Conversations with Hill Harper
ENCINO, CA - Despite the wet evening, members of the African American community gathered at the Barnes & Nobels to hear the insights of guest author Hill Harper. His recent title, The Conversation: How Black Men and Women Can Build Loving, Trusting Relationships, delves into what he sees as deep seated issues among men and women in his community with regards to relationships and openly discusses them in his book. After brief introductions, Harper began talking about the origins of the book. The events that took place and the observations he noticed that inspired him to write a book for adults.
The Conversation --my first book for adults- the genesis of this book came about when I was having a dinner party. I had a group of men and women and most of them were single,” shared Harper.
The conversation during the dinner party turned to dating and relationships. What perplexed Harper during the course of the conversation was that both groups – men and women - - were essentially saying the same things. “If one group is saying they can’t find a woman they want to settle down with and the other group is saying there aren’t any good men out there, how are we going to solve this problem with all the young people that I deal with through my *foundation?” Harper asked, directing the same question to the audience.
“In 1966 84% of black children were being raised in 2 parent households. Fast forward to 2006 that number was dropped to 31%. So in 40 years there’s been a huge decline. Now some people may say that’s the sign of the times, people aren’t getting married as much these days. But if you cross reference that with other groups, 2006 69% of Latin American kids being raised by 2 parent households, 94% white children…It’s a huge difference. So what’s going on? What’s going on with us that 70% of Black Professional women are single? What’s going on that really, when we even have children we don’t stay together?” asked Harper.
This set of observations not only established the premise for the book but it also created certain challenges Harper would have to overcome for this project to succeed.
“Could I write a relationship book that still hits all the pop culture issues that normal relationship books hit on but maybe take it a step deeper? Ask questions that may have not been asked in other relationship books. I also wanted to write a book about relationships for men and women,” shared Harper.
The charismatic actor/author continued to say that a majority of relationship books that are written are geared towards women. Harper intentionally structured the book so that both men and women can utilize its content that could actually lead to a conversation.
The Conversation refers to 3 levels of communication: - with the Self. Taking an honest look looking in the mirror.
- with your Partner. Coming together and communicating openly with them.
- with your community, family and the nuclear.
Although Harper’s book is geared towards the African American community, his astute insight of what it takes to create and maintain a successful relationship can reach to just about anyone.
When I was asked to attend the Vermont Community Walkthrough, I noticed the address and thought it was in the Los Feliz area. But, while Map-questing, I discovered that I had to drive all the way to the other side of L.A., and practically the world, to get there. I was going to take highways and be in parts of L.A. that were only mythical lands in my mind, legendary places that had severe traffic jams on a daily basis, the likes of which you might only hear on the radio.
The walkthrough was to showcase the partnership between these two organizations and their efforts in building a community that follows the LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design) guidelines, is affordable for low-income families, and is energy efficient (otherwise referred to as “green”). It began with a short presentation covering how HFH and GRID Alternatives became partners in the endeavor, what energy-efficiency initiatives they took in designing the community, and how the families who lived in the complex were taught how their new homes worked (how to upkeep the solar panels and whatnot).
The Americana, In a Nut Shell
Shadow History
Perforated Heart is Bogosian’s third novel.
“I do not in any way claim that I am an expert in relationships. I am a single person on a journey trying to figure it out for myself. Lets go on this journey together and let’s figure it out” emphasized Harper honestly.
*Manifest Your Destiny Foundation, a non-profit youth organization established by Ivy League actor Hill Harper, is dedicated to empowering, encouraging, and inspiring underserved youth to succeed.
Vermont Walkthrough—Surveying a Green, Affordable Unit
The Walkthrough was an open-invitation event for those in the development industry. Project managers, architects and, well, more architects came to see what sustainability and affordability could build in the city of Los Angeles. The Vermont Community complex was a joint effort between Habitat for Humanity for Greater Los Angeles and GRID Alternatives, a non-profit specializing in renewable energy and energy efficiency services, equipment and training for communities. From the GRID Alternatives website:
Since 2001, GRID Alternatives has been working to bring the power of solar electricity and energy efficiency to low-income homeowners, and to provide community members with training and hands-on experience with renewable energy technologies. We believe making energy choices that are good for the environment can go hand-in-hand with improving the lives of those living in low-income communities.
The walkthrough was to showcase the partnership between these two organizations and their efforts in building a community that follows the LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design) guidelines, is affordable for low-income families, and is energy efficient (otherwise referred to as “green”). It began with a short presentation covering how HFH and GRID Alternatives became partners in the endeavor, what energy-efficiency initiatives they took in designing the community, and how the families who lived in the complex were taught how their new homes worked (how to upkeep the solar panels and whatnot).Seemed like a good idea on paper. According to a Habitat for Humanity fact sheet:
Los Angeles County has the nation’s lowest rate of housing affordability with only 2% of homes sold during the 4th quarter considered affordable to the country’s median-income family ($56,200 in the county of LA). LA is one of the least affordable metropolitan areas in the US; a median income home in LA, as of Dec. 2007, rose 6.5% from the previous year to $525,000.
It was a little strange to hear these people talk about the complex while there were people actually living in the apartments. Families walked in and out of their units, passing us by while we were sitting or standing in their playground/courtyard. It almost felt like we were observing specimens in an experimental environment. But maybe that was just me. Anyway...
After their spiel, our hosts let us “walk through” one of the open units, so we could see for ourselves what their joint efforts produced. Every unit in the complex has (among other features):
- Active solar energy generation systems
- A landscape designed with native/low water use plants
- Dual-flush low-flow toilets
- Green recycled-content carpet and pads
- Homeowner training guidebook
Walking into a unit, you entered the “living area,” which was surprisingly small, though adequate. Along the flow of the unit to the kitchen was a small bathroom. The kitchen itself was small, but had modern appliances, donated by Whirlpool. Adjacent to the kitchen was the “eating area,” about the same size as the previous room. Stairs led to the bedrooms; this particular unit had two, and what I assume would be the master bedroom because it had a walk-in closet.
Now, I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been fortunate enough to have nice-sized rooms all my life, but these rooms seemed ridiculously small. Unbelievably small. I mean, you had enough room to fit a bed and maybe a very small chest of drawers or a fold-up desk. Anything bigger would cramp the room up so fast you’d think it was a storage space. And this was the master bedroom.
After the self-guided tour of the unit, a rep from GRID Alternatives showed everyone how the solar panels worked and the engineering that went behind their installation for each unit. It was interesting, as much as it could be for someone who isn’t an engineer. Then they had a self-congratulatory panel where project managers and architects who were involved in similar projects discussed the trials and tribulations they’d come across in planning and designing according to LEED’s code. I left after 10 minutes of that. I’d had enough self-satisfaction and -congratulation.
