Reading the Western Landscape - Previous Book Selections

Interested in checking out books previously read by the Reading the Western Landscape Book Group (current and future books are here)?  Browse the list below and consider the questions developed for each book.

For each book here are some questions to ponder:

• What are some parts of this book that resonated for you in terms of landscape?

• Was there any part of the book that didn't seem authentic to you?

• Did any of the adventures seem to feel especially western or not western?

• What is your favorite line, passage or image from the story?

• What are some of things you consider ambiguities in the book?  How did you resolve these ambiguities?

Wednesday, February 1, 2012, 7:00 p.m.

Among Friends by M. F. K. Fisher, New York: Knopf, 1971. (image from San Francisco: North Point Press, 1983)

“Among Friends is M. F. K. Fisher's fascinating memoir of her childhood in Whittier, California. In sharing these memorable and moving portraits of her family and of the town, we are given an enchanting glimpse into the early life of one of our most delightful and best-loved writers.” from Goodreads.com.

• What do you think Fisher’s reasoning was for reiterating several times about how Anne didn’t really like MFK as an adult?

• Besides a childhood memoir, what other stories is she trying to tell.

• How does her breezy, conversational writing style affect the story?

• How does this language also affect her statements about death and disease?

• Is it possible to give examples where this style, might help you see it from a child’s viewpoint?

• What are some of the truths that she tells us?

• What was the effect of MFK Fisher not stretching to tell the story beyond what “she” saw, such as never clearly describing all her parents absences to LA, etc.

• Tell about an incident from your childhood that resonates from something MFK sparked by her writing.

Saturday, January 7, 2012, 2:00 p.m.

When the Killing's Done by T. Coraghessan Boyle, New York: Viking, 2011

"Principally set on the wild and sparsely inhabited Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara, T.C. Boyle's powerful new novel combines pulse-pounding adventure with a socially conscious, richly humane tale regarding the dominion we attempt to exert, for better or worse, over the natural world." from Goodreads.com 

Wednesday, December 7, 2011, 7:00 p.m

East of the Mountains by David Guterson; New York: Viking ©1985.

"From the award-winning author of Snow Falling on Cedars comes the bold and beautiful story of a retired heart surgeon with cancer who heads toward the wooded territory of eastern Washington intending to commit suicide. Along the way, he is sidetracked by a succession of fortuitous events that draws him into an altogether unanticipated journey — and rekindles his appetite for life." -- Goodreads.com

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Mildred Pierce by James M Cain, New York : Knopf, 1941.

"Then Michael Tolkin, making a guest appearance in the class I teach, looked at me like I was crazy when I said I hadn't read Cain. " 'Mildred Pierce,'" he said, "is one of the best American novels. Period."  All I thought of was Hollywood diners, Pasadena swells, decaying mansions, a brutal winter storm exactly like the ones we had this year, and Mildred's insecurities.  She gets picked up at her waitress job by a rich guy who drives her to Lake Arrowhead, and all she can think of is that her hair smells like bacon grease. She hides soap, dives casually into the lake and scrubs her hair while holding her breath." -- Susan Straight, Los Angeles Times, May 1, 2011.

• What do you make of this passage at the end of Chapter 8, “There came torrential, shaking sobs, as a t last she gave way to this thing she had been fighting off: a guilty, leaping joy that it had been the other child who was taken from her, and not Veda.”

• Can you give example of passages that created authenticity for you?

• Examples of ones that may not have seemed as authentic?

• What were you thinking during his description of the rain storm?

• We there any gender issues for you in this book? A man writing from the point of view of a woman?

• Are there any examples of how Southern California affected the book in ways that other places wouldn’t?  Can you fathom why he called them “Orange Grove Ave. and Huntington Ave.” rather than boulevard?

• Is the ambiguity something that resonates in our times?

• What is the significance of cars in the story?  Money?

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Secret knowledge of water : discovering the essence of the American desert by Craig Childs.  Boston, Mass. : Back Bay ; London : Little, Brown, 2000.

Deserts are environments that can be inhospitable even to seasoned explorers. Craig Childs has spent years in the deserts of the American West, and his treks through arid lands in search of water reveal the natural world at its most extreme. -- Jacket.

• In this book of striking images what was the most striking for you?

• Is this a memoir?  What story is he telling about himself?

• How does Childs create drama?

• Give examples of his descriptions of the desert landscape?

• Can you give examples of hyperbole in his writing?

• Has this changed your view of the desert? How? With what passage?

• Which of his experiences were you most interested in? Why?

• Were any of the experiences troubling for you? Why?

September 7, 2011, Dwellings

Dwellings : a spiritual history of the living world by Linda Hogan. New York : W.W. Norton, ©1995.

