In a few days, Utahans celebrate Pioneer Day. This is a time for all of us to look at our heritage—that of ourselves, our family, and our country. History is important. It tells us where we’ve come from, how we’ve grown, and gives us insight into where we are going.
Studying history is more than just memorization of facts. Although there are many interesting stories about men and women, battles, events and so forth, a knowledge of this information may not be of more help to anyone than making a game of Jeopardy! more fun or financially rewarding to a contestant.
Historians.org suggests we should study history because it helps us understand people and societies. In this ever changing world, one in which travel across national borders occurs more often than people used to travel across state lines, it is important that we understand different cultures. Although the United States has always been home to a bevy of immigrants, never before have they been so wide-spread in their settlement, no long staying in isolated communities such as history shows for areas of New York, Minnesota, Washington, or even the Icelanders who settled in Spanish Fork.
The same website also suggests history helps us understand change and how the society we live in came to be. “The past causes the present, and so the future.” Think about your own habits. Are there things you do simply because your parents did it? You may have heard the joke about the woman who always cut a large chunk off her holiday ham before baking it. When she was asked why, she replied, “That’s what my mother used to do.” Curious, she asked her mother why she did this and her mother’s reply was simple, “Because the full-shank of ham wouldn’t fit in my pan.” Knowing the history might have saved this woman the expense of buying a too large ham only to throw part of it away.
Don’t allow your history to be thrown away. Try keeping a journal or read the journals of your ancestors. Write a personal history. Read books about your city, culture, or country. Find out about other interesting people and nations. Use history to enrich your life. You’ll know more about the world as well as yourself.
(Article originally published 7/21/06)
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Superman vs Captain Jack
This week, movie goers will decide who will win the contest for ticket sales between Superman Returns (Brandon Routh) and The Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man’s Chest (Johnny Depp). The consensus along Disneyland’s red carpet last week seemed to indicate that Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) was already out of the running when it comes to the question of which character the female fans would most like to spend time with.
Who are these characters and why are movie fans and readers drawn to them? Superman definitely wins the contest for longevity, having been around regularly, although in many formats, since his inception in the early 1930s. Captain Jack Sparrow has only been with us since the first Pirates movie in 2003. However, characters like these two have been part of literature forever.
Superman represents the refined, pure, and perfect gentleman, the Ashley Wilkes of Gone with the Wind, so to speak. His values are virtue, honor, and protecting society. Jack Sparrow is a rogue—unprincipled, unreliable, a scoundrel, like Rhett Butler. Both a bit of a romantic, Superman saves women from danger, while Captain Jack pulls them right into the middle of it, and the women don’t seem to mind. Yet, in reality, both men stand for the same thing, they will do anything for the love of a good woman.
Why are readers drawn to characters who are like Captain Jack? Perhaps it’s the sense of danger and survival that draws us, like the real experiences of Jon Krakauer in Into Thin Air. Maybe it’s a longing to help the character overcome his pain that led to this disposition, like Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre.
Why do readers like Superman? Well, he’s Superman. Who wouldn’t want to be indestructible, able to fly, and stand for all that’s right in the world? Although when a twenty-five year-old Christopher Reeve (Still Me and Nothing Is Impossible: Reflections on a New Life) first donned his Superman cape, he had no idea that his life would one day require him to overcome the odds like his famous character, Chris proved that all of us can make the world a better place, super-powers not required.
So, whether you choose to see Superman Returns or The Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man’s Chest, remember that these two characters are archetypes of other heroes we see around us, both in literature and in life. Perhaps that is why we are drawn to the same kinds of characters when we read. We know these people and they are who we want to be.
(Article originally published 7/7/06)
Who are these characters and why are movie fans and readers drawn to them? Superman definitely wins the contest for longevity, having been around regularly, although in many formats, since his inception in the early 1930s. Captain Jack Sparrow has only been with us since the first Pirates movie in 2003. However, characters like these two have been part of literature forever.
Superman represents the refined, pure, and perfect gentleman, the Ashley Wilkes of Gone with the Wind, so to speak. His values are virtue, honor, and protecting society. Jack Sparrow is a rogue—unprincipled, unreliable, a scoundrel, like Rhett Butler. Both a bit of a romantic, Superman saves women from danger, while Captain Jack pulls them right into the middle of it, and the women don’t seem to mind. Yet, in reality, both men stand for the same thing, they will do anything for the love of a good woman.
Why are readers drawn to characters who are like Captain Jack? Perhaps it’s the sense of danger and survival that draws us, like the real experiences of Jon Krakauer in Into Thin Air. Maybe it’s a longing to help the character overcome his pain that led to this disposition, like Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre.
