“It has been observed that critics who write about Shakespeare reveal more about themselves than about Shakespeare, but perhaps that is the great value drama of the Shakespearean kind, namely, that whatever he may see taking place on stage, its final effect upon each spectator is a self-revelation.” — W. H. Auden (p. 4)
I’ve loved Shakespeare since I took a course on his plays at Marquette University back in 1968. Since then, I’ve read all of Shakespeare’s plays and have seen all of them either live or on DVD. Eliot A. Cohen is the Robert E. Osgood Professor at Johns Hopkins University and the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Cohen was also a counselor of the Department of State. The Hollow Crown is the result of Cohen teaching a graduate class in Shakespeare for policy makers.
“I have closely observed and occasionally worked with presidents, senators, foreign ministers, counselors, spies, and generals at home and abroad, not to mention corporate executives, provosts, and university presidents.” (p. 1) Cohen mixes his observations of Shakespeare plays with examples from the world of politics and business.
For those of you who love Shakespeare’s comedies, you’ll not find much in the way of mirth in these pages. Cohen focuses on characters like Richard III and MacBeth who seek power and when they get power, they use it in brutal ways.
The plays that receive the most attention from Cohen are Henry IV (Parts 1 & 2) and Henry V. The growth of Hal from a young nobleman interested in chasing women and drinking to a monarch show how leaders rise, rule, (and later fall).
If you’re a fan of Shakespeare, you’ll enjoy all the quotes Cohen provides from various plays. Cohen highlights passages from Richard III that I had forgotten about. Exercising power always costs and Shakespeare shows those consequences in his plays. The Hollow Crown is a terrific book with much to ponder. Do you have a favorite Shakespeare play? GRADE: A
Holly Maguire’s clever little book is aimed at children, but adults will find Book Nerd plenty of fun, too. Maguire provides the artwork and quotes famous people to praise the wonderfulness of reading.
If you’re looking for a snazzy celebration of bookishness, Book Nerd shines! Are you a book nerd? GRADE: A
I’ve been a huge fan of Martha Wells’s Murderbot series since the first volume appeared in 2018. Since then Wells published seven new Murderbot books. The latest book in the series is System Collapse. It is the weakest book in the series.
I was disappointed while reading System Collapse. The story dragged as SecUnit confronted some of its problems created in Network Effect.
SecUnit and its colleagues try to rescue a colony on a planet about to be controlled by a corporation that will make the colonists slaves. Plus, there’s alien contamination and several other problems to contend with. But the story drags and the long battle scene near the end of the book doesn’t quite rescue the storyline.
Then I read the interview with Martha Wells in the February 2024 issue of LOCUS. “I didn’t have to do the chemo, and only had to do four weeks of radiation. …They found out I have a genetic anomaly that means I have a higher chance of getting pancreatic cancer and melanoma. …It was very stressful–it was a lot!” Later in the interview, Wells refers to her problems writing System Collapse: “Murderbot’s interior voice is very similar to my own. Instead of dancing around a lot of my issues with anxiety and depression, I finally used Murderbot to talk about them.” That explains the very real divergences in System Collapse from the rest of the Murderbot series.
The problems Wells had to overcome to finish this book shows her strength of will and determination. I just hope the next Murderbot book recovers from Martha Wells’s personal system collapse. GRADE: C+
THEMURDERBOT SERIES: (just click on the link for the reviews)
Iain M. Banks died in 2013 of terminal Gallbladder cancer at the age of 59. Banks engaged in some impressive world-building when he came up with The Culture. The Culture stories center on a galactic society called The Culture, a utopian, post-scarcity space civilization of humanoid aliens, and advanced super-intelligent artificial intelligences living in artificial habitats spread across the Milky Way galaxy. The main themes of The Culture series concern the problems an idealistic, more-advanced civilization faces in dealing with smaller, less-advanced civilizations that do not share its ideals, and whose behaviors it sometimes finds barbaric. Think a clash of cultures who both think they’re right.
The Culture: The Drawings is a collection of Banks’ doodles, lists, sketches, and visualizations of the locales, ships, weapons, and vehicles that appear in his books. You can see how Banks developed his ideas through these drawings that would appear transformed into prose in his books.
“In some of The Culture stories, action takes place mainly in non-Culture environments, and the leading characters are often on the fringes of (or non-members of) the Culture, sometimes acting as agents of Culture (knowing and unknowing) in its plans to civilize the galaxy. Each novel is a self-contained story with new characters, although reference is occasionally made to the events of previous novels.”
