Always Running: La Vida Loca

          Luis J. Rodriguez's Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in LA is a raw, violent, and emotional account of growing up Chicano and poor in the shadows of one of America's most glamorous cities. What is perhaps the most unnerving part of Rodriguez's narrative is not the violence (which we expect after the title) nor is it the brutality, the cheapness of life and death, or the deprivation of urban American life-a theme that contemporary readers may very well be weary of, as even this "edgy" type of writing can fall into its own cliché-but rather lies in Rodriguez's frank vulnerability. He writes unnervingly about his own failures and failings: as a father, as a man, as an individual, with a stark and honest brutality that is both shocking and heartbreaking. In the 2005 preface to the new edition, Rodriguez writes:

"I was not a good father or a good son, but I learned. I was not a good poet, but I never stopped writing. I couldn't put two words together when I spoke, but now no one can shut me up. I had a hard time dealing with my addiction, my rages, but somehow, some way, I overcame them. The fact is I failed at everything I  tried to do but I kept working at it, failing some more, not giving up, so that eventually, at age 51, I've begun to center my life, get control over my destructive impulses, and become someone my wife, my kids, my grandchildren, and my community can learn from and respect."

          This is not a story about triumph; it is story about survival. But then again, perhaps surviving gang days in LA is its own triumph, complete with the honesty of failure and faltering. This is a story of loss and of deep grieving. Given all this, then, we may ask why this text is one of the most widely taught novels in Latin@ Literature. It is not just that Rodriguez gives us a vision of something simple, and true and unnerving, nor is it that he presents some universal narrative of triumph or of the human condition. Rather, it seems that this novel does something that is increasingly rare in our contemporary culture: it takes ownership. Rodriguez does not hide from the violence of his past; he does not make excuses for the way that violence ripples out beyond his own life. Instead, he creates a weapon of a novel, and asks his readers to take it up unflinchingly.
~Dr. Lorna L. Perez~

"Flight" by Sherman Alexie

A Native American boy, Michael, better known as Zits throughout the book, has gone through a series of foster homes.  He breaks out of his latest one after assaulting his foster parents, and is arrested by two cops who know him very well after arresting him on many previous occasions.  In the juvenile detention facility, he meets a white boy whose only name is Justice, who teaches Zits to fire guns.

Zits walks into a bank with two loaded ones…a paintball gun, and a real gun.  He shoots a lot of people in the bank, and ends up getting shot in the head by the bank guard.  After that, he goes through a series of flashbacks of the atrocities committed by and against Native Americans in which he plays a role in the killing of others.  The last role he plays is that of his own father, who is a drunk and homeless Native American.  After that, it flashes back to the bank, before he pulls out the weapons.  He finds the two officers who arrested him before, and tells him to take the guns away from him before he does something bad with them.  After that, he finds a foster home that he can live with.

I really do like the level of fun that, as a Native American himself, Alexie is able to poke fun at his own culture, and yet, show the atrocities and the negativity surrounding how America has treated (and continues to treat) Native American tribes, from the "Trail of Tears" that was motivated by then-President Andrew Jackson, to the modern-day government bureau of Indian Affairs. He maintains this while making Michael a very solid character based on his race, his personality, and his circumstances; many people, regardless of their walks of life, can appreciate what Michael is going through.  This book is a very good read for anyone!

~Jason A. Wright~

Reexamining Thomas More's "Utopia"

        I have a friend; actually he is more like a brother, that I have countless conversations with in regards to politics, culture, history, literature, music, and the like. We get together regularly in an attempt to discuss and solve all of the problems in our society and in the world as well. To help me along with the daunting task (which he assigned me during one of our meetings where I kept coming to the conclusion that all of our economic problems were systemic) of formulating the next post-Capitalist economic paradigm, my friend suggested that I re-read Utopia in a newly published translation from the original Latin.

