Hey ya'll!
I know of The Devil in the White City because it's been on best sellers lists for awhile but I'd never heard of Jim the Boy. I finally got around to looking it up tonight and I found some links I thought I'd share with ya'll.
A NYT review of the book. There are links on this page to an interview with the author and a profile of him.
The first chapter of the book.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Windfalls "Beyond the End of Everything" Discussion Questions
Before I looked at this discussion questions for this section, I was wondering what the questions might be. For a not particularly uplifting book so far, this section seemed especially bleak and hopeless.
1. Travis ~ The battery in his talking toy is already starting to lose strength. This is a biggie, so don't fail to notice it. Cerise noticed the toy, but did not question why the battery was running down so quickly.
I think I may have missed this question here. I got the impression that Melody have replaced the battery in Travis's toy with the battery from the fire alarm, even though her mother told her specifically not to do that. Since that battery had already been in the fire alarm for some time maybe, it would run out more quickly.
2. Melody ~ Melody burned herself on "the red spiral of the element" (pp. 133-134), just as Cerise had burned herself "against the hot edge of the iron" (pp. 21-22), leaving "stripes on Cerise's wrists [that]turned to scabs" (p. 30). Why do people do things like this? A young woman told me once that cutting herself was less painful than her life, but I don't understand that thinking at all.
Maybe because it is easier to have some physical pain to concentrate on, even for a brief while, than having to think and be present in the unbearable pain that is their life. I have been told, by people and in school, that to them, it is a physical outlet for the emotional and mental pain they are unable to express in words or otherwise.
3. NICU ~ When Ellen was born (pp. 137-146), she was rushed to NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). Have you ever been in an NICU? Tell us about it.
The medical university where I went to grad school is attached to a large hospital downtown and I had several clerkships during school at that hospital as well as other hospitals in the area. I also have worked at that hospital since I graduated. So I have been in their NICU and PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) as well as the attached children's hospital during my clerkships and making deliveries for my job. It is always very sad to see the really sick children and babies, no matter how many times you see it. The air always seems filled with emotion, both the sadness and worry of the parents and their (and the staff's) hope.
4. Respirator ~ One of my granddaughters (not the one I mentioned last week) was in the NICU for the first days of her life and then was on a respirator, like Ellen. If you have experienced anything like this, please share.
Again, training and working in a hospital, I have seen babies, children, and adults hooked up to life sustaining machinery. With respirators, there is an odd quality to seeing someone breath so regularly since one breathing on their own isn't quite evenly regular, even when sleeping.
5. Cerise ~ After the fire in the trailer (pp. 157-160), Travis suffered "respiratory insufficiency" (p. 164) before he died (p. 171). That's hell in itself for a mother, but can you put yourself in Cerise's shoes enough to understand what she did after that?
Yes and no. Yes, I think I can understand her reasons for feeling this way and wanting these things having been in situations where I was overwhelmed by sadness and loss. But no, because I don't have children and I don't think anyone who hasn't lost a child can imagine what it is like to lose one.
6. Homeless ~ What would it be like to know, suddenly, that you were quite literally homeless? What would you do?
While I can't imagine a scenario where this could happen in my life as it is currently (too careful financial, a lot of family), that's not really the point of the question. Were I in a situation similar to Cerise, I think I'd be stunned and devastated. Cerise tries to go to the one people left she loves, Melody. I think I'd try to start over one small step at a time.
1. Travis ~ The battery in his talking toy is already starting to lose strength. This is a biggie, so don't fail to notice it. Cerise noticed the toy, but did not question why the battery was running down so quickly.
It sounded a little slow, the voice wearier than it had been the day before. Even though Travis would probably have another tantrum, Cerise hoped that meant the battery Melody had got for it was finally wearing out. She hated that toy. (p. 150)
I think I may have missed this question here. I got the impression that Melody have replaced the battery in Travis's toy with the battery from the fire alarm, even though her mother told her specifically not to do that. Since that battery had already been in the fire alarm for some time maybe, it would run out more quickly.
2. Melody ~ Melody burned herself on "the red spiral of the element" (pp. 133-134), just as Cerise had burned herself "against the hot edge of the iron" (pp. 21-22), leaving "stripes on Cerise's wrists [that]turned to scabs" (p. 30). Why do people do things like this? A young woman told me once that cutting herself was less painful than her life, but I don't understand that thinking at all.