“This rich, sweeping panorama of heroism and folly celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Culture, Banks’s far-future semi-utopian society…. The action tumbles along at a dizzying pace, bouncing among a fascinating array of characters and locales. It’s easy to see why Banks’s fertile, cheerfully nihilistic imagination and vivid prose have made The Culture space operas bestsellers and award favorites.”―Publishers Weekly on The Hydrogen Sonata
Iain M. Banks produced ten challenging SF novels that take the reader on trips to bizarre and frightening habitats. While there is plenty of action in these books, they’ll be considered classics because of the richness of their ideas. I’ve included a list of The Culture series below. I’m not exaggerating when I say they’re great books. Are you a fan of The Culture? GRADE: A
The State of the Art (1991). London: Orbit. ISBN0-356-19669-0 – also included below in short fiction collections, but included here because it is considered part of the Culture series.[86]
This CD from 2004 (hard to believe it’s 20 years ago!) collects most of the John Mellencamp (aka, “John Cougar”) hits from his career. Discovermusic lists what they think are Mellencamp’s 20 best songs (you can read the entire article by Brett Milano here) but here’s the top eleven songs according to Milano:
“The American Dream” (from Chestnut Street Incident, 1976)
Then known as “Johnny Cougar,” John Mellencamp’s debut album is full of unlikely 60s cover songs and slick, glitter-styled production. At the time, he looked and sounded like he really loved Elvis Presley. The opening track is still a solid rocker, introducing the heartland storytelling that would later make his name. Even the chorus, “Ain’t that the American dream,” would later be adapted in a more famous tune of his.
“Ain’t Even Done With the Night” (from Nothin’ Matters and What If It Did, 1981)
Donning the more serious “John Cougar” name, John Mellencamp set his sights on chart success: This tune was part of a string of singles (including “Hurt So Good” and the Pat Benatar-covered “I Need a Lover”) that established him as a radio presence. “Ain’t Even Done…” was the sweetest of the batch, a song that captures the feel of being young and sexed-up. The lyrics evince both insecurity (“Don’t even know if I’m doing this right”) and endless possibility. Sure, there’s a bit of Springsteen here, but the lead mandolin points at his future direction.
“Jack & Diane” (from American Fool, 1982)
An 80s anthem and a No. 1 hit, “Jack & Diane” puts some ambiguity in John Mellencamp’s storytelling: We don’t know where Jack and Diane will end up, this is just a snapshot that feels gritty and real. Sonically, it was state of the art, with that heavy acoustic guitar, the big chord crashes, and the rousing “Oh let it rock” chorus.
“Pink Houses” (from Uh-Huh, 1983)
Enter “John Cougar Mellencamp,” and the most emblematic song of his career (if not quite the biggest hit). The chorus of “ain’t that America” has been adopted by politicians on both sides of the spectrum, but like “Born in the USA,” this is an easy song to misinterpret. Mellencamp’s song is patriotic but not a flag-waver: It calls out inequality and lost dreams, and says that the peoples’ ability to roll with it is what makes this country great.
“Small Town” (from Scarecrow, 1985)
Another year, another anthem: When you hear the words “heartland rock,” “Small Town” is likely the first song that comes to mind. No double edge on this one, it’s a pure celebration of his roots, and the video includes some of the most rural scenes ever to appear on peak-era MTV.
“Rain On the Scarecrow” (from Scarecrow, 1985)
“Scarecrow” made a forceful case for the economically threatened American farmer. Anticipating Farm Aid and a few stacks of similarly-themed songs, this one went a long way toward putting the plight of farmers on the national radar.
“Paper in Fire,” (from The Lonesome Jubilee, 1987)
Now hitting the peak of his 80s fame, John Mellencamp was blending rock and roots into his own kind of American music. The pairing of accordion and fiddle with Kenny Aronoff’s power drumming made this an especially potent band. Though it still works as a fist-waver, “Paper in Fire” found him writing on a more metaphorical level about how the grandest dreams can turn to ashes.
“Shama Lama Ding Dong” (single, 1987)
For all the deep thoughts in his songs, John Mellencamp could do pure fun with the best. This rarity is a prime example: Originally played by Otis Day & the Knights in the movie Animal House, “Shama Lama Ding Dong” was a nod to the soulful sound of North Carolina beach music. It was a popular live tune in the Lonesome Jubilee era, and a studio version appeared on the B-side of the “Cherry Bomb” single. Still non-LP after all these years, so happy hunting.
