"The Other Wes Moore" by Wes Moore

An intriguing book, well-written and compelling.  Another in a long list of titles which have been on my "to read" list for far too long, this one should also be required reading.  Wes Moore, a successful man who grew up in challenging circumstances, is shocked to discover another Wes Moore, who grew up in similar circumstances but ended up very differently.  This true story involves both men, looking at snapshots of their lives.  The author attempts to track the critical turning points in the lives of him and his namesake, trying to figure out where their lives diverged, and why.  He doesn't come up with a simple answer and he shouldn't.  This is real life stuff, not fiction, and real life is messy.  Crafted carefully and built through multiple interviews with people in their lives, it is an engaging read and one with accessible prose.  The "what-if" question hangs over the entire tale and drives the narrative.  The book doesn't end so much as sum up, leaving the reader to take away what they will.  As for the author he is forever changed by this revelation, the idea that so many people are simple on a knife edge away from tragedy.  The end of the book includes a huge list of resources, organizations dedicated to intervening in the lives of young people.  The hope is clearly that an adult stepping into the course of a life might help someone move in the right direction.  Hugely worthy and very thought-provoking, I'm not sure this is a book you put down and walk away from.

"The Testaments" by Margaret Atwood

The inimatable Ms. Atwood wrote her brilliant "Handmaid's Tale" in 1985, one of my top ten books of all time.  It took 34 years to get the sequel and it is, in my humble opinion, worth it.  There was the bad 1990s film, best forgotten, and the brilliant Hulu show, which brought this important novel back to prominence.  The original story ended in ambiguity, the new novel does not.  That being said it is as rich as the first yet very different.  The setting is 15 years after the end of the first novel.  The characters include two young women -- one in Gilead and one in Canada -- as well as a familiar character, Aunt Lydia.  The three narratives intertwine to build suspense.  The details tiptoe in, providing a powerful picture of the world Gilead has created.  There are tremendous political threads but that is only the frame.  The people, the women, are at the heart of the tale.  Atwood's literary felicity is again hugely evident, as she draws strong characters and relatable stories which are layered and complex but easy to "get".  The ending, as all definitive endings do, could cause some controversy but it will make you think about the big picture.  Atwood had made it clear that she draws her inspiration from real-world events and that what some might see as an extremist society is anything but.  In a time of tremendous upheaval in the United States these days (which was clearly part of the impetus for the sequel) this book is a great reminder that we should not allow the voices of hate to become the "new normal" or allow the little attacks to pass, as they foreshadow much worse.  Not just a great novel, an important one.  Should be required reading.

Patsy and Loretta

This new Lifetime movie explores the tremendous friendship which grew between two icons of country music.  Their entire relationship took place over less than two years but was striking in how powerfully felt it was for both women.  The producers smartly put a good deal of focus on the music, allowing the hugely talented Megan Hilty and Jessie Mueller to use their fabulous voices to echo Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, respectively.  Megan Hilty is particularly skilled at diving into a troubled, brilliant performer.  It was easy to forget the actor under the wig and see only the star who died too young.  The music, the friendship, and the performances are admirable.  The script, however, is choppy and the timeline unclear.  Transitions are abrupt and rough.  It's as if the producers said that they they wanted to see snapshots of every important moment between the two women, so instead of natural flow you end up more with snapshots.  Nevertheless, it was an engaging two hours which left me with a significantly better understanding of this moment in history and a soft spot for the human side of two superstars.  Their daughters contributed to the development of the project, bringing needed grounding.  Worth a viewing.

"The Truths We Hold: An American Journey" by Kamala Harris

I first saw Senator Harris at the Women's March in DC.  Hearing her speak I paid attention.  It had been a lengthy day of speeches but hers stood out.  She had a clarity, a passion ... and she was smart.  Really smart.  Ever since then I have watched her career with interest, including her current run for President.  It has become defacto to release a book when you are running for President.  It is supposed to make clear to the constituency where you came from, how your beliefs formed, who you essentially "are."  In that sense this book succeeds to some degree.  The first few chapters cover Senator Harris' early life, somewhat sanitized at times but clear in that she identifies as a black woman and has tremendous family bonds.  About a third of the way in we reach the point where I became aware of her -- the 2016 march.  After that, she covers her time in the Senate, which includes a good bit of behind doors power plays.  Given her background, she was given a spot on several prestigious committees in the Senate.  This is not typical for a Freshman.  It is interesting to read what was going on behind the scenes during some of the more public events of the last few years.  The book clearly spells out what Senator Harris believes.  For this, jump to the final chapter where she sums up the core beliefs in her life.  As to the rest of the book, well ...  Senator Harris is clearly a private person.  This book could never be called a "tell-all".  But it does show off her personality fairly well.  She is hard-working and makes a point to delve deep into every issue, understanding the history as well as the current situation.  She is committed, determined to fight when she believes she is right, even if it is not popular.  She does fail, and as a rule-follower it surprised her when she didn't pass the bar the first time.  She is a boots-on, in-the-thick of things brawler.  She has a great deal of empathy and sees the big picture, using many stories not only to illustrate national concerns but to thank those of her friends and staff who pitched in on a given issue.  The problem with many of the "middle" chapters is that they read like stump speeches.  All numbers and great leaps like the discussion of big pharma and Wall Street.  The arguments are compelling but can seem impersonal.  Instead of talking in detail about the loss of her mother, she launches into a tirade about insurance.  This is typical.  The points are strong but they aren't about her, specifically.  On a weak note, many of her televised Senate hearings are recreated verbatim, which seems unnecessary.  So, no, not the most fabulous book.  But a good one if you want some insight into Senator Harris, albeit more about her work and policies than her private life.  It does make me wonder -- will we ever choose a President based on their ability to do the job, rather than whether they are someone we'd like to have a beer with?  It will be an interesting year to come.

"Where'd You Go, Bernadette?" by Maria Semple

This book wasn't at all what I thought it was.  Which is generally a good thing.  Given its popularity and the current movie I had some sense that it was either all about a mother who disappears or a tale of a woman who walks away from her marriage.  It is both.  And it isn't.  Bernadette's daughter's voice acts as an emotional anchor for the piece but there are many voices.  It is told in a unique narrative form -- through letters, emails, police reports, etc.  This kind of keeps you guessing as to what is going to happen next.  It's an interesting take on suburban life which reminded me a bit of Liane Moriarty's work.  The theme of the unhappy modern housewife has been around in literature for half a century but the current takes do great justice to our contemporary ethos.  All this being said, this isn't a dark book.  It has thoughtful, even troubling themes, but it is very much a funny tale, one that had me laughing out loud.  Not too deep but nicely engaging, I read the entire thing from cover to cover during an eight-hour flight.  Relatable and worthwhile.

