Postmark Bayou Chene

On a lazy summer afternoon, sometimes it's best to find a large shade tree, lean against the trunk and read a good book. And it's better yet if that tree is on the bank of a slow-moving river.

And to round out that picture, I recommend you read Gwen Roland's Postmark Bayou Chene, a languid novel that slowly meanders through the swamps of the Atchafalaya Basin of southern Louisiana. And stop at rural Bayou Chene in the year of 1907 and get to know Loyce Snellgrove, a young woman who hears and interprets the sounds, odors, and textures of the post office and general store since she lost her sense of sight years ago. She will introduce you to Lafayette "Fate" Landry who doesn't quite get life in the swamps and on the bayous. And then there's their friend, Valzine Broussard, who loves to be on the move, particularly working on the boats that travel the Atchafalaya River Basin.

Loyce's blindness adds a vivid dimension to the story since most of it is told from her point of view.  We "see" the beauty and challenges of swamp life as she sees them, and she does not bemoan her lack of sight but embraces it. "I could busy my mind and figure out what was going on around me just by sounds..... I could tell by the milkman's step on the walk whether his feet were hurting that morning. The clang of the pans told me what we were having for breakfast just as if I'd asked the cook."

People, dead and alive, abandoned boats, drowning dogs, and of course the mail, all find their way to the docks of Bayou Chene. A particular letter which had been sent 40 years ago is returned to the Post Office since the Civil War prevented it from being delivered to an address in France. The sender's explanation of this letter suddenly changes the dynamics of this charming village.

In addition, there are newcomers to the Chene who provide a good dose of mystery and controversy. These two along with Loyce become a trinity of strong female characters who are central to the life of the bayou community.

The reader will unconsciously adjust to and learn to appreciate the rhythms of the river, the village, and the storyteller. Neither reader nor teller wants to rush the story along because the enjoyment resides in the rich detail of the journey.

The voice of the bayou country is central to the reader's enjoyment. For example, at one point, Loyce says, "Fate Landry, you just keep sitting eggs with nary a rooster in sight."

If a reader who has gorged on murder and mayhem is looking for a change of pace, I recommend Postmark Bayou Chene. Enjoy the rhythms and sounds of the bayou. 

Bruce Springsteen: What Fear Has Wrought

The Boss

As is abundantly apparent, the United States, after nearly 250 years of existence, still has a problem of racism. Despite all the progress, or maybe because of it, we still have a segment of our society composed of avowed racists and those who claim not to be racists but enable those who are. Unfortunately, as has been well documented, we have racists within the ranks of those who are "to protect and serve" their communities. In light of this situation, I have recalled some observations of Bruce Springsteen.

At one point he sang:

"Some say freedom is free, but I tend to disagree.

I say freedom is won through the blood of someone's son."

Sons like George Floyd or Ahmaud Arbery?

And in 1968 Mr. Springsteen reminded us that racism is based on fear: 

"One of the problems in the United States is that “united in our prejudices we stand,” you know? What unites people, very often, is their fear. What unites white people in some places is their fear of black people. What unites guys is maybe a denigrating attitude toward women – or sometimes maybe women have an attitude toward men. And these things are then in turn exploited by politicians, which turns into fear – knee-jerk fear of the Russians or of whatever ism is out there. Or in a very subtle kind of indirect way – like some of our economic policies are a real indirect kind of racism, in which the people that get affected most are black people who are at the lower end of the economic spectrum. And I think somewhere inside, people know this – I really do. They don’t fess up to it, but somewhere inside there’s a real meanness in using things this way."

Let's hope that in 2020 we are ready to "fess up" and deal with our racism and reach the point that "driving while black" does not endanger some son's life.

The Perfect Storm of 2020 - The COVID Virus

 

The killer has come for us,

and, sadly, we are defenseless.

The haughty killer is invisible.

silent, odorless, and voracious.

We, on the other hand, are helpless.

We possess no weapons to fight back.

We have no vaccines to prevent it,

no treatments to alleviate its effects.

And true to its nature, this pernicious assassin

Seeks out the ailing, the old, the infirm.

What's one to do, we ask,

Avoid contact with others,

wash your hands endlessly,

and cover your face in public, they say.

That's it? We have disturbingly little ammunition

to fight this hungry, mortal adversary.

