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Writing

S,M,L,XL Xmas

As per usual, a far-fetched analogy ruled my brain: the various sizing of Christmas decorations reminded me of the variability in the length of book reviews. Some reviews are short and non-demanding, some medium length and inviting, some are long and challenging. And then there are the XL ones which function almost as gate keepers: only those of us who are willing to slog through them might have the energy to also read the book.

Small: decorations in the window of our local toy shop.

I am very partial to XL reviews, even though I mostly end up NOT reading the XL books they discuss, acknowledging that my attention span these days has been severely curtailed. The reviews at least give me an insight into the questions people ask, and if the review is good, it alerts to some of the answers that have been given. I think that is extremely valuable in and of itself, reviews as introduction to new ways of thinking.

Medium: Rudolf the Red-nosed Lion? Glittery Reindeer?

So it was with David Waldstreicher’s review of Gerald Horne’s The Counter-Revolution of 1836: Texas Slavery & Jim Crow and the Roots of U. S. Fascism in the Boston Review.

David Waldstreicher is Distinguished Professor of History at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, Horne holds the Moores Professorship of History and African American Studies at Houston University. His work is centered on racism, now extended to where it intersects with fascism, which is, of course, where my interest peaks.

The holes in my knowledge of American History, large enough to drive a truck through, are slowly being filled. One of Horne’s previous books that I read, The Counter-revolution of 1776 – Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America, argues that the “so-called Revolutionary War was in large part a counter-revolution, a conservative movement that the founding fathers fought in order to preserve their liberty to enslave others–and which today takes the form of a racialized conservatism and a persistent racism targeting the descendants of the enslaved.” 

Large: Santa looks to be in need of AAA…

According to Waldstreicher’s review, the new book explores the circumstances of Texas’ secession in 1836, when Mexico abolished slavery, and the consequences of subsequent increase in slavery, slaughtering of indigenous people, violent repression: all leading to present-day Texas leadership in ultra-right forces.

Something that Ursula LeGuin once said, came to mind:

“One of the functions of art is to give people the words to know their own experience. There are always areas of vast silence in any culture, and part of an artist’s job is to go into those areas and come back from the silence with something to say.”

Slightly altered, the sentiment might very well be applied to progressive historians.

“One of the functions of historians is to give people the facts to know their own experience. There are always areas of vast ignorance in any culture, and part of a historian’s job is to go into those areas and come back from the silence with something to teach.”

So it is with book reviews.

Note that I am not referring to “objective (factual) truth” here, since history, like art, is a form of story telling rather than provider of scientific facts. But changing the framing, exactly like a good writer does, allows to deepen or radically revise our understanding of history.

Extra Large – what can I say…. but evoking the Nutcracker ballet, it happily called to mind another XL, learned review of teaching in that domain by one of my friends and fellow Oregon Arts Watch writers, ballet critic Martha Ullman West.

***

My own reviews of books this year have been scant, as far as I remember. The one book-related blog I consider important was Of Books and Jailers, which was directly tied to structural racism, and the issue of obstructing resistance. Maybe worth a re-read.

Still need to choose a last minute Christmas gift for the politically curious book lovers in your circle? Here is a list of recommendations from people who’ve read way more than I did this year.

Merry Christmas!

And here is Corelli’s Christmas Concerto – never understood why it is not in a major key.

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Die Qual der Wahl

How to translate this German idiom into English?

Tough Call!

Decisions, decisions!

Spoilt for Choice!

I guess they all apply when it comes to end-of-year choosing of a particular art review that I consider amazing: interesting writing, learnedness across multiple fields (poetry and literature as well as the visual arts,) an emotional hook added to the intellectual riches, clarity, and a willingness to defy majority opinion. So many to choose from.

I settled on the one linked below, partly because it is about a topic I care about deeply, more importantly because I learned so much from John Yau‘s essays over the years, and most importantly because it checks off on ALL of the factors mentioned above.