While driving back to my place, I thought about the whole idea of the Vermont Community. It was wonderful to see two organizations join forces to build shelter and provide basic necessities for people who otherwise couldn’t afford them. But I can’t imagine four people living comfortably in the tiny unit we walked through. What’s the sense of having a home if you can’t be comfortable in it? If you can’t actually live in it?
According to the overstuffed HFH press packet, the families selected to live in these units are required to put 500 sweat equity hours about two months—into building their homes. If they put in another 100 hours, or if they built one less unit, I’m sure they could’ve opened up these cramped rooms a bit more, to better fit a family of four. What surprised me even more was that no one really mentioned or commented on the size of these rooms. It made the whole experience like a charade: there’s no chance that these architects and project managers (who are busy “keeping it green” with their own projects) would live in these types of spaces. So why should these good people? I’m not saying, “Let’s build a mansion for everyone.” Just some more elbowroom, that’s all.
But “affordable units” means that, at least for now, these families will have to make do and manage what they have. It’s the only option they have. It’s unfortunate, but I guess when you don’t have options you live with what you can get.
Where Have all the Tree Cowboys Gone?
I was on my way to see my papou (grandfather in Greek), with the radio on KCRW, listening to a broadcast of Santa Monica’s City Council meeting. It was about the Tree Crisis that had the whole town in a dispute over what to do with the dying ficuses the City of Santa Monica planned to cut down due to fungal infections, decay, old age, etc.
The citizens of Santa Monica gave their voices and opinions, and suggested what to do in timed statements. Some of them made sense, speaking about the shade and architectural beauty that these massive trees provided. Some didn’t; one guy who couldn’t string two words together kept talking about wind power, his manner suggesting he might have been experiencing a flashback. Another member of the community reputed that these trees drew tourists to Santa Monica. Funny, I always thought it was the beach and the promenade. I’m a frequent visitor to Santa Monica, but when I think of it I don’t think of the beautiful canopies along the boulevards.
But the broadcast interested me enough to check out what was going on.
While the City of Los Angeles planned on planting 1,000,000 trees, as initiated by Mayor Villaraigosa, the City of Santa Monica planned on cutting down some of its old ones:
The Public Landscape Division of the Community Maintenance Department will be removing the following Indian Laurel Fig (Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’) trees ... These trees will not tolerate the amount of root pruning necessary to continue performing the Citywide sidewalk and curb repair program.
The Santa Monica city council also claimed that because some of the ficuses had contracted a fungus that was rotting them to the core, they needed to be removed immediately. If they weren’t, all sorts of public health concerns and liabilities would come into play: branches falling out of nowhere, killing cars and people on the way down to the ground.
Makes sense. Who wants to deal with that kind of bullshit? Isn’t that why they have the phrase “nip it in the bud”? Coupled with the trees’ nature for their roots to split up concrete, “removing the 54 trees would make streets safer for pedestrians and reduce concrete sidewalk-repair costs and legal payouts to trip-and-fall victims.” According to the city.
Really? The city is concerned with people getting a scraped knee because they aren’t looking where they’re going and might fall? This is more important to worry about than the city’s homeless or the cleanliness of the beach water? Then you know what they should do? Invest in fucking Band-Aid dispensers and Watch where you’re going or Mind the roots signs! It would be much more cost-effective than the thousands in taxpayers’ money they’ve spent on destroying these trees.
I mean, those Big Blue Buses must kill all sorts of pedestrians every year, and they’re still allowed on the streets. It’s understandable to empathize with tree-huggers: all that global warming scare, epidemic fears, and the fact that we need to save all the trees we can. But why did the council wait until it became a problem to finally do something about it? Why didn’t the Santa Monica Park and Recreation Department notify the city earlier? Was there was no effort to help nurse the sick trees before giving them their death sentence?
If you had an ailing grandpa who was slowly losing his faculties, and you knew it was only going to get way worse, would you pull the plug on the guy? So, what to do, what to do? I know! Let’s launch an attack against these forest-haters! Let’s form an organization and call it Treesavers, have a blog, rally the community, let our voices be heard, hold tree vigils, stage/threaten hunger strikes, chain ourselves to the trunks of these trees. Let’s try to pass them off as historical landmarks or something. Let’s cause a scene!
The city wants to remove over 50 of the beautiful, large-canopy Ficus trees and replaced with small Ginkgos that though beautiful, actually cast very little shade (most of it after 20 years’ growth). Why? The city claims some of them are too damaged to be saved. But the majority of these trees are being removed to make those streets more attractive to the shopping public. This weird logic flies in the face of research, surveys and studies showing that dense, large-canopy trees attract shoppers. They make the place nicer, better and healthier for everyone. [Santa Monica Treesavers]
It turns out (as reported by the LA Weekly earlier this year) that the real reason to remove the ficus trees was to facilitate an $8 million project aimed at revitalizing Second and Fourth street storefront curb appeal. In fact, the business owners association claims that the reason why retail stores on Third Street are doing so well, despite the economy, is that “the Promenade is planted with a more flowery tree species.” Ummm ... I doubt the trees are more the problem than the crappy stores that just happen to be there. And, really, what do ficus trees have to so with that?
The local government is gambling that it won’t. In fact, the local government is depending on the success of the Americana to bring in revenue, as well as create new jobs in the community.
They hope that the Americana will do to Glendale what the Grove did to the Fairfax area. Caruso’s crazy construction crew also created the Grove, and at the time it was considered insane to set up a multi-million shopping center in a predominantly Hassidic neighborhood.
Well, Caruso is still crazy, to think that he can sell this as a place where families can “relax” and “lounge” in a safe environment, in a community that has a lot of kids. Though the place is geared to the 20- and 30-somethings, anyone in their right mind will stay away from that zoo once it’s filled with baby carriages and bratty pre-teens running on the freshly manicured grass. Maybe Caruso just doesn’t know better.
What about the homegrown businesses up and down the rest of Brand? Obviously, they’re not thrilled. Some believe it will cause even more traffic on the Boulevard, which will deter visitors from staying to explore other businesses in the area. Others think that, in the long run, the flow of traffic to the Americana will trickle over to them as well. Either way, the businesses on Mid-Brand (which includes the historic Alex Theatre) are banding together to create more community/family-oriented events to bring people towards the north end of the Boulevard.
Local Glendale-ians are also concerned with potential traffic along already overflowing streets. Structures that tower over the shops create an even more cramped and crammed feeling when you walk through them or by them, or pass them in your car. Wedged between one of the Galleria’s parking lots and the gaudy-looking Golden Key Hotel, the Americana has had to squeeze itself into the 15-acre piece of prime property. (A special thanks goes to the Golden Key, for standing up to this manufactured crap. I’m sure it really pissed off Caruso and Crew).
What has some concerned is the outrageous price of the surrounding apartment buildings and lofts, ranging from the low $700,000s to $2 million, with rents from $2,000 to $5,500 a month. Nathan Wong, a local resident, was quoted $650,000 for an entry-level one-bedroom condo. You could buy a house with that kind of cash.