         When having discussions like the ones that my friend and I often have, one becomes enamored with ideals that are Utopian in nature...what if this or that was perfect. Utopia, in our modern discussions, has taken on the meaning of an unobtainable and perfect society that is devoid of all problems. While the island society in More's book of the same name is sold to us as such by its narrative proponent, Raphael Hythloday, the society itself is built upon some things that we moderns would not really look at as being so “good” or perfect. First off, there is legal slavery on the island. Secondly, there is a cultural/racial homogeneity of population on the island that is rigidly enforced by law as new outsiders aren't regularly allowed in. Finally, the rights of the individual are not very important here outside of the role that the individual performs within Utopian Society. All of these things can be quite problematic for the modern reader of More.

      On the positive side, the Utopian society operates in a fashion that discourages greed and excess. The society is generally peaceful but can defend itself, even viciously, if necessary. Utopia is a place where no one wants for anything and all in society work towards the common goal of keeping everyone on the island fed, clothed, sheltered, at peace, and generally pretty happy and conflict free. Justice is determined by judges that are brought in from other countries so as not to have any biases towards one side or another in a dispute. In general, Utopia as a place seems like an ideal place to live. 

      The word utopia translates from the Latin into “no place.” In short, More was telling us of a place that did not exist as if it did exist in reality. This ideal fictional society, and the ways in which More chooses to set it up, makes Utopia an excellent read for those that are looking for ways to make our society and world a better place in which to live. This book can be looked at as both a history of philosophical thought (at the very beginning of the development of Western, post-enlightenment, democratic thought) as well as an examination of politics and human nature. In short, I would recommend this book to anyone as a starting point for discussion on politics, economics, and philosophy.

~Roy W. Bakos~

A Child Called "It"

          David Pelzer’s story is one of the most severe cases documented of child abuse in California. This novel is the first of a series describing the horrific events of the child’s abuse. Although it is “easy to read” in literary terms the content makes it difficult to get through. It was difficult to understand how such a caring mother turned into a monster when alcoholism took over. David described her as beautiful when she put on makeup and made up her hair for a day in the park or an eloquently planned day-trip, made so just for the happiness of her children.  The “Den Mother” of the cub scouts quickly turned into a raging animal as she starved David and when he stole food during lunch hour made him throw it up and eat it again. She devised many torture mechanisms even more disturbing, such as a gas-chamber made of combined chemicals which quickly fumed up the bathroom in a poisoning cloud.

          One may think that the parents divorced, but the Father lived at home, witnessing these events. The father also succumbed to the disease of alcoholism and in his deadly stupor of a cycle he remained a by-stander as David silently pleaded for help. Eventually all members of the family began seeing David as an “It” as if the blue eyed brown eyed experiment all over again.

          As written from the eyes of a child many argue that the novel lacks the emotion that is necessary for this topic, but I believe it was written so because David had to become detached and had to rid of his emotions to survive and thus we get this cold account of abuse. Even though there are further contradictions and controversies regarding the series such as the question of how true it really is, I don’t believe it really matters. Children are being abused every day all over the world; in 2007 the overall rate of child fatalities was 2.35 deaths per 100,000 children. So even if David Pelzer concocted some facts, or not at all, it is important to have literature like this to raise awareness of child abuse. I recommend this book to all current or future teachers because they are the links from the home to the classroom, but prepare yourself to grimace and cover your eyes as you read this heart wrenching account.

~Timea Kernacova~ 

The Arabian Nights - Author Unknown, as translated by Husain Haddawy

             The Arabian Nights is an unknown classic.  A book that should have its cover opened as often as Hamlet. As the door and window to much of the unknown, this novel has many incredible points that not only makes it an academically fascinating novel, but a novel anyone can enjoy.  The first thing to be mentioned is the aspect of storytelling.  The book is a literal page turner because the novel focuses so beautifully on the aspect of storytelling.  While you may not be enthralled with the actual story; you will be motivated to turn the page and continue reading if only because the story you are reading requires an end.  Built into the general story is this matter.  In order for our narrator, Shahrazad, to stay alive she must keep a solid level of anticipation to simply live one more day.  Of course the beauty of this story is that Shahrazad is not telling stories so she may not die, but so others do not have to die because of her continued life.  The stories are already built around anticipation and they are done so in a marvelous way.  