You Can’t Coat the Holocaust With Gold

The show under review, Anselm Kiefer: Exodus at Gagosian (November 12–December 23, 2022,) is almost over, but since Kiefer’s work is ubiquitous, the general insights apply whereever you see his work next. As my regular readers know, I was never a fan, given Kiefer’s loose relationship with the truth and his self-aggrandizing, although I made one exception at a show in Montreal.

Yau’s review of the current exhibition was poignant in ways I wish I had thought of:

“What does it mean to cover the lack of answers in gold …. Anselm Kiefer is the Steven Spielberg of painting. Both are masters of effect and convinced of their own genius. One cannot help but be impressed by what they do in their respective mediums. And yet, is being impressed enough? “

Photographs from last week captured nature’s gold (silver and brass) of withering ferns, rather than Kiefer’s applied gold-leaf.

***

When it comes to my own reviews of 2022, the choice was pretty easy. By far the hardest to write were Die Plage and The Central Park Five. The former because the Holocaust topic was so traumatic and the wealth of material about the artist and his own traumas required intense structuring and streamlining. The latter because the issue of racism and its horrific entrenchment in the American psyche, history, institutions and legal system is unresolved and painful to face, every single time I get up the nerve and try again

I had some difficulties with familiarizing myself with and appropriately framing Native American Art, but was happy with the results of both major reviews, The Red Shimmer of Remembering and Breathing the High-Altitude Ether of Discovery. I learned much and felt I could stimulate interest in equally uninformed readers.

The reviews I enjoyed most, of art that spoke to me with its intentionality and multi-layered meanings, were Correlations in Corvallis and Ripped Threads. I had zero guidance to go on for either, given the status of the artists, creating all their lives in relative obscurity. I had to rely entirely on my own thoughts and impressions, but also lots of freedom to speculate. I have nothing but admiration for these women even older than I, who never gave up, despite lack of even a hint of support from the established art world. For the latter, I felt there were politically important topics delivered without shock and awe or any other attention-grabbing means, just trickling slowly, subtly, intelligently into your consciousness, coloring your emotional responses. For the former I admired that the process of making art continues even when you have said all you had to say on the intellectual front. It is enough if only beauty flows at times, without pretense. And flow it did.

I very much hope that 2023 provides more opportunities to stretch myself as a writer while having my mind stretched by beauty and/or meaning.

Music: grandiosity, gold, German romanticism – you surely know what’s coming! (The beginning is very subtle, it gets louder soon.)

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Skipped Reviews

Afternoon walk at the beginning of the week. The sun was out – finally – it started to warm up – finally! Somehow it felt as if all of nature erupted into a collective sigh of “Ahhhhh,” turning little flower faces skyward, soaking it all up.

Butterflies hung out, luxuriating in the sun.

Huge tadpoles floated in the water like being suspended from invisible threads, shifting a little with soft currents of the lake. (Hate to break it to you, they are Rana Catesbeiana, invasive bull frog babies, as my learned friend Mary told me when I showed her the pictures.)

Herons stalking in slo-mo, trying to keep a lid on the bull frog population…

Hello….

Ospreys eying the ducklings, then being chased by smaller, upset birds.

Red-winged blackbirds everywhere, as were swallows and brown-headed cowbirds.

I tried to focus on my surround and not on what to do with the barrage of emails that enter my inbox on a daily basis for unknown reasons, often prefaced by Dear Mr. Friderike Heuer…Somehow I must have gotten on a distribution list of people who think I do book reviews for a living. The wrong kind of people. Or the wrong kind of books, as the case may be. Certainly the wrong amount of time spent on reading the mails if only out of curiosity. Here is a selection for last week only, to give you a taste.

Book Review Op – Your Marriage God’s Way: A Biblical Guide to a Christ-Centered Relationship – The problems we see in marriages today have existed throughout human history, says Pastor Scott LaPierre, which is why he relies on biblical lessons when dispensing marital counseling. Scott dissects the culture of marriage intended by God in his new book, Your Marriage God’s Way, and he is available to discuss these valuable insights with your audience to help them build relationships that are strong and vibrant. Would you please read the press release below and let me know if you would like to schedule an interview with pastor and author Scott LaPierre? I would also be happy to forward a complimentary copy of his new book in consideration of a review or feature. To hear a recent interview, please visit https://anchor.fm/heidistjohn/episodes/Husbands–Love-Your-Wives-with-Scott-LaPierre-e1i3fcd.