Why do readers like Superman? Well, he’s Superman. Who wouldn’t want to be indestructible, able to fly, and stand for all that’s right in the world? Although when a twenty-five year-old Christopher Reeve (Still Me and Nothing Is Impossible: Reflections on a New Life) first donned his Superman cape, he had no idea that his life would one day require him to overcome the odds like his famous character, Chris proved that all of us can make the world a better place, super-powers not required.
So, whether you choose to see Superman Returns or The Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man’s Chest, remember that these two characters are archetypes of other heroes we see around us, both in literature and in life. Perhaps that is why we are drawn to the same kinds of characters when we read. We know these people and they are who we want to be.
(Article originally published 7/7/06)
Meeting Mary
As a budding author myself, one of my favorite things to do over the years has been to meet nationally published authors. I’ve met so many that I have trouble keeping track of them all, it seems, but occasionally I’ll meet an author who stands out in my mind as being very special. This would especially be true of mystery writer, Mary Higgins Clark.
I met Mary at the annual writer’s round-up for the League of Utah Writers in 2002, and what a pleasurable experience it was. The diminutive Ms. Clark was the keynote speaker, and what a dynamo for such a tiny woman. Her stiletto heels and beehive coifed hair still only brought her up to my shoulder in height, but her persona filled the entire room. Her presentation touched on everything from her marriage and children, to the early struggling days of a writing career though her phenomenal success.
She understood her audience and gave great advice to authors about style, information gathering, and finding story ideas all around you. She talked about the craft of writing a good mystery and how to hone writing skills. She told about her newest book endeavors (Kitchen Privileges : A Memoir was about to be released.) and talked about upcoming mystery ideas she had. If there’s one thing to know about Mary, she’s a talker.
After speaking for nearly an hour, Ms. Clark took up residence for the next two hours at the autograph table where she signed numerous books for most of the audience. And she didn’t just rush through the stacks, she talked to each person as they came though the line. She made real conversations with those who spoke with her, looking for ways to connect with her readers and they connected with her.
Ms. Clark knows how important her fans are to her career. On May 5, 2006, she posted the following on the Amazon.com website for the book No Place Like Home: “I thoroughly enjoy meeting the people who are my readers. Let’s face it, an author without readers is like a tree falling in the forest – if no one hears it, did it make noise?”
I will always remember my experience with Mary Higgins Clark, and I hope that if I ever become a best-selling author like she is, that I, too, will remember the importance of connecting to my audience. Because, in reality, isn’t that what good writing is all about? If your reader doesn’t connect to the story, then what good is the writing anyhow?
I met Mary at the annual writer’s round-up for the League of Utah Writers in 2002, and what a pleasurable experience it was. The diminutive Ms. Clark was the keynote speaker, and what a dynamo for such a tiny woman. Her stiletto heels and beehive coifed hair still only brought her up to my shoulder in height, but her persona filled the entire room. Her presentation touched on everything from her marriage and children, to the early struggling days of a writing career though her phenomenal success.
She understood her audience and gave great advice to authors about style, information gathering, and finding story ideas all around you. She talked about the craft of writing a good mystery and how to hone writing skills. She told about her newest book endeavors (Kitchen Privileges : A Memoir was about to be released.) and talked about upcoming mystery ideas she had. If there’s one thing to know about Mary, she’s a talker.
After speaking for nearly an hour, Ms. Clark took up residence for the next two hours at the autograph table where she signed numerous books for most of the audience. And she didn’t just rush through the stacks, she talked to each person as they came though the line. She made real conversations with those who spoke with her, looking for ways to connect with her readers and they connected with her.
Ms. Clark knows how important her fans are to her career. On May 5, 2006, she posted the following on the Amazon.com website for the book No Place Like Home: “I thoroughly enjoy meeting the people who are my readers. Let’s face it, an author without readers is like a tree falling in the forest – if no one hears it, did it make noise?”
I will always remember my experience with Mary Higgins Clark, and I hope that if I ever become a best-selling author like she is, that I, too, will remember the importance of connecting to my audience. Because, in reality, isn’t that what good writing is all about? If your reader doesn’t connect to the story, then what good is the writing anyhow?
One Hit Wonders
The music industry often talks about artists who are “One Hit Wonders,” meaning that they had a single song to hit the charts. Baha Men (“Who Let the Dogs Out?”), Billy Ray Cyrus (“Achy Breaky Heart”), Patrick Swayzee (“She’s Like the Wind”), and Bobby “Boris” Pickett (“Monster Mash”) all make the internet lists.