"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

More lengthy travel allowed me to catch up on a lot of reading.  First up was an award-winning book which had been on my "to read" list for a long (long, long) time.  This fascinating nonfiction story is told in many layers.  There is the author, Rebecca Skloot, who took years to research and write this story.  There is the family of Henrietta Lacks, who were used and abused but never rewarded for the sacrifice which was made.  There is the medical establishment which cares nothing for the people affected by their work.  And there is Henrietta.  A woman, a mother, a wife, a cancer victim ... a force of nature.  Skloot does an incredible job of weaving these storylines into one another, showing how Henrietta was part of a family, how that family was impacted by her life and death, how doctors took from the family and never gave back.  Skloot's task, trying to track down the threads of this mystery and weave them into something which made sense, are also part of the tale.  It is through her impassioned eyes that we get to know the Lacks clan and the racial challenges faced by so many poor people of color.  Skloot doesn't spare anyone in showing how so many used pieces of Henrietta but none of them seemed to know her at all.  It's amazingly accessible reading considering the amount of scientific information covered.  It's mind-blowing and emotionally resonant.  It's not just a good book, it's downright important.  Though it was written nearly a decade ago, the themes it covers are still remarkably powerful today.  One of my top reads of the year.

New TV Season 2019

Bob Hearts Abishola.  It took three episodes.  Three episodes for that special something to click in.  That hard-to-define thing which makes Chuck Lorre's sitcoms a step above.  This show has caricature supporting characters but there is, excuse the pun, heart.  Billy Gardell and Folake Olowofoyeku are gentle, calm, and real with one another.  A timely tale for our troubled country, something which will make you smile, and think.

All Rise and Bluff City Law.  I review these two together because they are so similar -- and yet not.  Both are legal dramas with a noted liberal bent.  Both have delightfully, if not forced, diverse casts.  So much the same, but with with critical differences.  In a head-spinning flip, the NBC show (Bluff City Law) is formulaic and slow paced.  The CBS show (All Rise) is fresher and less predictable.  Bluff City Law focuses on the "big bad" of the week -- big pharma, corporate farming, hate speech, while All Rise focuses on the individuals -- the girl brought to court without pants, the young man trying to reconcile his friendship with someone who committed murder.  Bluff City Law seems creaky and left me checking email.  The fast-paced, clipped dialog of All Rise makes me sit up and take note.  A recent episode had me grabbing for a hanky (happy tears). Reminds me a little of ER's first season, when the freshman hospital show went up against Chicago Hope.  Both shows were good but guess which one won?

Mixedish.  Successful Blackish follows up on their third spinoff with a worthy prequel which continues to explore racism and self-identity in funny, smart way.

Emergence.  ABC's answer to Manifest isn't as good as Manifest and relies on far too many tropes (Twin Peaks flashing stoplights, anyone?) but has an intriguing cast, so I will hang in there for a bit.  We need to support Sci Fi on network TV.

Almost Family.  A strong cast and unique premise makes this a really good show.  Being on Fox, where everything has to be sexed up soap-opera style makes this not a good show.  Will have to see where this one goes.  It has real potential -- for good and bad.

Stumptown.  It's what you would expect.  Engaging Colbie Smulders plays a really messed up woman who gets beaten up a lot.  The supporting cast is also interesting so even though I'm tempted to delete it from the DVR queue, I haven't just yet.

Perfect Harmony.  Sister Act was better, and less insulting to southern types.

The Unicorn.  I like the cast and the quick dialog but am straining to find the funny in arch jokes about a widower starting up his dating life again.  It can be a little uncomfortable.  It stays.  For now.

Sunnyside.  As much as this improves over the Indian family sitcom it replaced, it wasn't much of an improvement.  I got through two and the "stupid" factor was just too much.  Give Diana Maria Riva a better vehicle and remember that those watching actually have a brain.

Carol's Second Act.  How many jokes can be made about old people or teachers?  This unoriginal sitcom seeks to answer this question and few others.  Flat lighting, broad acting and none of the grounding and strong cast which made Scrubs work.  This one, as predicted, was the first off my DVR.

Batwoman.  The CW has gotten good at putting together superhero shows.  This one is no exception.  Thoughtful world-building, creative crafting of the origin story, a strong cast and terrific fight choreography come together again to reveal a gritty, engaging tale.  This ain't no Metropolis folks.  Power to the ladies.

Nancy Drew.  I've only seen one episode so far but it calmed my fears about being "too dark" -- for now.  Nancy Drew has grown up.  Mom's dead, she's fighting with dad and sleeping with bad boy Ned Nickerson.  Okay, it's a little dark.  But the characters are dimensional and the mysteries well-crafted (with a nice early nod to the book series) so I might be able to hang in there for a bit.  But I'm watching it during the day.

Best Cat Stories: A Classic Collection of Cat Literature by 27 Outstanding Authors

I've been pulling unread books off my bookshelf and grabbed this one, most likely a gift from someone who knows I love cats.  On the surface, it seems fine.  Delve in, however, and it's beyond bad -- it's horrific.  The first short story wasn't written very well but had a kind of "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" vibe, so I hung in there.  After that, there was the obligatory dead cat story and some random meandering snippets from a veterinarian with no discernible storyline.  I hung in there through the use of the n-word to describe a black cat and through the butchering of Lewis Carroll (essentially mashing up all paragraphs including the words "Cheshire Cat" with no connecting passages).  But I finally bailed in the middle of one story.  It is rare that I stop reading a book.  I have pushed through many tomes I didn't care for.  In this case, I simply couldn't stomach it.  SPOILER ALERT.  In the short story, the husband rapes his wife, then kills her cat, a devoted creature who tried to stop the assault.  He turns the dead cat's fur into a ruff on a coat he gifts to his wife.  Beyond the obvious WTF reaction, I simply had enough.  I got the book out of my sight as quickly as possible.  Fortunately it is now out of print.  Good riddance. 