            No other novel I have read has been able to keep a level of anticipation throughout an entire book in such a simple but beautiful way.  Then we come to the actual stories themselves.  The stories are simple, folk tales.  We may even be able to find a similar tale from our childhood or our religion.  Any person can keep up with these stories as they are masterfully simple.  What may not be realized right away is what is beyond the simplicity of these stories.  Behind each story is a piece to a culture, a people, a religion, something that has seemingly become a dead mystery.  We are able to see an entire ancient world open before our eyes.  This novel has no author because no one author could re-create an entire culture on their own.  I find myself at a loss of words for the entity of what these stories create for all who open the pages and read.  It is something that can only be understood through the reading of this novel.         

          This novel was not written recently, in fact, it is based on a 14th century manuscript.  What you may hold in your hands if you choose to is the essence of life as it was and the meaning and background behind so many other texts that came after it.  If I can give any piece of advice it is that you should not wait until you are required to read this text, it can be read in so many different ways.  You should enjoy as you see fit, because tomorrow you can pick the book up and read it a different way and continue to see the mastery behind every story and every page. 

~Amy Widman~

All But My Life by Gerda Weissmann Klein

          I have found it to be true that one of the pinnacle reasons so many of us are drawn toward literature is that we find a common spark of humanity igniting on the pages below our eyes, and it is there, in that revelation, that we are bought and sold all at the same time to this ideal. We realize that through the written word, someone else’s story can have a significant impact on our own. Not every book has this voice. Not every author can speak with it. Gerda Weissmann Klein, however, summons it in All But My Life.

         All But My Life is a memoir of a girl in her teens during the Holocaust being taken first from her home, then from her family, until she is left quite literally with only her life. As Gerda tells her story, there is courage, hope, contemplation of suicide, miraculous triumph, and great love. She tells of her parents love as they talked on the last night they were ever to be together. She tells of the horrors of a death march from Germany to Czechoslovakia, when a group of 2,000 girls slowly became 150, and when her dearest childhood friend died in her arms a week before being liberated. 
When I finished this book, I began to wonder why more books don’t carry such an impact. But not every author has a story to tell like Gerda’s, and Gerda makes it her duty to tell the stories of those forgotten in mass graves, ditches, and crematoria. 
        All But My Life doesn’t look for sympathy, and it doesn’t raise a loud noise for us to take into account the atrocities of the past. Rather, it sits us down and tells us of things that happened, and inspires us with the courage and hope that overcame it all. Gerda was left to tell her story and the stories of others who no longer can. Stories that ended lost—obscure in the vast population of the dead, but remembered and quickened once again so that they might never be forgotten. 

~Kevin Kaminski~ 

Forged by Fire

Forged by Fire by Sharon Draper is an outstanding book, both for classroom applications and for casual readers.  Gerald, the protagonist, is thrust into the home of his abusive stepfather, Jordan Sparks, after his Aunt Queen, who has provided him for a loving household the past several years, dies of a heart attack.  Jordan verbally and physically abuses Gerald and his mother Monique, while he also sexually molests Gerald's half-sister Angel.  Throughout the novel, Gerald is very protective of Angel against Jordan and from his drug and alcohol addicted mother.  The term "Forged by Fire" is very appropriate to this book, as readers will come to find out. 

In regards to classroom applications, I have seen several aspects that can be used.   There is a strong male protagonist, as well as a strong male role model.  There are children growing up in a lower income household, in non-traditional family settings.  There are parents/step-parents in jail. There is an abusive character, a neglectful character who also suffers from drug and alcohol abuse, and two women who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Battered Woman's syndrome from the abuse they have taken.  There is also a theme of literacy; how influenced a male can be when reading is reinforced and when reading is neglected.  Based on the abuse material, a lot can be drawn into a classroom setting to explore themes that may be prevalent in many students' lives; characters they can relate to either directly or indirectly.

It is for these reasons, and of course, for the pleasure of reading, that I wholeheartedly recommend this book both for the casual reader and for the teacher looking for new material in his or her classroom.

-          ~Jason Wright~