....or, I Love When this Kind of Stuff Happens.
The two obituaries in today's New York Times couldn't have been better planned.
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/obituaries/index.html (Best appreciated, at least by this "Lackluster Veteran", in the print format. See http://www.pewinternet.org/press_release.asp?r=140 for what I learned at WLA last week.)
Peg Bracken, "I Hate to Cook" Author, Dies at 89.
Vincent DeDomenico, 92, an Inventor of Rice-A-Roni.
According to his obituary, DeDomenico and his brothers invented "the San Francisco treat" in 1958. The inspiration occurred as he watched his sister-in-law mix a can of Swanson's chicken broth with rice and vermicelli. And the rest, as they say, is history -- though not in the household in which I grew up. My mother took great pride in her cooking and baking abilities. Not a single box of Rice-A-Roni ever made it to our kitchen cupboards. And I'd guess that this ban, not consciously made, has remained in place since I left for college in September of 1968. (Mom's 87 and will be cooking up a big feast when JoAnna and the boys and I make our first Thanksgiving trip to Warren, Pennsylvania, in at least 10 years. And everyone's favorite homemade cookies will have been freshly baked. )
Baby boomers all remember the jingle, of course, sung by a chorus of voices and punctuated by the clang of a cable car.
Rice-A-Roni, the San Francisco Treat.
Rice-A-Roni, the flavor can’t be beat.
One pan of boiling cooking ease
For flavor that is sure to please.
Rice-A-Roni, the San Francisco Treat.
(Spoken by a male announcer with a deep, mellifluous voice) Rice-A-Roni, the delicious break from potatoes, now in 6 fabulous flavors.
In case you've forgotten it -- hardly likely -- you can revive those brain cells at.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1-TdlaxQmQ
Beware! It will continue to play on a continuous loop inside your head for days.
And you know you still want to know more.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/07/16/MNGTUK06P31.DTL
For a brief history of Rice-A-Roni, go here (http://www.ricearoni.com/rar_aboutUs/history/index.cfm)
Andrew Purvis posts a brief, satiric tribute to Edith Pilaf, who allegedly sang the first Rice-A-Roni jingle. (Yeah, right, and I have a bridge for sale. Or maybe you'd prefer to read The Glass Castle.)
http://caveatventer.blogspot.com/2005/09/rice-roni-jingle-singer-dies.html
And as for Peg....
The I Hate to Cook Book was published in 1960. Her obituary notes that it was the perfect accompaniment to the Rice-A-Roni era. In spite of the era's quest for conveninece, her book, though popular, didn't end up on the list of top ten nonfiction books for the year (http://www.caderbooks.com/best60.html); Betty Crocker still ruled the cookbook category with a ruthless efficiency.
Peg's breakthrough book has long been weeded from the collections of LINK libraries. Wisconsin Dells has a later edition, published in 1986: The Compleat I Hate to Cook Book. Since 1994, it has circulation 47 times. Not too shabby. 22 amazon reviewers give it an average of 5 stars.
http://www.amazon.com/Compleat-I-Hate-Cook-Book/dp/0883657945
Somebody should take care of the following YouTube search result: No Videos found for 'Peg Bracken'. As a spokesperson for Birdseye frozen foods, she became a regular fixture on TV.
http://www.birdseyefoods.com/birdseye/about/history.aspx (but nothing about Peg)
I did learn the following tidbit, though
On March 6 in Springfield, Massachusetts, General Foods, via Birds Eye, conducts what is now called "the Springfield Experiment" in 18 retail stores to see how consumers will react to frozen foods; today, the experiment is considered the birth of retail frozen foods. The initial Birds Eye line features 26 items, including 18 cuts of frozen meat, spinach and peas, a variety of fruits and berries, blue point oysters and fish fillets. By May, sales increase dramatically.
Mom was 10 years old at the time, living on Hartford Terrace in Springfield with her parents and 3 sisters. I'll have to ask her if she remembers frozen foods becoming a dinner staple at that time.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Saturday, October 13, 2007
An "After This" Afterthought
I enjoy interacting with the group of regulars who attend Middleton's book discussions, and they give me consistent high marks for the books that I choose. Now I'm wondering about continuing in this role, perhaps once a year, after I retire -- as a "guest leader".
