Ellen (EBT1002) reads her way to retirement - 5

October Sun
Oil on Canvas by H.M. Saffer

. .

Carson!

I know I need to update my photos of my ginger boy -- and I do have one or two or a hundred photos of him -- but I so love this threesome.

I'm a bit ambivalent about rating books. I feel like my ratings are nonscientific and therefore inconsistent. Also, I too often find that I rate a book based on my immediate reaction but am later surprised as I recall it with either more or less affection than the rating seems to indicate. But I do like being able to look back and get a sense of how a book landed on me at the time I read it, so I persist with these stars in most cases.

= Masterpiece, took my breath away.
= Stunning.
= Excellent.
= Very good.
= Good.
= Average.
= Bad.
= Very bad.
= Don't bother.

Of course, it still holds true that I'm rarely going to complete a book earning fewer than two stars but I reserve the right to rate them based on my experience.

COMPLETED IN JANUARY

1. The Women of the Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell 5 stars
2. Jazz by Toni Morrison 3.5 stars
3. Memorial Drive: A Daughter's Memoir by Natasha Trethewey (audio) 5 stars
4. Magical Negro by Morgan Parker unrated (poetry)
5. Squeeze Me by Carl Hiaasen 4 stars
6. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson 4.5 stars
7. The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones 5 stars
8. Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls 3.5 stars
9. News of the World by Paulette Jiles (reread) still 5 stars
10. The Boy in the Field by Margot Livesey 4 stars

COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY

11. The Reluctant Widow by Georgette Heyer 4 stars
12. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman 3.5 stars
13. Paradise by Toni Morrison not yet rated
14. The King at the Edge of the World by Arthur Phillips 4 stars
15. The Long Song by Andrea Levy (reread) still 4 stars
16. The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths 4 stars

COMPLETED IN MARCH

17. How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C. Pam Zhang 3 stars
18. Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley 3.5 stars
19. Unclay by T.F. Powys 3.5 stars
20. From Doon with Death by Ruth Rendell
21. The Survivors by Jane Harper 4 stars
22. The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths 4 stars
23. Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi 3 stars
24. Frederica by Georgette Heyer 4 stars

COMPLETED IN APRIL

25. Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn 4 stars
26. Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane 4.5 stars
27. Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March 3.5 stars
28. Consent by Annabel Lyon 4.5 stars
29. How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House: A Novel by Cherie Jones 4 stars

COMPLETED IN MAY

30. Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar 4.5 stars
31. In the Morning I'll Be Gone by Adrian McKinty 4.5 stars
32. Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu 4.5 stars
33. No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood 4 stars
34. Land of Careful Shadows by Suzanne Chazin 4 stars
35. Cold Earth by Ann Cleeves 3.5 stars
36. Outlawed by Anna North 3.5 stars
37. Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters 4 stars
38. The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel 4.5 stars

COMPLETED IN JUNE

39. The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams 4 stars
40. Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy 5 stars
41. The Cold Millions by Jess Walter 4.5 stars
42. The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue 4 stars
43. The Kindest Lie: A Novel by Nancy Johnson 3 stars
44. The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey 3.5 stars
45. Summerwater by Sarah Moss 4.5 stars

COMPLETED IN JULY

46. Signs for Lost Children by Sarah Moss 5 stars
47. The Death of Vivek Oji: A Novel by Akwaeke Emezi 4.5 stars
48. The Center of Everything by Jamie Harrison 4 stars
49. All Systems Red by Martha Wells 4 stars
50. Intimations: Six Essays by Zadie Smith 4.5 stars
51. An Old, Cold Grave by Iona Whishaw 3 stars
52. Fortune by Lenny Bartulin

COMPLETED IN AUGUST

53. The Unseen by Roy Jacobsen 4.5 stars
54. The Distant Echo by Val McDermid 4 stars
55. A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson 5 stars
56. A Passage North: A Novel by Anuk Arudpragasam 3.5 stars
57. In a Lonely Place by Dorothy B. Hughes 4.5 stars

COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER

58. Light Perpetual by Francis Spufford 4.5 stars
59. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy 4 stars
60. Second Place by Rachel Cusk 3 stars
61. Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy 5 stars
62. China Room by Sunjeev Sahota 4 stars
63. Leonora in the Morning Light by Michaela Carter 3.5 stars

COMPLETED IN OCTOBER

64. The Secret Place by Tana French 3.5 stars
65. The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed 4 stars
66. Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi 4 stars
67. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig 3.5 stars
68. Love and Fury: A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft by Samantha Silva 4 stars

AlphaKIT (my only formal challenge this year)

January......P M
✅ -- Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey
✅ -- Jazz by Toni Morrison
✅ -- Magical Negro by Morgan Parker

February.....T K
✅ -- The King at the Edge of the World by Arthur Phillips
✅ -- The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

March.....U R
✅ -- Unclay by T.F. Powys
✅ -- From Doon with Death by Ruth Rendell

April.....A W
✅ -- Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Washburn, Kawai Strong
✅ -- Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
✅ -- Homeland Elegies by Akhtar, Ayad

May.....I N
✅ -- In the Morning I'll Be Gone by Adrian McKinty
✅ -- Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
✅ -- No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood

June.....C D
✅ -- The Cold Millions by Jess Walter
✅ -- The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
✅ -- The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

