A Masterpiece

Roberto Bolan͂o's  2666, the 3-volume boxed set of paperbacks, had been sitting on my bookcase for well over a year, like a giant whose footprint lay hidden in the woods waiting to be discovered.  I would look at it and then forget about it, moving on to other less intimidating books, but last week took it off my shelf and parted the leaves.  Like the four critics in Part One of the book, I felt the exhilaration of discovering an author whose words will excite controversy and multiple interpretations until 2666 and beyond. 

I don't know what the title means, but it doesn't matter.  The book itself is full of mystery, a slow and quiet suspense that draws the reader in.  There's the mystery of the elusive Archimboldi, the obvious mystery of the murders in Mexico, the mystery of each life that passes through the pages, the mystery of life itself.  Characters, even minor ones, begin talking and go off on a monologue or tale that seems to have nothing to do with the main story, but advances our understanding of the world in the way that both fables and reportage do, in their different ways. 

Part Four, "The Part About the Crimes", differs from the other parts of the book in that it matter-of-factly describes murder after murder.  Yes, mingled with these descriptions are investigations involving reporters and police, and other characters enter and occasionally deliver short monologues, but reading the factual descriptions of victim after victim becomes numbing.  I kept on, not skipping over any, realizing this was done to convey the horror of these still-unsolved crimes, and to force us to remember these women - they each had a name, they each had individual characteristics, they're each gone. 

Jonathan Lethem's excellent review in the New York Times on November 9, 2008, describes his excitement about 2666, and gives some background on Bolan͂o, as well as discussing the author's wish to publish the five parts of the book separately (he died before the book was printed), but as parts of one large work.  If Bolan͂o had written nothing else, this novel is enough to immortalize him (the meaning of literary fame is one of the pervasive themes of this book).

Bolan͂o's earlier novel The Savage Detectives, which has been on my "Books Wanted" list for sometime, has now moved to the top of that list.  To those of you who have 2666 waiting on your bookshelf, yet to be open and discovered:  prepare yourselves for a turbulent and rewarding meeting with a giant.

An Imminent Danger

This is very disturbing news from the New York Times:

"A federal judge in New Orleans issued an injunction against a six-month moratorium on new deep-water oil and gas drilling projects that was imposed by the Obama administration after an explosion on a drilling rig led to a vast oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the Associated Press reported.

The White House said the administration would appeal the ruling. Ruling in favor of oilfield services companies whose business suffered under the moratorium, District Judge Martin Feldman said that the Interior Department failed to provide adequate reasoning for the moratorium, and instead merely seemed to
assume that one rig failure meant all deep-water drilling posed an imminent danger."
Read More:  http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/06/22/us/AP-US-Gulf-Oil-Spill.html?emc=na

Why doesn't this "one rig failure" mean all deep-water drilling poses an imminent danger?  Couldn't the same thing happen to the other rigs, with the same oversights and shortcuts being taken?  We won't know for a long time just how great a catastrophe this spill has been, and how far-reaching the damages.  Many people along the coast are already out of work - people who could be put to work and want to work.  It's way past time that we seriously engage ourselves in alternate, clean energy sources -- I'm not saying that people who have spent their lives fishing will be able to suddenly change careers -- I ache for them -- but we should investigate ways for them to maintain their livelihoods.

I think it'd be great if President Obama  instituted a new WPA, (see http://www.economicpopulist.org/content/do-we-need-another-wpa

not only to employ manual laborers to repair our infrastructure (to avoid future structural disasters like the Minneapolis bridge collapse), but to put writers to work, as was done with the WPA Federal Writers' Project.  According to Kevin Nance in the current issue of Poets and Writers Magazine, "Employing up to 7,500 people annually during its four-year run, the Writers’ Project nurtured a generation of authors who otherwise might have been forced into nonliterary careers." 

Why not do the same again? 

I Like to Say 'Salsa'!