I have mixed feelings about the idea. I don't want to be accused of not being able to let go. And, perhaps, as a new director, I'd feel it was a bit intrusive. When Dad retired, he continued to attend services as a member of St. Paul's as a member, though it certainly must have been an extraordinary adjustment for him. (Everyone was so sad to see him give up his pastoral duties.) At the same time, he politely refused to accept, for example, requests to baptize children of parishioners he had confirmed and/or married. (And there were lots of them after serving the same church for 24 years.) But this is certainly not an apples-to-apples comparison in my situation.
Comments from colleagues?
I have mixed feelings about the idea. I don't want to be accused of not being able to let go. And, perhaps, as a new director, I'd feel it was a bit intrusive. When Dad retired, he continued to attend services as a member of St. Paul's as a member, though it certainly must have been an extraordinary adjustment for him. (Everyone was so sad to see him give up his pastoral duties.) At the same time, he politely refused to accept, for example, requests to baptize children of parishioners he had confirmed and/or married. (And there were lots of them after serving the same church for 24 years.) But this is certainly not an apples-to-apples comparison in my situation.
Comments from colleagues?
Friday, October 12, 2007
"After This" Discussion Questions
Background
I used discussion questions from BookBrowse (http://www.bookbrowse.com/reading_guides/detail/index.cfm?book_number=1875) as a jumping-off point for my own, although not all similarities have been obscured. The opening question worked particularly well as a warm-up.
After the program, I dutifully wrote up the following summary for the library’s “Events Evaluation” webpage.
For the most part, everyone participated in equal measure, offering thoughtful, mostly positive comments and observations. I abandoned my prepared list of questions early on, but not because they didn't work. After the first two, the discussion developed its own momentum. A number of participants offered their own prepared questions, for which they were eager to have feedback. Only two members of the group had previously read anything by McDermott, which makes me even happier with the selection of "After This". Grateful comments all around after the program concluded.
Introduction
In her sixth novel, Alice McDermott takes us on an elliptical tour of John and Mary Keene and their four children: Jacob, Michael, Annie, and Clare. In this most understated of family sagas, McDermott provides us with a series of vignettes that span the years from just after World War II into mid-1970s. The characters and setting are vintage McDermott: Irish-Catholic Long Island suburbanites. As with all her fiction, there are many passages, skillfully observed scenes, worth savoring, which make the audio version of the book a distinct challenge, especially while driving.
Questions
1. Had you previously read any books by Alice McDermott? If not, is she an author with whom you were familiar? What were your expectations as you began reading this novel?
2. McDermott’s writing style has been praised for its effective use of imagery and understatement. How well are these elements put to use in telling the story of the Keene family?
3. In another writer’s hands – Colleen McCullough or John Jakes, for example – After This might have been stretched out to 3 times its length. How successful were you in filling in the blanks of the Keenes’ lives?
4. What examples of McDermott’s understatement stopped you in your tracks? (The essence of Pauline: It would be Pauline’s way to say, No you didn’t. It would be Pauline’s way to refuse the decorum of the fib, to embrace the painful honesty.)
5. Mary is the first character that we get to know in the book. She is 30, with no husband in sight, works full-time in a Manhattan office, and lives with her father and brother. What kind of path did you think her life was going to take at this time? After the first 8 pages of the book, how well did you feel that you knew Mary?
6. What about the two men we know about in Mary’s life before she married John: her brother’s friend George and Mike Shea. How did they shape your understanding of her life as a married woman and mother unfolded?
7. Why does Mary continue to remain friends with Pauline throughout her life? Is Pauline a difficult person because she never married, or did she never marry because she's such a difficult person?
8. Why does the wind always seem to be blowing during the first quarter of the novel? (The bitter April wind in Manhattan, the windy beach on Labor Day, the downed tree.)
9. In the first decade of the 21st century, how far removed are we from the type of family life depicted in After This? What does the future hold for Clare and Gregory?
10. What’s the significance of the novel's title?
11. How important is the church in the lives of the Keene family? How does the role of the church change from one generation to the next? Why did McDermott use Sister Lucy's story (page 214) as one of her vignettes?