Let’s say mine centers on a Jewish man as well…

Book Review / Interview Op – 60 Clear-Cut Ideas That Make Handling Crises and Career Setbacks Easier -in these troubling times, nothing is easy. But sought-after business coach Chris Westfall says that there is an easier way. In his new book, Easier, Chris uses a profoundly powerful approach to deliver 60 clear-cut ideas for handling crises, career setbacks, loss, grief and more — so we can heal ourselves, our companies and our culture. Please let me know if you would like to schedule an interview with Chris, who makes an extremely engaging guest. I would also be happy to forward a complimentary copy of Easier, in consideration of a review or feature. More information can be found in the press release below. To watch a recent interview, please visit….

Only 60?

I wanted to make sure you’d heard about Jerremy’s new children’s book focused on the stock market? The following is a link to the press release: https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/real-life-trading-making-investment-in-financial-literacy-for-kidsJerremy has been putting an extra focus on financial literacy for children. He was recently featured on CNBC. I’d be happy to send you a copy of his book if you’d like to review it or I can schedule an interview with him if you’d like to learn more about why he wrote it and how he’s giving back to schools and kids. He will also have a guest piece in the Tennessean soon advocating for his home state to pass a similar financial literacy bill as Florida just did. 

I know I reared the kids all wrong…

Steamy Romance About Love, Sex and Chocolate – The word-of-mouth sensation, Chocolate Burnout, is now a seven-part series for Hubbard Small Press Publications with the first in the series, Chocolate Burnout: Chocolate 4 Life (June 7, 2022) launching this summer. Each novel in the series will follow a different character and address a variety of social issues including racism and interracial relationships. Chocolate 4 Life follows Chantel Reed, a successful, single African American woman who has given up on romance to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a master chocolatier. Chantel’s best friend Astrid, a prosperous, single white woman who sacrificed relationships to conquer her dream job as a certified chocolatier, is the owner of Sweet Indulgence, one of the most popular chocolate shops in downtown Seattle. The story follows Chantel as she deals with life’s challenges and bounces between an obsession with chocolate, friendships and her desire to find the perfect romance.“Throughout the seven-part series, there will be different perspectives, and the protagonists will develop and change their views as they grow older,” says La-Paz. “The main character, Chantel Reed, her eccentric group of friends and her peculiar relationships give readers something to look forward to as the series progresses.” With a romance series, a memoir, and a picture book forthcoming, Emunah La-Paz is a talented author on the rise. Please let me know if I can send you a review copy of this delicious and enticing tale.

Maybe I’ll have some chocolate. Maybe I’ll pick um painting again…

Hey Friderike​ — below is an image of American Angie Crabtree surrounded by her hyperrealistic portraits of actual diamonds. Her art speaks for itself so I won’t bother you with fluff and BS. She has a show coming up and a great backstory. She is collected mostly by major diamond companies, celebs etc. How would you feel about a quick interview via zoom phone or email? We would be grateful! Keep sparkling, Tyler. 

Or maybe I’ll escape to outer space since I can keep sparkling there as yet another star…

I am writing to you with an urgent story idea. Former Deputy NASA Administrator Lori Garver has a new book scheduled to be released on June 21st entitled “Escaping Gravity: My Quest to Transform NASA and Launch a New Space Age.” It is the story of how Garver drove the commercial space program with Elon Musk against the wishes of Senators on both sides of the aisle. It is her story of how she was threatened and called the worst of names by politicians including Senators whose goal was to protect NASA programs in their districts versus Congress investing in the commercial program. The Senator from Florida who led the battle to stop the commercial program was Bill Nelson, now the NASA administrator. Garver pulls no punches on Nelson. She opens up about the excessive $20 billion-plus in cost overruns that have dogged the SLS program that Nelson drove. SLS still has not been launched after a decade of technical and financial issues. Garver writes in her book about working with Musk, Bezos, Branson, etc… and has many personal stories to share. The Former Deputy NASA Administrator passionately writes and speaks about how women have been suppressed, degraded, and objectified in the male-dominated NASA culture. In addition to the PDF, I have attached book highlights and Garver’s thoughts regarding how women have been treated at NASA.

