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#144 ~ Signora da Vinci
Signora da Vinci
Much of what is known of Leonardo da Vinci’s mother was that she was young and unmarried at the time of the birth. In her latest novel, Robin Maxwell takes this morsel of information and builds a life for this woman full of heartache, intrigue, and triumph. Caterina da Vinci sees life at its lowest and lives life at its highest. In her attempts to remain close to her son, she renounces her femininity so that she can live alone in Florence. Maxwell made Caterina da Vinci and the world of the Italian Renaissance come to life in a Signora da Vinci.
Beautiful Florence
Caterina, the beloved only daughter of a local apothecary, is raised differently from most girls in Vinci, let alone the Western world at that time. Her father is more than an apothecary. He is a man who values knowledge above all and runs a forbidden alchemy lab in his home above his shop. He educates Caterina in all aspects of his life. Caterina’s knowledge and belief in the Hermetic arts eventually set her up for her adult life in Florence where she had to disguise herself as a man to remain close to Leonardo. It is there that she runs into Lorenzo Il Magnifico and comes to be part of his inner intellectual circle. Although alchemy is not something that intrinsically interestes me, I found this section and the growing relationship of the male Caterina and Lorenzo the most engrossing parts of this novel. It was like taking a peak inside the Renaissance’s “Dead Poet’s Society.”
Caterina’s friends and family, although living in Roman Catholic Italy, are far from Christian. The growing threat of an Inquisition ultimately changes the face of Florence. They are all threatened with discovery and punishment under the theocratic rule of Fra. Savonarola and they must act before the world that they love is destroyed by a corrupt members of an increasingly corrupt Church. This is not the highlight of Catholic history and Maxwell doesn’t pull any punches in this regard. Criticism is warrented, but some of the content in Signora da Vinci might be offensive to Catholics and other Christians. There is a scene where Caterina and Lorenzo consume small cakes consisting of narcotics as their true sacrament while being housed at the Vatican. While I’m sure that the Eucharist is commonly attacked and desparaged by pagans, this scene was quite unsettling to me. I don’t consider myself to be very particularly religious. I can only imagine how this scene might affect those who are.
Caterina da Vinci lived quite an adventure in Signora da Vinci. I felt at times as if I was walking down the streets of Florence and basking in some of the most interesting aspects of the Italian Renaissance right along with Caterina. Her unique view of a man’s world from the inside was interesting and provided some excellent drama. The author’s subplot dealing with Leonardo and Caterina’s involvement with the Shroud of Turin was quite interesting. While I had reservations about some of the content, I did enjoy reading this novel. If you are interested in reading about Leonardo da Vinci or Florence, you should give this novel a try.
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To buy this novel, click here
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Calling All Playwrights
Dentyne is partnering with Manhattan Theatre Group to hold a contest for playwrights. They are looking for two-character plays about relationships in the modern age. The winner of this contest, which is open to the general public, will have his/her play performed by professional actors in front of a live audience at one of MTC’s theatres at New York City Center and will win $7,500. All entries must be postmarked by March 9. The following is a press release that provides complete information about this contest. If you ever wanted to write a play, why don’t you give it a try?
DENTYNE® AND MANHATTAN THEATRE CLUB GIVE ASPIRING
PLAYWRIGHTS A SHOT AT STARDOM
National and Student Playwriting Contests Examine Modern Relationships
in the Digital Age; Winning Plays to be Performed in New York City
PARSIPPANY, N.J. (February 3, 2009) – Dentyne®, the gum brand behind the popular Make Face Time™ campaign and Manhattan Theatre Club, one of the country’s most prominent and prestigious theatre companies, today announced two playwriting contests about personal relationships in the digital age – one a national contest open to the public and the other a contest open to students at participating colleges and universities. As part of the contests, Dentyne® and MTC are inviting budding playwrights from across the country to write short plays about sustaining personal relationships in the age of technology.
