyways, that's one example of some of my new reading. Since the beginning of the year, I've also been reading P. G. Wodehouse's books and short stories that are available free on Kindle. A friend has been recommending them for years, and I finally decided to try them. They've been fun and relaxing, and very different from anything else I read. 

 I'm also borrowing Pearl Buck's The Good Earth from the library currently. We'll see whether or not I can read it before it disappears from my Kindle. If not, it'll have to wait a bit longer, especially if my mind becomes cluttered with other things for any reason... 

Trying to use words, and every attempt...

This bit of poetry by T. S. Eliot has stirred my thoughts often recently. It applies to being a husband, a father, a global nomad, a teacher, and being fully human - engaged in this world and yet sensing the incompleteness.

The entirety of "Four Quartets 2: East Coker" is worth reading and pondering - with the parts involving 'the wounded surgeon' and 'in my beginning is my end' also being poignant.

Chutzpah vs. Chutzpah

 My favorite living storyteller is Malcolm Gladwell; his books are the only books that my wife and I have consistently listened to together. I am looking forward to listening to his most recent book soon. Recently I listened to an episode from his podcast, Revisionist History. It was fabulous, just like I hoped; Gladwell is basically peerless in his ability to weave a narrative together.

 Due to changes in the way I commute, I have started to listen to stuff on my way home. This was quite rare until the last 18 months and still sporadic until the last several months. Because I am just trying this out, there's a lot of experimentation involved... I've tried audiobooks (Chesterton's Orthodoxy has been fantastic so far), podcasts, and lectures (English in America: A Linguistic History by Natalie Schilling was very informative, especially as an English teacher).

 Anyways, this episode of Revisionist History "Chutzpah vs. Chutzpah"was fantastic. It included the mafia and The Godfather, which I've never seen, but which my students assure me is the greatest movie ever made. It included Hogan's Heroes which our family secretly enjoys, while hoping it doesn't offend our German friends! It included a wonderfully winding story about the meaning(s) of 'chutzpah' practically (There is some inappropriate language from an interviewee.) It includes discussions of shame and shamelessness, Abraham's intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18, cross-cultural differences and acculturation, immigration, and more!

 It also includes insight on modern culture, particularly American culture. Online and from a distance, I see increasing acknowledgement that the brokenness in American politics reflects the society, not causes the society's polarization. This episode essentially avoids the specifics in order to deal with the larger picture. The question it suggests  is "Have we confused [America's] chutzpah with [Israel's] chutzpah?"

All in all, this episode touches on a ton of areas that are important to me! I highly recommend it!

PS Even the ads are interesting and informative since even they are interviews done by Gladwell with business executives.

The Gifts of a True Friend, with Gratitude

  For the last 4-5 years, I have received a gift, once or twice a year, from a friend. It is a book. That is, in itself, in no way unusual. In fact, throughout my life, I have probably been given more books than any other single item. And I always have a list of more books that I could learn from or enjoy besides all the ones that I re-read. This friend is unusual though: she doesn't check my wishlist or preferences, and she doesn't simply give her favorite books. Every year, she selects a book or two for me, and selecting a book for a person is much harder than you might think. Furthermore, her selections are almost never in the same categories as previous gifts - modern or classical fiction, biography, biblical study, and devotional books have all been selected. 

 Naturally, I make a point to read the books since she chooses them to share specific wisdom and insight which I can benefit from. Each book has the real potential to expand my horizons in some way based on the conversations we have shared. In other words, these are rare gifts! I do not know how much time or thought or effort it takes for her to decide on each book, but I am thankful for it and for the true friendship it reflects. 

************

 At the moment, I am reading The Chosen by Chaim Potok, a book that I started and put down in high school, but which she re-recommended (and loaned) to me. Again, it has been worthwhile companion. Somewhat more than halfway through it, I see it as an exploration of friendship through both similarities and differences; it is also about fathers and sons. We'll see what the rest of the book holds, but for now I will end with a(n unrelated) quote from it.