“Big Daddy of Them All” (from Big Daddy, 1989)
Big Daddy was a surprise. It was a darker album that largely avoided the usual rockers and anthems and had more of a world-weary tone. The hit single “Pop Singer” is one of John Mellencamp’s crankiest. This sort-of title track opened the album and set its tone, telling of a character who gains power but loses his soul. The sound is likewise stripped-down, with an aggressive lead guitar that appears only in the middle and end.
“I Ain’t Never Satisfied” (from Whenever We Wanted, 1991)
Just when it seemed John Mellencamp had grown away from straight-ahead rock, he picked it back up with a vengeance on this oft-overlooked 1991 album – the first to be credited to “John Mellencamp.” He was confident enough to release half of its ten tracks as singles – but oddly, this standout track wasn’t one of those. With a killer guitar riff and clever lyrics (“I try anything once, but then I do it to death”), this is as stripped-down and punkish as Mellencamp gets. Cheers to the terrific guitarist David Grissom, pinched from Texas rocker Joe Ely’s band.
“Wild Night” (from Dance Naked, 1994)
Cover tunes are an enduring part of John Mellencamp’s catalogue, he even devoted a full compilation album to Other Peoples’ Stuff in 2018. “Wild Night” makes our list, partly because it was a big hit and because it gives one of Van Morrison’s most beloved tunes a run for its money. Mellencamp doesn’t change the feel of the song much, though he does replace Morrison’s horns with a wall of guitars. But the vocal tradeoffs with Me’Shell Ndegeocello are the real kicker.
How many of these 35 John Mellencamp songs do you remember? Any favorites here? GRADE: B+
Margaret Atwood is best known for The Handmaid’s Tale and her other 40 books. But, I stumbled across this child’s book by Atwood and immediately read it. I also enjoyed the illustrations by Dusan Petricic. Each story features alliterative sentences and characters. The first story, “Rude Ramsay and the Roaring Radishes” goes heavy on “R.” “Bashful Bob and Doleful Dorinda” emphasize “B” and “D.” The last story, “Wander Wenda,” focuses on “W.”
The characters in the stories confront problems. Ramsay runs away from his revolting relatives. Bob is raised by dogs. Dorinda specializes in housework. Wenda and her woodchuck friend have to find a way to outwit the evil Widow Wallop.
If I was a kid just learning to read, I would love A Trio of Tolerable Tales! GRADE: A
Harry Potter for adults. That’s how I’d describe The Portable Door (2023) that’s available for free for AMAZON Prime Video subscribers. Adapted from Tom Holt’s 2003 fantasy novel, this film is co-produced by the Jim Henson Company with Christoph Waltz and Sam Neill playing dual roles.
The Portable Door is a door that will take you anywhere you want. It is hiding somewhere in the venerable London magic establishment of JW Wells & Company. JW Wells uses magic to engineer daily incidents of coincidence and serendipity that happen in urban life…for a fee, of course.
Paul Carpenter (Patrick Gibson), desperate for a job, signs up for a position at JW Wells. Carpenter struggles to figure out what he should be doing, unlike his fellow new hire, Sophie (Sophie Wilde), whose ability as a Seer is soon put to magical use. Carpenter is relieved when CEO Humphrey Wells (Waltz) assigns him with the bewildering task of finding the magic door that is hiding somewhere in the maze-like grottos of the creepy premises.
Director Jeffrey Walker keeps the story moving with magical happenings at this corporate Hogwarts. If you’re in the mood for a mildly entertaining comic adventure with some romance mixed in, I recommend The Portable Door. GRADE: B
Key Changes gives the reader a comprehensive, thoroughly researched, and engaging history of the the technologies that changed and modified the music industry for more than a 100 years.
From vinyl cylinders to 78 rpm vinyl albums, to 33 1/3 vinyl albums, to 45 rmp vinyl singles, to 8-track tapes, to cassette tapes, to digital Compact Disks, to Internet downloads, to streaming services like Spotify and Pandora, Howie Singer and Bill Rosenblatt show how these technologies were developed and then rolled out commercially.