In the world of publishing, there are also “One Hit Wonders,” authors who release a first book that soars to the top of the charts in popularity, and then are never heard of again. Some of these authors fail to reemerge because of choice such as Harper Lee (see today’s book review). Others don’t produce a book that garners the same kind of spark as their first book did, and some are never offered another publishing contract.
Some authors who might fall into the category of One Hit Wonders might include Laura Hillenbrand who wrote her book “Seabiscuit: An American Legend” by doing research entirely from her home via the internet, L. Frank Baum who wrote fifteen books but all of them were about Oz, or sisters Emily Brontë (“Wuthering Heights”), Charlotte Brontë (“Jane Eyre”), and Anne Brontë (“Agnes Grey”).
This week, go to your local library and browse the shelves, looking for authors who have a single title listed under their name. Choose one to check out and read. You may discover a hidden talent, a total loser, or unearth treasure by an artist who thought they only had one book in them.
In the world of publishing, there are also “One Hit Wonders,” authors who release a first book that soars to the top of the charts in popularity, and then are never heard of again. Some of these authors fail to reemerge because of choice such as Harper Lee (see today’s book review). Others don’t produce a book that garners the same kind of spark as their first book did, and some are never offered another publishing contract.
Some authors who might fall into the category of One Hit Wonders might include Laura Hillenbrand who wrote her book “Seabiscuit: An American Legend” by doing research entirely from her home via the internet, L. Frank Baum who wrote fifteen books but all of them were about Oz, or sisters Emily Brontë (“Wuthering Heights”), Charlotte Brontë (“Jane Eyre”), and Anne Brontë (“Agnes Grey”).
This week, go to your local library and browse the shelves, looking for authors who have a single title listed under their name. Choose one to check out and read. You may discover a hidden talent, a total loser, or unearth treasure by an artist who thought they only had one book in them.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Reading a Life
For some reason, we as a society are fascinated by the life of celebrity. Whether is be actor, musician, politician, business leader, or the person next door who gained fame for whatever they did, we love to read about their successes and failures.
It’s this fascination with celebrity that brings success to television shows like Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood, networks like E! Entertainment, magazines like People, Us, and The Star, and to full-length books of biography and autobiography. We just can’t seem to get enough.
As I wrote this column, three of the top five bestsellers at Amazon.com were biographical: “Night” by Elie Wiesel, “Wisdom of Our Fathers: Lessons and Letters from Daughters and Sons” by Tim Russert, and “Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters, and Survival” by Anderson Cooper. The New York Times list added “Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog” by John Grogan, “Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball’s Last Hero” by David Maraniss, and “My Life in France” by Julia Child and Alex Prud'Homme in the top ten.
Books about our newest celebrities come out with lightning speed. The Blue Banner biography of American Idol Carrie Underwood was released a short five months after she won the competition. “Aruba : The Tragic Untold Story of Natalee Holloway and Corruption in Paradise” by Dave Holloway was released while the investigation of the girl’s disappearance is still under way. Some subjects of biographies never seem to die as proven by the success of “The Beatles: The Biography” by Bob Spitz released just over a year ago.
No matter what arena of life you find the most interesting, a biography, autobiography or memoir about a celebrated person makes for interesting reading.
It’s this fascination with celebrity that brings success to television shows like Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood, networks like E! Entertainment, magazines like People, Us, and The Star, and to full-length books of biography and autobiography. We just can’t seem to get enough.
As I wrote this column, three of the top five bestsellers at Amazon.com were biographical: “Night” by Elie Wiesel, “Wisdom of Our Fathers: Lessons and Letters from Daughters and Sons” by Tim Russert, and “Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters, and Survival” by Anderson Cooper. The New York Times list added “Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog” by John Grogan, “Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball’s Last Hero” by David Maraniss, and “My Life in France” by Julia Child and Alex Prud'Homme in the top ten.
Books about our newest celebrities come out with lightning speed. The Blue Banner biography of American Idol Carrie Underwood was released a short five months after she won the competition. “Aruba : The Tragic Untold Story of Natalee Holloway and Corruption in Paradise” by Dave Holloway was released while the investigation of the girl’s disappearance is still under way. Some subjects of biographies never seem to die as proven by the success of “The Beatles: The Biography” by Bob Spitz released just over a year ago.
No matter what arena of life you find the most interesting, a biography, autobiography or memoir about a celebrated person makes for interesting reading.
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