OK, now I am annoyed

'EM Forster 'turned against novels after losing his virginity' in the Telegraph

"EM Forster never wrote a novel after A Passage To India because his first homosexual experience at the age of 38 sapped his creativity, according to a new biography [....] Before his death Forster wrote that “I should have been a more famous writer if I had written or rather published more, but sex prevented the latter.” In her book EM Forster: A New Life, Moffat argues that this cryptic statement reflects the writer's relief at developing physical relationships late in life, rather than referring to his sexual frustration as had been widely assumed."

Whoops!

I forgot to link to the National Post review of the new Forster book in my last post. Et alors,

Robert Fulford: E.M. Forster's closet with a view.

Duh.

Stereotypes, secrets and cross-cultural relationships

I was simply going to announce a new biography of Forster, A Great Unrecorded History: A New Life of E.M. Forster by Wendy Moffat, brought to my attention by my mom (thanks!), but then this exploded all over the Intenet.

"This" being an attempt at humour (I think?) gone very wrong, in which an American woman (who also happens to run a dating website, I hear?) married to an Indian man attempts to explain how (and why) to date Indian men.

Although I do follow the Huffington Post (who ran this article), I only follow their books feed, so (thankfully?) missed this article the first time 'round. It only came to my attention because I follow Niranjana Iyer's blog, Brown Paper.

Niranjana writes eloquently about one of the myraid reasons the Huff Post piece is offensive: "That the stereotyping in this case happens to be (mostly) positive is of little consequence; exoticizing a people in this manner is to make them the Other (versus “ordinary” people). A mindset that is ready to label a billion Indians “gracious, social creatures” is just as capable of labeling them smelly beasts. Stereotyping robs a person of his individuality; does it really matter if the mugger is smiling or spitting as he’s relieving you of your valuables?" And she quotes one of the commenters from the Huff Post page (I am NOT going through all those comments myself!), who points out, quite rightly, that "Humorous generalization can be a laugh riot if done well– in a non-cliche or particularly insightful way– but this really misses the mark. It could have been funny or provocative if it had not employed so many cliched generalizations, or had done so with a self-parodying sensibility. [...] Writing a satirical send-up of any group’s generalized habits (Indians, white people, black people, whatever) requires a deeper, more nuanced perception of stereotypes, a fresh intelligence which provokes both thought and laughter. This article lacks that freshness." I don't know if this is the best time to mention that the various spoofs of the Huff Post piece available online sometimes have an edgy freshness to them that Miller's alarmingly earnest piece is missing.

As soon as I read about all this I knew I wanted to blog about it, if only to agree with Niranjana and the above comments, and to deplore the state of the dating world if these are the criteria applied ("successful and professionally desirable," not to mention "incredibly attractive" - OK, I know I am out of the dating world and can't be too judgemental, but seriously, are you choosing a buffet item or a partner?). Since I had notes about the Forster bio saved as a draft here, I was struck, when logging in, by the links between these two news items.

The Forster bio is apparently (I am on the holds list at work now, so must wait) about the importance of Forster's homosexuality to his work, and his life. I have to say, on my first reading of the review, I was thinking, "Yeah... so?" But then I guess I am a Forster nerd, and to me, it's obvious (because he pretty much says so) that he stopped writing because he couldn't write truthfully, and he couldn't write truthfully because he couldn't write about homosexual relationships, or at least not about anything remotely positive about them in mid-century Britain. Writes Fulford in the book review, "Forster wrote heterosexual novels because he had an old-fashioned sense of traditional values and because he rightly feared the consequences of writing about gays. [...] Moffat believes that by the time he wrote Howards End, in 1910, he was already tired of “the masquerade of propriety.” Being something of a specialist in hypocrisy (as the readers of all his best-known books well know), he may simply have decided that his own position was dishonest."

The idea for my Honours thesis came about years earlier, when I wrote the final exam in an English course at Marianopolis with Nini Pal. One of the texts we had read was A Passage to India, and the exam question read something like, "The novel concludes with the question, posed by Fielding, of whether he and Aziz can be friends. The horses, the earth and the world around them "said in their hundred voices: 'No, not yet,' and the sky said: 'No, not there." Do you believe this is still the case? Why or why not?"

(sorry if that's totally inaccurate, but that's how I remember it, anyway. I might have it somewhere in the office, but no way am I going back there to check...)

I was so struck by the question, and wanted so much to believe that the answer was no, not anymore, that I embarked on a study of modernist literature, and specifically, relationships across cultural, gender and class boundaries in Edwardian society and novels. As I learned more, I came to see how Forster's homosexuality, and his relationship with Syed Masood (at left below, from emforster.de) influenced his ideas, his writing, and his life. While Forster was far from the only modern Englishman (or woman) with a colourful personal life (I highly recommend Uncommon Arrangements by Katie Roiphe for more on the topic), he did feel his outsider status strongly, and was such an honest man that he struggled with keeping his true self in the closet. I always thought it was especially tragic that Forster seemed to set himself up to fail in romantic relationships: he fell in love with the most unlikely men, in the most unlikely places, setting himself up for an uphill battle against colonial England, racism, AND homophobia. I admire his open soul, but I wonder how much it hurt him.