Students from participating colleges and universities, in the case of the student contest and other amateur playwrights, in the case of the national public contest, can submit their entries for a chance to have their original, short two-person plays performed by professional actors in New York City before a live audience, along with cash prizes. Entries for the contests must be postmarked by 3/9/09 and received by 3/16/09; official rules and entry forms for both contests are available at www.dentyne.com/realationships/.
In a joint statement, MTC’s Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove said, “We are so grateful to the team at Dentyne gum for their support of this new initiative that will take MTC’s Education Program onto college campuses and help cultivate the next generation of American playwrights.”
“When it comes to live theater, nothing is more important than the relationships you develop with your fellow actors and with the audience,” said three-time Emmy Award- and Golden Globe-winning actress Laura Linney, who is also an arts education advocate and an artistic friend of Manhattan Theatre Club. “I’m delighted that Dentyne and Manhattan Theatre Club are giving aspiring playwrights this exciting opportunity to express their views on the importance of personal relationships in the digital age.” Ms. Linney has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with MTC, having made her professional debut with the company and more recently having played Patricia in MTC’s production of Sight Unseen for which she received Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations.
The theme of the plays resonates with Dentyne® gum’s popular Make Face Time™ ad campaign, which depicts everyday people spending time getting face to face. In fact, a recent national survey conducted by the brand shows that an overwhelming two-thirds of Americans wish they could get more face-to-face time with family and friends while nearly 80% said they feel more connected to another person when they’re face-to-face, rather than when communicating through technology.
The national survey also revealed that:
- Three-fourths of Americans agree that online social networks can never replace face time with friends and/or family.
- About half of Americans feel they don’t get enough (face) time with the ones they care about most.
- Young Americans are texting more than touching: two-thirds say they have used technology to tell someone they love them; one in five (20%) have used technology to break up with someone.
“The ‘Make Face Time’ campaign is a simple but powerful reminder that the most important connection of them all is the human connection,” said Josette Barenholtz, marketing director for Dentyne®. “Most everyone uses technology to connect, but there really is no substitute for the powerful emotional bond we create when we get face to face. We are pleased to be supporting Manhattan Theatre Club, which provides the unique face-to-face experience of live theatre.”
About the Dentyne® Playwriting Contests
Undergraduate students* from Stanford University, UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), Northwestern University and Hunter College of the City University of New York, can enter the student contest.
Four finalists will be selected from the eligible entries for the student contest. Each finalist will receive a trip to New York City in early May to have their plays performed by professional actors in front of a panel of judges and a live audience at one of MTC’s theatres at New York City Center. One grand prize winner will be chosen, and he/she will receive a $7,500 cash prize plus a one-year mentorship with MTC.
Others* who wish to participate can do so by entering the national public contest; one grand prize winner will receive a trip to New York City in early May to have his/her play performed by professional actors in front of a live audience at one of MTC’s theatres at New York City Center the day of the student performances. The grand prize winner of the national public contest will also receive a $7,500 cash prize.
For additional information on the Dentyne® playwriting contests and for official rules and entry forms, visit www.dentyne.com/realationships/.
About Manhattan Theatre Club
MTC is one of the country’s most prominent and prestigious theatre companies. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, MTC productions have earned numerous awards, including 16 Tony Awards and five Pulitzer Prizes, an accomplishment unparalleled by a New York theatrical institution. Renowned MTC productions include LoveMusik; Blackbird; Translations; Shining City; Rabbit Hole; Doubt; Kimberly Akimbo; Proof; The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife; Love! Valour! Compassion!; Sylvia; Four Dogs and a Bone; Putting It Together; Lips Together, Teeth Apart; Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune; Crimes of the Heart; and Ain’t Misbehavin’. MTC produces work on Broadway at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre and off-Broadway at New York City Center. MTC is committed to reaching out to young audiences with innovative programs in education and maintaining a commitment to cultivating the next generation of theatre professionals.
About Cadbury North America
Headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, Cadbury North America is the Canadian and U.S. combined business unit of Cadbury plc – a leading global confectionery business with number one or number two positions in over 20 of the world’s 50 largest confectionery markets.