Sunday afternoon I visited Tony and Rachel's apartment in Jenkintown for the first time.  I've always preferred apartments with character, and their place has it - nice wide windowsills, decent-sized rooms, unique layout.  The apartment reminded me a bit of the one I used to have on Spring Garden St. in A'town. (I should blog someday about all the apartments I've had).

When I walked in, yummy aromas wafted from the kitchen.  Rachel had prepared Spicy Mexican Torte with homemade guacamole, and salsa on the side.  The dish was made in a pie pan, and consisted of layers of tortilla shells interwoven with chorizo, peppers, and cheese.  It's one of Tony's favorites, and he'd wanted me to try it.  I enjoyed it, and would tinker with this recipe to lighten up on the peppers and increase the chorizo if I made it myself.


As the cats wandered in and out, begging for a taste, we talked and ate.  Once in a while, I said to myself, "I like to say 'salsa'."  I like to eat it, too.  I dipped my forkfuls in a combo of sour cream and salsa while I ate.

Then I explored the rooms, and Rachel's artwork on the walls (http://www.rachelsimmonsphotography.com/) She's a photographer who creates "lightboxes" and "shadowboxes", as well as more conventional photographs.  I urged her to promote herself more so that her work can be seen, as it is really interesting.  She also works with found materials to create one-of-a-kind projects, like the clock she made. 

Tony got caught up on my blog while I looked at the art (and stole glances at him, my wonderful son - I don't see enough of him!)  Then, with an ominous-looking sky overhead, I left and got caught in a fierce thunderstorm on the way home -- pulled into Lowe's parking lot outside Quakertown, as I couldn't see to drive, and pondered life as the rain poured down.  It was a pleasant Sunday afternoon despite the weather. 

Fresh Fish, Smart Waitress

When Mom, my sister Ret and I walked into Starfish Brasserie last night, we were the first customers of the evening, greeted professionally yet casually by SaraBeth, who has only been waitressing there for a week.  She asked if we'd been there before, and I told her I was there about five years ago for the fixed price dinner with a friend (this dinner had remained a stand-out in my mind over the years).  My sister had previously eaten there about a year ago.  SaraBeth told us the restaurant is under new management since my last visit, that all food is fresh, and that the new owner is very aware of the environment and brings in his fish, meat and other foodstuffs from eco-friendly suppliers.

We started out with a drink - Ret had a mojito, Mom a whiskey sour, and I had the "Treaty of 1905 Martini", made from lemongrass/ginger-infused organic vodka, muddled sage, simple syrup and saki, with a ginger garnish.  It was an interesting drink that tasted better the longer it sat peacefully, with the ginger stick sending its spice into the liquid. SaraBeth then brought us a special treat from the chef - trout mousse on a slice of cucumber.  I thought this was very good, but I'm a more adventurous eater than Mom or Ret -  they thought it was strange.

Ret and I decided to go for the fixed price dinner for $35, when we saw that one of the dessert choices was creme brulee, our fave.  For appetizer, I chose the crab cake, as I love these and rarely get them.  Per Sara's description, it did indeed consist of almost all crab, and the mustard aoli surrounding it was delish (there could have been a bit more of this to go with the crab). 

The trout - fresh from Idaho - had replaced the Bass dish, so I ordered it as my entree.  It came with roasted asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and angel-hair pasta.  Before this arrived, we dug into the bread, served with a dipping oil of basil, tomato, and garlic.  It was wonderful - small slices with a crispy crust. 

My trout was done to perfection, but what made this dish exceptional was the pasta, which can often be duddy and just sit there, bland and ignored, a wallflower on the plate.  I cut the trout, twirled the pasta around my fork, and then speared a piece of fish to go with each mouthful.  That pasta was seasoned and cooked to perfection - I love garlic, and it was in there. I was, as my sister says, obviously "relishing" my food.  In fact, when Sara came to check on us, I asked her if she liked my sound effects, and she said she really appreciated them!

