I was excited to read that the Coen Brothers were in Memphis looking for an unknown teenager to play the part of Mattie Ross in the remake of the western classic True Grit. Some of you remember this movie as an introduction to John Wayne's popular U. S. Marshall "Rooster" Cogburn character, but I differ. I was entranced by the Mattie character.
Every Sunday after church, Dad and I would sit down for the western matinee playing on our Nashville TV station. I must have been 11-years-old when I first saw True Grit. At the time, I was the spitting image of Mattie. I sported freckles galore with straight bangs and dirty blond hair short enough to be mistaken as a boy. In short, my brother and I looked alike.
Dad was the first to mention other similarities. Yes, I was a hard-headed mule who knew more than the people around her. Yes, when I set my mind to something, other things suffered. Yes, I was tough and quite gritty. Dad began to call me "baby sister" after that day and I much preferred it to his other nickname, "number two." My brother was "number one son" and well my standing was clear.
What does this have to do about reading? There is a point. I promise.
When I was in second grade, I did not belong in the "A" reading group. I tested in the "B" group and was placed there the second week of school. Well, I thought there was a mistake and I kept going to the A group only to be walked back to the B readers. Every once in a while my teacher, Miss Harper, would see me sit in the back of the As, but she played dumb and allowed me to stay.
It was a dark day when it happened again in third grade. Confidence was lost and I bowed with the shame of not being a "good" reader. This is when I became one of those reluctant readers. Oh, I could read. Vocabulary was not a problem; although, I had a tendency to add r's, t's and d's in words when spoken. I have a southern mountain mixed with Texan accent. To keep classmates from laughing, I became quiet and invisible – hiding behind the desk in front of me – during read-a-loud portions.
Confidence fell even farther as I was left behind in fourth then fifth grade. It became obvious during standardized testing that I could read but not understand what I read. My focus was on the words and not the story. As with millions of school children, I went from loving reading to hating it with every ounce of my being.
My determination to make something of myself led me to a self-improvement in reading. I would read a book after watching the movie and try to make sense of what I read. My first book was Jaws by Peter Benchley followed by the popular Amityville Horror by Jan Anson. (I give away my age here.) And the silly thing, it worked! I had a way back into reading and a great confidence builder!
It was True Grit that led to the biggest break through. The first two books were loose adaptations to screen and I could connect some parts but others were still incomprehensible. True Grit, written by Charles Portis, was almost exactly the same! The ending was a little different, but the plot and characters all matched up! In my joy, I read it two times straight through.
If I thought of this back in the 70's, I know there are others who have done the same thing. This is a perfect argument for replacing a beat up title with the new, movie-cover edition. It may have been the cover art that attracted me first then the idea followed. Whatever the case, I am a reader thanks to this backwards thinking. Oh, and Coen brothers, you are 30 years too late!
I write this as a non-published article for possible use in future book talks. It is more an exercise in habit since I write my articles Wednesday mornings and want to stay in practice. I realize it is wordie but it serves my purpose.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Reluctant Reader Confession
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Christmas Quiz (copy)
As you bask in the glow of your finely lit Christmas tree, gather the family for a bookish Christmas quiz. Each paragraph below is a quote from seven beloved Christmas books. Guess the title of the book that corresponds to the quote. Sounds easy peasey, right? Well, I'm not going to give you the titles that derive from contemporary, classic and children's books. Answers found at the link titled "Christmas Quiz Answers". May I suggest a plate of angel-shaped cookies and eggnog to accompany your brain activity?
A. "The Kranks are skipping Christmas! No party! No tree! Nothing but money in their pockets so they can blow it on a cruise."
B. "I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach."
C. Chapter title "My Old Man And The Lascivious Special Award That Heralded The Birth Of Pop Art"
D. "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more."
E. "You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of underdone potato. There's more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!"
F. "The Herdmans were absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. They lied and stole and smoked cigars (even the girls) and talked dirty and hit little kids and cussed their teachers and took the name of the Lord in vain and set fire…"
G. "His eyes-how they twinkled! His dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!"
H. "On Christmas Eve, many years ago, I lay quietly in my bed. I did not rustle the sheets. I was listening for a sound—a sound a friend had told me I'd never hear—the ringing bells of Santa's sleigh."
