Our local movie theater has once again let me down. They've chosen, for whatever reason, not to show what is arguably the most important movie of the year: Selma. With racial issues at the forefront of our national conversation right now, this should be a picture everyone sees. I wasn't completely surprised by our theater's decision: they did this a few years ago when Lincoln came out. It took them more than three months before they decided to show it, and only after it had won the Oscar and people complained. I'm not nearly as optimistic that they will ever get around to showing Selma.
We do, however, have American Sniper, a movie that I won't be going to see.
Before you break out the pitchforks, let me make one thing clear. I have nothing against those people who dedicate their lives to the military. I was a military brat; my father served in the military, as have several other family members, friends, and students. I've seen the sacrifices that they have made, the trauma they have gone through, the accomplishments they've had, the silence they keep.
However, none of that will make me go see American Sniper. From everything I've heard, Bradley Cooper gives an amazing performance as Chris Kyle, the Texas sniper who served four tours in Iraq. However, it's the things that Clint Eastwood deliberately left out of the movie, things that Kyle bragged about in his autobiography, that convinced me to not see this picture. If we want to tell the true story of our soldiers, we need to be completely honest--about everything.
Kyle lied in his autobiography. He said he was stationed on top of the Superdome after Katrina and picked off 30 looters. A lie. He said he killed a pair of car hijackers in Texas. Another lie. He was also sued by Jesse Ventura after he claimed to have punched out the former Minnesota governor in a bar. Yet another lie. Ventura won the lawsuit. (Jarvis DeBerry goes into more detail on these lies in his article here.)
Kyle also bragged about the kills he made during his tours in Iraq. He enjoyed killing people. I'm not discounting the work he did: a sniper's work is to make things safer for other soldiers. I do have an issue with someone who loves killing other human beings.
It's obvious that Kyle had serious PTSD issues. I have no doubt that the lies he told come from a desire to remain a "hero" once he was back on American soil, but that doesn't excuse the lies, nor the omission of this part of Kyle's story in the movie. Manipulating a story that much gives people a false impression of what Kyle did and how he lived his life (or what he said about his life), especially when many people take these stories as "absolute truth" rather than a fictionalized account of what happened.*
I'm sure American Sniper will win Best Picture. It should be Selma.
*I know Selma has been accused of historical inaccuracies as well. However, there's a difference between showing LBJ as reluctant on civil rights, and ignoring major lies in an individual's autobiography.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Rabbit Hole #5: My top five reads of 2014
I read a lot of great books last year, including a lot of nonfiction, which is new for me. But out of all of them, these are the five that have stayed with me the most. (Some of these I've written about before, but they definitely deserve another mention.)
Because all of these are so different, I didn't rank them. So, in no particular order, the best books I read last year are:
Americanah by Chiamanda Ngozi Adiche: I can't say enough good things about this book. Ifemelu and Obinze are young Nigerian sweethearts who dream of going to the United States for college. Ifemelu experiences America and comes to terms for the first time with what it means to be black. She also notices distinct differences between African-Americans and the African immigrants around her. Obinze ends up living on the fringes, undocumented, in London after post-9/11 America shuts its doors to him. The struggles both of these young people go through, including love, tragedy, racism, and class, eventually bring both of them back to Nigeria, where life is both the same, yet very different, from the country they left.
This description doesn't even come close to describing Adiche's lyrical prose and character development. I've read most of her work (Purple Hibiscus is on my list for this year), and she is just getting better and better as a writer. Definitely check her work out!!
The Ocean at the End of the Land by Neil Gaiman: This was my first Gaiman read, but it's not going to be my last. I have The Graveyard Book on my nightstand, and the rest of his work is on my to-be-read list.
The narrator returns to his home in Sussex to attend a funeral. Although his childhood home no longer stands, the Hempstock Farm at the end of the lane does. Inexplicably drawn to the Farm, the narrator finds himself reliving long forgotten memories from his childhood. When he is seven, a visiting South African opal miner commits suicide on the Hempstock Farm. An ancient entity hears his dying sounds and comes to investigate. People begin to act strangely, and the narrator crosses to the Farm to discover the cause. There he encounters eleven year old Lettie, her mother, and grandmother. The women talk of other worlds, times beyond, and the Big Bang. Lettie sets out to banish the ancient force, taking the narrator with her. Unfortunately, he makes a mistake, unleashing the force out of the Farm and into his world. She takes the form of Ursula, who manipulates his parents and sister, drawing out everyone's darkest desires. In order to save him, the women must call upon ancient female wisdom, and risk everything in the process.