Over lunch I asked him what his thoughts were about the Americana. He slammed down his coffee mug and said, “You would think that all the foot traffic and the sales from the [high-end] retail stores would be more than enough to lower prices for entry level home ownership.” But that’s not the case: Caruso believes that the city of Glendale is somehow ripe with disposable income, willing to shell out the hefty price of the luxury spaces. Creating affordable housing for the rich, enforcing an even more rigid divide between the income brackets.
Maybe Caruso and friends should change their motto to “Caruso Construction, keeping social classes where they belong.” Because I haven’t yet heard of anyone who’s actually moved into the Americana. Have you?
Shadow History
DOWNTOWN, LA – LA Times Book Editor, David E. Ulin sat down with LA based author, Richard Rayner to discuss sordid celebrities of the 20’s, infamous murder trials, and the birth of LA Noir. The conversation was apart of the ALOUD series at the LA Central Library.
“There is a mysterious allure about Los Angeles. I don’t know what it is or what that connection is, but I know it’s pretty powerful,” commented Rayner on his fascination with the city.
Rayner moved to LA in the 80’s near and around the time of the Olympics. After writing an article about the LA riots, Rayner was contacted by New York Magazine to write a piece about LAPD. “I got to know a lot of cops through that piece,” said Rayner.
In fact getting in deep with the LAPD exposed Rayner to a different side of LA. Which is why his recent title, A Bright and Guilty Place, has a darker sensibility then his previous books. Rayner goes back through LA history to pinpoint when and where this dark, seedy, side of LA crystallized setting the tone for Noir.
Los Angeles is a sprawling city with hidden secrets and apparently a pretty dark past. As author Richard Rayner has uncovered in his recent title. The story, based on true events, revolves around David Clark: a native Angelino, working at a major downtown law firm that represents clients with oil interests. Clark was on the fast track. In no time he was working for District Attorney’s office working as a prosecutor in high profile cases. Suddenly, in a LA minute, Clark was on the other side of the bench and was put on trial in 1931 for rubbing out the head a gangster.
The discussion between Ulin and Rayner turned from the book to a closer look at the physiology that makes up Los Angeles. How Los Angeles glamorizes high profile murder trials. It is as though Los Angeles demands celebrity style spectacular trials and then moves on. Once they’re done, these trails fade into LA’s Shadow history where they’re for the most part forgotten.
When the conversation was open to everyone, in no time it was obvious the crowd that had gathered were native Los Angelinos and fans of Raymond Chandler. It was quite a group. People knew very obscure details about the city, which makes one wonder if the history of LA is as deep as the city is big.
“There is a mysterious allure about Los Angeles. I don’t know what it is or what that connection is, but I know it’s pretty powerful,” commented Rayner on his fascination with the city.
Rayner moved to LA in the 80’s near and around the time of the Olympics. After writing an article about the LA riots, Rayner was contacted by New York Magazine to write a piece about LAPD. “I got to know a lot of cops through that piece,” said Rayner.
In fact getting in deep with the LAPD exposed Rayner to a different side of LA. Which is why his recent title, A Bright and Guilty Place, has a darker sensibility then his previous books. Rayner goes back through LA history to pinpoint when and where this dark, seedy, side of LA crystallized setting the tone for Noir.
Los Angeles is a sprawling city with hidden secrets and apparently a pretty dark past. As author Richard Rayner has uncovered in his recent title. The story, based on true events, revolves around David Clark: a native Angelino, working at a major downtown law firm that represents clients with oil interests. Clark was on the fast track. In no time he was working for District Attorney’s office working as a prosecutor in high profile cases. Suddenly, in a LA minute, Clark was on the other side of the bench and was put on trial in 1931 for rubbing out the head a gangster.
The discussion between Ulin and Rayner turned from the book to a closer look at the physiology that makes up Los Angeles. How Los Angeles glamorizes high profile murder trials. It is as though Los Angeles demands celebrity style spectacular trials and then moves on. Once they’re done, these trails fade into LA’s Shadow history where they’re for the most part forgotten.
When the conversation was open to everyone, in no time it was obvious the crowd that had gathered were native Los Angelinos and fans of Raymond Chandler. It was quite a group. People knew very obscure details about the city, which makes one wonder if the history of LA is as deep as the city is big.
Commitment with Eric Bogosian
LOS FELIZ, CA – It was a cool summer evening as people were gathering at Skylight Books for a highly anticipated and entertaining event. Eric Bogosian: performer, actor and now author, was going to read from his latest title, Perforated Heart.
I was invited to go hear him read at another bookstore earlier that week, but declined the offer. I was loyal to Skylight. The bookstore was teeming with people when I got inside. Stepping up to the counter to buy a copy of the book, I struck up a conversation with one of the Skylight’s employees.
“Yeah, we’re expecting a good crowd,” he said.
“I can see that,” I turned around to see most of the chairs were already taken and people were still coming in. A buzz was in the air. It was exciting to see so many people giving up Saturday evening to attend a reading. I told the cashier about declining the other bookstore reading invite. . “What can I say, I committed to you guys,” I said to the cashier as he handed over the book.
It was pretty clear that people who were there to see Bogosian were a mix of devoted fans and new admireres. All types of people were there. Just as everyone settled in their spot, Bogosian approached the podium and dived into a dynamic reading an excerpt from Perforated Heart.
In short, the book is about an established author in his fifties who finds his old journals from 20 years back and begins to reconnect to the youth he once was. Bogosian paused to explain that the novel is written in journal entry form going back and forth between the main characters’ younger self to the ‘present’ older self. Emphasizing, that the key to the younger version of the main character is that he’s 25. At that age in New York, a city bursting with life at the seams, you don’t know how your life is going to play out. “You don’t know the story or if the gamble is going to pay off. Everything is vibrant, dramatic, insane,” said Bogosian. The novel is filled with scenarios, loosely based on the author’s personal experiences as a youth. Trying to recapture that time in the 70’s before the AIDS epidemic, before the acronym entered everyday life. “Back then, the gay nightclubs had an unbelievable energy and was not as sordid or audacious as they’re referred to today,” said Bogosian.
As he continued it was hard to miss the performer within Bogosian popping up in the various voices he used when reading different characters. Although he was at Skylight as an author, he couldn’t escape the actor within. When asked if his career or skills as a performer helped in writing his books and fleshing out his characters, Bogosian admitted that it did help to some degree. However, he did stress that putting out a book, any book for that matter, is real hard work. You need to build the muscles, and hone the skill sets to be able to know when something isn’t working. You know, take the hour and find the right word for what you’re trying to describe,” advised Bogosian.
It was this last comment, to commit to your craft hat left a lasting impression long after the event. To commit fully whether your art is writing, painting or even acting but to do it and do it fully.