I. "…the Man, the Connection, Santa Claus himself"
J. "More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, and he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!"
K. "God bless us every one!"
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Give Mississippi for Christmas! (copy)
Have you thought of giving Mississippi books as holiday gifts? I was thumbing through the University of Mississippi Press (UPM) catalog and thought the holiday selections would make perfect gifts for my friends.
The first selection is Occasions: Selected Writings of Eudora Welty compiled by Pearl Amelia McHaney. Associate professor McHaney thought it would be nice to collect rare works by the author for her centennial birthday. Articles such as her earliest story, “Acrobats in the Park,” and humor pieces such as “Women!! Make Turban in Own Home!” fill pages with pieces only found within archives. This book promises any Welty fan a new perspective on her genius.
Second selection is Highway 51: Mississippi Hill Country by Gloria Norris. I talked about this excellent coffee-table book a couple of weeks ago, but as a reminder it does depict locals having fun or working along our most beloved thoroughfare.
Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden by Norman Winter is third in the suggestions. As always, Mr. Winter provides stunning color photographs and audacious mixtures that make any gardener salivate. Only he could mix chili peppers with a bed of red petunias. In a section titled, “Butterfly and Hummingbird,” Winter captures a scene from Pine Mountain, Ga. where orange cosmos and lantana blend beautifully to attract butterflies. If anyone is interested – hubby pay attention – I would love this for Christmas!
One of the last selections is a remake of the 1972 Mississippi Cookbook. Here is your chance to give a batter and splatter free copy to your favorite cook. The history of the book states, “Over 7,000 recipes were collected from all areas of the state. From this total, the home economists of the state Cooperative Extension Service had the painfully difficult task of screening the amount down to the 1,200 best recipes.” Martha Hall Foose updates the forward in this must have tome.
My pick, which is also published by UPM but not included in the holiday list, is Lost Plantations of the South by Marc R. Matrana. Eight chapters are dedicated to the glorious past of architecture in this one of a kind book. Mississippi’s lost treasures are found in chapter six such as familiar Longwood outside of Natchez and Windsor south of Port Gibson. Readers will also encounter Goat Castle, Brierfield, Hurricane, Prairie Mont, Malmaison, and Homewood plantations. Imagine my excitement opening this present – um, hubby – Christmas morning.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
On the John University: U.S. History (copy)
Back in 2005, I wrote a class paper based on encouraging boys to read. A great source for the paper suggested making a nook in the bathroom and filling it with magazines, newspapers, comics, and books.
Why limit this to boys? I understand there are large numbers of people who like to linger in the bathroom and this suggestion makes perfectly good sense. It is the perfect place to get comfortable and meditate right?!?
I admit. I do not have such a nook in my home. I have books in every room but the bathroom. I even have books in my closets! I imagine the reason is because I came from a home where books were not that important and hanging out in the bathroom was forbidden.
By coincidence a friend told me about this great series he is using in his bathroom to refresh his long forgotten American history. The series is titled "On the John University: The Path to Higher Education Starts with a Good Sit Down." He was currently reading "U.S. History" for which I grabbed a copy at the bookstore too.
Now, I must be honest. I have not read the whole book. It is 512 pages full of everything imaginable on the topic. Plus – like I mentioned earlier – I will not be reading this in the bathroom instead preferring to read it prior to sleeping for which the book is well suited.
Information is concise and fits in one or two pages. For example, on page 37 one can read about "The Real Pirates of the Caribbean" in four short paragraphs. It begins by telling readers there is no such person as Captain Jack Sparrow. Christopher Columbus has many pages dedicated to him, but the selections are in one or two page increments. I enjoyed the page titled, "The United States of Columbus?" since Amerigo Vespucci knew he was in a brand new land unlike Christopher's India.
The series includes other titles such as "Sports History," "Great Thinkers" and "World History." Imagine the wealth of information one will attain after reading one of these fine books, that is, if her mind can retain it all. I might gain some nuggets for the next Trivial Pursuits game.
Become flushed, "with the knowledge of America's movers and shakers." Stock your bathroom today.