"The King's Pleasure: A Biographical Novel of Katharine of Aragon" by Norah Lofts

Determine to read through my impressive bookshelves, I selected this 1969 tome about Henry VIII's first wife.  Often portrayed at the end of her life, rather than in the middle, this book was refreshing in how it started truly at the beginning -- with Queen Isabella nearly giving birth to baby Katharine on horseback, in the rain, on the frontlines of war, and proceeds carefully and specifically through every event of the woman's life.  I was afraid of two things when I picked up this book -- the first being that Katharine's life would be sentimentalized.  I did not need to fear that.  Mrs. Lofts was clearly a dedicated researcher and while certain elements are fictionalized it is clear that Lofts used every letter, every recorded conversation to build up a story which was exacting in accurate detail.  This epitomized my second fear, that the novel would come off as some dusty old history book.  It does not.  The tale doesn't move, isn't a page turner, but it is a story and you do feel the emotion behind the dates and places.  It doesn't take long before you really ache for Katharine, who loved a man who loved her, then lost that man forever.  It is a rich book, and one which had me contemplating these lives well after I turned the last page.  Norah Lofts was a prolific and well-reviewed author in her day and now that I have read one of her books, I understand why.  It's not a short read but it was a perfect "big book" to sink into on these slow summer days.

Two Sentence Horror Stories

The idea is cool.  Create a shivering two sentences, tease the first at the beginning of each half-hour segment and reflect the horror at the end of the show with the second sentence.  And, while I don't particularly like gory drippy horror, I do enjoy "Twilight Zone" and other programs which creep me out.  The problem here is execution.  I'm easily scared.  I screamed during a showing of "Audrey Rose" and that was a truly terrible film.  I watched two episodes of this and wasn't even a little bit scared.  In the case of the premiere episode, I guessed the ending in the first few minutes.  There was also a concern about the choice of tales.  While I only watched the first two episodes I couldn't help but notice that there was a unifying theme -- women being abused and getting back in a kind of "Burning Bed" manner.  It wasn't so much creepy as sad.  The women's movement has come this far only to be placed back into a box of victim/cruel and crazy revenge seeker.  It didn't wow me.  The production values are strong and the acting solid but I won't be coming back for more.

Bulletproof

The CW has pushed out new fare for August, the first of which, "Bulletproof" is fairly promising.  A British import the major kudos go to lead actors Noel Clarke and Ashley Walters.  Not since the "Lethal Weapon" films has dialog been batted back and forth this well in a cop buddy-drama, adding needed humor to tough storylines.  Acting and production values across the board are excellent and for those who are action-inclined, this will be satisfying.  The premiere episode included two car chases and one significant fight.  And therein lies the challenge for me.  It's good, really good.  Characters have depth and from the get-go there are multiple stories being told.  But it's gritty and rude and a bit much for me, a lover of rom-coms and superhero shows.  It's also ~really~ British.  Not "The Crown" let's-talk-in-proper-accents-and-avoid-colloquialisms for the American audiences.  This is honest-to-goodness British talk, complete with whole phrases which can be difficult to understand.  That being said, it is worthy and for those who like action and the down-and-dirty cop shows which focus on the mean streets, this one is for you.

Best TV Shows Ever. According to Me.

Okay, just watched the finale of “Jane the Virgin” and cried my little eyes out.  Said goodbye to so many terrific shows this year. Inspired me to create a list. I like to call it “Best TV Shows Ever”.  It seriously bugs me that awards shows focus on dramas. Comedies, Sci-fi shows, etc., are often left out. Half-hour shows?  Fuggedaboutit. Network representation is also uneven. First, it was all the big three, now it is all premium cable like HBO.  Open cable networks like FX may get nods, but rarely win. So, here’s my take to balance the scale.

In my humble opinion, what makes the cut?  Shows which broke the mold in some way.  Shows which were consistently good, even smart, from top to bottom -- writing, casting, directing, acting, production values.  Also, no paid premium cable ‘cuz that’s for elitists.  If you have to pay a bunch of money to watch it then it ain’t real TV (I know, this will tick folks off, but that’s my take).  Lastly, no so-called reality shows, so no “Survivor” etc.  

Because of these “rules” a lot of great shows don’t make the cut.  “This Is Us”?  Great show but basically “Parenthood” with a multi-racial, multi-timeline twist.  “Colombo”?  Love, love, love the character but the show was hugely formulaic and typical of the era -- no new ground.  The 1960s “Batman”?  Fun, different, but not really a pinnacle of quality.  So, no.  Every Star Trek.  Okay, some of my favorite shows, ever, but no, they don’t make the list as quality was fairly uneven.  The first series was sold as “Wagon Train” in space and Gene Roddenberry basically used that to sell his leftist politics hidden under Sci-Fi tropes.  They made a point but didn’t change the medium (IMHO). (That being said, “Star Trek:  Discovery” may break the mold.  First season was outstanding from beginning to end).  

And that’s the bottom line -- this is my list.  It’s highly subjective and you may not agree.  In which case, make your own list. ;--}

“All in the Family”  As a recent attempt to recreate the show proved, the actors really made it what it was but the writing also holds up.  A comedy about a bigot?  It worked.  It worked because of Caroll O’Connor, Jean Stapleton, Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner, along with a host of other notable cast members who humanized characters who could have been two-dimensional.  It worked because of Norman Lear, who somehow kept it on the fine wire between being shallow or being obnoxious.  Norman Lear did something no one had ever seen before and then replicated it.  Archie Bunker spewed hate but was delightfully challenged in episode after episode.  We kept coming back, either because we hated him or loved him.  It may have been the first time in history that a half-hour show had people around the country arguing over the dinner table, and it gave birth to a host of successful spin-offs which continued to challenge our idea of blacks, hispanics and women.  We need a show like this today, but no one seems able to find the alchemy which made it work the first time round.

“M*A*S*H*”  Never before had a show blended comedy and drama in such an integrated way.  That, and they did it in half an hour.  Without this, there would be no “Scrubs”, no “Mom”.  The show wasn’t perfect.  Initial attempts to replicate the irreverent tone of the film gave way to a show which had us laughing and then crying, the turns of emotion made in an instant.  A commentary on humanity and war it is still infinitely watchable today, if for nothing other than the stellar, award-winning performances.

“Barney Miller”  Early episodes tried to blend the family with the office.  That was quickly discarded and it became a single set show about cops which could only be described as “quirky”.  There was little action and while it was listed as a comedy it clearly had dramatic elements.  Subtle yet current in its assessment of the politics around it the show had an authenticity reflected by a host of characters who felt palpably real.  The show said that our world is not full of skinny pretty people and resolutions are often more grey than black and white.  It didn’t feel ground-breaking but watching it evoked a sense of connection to our daily lives.  In many ways, this show made “Night Court” possible.

“Soap”  Preceded by “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” this parody of soap operas confronted the modern age with a kind of honesty which was downright uncomfortable at times.  It clothed the revelations in the ridiculous storylines but the incredible cast was able to ground the silly into painful reality.  