Moving On and Moving Forward With Mary Jo Buttafuoco
Encino, CA – Early this month Mary Jo Buttafuoco talked about her new book, Getting It Through My Thick Skull, and shared her experiences married to the infamous Joe Buttafuoco at Barnes and Nobles. Friends, family and women who have had been manipulated by their significant others gathered to hear how she lived through it all and found happiness.
“Sociopaths don’t have the capacity to love,” said Mary Jo cutting to the chase, “they don’t know how to love someone else. It’s a selfish kind of love.”
It has taken her a decade to come to terms with her life with notorious ex husband Joey Buttafuoco and to process the sequence of events that lead to the fateful day when she heard her doorbell ring.
Why I Stayed…
“I wanted to fall in love, have a family and grow old together.” Mary Jo and Joey Buttafuoco were high school sweethearts. Things between the two were fast and fun but as they grew older, “it became more of a Mother-son relationship, which [Mary Jo] though he would grow out of but he never did,” she explained. She blamed his reckless behavior on his drug abuse or thought his alcoholism was the reason. For most of their marriage, Mary Jo spent her energy putting out the fires.
What I Learned…
For years Mary Jo could not figure out why her ex husband pulled the stunts he did. Why he drove everyone around him into a panicked frenzy? Why all the drama? She couldn’t pinpoint what his problem was. Until one day, her son turned to her and said, “he’s a sociopath.” A light bulb went on. Mary Jo Googled the term and found a list of traits that fit her ex husband’s personality to the T. The term “sociopath” encompasses a wide spectrum of traits from the extreme violent to the more mild forms.
Her new found discovery of her ex husbands condition lead her to write the book, Getting It Through My Thick Skull to share her personal experiences. “I was robbed emotionally for all these years,” said Mary Jo. Realizing that her ex husband was a sociopath was the key that opened the door to her new life. She finally had the answer she was looking for: it wasn’t personal; there was just nothing she could do.
Mary Jo also gave a few words of advise to the women in the audience who might be in a relationship with such a person:
“The best way to deal with a sociopath is NOT to deal with him at all.” Good hearted, caring and unsuspecting women get duped all the time with. “You’re not stupid,” Mary Jo emphasizes, “he’s just that good at manipulating you.”
Currently, Mary Jo is living her life with a new love and raising a Brady-bunch family, in southern California.
The Age of Dreaming
Picture it: Sunset Blvd as a dirt road. It’s hard to imagine, let alone believe the famous strip was anything but a row of fashionable nightclubs and boutiques. How about the massive studio lots that take up a sizable portion of Hollywood? It seems that these great buildings have always been apart of the Los Angeles landscape. But back when Hollywood was in its infancy it was, as the title of Nina Revoyr’s novel suggests, an Age of Dreaming.
The novel, written by Nina Revoyr, is a compelling fictional account of a silent film star, Jun Nakayama’s. Throughout the course of the book we find our main character slowly coming to terms with a dark secret he has kept for over 40 years. As readers, we listen to Nakayama fade in and out of the stories of his life in Japan, his rise to celebrity status, and the abrupt downfall of his career in film. Secretive shadows that loom over his memories create an even more intriguing allure around him.
What begins to trigger these memories for Nakayama is an unexpected phone call from a journalist interested in an interview. What goes from a simple interview turns into a potential part in a present day movie. But this is only a small part of the book.
The novel is densely layered with surfaces and dimensions that seamlessly seep into each other blurring the lines between fiction and history. Revoyr resurrects early landscapes of Hollywood and Los Angeles right before the urban boom that sprawled the city wide and far. Within this setting, she displays the primitive ways silent film was produced during a time when the medium was considered an art form by those were participating in it.
Revoyr also taps into the political atmosphere towards the Japanese at the time. In creating the world she sets Nakayama in, these anti-Japanese sentiments were always on the peripheral of his Hollywood lifestyle. They would slip in from time to time but it did not directly intervene with Nakayama’s life.
Yet we come to find that the studio executives Nakamaya was working for also felt these hostilities. However, this is not the scandal that ended his career. It was a reason to gently push our main character off the silver screen and into the abyss of obscurity. There is empathy for our main character in this respect, for his lost legacy.
Perhaps this is where Revoyr makes her greatest statement. One wonders how much of any sort of history is an accurate account. Who knows how many people have strived for stardom in those early days just to be outshined by others.
The Depth of Riverbig
The novel, Riverbig, written by Aris Janigian is a story that follows Andy Demerjian. Andy is a remarkable character: a combination of Americana hard work ethics and Armenian resilience and tenacity. These two traits reveal themselves throughout the novel, surfacing whenever the situation calls for either one of them.
Andy is a first generation Armenian- American who teeters between the world of the odars, the non-Armenian, and that of his people. Although he is invested in his community and church, compared to the rest of his extended family he is progressive in his thinking.
But this is not how we’re introduced to Andy in the beginning of the story. No -- we find Andy drowning in a pit of self-loathing. He’s full of hate for not playing the hand life has dealt him right. How does a college-educated framer go from owning 25 acres of land to driving a second hand truck, cargoing fruit from Fresno to LA on a daily basis? How could he have ever thought his own brother would cheat him out of that piece of land? How could he let his wife and family down like this? These are the thoughts and dark memories that keep Andy company as he sits trapped in that truck for a 1000-mile ride.
Rather than pull himself out of this sink-hole, he lets himself get caught in a current of destruction: drinking binges, lying to his devoted wife, getting deeper and deeper into debt. Smashing his life into a tempestual storm of degradation and kicked ego. Here was a man who could not adequately provide for his family, and neither one of his Americana or Armenian strengths could prevent him from getting sucked in the undertow.
Now, in the Armenian tradition, one’s plot in life or fate is sealed before they’re even born. It is believed that someone’s fate is set in stone by divine providence and to change things is nearly impossible. Luckily, this does not register with Andy. For the sake of his family, he beings that treacherous climb out of his watery grave and turn his life around.
Throughout the novel, Andy is constantly running up against walls with every venture he pursues. He first consults renting land from an old Armenian widow, Mrs. Chamichian, who is skeptical about Andy’s plans to plant tomatoes on her land. Then came the opportunity to manage a piece of land for some entrepreneur odars, non-Armenians. With every endeavor he overcomes his obstacles with a relentless work ethic. With hard work and incredible focus he is able to turn the tides and begin to change his fate around.
When he does have a moment to pause from his day-to-day life and reflect we get a glimpse of the troubling thoughts Andy carries within him. These deep physiological issues surface and swell up from time to time and we find Andy struggling to reconcile them as he tries to move forward and make a better life for his family.
Underneath the gritty exterior of this farmer, we find Andy conflicted with troubling issues that haunt him throughout the story: There was the unresolved issues with his family, his brother who betrayed him. The sense of belonging in this “odar” world. The advantages these others had in life. To Andy, they seemed to be miles ahead of where he is and was going. Comfort for them wasn’t even out of reach it was handed to them, while Andy struggled tenaciously to provide those same comforts for his family, if not for himself. And - more poignantly- the burden of carrying cultures anguish at the injustices they’ve suffered through.