In the United States, the brand portfolio of Cadbury includes some of the best-loved confections in the US, including Trident®, Dentyne®, Halls®, Bubblicious®, Sour Patch®, Swedish Fish®, Chiclets®, Certs® and Stride®, The Ridiculously Long Lasting Gum® and Green & Black’s® organic chocolate. Our people create brands people love with passion, dedication and drive. For more information visit www.cadbury.com.
*Legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and who are 18 years of age or older at time of entry only.
Thursday’s Thoughts ~ What Grabs Me
Which author’s writing surprised you when you first read their work and what about it grabs you?
Today’s question is brought to us by our wonderful Serena at Savvy Wit & Verse. Great question, Serena! As I did last week, I’m going with the first answer that came to mind ~ Margaret Mitchell.
Although I had seen images of the movie version of Gone With the Wind long before I read the novel, I never saw the movie and did not know much about the story. Still, I had seen the pictures of Vivian Lee as Scarlett. I don’t have to tell anyone what a stunningly beautiful woman she was. Is there anyone alive who doesn’t automatically think Vivian Lee when they think Scarlett? I didn’t think so.
So, when I read the first line of the novel, it grabbed me right away:
Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.
What? She’s not beautiful? That was a surprise. Hollywood would never have casted an unattractive woman as Scarlett. Perhaps their reasoning were somewhat different, but they, as are we, are no different than the Tarleton twins. We’ve all really been caught up in her charms. We can’t imagine her any other way. From that first short line, I was hooked by Scarlett through the writing of Margaret Mitchell.
That was almost 25 years ago. To this day, Scarlett is my favorite fictional character. Rhett and Melanie are not that far behind. I have read the book five or six times since my first reading. I’ve watched all or parts of the movie countless times. Neither ever get old for me. One might think that such a huge tome and a movie with a built in intermission would be a once in a lifetime type of adventure. Not so for me. Not only have I read the book several times all the way through, I own probably more copies than that. I have more than what is pictured below, but those were the ones I had readily on hand for my spur of the moment picture.
The small paperback version is the first copy I owned and the only copy other than the one fro the library that I’ve ever read. I preserved the cover after my second reading by covering it with an adhesive platic covering. The hard cover is a 1964 copy. It’s cover is torn and not in great shape, but I had to pick it up when I saw it at a yard sale. The large paperback version has recently come out and I couldn’t not pick it up. I’ve also included my copy of Southern Daughter: The Life of Margaret Mitchell, Darden Asbury Pyron’s biography of Margaret Mitchell. I rarely read biographies, but I couldn’t help but make a point to read more about her. Her novel has shaped my views of both heroines and villains more than any other author.
I will be reading Gone With the Wind again next month along with Matt from A Guy’s Moleskin Notebook. Why don’t you join us?
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Tuesday Thingers ~ Genre Junkies
Today’s question: Do you have a specialized blog where you only review a certain genre or type of book? If so, what is your favorite thing about that type of book? If not, what is/are your favorite genre(s)? What makes that genre(s) a favorite?
These are some great questions this week. Wendi, I can’t tell by the questions you are sick. I hope that you feel better very soon. I’m going to answer them in the order they are asked:
Do you have a specialized blog where you only review a certain genre or type of book?
The short answer is no. I do not specialize in any one genre. I could say that I typically read and review only fiction, but I have reviewed memoirs (none of them have been discovered to actually be fiction at this time) and a few other random non-fiction selections. Even within fiction I read many types of novels. Although I do read a lot of historical fiction, I don’t feel I read enough to qualify as historical fiction specific. I like some variety, so reading only one specific genre would eventually get old for me.
If not, what is/are your favorite genre(s)? What makes that genre(s) a favorite?
I have three favorite genres: Historical Fiction, Gothic Fiction, and the Classics.
