Song for Sunday: Uptown Girl

Song for Sunday is back!!  And I'm going with Billy Joel, cause I just love his music. You know the lyrics to a few of his songs are a bit iffy, but he's got some others that are just amazing. Not quite sure where this one falls.

The song is sung by Billy, probably in character. He sings as a "downtown man" or "backstreet boy" going for an "uptown girl." A snippet:

I'm gonna try for an uptown girlShe's been living in her white bread worldAs long as anyone with hot blood canAnd now she's looking for a downtown manThat's what I am

As I listen to this song, I think of a brash man, driving a motorcycle, in a  leather jacket. He's loud, he drinks too much, he might do drugs. A bad boy.

Going for a pretty, well dressed rich girl. A girl who's been good, but wants to sow wild oats, maybe get at her parents.

I suppose I am partially influenced by a novel I have been reading in which a boy form a "trashy trailer park" falls for a girl from the other side of the tracks after they reconnect at meetings for recovering addicts. She uses him to get at her rich father. Eventually the boy discovers she is not really interested and kills her, goes to prison, meets Christ, get executed, yada, yada.


But what makes me think a backstreet boy is "bad" and an uptown girl is "good"? Good and bad folks live on both sides of the tracks, right? I mean, it's silly to think otherwise. But many of us do. Inherent bias, reinforced by years of media images and social conditioning.

I am reading the book Waking Up White and attended a workshop by the author, Debby Irving. These resources have helped me begin to see more deeply into my own biases and the way they were formed.


So, I see Billy Joel's song Uptown Girl in a new light. Still enjoy the music though.  Here's a link for you?

What inherent biases do you see in yourself?

What I'm Reading

Once in a while I post about what I am reading.

I have signed up for my library's adult summer reading program. I am supposed to read and review books, each of which will count towards our town's goal of reading 10,000 books. If we make it the School Superintendent and Town Administrator will jump in the local lake.

So.. I think I am supposed to read stuff from the adult section of the library. I have read the biblical book of James and I guess that counts.

For fiction, though, I was for some reason drawn to reading A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle. I was recalling the rune contained in it, went to look at it, and ended up reading the whole story. It's a good one, too. If you haven't read L'Engle's time quintet, I strongly recommend going for it.

That lead me to remember something from the story line of A Wind in the Door, the second book in the quintet. So I read through that, too. It's about stopping seeking our own pleasure and maturing. That is actually what lead me to read James, because that book focuses on maturing in faith and action.

So that's what I'm reading. Haven't decided if I'll review them for the adult program yet, and I need  a new book. Very open to suggestions.


So what have you been reading? 
Why were you drawn to that book?

Song for Sunday: A Person's A Person No Matter How Small

I went to see a very fun production of  Seussical the Musical the other night and was quite taken by the song Horton sings after he hears the Whos on a dust speck. 

Then, I visited a church this morning. A husband and wife, both CYC alums, were dedicating their baby to God. I have a soft spot for babies and this beautiful tiny one put me in mind of the song again.  

So I am sharing it as this week's Song for Sunday.

The song is taken from this excerpt from the book Horton Hears a Who, here read by a mom:

A Person's a Person No Matter How Small

I say! How confusing!
I've never heard tell
Of a small speck of dust that is able to yell,
So you know what I think?
Why I think that there must be someone on top of that small speck of dust.
Some poor little person
Who's shaking with fear
That he'll blow in the pool!
He has no way to steer!
He's alone in the universe!
I'll just have to save him
Because after all,
A person's a person, no matter how small.
A person's a person no matter how- 



As performed by a high school drama club:

Do you like Dr. Seuss?

What song from a musical do you enjoy?

Christmas Ginberbread What?

We were cutting out gingerbread cookies yesterday. We made plenty of angels, reindeer, trees, people and camels. But we also cutters for other holidays, so Jordan decided to go with a Watership Down theme. We, therefore, have a whole warren of gingerbread rabbits.


A bit unusual for Christmas, I admit. But it does show that a really good story can stick with you. Jordan has been joyously busy getting ready for Christmas and is excited about his upcoming trip to Disney World. We finished reading and discussing Watership Down two weeks ago, but even given all that it is still on his mind.


Watership Down is about rabbits, but it's a real boys story. It has danger, fights, even war. Parts of it are downright brutal. It's full of examples of courage, leadership and self-sacrifice. Well - written, conversational in style and real, this is what Charlotte Mason would call a living book. No twaddle here.


I am happy to have gingerbread rabbits because it shows how deeply Jordan has connected to a good piece of literature.


Merry Christmas!

The Joys of a Good Story

Jordan and I are reading Watership Down by Richard Adams together. Jordan begs for more of it constantly.