“In Living Color”  A sketch show which far excelled “Saturday Night Live” in consistent quality.  The Wayans brothers broke a lot of boundaries in creating this show and made us think as well as laugh.  It said, clearly, that a person’s color had little to do with who they are.

“Golden Girls”  Yes, older women exist.  And have lives.  Even sexual lives.  Portrayed by some of the best ladies of film this show never failed to delight, and challenge.  “Sex in the City” wouldn’t have existed if not for this forthright tale of women friends who bared it all.

“Twin Peaks”  Weird.  Bizarre.  At times unintelligible.  And absolutely, positively nothing else like it on television, before or since.  You simply had to come back each week and sit in front of the TV to say “Whaaaaat???”  The “Psych” parody was delightful and “Stranger Things”, in a way, owes a bit of a nod to this really odd show.

“Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman”  It wasn’t particularly unique.  It was basically a soapy romance set in the 1800s, but it stood out.  First of all, the lead was a woman, and she wasn’t always likeable.  Second, it was a packed through-line.  A single episode clocked in under an hour but sometimes told three or four stories.  Lighting, costuming, every element of the show was very well-done.  Besides which, this show built on the success of “La Femme Nikita”, paving the way for “Xena”, “Star Trek Voyager”, “Dark Angel”, “Charmed” and “Veronica Mars”.  The message of the 90s was simple -- women really can carry a show. 

“Buffy, the Vampire Slayer”, “Firefly”  Joss Whedon may have his picadillos but he is simply one of the best storytellers of the modern age.  He infuses familiar themes with rich dialog and a complex balance of styles.  Some would say he is a modern Shakespeare.  The tales were old but the presentation unique and fresh.  Put simply these far-out tales somehow speak to us in a very personal way.

“West Wing”  Okay, it’s basically a liberal wet dream but the writing is smart, really smart, and the cast was stupendous.  (The direction and cinematography weren’t bad, either).  Watch it over and over (and over) and you will see something new every time.  Ending a good while back it is hauntingly resonant in today’s political times.

“Battlestar Galactica” (remake)  The original show was so bad it was good.  The remake, coming shortly after 9/11, discarded the camp, made Starbuck a woman, and reflected the new world in stark detail.  The bad guys had stronger faith than the good guys and there were real questions about whether our leads deserved to survive.  It wasn’t easy to watch but it was hard to turn off.  Oh, and that drum score made your heart beat faster through every episode.  This was one of many shows in the early 2000s which had a dramatically different tone after America suffered through a war which came home.  It painfully reflected a new vulnerability for the most powerful nation on earth and was one of the first to show anti-heroes as protagonists, a theme which continued with “The Sopranos”, “Dexter”, “Breaking Bad” and more.

“The Big Bang Theory”  A silly little comedy which was watched by millions.  Why?  A fabulous cast, smart writing, a lot of heart and yes, that impossible-to-copy alchemy.  That being said, it was the cornerstone of a Chuck Lorre empire.

“Gotham”  Beginning with “Superman” in the 1950s television has never lacked for superhero content, but this prequel brought things to a new level.  The vision of how to portray origin stories for hugely familiar characters was strong and very much fulfilled by the creative team, who created a world as rich as anyone could imagine.  Acting was top-shelf from every villain to the young man who would become Batman.  Even good guys like Jim Gordon had an edge and nothing was clear-cut in this world of moral morass.  It set a bar which few other DC or Marvel shows have managed to reach.

“Jane the Virgin”  Try taking the most beloved format of television from another country and translating it into an American show which managed to balance the cheesy factor with real emotions and still honor its Hispanic roots.  They did it with incredible skill and created a show, and characters, you couldn’t help but love.  It was hugely enjoyable and profoundly important without being preachy.  Yes, it was built on what “Ugly Betty” tried to do but did it just a bit better.

“Life in Pieces”  Drawing inspiration from “Love, American Style” this smart comedy managed, week in and week out, to tell four stories in 30 minutes (actually in 22 minutes).  A stellar cast who managed to bat the one-liners around more than the balls at Wimbledon.  Fast-paced and clever.  Part of the trend of smart sitcoms but this one rose above the rest.

“Mr. Robot”  I had to bail after season two due to the extreme intensity but not because it isn’t great.  It is fricking brilliant.  With the quality of film and shot in ways which honor the most innovative filmmakers of the 1960s this ground-breaker manages to address the modern age and seriously mess with your head.  The “unreliable narrator” is hot in this day and age, but no one does it better than in this show.  Acting?  Rami Malek.  ‘Nuff said.

“Better Things”  Like “Seinfeld”, this show is about nothing.  But unlike “Seinfeld” this show is really about everything.  It is slice-of-life stuff.  Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, it mostly just “is” and Pamela Adlon’s deadpan in dealing with the latest life obstacle while putting one foot in front of the other is hugely relatable.  Low-key yet powerful, it is worth the half-hour to jump in and get real.

“Pose”  Never mind the highest LGBT casting, ever, for television OR film, the acting is simply superior and the willingness to look deep into the challenging lives of this community is not only honest, it’s brave.

Runner-Ups “Miami Vice” and MTV.  Neither progressed with the strength they started with but both, debuting in the early 80s, completely changed television.  TV became a more visceral, bold, in-your-face medium.  Editing speeds ramped up.  Good and bad became less clear.  Musical scoring began to drive narratives, creating indelible stories. 

Honorable mentions: 

• FX for pushing the envelope, and for “The Americans”. 
• The BBC for putting the ~entire~ Shakespeare canon on video in the 70s and 80s, bringing his works to the attention of millions.  And for “Monty Python”, “Absolutely Fabulous”, “Doctor Who”, “Robin Hood”, “Merlin”, "Orphan Black" and everything else delightfully British.  Even the stuff shot in Canada.
• Canada for raising the bar and creating a lot of entertaining shows with real heart.
• USA for making some of the best bro shows ever. 
• The CW for making Marvel shows which work (sorry, SyFy).
• Streaming services for “Orange is the New Black”, “Stranger Things”, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Handmaid’s Tale” and changing the face of what television "is" -- for good or bad.

It's Summer

For some reason, summer means bad.  First up is "Pandora" a CW series which makes the other summer fare look like Shakespeare.  A strange mix of "Scooby Doo" meets the original "Battlestar Galactica", this silly sci-fi tale has less script quality than that of an ABC Afterschool Special, every known stereotype and reduces a good number of female characters to two-dimensional sexual objects.  Even the stage combat is, like, really bad.  Flat plots which go nowhere and actors who look like they would rather be anywhere else round out a show so camp it inspires one to MST3K it.  I barely made it through three episodes before saying "bye-bye" on my DVR. 