The Classics
I have always loved to read the classics. As a child, I loved to read the older Newberry Award winners. I don’t know if that would technically qualify a young adult novel as a classic, but it works for me. As I grew more mature, The Great Gatsby ignited my imagination for adult classics. I found a book in my library that contained X number of books you should read before college and that is where I discovered other classics such as All Quiet on the Western Front, Catch-22, Edgar Allen Poe, and the short stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne. In college I read a number of traditional British and American classics. Most notably I read James Joyce’s Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man and Ulysses. I was always happy to find classics on the reading list. Between college and grad school, a co-worker turned me on to Jane Austen. In quick succession I read all of her novels, beginning with Mansfield Park, which was my favorite. In grad school, I finally read several of William Faulkner’s novels (I love A Light in August) and To Kill a Mockingbird.
Gothic Fiction
I never really thought about genre per se until I was attending Hollins University’s M.A.L.S. program. Hollins is a small Southern liberal arts university and, as noted above by teaching Faulkner and Harper Lee, my education there opened my eyes to the Southern Gothic tradition. I then realized that I had always tended to read more Gothic literature. Poe and Hawthorne were my early favorites, but even as a young grade school student, one of my favorite books was The Ghost of Windy Hill by Clyde Robert Bulla. I haven’t read it in ages, but I believe it was qualify. I like dark fiction, whether it is just dark in tone or down right scary (but not too scary – I don’t like Horror much at all). I researched Gothic authors and that led me to read Wuthering Heights and Patrick McGrath, who one of my favorite living authors. Asylum is a superb novel and I would encourage anyone to read it. His novel from last year, Trauma, is also great. I think what appeals to me most of all in Gothic literature is that you are more likely to encounter an unreliable narrator. I just love that. I would take one of those voices any day over a prim, proper and completely honest one. Other Gothic fiction I’ve read and reviewed here is The Thirteenth Tale and The Sister. Both of those novels are wonderful.
Historical Fiction
Last but not least is Historical Fiction. This is my newest love affair with genre. Again, I had always loved novels like Gone with the Wind and Little Women, but it wasn’t until I read The Other Boleyn Girl that my passion for this genre, and Tudor England in specific, came to life. For that, I will always owe Philippa Gregory a debt of gratitude. What’s interesting to me about this genre is the range of fans, that spans almost as far and wide as there is history to capture on the page. Although I tend to be more forgiving of historical inaccuracies within my fiction for the sake of a great plot, there are others who want the research to be there and for explanations of why authors chose to treat one character over another in a particular light. This was evidenced in my post from last week. Either way, I believe we all have smashing good taste in literature.
Enough about me
Are you a genre junky or do you like to play the field? I would be interested in hearing about how or why you choose the books that you do.
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Mailbox Monday ~ 2.23.09
Can you believe I’m organized enough to participate four weeks in a row? I’m quite pleased with myself. My goal for this week is to visit every Mailbox Monday post. I’m on a roll!
I got three books again this week and they make for quite an eclectic little collection:
Just Like Family: Inside the Lives of Nannies, the Parents They Work For, and the Children They Love by Tasha Blaine sent by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. If only this came with a real nanny… This book discusses nannies working for the middle class, but looking at the news articles at the end of the post, it looks as though nannies are a dispensable luxury in these increasingly tight economic times.
The Last Witch of Langenburg: Murder in a German Village by Thomas Robisheaux sent by W.W. Norton & Company. After reading The Witch’s Trinity, I have been intrigued with European witch trials. When I was offered this book, I jumped at the chance.
The Tory Widow by Christine Blevins sent to me by the author. This one was extra special because it came with a pretty hanky and a bottle of lavender water wrapped in a beautiful linen bag. Amy from Passages to the Past blogged about it last week. Check her post out for a picture. What fun! I really loved The Midwife of the Blue Ridge, so I’m looking forward to diving in to this one.
What surprises did your mailbox hold?