But there's more to it than suffering and death.

This virus attacks our souls and humanity.

It takes our jobs, 

it takes food from our tables,

it places our kid's education on hold,

it empties our arenas and churches

our restaurants, movie theaters, 

and neighborhood basketball courts.

Without these, we become less human.

And if that were not enough, 

politicians are using it to divide our country.

A president encourages people to violate

his own government's guidelines.

Elected officials suggest 

we sacrifice the elderly 

for the sake of the economy.

Some, when learning it was killing

people of color at a much higher rate,

suggested it might not be such a bad thing.

In the past, when the country faced a threat,

we came together, putting aside our differences.

Now, instead of fighting together against a common enemy,

we are being encouraged to fight each other.

Citizens are told wearing a mask is 

a political statement,

an infringement on their rights,

instead of  a mask being a weapon 

to fight our common enemy.

Thus, the perfect storm!

But we are up to the task.

We are better than the dividers

We will not descend into chaos.

We will conquer this villain

We will protect the common good.

We will take care of each other.

In the end, we will prevail.

"Call Your Daughter Home" And Don't Mess with Mama

If you are fortunate enough to have a daughter or daughters, you know that they are forever with you. Even though they may be in some far-flung continent, excelling in their chosen professions, helping to achieve a peaceful planet, or dedicating their lives to raising their children, they live in your brain and inhabit the recesses of your soul. That holds true even when tensions, known or unknown, have seemingly fractured the relationship. But in the end, we call our daughter(s) home.

Deb Spera's novel, Call Your Daughter Home, was recommended by a trusted friend and before I began reading, I had no idea of what I was getting into -- a fierce, disturbing, compelling, unforgettable, graphic account of motherhood. ("Your mama knew you 'fore you knew yourself. Mothers don't leave")

The signs of the coming Great Depression were manifesting themselves in 1924, in Branchville, South Carolina, where three women would demonstrate "the ferocity of motherhood." Gertrude, poor, white, and struggling; Retta, strong, black, and wise: Annie, educated, Yankee, and independent. All three mothers struggling with different, nonetheless similar, circumstances dictated by a male-dominated society. ("When a woman marries and takes her husband's name she is forever bound by his actions and not her own.")

As would be expected, the lives of the three mothers intersect in interesting ways which the author describes with impressive sensory detail. Most authors are accomplished at supplying visual and even auditory particulars, but Deb Spira uses all the senses. We learn not only what a piece of leather looks like and the sound it makes, but we also know what it feels like and how it smells, and it is that detail which makes some of the scenes unforgettable.

And. although I am not competent to judge, I suspect that the voice and the language are right on. Consider some examples:

"It's easier to kill a man than a gator, but it takes the same kind of wait."

"Old man, you've got nothing to say that I want to hear."

"Zero is zero, no way around that - still that's a real good thing for a little child of ten to learn."

"Polite make-believe is weary business, and there is no one better at it than Southerners."

"If one blinks, the others blind."

As I hope is clear, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and was not surprised to learn that Netflix has purchased the rights and is considering a series based on it.

What's with Maundy Thursday?

The Thursday before Easter, the day we commemorate the Last Supper, the last meal Jesus shared with his disciples, the origin of the Eucharistic ritual, the day Jesus washed the feet of his apostles. Also, this is the day Christians refer to as Holy Thursday, Sheer Thursday, or Maundy Thursday. The term Holy Thursday is obvious -- the Thursday within Holy Week. Sheer Thursday, not as obvious, apparently suggests that on this day Catholics purify their souls by confession before Easter Sunday.


But what is Maundy Thursday? It is difficult to find the word, maundy, in any other context than Holy Thursday or the alms given to the poor on this day. Therefore most of us think of it in terms of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples as they gathered for the Last Supper. This task would normally be carried out by servants who attend to visitors whose feet are dusty as a result of traveling by foot and wearing sandals. The fact that Jesus did this is a remarkable lesson to his disciples and Christians throughout the ages.

The word, maundy, however, has nothing to do with washing feet or eating a meal. It does relate to the Latin word, mandatum, from which comes our English word, mandate. It means "that which is required or commanded" and is related to the Last Supper because it was then that Jesus said: "A new commandment I give to you that you love one another; even as I have loved you..." This new mandate is the source of our English (or middle English) word, "maundy."