12. The 27 customer reviews of After This on amazon.com comprise a wide spectrum of reactions. 10 people gave the book 5 stars, 8 gave it 4, 3 gave it 3 stars, 2 gave it 2 stars, and 4 gave it 1 star. Here’s what Arlene had to say: The author spends so much time giving details about episodes and I kept thinking "so what?" It seems like much detail was given to meaningless aspects of the story and so much was left out that would have been more interesting. Each chapter was like a short story unto itself, and then just dropped. No interaction between the family members themselves, just insanely boring details about their individual lives. I wish I HAD just borrowed it from the library and not been out my money. If Arlene was sitting with us right now, how would you respond to her?
13. If characters in books could be given awards, I’d nominate Mrs. Antonelli for a “best supporting” role. How does the chapter in which she appears – when Jacob takes Clare out of school under false pretenses – help to fill in the gaps of what we know about the Keenes? Why do you think that McDermott seemingly stuffs this chapter full of personal memories?
14. How would you describe this book to a friend how had never previously anything by McDermott?
I used discussion questions from BookBrowse (http://www.bookbrowse.com/reading_guides/detail/index.cfm?book_number=1875) as a jumping-off point for my own, although not all similarities have been obscured. The opening question worked particularly well as a warm-up.
After the program, I dutifully wrote up the following summary for the library’s “Events Evaluation” webpage.
For the most part, everyone participated in equal measure, offering thoughtful, mostly positive comments and observations. I abandoned my prepared list of questions early on, but not because they didn't work. After the first two, the discussion developed its own momentum. A number of participants offered their own prepared questions, for which they were eager to have feedback. Only two members of the group had previously read anything by McDermott, which makes me even happier with the selection of "After This". Grateful comments all around after the program concluded.
Introduction
In her sixth novel, Alice McDermott takes us on an elliptical tour of John and Mary Keene and their four children: Jacob, Michael, Annie, and Clare. In this most understated of family sagas, McDermott provides us with a series of vignettes that span the years from just after World War II into mid-1970s. The characters and setting are vintage McDermott: Irish-Catholic Long Island suburbanites. As with all her fiction, there are many passages, skillfully observed scenes, worth savoring, which make the audio version of the book a distinct challenge, especially while driving.
Questions
1. Had you previously read any books by Alice McDermott? If not, is she an author with whom you were familiar? What were your expectations as you began reading this novel?
2. McDermott’s writing style has been praised for its effective use of imagery and understatement. How well are these elements put to use in telling the story of the Keene family?
3. In another writer’s hands – Colleen McCullough or John Jakes, for example – After This might have been stretched out to 3 times its length. How successful were you in filling in the blanks of the Keenes’ lives?
4. What examples of McDermott’s understatement stopped you in your tracks? (The essence of Pauline: It would be Pauline’s way to say, No you didn’t. It would be Pauline’s way to refuse the decorum of the fib, to embrace the painful honesty.)
5. Mary is the first character that we get to know in the book. She is 30, with no husband in sight, works full-time in a Manhattan office, and lives with her father and brother. What kind of path did you think her life was going to take at this time? After the first 8 pages of the book, how well did you feel that you knew Mary?
6. What about the two men we know about in Mary’s life before she married John: her brother’s friend George and Mike Shea. How did they shape your understanding of her life as a married woman and mother unfolded?
7. Why does Mary continue to remain friends with Pauline throughout her life? Is Pauline a difficult person because she never married, or did she never marry because she's such a difficult person?
8. Why does the wind always seem to be blowing during the first quarter of the novel? (The bitter April wind in Manhattan, the windy beach on Labor Day, the downed tree.)
9. In the first decade of the 21st century, how far removed are we from the type of family life depicted in After This? What does the future hold for Clare and Gregory?
10. What’s the significance of the novel's title?
11. How important is the church in the lives of the Keene family? How does the role of the church change from one generation to the next? Why did McDermott use Sister Lucy's story (page 214) as one of her vignettes?