Within this internal tension, Aris Janigian, raises not only questions but also the complexity of the Diasporas psyche. The Armenian community faces the same challenges not only learning how to balance between these two sets of worlds they occupy, but also working through the problems they present. In this way the novel, Riverbig, takes on another dimension making Andy a study of the American-Armenian mind, a study of the Armenian Identity.
Aris Janigian poses bold and daring questions that surface quietly in Riverbig. They are the types of questions that need to be addressed as individuals, as a community and as a culture. This is why authors like Aris Janigian’s are so vital because they expose and explore trends in their own community and culture that may not even be aware of. It takes a brave voice to bring these issues to light in the hopes of progressing strongly into the future.
Andy is a first generation Armenian- American who teeters between the world of the odars, the non-Armenian, and that of his people. Although he is invested in his community and church, compared to the rest of his extended family he is progressive in his thinking.
But this is not how we’re introduced to Andy in the beginning of the story. No -- we find Andy drowning in a pit of self-loathing. He’s full of hate for not playing the hand life has dealt him right. How does a college-educated framer go from owning 25 acres of land to driving a second hand truck, cargoing fruit from Fresno to LA on a daily basis? How could he have ever thought his own brother would cheat him out of that piece of land? How could he let his wife and family down like this? These are the thoughts and dark memories that keep Andy company as he sits trapped in that truck for a 1000-mile ride.
Rather than pull himself out of this sink-hole, he lets himself get caught in a current of destruction: drinking binges, lying to his devoted wife, getting deeper and deeper into debt. Smashing his life into a tempestual storm of degradation and kicked ego. Here was a man who could not adequately provide for his family, and neither one of his Americana or Armenian strengths could prevent him from getting sucked in the undertow.
Now, in the Armenian tradition, one’s plot in life or fate is sealed before they’re even born. It is believed that someone’s fate is set in stone by divine providence and to change things is nearly impossible. Luckily, this does not register with Andy. For the sake of his family, he beings that treacherous climb out of his watery grave and turn his life around.
Throughout the novel, Andy is constantly running up against walls with every venture he pursues. He first consults renting land from an old Armenian widow, Mrs. Chamichian, who is skeptical about Andy’s plans to plant tomatoes on her land. Then came the opportunity to manage a piece of land for some entrepreneur odars, non-Armenians. With every endeavor he overcomes his obstacles with a relentless work ethic. With hard work and incredible focus he is able to turn the tides and begin to change his fate around.
When he does have a moment to pause from his day-to-day life and reflect we get a glimpse of the troubling thoughts Andy carries within him. These deep physiological issues surface and swell up from time to time and we find Andy struggling to reconcile them as he tries to move forward and make a better life for his family.
Underneath the gritty exterior of this farmer, we find Andy conflicted with troubling issues that haunt him throughout the story: There was the unresolved issues with his family, his brother who betrayed him. The sense of belonging in this “odar” world. The advantages these others had in life. To Andy, they seemed to be miles ahead of where he is and was going. Comfort for them wasn’t even out of reach it was handed to them, while Andy struggled tenaciously to provide those same comforts for his family, if not for himself. And - more poignantly- the burden of carrying cultures anguish at the injustices they’ve suffered through.
Within this internal tension, Aris Janigian, raises not only questions but also the complexity of the Diasporas psyche. The Armenian community faces the same challenges not only learning how to balance between these two sets of worlds they occupy, but also working through the problems they present. In this way the novel, Riverbig, takes on another dimension making Andy a study of the American-Armenian mind, a study of the Armenian Identity.
Aris Janigian poses bold and daring questions that surface quietly in Riverbig. They are the types of questions that need to be addressed as individuals, as a community and as a culture. This is why authors like Aris Janigian’s are so vital because they expose and explore trends in their own community and culture that may not even be aware of. It takes a brave voice to bring these issues to light in the hopes of progressing strongly into the future.
Writing Through a Wall of Fire: Robin Maxwell
STUDIO CITY, CA –Fans and admirers of historical fiction writer, Robin Maxwell, gathered at the Studio City Branch Library. Rather than diving straight into a reading of her recent title Signora Da Vincci, Maxwell decided to first talk about her life, art and family and how all three elements play a big part of her writing career.
It was 7/11 2006, what Maxwell calls her personal 9/11. She was at her home in the high desert of CA with her husband when they heard the fires were approaching their property. The two were inside deciding what to do when a helicopter dumped several gallons of water on their house.
Packing everything they had and their pets in two cars, they drove away from their house. As they were driving away from everything that was dear to them, the two- car cargo faced a solid wall of fire at the end of heir driveway.
For Maxwell this was a defining moment. One of her biggest fears was burning to death and here she was forced to confront a very legitimate fear. In short she had to summon up the courage, like all of the historic heroines she’s written about, and basically walk/drive through the wall of fire. It was either follow the man she loved OR risk being burned to death. Between all of these life or death decisions, she watched her life flicker by as she sat in front of raging flames slowly approaching her.
Maxwell grew up in a very conflicting and stern household. “My mother said she would move mountains if they got in the way of what I wanted.” While her father, was a very dominant figure that made sure she grew up to be a ‘proper’ Jewish girl. As she was growing up, Maxwell was inexplicably drawn to the story of the Tudors, particularly to Ann Boleyn.
She developed an obsession with Ann Boleyn, which became the subject of her first novel, The Secret Diary of Ann Boleyn. Maxwell identified with Boleyn by way of Boleyn’s father, who was a cold-hearted servant to Henry the 8th. Boleyn stood up to her father and his decision of basically selling her to the King. Why? Because she wanted to marry for love, which was unheard of back then. For Maxwell, Boleyn was a source of inspiration to stand up for what she believed in. Maxwell did end up marrying for love, something that Boleyn could never have.
For her second novel, Maxwell delved into the life of Queen Elizabeth who had Henry the 8th mental astuteness and Boleyn’s tenacity. At the age of 25 she took the throne and defied every social norm that was expected of her. She did not marry a man and give all her royal powers to him, like she should have. Instead she brought religious tolerance to England and towards the end of her 44 years as queen she brought on a genocidal war against the people of Ireland. Which set her up against, head to head, with the mother of the Irish Rebellion, Grace O’Malley.
Grace O’Malley is said to be the author’s greatest inspiration. Brought up on her father’s pirate ships she managed the largest fleet in Ireland. Traveling to the far corners of the world. She had an element of mobility that Queen Elizabeth never had.
By writing about these courageous females that helped shape our history in a big way, you could say their strength rubbed off on the historical fiction author and gave her the guts to face her fears, drive through the wall of fire and follow the love her life.
Yet for her most recent title Signora Da Vincci, Maxwell explored the character of the mother of one the greatest men of the 20th century. There isn’t much that we know about Katherine Da Vincci, other than Leonardo was taken away from her the day after he was born. But Maxwell figured this mystery woman would do everything in her power even move mountains, for her child.