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The Mom Squad by Christine Weiser ~ A Pre-Publication Review
The Mom Squad by Christine Weiser
Last month I received the most spectacular offer – the opportunity to read Christine Weiser’s latest novel while it was being shopped for a publisher. Christine asked me to read it and write a review or a blurb in the meantime. I could not have been more honored and pleased. As many of you know, Christine is the author of Broad Street, a novel of a female rock band in Philadelphia. The Mom Squad, her new novel, is also set in Philadelphia. It tells the story of Maya D’Angelo, a newly married mother of a toddler named Charlotte and step-mother to a 15 year old named Gracie. Her husband, Nick, is the lead singer of The Plague. They met when Maya was a back up singer for the popular punk band. She was just starting out in a band of her own when she found out that she was pregnant. Maya lived and breathed the music scene and had the tattoos to prove it. Motherhood wasn’t what she had in mind at the time. She planned to make it big in music. She’s not the type of woman that you would expect to leave it all behind to be a stay-at-home mother. Maya often can’t believe it herself, but that is exactly what she did. She set up housekeeping with her husband, daughter, and the step-daughter who blamed her for breaking up her father’s first marriage.
Motherhood made for strange friendships for Maya. Since Charlotte arrived, she found herself hanging out more and more with Susan and Rachel,, two stay-at-home mothers from the same mothers’ group. They could not be more different. Susan’s husband Bob was heavily involved in politics. He is a close advisor to Warren Evans, the African-American Democratic candidate for mayor. They were a well-to-do family and Susan was fastidious about keeping up a clean house and an even cleaner reputation. Together, they have a son named Austen. Rachel’s husband Sam is a busy lawyer also hoping to get into politics. They are also an upper class family, but they rely on Rachel’s trust fund to help Sam make his way into politics. Rachel is heavily pregnant with their second child. Jacob is a frequent playmate of Charlotte and Austen. As much as Maya sticks out among the three of them, they share one very important thing in common – their husbands are often gone and the reality of raising a young child is more difficult than they imagined.
That all changed the day that Warren Evans went missing. The day in, day out doldrums of raising toddlers was quickly replaced with a mystery involving both Bob and Sam. When Maya responded to a cryptic email sent to the mothers’ group email list, she too became entrenched in the mystery. Without forgetting their primary responsibilities to their families, the three women become deeply entrenched in the world of underground Philadelphia detective work – all while pushing their strollers and keeping their babies on their nap schedules. This is where the novel really became interesting for me. It’s easy to make comparisons between Maya and Stephanie Plum, but Stephanie (I still love you), doesn’t have the responsibilities that Maya has. She got what she wished for when she asked for something more exciting to happen than an unexpected dirty diaper stop. How do you balance investigating Philadelphia unions and taking care of your family? You just do what you can. For Maya, Susan, and Rachel, that had to be enough.
Maya was concerned that motherhood made her lose her moxie. She hadn’t sung for an audience since before Charlotte was born. She left the house without wearing makeup or paying attention to her look – something she never would have let happen before the baby. She found that she didn’t recognize half of the bands that Gracie displayed on her walls. Now, Nick was off on tour basking in the limelight while she was left home chasing after all of Charlotte’s little needs. Even dealing with Gracie was a burden because she and the 15-year-old didn’t see eye to eye. Instead of giving into melancholy, Maya constantly tried to keep in mind how much she loved her little girl and how happy Nick made her. Her character felt authentic as a result. Is there a mother out there who doesn’t have the pang of “what about me?” from time to time? Not a one of us would trade our children for the world. Still, there is a reality to family life that isn’t apparent until you’re smack dab in the middle of it. Weiser nailed that often unsettling ambivalence, making her characters not cookie-cut creatures out of chick lit, but well rounded and flawed women who just happen to find themselves in the middle of the largest modern political scandal to hit Philadelphia history. I could relate to Maya and, more importantly, I really wanted to be her friend. She spices up life while keeping close what is most important to all of us – family.
You can read The Mom Squad as a stand alone novel, but the good news is that Christine Weiser is expecting to continue with Maya’s story. I couldn’t be more thrilled. Christine Weiser is emerging as a go-to author for me when I need a life, marriage, and family pick me up. What makes this so valuable to me is that she does this seemingly unintentionally. Unlike novels written intentionally to be family friendly, this message was just what I took away from the book. It wasn’t a foregone conclusion, making it unexpectedly delightful. These were normal, secular women under extraordinary circumstances who made decisions with their heart. Lovely.