12. The 27 customer reviews of After This on amazon.com comprise a wide spectrum of reactions. 10 people gave the book 5 stars, 8 gave it 4, 3 gave it 3 stars, 2 gave it 2 stars, and 4 gave it 1 star. Here’s what Arlene had to say: The author spends so much time giving details about episodes and I kept thinking "so what?" It seems like much detail was given to meaningless aspects of the story and so much was left out that would have been more interesting. Each chapter was like a short story unto itself, and then just dropped. No interaction between the family members themselves, just insanely boring details about their individual lives. I wish I HAD just borrowed it from the library and not been out my money. If Arlene was sitting with us right now, how would you respond to her?
13. If characters in books could be given awards, I’d nominate Mrs. Antonelli for a “best supporting” role. How does the chapter in which she appears – when Jacob takes Clare out of school under false pretenses – help to fill in the gaps of what we know about the Keenes? Why do you think that McDermott seemingly stuffs this chapter full of personal memories?
14. How would you describe this book to a friend how had never previously anything by McDermott?
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
In Memory of Dad's Retirement
Dad would have turned 92 today, but Parkinson's Disease snuffed out his life 8 1/2 years ago. In fact, the slow, inexorable phyical and mental decline left him hollowed out throughout the final few years of his life. JoAnna and the boys and I saw him only one or twice a year during this time, usually at Christmas when we'd make the pilgrimage to both sets of grandparents' houses. When it was too late, I decided I had all these questions to ask him about his life -- growing up, choosing a career, courting Mom, being a father. By that time, he didn't even know who I was.
The congregation of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Warren Pennsylvania hosted a retirement party for Dad on Sunday, August 30, 1981. Here's what I noted in my journal that day.
Dad's last official day as pastor of St. Paul's. He delivered an inspiring sermon, giving no sign of the emotional turmoil he must have been experiencing internally. I found myself frequently fighting back the tears. In fact, at the conclusion of the service, I was suffering from a headache centered near the bridge of my nose.
The family ate dinner together at Jackson Heights, not the most appropriate restaurant to share a special occasion. Warren has no outstanding eateries; we had no choice to speak of. With no meatless entrees to select from the menu, Barb ordered the pot roast beef without a single disparaging comment. Maybe she is finally realizing how strange her inflexible philosophies appear to others.
Dale skipped out on the afternoon open house in Mom and Dad's honor at the church. To be expected. Unfortunately, he missed one of the most sincere and touching outpourings of love that I have ever experienced. The president of the Warren County Ministerial Association, Father Carter, and a few members of the congregation saluted Dad's 24 years of service. Father Carter's heartfelt speech left me feeling exhausted from working overtime to suppress the emotion I felt. Standing in the reception line, I tried to remember the names associated with the identifiable 50/50 mix of familiar faces and strangers.
A conversation with Bill Brader after the morning service best typifies the emotion-charged day. At one point, Bill said to me, "You know, Paul, at this point in time, I just feel like finding a quiet corner and crying my eyes out." I felt my body quake as he spoke these words. Using every ounce of strength I could muster, I managed to retain my composure.
The congregation of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Warren Pennsylvania hosted a retirement party for Dad on Sunday, August 30, 1981. Here's what I noted in my journal that day.
Dad's last official day as pastor of St. Paul's. He delivered an inspiring sermon, giving no sign of the emotional turmoil he must have been experiencing internally. I found myself frequently fighting back the tears. In fact, at the conclusion of the service, I was suffering from a headache centered near the bridge of my nose.
The family ate dinner together at Jackson Heights, not the most appropriate restaurant to share a special occasion. Warren has no outstanding eateries; we had no choice to speak of. With no meatless entrees to select from the menu, Barb ordered the pot roast beef without a single disparaging comment. Maybe she is finally realizing how strange her inflexible philosophies appear to others.
Dale skipped out on the afternoon open house in Mom and Dad's honor at the church. To be expected. Unfortunately, he missed one of the most sincere and touching outpourings of love that I have ever experienced. The president of the Warren County Ministerial Association, Father Carter, and a few members of the congregation saluted Dad's 24 years of service. Father Carter's heartfelt speech left me feeling exhausted from working overtime to suppress the emotion I felt. Standing in the reception line, I tried to remember the names associated with the identifiable 50/50 mix of familiar faces and strangers.