Notice that this is not a suggestion or recommendation, it is a mandate. Notice also that it doesn't tell us to love just our friends or people that look like us, think like us, or worship like us. "One another" includes the whole human family.

We still have the 10 Commandments of the Old Testament, but this is the commandment of the New Testament, the commandment that was essential to the Christian Revolution.


Although in recent years populist voices from around the world have been trying to tear the human family apart by spreading misinformation and hatred, the "new commandant" reminds us that our salvation lies not in greed, fear, hatred, xenophobia, misogyny, and derogatory personal attacks, but in the love of each other, no matter that the other is different. Black and white, Republican and Democrat, gay and straight, wealthy and destitute, Muslim or Christian, we all have the same "mandatum."

And one of the inspiring aspects of our present pandemic is that most people around the world are practicing the "new commandment," some to a heroic degree. Most of us, however, are loving"one another' by practicing social distancing and wearing masks even though it may devastate our source of income.  As the death toll rises, the cases of so many people doing their share to help "one another" rise even more.

 Sometimes tragedies remind us of the basics.

"Catholics for Trump" is an Oxymoron

In the 2016 presidential election, a good number of Catholics voted for Donald Trump. If we are to believe the mostly anecdotal reporting, they did so for a wide range of reasons, but the consensus seems to be their vote was based on economic reasons more so than religious ones. If the vote had anything to do with religion, it was the anti-abortion issue. (Yes Virginia, there are some people who vote for a political leader based on one issue.) Now that the country has had three years to observe Trump as president, some of his Catholics supporters have become disillusioned and are experiencing "buyer's regret."

Given that erosion of support, this week Donald Trump announced he will be holding one of his staged rallies in Milwaukee, Wisconson, on Thursday, March 19 at which time he will inaugurate a "Catholics for Trump" organization. On the other hand, he has declared his intention to skip the annual St. Patrick's Day bipartisan luncheon with House and Senate lawmakers, because according to the White House he doesn't like Nancy Pelosi, who happens to be a Catholic. (Some think he is afraid of her.)

The idea of a "Catholics for Trump" organization seems a bit far-fetched considering that Donald's father, Fred, in addition to his other prejudices and questionable sympathies, disliked Catholics. But we must remember we are talking about Donald Trump. Why would we expect consistency?


However, the basic question is, do Catholic values and Trump's values (or lack thereof) coincide? The obvious answer is that both Catholics and Trump are pro-life -- recently that is. In an interview in 1999, Trump emphatically declared, "I am pro-choice in every respect." But then he joined the GOP "revolution" to embrace a pro-life stance because it was "politically smart." (Not a surprising flip-flop for a man who was a Republican, became a Democrat in 2001, and relapsed into the Republican fold in 2009.)

Catholics have to ask themselves whether Donald Trump's policies are truly pro-life.

For starters, although a few states, some with Republican governors and legislatures, for reasons of ensuring justice, are placing the death penalty on the back burner.  Mr. Trump and William Barr, however, want to restart federal executions after a sixteen-year hiatus. The Catholic Church's pro-life stance has a long history of opposing the death penalty.

Secondly, Catholics must consider the pro-life implications of the Trump administration's attempt to cut funding for the food stamp program (SNAPS). and to emasculate the EPA. Life requires an adequate amount of nutrition, potable water, and clean air. Anything less is not pro-life.

Contrary to what he said when campaigning, Trump is now attempting to cut funding for Social Security and Medicare -- programs for the elderly and sick who invested a portion of their income in these programs all their working lives. Asking these people to pay for a large tax cut for the wealthy does not seem to coincide with the teachings of the man from Nazareth.

Other than the issue of abortion,  do Catholic values and those of Trump align?

Do Catholics agree with Trump's immigration policy? Is separating mothers and fathers from their children and placing innocent children in chain-link cages a policy based on New Testament ideology? I think not.

The racist rhetoric of Mr. Trump and his enabling comments about White Supremacists should give Catholics second thoughts. The social justice position of the Catholic Church is at odds with racism in any form.