Maybe because it is easier to have some physical pain to concentrate on, even for a brief while, than having to think and be present in the unbearable pain that is their life. I have been told, by people and in school, that to them, it is a physical outlet for the emotional and mental pain they are unable to express in words or otherwise.
3. NICU ~ When Ellen was born (pp. 137-146), she was rushed to NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). Have you ever been in an NICU? Tell us about it.
The medical university where I went to grad school is attached to a large hospital downtown and I had several clerkships during school at that hospital as well as other hospitals in the area. I also have worked at that hospital since I graduated. So I have been in their NICU and PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) as well as the attached children's hospital during my clerkships and making deliveries for my job. It is always very sad to see the really sick children and babies, no matter how many times you see it. The air always seems filled with emotion, both the sadness and worry of the parents and their (and the staff's) hope.
4. Respirator ~ One of my granddaughters (not the one I mentioned last week) was in the NICU for the first days of her life and then was on a respirator, like Ellen. If you have experienced anything like this, please share.
The first three days of Ellen's life, the alarm on her respirator rang so many times that Anna got almost used to the sickening flush of terror that swept over her each time it sounded. (p. 153)
Again, training and working in a hospital, I have seen babies, children, and adults hooked up to life sustaining machinery. With respirators, there is an odd quality to seeing someone breath so regularly since one breathing on their own isn't quite evenly regular, even when sleeping.
5. Cerise ~ After the fire in the trailer (pp. 157-160), Travis suffered "respiratory insufficiency" (p. 164) before he died (p. 171). That's hell in itself for a mother, but can you put yourself in Cerise's shoes enough to understand what she did after that?
Someone was speaking from the doorway. It was the young nurse ... Timidly she said, "We've called Travis's father, Ms. Johnson. And sent for the social worker and the chaplain. They'll be here any minute to talk to you. Is there anything -- should I stay with you until they come?"
Savagely Cerise shook her head. She didn't want the nurse to stay with her, didn't want to have to see Jake or the chaplain or the social worker, didn't want to have to do any of the things words were used to do -- explain, defend, excuse, or soothe. She wanted to be as alone in the room as she was in her anguish, wanted only to scream and howl and moan. But the nurse's question had diminished her to silence. ...
She bent to kiss him [Travis], but the thought came that she was kissing him good-bye, and her body convulsed, propelling her back from that abyss. She turned and stumbled from the room ... (p. 172).
Yes and no. Yes, I think I can understand her reasons for feeling this way and wanting these things having been in situations where I was overwhelmed by sadness and loss. But no, because I don't have children and I don't think anyone who hasn't lost a child can imagine what it is like to lose one.
6. Homeless ~ What would it be like to know, suddenly, that you were quite literally homeless? What would you do?
It was not until she stood on the street that she realized she had nowhere to go. ... She began to walk ... (p. 173).
While I can't imagine a scenario where this could happen in my life as it is currently (too careful financial, a lot of family), that's not really the point of the question. Were I in a situation similar to Cerise, I think I'd be stunned and devastated. Cerise tries to go to the one people left she loves, Melody. I think I'd try to start over one small step at a time.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
DWC-DQ Part 1
1. In what ways is this nonfiction book like a novel? Is it more satisfying to read fiction or nonfiction?
The author takes the facts and then fills them in with emotions and details to make it more storylike. For instance, when he buys the drugstore from Mrs. Holton:
"Holmes entered the store and there found an elderly woman named Mrs. Holton. He sensed vulnerability, sensed it the way another man might capture the trace of a woman's perfume. . . He spoke softly, smiled often, and held her in his frank blue gaze. . . "
For me, reading fiction or non-fiction satisfies different needs. I tend to swing from one to the other. I do find fiction easier to read, and with non-fiction I have to concentrate more and I do more rereading of passages, but I love to learn new things and so it's worth it.
2. What have you found out so far about Chicago, the Fair, and the two men: Burnham and Holmes?
The strongest impression I have had so far in the description of Chicago at the time is how relatively safe the world around me is. All the talks of anonymous death, two people killed a day at the city's railroad crossings, heads cut off, carriages careening into crowds, fires killing a dozen people a day and the newspapers saying people were "roasted", all the sickness and murder, etc.--it makes our world look like something from Mary Poppins. We try so much these days to shield our children from viewing too much violence, but in Chicago at the time it was day to day life. It seems like, and maybe I'm wrong, that in today's world, Holmes would have been been arrested for fraud and debt before he even had a chance to build his nightmare mansion.