A conversation with Bill Brader after the morning service best typifies the emotion-charged day. At one point, Bill said to me, "You know, Paul, at this point in time, I just feel like finding a quiet corner and crying my eyes out." I felt my body quake as he spoke these words. Using every ounce of strength I could muster, I managed to retain my composure.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
The 1960 World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates
In my October 4th post, I made a reference to being a baseball statistics junkie way back when – and even threatened to name the starting line-up and batting averages of the 1960 World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates. (Game 1, to be specific.) I'm delivering on this threat – and offering some parenthetical remarks in the process.
Bill Virdon cf .264 (Best team outfield fielding percentage with .983)
Dick Groat ss .325 (Led the league in batting average)
Bob Skinner lf .273 (Led the team with 11 stolen bases. Not a fleet of foot team.)
Dick Stuart 1b .260 (“Dr. Strangeglove”. 114 hits and 104 strikeouts in 438 at bats)
Roberto Clemente rf .314 (Led the team with 94 rbi’s)
Smokey Burgess c .294 (Struck out only 13 times in 337 at bats)
Don Hoak 3b .282 (Led the team with 74 base on balls)
Bill Mazeroski 2b .273 (Hit the most dramatic home run in baseball history)
Vern Law p .171 (20 wins, 9 losses, with a 3.08 earned run average)
http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/PIT/1960.shtml
For Father’s Day this year, JoAnna gave me the David Maraniss biography of Roberto Clemente. I stopped reading it after finishing the chapter on the 1960 World Series. The book reminded me of the plodding, formulaic, young adult sports biographies I regularly checked out of the Warren Public Library in junior high school. (Yes, my reading tastes back then were unforgivably lame.) A friend of mine, also from Pennsylvania – though we didn’t know each other way back when – and also a big Pirates fan during the 60s and 70s agrees with this assessment.
According to the customer reviews on amazon.com, however, the two of us are decidedly in the minority. (Some might say the minor leagues.) 41 reviewers rate the book a 5-star read, 10 give it 4 stars, 2 give it 3 stars, and 1 person only managed a 2-star reaction. I wonder how many people reviewed the person instead of the book. Indeed, Roberto Clemente is one of the few baseball players that I’d give 5 stars.
Unfortunately for Pirate fans, of which I consider myself a dormant example, there’s been nothing to cheer about since 1979 except for a beautiful new stadium.
Bill Virdon cf .264 (Best team outfield fielding percentage with .983)
Dick Groat ss .325 (Led the league in batting average)
Bob Skinner lf .273 (Led the team with 11 stolen bases. Not a fleet of foot team.)
Dick Stuart 1b .260 (“Dr. Strangeglove”. 114 hits and 104 strikeouts in 438 at bats)
Roberto Clemente rf .314 (Led the team with 94 rbi’s)
Smokey Burgess c .294 (Struck out only 13 times in 337 at bats)
Don Hoak 3b .282 (Led the team with 74 base on balls)
Bill Mazeroski 2b .273 (Hit the most dramatic home run in baseball history)
Vern Law p .171 (20 wins, 9 losses, with a 3.08 earned run average)
http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/PIT/1960.shtml
For Father’s Day this year, JoAnna gave me the David Maraniss biography of Roberto Clemente. I stopped reading it after finishing the chapter on the 1960 World Series. The book reminded me of the plodding, formulaic, young adult sports biographies I regularly checked out of the Warren Public Library in junior high school. (Yes, my reading tastes back then were unforgivably lame.) A friend of mine, also from Pennsylvania – though we didn’t know each other way back when – and also a big Pirates fan during the 60s and 70s agrees with this assessment.
According to the customer reviews on amazon.com, however, the two of us are decidedly in the minority. (Some might say the minor leagues.) 41 reviewers rate the book a 5-star read, 10 give it 4 stars, 2 give it 3 stars, and 1 person only managed a 2-star reaction. I wonder how many people reviewed the person instead of the book. Indeed, Roberto Clemente is one of the few baseball players that I’d give 5 stars.
Unfortunately for Pirate fans, of which I consider myself a dormant example, there’s been nothing to cheer about since 1979 except for a beautiful new stadium.
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