Perhaps the lesson that Maxwell unintentionally wanted the audience to take away from these stories about her life and of her characters is don’t let anything stand in the way of what you want. Only when you give up the things that you believe in and are true to you does your life end up in ashes.
Clouds and Fire
In the heart of North Hills, tucked away in a blue and red building are the offices of Cloud and Fire Ministries, a faith-based non-profit organization. Located in a Hispanic and gang heavy community, Cloud and Fire offer at risk kids an alternative place to hang out bedsides the streets. Founder, Melody Rossi, and the staff at Cloud and Fire, are dedicated to taking care of these kids. By doing so, they are able to create a safe and positive place where kids are given the chance to thrive.
What started as a weekly tutoring session, in six years has developed into a center where kids can get the attention they need on all levels: from homework to dealing with emotional issues. “Club” as the kids have dubbed it, has become more like an extended family.
connect with the kids. Some of these kids have parents who work hard and long hours and are unable to meet their needs. Some of these kids may have siblings or relatives in gangs. The staff at Cloud and Fire work to help these kids by providing them with a range of services. Among their many tutorial programs are their job placement programs, youth worship services, and annual camping trips. But what is unique to Cloud and Fire Ministries, is their anger management program which is funded by the Latino Coalition.
Melody Rossi and Carol Walker, a teacher and volunteer, head the program and have developed a curriculum to meet the needs of the kids in juvenile camps. The organization works closely with one particular Camp Mendenhall.
Now, Emma is a staff member working as the Youth Coordinator, running the tutoring sessions and organizing activities. She is there to ensure the next generation of kids that attend “Club” get the same kind of genuine support that she received.
As for future plans for the organization, Cloud and Fire plan to expand their programs and move into a larger facility that can accommodate all the kids that participate in their programs. Cloud and Fire Ministries have plans to incorporate a continuation school for kids who come out of Juvenile camp. Also, by partner with Habitat for Humanity, San Fernando, these kids can acquire job skills as they help to rebuild their community in North Hills.
For more information about Cloud and Fire, you can visit their website: www.cloudandfire.org.
What started as a weekly tutoring session, in six years has developed into a center where kids can get the attention they need on all levels: from homework to dealing with emotional issues. “Club” as the kids have dubbed it, has become more like an extended family.
“It’s all about family here,” says Kelly Gerhart, one of the staff members. Kelly works on researching grants and foundations, “who would want to invest in the daily lives of these kids.”The tutoring programs offered by the organization are a minor part of the work they do. They
connect with the kids. Some of these kids have parents who work hard and long hours and are unable to meet their needs. Some of these kids may have siblings or relatives in gangs. The staff at Cloud and Fire work to help these kids by providing them with a range of services. Among their many tutorial programs are their job placement programs, youth worship services, and annual camping trips. But what is unique to Cloud and Fire Ministries, is their anger management program which is funded by the Latino Coalition.
Melody Rossi and Carol Walker, a teacher and volunteer, head the program and have developed a curriculum to meet the needs of the kids in juvenile camps. The organization works closely with one particular Camp Mendenhall.
“The [reform] program [at these facilities] was not through enough," says Kelly.Through the Cloud and Fire program, Melody and Carol work with these kids one on one to figure out what triggers their anger. To identify these causes, sometimes the youth have to process their past. (The anger management program at Cloud and Fire serve about 100 kids a year)
“It’s really about getting t the core of the person.” Kelly says, "and it’s really about providing an emotional support system for these kids as well.One person who has been directly affected by this support system, is Emma Barajas. Emma was introduced to Cloud and Fire Ministries through a friend of hers in high school.
“It felt different,” Emma says about the environment and the people who are apart of Cloud and Fire, “a genuine acceptance,” she continues, “in high school you’re always looking for that, you’re always looking to be accepted and cared for.Emma recounts a time when Melody and the staff at Cloud and Fire were there for her. It was her sophomore year in high school when her mother fell ill.
“We were told by doctors that was dieing and I was devastated. I missed, weeks of school taking care of my mom. I talked to my teachers but there was nothing they could do. I was still failing my classes. And I was not a bad student.”She thought about taking classes at a continuation school, or work out a way that she could finish her degree and be home to take care of her mother. On one of her visits back from the hospital, Emma stopped by the “Club” and talked to Melody about her plans. But Melody encouraged her to stay in school and with the support of the people there she managed to get through some of the most difficult times of her youth.
Now, Emma is a staff member working as the Youth Coordinator, running the tutoring sessions and organizing activities. She is there to ensure the next generation of kids that attend “Club” get the same kind of genuine support that she received.
As for future plans for the organization, Cloud and Fire plan to expand their programs and move into a larger facility that can accommodate all the kids that participate in their programs. Cloud and Fire Ministries have plans to incorporate a continuation school for kids who come out of Juvenile camp. Also, by partner with Habitat for Humanity, San Fernando, these kids can acquire job skills as they help to rebuild their community in North Hills.
For more information about Cloud and Fire, you can visit their website: www.cloudandfire.org.
Excuse Me, Waitress? But...
How do you judge a self-help book? After reading cover to cover how do you gauge whether or not the recommended advise really worked? Even after you’ve faithfully completed the exercises.
Perhaps the best way to decide is to see how you feel while reading the book and how you feel afterward. If you’ve been moved, motivated or even empowered to do something, to heed the advise spelled out on the pages to help change your current circumstances.
Well, this particular book speaks true to many people who might find themselves in a life they did not see themselves having. The title, This Is Not The Life I Ordered, is co-written by Deborah Collins Stephens, Jackie Speier, Michealene Cristini Rosley and Jan Yanehiro. Throughout the pages of this book are the collective stories of four friends, who would get together every month for “kitchen-table coaching sessions.” Through each others support the foursome has seen each other through some difficult times: from martial problems, career success, to financial ruin. From each experience endured and lesson learned, valuable wisdom was gained and it’s all shared in this book.
It would be great if you could turn to someone and say, “This Is Not the Life I Ordered,” every time life handed you a cold plate of unexpected misfortunes. Unfortunately, that is not the case. However, in nine accessible chapters, the book covers “50 ways to keep your head above water when life keeps dragging you down.”
Each chapter is filled with practical advise that can help anyone navigate through the pitfalls of life. The chapters are further divided into sections that help tackle or view the problem the chapter is discussing. Besides personal stories from from one or all of the co-authors, each section includes stories from other successful and admirable women who have conquered mountains to get to where they are today as well as blazing the trail for other women. Also found in each chapter are clever cartoons as well as inspirational quotes from such women like Amelia Earhart, Maya Angelou and Cher which makes this book engaging to the reader. At the end of each chapter are suggested discussion topics for you to talk about with your friends at one of your own “Kitchen-Conversations.” The exercises are no quick-fix solutions. They require honest answers and a commitment to follow through.