After that it was the movie "Blood and Chocolate" which is based on a FABULOUS book by Annette Curtis Klause.  This film ignores so much of the book that the only recognizable elements were character names and werewolves.  Lurching in with little exposition at the beginning it changes the setting from Maryland to Bucharest (because the two have so much in common???)  The result is a muddled, dark, eastern European mess.  No clear plot, whispered and purposeless dialog and lethargic acting make the whole thing a waste.  In this case, read the book.

Lastly, because most of my shows are on hiatus, I binge-watched two Canadian series being played endlessly on Ion Life.  First was "The Listener" which has a neat concept -- a guy can read minds and helps solve crimes.  Problem was execution ... literally.  Regulars on the show were killed off willy-nilly and the setting/premise changed with every season.  None of the changes seemed to have any impact on characters, who briefly raised a glass to the dead and moved on, unhindered by, you know, feelings.  Whole plot threads were discarded and in the end the series settled into a kind of formula which was as boring as the performances (with noted exception Ennis Esmer). Lead actor Craig Olejnik might be cute but the character, or his portrayal of it, was dour.  Skip it.  This was followed by "Saving Hope" which was moderately better.  Cast and writing were stronger, and the concept -- a doctor goes into a coma and starts seeing ghosts of those who die, or are also in comas, in the hospital -- was fun and unique.  I particularly enjoyed the female focus of the show as women were often in positions of authority.  On balance, I liked the series and looked forward to new episodes with a few major caveats.  First were the "Grey's Anatomy" echoes.  Characters often don't leave, but get killed off (in fairly spectacular fashion).  There were romance storylines which didn't enhance character development at all.  The love story between the leads, in particular, was remarkably obtuse, as the actors rarely shared a screen together.  I haven't seen this much distance between two lovebirds since the final season of "Castle."  There were also the (very) detailed surgery scenes.  Producers seemed to revel in making the gore as realistic, and bloody, as possible.  I took up knitting mid-series so that I could listen and not watch (yes, I'm squeamish).  Finally, after five seasons of tender-hooks, the final episode disappointed ... greatly.  One character asks "After all of this, how can we be back here again?"  It was exactly how I felt.  Like a cheat, the series leads to a conclusion which is not fulfilled.  I stuck through it for an ending and got, well, not.  In any case Ion also needs a little wrap on the knuckles for purposely running shows like this over the hour mark by about 30 seconds, which means you lose the ending if you don't record the next episode.  Just sayin.

In any case, I'm looking forward to Fall.  Not only the return of shows I enjoy (minus too many retired favorites) but the release of DVDs, like the second season of "Star Trek:  Discovery".  Good times will come again.  Or not. 

Orphan Black

You know a show is binge-worthy when you simply have to watch the next episode, and the next, and the next.  Orphan Black met that bar and exceeded it.  I stayed up late and watched all five seasons in less than a week.  It was an emotional roller-coaster which had me on the edge of my seat.  Reminiscent of Frankenstein, La Femme Nikita, Breaking Bad, anything from Michael Crichton and a book called "The House of the Scorpion" the show is in no way derivative.  It is engaging, surprising and not nearly as bleak as I expected.  We begin the tale with Sarah, a punk street kid and con woman, who sees a woman who looks just like her in a train station, only to see that same woman step in front of a train moment later.  Sarah, being the practical sort, takes the woman's purse and plunges into a life far different from her own, discovering along the way a network of clones who are identical to her in looks but completely different in lives and personalities.  There are, of course, the big evil corporations, the ethically bankrupt scientists, etc., but the bigger questions of the series focus around nurture and nature, what makes a family and how to find the strength to survive.  It's kind of brilliant and the major kudos go to Tatiana Maslany, the lead actor who is responsible for portraying some dozen clones.  As many have noted her work is incredibly impressive.  It's not just that the characters are very distinct, you quickly forget that this is the same actor portraying all of them.  At times the women have to impersonate one another.  Even this is specific -- the impersonations are slightly imperfect, and are clearly the original character "playing" the woman she is pretending to be.  The CGI is also terrific and in scenes where there are multiple clones it is easy to slip into the storyline without a single thought that this is the same person playing multiple roles.  The show isn't perfect.  Not every clone is fully realized.  The needed humor in one storyline sometimes becomes too much.  Characters seem to change gears quickly and extending the show through five seasons meant an unending list of bad guys trying to do in the women.  Season four, in particular, became hugely dark and fairly gross.  In the midst of it all, however, is a growing bond of sisterhood and of redemption for those whose circumstances made them into monsters.  It's a compelling tale and a show worthy of the many awards heaped upon it.  Go ahead, binge it.  You know you want to.

Good Trouble

I loved "The Fosters" so I wasn't sure where they would go with this spin-off which focuses on "new adults" Callie and Mariana Adams Foster.  The girls have graduated college and are living in Los Angeles.  Callie, fresh out of law school, is clerking with a conservative judge, and Mariana, who went to MIT, is navigating minefields at an innovative tech company.  SPOILERS AHEAD.  The news is mostly good.  Creators have found the core realities to existence for 20 somethings.  Callie and Mariana struggle with money, with work, with relationships.  Like the members of the co-op they live in, issues of identity and their roles in the world are paramount.  Like "The Fosters", most of the events are realistic and well-portrayed.  Guest stars from the original family are frequent and provide a nice grounding to that sense of being a little lost which is so constant with the girls.  The new cast deeply enriches the narrative, particularly Zuri Adele as a rebel with a real cause, Alice Kwan who plays a lesbian in search of herself and a real partner, Emma Hunton as a body positive blogger who paradoxically doesn't always value herself and Josh Pence as the adult in the room who struggles with unimaginable loss.  Rounding out the cast are many solid actors who go far beyond the stereotypes -- a hot bisexual artist who wants to be known for his work, a judge who often surprises, a gay lover who wants to be first on his boyfriend's list.  One challenging thing to navigate is structure of the show.  Most episodes begin with a "now" moment and most of what you see after that is a lead up to the final moment you saw at the beginning.  This isn't made clear from any kind of titling and you just have to get used to it.  Aside from that and the girls having a LOT of "the sex" (what is this, "Sex in the Other City"?) as well as Maia Mitchell and Sherri Saum having become shockingly thin, the show is engaging and compelling.  I binge-watched the first season (thank you Freeform) and look forward to season two.