The Mom Squad features three interesting and unique women who just happen to be stay-at-home mothers. Reading their story is a wonderful escape from the hassles and responsibilities of daily life, whether you raise your children full-time or wrangle the time clock before picking them up from the babysitters. You will warm up to them as they share their loneliness and frustrations with you and you will be thrilled to join them on their fast-paced stroller races through Philadelphia. If you’re like me, you’ll be laughing at the images of a pregnant Rachel trying to investigate what happened to Warren Evans discretely with her huge baby bump. If you currently have a huge baby bump, all the better. There isn’t a mother out there who wouldn’t enjoy this adventure. You’ll invest in Maya, Susan, and Rachel and all of their relationships within a story that honors the power of women and the importance of family.
This book is not yet scheduled for printing. I will keep you up to date on its publishing process and progress. I don’t think you’re going to want to miss it. I’m looking forward to buying it for my friends (Trista, if you’re reading this, pretend you didn’t).
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#143 ~ Soul Catcher
Soul Catcher
Soul Catcher is the story of Augustus Cain, a man who is lost to himself and his society. He spends his time drinking and gambling. When he finds himself with debts he is unable to pay, he is forced to revert to his one distinct talent – catching runaway slaves. Cain doesn’t necessarily enjoy his work, but he is good at it. He rationalizes what he does by viewing slaves as property instead of as human beings, but each time he is required to take on his role as soul catcher, Cain declares it will be the last. Inevitably, his demons get the best of him and he finds himself falling back on his talent. When Cain finds himself in a situation where he would lose his beloved horse if he didn’t agree to work for a wealthy Virginia planter under the supervision of Mr. Eberly’s trusted men and Preacher, a sadistic man who will stop at no form of torture to get what he is paid to get, Cain is fully determined to never step back into this role again.
Although this novel begins with Cain being caught and confronted by Mr. Eberly by surprise while in a drunken and laudanum induced stupor, this novel started out slow for me. The writing was excellent and I could clearly see and almost smell the setting. What made is slow was Cain’s tone. He is a depressed man and the only thing that generally seemed to engage him was the thought of losing his beloved horse. Depressed people are not exciting and engaging people and in that way it made sense for it to seem slow. I was thankful when it picked up when they quickly found Henry, the male slave who ran away with Rosetta, the slave Mr. Eberly really wanted back – and wanted back unharmed.
Cain can quite interestingly be compared and contrasted with the slaves he is charged to capture. He grew up on a small plantation as the oldest son. His father had made plans for him to marry a local Southern Belle and thus expand both families within the county. Cain did not want to live the same life as his father. He had no interest in farming and raising a family. On the eve of his marriage, he ran away and joined the army, but that was simply a change in atmosphere. He wasn’t living his father’s life, but he was no closer to discovering, let alone going after, the life he wanted. After barely surviving the war in Mexico, Cain fell into soul catching because it was convenient and he was good at it. His life simply drifted because he never allowed himself to dream. The slaves he captured were unhappy with their state in life. They knew that they wanted to be free, though. They ran away like Cain did. When they were unsuccessful, however, they often tried again. Because they did not have the luxury of drowning themselves in their own sorrows, they were free in ways that Cain could not comprehend – until he met and observed Rosetta. In this way, Soul Catcher is a novel about catching and then setting freeing your own soul.
Oftentimes, a novel is either plot driven or character driven. Soul Catcher was an interesting mixture of both aspects of storytelling. The story of Cain’s tracking, capturing, and bringing home Mr. Eberly’s property consistently unfold. However, the story of Cain’s inner life and how he is impacted by his time with Rosetta ebbs and flows within it very well. Although I wasn’t certain that someone as young as Rosetta would be so wise as she was depicted, this didn’t distract me during my reading. It was something that I thought about after the fact while discussing it with others. If you don’t mind the harsh reality of life as a runaway slave, I would recommend this novel to you. It is well written and provides a view into Southern life leading up to the Civil War.
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Curious about this novel?