Though you may stray off of your own course every now and again, the circle of friends you surround yourself and talk to will not let you forget your goals. This group of people that you can lean on is an essential component to this book’s message. The Co-authors agree, it is vital to have your friends around you when overcoming difficulties. In fact the very first exercise is to create this support group if there isn’t one already in place.
Along with a strong support system, the book also emphasizes that life is essentially in your hands. Even if you feel like you are trapped in some spiral of despair and have no other options in front of you, the book stresses to remember: there is always a way. All the dark days you might be going through currently , remember: it’s only temporary. Keep on thinking positively. What’s important is to have the courage to persevere no matter what. Courage is a muscle, it needs to be flexed and it needs to be exercised. These are the unique tools that these co-authors have learned to develop and now they are passing on this wisdom earned from their own experiences onto you, the reader. In hopes that when life dishes out something you did not ask for, you will know how to act and not re-act to the circumstances at hand.
The Symmetry of Snow
In the ancient Armenian city of Kars, our main character finds himself caught in a storm of love, politics, betrayal, and loss, all re- corded in the poems written in his green notebook, all veiled under a thick sheet of snow.
Snow, is about the author’s search for the green notebook of his deceased friend, Ka. While the structure of the novel is a bit confusing at times with only a few references to Armenia or Armenians, the story is intriguing, and the sincerity of the author’s voice is genuine and heartfelt. However, at times the emotional impact suffers, because something seems to be lost in the translation.
In the course of the story, the author switches point of view as well as time. The novel contains both Ka’s experience while he is in Kars and also the author’s experience, four years later. In the first fifteen chapters, Orhan Pamuk writes from his friend’s perspective, which he’s gathered from the notes and journal entries Ka had written while in Kars.
In Kars, Ka tries to find traces of his childhood while the city’s landscape is covered in snow. The snow, no matter how incessantly it falls or floats from the sky, cannot deter Ka’s attention from the decrepit state of the city. The dilapidated condition of the people is something the snow is unable to shroud under its pristine blanket either. And underneath this cool white cloak, the political tension in Kars is high, especially when a girl commits suicide by hanging herself with her head-scarf. The tension escalates when the secularist actor Sunay Zahim stages a coup d’etat on the state’s behalf. Meanwhile, the elusive criminal known as Blue directs underground religious revolutionary agents trying to stop the takeover. Ka is caught in the middle of this feud and reluctantly becomes the mediator between these two camps. This is where the author and narrator departs from Ka’s story to his own.
The author breaks the narrative wall in the second part of the novel and expresses grief over his friend’s untimely death as he rummages through Ka’s things and even travels to Kars looking for the green notebook, the one Ka had mentioned several times in his letters to Orhan. According to these letters, every time Ka felt a poem forming he would pull out his green notebook and quickly jot the words down as they delicately drifted like snowflakes in his ear.
The only way had Ka endured the political strife in Kars was because he was writing poetry again: moments of keen and extreme joy would fill within him when the urge to write a poem struck Ka. These bursts of inspiration were so powerful that Ka believed he was being inspired to write them through divine intervention. The writing was precious to Ka and it becomes priceless for Orhan. It is at this intersection that we begin to see he symmetry the author, Orhan Pamuk, lays for us and continues throughout the book. From here till the end of the novel both Ka’s and Orhan’s story in Kars are weaved seamlessly together. The two stories, though four years apart, live and coexist between the pages of this book. It’s as if it were two souls residing in one body. It is the delicate symmetry between these two stories that hold the whole book together.
Though it is the green notebook that pulls the story forward, it’s also the reason why this novel was written and why it bears the title of the poetry collection Ka would have published if he ever had the chance. Orhan Pamuk may have never found the green notebook but in some small way he preserves them within the pages of this book.
Chris Bohjalian’s Novel, The Double Bind
... is a gripping story that provokes nail biting as well as thought. It’s completely captivating at each and every turn. As the story moves forward with some momentum, you cannot help but be caught in its compelling current.
This action takes place in Burlington, Vermont, and centers around Laurel Eastbrook. We learn early on that Laurel was “nearly raped” when she was a sophomore in college (p. 1). The prologue de- scribes how Laurel was biking on a remote dirt path in Underhill when a van cut her off at a pass and two masked men jumped out and at- tacked her. She could have taken her foot off the pedal to pivot and bolt in the opposite direction, but she was wearing a special kind of bike cleats that snapped into the pedal. She was literally locked into her bike. Laurel attests that it was her bike that saved her. Her assailants were unable to pry her off no matter how hard they tried.
Yet, curiously, the whole episode is described with a matter- of-fact tone, with no emotional hues, as the novel segues into the story. The first chapter introduces the reader to Pamela Buchanan Marshfield, the daughter of the in- famous Daisy and Tom Buchanan, from Scott Fitzgerald’s days of the roaring twenties. The novel is also peppered with photos that are explained in the author’s note. And from time to time chapters are separated by what appears to be physiatrists' notes on an unidentified subject, which is revealed at the end of novel. But this is only a part of the enthralling story that the reader follows.
As the novel trails back to Laurel, we find out that she is working as a social worker at a home-less shelter, “BEDS.” Our narrator, who follows Laurel closely, explains that since the incident, she has traded biking for swimming and for the most part withdrawn from her normal social life, reducing her circle of friends to only a few: her boss, Katherine, and her roommate, Talia.
Of course one can read these actions as calculated attempts by any victim who has survived a traumatic experience, a sort of defense or self-preservation on the part of the victim. Easily overlooked. But these subtle details are clues that Bohjalian carefully places and we need to keep in mind despite the calm tone of the novel.
These actions also demonstrate Laurel’s fragility. Even the slightest hint of anything that would remind her of that day could crack the physiological wall she built to block that part of her past. It wasn’t until Katherine asked Laurel to sift through some photographs a former client of theirs had left behind that things changed.
Bobbie Corker was a favorite personality at the shelter and for people who had worked there. After he passed away, his caseworker found a box of old photos, snap- shots, and negatives. The items were passed down to Laurel to review, since photography was a hob- by of hers. In these pictures, Laurel comes across a photo of a girl on a bike riding an all-to0-familiar dirt road. Immediately, Laurel feels an eerie resemblance between her and the girl in the picture. Though it’s a slightly blurred shot, Laurel becomes obsessed to find out if it is and if in fact she and Bobbie Crocker have some kind of bizarre connection.
From this moment on, the thrilling journey begins, with breathtaking revelations as Laurel uncovers the dark secrets of the Buchanan family history. By using the photos as chronological clues, Laurel tries to piece together and imagine Bobbie Crocker’s past. But there are still gaps of missing information, which lead to questions that drive her to work tirelessly to piece the puzzle of Bobbie Crocker’s life: Why did his family disregard one of their own because he was schizophrenic? How does a man with so much talent end up homeless and on the streets? Why was his family dismissing his existence all together?
