MAY 2008 - Rapid River Magazine

R A P I D R I V E R A R T S & C U L T U R E M A G A Z I N E
It is sheer madness to think I can
choose “books for moms” in 2008.
Moms never have been a monolithic
culture and we certainly aren’t now.
With that in mind, I have picked out
some books for specific moms and
I’ve recommended accordingly.
Vicki Lane’s new one, “In A Dark
Season”, won’t be
available in time
for Mother’s Day
giving but I highly
recommend all
her books. Start
at the beginning
with “Signs in
the Blood” and
get to know
the characters
from there.
Miss Birdie is
every hill-girl’s
granny and
this series
will give newcomers to
the area an idea of what “locals” are really
like. This one goes to my bud, MariJo,
who loves strong women like Elizabeth
Goodweather, because she is one.
“Look Me in the Eye: My Life with
Asperger’s” by John Elder Robison. I have
a young friend with Asperger’s and this
book opened
my eyes (if
you’ll pardon
the expression)
about
this puzzling
disorder. We
first met
Robison in
his brother
Augusten
Burroughs’
“Running
with Scissors”
but
this heartbreaking
and oddly hilarious memoir is
a must-read for anyone who cares about
children or families. And Kiss fans — you
know who you are — better check it out,
too. This one is for Terri, who says her
kids drive her nuts.
“Ladies of Liberty: the Women
Who Shaped Our Nation” & “Founding
Mothers: the Women Who Raised
Our Nation” by Cokie Roberts. Anyone
who has enjoyed the televised John
Adams series has an inkling about how
important women were to the founding
of the republic, though they are mostly
BOOKS
That Better Not Be An Iron –
Dear Old Mom Wants a Book, Buster
given short shrift and made
invisible throughout scores
of insipid history tomes.
Roberts’ first work on the
subject was an eye-opener
for those of us who learned
American mythology
instead of American history.
(I can never feel the
same about Ben Franklin,
knowing how he treated
his wife.) The new book
uses primary sources and
Roberts’ engaging style
brings us fully-fledged
characters that spring from the page.
You thought you knew Abigail Adams
and Dolly Madison but you ain’t heard
nothing yet. I recommend this for my
florist diva friend, Beth, who has been the
power behind the throne and now has her
own queendom.
“Red Bird: Poems” by Mary Oliver is
for Ali, the Greek scholar and artist. For
those of you
who know
Pulitzerwinner
Oliver’s
work,
I needn’t say
much. This
collection is
redolent with
her keen sense
of the natural
world and her
intimate place
in it, touching
on the pain of
oppression and
empire. This cycle of love poems is
remarkable, even for
a poet like Oliver.
The book has 61 new
poems, a blessing in
any world.
My friend Dawn
is the mother of all
financial managers
and now she’s got a
bun in the oven. So
this rec is for her and
the soon-to-be ruler
of the western world.
“ Why Women Should
Rule the World” by
Dee Dee Myers. You
may remember Myers
from her days as a White House press
secretary in the Clinton years. This book
isn’t about male-bashing, it’s about acknowledging
the strengths of women and
by H. Byron Ballard
how those strengths can make
the world better. Get this for
your rabble-rousing mom and
as a new-baby gift for the next
world leader in your family.
“Green Sisters: a Spiritual
Ecology” by Sarah McFarland
Taylor is green and heartrending
and inspiring and
practical. I met some of these
“green nuns” last year at a conference
at Bellarmine College
and was smitten with their energy and
passion for the earth.
Your mother or wife or
granny is unique and
your local independent
bookstore will have the
perfect book for you to
give to her.
We spent
time together
talking about
everything from
sacred landscape
to composting
toilets. Taylor’s
book takes us
on a tour of this
movement — a
movement that
encompasses not
just environmental
activism
and healing but also social justice.
This is for my colleague Rebecca,
whose kids are grown and away
and who always finds her spiritual
needs filled in nature.
Your mother or wife or
granny is unique and your local
independent bookstore will have
the perfect book for you to give
to her. Tell the bookseller a little
about this marvelous woman
and ask them to wrap it up. That
gives you some extra time with
which to buy the appropriate
chocolates and flowers.
H. Byron Ballard is a local knee-jerk
feminist, bookseller, writer, and mom who
blogs for the Asheville-Citizen Times as
The Village Witch.
May 2008
Friday, May 2 at 7 p.m.: Janet Lembke discusses
how we relate to other species in
her book Because the Cat Purrs.
Thursday, May 8 at 7 p.m.:
Puja Thomson discusses After Shock: From
Cancer Diagnosis to Healing.
Saturday, May 10 at 7 p.m.: Join us for a
slideshow with photographer Bob Schatz.
Bob will also sign copies of his new book,
Asheville Impressions from 1-3pm.
Wednesday, May 14 at 7 p.m.:
John Kessel reads from his SciFi stories
The Baum Plan for Financial Independence
– Gregory Frost reads from Shadowbridge.
Friday, May 16 at 7 p.m.:
Dot Jackson reads from Refuge, winner of
the Appalachian Book of the Year Award.
Saturday, May 17 at 7 p.m.:
Joshilyn Jackson reads from her novel,
The Girl Who Stopped Swimming.
Sunday, May 18 at 12 p.m.:
Retired Colonel Ann Wright signs copies of
her book Dissent: Voices of Conscience.
Tuesday, May 20 at 7 p.m.:
Michael Boyko reads from The Hour Sets.
Julian Vorus recites from The Nasty Namaste.
Thursday, May 22 at 7 p.m.: Mike Farrell
reads from his memoir, Just Call Me Mike.
Saturday May 24 at 7 p.m.: Shirley Hayden
author of The Women of Nelson and Joy
Jordan-Lake author of Blue Hole Back Home
read from their novels about racism.
Thursday, May 29 at 7 p.m.: Nava Lubelski
reads from The Starving Artist’s Way.
Friday, May 30 at 7 p.m.: Sufi Spiritual
healer James Keeley, aka Abdu Rahim
discusses his book Walking With God.
Saturday, May 31 at 7 p.m.:
Journalist Rob Christensen discusses his
book The Paradox of Tar Heel Politics.
Celebrate our 26th Anniversary! 25%
off sale Sunday, June 1 from 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
55 Haywood St.
828-254-6734 • 800-441-9829
Hours: Mon-Thurs—8am-9pm
Fri & Sat—8am-10pm
Sun—8am-7pm
Vol. 11, No. 9 — Rapid River ArtS & CULTURE Magazine — May 2008 19