But that is the way the world is. If a person has a contribution to make, he must make it in public. If learning is not made public, it is a waste.

~ Chaim Potok, The Chosen

2019 Reading

 This year was another diverse year of reading, like most are. I wrote my MA thesis which provided some of the books on the list. Then after that was finished, I dove into reading a number of things that I had been saving up "for when I had time."

Academic ESL Writing (my thesis topic)

Eli Hinkel's Effective Curriculum for Teaching L2 Writing - If one wanted a one-stop book on designing a curriculum for Academic Writing for English Learners/Newer Users, this would have to be it. Hinkel combines a fabulous amount of research with pointedly practical comments on what should be included in such curricula.

Suresh Canagarajah's Critical Academic Writing and Multilingual Students, meanwhile, describes a beautiful approach to teaching writing (and English, in general), considering how to balance the global and local demands of language learning and how to respect local cultures while also working with Western academic standards and culture.

Meanwhile, Peter Elbow writes more generally about teaching writing; I use selections from him in my teaching because it provides a useful orientation to a philosophy of education which many students may not have encountered previously. This year, I'd mention his Everyone Can Write and Writing with Power. I haven't read anything of his without benefit yet.

Historical Books

Last fall, a student recommended The Other 1492 by Teofilo Ruiz to me. I listened to the audiobook, and I'd recommend it to any and all who have an interest in history. Around the same time, one of my daughters did her summer research project which used the Maestros' excellent short history of "The Exploration and Conquest" of the Americas. Now it's on loan to a student who asked for something about American history. These two books shared themes and ideas but at quite different levels.

My wife's grandfather fought on Iwo Jima, and he is obliquely mentioned in Iwo by Richard Wheeler, so I'd wanted to read it for a long time. It was sobering; I hadn't read about WWII for quite a while.

Nelson's Trafalgar by Roy Adkins was a fascinating read due to my long enjoyment of the Hornblower series of books about the Napoleonic wars. It shed a lot of light on what was going on throughout navies of the world around that time as well as graphically describing the way an individual battle (Trafalgar) could play out, over hours. Not exactly deep, but quite in depth.  

Christian 

Fool's Talk by Os Guinness has so far been an excellent challenge in thinking about how a follower of Christ ought to interact with those who have different beliefs, especially in a world hostile to its key beliefs.

Fiction

Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra - C. S. Lewis - I had never read any of Lewis' Space Trilogy till this year. It was insightful and enjoyable, as nearly everything Lewis wrote seems to be.

They Shoot Canoes, Don't They? - Patrick McManus - On the very light end of things, McManus provided entertainment, as he never fails to do. I am always reminded of close friends when I read McManus due to the context in which I was introduced to him.

Christopher Williams's Restoration series was surprisingly engaging, especially since I'd previously enjoyed his space trilogy. How many authors can switch genres that successfully? The first book in the series is free.

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad was a gift from a friend. It is a remarkable piece of literature with many insights into humanity, and yet, it is not exactly an enjoyable read and is certainly not a simple one. One thought that it clarified for me was that a part of the awfulness of evil is its purposelessness. As Conrad speaks of the darkness, he never bothers to discuss the details. Rather he depicts darkness in its shadowiness and its echo heard within ourselves, which he expresses in striking elegance. The book is also fascinating to me as the work of a non-native speaker of English who mastered a new language as an adult and became a master in its literary works.

A favorite adventure novel from my youth which I re-read this year was The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne. He has long been one of my favorite authors, even though I only appreciate about half of what I have read of his works. On the other hand, with greater learning and experience over the years since I have read this book, I found this year that I have unexpected critiques of it. The racial biases both subtle and more direct that while they might have seemed acceptable (or even enlightened?) at the time of writing are a clear mark against the book. As well, while the amalgamation of flora and fauna on Lincoln Island is certainly creative, it seems less believable than one might wish.