To buy this novel, click here
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Thursday’s Thoughts ~ Shaping History
Welcome to my very first Thursday’s Thoughts post! I happened upon it this morning when I saw Sheri’s post about the Blogging Connections. I found it very inspiring. If you haven’t already read it, head over there – but only after you’ve read this, first. LOL!
I like the idea of Thursday’s Thoughts because it gives me the opportunity and excuse to write about something other than books and reading. I love reading and all that goes along with it, but there is more to me than that. Thanks for the opportunity to share. Now, on to today’s question:
What event in history or historical person do you feel had the greatest influence on the modern world and why?
Wow! There could really be so many answers to this question. I am going to go with the first person who came to mind: Johannes Gutenberg and his printing press.
Gutenberg checking the work from his press.
He and his invention made the printed word more accessible to all people. Because the printed word was more accessible, literacy and education became a priority and a possibility for more and more people. When people are able to read, they are no longer dependent upon others such as doctors, priests, and political leaders for information. When you can read books, tracts, and political announcements for yourself, you can form your own opinions on every aspect of life. This opened the doors to religious and political change. Additionally, education opens the doors to financial independence and personal achievement. When it was no longer restricted to the wealthy and privileged, that eventually changed the European and then ultimately the world’s economy.
The Gutenberg Bible, which, at 30 florins a piece, was still quite costly, made it possible for more and more people to hold and read a copy of the most sacred texts of both the Jewish and Christian communities. This took complete control of the way in which God’s Word was read and interpreted from the Catholic Church. Although this is not the sole catalyst for the Protestant Revolution, I wonder if it could have been possible without it. As a Catholic, I appreciate the changes brought about as a result of the Gutenberg Bible and the Protestant Revolution. I firmly believe that challenging the status quo, immoral and unethical practices and policies, and ideas themselves is important and causes growth for all involved. My Catholic faith and the Roman Catholic Church would be less rich without it.
As an American, I appreciate the printing press because it made it possible for the Colonists to spread their message of protest against the English Monarchy relatively quickly through newspapers and pamphlets that could be sent throughout the Colonies. It wasn’t just the protest that was captured by the print culture. How better to frame this debate and allow all Colonists to participate? The tradition of Thomas Paine and “Common Sense” helped framed American democracy. It lives on today and is very much a part of how Americans ever since the American Revolution debate politics. Just because our print has become digital does not take away from Gutenberg. One could not have happened without the other.
Finally, I want to highlight the world changing impact that Gutenberg and his printing press has made in my life: affordable access to books. I know that Thursday’s Thoughts are supposed to provide a creative outlet for my writing beyond books and reading, but with this question, it could not be avoided. My life has been enriched in so many ways through books and it all started with Gutenberg. Some of my fondest memories from childhood took place at or on the way too and from the Gaines Township Public Library. There wouldn’t be free public libraries if it weren’t for the printing press. Libraries would only be for those same wealthy and privileged people who could afford to pay monks to make copies for them. My parents made sure that books were available at home, but without the library I would never have read the wide variety of books that I did. As an adult professional, I can afford to buy my own books. Again, this would not be a possibility without the printing press.
Thank you Johannes Gutenberg for your vision and your gift to the world!
Is there any reader out there who doesn’t owe Gutenberg a debt of gratitude?