So he stopped writing fiction (hey, many have stopped for less). I'm so pleased that Fulford states clearly that "he did not spend the rest of his life as a hermit in the style later perfected by J.D. Salinger. Forster wrote many essays, talked on BBC radio, lectured at universities, accepted royal honours and wrote a biography of the aunt who left him a small income. He was never in hiding." Although Fulford's eventual conclusions (that perhaps Forster would have been a worse writer if he had lived in a society in which homosexuality was accepted) are rather shaky - fans of Maurice, by the way, are thin on the ground because most people don't know it exists (trust me, I work in a library). Anyway, whether his writing would have improved or worsened is anyone's guess, really, but I'd say either way he would have been an equally influential (if humble) humanist regardless of which society, in which historical moment, he had lived in.

So, I guess this morning I was just thinking, I wonder what Forster would have made of the world, and this Huff Post article? I think he would have been utterly mortified at the lack of respect we sometimes have for each other as individuals, and I think he would have been somewhat uncomfortable with the humour we use to laugh off the stereotypes some people still believe in. Of course, we're certainly so much freer than we were in the 1920s, when Forster was finishing Passage in Weybridge, or even the 1970s, when Forster died. Although sometimes, when articles like the Huff Post piece come along, I wonder, how much freer? And at what cost to dignity?

Shakespeare & Company Bookshop gets into the game

Shakespeare & Company Bookshop, famously founded by Sylvia Beach and now run by George Whitman's daughter, Sylvia Whitman, will resume publishing Paris Magazine (abandoned by George in the '80s) and also begin a 10,000 euro ($12, 292) prize, given "every two years to the author of the best novella containing 20,000-30,000 words. Initial submissions are to be received by Dec. 1, 2010, and shortlisted entrants must submit their complete novella by March 1, 2011. The contest is open to unpublished writers only and there is an entry fee" (via).

Doors Open Ottawa @ the Rideau Library!

I promised some people a full account (+ photos!) and so, forthwith!

We have three (!!) events on Saturday at the library, and I am in Toronto this weekend for an OPLA RA meeting, so my plan for Doors Open is self-serve. I have prepared a historical display, involving themed posters with scans, photos, and newspaper clippings, books relating to local history, and a plexiglass display of "realia" and Ottawa Room historical books.

When you enter the library, you see this on the staircase slatwall, a welcome poster with basic info, our Art brochure (we have art from the city art collection), a bookmark of some of the local history books, and the Doors Open brochures published in the Citizen.
You then make your way into the library. The way I am directing traffic is by using red bristol board circles taped to the carpet (as above on slatwall). The idea is, look for a circle and stand on it to see part of the historic display.

The first one highlights the library itself, and includes articles highlighting:

• Our opening in 1934 (from the Citizen, the Journal, and Le Droit)
• The arrival of the 2nd ERAC (Electronic Resource and Access Centre) computer (1996)
• Our heritage designation (1998)
• The opening of the link to Rideau Gardens (2006)
• The repairs and renovations (2007-2009)
• The re-opening and 75th anniversary (2009)
  

The next display (next 3 photos) features local history of a more general nature, and includes the plexiglass display of "realia" and Ottawa Room historical books.

I ordered 8 or so copies of Capital walks (above) and that's the only thing that has already gone! Good thing I only put 4 out. Ha ha! I don't blame people; it's the book I most enjoyed when I first arrived in Ottawa.

Inside the plexiglass:
Action Sandy Hill. Walking in Sandy Hill, Ottawa. Ottawa: Heritage Ottawa, 1975.
Bonin, Normand. La Basse Ville ouest, c’etait… Ottawa: Comité de citoyens de la Basse Ville ouest, 1977.
St. Brigid's Parish Golden Jubilee, 1889-1939. Ottawa: Le Droit, 1939 (can see best above).
Ribbon from Rideau Library re-opening ceremony, May 19, 2009.
Above the plexiglass:
Circulating copy of Walking in Sandy Hill, Ottawa, Une Bibliothèque Vivante: L'histoire Tant Attendue de la Bibliothèque Publique D'Ottawa, 1906-2001, and The Library Book: An Overdue History of the Ottawa Public Library, 1906-2001 (by Phil Jenkins).
Below the plexiglass:
Books about Elizabeth Bruyère (if you follow that link, scroll down: coding issues...)



