Wonders of my small world

 

Sophie telling me she's hungry. 
That's a language I can understand,
the barking not so much.

I hardly know where to begin, so many odd little wonders have happened in my world today. Early this morning, I was half-heartedly scrolling through news sites online when I came to an article about an app that will let people decipher what their cat is saying. The program is called MeowCat and has both interesting achievements and questionable outcomes. Only halfway interested in cats, I read through to see if there was anything about dogs. Yep! A project called Zoolandia is trying to decipher dogspeak—and the language of other mammals.

The other evening, as Babette and I were talking, with Rosie curled at her feet, Soph began to bark frantically at me. It was obvious she wanted something specific, and I was frustrated because I didn’t know what it was. I had fed her, given her treats, filled her water bowl. Finally Babette said, “That kibble you put aside so she and Rosie wouldn’t quarrel.” That was it: Sophie wanted the second course of her dinner. Once she had that, she curled up next to Rosie and slept. How I wished for an app that would tell me what she was asking for. I’m going to keep tabs on this developing technology. Sophie is very verbal—you can tell from the intonations in her barking—but I can’t often tell what she wants. I’d love this new technology.

Some technology I’m not so happy about: Facebook decided I offended its community standards and would not let me post today. I think by now my isolation has passed, but it was frustrating today. I have no idea what I posted that was offensive—and I don’t think they know either. Last night I got a flurry of message about community standards, but I didn’t pay close attention. My mistake. I think now their algorithms had gone amuck, and I got caught in the middle. Me, Pollyanna? Post something offensive? I don’t think so.

I know the common perception is that writers are recluses who sit at their desks long hours and have no relationships in the real world. A lot of the time I’m inclined to think that about myself, but today I was glad to read about some outreach programs by the writing community. PEN America, the international association of writers, is sponsoring “Words on Fire: Writing, Freedom, and the Future,” an afternoon’s conversation about the issues of freedom of expression in these “dire times.” The program is sponsored by the New York Historical Society. Originally, Salman Rushdie was to speak; now that he is recovering from severe injuries, it has become a tribute to him.

And another story about the writing community: When the two senatorial seats in George were closely contested, a group of mystery writers formed a loose organization called Mystery Loves Georgia and solicited donations for an auction—autographed books, the naming of a character, a free review or critique, and so on. The effort was wildly successful, and now they formed Mystery Loves Democracy with the goal of raising $100,000 to fight voter suppression. I contributed a signed copy of Saving Grace to Mystery Loves Georgia and committed to name a character after a donor. To my surprise, Linda Rutledge, the character, proved to play a much larger role in Irene in Danger than I anticipated. So now I have promised to send another copy of Saving Grace (my thinking is it’s best to start a reader on the first book in a series and hope he or she gets hooked) and have promised to name a character in Irene Takes On Texas after whoever buys that. Since I’m at best a low mid-list author, I price my contributions low—starting at $15. The auction will be held in mid-September.

Tonight Jean took me to a local bistro for supper, a place that we have both liked for a long while. The atmosphere is pleasant, the food good. Ah, not so tonight. Both of us felt our dinners were not up to par, and the restaurant was so noisy, we kept having to repeat ourselves. Once some time ago when we debated eating at the cottage, Jean said something to the effect that the food here is better and the atmosphere much quieter. Tonight I decided she was right. But I was glad to get out, and Jean was good to undertake hauling me and my walker around.

After supper, we drove by the house where she and her husband lived—new owners have changed the exterior a lot (I will say no more) and then she took me for a tour of the TCU campus—the east campus, where there are buildings I never heard of. And dead-end streets and parking barriers so you hardly know where to go. I have only been retired for eleven years, and I only live maybe a mile from campus, but I didn’t realize how out of touch I am. But I was left with this lingering doubt: do building make a university or is it the people—faculty and students and staff. And which comes first: buildings or the academic program. I had been interested earlier today to read the qualifications of new liberal arts faculty—they specialize in gender studies, race, queer studies, indigenous literature. It’s a far cry from the days when I said my specialization was American literature with a special interest in women of the American West. Today, that sounds quaintly old-fashioned—or just plain lame.

I am glad to be retired. I think I’m too old for this new world of wonders.

 

What are your children are reading?

 

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison.
Pulled from school shelves in Keller, Texas

This morning I posted my weekly cooking blog, Gourmet on a Hot Plate. Normally, that would have done it for me for the day. But the following is a continuation of yesterday’s blog and something I really wanted to say. I realized a bit of it is date-limited—the Rushdie readings—so two blogs in one day. Maybe I’ll take a vacation tomorrow, depending on what my little world and the larger world offers.

In a hangover from my publishing days, I subscribe to an online newsletter for booksellers called Shelf Awareness. Today’s edition had a large serving of irony. The opening story was about a planned reading tomorrow on the steps of the New York Public Library in support of Salman Rushdie and his continuing battle for artistic freedom, for writers to be able to speak their minds, share their thoughts. Several of his close friends, all authors, will read selections form his work. It will be livestreamed on Friday, August 19, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm ET. https://www.nypl.org/about/locations/schwarzman. The authors are all from PEN America, and most names were unfamiliar to me. Rushdie obviously moves in more elite circles than I do, but I certainly applaud the effort. Calling this a “watershed moment for the freedom to write, a cause that is synonymous with Salman's life and work,” Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America. said, “We are gathering as friends, associates and admirers to amplify Salman's words and convey our warm wishes, but also to rise in defense of principles that will not be extinguished by violence."

I have never read Rushdie though of course I have followed his career as many of us have. But since the attack on him, I’ve learned a lot more, not just about his writing but about his dedication to freedom of the arts. I’m going to try (yes, that’s the verb) to read some of his work now. I’m even fascinated that he was married to Padma Lakshmi who has many facets to her career, but who I always think of as a food writer.

So much for Rushdie. The very next article in the newsletter highlights the increasing effort to control what students in our schools read. The statistics are appalling. Educational gag orders--state legislative proposals to restrict the freedom to learn and teach—have increased by 250% compared to last year and have become law in 19 states, affecting 122 million Americans.  According to a report from PEN America, 137 gag orders have been filed in 36 states so far in 2022, compared to 54 gag orders in 22 states through all of 2021. Only a small percentage of those proposals are signed into law, but the trend is disturbing.

Racism is behind the majority of gag orders, but LGBTQ and identity issues are not far behind. And the consequences are getting more severe—fines and now even some jail time. And the move that first began in elementary schools is now moving even into higher education. To quote Nossel, PEN America CEO, again, “Lawmakers are undermining the role of our public schools as a unifying force above politics and turning them instead into a culture war battleground. By seeking to silence critical perspectives and stifle debate, they are depriving students of the tools they need to navigate a diverse and complex world."

Some incidental notes: Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin spoke last week on the Chautauqua platform where Rushdie was attacked and told the audience that one of his books is banned in Iraq—and in Texas.

Meanwhile in Keller, administration seems to be feeling the heat. The superintendent of the Keller ISD said today he expects some of the books pulled from shelves to be available again very soon. The question is: which books will be banned?

Censorship is like freedom of speech and abortion rights and a lot of other battles we thought we’d fought and won years ago, and now they are rearing their ugly heads again. I don’t mean to sound dramatic, but all of us need to pick up arms—or books and words—and enter the fray again. We cannot let authoritarianism win—that means you, Ron DeSantis, and you, donald j. trump, and you, Greg Abbott.

Peace my friends. Go read a good book.