Becoming a fan of Jim’s work was already well established, but from that night the joy of feeling like one of Jim’s tribe grew. Today, since first reading Jim’s work 35 years ago, I consider the meaning of Jim’s words to have had a profound influence on me.

Again, as my last two blogs, I am still celebrating  poetry month. I’m writing about Jim’s new book of poems, published in the Fall of 2011, Songs of Unreason. I read Songs, two pages a day, sometimes rereading. However when I finished, I started Songs over and reread the same way. I spend about six months enjoying these poems. My reading time was so marvelous that I could have read a third or fourth time.

Here are a few passages from these songs that I hope radiate the power of Jim’s voice.

from “Notation”

Nearly everything we are taught is false

except how to read. All these poems that drift

upward in our free-floating minds hang there

like stationary birds with a few astonishing

girls and women. (5)

from “Skull”

The only answer I’ve found is the moving

water whose music is without a single lyric. (25)

from “River III”

You have to hold your old

heart lightly as the female river holds

the clouds and trees, its fish

and the moon, so lightly but firmly

enough so that nothing gets away. (71)

from “Suite of Unreason”

What vices we can hold in our Big Heads

and Big Minds, our Humor and Humility.

We don’t march toward death, it marches toward us

as a summer thunderstorm came slowly across

the lake long ago. See the lightning of mortality dance,

the black clouds whirling as if a million crows. (130)

from “Moping”

. . . Memories follow us

like earaches in childhood . . . (131)

from “Death Again”

 . . . Of course it’s a little hard

to accept your last kiss, your last drink,

your last meal . . .

We’ll know as children again all that we are

destined to know, that the water is cold

and deep, and the sun penetrates only so far. (141)

I want to thank Jim for his friendship to Lemuria and me and for all the gifts his words have given to all the Lemurians that are part of his tribe.

“The Blue Shawl”

The other day at the green dumpsters,

an old woman in a blue shawl

told me that she loved my work. (65)

Dexter comes home one day and announces he has been offered a job with a bank in Luxembourg.  It is a dream job for him and Kate decides that she will leave the CIA and reinvent herself as a ‘stay at home mom’.  They move to Luxembourg and become expats but Kate is continually concerned that her past life will follow her.   After awhile, she begins to relax and make new friends and settle into life in a country where she doesn’t speak the language but her family is happy even if Dexter is constantly working.  Kate and Dexter make friends with another couple from the U.S. and the more time they spend with each other Kate begins to notice that things just are not right.  Her “spy sense” just won’t turn off and she wonders if they are who they say they are.  She begins to dig around a little and soon finds out that Dexter has some secrets of his own.

This is a super fun read and the descriptions of the European cities and wonderful.  I will definitely be looking the Chris Pavone’s next book.

The Art of Fielding, by Chad Harbach — Okay, so this is cheating a bit since this came out last year. I mentioned it previously among my favorite books of 2011. I said that I wasn’t sure if it matched the hype. I stand by that comment, but I’d like to clarify it. The Art of Fielding should not be a disappointing book, but the early blurbs and reviews were so glowing that the expectations for a first novel were just too high. It suffers from common first-novel problems: the pacing of the plot varies wildly, characters and themes are introduced and discarded with no apparent reason, and the prose occasionally gets a bit turgid. But there are these moments, and even whole sections, that work so wonderfully that it’s well worth the time and effort. I hope Harbach’s next book arrives with some more aggressive editing, but either way I’m looking forward to it.

The Might Have Been, by Joseph M. Schuster — This debut novel, on the other hand, seems to have been underhyped. It is an astonishingly well-written and balanced effort. Schuster has mined baseball for all its tragedy and triumph while successfully avoiding writing a novel about baseball. Instead, it remains a novel about a man, about his life, about his relationships. There’s an element here that’s reminiscent of one of my favorite novels, The Outerbridge Reach by Robert Stone — something related to male psychology, something about how a man sees himself compared to how he wants others to see him, something about the need for respect and success and the pain of failure. Immensely enjoyable.