Eh bien, dans le quartier, alors.... A charming map of Bytown from the 19th century (street names! Mine was different!), hotels that are now offices, Sussex as a dirt road, Lowertown Market as a wooden barn, and the history of St. Brigid's. The books here are histories of local churches, community centres, the nuns again, and Whiskey and Wickedness thrown in for fun.

Continuing into the annex of the library, a look into Franco-Ontario culture in Ottawa, given that it was the Francophones of Lowertown who advocated for Rideau Library to be built.

Some specific info: reno time! This is pretty much the same stuff from here.

Here's where I really went crazy. Letting patrons provide feedback. Egads! Who knows what horrors await me upon my return from Toronto!

Service excellence

I just went the extra mile, so to speak, for an admittedly rather crusty patron, and received "un gros merci aussi grand que le Parlement."

Aw.

What should I read next? Wednesday #1: The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

So you, like my friend Colette, who first gave me The Eyre Affair, and who just read Shades of Grey as an e-book in Rothera, enjoy the literary acrobatics of Jasper Fforde?

Well, then, if you especially are drawn to the mystery, the situational comedy, the links to literature, and Fforde's witty, wry tone, you will love The case of the missing books by Ian Sansom.

Probably the biggest difference between the two books is the difference in the personalities of the main characters. While Thursday Next is capable of (one suspects) basically anything, it appears Israel Armstrong is capable of (one suspects) pretty much nothing. I cannot better Philip Ardagh's description in the Guardian: Israel is "an overweight corduroy-wearing vegetarian Jewish librarian." A winning combo, no?

So poor old Israel has failed to be gainfully employed in London, and leaves the city in disgrace, taking a job in Tumdrum (not a real place!), County Antrim (real place. In Ireland). Arriving to find that budget cuts have reduced his place of emplyment to ... a bus.

[No, we wouldn't know anything about that, would we?]

Anyway, the real problem is that the actual books are missing, and no one in town seems to want to tell Israel where they are, although they all seem to know something....

I can tell what you're thinking by now - does this only appeal to librarians!? No, I certainly hope not. Israel's sense of having arrived in adulthood without feeling like an adult, his love of literature, the batty cast of small-town characters, and the sheer tomfoolery of this novel should endear it to many.

Rushdie v. the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens

You know, I actually have trouble most of the time listening to Cat Stevens, because I get sad and angry about who he was, and who he is now. See, if he had just converted, I could have lived with that. It's the madrassa, and a BBC interview I saw in maybe 2000, and the whole sitting-on-the-fence-about-a-fatwa that pushes me over the edge. I guess it's also the fact that I spent quite awhile studying moderate / extremist behaviour, both for academic credit and in my personal life, and the Cat Stevens story just strikes me as a particular tragedy of one individual's empathy and desire to connect and understand others (and, probably, impressionability) gone wrong.

Anyway, Rushdie called him on all that at a recent talk with Eli Wiesel in Toronto about human rights.

I heard Rushdie speak two years ago at Celebridée and he was his usual brilliant (if bombastic) self. Adrian Harewood also deeply shamed himself that evening by mispronouncing something Rushdie-related (I forget now; I should dig up my notes and post about that and other long-ago literary events...).

... The future is here!

"O, brave new world, / That has such [gadgets] in't!"

"Children, 4, 'to be fingerprinted to borrow school books from library'" from The Telegraph.

Raising the standards of children's books, in the 1940s

"A pictorial history of Puffin: black, white and read all over" (The Telegraph).

Excerpt:
"Seventy years ago, a publisher decided to distract children from the war with intelligent, affordable and beautiful books [....] Carrington had been nurturing an idea for a series of well-illustrated books that would explain things to children: books about the natural and man-made environments, about history, geography and recreational pursuits, and some stories. Books that were immediate and inexpensive. At the time, children’s books uniting all these features simply didn’t exist and Lane took little persuasion in agreeing to Carrington’s idea – his only stipulation was that the selling price must be sixpence"

Ottawa Race Weekend: Half-marathon

I did it!

My time was something like 2:31:30..... REVISED TO 2:14:51.5!!!!!

Announcement: What should I read next? Wednesday

Since I keep saying RA is my first love, I guess I should put my money where my mouth is. Since Fridays in May were "Felt Friday,", Wednesdays in June will be...

"What should I read next? Wednesday!"

....in which I will select a modern work of adult fiction, discuss the appeal factors, and suggest one (or more) read-alikes.

Boy, did I ever struggle with that alliteration.

Class dismissed.

Recent reading: the not-so-fab

Straight Man by Richard Russo: A middle-aged university professor deals with professional impotency (funding crises and general staff malaise) and personal demons (the return of his ne'er do well and namesake father to town). Narrator's schtick is that he doesn't care about much, but you love him because he actually does. Abandoned half-way through; it was smart and funny but I just didn't care enough.