Between the crab cake and the trout, I was as happy with this dinner as with my memories of the prior one five years before.  My only disappointment was the creme brulee.  It took forever to arrive, and then was not as firm and light as Ret and I prefer - nor was the top glaze warm.  It reminded me more of my grandmother's custard from the "olden days."  Not bad, but not what we'd hoped for.

By now, you readers know that I prefer service to be unobtrusive, which it was.  SaraBeth did not hover (I abhor hovering) yet made sure we were happy.  She was very informative before we ordered, answered any questions knowledgeably during the ordering process, and didn't clear plates away before we were finished.  I highly recommend this restaurant.  Take good company along with you and enjoy the staff, the food, and the atmosphere.  You might spend more than at many Valley restaurants, but it's worth it. 

NOTE:  Older diners might want to be aware that the background music is a mix of blues and rock and may not be to their liking.  As a child of the 60's and a rocker from way back, I relished the music as well as the food.

Ron Galella - "Smash His Camera" on HBO

I watched this documentary last night and thought it was absorbing, funny, and surprisingly touching.  Prior to watching this film, all I knew of Ron Galella was that he was the most well-known American "paparazzo" and had been involved in a lawsuit with Jackie Kennedy, who he followed relentlessly. (The title of the film is in fact what Jackie yelled at her Secret Service bodyguard when Galella photographed her in Central Park).

Despite his sometimes obnoxious pursuit of celebrity, Galella comes off as quite a sweet man in this film.  His love for his wife and his passion for his work is undeniable, and some of his photos are great. "Windblown Jackie" is probably the most famous of his shots.

See http://blog.oregonlive.com/madaboutmovies/2010/03/steven_ss_jackie_o.html

Although he is in love with kitsch (his "rabbit" cemetery and fake garden on the grounds of his Soprano-like house in NJ are good examples), many of his photos surpass luck and definitely involve skill, talent, and artistry.  He captured an era that no longer exists.  I don't know who the girl was looking at his shots in a gallery at the end, but she didn't recognize Steve McQueen (thought he was perhaps a "director") and pronounced "Bardot" bar-dot.  Hilarious, and sad.

I highly recommend this movie.

Delicious Food and Wonderful Company

When I called May Wong at Asia in February (when I was working part-time at PBS) to ask her to renew her donation to WLVT's Annual Online Auction, I had every intention of bidding on one of the $30 Gift Certificates myself, as I'd heard nothing but good things about this place.  When May told me ASIA was voted one of the top Asian restaurants in the U.S. in 2007, that only confirmed my determination to snag one of these donations.  I lucked out, and saved the Gift Certificate for my daughter's visit this week.

I liked the atmosphere as soon as we walked in and were directed to a booth - low-key, not overly decorated, inviting.  We started out with Vietnamese spring rolls, and my daughter said, "I'm excited to see the main course, since these are so good."  Since she goes out to eat often in Seattle, and is an excellent cook, her opinion matters to me.  She ordered the Ginger Honey Chicken, and I went for the Cantonese Style Chow Fun, which was made of wide rice noodles with garlic, onions, scallions, and pork.  Well, when these dishes were brought to our table, the smells wafting from both were simply delicious - and the presentation was delightful.  We each took a generous helping of each and commented to each other throughout our meal about how good it was.  Although I really liked the ginger honey chicken, the flavors in the Chow Fun appealed more to me, and perfectly fit my mood.  We each brought home about a third of our dinners, and left feeling full but not overly stuffed.

Another thing I appreciated was the unobtrusive service.  The wait staff  didn't hover over us, asking every few minutes if everything was OK -- they only came quietly to clear dishes, and just asked once how we were enjoying our meal.  I appreciate this delicacy of approach.  I told the waiter that I would be writing up his restaurant on my blog, and he reacted enthusiastically.  I told him May's donation to Channel 39 definitely paid off, as she's gained a new customer.  Another plus - they are really close to my apartment!

I highly recommend this restaurant.  It was the best dinner out I've had in a long time.  (If I sound a bit low-key, it's because Jen's gone and I'm missing her already. . .)