November 3, 2016 DON'T LET ME BE MISUNDERSTOOD

Last weekend while I was out running, I came across a dead cat pushed to the side of the road. Someone's pet. I could barely look at it--the sight of a dead animal AND blood is very upsetting to me. I've been thinking about that cat and wondering if its owners are looking for it. It is hard to lose a pet, especially, that way. It reminded me of our cat, Pongo. He was the BEST cat ever--weighing in at about 20 pounds--he had personality PLUS and  was a beloved member of our family--even the dogs accepted him over time.  One night, out of the blue, he didn't come home. Next thing we knew, a pack of coyotes was living in the woods behind our house, and we had to accept the fact that our beautiful, robust, white and black SUPER friendly cat was most likely killed. Sadly, Pongo didn't have a chance against wild animals. Anyways, we have fond memories of that giant ball of fur, and over the years he has become sort of a legend around our dinner table.

 This brings to mind a book from 2003 whose premise is a dead dog and the mystery that surrounds it in Mark Haddon's International bestseller The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. This story, set in England, is told through the eyes of Christopher Boone, a fifteen year old autistic boy. Christopher lives in a world he doesn't understand. He can relate to animals well, but has no understanding of  human emotion.  He loves math, knows every prime number and country, but hates to be touched and freaks out whenever he sees the color yellow. One night, he discovers that his neighbor's poodle, Wellington, has been killed. Shortly thereafter,  the neighbor  discovers Christopher in his yard with the dead dog and has him arrested as a suspect in the dog's death. Upon his release, Christopher decides ( against his father's wishes)  that he is going to find out who murdered Wellington. This story is not really about the dog, it is about living with autism. Haddon is masterful at showing the reader how difficult it is for an autistic person to navigate in a world that is totally foreign--where one is overwhelmed by sensation, is literal minded and socially detached. Everyone should be required to read this book--it is an easy read at about 224 pages-- a 4 mile run--that will have a huge impact on you and perhaps change the way you think of autism.

October 30, 2016 WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF

The weekend goes by way too fast--WITH SO MUCH TO DO IN ONLY TWO DAYS. I am all for the four day or NO day work week and wish I could figure out a way to make THAT happen. The hours fly--run--carve pumpkins--domestic crap--Halloween party--it is an endless list of TO DO.  I know that we are turning back the clocks this week and are "technically gaining an hour" but I feel more like we are losing an hour because it gets dark WAY TOO EARLY. I could use that extra hour of daylight to fit in my run. I know that time is relative though. I often think of my grandparents as they got older--their days seemed interminable--waiting for the hours to go by to get to the early bird special as there was  only so much line dancing, shuffleboard and  bingo they could stand.   I wish there were a way to even it out so that people my age didn't feel so rushed while others didn't have to wish the hours away. It's not fair to any of us. Michael Cunningham wrote this great book--it actually it won the Pulitzer in 1999--that makes me think of time called The Hours. 
 I have to confess that I am a huge fan of Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury Group and actually spent a year reading all about this group of writers, artists and intellectuals. I was quite fascinated with their lifestyle and wanted to understand why Woolf, who appeared to have everything going for her, stuffed rocks in the pockets of her jacket and marched into the water and drowned. It is quite disturbing. Anyways, The Hours was the working title of Woolf's book of 1923 that she later changed to  Mrs. Dalloway. Cunningham is obviously paying homage to her in several ways as one of the main characters in both books is named Clarissa--but  affectionally called Mrs. Dalloway by her friend Richard in Cunningham's novel. Another similarity to Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, is that the story focuses on one day in the life of the three main characters. In addition to Clarissa, who is planning a party for her poet friend Richard,  there is Laura Brown, a housewife, who is planning a party for her husband while reading Woolf's book in 1949.  The third character in Cunningham's novel is Virginia Woolf, who struggles to write Mrs. Dalloway in 1923 while  wrestling with mental illness. Though these three people seem unconnected, there is a common thread by the end of the novel. The is a wonderful, easy to read novel that also won the PEN/Faulkner award for fiction and became an Oscar winning movie in 2002. It's only 225 pages--or a 5 mile run--that I highly recommend. Enjoy!

