Author Archives: jdandy

It was a very interesting evening with a wide ranging and thought provoking discussion about the author, book, literary styles, current Middle East tragedies, childhood trauma. The hot toddies and chicken dumplings were also perfect on a cold winter’s night.

From Erin:
Thank you Laura for introducing us to this genre of fiction – it felt “new” and beyond my grasp (until the discussion), although we have read and discussed other books that were more character driven than plot driven.   Your presentation has led me to continue to consider whether the novel is more plotless or narrator less, due to her subservient nature and difficulty accessing her sense of self or voice. It seems to me to be a study of the impact of culture on the individual psyche, perhaps the tendency for humans to engage in actions to prioritize maintaining a sense of belonging to a clan or group, without seeming consideration to, or maybe even a “caring”, about the impact of ostracism and “othering” at the minimally intrusive end of action /non-action, vs. outright attempts to annihilate a group or macro-aggression at the other extreme.  Perhaps the novel is a study in microaggressions and the cumulative impact of being “othered” and the plot is somewhat irrelevant, as it is unfortunately a far too common experience in a world that many consider “global”;  we talk of being part of a “global community” while at the same time, many continue to maintain a parochial sensibility. It was also interesting to review the Stanley Milgram experiments,  and the influence of power (real or perceived) on an individual’s willingness to engage in harmful behaviours towards another.  Most interesting, was the conversation about how different search engines uncover different results or “truths”, and the basis of language in understanding history and access to information or “truth”, i.e. Arab vs. English Wikipedia.  

As I ramble, on this thought provoking work, I continue to scramble and writhe in the muddle we are in as a human race, and how we collectively can begin to rise above focusing on our differences, developing greater compassion for both ourselves and others and strive to live in harmony,  We no longer need to band together to fend off survival threats from predators in the wild, as we humans present the greatest danger to our individual and collective survival not only as a race, but as a species.

I am having some laptop issues so I am unable to update the book list spreadsheet so as an interim, here are the next set of meetings:

March 21, 2024 at Moira’s – Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras

May 2, 2024 at Ann’s – Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

June 12, 2024 hosted by Bev at Jeanne’s – Horse by Geraldine Brooks

September 12, 2024 at Erin’s – Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson

October 30, 2024 at Esther’s – Ducks by Kate Beaton

January 16, 2025: Jill – Date with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

Karen:

It was a lovely evening even though the topic was disturbing.  We all left better informed, well fed and very happy to count our blessings.

Jeanne: 

Great bookclub and meal thank you Erin, it still seems such a special thing to be able to be together in person and on a lovely evening in spring it was perfect! 

Jill:

Thank you Erin for a truly lovely evening. It was so good to sit outside and enjoy the sun and warmth and catch up with everyone. Then inside to a cosy get together and delicious meal!  

As usual after our bookclub meetings I tend to mull over conversations, today while gardening…. In my happy place.. everyone’s thoughts and perceptions of our book. I thought of my family and friends who might have had mental illness and back in the day, (and I know my maternal grandmother did but it was never identified) not really knowing what they were dealing with as the medical knowledge not being so forthcoming. Erin, I appreciate you recommending the book, to give me insight into a mental disease I understood so little about. 

Jane:

Thank you Erin for the lovely evening in the ‘country’.  
Delicious meal and thought provoking conversation about the confounding causes and solutions to the mental health issues that many families are faced with. 

There were many wonderful suggestions for next year’s book selections – attached is the first draft of the nominated and selected books with dates for the first 4 meetings. I PROMISE I will finally update the blog.

Ann:
I’d like to add my thanks as well. The meal was lovely and I found the read thought provoking. I have a lot to think about after our conversation- which is a sign of a good book club in my mind.

And Jasper entertained us all ♥️

We continue with our Zoom book meetings – definitely not our preferred way to meet but still wonderful way to keep in touch and discuss family, life in a pandemic and, of course, books. Karen’s presentation is attached below (Note: Videos will not work in PDF format)

Thoughtful words from Jill:

Thank you Karen for such an interesting and in depth research. I once again, learned a lot from the Liberia history to the amazing hope, fortitude, love and above all survival of just one family.
While perusing one of the reviews, I felt this paragraph was quite apt for our present time, as for then. ” Those starving right now for physical contact with loved ones outside their immediate homes, will find special resonance in Tutu’s parents’ eventual reunion in Sierre Leone, when they wiped each other’s eyes and hugged for a long time”.
Another quote I read by Wayetu Moore, I found profound but also sad. ” Such is the danger of deep love, however beautiful, dying lingers close behind”.