"What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarty

A delightful surprise.  Having torn through a book I took on vacation my cousin offered this treasure, which I managed to read in four days despite the heavy page count.  Australian author Liane Moriarty (sister to Jaclyn Moriarty, a YA author whose "A Corner of White" I really loved) apparently writes a lot about suburban wives and mothers.  This book, where a power soccer mom loses her memory of the past 10 years, brings up great questions about identity, relationships and family.  Intriguing in its slow reveal of Alice's past, it brings in different perspectives including that of Alice's sister and her surrogate mother figure.  These outside voices aren't critical to the narrative but they round out a tale which is accessible and yet not black and white.  They help to make the point that relationships around us, be they family or lovers, are often unexpected and complex.  I really liked the idea that life simply doesn't go where you point it, which is something I have said for years.  The bigger questions -- who stays with you on the ride and whether you can roll with the curves, is one left to the reader to decide.  I liked the concept here and a book which had me thinking a lot about how we move forward.

Blood & Treasure

I tried, I really did.  Four weeks of predictable, massively derivative episodes which had the energy of a slow Sunday afternoon (imagine Indiana Jones mixed with a soap opera, or, you know, the 2nd Indiana Jones film).  Too skinny actors who seemed to be either bored or embarrassed to be working on the project. As each episode progressed I became restless, checking email or news on my phone.  This show made me ache for the recently cancelled Whiskey Cavalier, which had some charm and humor that didn't fall flat.  Don't.  Just.  Don't. 

A Discovery of Witches

Haven't read the books by Deborah Harkness which this is based on but the tale is familiar.  Neophite witch discovers she has more power than she knows and manages to fall for an ancient, sensitive vampire (he only eats deer, really!).  In the meantime, werewolves/demons, whatever, have some issues with this new hookup.  Pacing is slow and very British (this is a BBC offering) and there is much talk and little action.  When there is action the special effects are sadly inferior, looking more like the over-the-top stuff from mockumentary "What We Do in the Dark" than a serious effort to create magic.  What saves the series is very yummy Matthew Goode, whose lingering looks make me downright melty.  Will the series survive?  I'm not sure.  For now, I'm willing to spend a week ogling. 

RIP, Gotham

Truly, one of the highest quality shows I've seen on television in a good while.  It will be missed.  The production, including writing, acting, direction, set design, cinematography, costuming and more can only be summed up with one word -- "Vision".  A strong vision ran through this show from the very beginning to the (almost) end, creating a detailed, visceral Gotham with strong and memorable portrayals of the characters we have known for so long.  We didn't just see all these iconic characters in their nascence, we saw them growing into what they would become.  Huge bravos, bravas, to everyone included in this rich series, including:

• Ben McKenzie -- portraying a Jim Gordon who tried, and often failed, to find the moral center in an environment which was a moral morass.
• Donal Logue -- who I have loved through many a series but found particularly intriguing here as the guy with questionable behavior who looked to Jim for the light.  
• Sean Pertwee -- Alfred kicks ***.  And he's kinda hot.

Bad guys who were so good that they stole every scene they were in:

• Robin Lord Taylor -- for making the whiny, vicious Penguin a whirling dervish of contradictions.
• Corey Michael Smith -- a psychopath to remember.
• Cameron Monagan -- SOOO creepy.  Made me forget Jack Nicholson.
• Anthony Carrigan -- the deadpan humor of Victor Zsasz had me LOLROTF.

And the "are they bad or are they good" folks:

• Erin Richards and Morena Baccarin -- who went through a LOT of changes and committed to all the crazy.
• Drew Powell -- so darned lovable for a henchman.  I cried when you died.  Both times.

And our young folk.  My one and only complaint is that you were written out of the finale, which really should have been your moment.

• Camren Bicondova -- you made Michelle Pfeiffer proud but also made the role your own.
• David Mazouz -- you so totally deserve to play adult Batman sometime.  Really.

As to that last episode, well ... with the series ending the creators felt the need to "bridge" to what was to come.  Problem is that it's not the bat suits and cat suits, it's the troubled people under the suits which makes us watch (Michael Keaton, anyone?)  So I will forever hold the second-to-last episode in my heart, as the characters there were the heart of this show.  Besides, that episode really felt like the finale.

This show was excellence in television.  Had it been anything other than a superhero story it would have been recognized for its work with numerous awards.  A pity.  This show deserved them all.

Five years of watching these well-known paths being travelled.  Thanks for taking me along for the ride.

"In the Dark"

This new show on the CW is so not what I thought it was.  A case of advertising giving the impression of a sardonically humorous series when the reality is much, much darker.  Perry Mattfeld, a seeing actress, does a good job of playing the completely broken, blind Murphy Mason.  Roomate Jess is also admirably portrayed by the talented Brooke Markham.  SPOILER ALERT:  The gist is that Murphy's dear friend is murdered but no one believes her because the body is taken, she was wasted when she found it, and, oh yeah, she's blind.  Murphy continues having random sex and downing morning-after pills with vodka as she pursues her single-handed mission to prove that her friend was killed.  This pulls her into the world of drug dealers, where she inexplicably meets a money launderer who sets her off the deep end by trying to have a real relationship with her.  It's a troubling tale and yet I can't stop watching it.  Providing a deeply needed lighter tone is Rich Sommer, a sweet but hapless cop trying to figure out the best way to support his blind daughter.  The enjoyable actors Derek Webster and Kathleen York play Murphy's parents but are mostly wasted as two-dimensional figures (comforting dad, hypercritical mom).  I'm only three episodes in and part of me is like, "this is good but too depressing" but another part of me is like, "I am intrigued and can't turn it off."  We will see which one will win out.

"Fosse/Verdon"

There were few new shows this Spring that I was looking forward to as much as this mini-series based on a book about the powerhouse dance couple of Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon.  Played by Academy Award winners Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams the legendary couple are seen through the lens of time running out, the first episode notating in days, even minutes, as to when Bob Fosse died (right here in Washington, DC, on his way to a revival of "Sweet Charity" at the National Theatre).  Rockwell and Williams do well.  Both move like dancers and they encompass both the passion and destructive nature of this relationship.  Rockwell is particularly chameleon-like, slithering about the rehearsal spaces on the edge of dancing, with Fosse's perpetual cigarette hanging from his lips.  Williams manages to have the charm and lilt of Verdon, although the trademark vocal quiver is absent.  The series is engaging, even if you know the history.  These two made each other better, even when they tore each other apart.  It is nice, after all these years, to see the contributions Gwen Verdon made to Fosse's success, most of which were uncredited.  The show doesn't shy away from Fosse's legendary and compulsive sexual appetite but it does try to put it in context with his tortured childhood.  Similarly, Verdon's past is revealed with surprises which have never fully come to light.  They weren't a perfect couple, but together they created greatness.  A worthy follow-up to some of the high-end mini-series we have seen in the past few years.

