Life As We Knew It - Susan Beth Pfeffer's Compelling Read!

I have my colleague Liz to thank for recommending this young-adult piece of fiction, Life As We Knew It. She and I have discussed reading habits and reading strategies endlessly these past some years, and finally here is a piece which could lure even the most resistant reader. Ms Pfeffer has done a remarkable job of spinning a story around a catastrophic event that impacts the entire world, and she has done it with an ease and a simplicity which is both appealing though sometimes questionable. However, her tale is so captivating that it compels the reader to set aside his disbelief and go along with the flow of events as Ms. Pfeffer would have him do. As a reader, I felt like putty in the story teller's hand as she had me react exactly the way she would want. Now that is not something easy to do, and it is to the credit of the writer that she is able to anaesthicize the most alacritous of readers with her brilliant storytelling.

The earth's moon gets hit by a meteor and the moon is nudged closer to the earth, and therein lies all the action of Life As We Knew It, since the earth is now no longer how it used to be! Now it is upto the protagonist, Miranda, a young 14+ year old living in Pennsylvania to document her day to day life after this calamitous event. Written in the form of a diary, the account is simplistic as it is age appropriate, but it has the reader in its grip. Whether Miranda and her family survive this catastrophe, and if so how, is for each one to find out for himself, but here is a read worth undertaking as it is exciting and appears short because it is so compelling.

Having said that, I do have to admit that I had a few questions about the novel in hindsight. One of which I posted on this new writer's website, about the credibility of the story, and I am hoping to hear from Ms. Pfeffer about the same.

I have just posted her response to my questions in the 'comments'.

Iranian Soccer Players Face Lifetime Ban - 'Justice', Ahmedanijad Style?

As if the widespread reign of terror and oppression wasn't enough, now Iranian authorities unleash fire on sportsmen!

"Four players, Ali Karimi, 31; the captain against South Korea, Mehdi Mahdavikia, 32; Hosein Ka’abi, 24; and Vahid Hashemian, 32 wore either green wristbands or armbands during the first half of the match....The players were told to remove the wristbands at halftime because FIFA, the sport’s world governing body, prohibits any political displays and because the bands were not part of their uniforms...The gesture by the players drew worldwide attention and comment. In addition to being barred for life by Iran’s soccer officials, the four players have been forbidden to give interviews to the news media." NYT

"Ahmadinejad, a known football fan, has taken a close interest in the sport's affairs. In 2006 Iran was banned from international competition by the world governing body Fifa after claims of improper interference by his government. The ban was later lifted.
This year the national team coach Ali Daei was sacked, reportedly on Ahmadinejad's orders, after a 2-1 home defeat by Saudi Arabia." The Guardian

Gimme Shelter: Give Shelter, Save a Life

June 20 is World Refugee Day!

Having created so many refugees, perhaps now we can help create some semblance of a shelter for them until such time that they can go back home. Join UNHCR and Ben Affleck to help displaced fellow beings!

"There are millions around the world in need of shelter, not just physical shelter but respect for their rights and the capacity to live in safety and dignity. In recognition of World Refugee Day, Microsoft has offered to match every donation you make for the next two months. If you donate $10, Microsoft will donate $10. Every donation you and your friends make for the next two months helps our work twice as much. We also know many of you would like to help but cannot afford to donate. Therefore, Microsoft have offered to donate $1 for every person you persuade to join our cause. Use the invite button below of this page to invite your friends to join. Regardless of your location or position, you are just a few clicks away from raising hundreds, perhaps thousands, of dollars."

DaysLeft:
53

Matching Grant from Microsoft
Expires On: August 14

Microsoft will donate:
$1 for every person who joins

So far: 44,021 people have joined
$44,021 from Microsoft

$1 for every $1 donated
So far: $2,060 from 54 people
$2,060 from Microsoft

Milestone for technology or 'US meddling in Iran'?

Twitter is being credited for the political makeover in Iran! This is a milestone, no doubt! Information technology appears to be facilitating public awareness which may perhaps lead to an informed and empowered electorate in Iran that will ensure that they get their leader of choice.

"Monday afternoon, a 27-year-old State Department official, Jared Cohen, e-mailed the social-networking site Twitter with an unusual request: delay scheduled maintenance of its global network, which would have cut off service while Iranians were using Twitter to swap information and inform the outside world about the mushrooming protests around Tehran.