Gaiman is a master storyteller. This work is dark, creepy, magical, and soul-wrenching, everything a good fantasy novel should be.
A Reason for Hope by Dr. Jane Goodall: Forget Woman Crush Wednesday, Dr. Goodall is one of my idols. I am so, so grateful I was able to hear her speak in person this year. This work came at just the right time, as I was starting to be pulled down into the darkness of the world between the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, Ferguson, Gamergate, gun violence--you name it, it was dragging my soul down this summer. In addition to detailing her early work with the chimpanzees of Gombe and her creation of Roots and Shoots, and children's environmental program, Goodall discusses her spirituality, and how her belief in a higher power has helped her through the most difficult times in her career.
Some may find her beliefs incompatible with a scientific background (she has no problems reconciling them with evolution and even reincarnation), but for many who read this, it will prove reassuring. In fact, I have a feeling this is one that I will be coming back to.
Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay: If you haven't read this, stop what you are doing and find a copy. Now. I'll wait. I don't care if you're male, female, black, white, gay, straight, Christian or Muslim. This is a must-read collection of essays on feminism, rape culture, music, pop culture, gender, and even football and Scrabble. (Gay even spent several years of her life in my home state of Nebraska.) She addresses the complexities of our society, trying to navigate modern life while trying to be a feminist (There IS no right way to be a feminist, by the way. Just a desire to see true equality and justice for everyone, men and women.)
This was one of the last books I read last year, and it's probably going to be a reread this year. It's that good and thought-provoking.
The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud: I first read Claire Messud's The Emperor's Children in 2008. I was blown away. It remains one of my favorite books, but this one may have overtaken it. The story is narrated by 37 year old elementary art teacher, Nora Elridge. Nora has all but given up on her dream of becoming a professional artist, until she meets the family of a new student in her class, Reza Shahid. She falls in love with the entire family, including Reza's mother, Sirena, who is a talented installation artist. Sirena is everything Nora has longed to be: charismatic, beautiful, and talented. Nora and Sirena rent a studio together, where Nora begins to return to her own work. But, as in any fairytale existence, things are not always what they seem. Betrayal, deception, and lies soon take over this perfect union.
This is a powerful novel, and although Nora may not be a completely reliable narrator, her voice is utterly compelling, showing the plight of many women who have given up their dreams to live the dreams expected of them.
Five books. Five amazing stories. I'm looking forward to what this year's reading brings; it's already looking good. Check out Emily St. John Mandel's terrific dystopian novel, Station Eleven!
Because all of these are so different, I didn't rank them. So, in no particular order, the best books I read last year are:
Americanah by Chiamanda Ngozi Adiche: I can't say enough good things about this book. Ifemelu and Obinze are young Nigerian sweethearts who dream of going to the United States for college. Ifemelu experiences America and comes to terms for the first time with what it means to be black. She also notices distinct differences between African-Americans and the African immigrants around her. Obinze ends up living on the fringes, undocumented, in London after post-9/11 America shuts its doors to him. The struggles both of these young people go through, including love, tragedy, racism, and class, eventually bring both of them back to Nigeria, where life is both the same, yet very different, from the country they left.
This description doesn't even come close to describing Adiche's lyrical prose and character development. I've read most of her work (Purple Hibiscus is on my list for this year), and she is just getting better and better as a writer. Definitely check her work out!!
The Ocean at the End of the Land by Neil Gaiman: This was my first Gaiman read, but it's not going to be my last. I have The Graveyard Book on my nightstand, and the rest of his work is on my to-be-read list.
The narrator returns to his home in Sussex to attend a funeral. Although his childhood home no longer stands, the Hempstock Farm at the end of the lane does. Inexplicably drawn to the Farm, the narrator finds himself reliving long forgotten memories from his childhood. When he is seven, a visiting South African opal miner commits suicide on the Hempstock Farm. An ancient entity hears his dying sounds and comes to investigate. People begin to act strangely, and the narrator crosses to the Farm to discover the cause. There he encounters eleven year old Lettie, her mother, and grandmother. The women talk of other worlds, times beyond, and the Big Bang. Lettie sets out to banish the ancient force, taking the narrator with her. Unfortunately, he makes a mistake, unleashing the force out of the Farm and into his world. She takes the form of Ursula, who manipulates his parents and sister, drawing out everyone's darkest desires. In order to save him, the women must call upon ancient female wisdom, and risk everything in the process.