Movies, Movies, Movies

Did I mention that I have spent a LOT of time in planes over the last month?  In addition to the three books, listed in the review below, I was able to watch some 12 films while airborne.  Here are my takes.

"If Beale Street Could Talk".  One of the few award films I didn't get a preview of (the other was "Roma"), this is a very quiet, atmospheric film, which is simply a touching, poignant love story.  There isn't a lot of plot, nor dialogue, but the lasting looks between our ill-fated couple (played beautifully by KiKi Layne and Stephen James) are the draw here.  Set in the late 1960s (I think) the city around them creates both a cocoon for the couple, as well as danger.  It was great to watch but was oddly not memorable.  Two weeks later I had to look up the film to remember some key points.

"Eighth Grade".  What's better than an angsty teen?  A movie about an angsty teen!  Elsie Fisher gets major nods here for looking into the camera with such openness and lack of guile that you really buy the idea that this is real life happening in front of you.  It's pretty close.  Without Hollywood flourishes and soundtracks, this simply becomes a tale of a teen girl trying to fit in.  It is touching, funny and sad, with Elsie's character being just annoying enough to seem real but not so annoying as to make you want to slap her.  Kudos also to Josh Hamilton for being the well-meaning dad trying to navigate the hormone filled waters to be a support, or anchor, for his drifting daughter.  Brava, bravo all around.

"Oceans 8".  No better or worse than any of the other Oceans films.  If you have seen one you have pretty much seen them all.  Entertaining fare which is not going to stay with you in any shape or way after the credits roll.

 "Deadpool 2" and "Ant-Man & the Wasp".  I review these together because they are both sequels of films I enjoyed and they both represent a trend in Marvel which I really, really like (started by Joss Whedon on "The Avengers", perhaps?)  The trend is this -- snarky, silly, mouthy, funny, not-taking-themselves too seriously.  Yes, there are big explosions and (in Deadpool anyway), slow-mo sequences of blood and brain matter shooting across the camera lens, but there is also breaking of the fourth wall, snappy comebacks you have to replay to catch and a general sense that these films are what they are supposed to be, entertainment.  Enjoyed them greatly.  Paul Rudd ain't hard on the eyes, either.

"Spiderman, Into the Spiderverse".  Interestingly enough this animated feature follows the trends I mentioned above (in a far more family friendly way, no blood spatter) and really got to me.  An animated feature with an accompanying book (not sure whether the movie or book came first or if they were created together), this one has laugh-out-loud funny moments, social commentary and a Peter Parker worth his weight in gold.  Lead character Miles Morales is drawn beautifully and as his world explodes you see the grief and struggle in every moment.  Commendable also is his relation with his dad, which is rare in teen films but needed so much.  Yes, there is a big battle but there is a lot of growth on the part of Miles along the way and at least one twist surprised me.  Best animated feature I've seen in a long, long time.

"Fantastic Beasts:  The Crimes of Grindelwald".  I really liked the first Fantastic Beasts film.  They introduced a whole new world (New York, 1920s) and Eddy Redmayne was adorable as the awkward, sweet monster-whisperer, Newt Scamander.  I'm not sure why, exactly, I disliked this second film so much.  Yes, I watched it on a plane so there were distractions, and yes, I've come to dislike Johnny Depp as much as I previously liked him, but the film in general seemed all over the place with huge events and little through-line.  I could watch it again at home to see if I still can't follow it, but probably won't.

"The Greatest Showman".  Many (many many) people I know saw this for no other reason than to see Hugh Jackman.  Not a bad thing.  It was ... interesting, if not brilliant.  The musical score was the big standout and I may buy the whole thing just because it was that good.  Much like "Moulin Rouge" the score and particular visuals were more compelling than the whole.  Like musicals of the past the book here was weak, and that was unfortunate.  You can't help but want a deeper look into this man, this story, but the musical setting prohibits that with characters leaping into song the minute things get interesting.  It's not bad.  I enjoyed it.  But it left me with a lingering feeling that I needed to read a book on the man, because, in the end, he was no Hugh Jackman.

"Book Club".  This film gets props for treating older actors as real people with real hearts and desires, who aren't content to sit around playing grandparents and watching their private parts get dusty.  It starts with lust and ends with love, but in the end it's just a romantic comedy rather than anything with any kind of depth and meaning.  I will say though, I've never been particularly attracted to Don Johnson ... until now.  Oy, mama.

"Christopher Robin".  This great little film is strong on many parts, from casting to script to animation.  It was not a box office hit, however, and I can see why.  The first issue is the audience -- it isn't really for kids.  But the adults who would get it would dismiss it as a kind of "Mary Poppins" foolery.  Which is ironic, because that is exactly the kind of adult Christopher Robin turns into.  The truth is that the film is hard to watch.  It's The Giving Tree all over again.  Christopher Robin was a sweet little boy with wonderful friends and then life "happens" and he grows up and becomes a work-obsessed adult.  His treatment of Winnie is painful throughout the film and maybe that's why it is so hard to watch, because it shows us all how we forget the important things in life when we are focusing on what we think are the important things of life.  It's a touching film which produced a single tear here and there.  It's also one that we should all watch, to remind ourselves of the importance of doing nothing.

"Smallfoot".  Any animated film has a certain appeal.  They are fun, often warm and fuzzy, sometimes touching.  "Smallfoot" entertained on a mild level but didn't, for the most part, succeed.  Main character Migo is struggling against the philosophy/religion of his village and believes, against all doctrine, that something more exists out there.  When he discovers it, things do not go as planned.  The heavy-hitting moralism portrayed here drags down the plot and the sugary ending seemed too perfect for our complicated times.  The music and songs were fairly forgettable.  They had some nice elements here, and, again, didn't mind spending time watching it on a plane, but not what it could have been.

"What Women Want".  Yup, it's a really old film and no, I never really saw it.  With a remake of sorts out now ("What Men Want") it was worth seeing.  There is humor and Mel Gibson, who I'm not a particular fan of, is pretty good.  Ashley Johnson was perfect as the ignored daughter and Helen Hunt, well, I just love Helen Hunt.  The film is generally entertaining, walking that line between downright silly and a little insightful.  I was only flummoxed a bit by the end, which didn't seem to fit, or work, just right.  I'm not sure what a good ending would have been but maybe if they didn't have the two main characters hook up there might have been a cleaner solution?  Not sure.  Will have to see the new film and make a comparison.