October 27, 2016 BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATERS

Finally ordered my new $120 dollar running sneakers! Yippie! Got home from work today and they were waiting by the door.  That is always a great thrill to me--comparable to-- I guess getting a new pair of boots for others. Unfortunately though, the weather's NOT cooperating so I won't be running today--it's snowing, sleeting, raining--one of those days I really loathe. I'm sure it will only get worse as fall turns into winter as it gets even more difficult to fit in running around not only my schedule but also Mother Nature. I hope she is kind this winter or I will have to start dragging myself to the gym, Yikes! Anyways, all this talk about water--snow, sleet, rain--reminds me of a great book I read last year by Wally Lamb called We are Water.

For the record, I am a huge fan of Norwich resident Wally Lamb. I have gone to one of his book readings, seen him twice at the movie premiere of his book Wishin and a Hopin, and read all of his books. I am seriously a huge NERD.  He does have a new book coming out in November, but I hear it's coming out as an app first, so I will have wait for the book version. I don't seem to be of the kindle world. Anyways,  We are Water is a wonderful story set in Three Rivers, Connecticut--basically--the Norwich area. Lamb blends fact and fiction in this story as the 1963 flood and death of several people is true, however,  Annie Oh and the family portrayed in this story is fiction. Annie Oh is a  woman in her 50's, mother of three children and divorced from her husband several years. She is an artist who falls in love with another woman. Their plan to wed meets mixed reaction and opens scars that go back 45 years--as some wounds never completely heal.  Annie is a hard character to empathize with until we learn about the trauma that shaped her life-- I guess that is true of most people. Anyways, this story is told in different perspectives which only makes it more interesting as far as I'm concerned.  Lamb is a wonderful writer whose specialty is character development-- AND I am a sucker for a writer who creates characters that come alive.  That's why I enjoy his books so much. It is a bit of a commitment--about 550 pages or an 8 mile run--but well worth the trek. Enjoy!

October 25, 2016 WELCOME TO THE MACHINE

I love Halloween.  It's really fun to run around town checking out the decorations people display in their yards. Some people are GUNG-HO even carrying on decorating traditions long after their children grow up and move away. Those are the folks I like best--they have orange lights, ghosts, pumpkins, witches, werewolves, spider webs-- all kinds of  SCARY things arranged just so kids will have more fun trick-or-treating. HALLOWEEN IS SOO MUCH FUN it makes me wish I were a kid again. Since Halloween reminds me of spooky, scary stories--ALSO A HUGE FAVORITE OF MINE--I thought I would write about a great classic from Ray Bradbury called The Illustrated Man.

Bradbury, who passed away in 2012,  was the winner of several awards including a special Pulitzer Prize in 2007 for his contributions to science fiction and fantasy. He was  truly a Renaissance man--with a career that spanned seventy years--can you tell I pretty much idolize him??  He wrote short stories, novels, television and movie screenplays and even starred in his own television show The Ray Bradbury Theater back in the 1980's. I can't say enough about his novels Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles and Dandelion Wine--just to name a few off the top of my head, but The Illustrated Man is different. It's a collection of 18 short stories tied together by a man homeless man covered in tattoos--a former carnival worker--in the freak show--known as "the illustrated man". The stories examine human nature and Bradbury's life long fear--technology. The issue of technology is addressed in the story "The Veldt" and it's one of my favorite in the book. It will scare the pants off of you, but the reality is that  Bradbury was right on target even back in 1951.  After you read it, think about how much you are controlled by technology and make a change. Anyways, this is a great book to read this time of year--it's less than 300 pages--of startling tales from the master. Happy Halloween.

October 23, 2016 RETURN TO SENDER

The weather has been playing tricks on me lately. Went out for a run in shorts yesterday and by lunchtime I was wearing a wool sweater. This morning the sun looked warm but the wind was fierce--didn't know what to wear out running. I hate when my ears and fingers get cold so I covered both, dressed in a few layers and headed out. It was warm on some streets and CHILLY on others --as a brisk west wind whipped up and down the avenues. It's the time of year when I never know what to wear. All I know for sure is I would rather have a WEST wind than a NORTH wind AND REALLY HATE THE NORTHEAST wind blowing off the river. Like I said, the weather this time of year is a real mystery to me. This reminds me of this great book I read a few years back where the author, Dan Chaon, played "tricks" on the reader in his mystery thriller Await Your Reply. 