This is one of issues that Bohjalian subtlety addresses through his literary thriller. In his author’s note he states that this book started when a social worker friend of his showed him photos a client had taken during his career. Though the character, Bobbie Crocker is completely fictitious, it is interesting that subject of the story is attached to homelessness. Bohjalian says, “We tend to stigmatize the homeless and blame them for their plight. We are oblivious to the fact that most had lives as serious as our own before everything fell apart” (p. ix).
Another fascinating aspect of this novel and the most interesting, besides the great storyline, is the title: Double Bind. Much of the structure of the whole piece rests on its meaning, but I will say no more about it.
On the whole the novel is a great summer read, and the story will bewilder you days afterward. Bohjalain has an incredible sense of suspense and uses it masterfully in his craft.
All is Fair In Love and Money
News of Viken Berberian’s second novel has been all over the Armenian Reporter lately: from a one-on-one interview with the author, to an excerpt, to a segment in last week’s issue covering his reading in Glendale. Reading these articles I became curious to demystify this highly anticipated novel, Das Kapital. Judging from the title I thought it best to have a “Karl Marx for Dummies” handbook by my side in case I encountered any daunting language I had to decode.Thankfully, the story is not bogged down with heavy or complex ideas about money or love. The novel concentrates more on ideas than on imagery. The two characters we follow embody the age-old tension between humans and nature. Wayne, the Stock Market Cowboy, profits from economic melt- downs. He has what Berberian refers to in a previous interview as a “counterintuitive mind.” People who make money from the stock market generally do so by betting the market will go up. Wayne, however, profits when whole civilizations meet a catastrophic end.
This is why he favors human progress at the expense of nature. The more humans progress, the greater are the chances of economic devastation, and that inevitably means more money in Wayne’s pockets, since he is in the business of betting against the market. He has great disdain for nature and sees it as a nuisance, in the way of his own gain. Wayne’s adversary, the Corsican, is his complete opposite in the ideological warfare between humans and nature.
This gentle giant believes in the conservation of nature and the importance of protecting it from the threatening advances of humans. He has a “secret pact with nature to restore its honor.” But, alas, the Corsican needs sustainable income. And he works at Buscati, a lumbering company in Corsica. “With each swing of the axe [the Corsican] chip[s] away at his beliefs and sometimes at the end of the day his body convulse[s] from the shock of mechanized pogroms he and his friends commit against nature” (p. 15). Meanwhile, Wayne dreams about economic disasters on an apocalyptic scale with an “ocular smile.”
The two ideological opposites cross paths when, unknowingly, they fall in love with the same girl, Alix, an architecture student living in Marseille. It is the Corsican who meets her first; he encourages her to contact Wayne at his firm, Empiricus, and find out the nature of his relationship to Buscati. The correspondence between Alix and Wayne quickly turns from innocent inquires to erotic emails, just as her affection for the timid Corsican is depreciating. The Corsican, heartbroken by the end of their relationship, finds out who Alix has replaced him with and plans his vengeance.
While reading Das Kapital, I was immediately struck by the airy and light tone Berberian cultivates with the words he uses. They are specific and sparse. Berberian cleverly constructs phrases and sentences like “ocular smile” or “the singular and undeviating smugness of its hills, standing stubbornly in the way of human progress.” This is a refreshing new writing style.
And yet, even though the love triangle binds the characters to the narrative, they still feel somewhat distant from the reader. Perhaps it’s because of the philosophical nature of the book or it’s a part of Berberian’s ethereal style that makes it difficult for one to relate to the characters. Nevertheless, Das Kapital, is a light read both lit- erally and figuratively; it presents a fresh new voice and style.
The Vein or the Vine?
There is something so Americana about the 1950s.
With the rise of home appliances, television, and the muscle car, the decade seems to be the turning point of progress. However the stereotypical picture is very white, leaving immigrant cultures and agricultural life by the way- side. Not even in the backdrop.
This is where Bloodvine, written by Aris Janigian, begins.
At the very edge of the decade, 1959, we are transported back in time to the heartland of California, where a culture tries to survive by maintaining a community away from the odars. Two brothers (actually they’re half-brothers) share 50 acres of land bequeathed to them when their mother died. The two are small-time farmers in the big business of raisins. Andy has worked this land with his brother Abe for as long as he can remember.
The story revolves around what happens between these two brothers and the piece of dirt. Our narrator goes back into his father’s past to piece together the series of events that leads to the great chasm between these brothers and everyone who had a hand in creating it. What is fascinating about this story are the characters that surround Andy, short for Andranick. Andy is a first-generation Armenian- American. His character teeters between the world of the odars, the non-Armenian, and that of his people. Though he is invested in his community and church, compared to the rest of his family he is progressive in his thinking.
Whereas Abe can be described as your stereotypical kiughatsi (peasant): crude, ill-mannered, jealous, and highly superstitious where money is concerned. He has suffered great trauma in World War II. He is susceptible to his wife’s manipulations. Zabel, Andy’s sister-in-law, is an unforgiving, harsh wench who plants and nurtures the dispute between Abe and Andy. Then, there is the mother-in-law, Angel, who is deviously superstitious and untrusting of anyone or thing and is always on guard for that wandering evil eye. These are the forces that try to squeeze the very juice out of our hero, Andy.
With this cluster of characters, Janigian conveys a spectrum of personalities, phobias, and mentalities of Armenians after the Genocide, World War I, and World War II, who are trying to survive in a new country that doesn’t particularly care for them.
It’s hard to believe that at one point Fresno was not run by Armenians. Though it has become a cornerstone of the Armenian-American community, there was a time when Armenians were discriminated against there. Janigian merely touches on this point, but it’s important to note how deep Armenian roots in this country have grown: so much so that it warrants a separate branch in American history. Janigian gives us a glimpse of Armenian minds that have been damaged because of the Genocide or skewed because of war. The author points to almost every quirk and weirdness that exists in the culture and makes them so unique.
These quirks are placed within his characters with compassion drawing out the reasons or the root of these symptoms. One of the strengths of this book lies within his characters. On another note, one can’t help but wonder if this story also means to be an allegorical tale as well, referring to the unceasing hostility between Armenians and Turks. Wasn’t there a time they called each other brothers? Is the author saying something, in this regard, with his words so cleverly hidden between the lips of his characters?
“You think a people that went through such hell would stick together at any price. You’d think the last thing they’d do is start hacking at each other. But once they’ve got some dirt beneath them, that’s the first thing they do.” (p. 218)
Perhaps it’s the author’s intention to expose an unhealthy attachment to land. On the one hand, there’s great love we pour into the land we cultivate. On the other, it becomes a sickness when we’re unable to let it go. It turns brothers against each other. These issues hang like a gauzy canopy over the story, told through Janigian’s prose, raw and rich like the earth itself. It churns with great emotion and exposes all the beauty of our culture. The story and prose both bare the question, if blood is thicker than water, is it also resilient to land?