To go along with those, I've started the engaging book How to Read a Book, re-read old favorites like The Lord of the Rings, and almost all of the Sherlock Holmes stories, and read The Janissary Tree, and interesting mix of detective novel and recipe book set in Ottoman Istanbul.


Recommendations from years past: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

Tolkien, on the wide world and fences - an elf to a hobbit

 I'm re-reading The Lord of the Rings again (Yes, re-reading again, not the first re-read.) Anyways, this quote to the hobbits by an elf as the hobbits venture into a world that scares them and which they hate to avoid was striking.

The wide world is all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot for ever fence it out.

~ Gildor Inglorion, as quoted by J. R. R. Tolkien

Cyprien Mubiala - Hope Springs from Unspeakable Grief

  Cyprien Mubiala is a name that many should know in the future, though it is not unlikely that it could disappear. Rightly speaking, it should be enshrined in medical history right next to Dr. Muyembe's. These two men, along with others, through persistence and hope have been key in making the terrifying disease of ebola treatable. 

  At the end of last month, the Wall Street Journal ran an article entitled, "'Ebola is Now a Disease We Can Treat.' How a Cure Emerged from a War Zone." It is well worth reading. Many people have risked both suffering and death to fight against and seek to subdue the disease of ebola. Read how the disease ravages the body and the horrific suffering that those who contract the disease experience. Then, think of voluntarily risking your own life to care for those with this disease. Next, add the suspicions of those who need your help that you may actually be a danger to them. Finally, add the threat that comes from entering and operating in a war zone. In this context, Cyprien Mubiala and Dr. Muyembe step as two remarkable men.

PHOTO: CYPRIEN MUBIALA

 Unfortunately, though quite naturally given his status as a research patient, there is little public information about Mr. Mubiala. However, nearly 25 years ago, he lost 15 members of his family to ebola and contracted the disease himself. He survived as did his sister. He donated his blood to Dr. Muyembe for research, but then he turned around and spent months caring for other ebola victims, believing he was immune to the disease. Some years later, he again worked with researchers as they used his blood to try to develop a treatment. 

 Now he is married and has children, and he says he is happy to hear that a cure came from his blood. In many ways, his story is remarkable; in other ways, it is quite normal. Certainly, there is much to celebrate in this story, and an examination of the journey that Dr. Muyembe has taken would show another narrative or perseverance in the face of doubt and difficulty. 

 These stories are not remarkable only because they have led to a cure; they are remarkable in their own right. However, the cure highlights the fact that there can be temporal victories in the fight against death, disease, and despair. The fact that no one had defeated ebola previously did not mean that the battle was not still worth fighting: past failures do not necessitate future failure. 

The Puzzling or Repellent Aspects of Christianity

  Apparently I've never read C. S. Lewis's essay "The Weight of Glory" through from end to end before. I've read excerpts, but the complete argument that he makes in there doesn't seem to be in my memory anywhere.
  So today (and a bit of yesterday) I read it. It is really beautiful with many areas that I highlighted. One in particular that I wanted to mention has to do with an argument that has often bothered me: that I should expect to be able to understand mysteries before having faith in them. For sure, faith should be rational to some extent, but at some point, it will certainly be ultra-rational since we don't really need "faith" for what we can see and understand completely. Why would I expect to understand God, the Maker of the Universe, and all His works and wisdom fully? If I did wouldn't that mean my mind was equal to or superior to Him? Anyways, here is a bit of Lewis on a similar theme. The essay is worth exploring for yourself whether you believe in Christianity or not; Lewis is making a substantial argument for it, which one does not necessarily have to be Christian to appreciate.

 If Christianity could tell me no more of the far-off land than my own temperament led me to surmise already, then Christianity would be no higher than myself. If it has more to give me, I expect it to be less immediately attractive than "my own stuff." [...] If our religion is something objective, then we must never avert our eyes from those elements in it which seem puzzling or repellent; for it will be precisely the puzzling or the repellent which conceals what we do not know and need to know. 

~ "The Weight of Glory"