Calico Joe, by John Grisham — If you haven’t figured it out yet, John Grisham appears here as the “grizzled veteran” of our trio. I say this with no disrespect — on the contrary, at the point in his writing career where contemporaries would be comfortable churning out formulaic serial novels or simply slapping their names on the covers of books they’ve never even read, Grisham continues not only to offer his legal thrillers but to expand his repertoire with books like Calico Joe or his young adult series, Theodore Boone. I like Grisham’s writing best when he’s outside of his legal wheelhouse, so I knew this was one I couldn’t pass up. We have signed copies of Calico Joe, and the signed copies of the third Theodore Boone novel will be here soon.

Most people that know me know that I became a little obsessed with The Marriage Plot, writing multiple blogs on the subject, reading it multiple times, and giving it out as a gift more than half a dozen times.  It sang to me on several levels, one of them pertaining directly to my age.  A big portion of the plot for The Marriage Plot outlined the way twenty-somethings must realize that they do not, in fact, understand the world at all.  College seems to have a tendency to bubble, giving the impression that the student does understand the world.  It is that post-college period that is so difficult and life forming.  Naturally there are other books written about the subject, not just The Marriage Plot.  What is odd is there are two books, both published within the past couple of months, both paperback originals, both dealing with this very issue.  I’m one who simply can’t help himself, therefore read both over the course of three days.

Wichita by Thad Ziolkowski looks great on paper.  It follows a young man named Lewis who graduates from Columbia University and moves home with his New-Ager mother in Wichita, Kansas, where she is starting a storm-chasing company and possibly a ponzi scheme. She is possibly in a polyamorous relationship.  She has a man living in her backyard in a tent who may or may not  be making LSD.  Lewis’ brother is also living at Mom’s.  The brother is bi-polar, prone to stripper friends, drugs, and risk taking, among other things.  Lewis’ father’s side of the family is stubbornly intellectual.  Basically the opposite of the house in Wichita.  All of these things sounded interesting to me.  I anticipated it to be a funny, trying, interesting read.  For a while it even seemed that way, but the farther I got into it, the more I realized that Ziolkowski built a landscape for his protagonist to shine, but never formed a protagonist.  Lewis turns out to be dull and heavily predictable.  For a character so engulfed in an interesting setting, Lewis has no personality to speak of.  The book turns right with the character, suddenly becoming bland and uninteresting.  I don’t want to say Wichita was a bad novel, because it wasn’t.  The writing itself is very fine, in most places flowing quite well.  I don’t want to say that I hated or even disliked this book, because I really didn’t.  It was, however, disappointing.  I found myself disappointed. 

The Sleepy Hollow Family Almanac by Kris D’Agostino looks, on paper, like a book I would love at sixteen years old.  Calvin just dropped out of film school to move back in with his parents, his high school aged pregnant little sister, and his suit wearing, go getter brother.  His little sister delays telling her parents about her pregnancy, probably because her father is out of work due to his cancer.  Meanwhile, Calvin gets a job as an assistant teacher in a preschool for autistic children.  I wasn’t hoping for much with this book.  I was expecting a funny little romp that would contain very little maturity.  Just like I overestimated Wichita, I found that I truly underestimated Sleepy Hollow Family Almanac.  It was touching.  The characters are very real and very endearing.  I was following most of the story, but the last quarter of the book caught me completely off guard.  I was stunned, saddened, irate, and filled with glee.  I did not expect to feel anything when I opened the book, and I was wrong.

Read both.  Disagree with me.  But accept that sometimes books can surprise you and disappoint you and still make you happy.

I’ve been really digging Maps & Atlases’ newest album Beware and Be Grateful which came out a few weeks ago.  It seems to me that “beware and be grateful” perfectly describes the art of reading.  Below is their first official video from the album.  Enjoy!