• Give some examples of author’s portrayal of nature that resonant for you.
•     Or didn’t seem quite authentic? And why.
• We’ve now read many portrayals of landscape.  Give some examples of the author’s point of view that were new.
• The author is trying to make clear ideas about how when humans are disconnected from nature they are less caring and things like the Holocaust, Rwanda, etc. happen.  Can you give examples of how the author balances that with her other portrayals of nature?
• Can you give examples in this book that seem to be of the time it was written and not necessarily viewed that way now?  Has anything gotten better in ways the author suggested?  Give examples from the book.
• I was intrigued about how landscape shapes thought.  Can you give some of her examples or some from your own life?

 July 6, 2011, Land of Little Rain

Land of Little Rain  By Mary Hunter Austin, Boston, New York, Houghton, Mifflin, 1903.

"Beautiful, poetic study of the Southwestern desert. Fourteen sketches describe plants, animals, mountains, birds, skies, Indians, prospectors, towns, other features in serene, beautifully modulated prose. Desert seen as a place of rare, austere beauty that weaves a lasting spell over its inhabitants."  Preface of Penguin, 1997 publication.

• Do the chapters create architecture for the structure of the book? If so, what is that architecture?
• What was Mary Austin trying to achieve with this writing?
• Some of her plant names are hard to follow and figure out what plants she really meant, such as “buckthorn”.  For those that aren’t reading it as a piece of natural history, how do these plant names read, just as sounds? Yearning to understand?
• There was an awful lot of talk about water in a book title Land of Little Rain.  How do you interpret that?
• Are there any parts of the book that you have to frame a context around?

June 2011 -  Curse of the Starving Class

Curse of the Starving Class: a play in three acts, by Sam Shepard; New York: Dramatists Play Service ©1976.  Find it at your local library.

• Who were the cat and the eagle? 

• What was the function of having the names so closely related? Ella, Emma, Wesley, Weston

• How does it relate to Southern California landscape? Avocado, sheep ranching, frost, artichokes?  Where?

• Are there other author’s who work with transience as much as S. Shephard does?

• Tell me about Emma?  Can you believe she is a young teenager?

• How do the children deal with their parents?

• Is Wesley really hungry? For what?

• Was Taylor really the gentleman who sold both plots of land?

May 2011 - The Blue Plateau: an Australian Pastoral

Discussion on Wednesday, May 4, 2011, 7:00 p.m.

The Blue Plateau: an Australian Pastoral, by Mark Tredinnick; Minneapolis, Minn.: Milkweed Editions ©2009.  Find it at your local library.

The Blue Plateau is located in the Blue Mountains southwest of Sydney. This book reveals the plateau through its inhabitants: the Gundungurra people, the Maxwell family, the ranchers and firefighters; and the author himself. This book incorporates poetry, history, ecology, mythology, and memoir.  From the WorldCat summary.

• Why entwine the people and the land?

• By framing his story with these people is he romanticizing the land?

• How does landscape shape the characters?

• Tell some passages where geology has shaped the character of the book.

April 2011 - A River Runs Through It, and Other Stories

A River Runs Through It, and Other Stories, by Norman Maclean; Chicago: University of Chicago Press ©1976.  Find it at your local library.

From a review: "[Maclean] would go to his grave secure in the knowledge that anyone who'd fished with a fly in the Rockies and read his novella on the how and why of it believed it to be the best such manual on the art ever written--a remarkable feat for a piece of prose that also stands as a masterwork in the art of tragic writing." (Philip Connors Nation)

Specific questions for this book include:

March 2011 - In a Desert Garden: Love and Death Among the Insects

In a Desert Garden: Love and Death Among the Insects, by John Alcock; New York: W.W. Norton ©1997.  Find it at your local library.

From Booklist: Biologist Alcock calls Arizona home, and that is where he tends a desert garden that provides a working laboratory for observing and appreciating insect behavior. Alcock's limitless curiosity about all manner of bugs propels his latest book--beginning with the story of how he converted an unappealing front lawn area into a minidesert environment. Although Alcock makes no bones about mosquitoes that cause malaria and other dreaded pests that color the way most of us see insects, he nevertheless has written an ode celebrating those small creatures. Whether commenting on the fascinating mating rituals of various mantids, spiders, and beetles, or wondering at the camouflagic accomplishments of grasshoppers, butterfly larvae, and caterpillars, Alcock writes with a wry humor that appears as well in reflections on growing vegetables and cultivating compost. Graced with lively line drawings and color photographs, Alcock's engaging, illuminating text offers delightful reading for all who appreciate the natural world. Alice Joyce

Specific questions for this book include:

February 2011 - Tales of Burning Love: A Novel

Tales of Burning Love: A Novel, by Louise Erdrich; New York: HarperCollins ©1996.  Find it at your local library.