And from Moira:

Thank you Karen for hosting a thoughtful discussion and for all the work you put into your presentation. I’m sorry we could not view it together however I hope you’ll send us the links and we can watch the videos ourselves. It’s interesting how many of our books have dealt with racism in some form; The Known World, Washington Black, The Dragons, …, Between the World and Me, Small Island, Ragged Company, Indian Horse , The Book of Negroes, The Help, (?)to name a few. As a white, fairly privileged white woman I am saddened, shocked dismayed etc at the cruelty toward people of colour but I can never fully appreciate the depth of their feelings of displacement and their sense of not belonging or being accepted. After reading, I am left with hopeless feelings about what CAN I DO? I want to take action but I don’t know where to start. Being aware and being educated is no longer enough. Jeanne writes about this in her weekly messages which is in fact, taking action. Cheers to Jeanne!Apologies for the outpouring, but this is what resonates with me after reading many of these novels.

And Bev continues with this dialogue:

Moira, I too struggle with what can I do?

I have found the book “Caste” by Isabel Wilkerson to be both challenging and provoking. In her epilogue she writes:“Human beings across time and continents are more alike than they are different. The central question about human behaviour is not why do these people do this or act that way, now or in ages past, but what is it that human beings do when faced with a given circumstance?
None of us choose the circumstances of our birth. We had nothing to do with being born into privilege or under stigma. We have everything to do with what we do with our God-given talents and how we treat our species from this day forward.
We are not personally responsible for what people who look like us did centuries ago. But we are responsible for what good or Ill we do to people alive with us today. We are, each of us, responsible for every decision we make that hurts or harms another human being. We are responsible for recognizing that what happened in previous generations at the hands of or to people that look like us set the stage for the world we live in and that what has gone before grants us advantages and burdens through no effort or fault of our own, gains or deficits that others who do not look like us often do not share.”
She encourages us to develop a radical empathy for those who must endure the indignities we have been able to avoid because of our privilege. To see and connect with the person in front of us. To reach across and act when we see a person treated unfairly. She likens it to the flapping of butterfly wings that shifts the air and builds to a hurricane across the ocean.
Jeanne has found a wonderful way to provoke us into rethinking, being aware, and sometimes acting.
It can be more personal in our daily lives. So small things. A small example and I know you too do this. I tip my delivery guy extra. I would really like to see essential workers paid a living wage and having benefits and getting their covid vaccinations. Actually I often wonder what skills and professions they had before they arrived in Canada. So as well as personally trying to pay appropriately for services I bug my local MLA, Doug Ford or whoever else. I will vote accordingly. I read and share ideas probably with like minded but maybe it might trigger something. Butterflies?

And from Laura:

Thank you Karen for your review of The Dragons, the Giant, the Women. You facilitated the discussion in a thoughtful and patient manner, in a way that I wish I were better able to do. Everyone contributed insight and observations that helped me have a better understanding of the messages of Wayetu Moore: the impact of her family’s harrowing experience in Liberia, their magical escape, and her oddly synchronous lived experience as an immigrant of colour in Texas, U.S.A. (where violence lurks but is mostly implied in a class structure and social rules that must be adhered to).
Moira and Bev, I enjoyed reading your notes, and they mirror my own dilemmas about complicity in perpetuating the systemic underpinnings of racism and classism. My first steps have been to seek ongoing personal awareness and sharing of knowledge, but I definitely struggle with meaningful action beyond that, so it’s helpful to hear your thoughts. And, Jeanne, your weekly notes also show how you are working your way through these issues and proposing actions that I appreciate hearing. I’m very grateful at this time to have the diversion of a shared book and a group of friends to work their way through it’s meaning. This past year has shown how much I really need it.

Attached is the excellent presentation (without the videos) that Karen used in her discussion about ‘Stay Still’. We unfortunately could not meet in Karen’s beautiful backyard due to weather, so met once again using Zoom. You can see by the thoughtful comments below that the book generated a lively discussion and Karen’s discussion preparation was most appreciated.