Gaiman is a master storyteller. This work is dark, creepy, magical, and soul-wrenching, everything a good fantasy novel should be.
A Reason for Hope by Dr. Jane Goodall: Forget Woman Crush Wednesday, Dr. Goodall is one of my idols. I am so, so grateful I was able to hear her speak in person this year. This work came at just the right time, as I was starting to be pulled down into the darkness of the world between the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, Ferguson, Gamergate, gun violence--you name it, it was dragging my soul down this summer. In addition to detailing her early work with the chimpanzees of Gombe and her creation of Roots and Shoots, and children's environmental program, Goodall discusses her spirituality, and how her belief in a higher power has helped her through the most difficult times in her career.
Some may find her beliefs incompatible with a scientific background (she has no problems reconciling them with evolution and even reincarnation), but for many who read this, it will prove reassuring. In fact, I have a feeling this is one that I will be coming back to.
Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay: If you haven't read this, stop what you are doing and find a copy. Now. I'll wait. I don't care if you're male, female, black, white, gay, straight, Christian or Muslim. This is a must-read collection of essays on feminism, rape culture, music, pop culture, gender, and even football and Scrabble. (Gay even spent several years of her life in my home state of Nebraska.) She addresses the complexities of our society, trying to navigate modern life while trying to be a feminist (There IS no right way to be a feminist, by the way. Just a desire to see true equality and justice for everyone, men and women.)
This was one of the last books I read last year, and it's probably going to be a reread this year. It's that good and thought-provoking.
The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud: I first read Claire Messud's The Emperor's Children in 2008. I was blown away. It remains one of my favorite books, but this one may have overtaken it. The story is narrated by 37 year old elementary art teacher, Nora Elridge. Nora has all but given up on her dream of becoming a professional artist, until she meets the family of a new student in her class, Reza Shahid. She falls in love with the entire family, including Reza's mother, Sirena, who is a talented installation artist. Sirena is everything Nora has longed to be: charismatic, beautiful, and talented. Nora and Sirena rent a studio together, where Nora begins to return to her own work. But, as in any fairytale existence, things are not always what they seem. Betrayal, deception, and lies soon take over this perfect union.
This is a powerful novel, and although Nora may not be a completely reliable narrator, her voice is utterly compelling, showing the plight of many women who have given up their dreams to live the dreams expected of them.
Five books. Five amazing stories. I'm looking forward to what this year's reading brings; it's already looking good. Check out Emily St. John Mandel's terrific dystopian novel, Station Eleven!
Friday, January 23, 2015
Rabbit Hole #4: 2015 Read Harder Challenge--January
I've never been one to post reading goals. I tend to read about 50 books a year, which, given I'm teaching English full-time and grading papers, is not too bad; although, I wish I could read more. But this year, one of my favorite bookish sites, BookRiot, posted a reading challenge for 2015. It's not about reading MORE books, but varying the types of books you read. Happily, I have books currently that fit some of the categories, and I have more on my to-be-read (TBR) list that also fit the criteria. I'm excited to do this, not because I don't already read a wide variety of genres, but it forces you to stretch a bit (not sure about the romance and audiobook ones, though). So here's my list, and I'll be updating it throughout the year. I've also posted the link to BookRiot below. They have some great lists of titles if you decide you also want to participate. If you are a reader, definitely check them out!
Read Harder 2015 Challenge To Date: (ones finished in blue)
A book written by someone when they were under 25:
A book written by someone when they were over the age of 65:
A collection of short stories:
A book published by an indie press:
A book by or about someone who identifies as LGBTQ:
A book by someone of a different gender than you: Shooting Victoria: Madness, Mayhem, and the Rebirth of the British Monarchy by Paul Thomas Murphy
A book that takes place in Asia:
A book by an author from Africa:
A book by or about someone from an indigenous culture:
A microhistory:
A YA novel:
A sci-fi novel:
A romance novel:
A National Book Award, Man Booker Prize or Pulitzer from last decade:
A book that is a retelling of a classic story:
An audiobook:
A collection of poetry: Once by Alice Walker
A book that someone else recommended to you:
A book originally published in another language:
A graphic novel, memoir or collection of comics:
A guilty pleasure:
A book published before 1850:
A book published this year:
A self-improvement book:
Here's the link: BookRiot.com
Check out BookRiot's podcasts and YouTube channel as well!
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