A list of Trump's misogynistic behavior and remarks is seemingly endless; and although the Catholic Church has not had a great history in this regard, the Church teaches Catholics to respect and honor women. Do Catholics want to be seen as approving Trump's disrespect of women?

Due to the COVID-9 pandemic, the rally in Milwaukee has been canceled, as should the idea that an irreligious Trump represents Catholic values.

Catholics, of course, have the right to support Trump or any other political candidate, but their choice should not be associated with their religion.   And by that same token, bishops and priests should not be politicizing Catholic pulpits to support or attack a candidate.

As Americans, we need to keep government and politics out of churches, and religion out of the halls of government. and politics.

The Abuse of Scripture

Modern conservative Christians use the words of St. Paul to justify the subjugation of women; fundamentalists remind us that Leviticus tells us that homosexuality is "an abomination;" evangelicals point to the Quran as justifying murder, and this list could go on and on, all because readers of scripture insist on taking the text literally.

And to make matters worse, rather than looking at the whole cloth, these literalists, both fundamentalists and liberals, cherrypick the various scriptures to find that one nugget that supports their belief.

On top of that, they ignore those texts which everyone realizes cannot be taken literally. In Matthew, we are told: "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away." Obviously, Jesus is not advocating the mutilation of our bodies as a punishment for sin. Most readers realize Jesus is symbolically telling us to avoid temptation.

As with the authors of the Old Testament, Jesus and his audience were Semites and were comfortable with the use of symbolic language, even when it included exaggeration. Why is it that today we can't see the whole picture instead of parsing each verse in isolation? It's as if we fear vagueness and are unwilling to accept contradictions -- incest is wrong, but our forebearers, Adam and Eve's children, had sex with each other.

Although most of us understand that the parables are not reporting real events, but are being used as a vehicle to make a point, we insist on reading the other parts of the Bible as factual history rather than embracing the poetic contradictions and mystery of the Semitic authors.

In a recent book, The Lost Art of Scripture, a British theologian and former nun, Karen Armstrong, writes, "Too many believers and nonbelievers alike now read these sacred texts in a doggedly literal manner that is quite different from the more inventive and mystical approach of premodern spirituality. Because its creation myths do not concur with recent scientific discoveries, militant atheists have condemned the Bible as a pack of lies, while Christian fundamentalists have developed a 'Creation Science' claiming the Book of Genesis is scientifically sound....Not surprisingly, all this has given Scripture a bad name."

Since Scripture, even the New Testament, has its origins in an oral tradition passed from one generation to the next, we must know that we can't attach too much meaning to an individual word or sentence. I retell some of the stories my grandfather recounted, stories retold by my father. I can assure you both my father and I have embellished and reworked the details.  The overall gist of the story is accurate, but it probably does not satisfy the standards of a modern historian.

Armstrong says, "A work of art, be it a novel, a poem, or a Scripture, must be read according to the laws of its genre." I recently watched and enjoyed a movie entitled The Irishman. Although the movie made frequent references to various conspiracy theories, I did not come away believing that those things were true. I knew I was watching a movie and did not expect documentary accuracy. What I did come away with was the story of an old, conflicted man looking back at his life and attempting to make some sense of it. When I read Scripture, I am not looking for historical or scientific facts. I can find those things using Google.

Scripture may help one arrive at some sort of truth, but it is not historical or scientific truth.

The literal interpretation of Scripture is an abuse of Scripture.


In the interest of full disclosure: As is probably abundantly clear, I am neither a biblical scholar nor a theologian, but one not need be to approach, appreciate, and benefit from Scripture.

Trumpster: "Don't like the man, like what he has done." Really?

You probably have heard many Trump supporters justify their support for this man by saying they don't really like him, but they support the things he has done for their country-- notice, it's always "their country" or "my country.' but not "our country." They say things like: "He's not like me. I will never behave like him, but I am pleased with what he is doing for my country."

Nazi Slogan

Unfortunately, my friends, this sounds very much like what the Germans said about Hitler, They were willing to overlook Hitler's authoritarianism because they liked what he was doing--making Germany great again. They were willing to overlook his overthrow of the rule of law, because, after their defeat in WWI, Hitler's nationalist policies made them feel that "Deutschland uber Alles" was a good idea and that the "Final Solution" was part of making Germany great again.