Books, Books, Books

Nice thing about really long plane rides is the chance to catch up on reading.  Read three books during my recent trip to China.  While I had picked two of them randomly (just wanted really skinny books for my suitcase) the selections all turned out to be weirdly resonant for my first (and likely only) trip to a Communist nation. 

First up was Anthem, by Ayn Rand.  The story of a nameless young man living in a highly controlled society, he is an intelligent, feeling person who has been assigned to work as a street cleaner.  His curiosity gets the better of him and he experiments with leftover Science equipment (a serious breach of protocol) while simultaneously becoming attracted to a young woman working in the fields.  The spare prose beautifully reflects both the bleak existence of his world and the angst he feels in being trapped in a place with no individuality.  Written in the 1940s it could have been penned for China's Cultural Revolution, which occurred some 25 years later.  This is the society the Cultural Revolution might have produced had it continued.  I didn't love the end of the book due to some patriarchal attitudes (again, written nearly 80 years ago) and an unexpected twist in his final discovery, but the tone of the tale perfectly matched the feel of modern day Beijing in surprising ways (older factory workers are put to work as street sweepers).  Ms. Rand makes the point that brilliance can come in small packages.  In this case, a novella of only 123 pages.

Next up was China in Ten Words by Hua Yu.  Again, a perfect choice, as each of the short essays explored issues I was witnessing each day of my visit, and doing so in concise, perfectly selected prose.  There are essays entitled "People", "Leader", "Reading" and more, each covering Mr. Yu's personal experiences and history, along with Chinese history and the country's current path.  Yu rarely makes full-on conclusions, such as "good" or "bad" but simply tells the story and lets the reader decide.  The combination of his words and what I was learning and seeing in China created a rather indelible impact, helping to understand, and perhaps mourn, China a little bit.  The only criticism of this book is that China is moving so quickly that the essays, penned in 2011, are already looking a bit dated in 2019.  The true sadness is this ... Yu makes a great personal connection to China's recent past, drawing out an understanding of difficult times, but the book is ... you guessed it ... banned in China.

Last was Thomas More's Utopia, this one translated and notated by Paul Turner.  I'm glad of the lengthy introduction and extensive notes.  It helped me understand better a book everyone seems to talk about but perhaps have not actually read.  We talk of "Utopia" a good deal, but it is clear that More was not really describing a perfect society (the actual translation for Utopia is "no place" and the narrator of this fiction is a man named Raphael Nonsenso).  This mythical land has war and slavery and capital punishment.  There is also euthanasia and divorce, which Thomas More was unlikely to actually support.  There is paradox.  More talks about religious tolerance, sort of.  Atheists are tolerated as long as they keep it quiet but those who break canon law can be killed.  It's all a bit of a muddle.  Through the notations by Mr. Turner I began to see the book as a kind of Science Fiction of its day.  From H.G. Wells to Star Trek, Science Fiction has often been used as a kind of cloak to talk about modern day issues.  In 16th Century England More could not speak out about practises in the court which he disliked.  By penning this semi-humorous, outrageous tale he could hide criticisms in ridiculous banter and pray that Henry VIII didn't quite catch his meaning.  The book was oddly predictive.  Written in 1515 it nearly perfectly describes the excess of the The Field of the Cloth of Gold, a meeting between Henry VIII and his French counterpart, Francis I, five years before it actually happened.  (Maybe Henry never got around to reading this particular book).  It also predicted More's own death.  Near the end he states that the residents of this nonsensical nation, praying to their God, say they would "rather come to Thee by a most painful death, than to be kept too long away from Thee by the most pleasant of earthly lives."  More's counterpart, Raphael Nonsenso, somehow knew that his brand of honesty could never be tolerated by a nation's leader.  In any case, the reading was thick -- had to stop to digest frequently -- but interesting.  The Communist thread which ran throughout (again, not something More supported) was interesting to consider, given that this was created some 500 years before Mao got his grip on China.  I wonder if Mao read this, or what More would have thought of Communist China.  Real communist states don't really live up to the ideals set forth here, but then any society with real people, as opposed to fiction, must deal with the real human traits of ambition, pride and envy.  Seeing Mao's China and More's Utopia side by side was nonetheless interesting and made for a good final read on my last week or so there.

"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values" by Robert M. Pirsig

Yes!  I read a book.  It was hard.  Really hard.  This novel hooked me in the first few pages but I had to take repeated "brain rests" along the way.  It isn't really a book about zen.  It does have a good bit of motorcycle maintenance in it, but that information is provided as metaphor more than for practicality.  While most people remember the title, it is the subtitle which has the most importance here.  So what is this book about?  After 406 pages all I can say is that I'm not really sure.  It's about a lot of things.  It's about nature, about a road-trip, about a father trying to connect with his son, and with himself and his past.  It's about philosophy and it is about madness.  Pirsig presents this tome as a semi-real version of events surrounding a road-trip he made in the early 1970s.  He frames the narrative as a "Chautauqua", a kind of entertaining learning experience, and internal monologues become lectures to explain and define his theories.  He goes deep into the roots of philosophy, drawing from it the conclusion that life is about "Quality", something we know exists but cannot define.  Using a wealth of knowledge the book had me scrambling to learn more about the early Greeks and modern day theorists on the nature of truth, goodness, and more.  It was very deep reading.  I had to read passages over and over then set the book down to think about what I had just read.  There were tremendously insightful sections and parts which were nearly undecipherable.  Pirsig's observations of the world around him and need to understand the underpinnings of existence could be exhausting.  They did, in fact, drive the brilliant author to an insane asylum in the early 1960s where he received electroshock which effectively wiped some of his memories of the fanatical breakdown he suffered while trying to prove his thesis over that of academia of the 1950s.  While the zealotry he expresses in his "new church of reason" can be hard to take, his reflections also include tremendous insights.  Take this passage, which is possibly more relevant today than when it was written.  He notices a good deal of loneliness in people of the big cities, and says "Technology is blamed for a lot of this loneliness, since the loneliness is certainly associated with the newer technological devices ... but I hope it's been made plain that the real evil isn't the objects of technology but the tendency of technology to isolate people into lonely attitudes of objectivity."  When he talked of "truth" winning out over "good" in the minds of Greek philosophers I couldn't help but wonder what he would think about the United States at this time, when "truth" has taken quite the hit.  It was a hugely engaging and slightly frustrating book, and one I might return to someday, as I may want to start over with an understanding of what it is trying to say.  In the meantime, I think I need to bone up on some basic philosophy to help with the context.