Anna Quindlen is no stranger to the fiction room. She has a list of titles that are both fiction and nonfiction. She started off as a reporter for the New York Post in 1974. She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1992. In 1995 she quit her journalism career to become a full time novelist. I am thankful for her transition into the novel world.

Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake is a book of Anna Quindlen’s observations through life. Her knowledge on life as a woman is broken up into chapters. The variety of topics include: girlfriends, parenting, faith, marriage and solitude.   The chapters are full of observations, thoughts, and a variety of emotions. Some happy, some sad, some nostalgic. They are all emotions that we have felt at one time or another.  Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake is written in a way that makes it easy to pick up as you are able. You don’t have to sit and read the whole thing all the way through but you might just want to.

On parenting, she says “Being a parent is not transactional. we do not get what we give. It is the ultimate pay-it forward endeavor: we are good parents not so they will be loving enough to stay with us but so they will be strong enough to leave us.”

My mother has said something similar to me many times. Of course that doesn’t make things any easier when we are saying goodbye after a good visit. While reading through parts of this book,  I have thought to myself  “my mother should read this.” Sunday is Mother’s Day. I’ve got my gift in hand.

Above: Mississippi children’s book author John Stark sings with a class from Dawson Elementary at the One Jackson Many Readers Summer Reading Press Conference held at the Eudora Welty Library on May 9th.

One Jackson Many Readers is a true collaborative model with the goal of preventing academic learning loss. Educational research shows that children can lose up to three months of academic learning over the summer months. Summer reading is the remedy and the gateway to more reading. As one educator put it, readers are simply successful people.

Pages of Promise is a book drive promoted by The United Way in partnership with various schools, organizations, and businesses. The books are collected and distributed to libraries and sometimes directly to students. This year we surpassed the goal of collecting 4,000 books. So far The United Way has collected 5,400 books in addition to monetary donations that have yet been used to purchase summer reading books.

A book donated to the Jackson-Hinds Public Library system encourages families to use our libraries–the coolest place in town during the summer. A book given to a student may be the only book he or she has ever owned.

Throughout the summer, The United Way of the Capitol Area with its many partners is providing numerous opportunities for students and families to celebrate and receive support for summer reading. Book club meetings at neighborhood libraries abound.

A Parent Orientation for summer reading will be held on Saturday, May 12 at The Children’s Museum. Meanwhile, churches and community groups like The Boys and Girls Club are being trained by MPB to help support summer reading in their neighborhood programs.

Several Summer Reading Parties are also scheduled: A scavenger hunt at The Jackson Zoo; a special appearance at The Ag Museum from The Electric Company, sponsored by MPB; and two more events later in the summer at New Horizon Church and The Jackson Medical Mall. See full schedule here.

The Press Conference held on May 9th was another energy booster to an already enthusiastic group of summer reading supporters. This year First Lady Kathy Johnson has taken on the role of Summer Reading Ambassador and the kids from Dawson Elementary couldn’t have been more eager or patient while the adults took pictures!

Ronnie Agnew, executive director of MPB, illustrated the importance of reading with a story from his own family. His parents worked as share croppers with a sixth-grade education and made it their goal that all eight children would learn to read and finish school. Ronnie reflected on his childhood responsibility of reading the mail for his parents. Now all eight children have surpassed their parents dreams and hold graduate degrees! Ronnie urged Jacksonians to read and show children the pleasure of reading as his parents did.

Similarly, Mayor Harvey Johnson encouraged us to reach out of our comfort zone and connect with young people who might not have readers in their families.

Above: Media coverage after the One Jackson Many Readers press conference. I like all the local networks interviewing local leaders about READING!!! Left: Carol Burger, CEO/President of The United Way of the Capitol Area; Middle: Mayor Harvey Johnson; Right: Executive Director of MPB Ronnie Agnew.