Choan constructs this novel as a sort of puzzle but the reader has NO idea how the pieces fit together until the bitter end--that's how well crafted it is. Choan introduces us to three different storylines that appear to have nothing in common. Ryan is a student facing an identity crisis as he finds out he's adopted. Miles Cheshire has a schizophrenic twin brother that he has spent his adult life looking for and Lucy Lattimore, fresh out of high school, runs away with her high school history teacher. Seems simple enough, right?? Think again.  Each story in and of itself is mysterious as several of the characters are immoral, violent or just shady individuals while others appear quite naive until it's too late. This is more than just a thriller, it is a masterpiece of a mystery. The three stories converge about 2/3 through the book, and I guarantee you will NOT be able to put it down. Just when you think you have it all figured out--Think again--because you will not--until you turn the last page. Seriously. It's about 350 pages --about a 5 mile run--that you will never forget. Pick up a copy now. Why wait?

October 20, 2016 THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN

 Political signs and running--HHMM?? Just another interesting way to learn about people--one small sign can tell you a thousand things, RIGHT???  It's interesting, because I never really think about my neighbors political affiliations until I see them splattered all over their lawns. It's a good tool to use though when thinking about hosting a party as--POLITICAL SIGNS-- automatically help to cut the list in half--what a relief--why waste time, right?  SERIOUSLY, though,  I ALWAYS  stay away from politics--IT IS A STICKY--topic, ESPECIALLY, when you don't necessarily share the same views. I  really want to like those few people I call friends, so I never ask--AND PLEASE DON'T FEEL THE NEED TO TELL. My husband has always told me to NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING ABOUT ANYONE,  so I will be especially  mindful of that with the presidential election around the corner. HHMMM. This talk about politics makes me think of the book A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess for several reasons. 

First of all, not sure if anyone is happier than I am that the mud slinging "debates" are finally over--they are just another example of the demise of our moral code. WHAT HAPPENED TO

 R E S P E C T?? When two people vying to be the President of the United States act like The Kardashians or some other reality television show our country is in big trouble--HENCE--A Clockwork Orange. Burgess's book, set in the "future" is about a dystopian society filled with disturbing violence. The whole world has gone crazy--as the main character Alex and his "droogs" wreak havoc in London  including beating, raping and murdering random people. THESE ARE REALLY BAD, VIOLENT young adults who have grown up with violence and see it as a way of life. This society has regressed to the point that they have their own language called--NADSAT--a russified English that you will become accustomed to as you read. After a  day of violence and drugs, Alex is arrested and sent to prison for 14 years. He is then given the opportunity to be reprogrammed to be good. Read the book to find out what ultimately happens to Alex. This is an interesting read because it begs many questions--are some people inherently bad--can they be made good? What will happen if we let violence take over the world?? Anyways, this is a classic of about 215 pgs--a mere 5 mile run--that will leave you thinking and wondering where we are going as a society.

October 18, 2016 HERE COMES THE SUN

photo by Melissa Root

Fall is a glorious time to run. It is picture perfect-- there's no haze to ruin the view.  I can see clear across the Sound to Groton-- And if I had better vision--I could probably see in the windows as people enjoy their morning coffee--okay, maybe not--but you get the gist. The colors  of autumn are alive--blues, reds, pinks, oranges, and yellows. They seem like painted landscapes-- they are THAT  beautiful. Another DAZZLING feature this time of year is the clouds-- they float--whites, greys-- 3D giants against the blue in the sky making me wish I could hop on one for a relaxing ride.  Sunrise and sunset are never more beautiful than this time of year either. I usually catch the sunsets during the week--And there is nothing more exquisite--  than the sunrises which I am blessed with on the weekends. The sun seems to fuse the colors of fall together in a way that makes them blend perfectly. I absolutely love fall running, the cleaner air, and especially, the palette that is the landscape of my neighborhood. It make me feel alive and grateful.
All this talk about colors, palettes and landscapes reminds me of a great book I  recently read called The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro.
First of all, I am a sucker for books about art because I was an art history major in college. I feel at home wandering around an art museum--I am like a kid in a candy shop. So, when a friend told me about this book, I couldn't wait to read it. The main character is Claire Roth, she is a struggling artist was sells reproductions to make a living--she is actually a certified repro painter.  Claire is faced with the opportunity (not sure that is the right word)  of a lifetime--forge a Degas painting--the one stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston 25 years earlier--in exchange for a one-woman show in a famous gallery. Although Claire has reservations, the pay off is too good to turn down. This is an intriguing, thrilling story. What's really fun is that many parts of the book are factual as the Gardner Museum actually had several paintings stolen in a major art heist, including a Degas, that have never been recovered. This is a real page turner--hard to put down as you try to figure out the mystery surrounding the Degas painting. I didn't figure it out until the very end--thankfully! This is an easy 350 page book--no longer than a 4 mile run--I promise.