The request, made to a Twitter co-founder, Jack Dorsey, is yet another new-media milestone: the recognition by the United States government that an Internet blogging service that did not exist four years ago has the potential to change history in an ancient Islamic country.

“This was just a call to say: ‘It appears Twitter is playing an important role at a crucial time in Iran. Could you keep it going?’ ” said P.J. Crowley, the assistant secretary of state for public affairs.

Twitter complied with the request, saying in a blog post on Monday that it put off the upgrade until late Tuesday afternoon — 1:30 a.m. Wednesday in Tehran — because its partners recognized “the role Twitter is currently playing as an important communication tool in Iran.”

NYT June 17, 2009

Crossing Over

The pulse that throbs
to the beat of my heart.

The voice that I hear,

so dear and so near,

when things fall apart.

A final parting?
A goodbye forever?
Can this be it?
A lasting separation?

The pain that sears

seeing love disappear.

As the insides retch,

the mind's in shambles

'n emptiness rambles.

Both the enstranged

and departed are torn,

as am I, in fear,

of an end so forlorn.

Achy Obejas' Cocktail of Characters in "Ruins"!

Achy Obejas recent novel "Ruins" takes the reader to Cuba in the 1990s and screens it through the eyes of a die hard nationalist. The novel does not have much of a storyline, and that perhaps is the reason the reader never feels completely engrossed. Also, I found myself resisting the lens that was offerred to me by the narrator; almost as if I resented the paucity of the information provided by a clearly biased narrator. Obejas could have done so much more with the robust setting that she had chosen; Cuba during this transition period would be a writer's delight, and yet Obejas presented it within a pretty narrow spectrum, and I wonder why...

Usnavy, the die hard nationalist and chief protagonist of the novel, was quite a disappointment and did not make any impact; primarily because the delineation of his character appeared contrived and unoriginal. He reminded me of Old Major in Orwell's "Animal Farm" who dies half way through the novel spouting all that was supposedly 'good' about Animal(Commun)ism. Usnavy also has shades of Willy Loman from Miller's "Death of a Salesman" as the disgruntled idealist, and then there is a distinct similarity that Usnavy bears to Santiago of Hemmingway's "The Old Man and the Sea". These similarities made me feel cheated as a reader; it's almost like the writer put together a cocktail of characteristics from various welldrawn characters in literature and put them into her protagonist. Perhaps, readers who are not familiar with some of the characters I mentioned may find Usnavy appealing, and as a result, they may possibly enjoy the novel. However, even though Usnavy forced me to reminisce on some great characters in Literature, but that did not make him a memorable character. or Ruins a delectable read. Obviously, in my mind there was a stalemate in terms of the character of Usnavy, and I think that really ruined 'Ruins' for me.

I have heard great things about this young writer, and she has received some good reviews this past year, but I will just have to wait to read another of her books ...

Introspection

Inspired by someone who is lost but will not listen to a little voice that cares to keep you in the game!

Do you have somewhere to go?
You know there’s a way
if you know how to get there.

Do you want to get there?
You know it isn’t so hard
if you used all your cards.

Do you use all resources?
You know friends can hold on
if not kept waiting too long.

Do you see yourself there?
You know you could
if pursue you would.

Do you imagine you'd pursue?
You know you might
if only you tried.

Do you even mean to try?
You know, NOW, you should
if you care to be understood!

Only a Partial "Rescue"; the Pirate Needs Rescuing Too!

This piece does not aim to undermine the courage or the commitment of the rescuers who put their lives on line to save a fellow human being, Captain Richard Phillips, who will go down in naval history as a model Captain.

A 'rescue' alright;
by snipers and seals so savy!
A brave battle in distant waters
betwixt a lifeboat and a navy!

Saving the innocent
from a dastardly attack
by 'pirates' of a nation -
one fighting for morsels!
A 'rescue' albeit:
of the have from the have not!

A 'rescue' was it?
Tentatively balanced
on a few million dollars.
Hushedly conspired

in powered headquarters.

A 'rescue' no doubt:

one precariously towed-

with a hundred feet of rope;

one fervently prayed for-

on pretty Vermont slopes;

one testily argued -

in Somalian swelter;

one instantly admired -

by American viewers.

A 'rescue' so unique!
Made thinkers to ponder
as to who was captive,
and who the captor...