The author takes the facts and then fills them in with emotions and details to make it more storylike. For instance, when he buys the drugstore from Mrs. Holton:
"Holmes entered the store and there found an elderly woman named Mrs. Holton. He sensed vulnerability, sensed it the way another man might capture the trace of a woman's perfume. . . He spoke softly, smiled often, and held her in his frank blue gaze. . . "
For me, reading fiction or non-fiction satisfies different needs. I tend to swing from one to the other. I do find fiction easier to read, and with non-fiction I have to concentrate more and I do more rereading of passages, but I love to learn new things and so it's worth it.
2. What have you found out so far about Chicago, the Fair, and the two men: Burnham and Holmes?
The strongest impression I have had so far in the description of Chicago at the time is how relatively safe the world around me is. All the talks of anonymous death, two people killed a day at the city's railroad crossings, heads cut off, carriages careening into crowds, fires killing a dozen people a day and the newspapers saying people were "roasted", all the sickness and murder, etc.--it makes our world look like something from Mary Poppins. We try so much these days to shield our children from viewing too much violence, but in Chicago at the time it was day to day life. It seems like, and maybe I'm wrong, that in today's world, Holmes would have been been arrested for fraud and debt before he even had a chance to build his nightmare mansion.
DWC - DQ Part 1
In what ways is this nonfiction book like a novel? Is it more satisfying to read fiction or nonfiction?
I like to read both fiction and nonfiction--fiction for the way it takes me to places I may never go and introduces me to people I may never meet, and nonfiction for the way it makes me think about the world we live in and draw connections between past and present.
There were a few passages in this first part that really struck me. Here is one from pp. 25-26.
I found the section about determining a site for the Fair to be very frustrating, and can't imagine what Burnham and Root were feeling. The fact that the politicians dragged their feet so long when they knew time was of the essence and the importance of the Fair to both Chicago and the U.S. must have been infuriating. It's sad that little seems to have changed. The city of Richmond will lose its AAA baseball team this year because the city spent more than two years avoiding the issue of maintaining and updating the stadium. Frustrated by the lack of progress, the team decided to leave. I suppose this happens often, but Burnham and Root had no such out.
After reading this section I wanted to know more about the roots of Chicago architecture. I found a brief article from CNN entitled Chicago: Tracing Modern Architecture. Here's what they have to say about Burnham (and Root).
I like to read both fiction and nonfiction--fiction for the way it takes me to places I may never go and introduces me to people I may never meet, and nonfiction for the way it makes me think about the world we live in and draw connections between past and present.
There were a few passages in this first part that really struck me. Here is one from pp. 25-26.
This was the heyday of architectural invention. Elevators got faster and safer. Glassmakers became adept at turning out ever larger sheets of plate glass. William Jenney, of the firm Loring & Jenney, where Burnham started his architectural career, designed the first building to have a load-bearing metal frame, in which the burden of supporting the structure was shifted from the exterior walls to a skeleton of iron and steel. Burnham and Root realized that Jenney's innovation freed builders from the last physical constraints on altitude.While reading this I couldn't help but think of the burned out remains of the Word Trade Center buildings, and the mass of twisted steel that stood. We don't often think about the skeleton of a building, but the collapse of the towers made them visible. I find I think about how things are made more often now, and frequently take time to stop and watch buildings as they go up.
I found the section about determining a site for the Fair to be very frustrating, and can't imagine what Burnham and Root were feeling. The fact that the politicians dragged their feet so long when they knew time was of the essence and the importance of the Fair to both Chicago and the U.S. must have been infuriating. It's sad that little seems to have changed. The city of Richmond will lose its AAA baseball team this year because the city spent more than two years avoiding the issue of maintaining and updating the stadium. Frustrated by the lack of progress, the team decided to leave. I suppose this happens often, but Burnham and Root had no such out.
After reading this section I wanted to know more about the roots of Chicago architecture. I found a brief article from CNN entitled Chicago: Tracing Modern Architecture. Here's what they have to say about Burnham (and Root).
DANIEL BURNHAM (1846-1912): CITY PLANNER
Burnham was an influential early Chicago architect but is most notable for his 1909 Plan for Chicago and its lasting influence on urban planning.