Four women share their secrets after the funeral of their ex-husband. It happens when they decide to ride back together and the car becomes stuck in a snow storm. They all agree he was a good-for-nothing, so why did they marry him? The setting is North Dakota. From the WorldCat summary.

Specific questions for this book include:

January 2011 - The Solace of Open Spaces

The Solace of Open Spaces, by Gretel Ehrlich; New York: Viking ©1985.  Find it at your local library.

From Publishers Weekly: Like many before her, poet Gretel Ehrlich discovered the therapeutic qualities of the West. In 1976, a time of personal crisis, she moved from the East to a small farm in Wyoming where she ultimately found peace of mind and inspiration. Originally, she had gone west to make a film for PBS; she returned to work with neighbors at cattle- and sheep-ranching, taking pleasure in open spaces. Ehrlich writes with sensitivity and affection about people, the seasons and the landscape. Whether she is enjoying solitude or companionship, her writing evokes the romance and timelessness of the West. Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Specific questions for this book include:

December 2010 - Between Grass and Sky: Where I Live and Work

Between Grass and Sky: Where I Live and Work, by Linda Hasselstrom; Reno: University of Nevada Press ©2002.  Find it at your local library.

From Booklist: There are those who would argue that the viewpoints of a rancher and those of a nature lover are incompatible. Hasselstrom would not be among them, for she embraces Nature-with-a-capital-N as her home, her workplace, her inspiration, and her mission. Self-described as a "rancher-slash-writer," Hasselstrom, in these personal essays, details with pragmatic honesty economic, environmental, educational, and ethical issues confronting today's independent rancher. Beleaguered by the plagues of modern society, ranching is endangered as much by the inflamed rhetoric of ersatz environmental groups as it is by land developers intent on suburbanizing America's open spaces. With impassioned eloquence, Hasselstrom takes on all comers, from animal-rights activists to agribusiness conglomerates and eco-terrorists to militant vegetarians, patiently explaining facts, refuting arguments, defending opposing philosophies in logical, sensible, rational terms. "You don't know what it's like," she cautions and invites those quick to condemn to walk a mile in her rattlesnake-repelling high-top boots before castigating a way of life on which this country once thrived and must protect in order to do so again. Carol Haggas Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Specific questions for this book include:

November 2010 - Blacker Than a Thousand Midnights

Blacker Than a Thousand Midnights, by Susan Straight; New York: Hyperion ©1994.  Find it at your local library.

The life of a "straight and narrow" black man, a topic rarely treated in contemporary fiction. The protagonist is Darnell Tucker, a firefighter, and the setting is a racially mixed community in a volatile quarter of Los Angeles. By the author of I Been in Sorrow's Kitchen and Licked Out All the Pots. From the WorldCat summary.

Specific questions for this book include:

October 2010 - Lady in the Lake

The Lady in the Lake, by Raymond Chandler (originally published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1943).  Find it at your local library.

Here is the original New York Times Book Review blurb about our October choice.

"October 31, 1943, by Isaac Anderson, Lady in the Lake By Raymond Chandler

Private Investigator Philip Marlowe is given the job of finding an errant wife who has been missing for more than a month. He finds a dead body and evidence of murder, but that does not end the matter for the body is identified as that of another woman. While digging deeper into the affair Marlowe encounters a very tough cop who resents interference in police matters and who is to learn that Marlow can be as hard-boiled as the next man when the occasion requires it. By the time two other people have been murdered Marlowe begins to understand what has been going on and is ready to point out the killer. A fat country Sheriff who is not such a fool as he looks gives help at a critical moment. This is a fine example of the type of fiction of which Raymond Chandler is a master. "

Specific questions for this book include:

• What did Raymond Chandler use his descriptions of plants for? 

• Was there any part of the plot that didn't make sense for you? 

• What insights into human character did the story illuminate? Or was it just a good puzzle? 

• What were some ways Chandler tried to have you understand his characters? 

• What is the particular strength of his language? 

• Could you empathize with anyone? Did he want you to? 

• What was Marlow's compulsion to keep telling his observations?  This question led us to thinking about juxtaposing all the times he told his story and how they compared. 

• What else did he hide besides the scarf?

  
  

  September 2010 - This Time Tomorrow

This Time Tomorrow, by Michael Jaime-Becerra; New York: Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press, ©2010.  Find it at your local library.