Where Fiction Isn’t Allowed to be Fiction
- Main Entry:
- fic·tion
- Pronunciation:
- \?fik-sh?n\
- Function:
- noun
- Etymology:
- Middle English ficcioun, from Middle French fiction, from Latin fiction-, fictio act of fashioning, fiction, from fingere to shape, fashion, feign — more at dough
- Date:
- 14th century
1 a: something invented by the imagination or feigned ; specifically : an invented story b: fictitious literature (as novels or short stories) c: a work of fiction ; especially : novel2 a: an assumption of a possibility as a fact irrespective of the question of its truth <a legal fiction> b: a useful illusion or pretense3: the action of feigning or of creating with the imagination— fic·tion·al \-shn?l, -sh?-n?l\ adjective— fic·tion·al·i·ty \?fik-sh?-?na-l?-t?\ noun— fic·tion·al·ly \?fik-shn?-l?, -sh?-n?l-?\ adverbFrom Meriam-Webster Online Dictionary
My Friend Amy posted an interview with Robin Maxwell, the author of Signora Da Vinci (to be reviewed here later this week). In this interview, Robin makes a point to discuss other authors and how they are not true to history and, in essence, dishonor the people they write about. This is not a view peculiar to Robin Maxwell. After reading The Other Boleyn Girl, I started to read more about the book, historical fiction in general, and Philippa Gregory. There are many readers and reviewers who will pick apart a work of historical fiction as if it were purporting itself to be a biography or a text book. Apparently historical fiction is not allowed to be fiction.
One of the most common complaints about historical fiction in general and certain of its authors in specific is that it misinforms the masses. They feel that after reading such novels that contain inaccuracies that the average reader will walk away from book believing historical falsehoods. Okay. That may very well be true, but whose fault is that? If I were to pick up a copy of The Monsters of Templeton and really believe that there are monsters in the lakes in New York, do we chastise Lauren Groff for spreading rumors that might start to destroy tourism or do we say “Jennifer may need to be institutionalized for a little while. She seems to be losing it.” I think it would be the padded room for me.
I read fiction to be entertained. I read biographies to be educated. When a work of historical fiction captures my imagination, it prompts me to read more about that figure, period, and time. In every circumstance, I’ve discovered differences between the novels and what actually happened. I find that interesting in and of itself. It doesn’t (or at least it doesn’t have to) lessen the experience of the novel. It gives insight to where the author is may have been thinking “What if Anne did X instead of Y? How would that have impacted the story.”
I completely understand those who love historical fiction and prefer that the known history inside be as accurate as possible. I appreciate and respect those who want or need such authenticity in order to buy in to a novel. The same is not always necessary for me. Where I cannot agree is when they attempt to put authors of historical fiction in a tight, hermetically sealed box to protect the sanctity of history or the honor of its figures. Let’s not take historical fiction so seriously. I would dare say that those in the public eye are never more harshly treated or vilified than they are during their own generation. The following generations have their own public figures to skewer. If their counterparts didn’t make them roll over in their graves, I sincerely doubt that a modern author will.
Fiction, whatever its genre, is fiction. Those who read it and take it for actual, historical fact are lazy readers. That is not the fault of the author. While it might very well be true that people can come away from The Other Boleyn Girl with a less than spotless and honorable opinion of Anne Boleyn and believe she did things that she never did, they will at least be able to answer Jay Leno when he asks the man on the street “Who is Anne Boleyn?” The rest is really of no consequence. Such readers are not going to be the Anne Boleyn opinion setters of the future.
A Cartoon Book Review by Ward Sutton
I came across an article about a literary collaboration while reading Pop Candy today that absolutely blew me away.
Ward Sutton, best known for his political cartoons during the Bush Administration (check out Sutton Impact: The Political Cartoons of Ward Sutton
Sutton wrote a review of T.C. Boyle’s The Women entirely in cartoon format. You can see the whole review on Barnes & Noble’s site as one cartoon or read it in slide show format. I absolutely loved it, especially since I’ve read Loving Frank. This is something you absolutely have to see for yourself. Believe me, you’ll thank me later.
I love writing. I only wish I had the talent to create cartoons to go along with my reviews. Ward Sutton, I bow down to you.
P.S. If you don’t already read or subscriber to Pop Candy, the pop culture blog written for USA Today by Whitney Matheson, you really should. There is something for everyone who likes a little pop culture in their day.
Book Blogger Con
Have you heard about the 1st Annual Book Blogger Convention that will be held in NYC during the BEA? You should check it out. I know it will be a fantastic experience. Unfortunately I won't be able to attend due to family obligations, but I'll be trolling blogs for up to the minute news.
WE Magazine’s A Woman Blogger to Watch
Literate Challenges
What's in a Name? 3
Random Reading Challenge