Sue Berry of Jackson Friends of the Library presented a $5,000 donation check to support summer reading activities. Berry also commented on Eudora Welty’s love of books, how Eudora loved the smell and feel of books. Many participants echoed this love for a real book, noting that it did not carry the distractions of an electronic device.

Carol Burger, president and CEO of The

Carol Burger, president and CEO of The United Way of the Capitol Area, acknowledged the Director of Education Initiatives for The United Way Shawna Davie (above, left).  For three years, Shawna has led the Pages of Promise book drive and summer events that support families in reading.  She is a core member of the OJMR steering committee.

Other core members leading OJMR are Rhoda Byler Yoder (left, center), JPS Curriculum Director for Language Arts; Ruth Davis, JHLS Youth Services Director; Rebecca Starling, JPS Partners in Education Director; Mandy Scott, UW Marketing Director, and Peggy Hampton, JPS Public Relations Director.  Together OJMR leaders are establishing a foundation for students, parents, individuals, groups, organizations and businesses to get behind summer reading.

One Jackson Many Readers is now being discussed and recognized at national conferences. Though a summer reading partnership between the Jackson-Hinds Library System and JPS has existed since 1999, the past three years have taken summer reading to a new level.

All of the supporters of One Jackson Many Readers have one thing in common: a huge heart for Jackson and its young people. Mayor Johnson couldn’t resist saying it, and I can’t either: It takes a village to raise a child. It sure does feel like a lot of people are coming out to support our young people with this program. If you’re not already involved, The United Way of the Capitol Area has many ways to contribute. Click here to learn more.

Lemuria was even recognized in a recent article in Publisher’s Weekly for its community involvement with the Pages of Promise book drive. Read more here. Lemuria is honored to be a part of One Jackson Many Readers and the Pages of Promise Book Drive. You can still donate one book or a thousand and receive the 20% discount!

Discovering that he also had written a book considered a classic in the field of education—The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life—was even further evidence that Palmer’s was a voice I would be spending a good deal of time with in the coming months. Slated to teach my first class in the fall, I’ve been in need of some encouragement, insight, and awareness of the joys and pitfalls of teaching vocationally. After finishing Let Your Life Speak, I dove into The Courage to Teach, and have found Palmer’s wisdom enormously calming and enlightening. If there is only word one I could use to describe Palmer’s work, it is just that: wise.

Palmer is a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quaker), and he has dedicated his life to teaching, education, and writing about the necessity of our inner lives existing in harmony with our outward vocations. He also leads retreats for the Center of Courage and Renewal. Let Your Life Speak is Palmer’s personal account of his descent into depression and the awakening and insight gleaned from his journey out of that darkness. Ultimately, this experience had enormous implications on his vision of vocation. Let Your Life Speak is most definitely not a how-to book, which is one of the reasons why it is so appealing to me. Authors of how-to books too often promote their work as definitive for the human race and its problems, and nothing about such claims gets at the complexity and unpredictability of being alive. Palmer states:

“But what is true for me is not necessarily true for others. I am not writing a prescription—I am simply telling my story. If it illumines your story, or the story of someone you care about, I will be grateful. If it helps you or someone you care about turn suffering into guidance for vocation, I will be more grateful still” (58).

Such an approach proves that Palmer is conscious of the power of plain storytelling, and also aware of his limits.

The idea of our human limits is one thing that Palmer stresses in his approach to vocation. All of us possess gifts, and all of us have limits. When we ignore our limits and pursue work unsuited to our authentic selves, we cause “violence…to others and ourselves by working in ways that violate our souls” (The Courage to Teach, 30). For a long time, Palmer worked in such a way.

He says, “I was in my early thirties when I began, literally, to wake up to questions about my vocation. By all appearances, things were going well, but the soul does not put much stock in appearances. Seeking a path more purposeful than accumulating wealth, holding power, winning at competition, or securing a career, I had started to understand that it is indeed possible to live a life other than one’s own” (2). It was during this period that Palmer came across the Quaker saying, “Let your life speak.”