Would you be interested in interviewing Garver for your outlet? This promises to be a dynamic interview, bestseller, and drop a number of political bombshells. I look forward to hearing from you. Please contact me at this email or xxxxxxxxxxx to schedule an interview.

Or maybe I’ll read something truly relevant to my pursuit of sharing tidbits about nature: here is the best article of last week in that regard. It will enrich your weekend!

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Birds of a Feather

Birds of a feather, and loners. Time to share some the birds that hopped or flew across my way while in San Francisco, or simply hung out to be admired.

Looking at them will be the easy part. Reading assignments for today, on the other hand, will involve some effort, one, I PROMISE, that will be highly rewarded. Not a coincidence that I am posting some of my favorite subjects – the birds – after a particularly depressing day given the travesty of the new Supreme Court appointment, and offer readings that will help us battle our despondent states. Or so I hope.

The two authors I picked are birds of a feather in some ways – progressive, politically engaged, extremely talented writers who tackle the pressing issues of our time. Smart women with a laser focus on the topics of their choice, the legal system in one case, women’s issues in the other, both within the context of the history of power distribution in our country.

Dahlia Litwick has a background in Law (she holds a JD from Stanford and clerked for the 9th circuit Court of Appeals) and writes for publication as diverse as Newsweek,  The New York Times Op-Ed page (as guest columnist) and Slate, where she is Senior editor. Her writing has developed over the years, becoming increasingly passionate, committed, but never shrill. Two years ago she received the prestigious Hillman Prize for Opinion and Analysis Journalism, deemed to be the best legal commentator in the last many decades. I could not agree more – I turn to her writing on a regular basis, both for the amount of information conveyed, the ease with which it enables me to digest complicated issues, and the cleverness of the way she creates concepts that feel intuitively like perfect descriptions of a given situation.

Case in point: Litwick’s latest essay talks about the mechanisms in which current power distributions both within the legal system and the political realm at large have been cemented and simultaneously used to make us willing participants in a move towards minority rule. If you don’t have the time or energy to read her short piece, here is one excerpt that exemplifies what I mean:

If nobody in any position of authority feels the need to provide information, it’s a decent bet you aren’t in a functional democracy anymore. And I am not here to tell you how to fight the cynicism that comes with being lied to or told you can’t change anything. I am just here to note that the inchoate rage and despair are real, and that even the possible resounding defeat of Lindsey Graham in his race for his Senate seat may not be enough to cure it. I am also here to remind you that some of the reflexive reaction to the daily reminders of your own powerlessness—including your possible hopelessness, blame-shifting, and the ritual saying of “who cares”—really is the reaction they are trying to elicit. It is the object of the exercise. You’re now in the autocracy trainee program. Mitch McConnell’s court coup is designed not just to decrease your political power but to teach you that you should expect yet more political powerlessness. That is how they are trying to ensure that even though there are more of you than there are of them, it doesn’t matter and they still get to call the shots.

Autocracy training program: the perfect encapsulation of the goal to keep the citizenry in check. As she points out eventually, though, it’s up to us to refuse hopelessness. There are ways to resist.

This is a point that is echoed in Rebecca Traister‘s writing as well, the second author I’d like to introduce today. In fact, her most recent book, Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger is all about the ways of organizing resistance in these times. Writing for New York Magazine and its website The Cut, editing for Elle Magazine, and some years back interestingly also for the New Republic, Traister’s gift for analysis and her wit are equally sharp.

If you have time, DO read the attached article from yesterday’s The Cut. It is long, I know, and the real meat appears way into the description of all of the movements uniting to fight our slide into autocracy, not just the women’s movement. The author is at her best when she lays out the dangers and complications arising from the diverse strands of groups and ideologies who should, must unite to fight the onslaught onto our democracy. Her optimism is tempered by pessimism, which both reflects what so many of us are feeling, and also makes it hard reading because we are so brilliantly reminded of the mountains that need to be climbed, even if the election should produce a new and improved government.

