Writing for the Los Angeles Review of Books

I was thrilled to be asked to write a review for Los Angeles Review of Books.  It can be exciting and scary writing a review.  I'm asked to bring my best critical thinking skills--which is good!  However, sometimes a book can be a real stinker--which is bad.  Fortunately, that was not the experience reviewing Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan.

From the review:

Fortunately, Levithan did not write a mere “It Gets Better” novel. Thank Gawd! “It Gets Better,” a ubiquitous phrase to discourage gay youth from committing suicide, was uttered by every LGBT ally, including President Obama. It was a pat message telling young queers to hold-on-and-things-will-look-up. What was missing in the messaging was this: it only gets better if we make it so. This kiss in Levithan’s novel is a defiant act, one that has actual strength.


The full review can be found here.

"Faces of Hope" Book Sales Soar

From Publishers Lunch:

Arizona Tragedy Highlights Book of 9/11 Babies

The death of nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green in the Arizona shootings has brought national attention to a previously-overlooked 2002 book from HCI, FACES OF HOPE. The title presents pictures of 50 babies born on 9/11/2001, one from each state, along with messages of hope for their future, with Green's baby picture representing Arizona.

For anyone who missed the first wave of attention for the book, President Obama cited it again in last night's nationally-televised speech: "As has already been mentioned, Christina was given to us on September 11th, 2001, one of 50 babies born that day to be pictured in a book called Faces of Hope. On either side of her photo in that book were simple wishes for a child's life. "I hope you help those in need," read one. "I hope you know all the words to the National Anthem and sing it with your hand over your heart." "I hope you jump in rain puddles." If there are rain puddles in Heaven, Christina is jumping in them today."

HCI director of communications Kim Weiss tells us they were already receiving reorders for the book--including a sizable order from Ingram--prior to last night's speech, and demand has only increased. The company, which prints its own books, will be back on press later today for "a significant number" of new copies that is still being determined, and Weiss expects it will take them two days to turn around the new books. They have a modest number of books still in their warehouse heading out today, with demand hitting online first but now expected to spread to bookstores. In-store stock was light, since the book had sold modestly after its 10,000-copy printing in 2002. While they did discuss a modest revision to the book in light of recent events, Weiss says they "decided not to."

Nobel and Mudslides

I am thrilled that Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. I'm hoping this will make it harder for the conservative right to aim useless attacks at a man trying to do some good for our country. Rush Limbaugh was a blowhard in the first place, but calling names at a Nobel Peace Prize winner just makes you look like an ogre kicking a puppy. When China gives grief to Nobel Peace Prize winner the Dalai Lama, they just look like one great big bully. This Prize will certainly affect dynamics in politics.

In other news, I'd been worried about people in the Philippines. They'd seen some real bad weather lately. Now, I'm particularly stressed because there are reports of mudslides in the Mountain Provinces of the Philippines, where my family is from. An area that was particularly hard hit was La Trinidad, Benquet Province--where my father's family is from! I e-mailed family members wondering about their safety. No word yet.

Literary Elitism

You see this woman on the left? Her name is Eleonor Clift. She was married to Brooks Clift, Montgomery Clifts brother. This woman was Montgomery Clift's sister in law!

BUT we probably best know her for her work in journalism. She wrote this aritlce here. The article talks about how the McCain camp might use the strategy of attacking Obama by calling him elite.

Though McCain comes from military royalty and married an heiress, Obama is the elite one. What a fine message to send to all of the men and women of color in America. God forbid you go to school and get an education, because you might be seen as uppity by white people.

I find this interesting. Republicans who aren't for Equal Opportunity Programs and believes that minorities need to work harder without relying on goverment programs. However, when someone like Obama comes along, they don't like it.

This whole things screams of racism. I'm surprised that no one isn't making more of a stink about this.

In the mean time, it's okay to have an idiot and a fake like Sarah Palin. Rachel Maddow hits the nail on the proverbial head.