The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti: Orphan boy is rescued from nasty orphanage by mysterious traveling thief. Mayhem, mystery and murder ensues; family history and bizarre coincidences abound. Everyone else adored it; I liked it, but found it a bit too pat for my taste. A bit fairy-tale-y, which I understand is part of the charm. I just didn't quite feel it.

Quote from Wolf Hall

Thomas Cromwell to Thomas More, regarding taking the oath: "A lie is no less a lie because it is a thousand years old."

Felt Friday #5: Woof!

You know I had to even it out and do dogs. I am totally a cat person (except when it comes to retired racing greyhounds) but dogs may well make for a better storytime. Is it just me, or are there better songs about dogs?

The fluffy white dog is most popular. Also, you totally can't see, but the dogs have BELLS on their collars.

Somehow, these dogs are gravitationally challenged. I suspect it's their giant heads. So I affixed some velcro to them, which keeps them from toppling off the feltboard and confounds small children from stealing them.

Rob Reid tip: bring nylons or stockings to storytime. Check your shame at the door. Place stockings on your head. Sing, "Do your ears hang low?"

Dog books for all your storytime needs are here. Highly recommended, of course, is Bark, George; I also have a soft spot for Harry (at right), the dirty dog, and Angus (at left below).

Only read The Waiting dog to a mature audience, although it is hilarious and will charm your jaded 9-12 year olds with its gory rhymes.

Other songs and rhymes:

Five little puppies
Five little puppies playing in the sun. (hold up hands, fingers extended)
This one saw a rabbit, and he began to run. (bend down first finger)
This one saw a butterfly, and he began to race. (bend down second finger)
This one saw a cat, and he began to chase. (bend down third finger)
This one tried to catch his tail,
and he went round and round. (bend down fourth finger)
This one was so quiet, he never made a sound. (bend down thumb)

The ubiquitous B-I-N-G-O works here, too.

Don't forget the other verses of Do your ears hang low?:
Does your tongue hang down? Does it flop all around? (yeah, just try that one. If my hands are clean, I like to hold my tongue out for this entire verse and see how that goes. Always good for a laugh)
Does your nose hang low? Does it wiggle to and fro?
Continue as creativity allows....

OMG my life is complete. Bark, George is online:

Plus ça change...

Le Droit, vendredi 26 janvier 1934

Risky (or brave) perspective

"Why Closing More Public Libraries Might Be The Best Thing (…Right Now)" from LISNews.

Excerpt:

"People skills are a sorely overlooked basic requirement of librarianship. A librarian could be well versed in every item in a library, but it wouldn’t matter a single bit if they lack the social skills to communicate this information with the patrons. [...] This aspect extends to our paraprofessional and support staff. In a nutshell, checking in and out materials and maintaining patrons records is trainable; finding someone who will act as an advocate for the library at the desk that most patrons interact with is not. And yet, we hire on the basis of the first part without much thought or consideration as to the face that we are giving the library by putting this individual at our most prominent position: the circulation desk. This simply cannot continue as a hiring practice."

Agree, agree, agree! Even if the author does make one of my most-hated grammatical mistakes further along: it's FEWER public libraries, not less! Argh!

Made my day

Mail from Miss Z and Miss K:





I enjoy that Miss K depicts Kris fishing. As I write this, he is putting in the AC - close enough. Providing for the tank-top-wearing, perspiring spouse.

Step into 1934 with me

In the margins of my regular workday (wait, my workday has margins? And I fill them? That explains why I don't have time to pee) I've been collecting and organising material for Doors Open Ottawa, which Rideau Library is participating in.

I can get really caught up in this historical stuff (I came in at 8 and stayed until 7:30 almost every day for two months when researching local authors in another community for an international event), so I am reeeeeally trying to keep the work to a minimum. Details forthcoming, but as a teaser, I thought you might enjoy this, from the Citizen on Wednesday, January 24, 1934. Still holds true, you know: "the maximum of whatever is possible ought to be done."


This also made me realise why people think we're a Carnegie: because the library system in Ottawa (such as it was) was called the Carnegie Public Library for a short while, in honour of Andrew himself. That being said, Carnegie funded only Main and Rosemount; the 27, 500$ for Rideau was raised by the library board in Ottawa.

Free for all: The public library as a place for transformation

Article of interest from Sojourners Magazine. Thanks to Mum for the link.

Excerpt:

“The library has been a focal point of my homelessness,” says Kevin Barbieux. “Days began and ended at the library. I have known several librarians by name and consider them to be friends, and the library is where I met up with what few friends I had from the streets. It was a central location that most everyone was familiar with.” [....] No special provisions existed for the homeless in his Nashville library, and he says he occasionally experienced prejudicial attitudes. Nevertheless, the books were there, the computers were there, the community was there, and Barbieux changed his life in part thanks to their availability—free of charge.