One of the many surprises in Key Changes is Thomas Edison’s belief that his new device was initially restricted: “Edison said later that he was never so taken aback in his life. He foresaw a wide range of uses for the phonograph, including recording speeches and music as well as enabling talking clocks and toys. However, he viewed the feature of making recordings as essential to fulfill its primary mission as a business dictation machine.” (p. 18). Edison was a little off in that prediction.
From cylinders and discs played on early phonographs; then moving through radio, LPs, tapes, CDs, television, digital downloads, streaming, and streaming video, Key Changes explores all the major changes in the music industry with incisive analysis. If you’re a music fan, there’s a lot of wonderful stories of music history in Key Changes! Highly recommended! GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS — ix
Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On (Jerry Lee Lewis) — Introduction — 1 2. You Spin Me Round [Like a Record] (Dead or Alive) — Phonograph — 17 3. I Can’t Live Without My Radio (LLCool J) — Radio — 59 4. Spin the Black Circle (Pearl Jam) — Vinyl LPs and 45s — 97 5. Rhymin’ and Stealin’ (The Beastie Boys) — 8-Track & Cassette Tapes — 138 6. Television Rules the Nation (Daft Punk) — Television & Music — 156 7. Zero-Sum (Nine Inch Nails) — The Compact Disc — 189 8. Don’t Download This Song (“Weird Al” Yankovic) — Downloads — 215 9. Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon & Garfunkel) — Streaming — 255 10. Throw Away Your Television (Red Hot Chili Peppers) — Streaming Video — 293 11. You Took the Words Right Out of my Mouth (Meatloaf) — Voice Interfaces & Artificial Intelligence — 326 12. Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper) — Coda — 353 13. Unchained Melody (Righteous Brothers) — Afterword: Blockchain Technologies — 383
I’ve read some of Cassandra Khaw’s horror fiction (you can read about it here) and I’ve read some of Richard Kadray’s Sandman Slim series. So a novel like The Dead Take the A Train, where extra-dimensional entities are plotting to take over the Earth, would be an ideal project for these two writers.
The Dead Take the A Train is the first book in the Carrion City duology. Julie Crews, whose limited skill set includes exorcising demons, dealing in Dark Magic, and casting spells from Forbidden Books, tries to help her friend, Sarah. Unbeknownst by Julie and Sarah is the plot of the supernatural entries who control the Wall Street institution Thorne & Dirk to invade this dimension. Julie’s ex-boyfriend, cunning Tyler Banks, who becomes involved in the schemes of The Mother Who Eats at Thorne & Dirk, conspires to seize a position in Upper Management by assisting in gruesome, loathsome acts to open The Door to the extra-dimensional invaders.
The Dead Take the A Train takes you into the depths of slimy Magic where Death lurks constantly. If you’re in the mood for a horror novel full of Dark Magic and intrigue, The Dead Take the A Train might be just what you’re looking for. The sequel to The Dead Take the A Train should be published next year. GRADE: Incomplete (but trend towards a B-)
Diane and I used to watch Monk, a hour-long police procedural, that aired from 2002 until 2009 on the USA Network. Each episode presented a different murder to solve. What differentiated Monk from the other whodunit TV shows at the time was the fun the screenplays had with the quirky brilliance of its lead investigator, Adrian Monk (played by Tony Shalhoub), who epitomized obsessive-compulsive disorder. Now, after almost 15 years, Shalhoub and most of his original castmates are back, in a new movie on the Peacock streaming service, titled Mr. Monk’s Last Case.
The original Monk series played like a comedy. Monk creator Andy Breckman submitted the show for Emmy consideration in the comedy categories, and Shalhoub competed against sitcom stars to win the award for lead actor three times. And, until The Walking Dead came along, the finale of Monk held the record as the most-viewed scripted drama on cable television.
In Mr. Monk’s Last Case things are not going well for Mr. Monk. After working on his memoirs for 10 years, Monk’s publisher rejects his massive manuscript–pages and pages praising Monk’s stove–which spends too few pages on the 140 murders he solved. The publisher demands Monk return the advance they paid him a decade ago. Monk has promised to pay for his step-daughter, Molly’s, wedding and now confronts another failure.
But Fate steps in just as Monk is on the brink of despair and proves him a murder to solve: Molly’s fiancé dies in a freak bungee-cord jump and Molly is convinced he was murdered. After a short resistance to entering the investigative world again, Monk goes all in.
Although the title of this TV movie is Mr. Monk’s Last Case, I’m hoping for more of Mr. Monk. Were you a Monk fan? GRADE: B+