And in Trump's case, his supporters like what he has done even though they don't want to be associated with his lack of morality.

Okay, so they like what he has done. Let's see, what has he done.

One of the most obvious things he has done is to divide our country as it has not been since the Civil War. Our enemies, particularly Russia, have been trying to accomplish this goal for years, and Trump accomplished it in a relatively short period of time.

In addition, he has in a few short years destroyed our country's reputation around the world. After he has unilaterally broken treaties and withdrawn from pacts and agreements, other countries no longer trust us. The American handshake has lost its credibility. His reluctance to fully accept NATO has some of our oldest allies wondering whether they can count on the United States.

Are these the Trump accomplishments that his supporters are so proud of?

Or perhaps they like his flirtation with the White Supremacists and the fact that racists now feel enabled by his rhetoric and behavior. Let's hope that is not what they like.

One of the things Trump has done that history will not forget is that he instituted policies that discriminate on the basis of religion. His Muslim ban goes contrary to our history and national character. Again, let's hope his supporters are not in favor of his religious discrimination.

And then there is what Trump has done on our southern border.  Separating children from their parents and incarcerating them is not something we should be proud of. How many lives have been irreparably damaged as a result? We can but hope his supporters are not considering these policies a positive.

Another thing. Trump was impeached because he withheld military assistance to Ukraine in order to encourage interference in our 2020 elections. Strangely, even the GOP senators who acquitted him admitted that he was guilty.

At this point, Trump supporters are saying "But, but what about the economy? Our economy is doing so well. The Stock Market is at record highs. Unemployment is low. All is well."

All is well if you are wealthy because you were given a large permanent tax cut and the stock market is doing well. If you are in the middle class, you received a temporary and modest tax cut. If you are poor, you have, in this economy, very limited opportunities to improve your situation and you are losing the promised "safety net."

And looking at the bigger picture, we find Trump's economic policies have caused our national debt to mushroom. Candidate Trump promised to eliminate the nation's debt in eight years. But in reality, his policies will add $9.1 trillion during that time. The debt would increase to $29 trillion according to Trump's own budget estimates. Our country's debt exceeds our Gross Domestic Product. Now Trump tells us not to worry because we will just print more money. That's his economic policy? That indeed is worrisome.

Trump's tariff war with China has had several unfortunate results for our country. In the first place, China now buys significant amounts of agricultural products from Russia and South America instead of from our farmers. Secondly, as a result of Trump's tariff policies, our government is paying American farmers welfare checks to compensate them for the lost trade -- another hit on the budget.

Manufacturing Recession

In addition, manufacturing and good-paying manufacturing jobs are in decline. According to the NYT, manufacturing is in a recession, and although the unemployment rate is low, those who have manufacturing jobs, still find it difficult to get a meaningful raise.

And since Trump took office the number of people living in poverty has increased, as has the number of working poor. A significant number of Americans don't feel he is making America great. Many of the working poor have to hold down two jobs to stay above water.

So, when someone tells me they don't like Trump as a person, but they like what he has done, I fear they have been drinking the Kool-aide purchased at a Trump rally, You drink that stuff and your brain goes to mush.

Best 2019 Novels Read

Since friends usually share some of the same interests, I often ask my friends what good novels have they read recently. And, in turn, they want to know what I am reading and/or recommending. As this year comes to a close, my friend, Buck,  asked me to name my top ten personal favorites for the year (2019).

Buck and anyone else who cares, I settled on these novels. I am not sure exactly when these novels were published, but they are ones that I read this year. If forced to defend the order in which I have listed them, I would not be able. It's just my gut instinct.*

1. Where the Crawdads Sing by Dalia Owens. This was an NYT's bestseller, deservedly so. You will not be disappointed. My nomination for the best of 2019.

2.  The Paragon Hotel by Lindsay Faye. You may want to read a previous blog (3/2/19) with the title, "The Paragon Hotel: Nobody's Home."

3.  The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. I enjoyed this one even more than his previous, The Underground Railroad.

4. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood.** This is a sequel to her popular dystopian bestseller, A Handmaid's Tale. You may want to refer to a previous blog((/28/19) entitled  The Testaments: Atwood Reveals the Future of Gilead.

5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Although this novel has been around for some time, I just read it this year. The story is narrated by Death, the collector of souls, who tells the story of a girl coming of age during World War II in Europe.