Palmer admits that his initial thoughts on letting his life speak were misguided:

“I found those words encouraging, and I thought I understood what they meant: ‘Let the highest truths and values guide you. Live up to those demanding standards in everything you do.’…So I lined up the loftiest ideals I could find and set out to achieve them. The results were rarely admirable, often laughable, and sometimes grotesque. But always they were unreal, a distortion of my true self—as must be the case when one lives from the outside in, not the inside out.” (2-3).

Much of Palmer’s focus is on our inner selves—a place he feels we are consistently failing to do much necessary work, be it with our families or in the workplace. Inner work allows us to acknowledge our limits as well as our gifts, to become more secure and aware of our authentic selves and our imperfections:

“When we are insecure about our own identities, we create settings that deprive other people of their identities as a way of buttressing our own…[H]ow often I phone a business or professional office and hear, ‘Dr. Jones’s office—this is Nancy speaking.’ The boss has a title and a last name but the person (usually a woman) who answers the phone has neither, because the boss has decreed that it will be that way” (86).

Such passages from Palmer not only encourage us to discover and live out our authentic selves, but also induce us toward compassion—a characteristic we are desperate for in a 21st century wracked with greed, despair, and a need for purpose and meaning.

Let Your Life Speak has encouraged me to continue pursuing and working toward those avenues of work I feel are suited to my authentic self: writing, reading, thinking, and soon teaching. Being in my mid-twenties, the pressure has increased to be making more money, to do work considered more “professional” or “grown up.” Being the son of a lawyer, there have been times when I’ve felt pushed to fall in line and join the “family business.” I am certain that to separate my work from my heart would lead to what Palmer deems a violence against myself and ultimately others.

“There are times when we must work for money rather than meaning, and we may never have the luxury of quitting a job because it does not make us glad. But that does not release us from continually checking the violence we do to others and ourselves by working in ways that violate our souls…What brings more security in the long run: holding this job or honoring my soul?” (The Courage to Teach, 30).

For anyone who cares about the impact and meaning of their work, I hope you will give Palmer’s words a chance to seep into your heart, and perhaps enhance your ability and desire to live from there outward, instead of the other way around. Though Palmer is adamant in his claim not to have a monopoly on some universal truth, I am certain his words speak to our basic human needs. We would do well to listen and apply.

What inspired this collection of books? A new temptation has just been moved into the fiction room: Memoir–a section long-loved by fiction room booksellers!

This photo features these brand new memoirs, essays and letters: Wild by Cheryl Strayed (Cheryl took a 1100-mile hike after life got to be too much!); Farther Away by Jonathan Franzen (loving this!); Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen (We have signed copies!); Living, Thinking, Looking by Siri Hustevedt (look for these reflections on philosophy, neuroscience, psychology & literature in June); This Is How by Augusten Burroughs (He claims to rid us of the need for any other self-help book!); The Other Walk by Sven Birkerts (I would read anything Birkerts writes.); Against Wind & Tide (letters by Anne Morrow Lindbergh–always an inspiration for women who feel compelled to do everything in life plus dusting).

Last time we were reading Judy Moody, but we have moved through every Judy Moody book and every possible spin-off of Judy Moody.

So, in search of a new series we found Just Grace. A cute series about a girl named Grace in a class where there are four girls named Grace – so of course each gets a nickname. For example Gracie or Grace F., but when the teacher gets to the last Grace she asks if she can be called just Grace and the teacher says “great idea, we’ll call you Just Grace” So our heroine is stuck with a nickname she despises. Each book is interspersed with the comics that Grace draws of her adventures. And, very important for bedtime reading, the chapters are short!

But much more important news – almost nightly she is reading to me! We’ve been reading the little books that her teacher sends from school for us to practice and she is making huge progress. So today we picked out a stack of level 1 books for a little variety. Can’t wait to dig into these.

And her brother? Still stuck on the truck shelf. And that’s ok.