Not to read these kinds of pieces, though, is exactly giving in to the danger that they point out: the fatigue, the helplessness, the retreat into passive lives. I know, I’m prodding. Yield already! Anyone who called on Obama to seat a judge on the US Supreme Court who is a cross between Rachel Maddow and Emma Goldman (in 2009 no less, anticipating what would eventually come true), is worth your time!

An owl. At dusk.

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It all depends on your perspective.

Almost half a century ago, in 1975, The Boston Review published an interview with Susan Sontag about writing, photography and memory. As my readers know, all three topics are close to my heart – I write, I photograph and I have spent large parts of my life as a researcher focussed on issues of memory. Of late I have not done much of any of the three, and I miss most the ability to photograph beyond the occasional snapshot on my iPhone, between parking my car and arriving at my son’s loft, or during very short walks when I have a window of time. Or the energy.

No wonder, then, that a chance encounter with writing about photography caught my interest. While I agree with a lot of what Sontag lays out and however much I admire her prescience for the role photography would play in our consumer culture, some of what she said does not necessarily square with my own experience.

Sontag sees some photographers as setting themselves up as scientists, others as moralists. The scientists “make an inventory of the world,” whereas the moralists “concentrate on hard cases.” The themes for “photographers as moralists have been war, poverty, natural catastrophes, accidents—disaster and decay. The photographers as scientists are discovering beauty, a beauty that can exist anywhere but is assumed to reside particularly in the random and the banal. Photography conflates the notions of the “beautiful” and the “interesting.” It’s a way of aestheticizing the whole world.”

I don’t find myself particularly attracted by decay nor do I intend to imbue the banal with a sense of beauty. My lens, (in contrast to my montage work) captures more often than not what IS, documenting from an attempted neutral perspective what I perceive. That spans a wide variety of subjects – from the truly beautiful in nature to the witty in graffiti to the mundane in street scenes to the mysterious in abstract detail.

Sontag argued that making any selection of experience is very tendentious, ideological. While there appears to be nothing that photography can’t devour, whatever can’t be photographed becomes less important. I disagree. If you photograph practically everything that is in front of your eyes – as I am wont to do as you all have seen across the years of this blog – the output becomes a form of documentation, rather than a moralist preoccupation or an attempt to shape the viewers’ experience.

Which brings me to the second disagreement with Sontag who’s writing I admire. She claimed “that the photographer’s orientation to the world is in competition with the writer’s way of seeing… Writers ask more questions…Narration is linear. Photography is antilinear.“

Really? The photographs I take are not just visual documentation but they inspire my writing that, not always linearly, conveys the reactions that the photographed subjects instill. In this regard there is no competition but rather mutual exchange between what I see and what I think and what I ultimately communicate.

Case in point: the many twisted branches you find along the coastline and in Sunset Park in San Francisco which is a block from my little pied-à-terre that has been my blessed, nightly harbor. I started to whip out my iPhone when I realized that they could be – were – seen by me in two completely diametrical ways. One association was with twisted bodies, harmed and distorted by the vicious winds, forced away from their natural growth trajectory towards the light, stunted.

The other was of resilient refusal to be broken, engaging in fluid, curvy movement below the canopy, finding shelter against the storms in low-slung positions that seem the starting point of a languid dance once nobody is looking. No moralizing depiction of crippled nature nor an inventory of overlooked beauty. Nothing antilinear here in the photography, but a rather contiguous trigger of thinking through the psychological puzzle of how much perspective affects the interpretation of ambiguous stimuli. The images are the seed-bed for asking this question – how do we chose the perspective that will govern our perception? Now all I have to do is come up with the appropriate answer…. regarding arboreal forms of existence as much as the rest of my life.

Music today by the master of musical ambiguity, Johannes Brahms, oscillating between pathos and tenderness.

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