It's the naturalistic, deeply empathetic tale of a forklift driver, Gilbert Gaeta, and his quest to fulfill his modest vision of the American immigrant dream, with his girlfriend, Joyce, and willful 13-year-old daughter Ana in tow. (from the Los Angeles Times review by Reed Johnson)

Specific questions for this book include:

August 2010 - Lift

Lift, by Rebecca K. O'Connor; Los Angeles, CA: Red Hen Press, ©2009.  Find it at your local library.

The culmination of a ten-year career in falconry, Lift is a memoir that illustrates the journey and life lessons of a woman navigating a man's ancient sport. Capitvated by a chance meeting with at falconer's peregrine as a child, the indelible memory eventually brings the author's life full circle to flying a peregrine of her own.  Exploring themes of predator and prey, finding tribe, forgiveness and femininity, the memoir asks universal questions through a unique backdrop. Lift illustrates the beauty and meaning the sport of falconry can add to a falconer's life, echoing the challenges and triumphs of being human.

Specific questions for this book include:

July 2010 - Angle of Repose

Angle of Repose, by Wallace Stengner; Garden City, NY: Doubleday, ©1971.  Find it at your local library.

Stegner's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is the story of four generations in the life of an American family. A wheelchair-bound retired historian embarks on a monumental quest: to come to know his grandparents, now long dead. The unfolding drama of the story of the American West sets the tone for Stegner's masterpiece.  This book has been selected by the board of the Modern Library as one of the best hundred novels of the 20th century.

Specific questions for this book include:

June 2010 - Farewell to Manzanar

Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston

This bibliography of resources about Manzanar and the Japanese internment camps was a result of a question raised in the discussion group.

May 2010 - The Control of Nature

The Control of Nature by John McPhee

April 2010 - Coming Home to Eat

Coming Home to Eat: The Pleasures and Politics of Local Foods  by Gary Paul Nabhan

Specific questions for this book include:

March 2010 - From the Ground Up

From the Ground Up: The Story of a First Garden by Amy Stewart

Specific questions for this book include:

February 2010 - The Meadow

James Galvin's The Meadow (New York: Henry Holt, 1992)  Find it at your local library.

Specific questions for this book include:

For more information about the Reading the Western Landscape Book Group, please contact the Arboretum Librarian, Susan Eubank, at 626-821-3213 or via email.

New Books in the Arboretum Library - Late Summer 2010

It's back to school time and books are on the mind.  There are certainly lots at the Arboretum Library and the collection continues to grow.  We have new books for adults and children so make sure to stop by and check them out.  Lists of the new additions can be found in the Library catalog in "New Titles" in the "Lists" tab.

Below we've highlighted some of the new additions to the Library catalog.

One of the new children's book is Mother Earth and her Children: A Quilted Fairy Tale by Sibylle Von Olfers.  Written in 1906 and translated from her popular German story, this book is illustrated with images taken from an amazing embroidered quilt that is full of captivating detail.

Another new book is What's Wrong With My Plant? (And How Do I Fix It?) by David Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth.  This book has three main sections to help identify and fix a variety of plant problems.  The first is a flow-chart like section that helps you identify the problem through straight forward yes or no questions. The flow-chart directs you to the second section, which describes how to fix it, and the third section, actual photographs of the condition.  Great for figuring out what's going wrong with your plants, if you are an Arboretum member you can check this book out and bring it home to read while staring at your problem plant.

While it isn't exactly a new book, The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming by Masanobu Fukuoka, is a founding document of what has become known as permaculture.  This sustainable agriculture manifesto from 1978 continues to be influential in both practice and philosophy regarding food production.

Make sure to stop by the Arboretum Library to check out these and the other new books (as well as the rest of the collection!) during your next visit.

Categories

• Member Profiles
• What's Blooming
• Historic Collections
• Press Releases
• News Items
• Events & Classes
• Plant Information
• News from the Library

Monthly Archive

• February 2012
• January 2012
• December 2011
• November 2011
• October 2011
• September 2011
• August 2011
• July 2011
• June 2011
• May 2011
• April 2011
• March 2011

LA Arboretum Web Communities

• Facebook
• Flickr
• Twitter

Subscribe

Blogroll

• American Institute of Architects
• American Society of Landscape Architects
• Association of Professional Landscape Designers
• Audubon California
• Big Orange Landmarks
• Curbed LA
• Descanso Gardens
• Farmlab
• Fullerton Arboretum
• KCRW
• LACMA
• Los Angeles Agriculture
• Los Angeles Heritage Alliance
• M&A
• MOCA
• Monrovia Growers
• National Trust Historic Sites Blog
• Natural History Museum
• Norton Simon
• Pacific Rose Society
• Pasadena Museum of History
• PMCA
• PreservationNation
• Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden
• South Coast Botanic Garden
• Southern California Horticultural Society
• The Getty
• The Huntington Library
• Theodore Payne Foundation