The protagonists of this story face a series of evils and overcome them. They are quick and clever and manage to defeat their enemies time after time. This is basically a good vs. evil story, and good wins, as is only right. We just completed a portion of the story that describes a daring rescue. Jordan kept shouting "Yes!" and "Alright!" as I read aloud. This is an exciting, well-written book.

Oh, and have I mentioned it is about rabbits? Yes, rabbits.

These critters think, talk, plan and dream but physically they act as rabbits would normally and they live as rabbits do --except for story telling and talking. Mr. Adams used a naturalist to guide him. The book is conversational in tone, certainly what Charlotte Mason would call a living book. Definitely a classic.

There are dark parts to this story, and humorous bits as well. There are parallels with real life. Some lessons could be drawn from the adventures of the characters. There are even some political commentaries inherent in the book, if you care to look for them.

But mostly, this is just a good story. The kind kids love. (I wonder if it ever could have been written today. Rabbits might be considered to childish or something. Kinda sad really.)


What books excite your children?

What I am Reading Now

Every once in a while, I describe what fiction I am reading. Now is one of those times, so here goes.


War in Heaven by Charles Williams

I enjoyed this supernatural thriller. My favorite character is the Archdeacon, a protagonist of joyous and impertubable faith in God, who lives a quiet life until caught up in the events surrounding the Holy Grail. Other characters are memorable, with the evil ones being truly siniser. Prester John is an intregal part of the story and around him people are more fully themselves, so it seems that he is of Heaven. The central idea of this good vs evil story is that evil destroys, annihilates, makes things nothing. We must, therefore, pray against nothing. It also explores what happens to those who defy God. A great, albeit somewhat frightening, book.


The Mongoliad Subutai Corporation http://www.mongoliad.com/

I am still following this internet novel and really enjoying the development of the characters. The plot is exciting, too. The Mongoliad is released chapter by chapter on a more or less weekly basis. When I first started reading it, several chapters had already been released and I had to play catch-up. Now, I am reading it as it was intended to be read and need to make use of the links the authors have helpfully provided to explain characters and locations. My memory isn't as good as it once was, I guess. Still, I am going forward. If The Mongoliad is ever published as a print book, I would like to try it in that format, too.

Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan

I just picked this up again. I am rereading the series. In December, I was back up to Book 8, now I am well into Book 9. It was hard going for a while, but after a break I am enjoying it again. It's a great series for lovers of fantasy, but the plot can be hard to follow and the characters difficult to keep straight. I am looking forward to Books 12 and 13, which I am told, wrap things up.

Tale Spinning by Stuart Nager http://stuartnager.wordpress.com/2011/05/12/little-animal/

This is a blog, which the author calls "an open experiment in writing styles". There are original short stories from a variety of genres mixed in with posts on writing and teaching writing. The writing is really good and I would recommend this blog for people who like quick but thought -provoking reads. My favorite story so far is Materfamilias, a sad piece about Mother's Day.



Well, that's it. What are you reading?

What I'm Reading Now

Every once in a while, I describe what fiction I am reading. This is one of those times, so here goes.


War in Heaven by Charles Williams

I enjoyed this supernatural thriller. My favorite character is the Archdeacon, a protagonist of joyous and impertubable faith in God, who lives a quiet life until caught up in the events surrounding the Holy Grail. Other characters are memorable, with the evil ones being truly siniser. Prester John is an intregal part of the story and around him people are more fully themselves, so it seems that he is of Heaven. The central idea of the book is that evil destroys, annihilates, makes things nothing. We must, therefore, pray against nothing.




The Mongoliad Subutai Corporation, http://mongoliad.com/welcome
I am continuing to read this internet novel. It is written in installments, similar to the serial stories that were released in newspapers in small portions in the 19th century. When I first began reading The Mongoliad, several chapters had already been released, so I was playing catch-up. Now I am reading it more as it is intended to be read. Perhaps because of my memory, I am finding the plot difficult to follow and the characters hard to remember. However, the story is both absorbing and exciting and the characters well drawn. Plus, I am learning a lot about the 13th century, the Mongol invasion of Europe and the Catholic Church of the time. I would like to read this straight through if it is ever published in print form.

The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

I just picked this up again. For a while, I was finding it hard to plow through. However, after a break I am enjoying it again. It's a good story, but very complicated. It's hard to follow the plot and keep the characters straight. This series is a reread for me, and I am looking forward to getting to the last two books which I haven't read yet.







Tale Spinning Stuart Nager

http://stuartnager.wordpress.com/2011/05/03/look-at-all-the-pretty-stars/

This is actually a blog which the author describes as an "open experiment in writing styles". There are several short stories mixed in with posts on writing and teaching writing. The writing is always good. My favorite story is Materfamilias, a sad piece about Mother's Day. I learned of this blog while participating in The Ultimate Blog Challenge and recommend it to anyone who enjoys short stories.



Well, that's it. What are you reading?