"Even in modern Chicago in 2007, people think about his plan when looking to do new things in the city," Neises said.
Early in his career, Burnham worked with William Le Baron Jenney, who is known as the "father of the skyscraper" for his work with metal-frame construction.
Later, Burnham and his partner, John Wellborn Root, built a number of buildings in what became known as the Chicago commercial style, which used metal framework to allow for taller buildings with larger windows and more open floor plans.
Don't miss:
The Rookery (1885-88), 209 S. LaSalle St. This building, designed by Burnham and Root, uses both load-bearing masonry and metal-frame construction, tracing the evolution of commercial architecture.
Santa Fe Building (1904), 224 S. Michigan Ave. Designed by D.H. Burnham and Co., the building is the former home of Burnham's own offices and now houses the Chicago Architecture Foundation. It's a mature version of the Chicago commercial style that developed in the 1880s.
The Chicago Landmarks site has an architect's tour you can take online. It introduces Daniel Burnham and then describes some of his major projects and presents photos of them.
Trying to Remember
I listened to Devil in White City several years ago so am trying to remember more about it. The links have been a wonderful enrichment of the story. At first, I was thinking that the popular quilt contest sponsored by Sears was at this Chicago World's Fair, but I just discovered that they were 40 years apart--the book's fair was in 1893 while the one with the Sears quilt contest was in 1933.
The murders were sure creepy! That part I well remember.
Insofar as the non-fiction vs. fictional type of read, I thought the info on the architects did read (or listen) like non-fiction whereas the murderer and victims read more like fiction.
The murders were sure creepy! That part I well remember.
Insofar as the non-fiction vs. fictional type of read, I thought the info on the architects did read (or listen) like non-fiction whereas the murderer and victims read more like fiction.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
H.H. Holmes and the Murder Castle
June 13, 2008 - 9pm ET
John Borowski appears on
The Biography Channel program:
H.H. Holmes and the
Murder Castle.
http://www.hhholmesthefilm.com/
John Borowski appears on
The Biography Channel program:
H.H. Holmes and the
Murder Castle.
http://www.hhholmesthefilm.com/
DWC-Dc-Part I
1. In what ways is this nonfiction book like a novel? Is it more satisfying to read fiction or nonfiction?
I think the author set out to tell a story, it just so happens that the story is about real events. I read a lot of both fiction and non-fiction. I usually prefer fiction because it is usually written for the enjoyment of reading as opposed to most non which is usually written to bear facts. But I have been pleasantly surprised on the occasion when the facts actually tell a story. These are almost never textbooks…Lol
2. What have you found out so far about Chicago, the Fair, and the two men: Burnham and Holmes?
Burnham was very industrious, and thinking well ahead of his time. But I don’t think he would have really made such a large impact on architecture with out Root. It took both the creative and structured minds to accomplish what they did.
What makes men evil? Holmes was gifted with about the same genius and creativity as Burnham but was truly a sick individual. I don’t know if there was a turning point the led to his psychopathic behavior, signs that were missed. We are only recently learning the early warnings of cereal killers such as cruelty to animals and what not and even then it is still over looked until it is too late and those that did see it reflect back and say they excused it because they thought they were just being children…
"Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood" Daniel H. Burnham, Director of Works, Columbian Exposition, 1893
I think the author set out to tell a story, it just so happens that the story is about real events. I read a lot of both fiction and non-fiction. I usually prefer fiction because it is usually written for the enjoyment of reading as opposed to most non which is usually written to bear facts. But I have been pleasantly surprised on the occasion when the facts actually tell a story. These are almost never textbooks…Lol
2. What have you found out so far about Chicago, the Fair, and the two men: Burnham and Holmes?
Burnham was very industrious, and thinking well ahead of his time. But I don’t think he would have really made such a large impact on architecture with out Root. It took both the creative and structured minds to accomplish what they did.
What makes men evil? Holmes was gifted with about the same genius and creativity as Burnham but was truly a sick individual. I don’t know if there was a turning point the led to his psychopathic behavior, signs that were missed. We are only recently learning the early warnings of cereal killers such as cruelty to animals and what not and even then it is still over looked until it is too late and those that did see it reflect back and say they excused it because they thought they were just being children…
"Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood" Daniel H. Burnham, Director of Works, Columbian Exposition, 1893
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