From Erin:

Thank you for the incredibly well prepared presentation Karen.  Your questions were very stimulating of the issues that are often raised by art… I too loved her photographs, as they are both beautiful and sometimes disturbing… certainly very evocative… AND they raise different issues for me around the ethics of informed consent… especially re children, who are too young to fully comprehend the ramifications. 
Sally Mann certainly seemed consumed by the “messiness” of the body as well as its beauty… as depicted by her photos in dire situations, and in the decay of death… flesh melting away from bone… return to the earth… and  the question of the “mystery of life” itself.  What is it that transforms the physical (matter) to an “alive” from a dormant or “dead” state?  Questions about the soul… and her mention in the book of the weight of the soul when it leaves… get me thinking about this question of what separates life from death.

From Moira:
Many thanks Karen, your presentation was very insightful and probing.  As usual, the discussion gave me much more to think about and made me question my own biased beliefs. Thanks for recommending a book I likely would not have read . Loved seeing the collection of photos at the end as it reminded me of Sally Mann’s extraordinary talent and passion .

From Jeanne:

Adding my thanks Karen! I really appreciate your research and presentation, as it took me beyond some of the preconceived opinions I had about the book and the author. It was a great discussion everyone, looking forward to ‘seeing’ you all at Ann’s bookclub!

From Bev:

Outstanding presentation, Karen. Your PowerPoint guided me to delve deeper into the book. Art and artists tend to ask really tough questions. There is always more beyond the surface and it is not easy to get to the deeper intent and meaning. Your research and probing help me to better understand Sally Mann and her work.

Great discussion.

From Laura:

Excellent summary Karen, and some thoughtful, probing questions that have me revisiting how my construct may have changed over the years around artistic expression, and why. It’s always good for me to hear what others are saying, and know if I might be out of step with current thinking. I don’t think I can add much more to the already astute and insightful commentary given, but I appreciate the opportunity to debate and discuss these difficult subjects, so that we all have the opportunity to gain an increased worldview. 
I will say again that Sally Mann is a talented artist, and has worked incredibly hard to perfect her craft. I really enjoyed the montage at the end. I look forward to hearing of her future journey, as I can see that life has been a struggle for her and a bit of a roller coaster. Thanks for recommending this book.

From Ann:

Great job!   I think I related to the book much like you did, Karen!  I loved her photographs of her kids.  I think the kids were on board and were supporting her and therefore quite willing to participate.  Their mom was into photography and that was just how it was.  Other parents are into sports, or drugs or hockey or whatever and they all affect the kids- it is just that kids don’t think there is anything wrong with it. I can see how sharing them caused an uproar and upset some people but damn – they are beautiful.  I agree with whoever said she was brave to reflect on her privilege.  To admit she did things “wrong” (although she wasn’t aware enough to know it at the time) is kind of the point that those of us with privilege must do.  So many (me included) are afraid to weigh in because we will be judged and she just shares her thoughts and ideas.  It really has to start with this to make any long term change at all.  Anyhoo…. just thought I’d weigh in. It takes me a while to figure out what I want to say and even so I am not sure if I have expressed myself well.  Thanks

Sally Mann Hold Still Presentation

This was our third pandemic era book club meeting – wonderful to have this technology but wouldn’t it be nice to see each other in person (although you can see Jane and Laura’s feet in this picture 😷)

From Erin:

Yes … thanks Josee for a well researched base for our discussion, which was as always enjoyable and informative.  I am one of the ones who didn’t catch on entirely until the end… and now it’s occurring to me… when I saw FOE in caps that the title could stand for Friend Or Enemy… which could be an interesting way to discuss the appearance of the stranger… and perhaps friend or enemy to whom? 

From Bev:

An interesting choice and not my preferred genre but I like that the book club stretches us to read and discuss out of our comfort zone. 

From Jill:

From Moira:

Great discussion as always, thank you Josee for the research and for exposing us to the novel. I was wondering afterwards if the AI version of Junior aged over the 2 years he spent with Hen or does he stay the same as when he was calibrated? 

From Karen:

I really enjoyed our philosophical, futuristic, sci-fi, discussion yesterday.  My take on it is that we all seem leery about the future.   Perhaps FOE and the pandemic are influencing our thinking?  Great discussion as always.  I do appreciate the chance to use ZOOM to meet though to be honest, it will be a treat to see everyone IN PERSON at Jane’s next month –  even if we can’t hug each other.

 

Thanks Josee for bringing Ian Reid’s novel to our attention.  It will be interesting to see the film adaption.  I wonder which themes the scriptwriter and director will focus on.