6. A Better Man by Louise Penny. The fans of Inspector Gamache will not want to miss this one. Although each of these novels stands alone, newbies might want to start at the beginning of the Gamache saga.

7. The Huntress: A Novel by Kate Quinn. An English journalist and a Russian female bomber pilot search for "The Huntress," a Nazi war criminal. An interesting look at Russian women pilots in WW II.

8. Unto Us a Son Is Given by Donna Leon. This is the latest of Donna Leone's series about the doleful Comissario Guido Brunetti of the Venice Police Department. And of course, Venice has a starring role.

9. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn. A historical novel of two women and two timelines. In 1914 the one is recruited by the Alice Network -- a real female spy network that operated in France during WWI. The other is an American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947.

10. Lethal White by "Robert Galbraith" (J. R. Rowlings). The fourth in a series featuring private investigator, Cormoran Strike, and his partner, Robin Ellacott. A young man with a history of mental illness claims to have witnessed a murder some years before, and Coromoran can't let it go.

In creating this list, I gave consideration to recent works of Linda Costillo, John Grisham, Greg Iles, Laura Lippman, Leanne Moriarity, and John Sanford. Although I did not include them in the "top 10," I enjoyed reading their recent works and would definitely recommend their latest.




* I do, however, have some vague criteria. I like: 1) characters, good, bad, or ugly,  whom I consider original; 2) a captivating story that makes me keep reading when I know I should be doing something else; 3) a distinct writing style; 4) content that forces me to think, perhaps in new ways; 5) realistic, but also clever, dialogue.

** A co-winner of the 2019 Booker Prize for Fiction.

The World According to Trump

Apparently, we all tend to view the world from our own perspective and often try to make reality conform to that perspective.

And then, there's Donald Trump. He has created an "alternative" universe for himself and his cult.

In Trump's world:

"I am the Chosen One."
The Christian Crusades were Europe's proudest moment.
Hitler's Mein Kampf was the acme of civilization.
Russia is our friend.
The United States Constitution is obsolete.

The Eight Beatitudes are fake Christianity.
Jesus was blond with blue eyes and spoke English.
Mexicans are "animals" and "bad hombres."
The First Amendment was a colossal mistake.
Bone spurs come and go as needed.

Greenland is for sale.
Paris is part of Germany
Belgium is a beautiful city.
The state of Colorado borders Mexico.
Minneapolis is one of the fifty states.
"I am a stable genius."
"I slept with Princess Diana."

Weather maps enhanced with a sharpie are convincing,
We should rid ourselves of hurricanes by nuking them.
Climate change is a hoax.
Scientists are a threat to our country.
Puerto Ricans are not Americans.

Friends are disposable once they've served their purpose.
Treaties and International agreements are made to be broken.
Our allies are expendable.
Gold Star parents* are whiny and pathetic.
The Nineteenth Amendment --Women's Suffrage -- a really bad idea.

Fox News is a real news organization,
Bribery and extortion are the "American Way."
Charitable foundations are a good way to pay legal bills.
There is one god and only one god -- money.
Bankruptcy is the consummate way to avoid paying your bills.

Homelessness started two years ago.
Ivanka created 14 million jobs last year.
We and Turkey have a great relationship with the Kurds.
Windmills cause cancer.
NATO is passe'.

"People are flushing their toilets 10 times, 15 times.." ??? In Trump's world?
"...laws allow a baby to be born from his or her womb in the 9th month. It is wrong."
George Washington seized the airports.
Forest fires can be prevented by raking the forest floor.
There is too much "negative press covfefe."
(I'm tired.)

As you know, I could keep going with this list of Trump's augmented reality, but frankly, dear reader, you deserve a break from this nonsense. Also, I am confident that you could add many more examples of Trump's delusional reality.

Notice I have not included cases of outright lies--statement diametrically opposed to the facts. The Washington Post has done a good job keeping a tally of those lies.

Unfortunately, all of this nonsense is emanating from the President of the United States. Not only has he lowered the bar for all future presidents, but he has also ruined the credibility of the United States of America. What ally will be willing to trust us? Ask the Kurds.

*Parents of a child who served in the Armed Forces and was killed in battle.