July.....S O
✅ -- Signs for Lost Children by Sarah Moss
✅ -- The Death of Vivek Oji by Emezi, Akwaeke

August.....V J
✅ -- The Distant Echo by Val McDermid
✅ -- The Unseen by Roy Jacobsen

September.....F L
✅ -- Light Perpetual by Francis Spufford

October.....H E
✅ -- Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
✅ -- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

November.....B Y

December.....G Q

Yearlong.....X Z
-- The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
✅ -- How Much of These Hills Is Gold by Zhang, C Pam

Personal Reading Challenge: Every winner of the Booker Prize since its inception in 1969

1969: P. H. Newby, Something to Answer For
1970: Bernice Rubens, The Elected Member
1970: J. G. Farrell, Troubles (awarded in 2010 as the Lost Man Booker Prize)
1971: V. S. Naipaul, In a Free State
1972: John Berger, G. -- DNF
1973: J. G. Farrell, The Siege of Krishnapur
1974: Nadine Gordimer, The Conservationist ... and Stanley Middleton, Holiday
1975: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Heat and Dust
1976: David Storey, Saville
1977: Paul Scott, Staying On
1978: Iris Murdoch, The Sea, The Sea
1979: Penelope Fitzgerald, Offshore
1980: William Golding, Rites of Passage
1981: Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children
1982: Thomas Keneally, Schindler's Ark
1983: J. M. Coetzee, Life & Times of Michael K
1984: Anita Brookner, Hotel du Lac
1985: Keri Hulme, The Bone People
1986: Kingsley Amis, The Old Devils
1987: Penelope Lively, Moon Tiger
1988: Peter Carey, Oscar and Lucinda
1989: Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day
1990: A. S. Byatt, Possession: A Romance
1991: Ben Okri, The Famished Road
1992: Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient ... and Barry Unsworth, Sacred Hunger
1993: Roddy Doyle, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
1994: James Kelman, How late it was, how late***
1995: Pat Barker, The Ghost Road
1996: Graham Swift, Last Orders
1997: Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things
1998: Ian McEwan, Amsterdam
1999: J. M. Coetzee, Disgrace***
2000: Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin
2001: Peter Carey, True History of the Kelly Gang
2002: Yann Martel, Life of Pi
2003: DBC Pierre, Vernon God Little
2004: Alan Hollinghurst, The Line of Beauty
2005: John Banville, The Sea
2006: Kiran Desai, The Inheritance of Loss
2007: Anne Enright, The Gathering
2008: Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger
2009: Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall
2010: Howard Jacobson, The Finkler Question
2011: Julian Barnes, The Sense of an Ending
2012: Hilary Mantel, Bring Up the Bodies
2013: Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries
2014: Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North
2015: Marlon James, A Brief History of Seven Killings
2016: Paul Beatty, The Sellout
2017: George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo
2018: Anna Burns, Milkman
2019: Margaret Atwood, The Testaments, and Bernardine Evaristo, Girl, Woman, Other
2020: Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain

***On my shelves

I'm going to keep this post going so I can keep track but I admit I'm less committed to finishing the whole list than I once was.

The 2021 Booker Prize Long List, or ‘The Booker Dozen’, of 13 novels, is:

A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam
Second Place by Rachel Cusk
The Promise by Damon Galgut
The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
An Island by Karen Jennings
A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson
No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed
Bewilderment by Richard Powers
China Room by Sunjeev Sahota
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
Light Perpetual by Francis Spufford

Currently reading:

In a Lonely Place by Dorothy B. Hughes

Next up:

Light Perpetual by Francis Spufford

The next one is up for grabs!

Happy new thread, Ellen!

>1 EBT1002: Longing for autumn...

Your description of the weather there has me so envious. It will be almost 100 here today and the humidity is about 80%. Between the traffic and the weather I am so tired of summer, but I do plan on heading for the pool this weekend.

Semester started here and we have almost record enrollment. It seems weird to see so many students around.

Happy new thread, Ellen. Keep the toppers and just post more pics here! :-)

I, too, am longing for autumn. I just hope it gets here!

Happy new thread, Ellen. I love your painting topper! You always have good ones. I'm reading Consent right now and loving it so far. I know you read and liked it.

Have a great week. Are your students back yet? We started class on Monday. So far, so good. Masks, of course, but we're in the classroom.

Happy new one, Ellen! I love your topper and the photos of Carson - they make me smile BIG every time. I'm with Shelley - keep the toppers and just post new photos down thread.

I speed-threaded down to avoid the cattery that inevitably comes along with new threads not my own...anything important up there I need to go look at?

Happy new one!

Happy new thread, Ellen!

Yay for a new thread! Now I can follow along as the posts get posted.

Happy new thread, Ellen. The work situation I read about on your last thread sounds interesting. You're in a good situation to follow along with less angst than many who work there.

happy new thread!

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread, Ellen!

Yay for fall colored trees, and fall-colored cats! Those three pics are so wonderful, I'd be reluctant to have you change them, too.

Happy Wednesday, Ellen. Happy New Thread. I love the topper. I saw a barn owl, on the lakefront this morning. A rarity. First time I have seen one in the wild, in the US. The very first time was in Mexico.

Happy New Thread, Ellen! You know, you aren't limited to just 3 photos in your topper...but I love the idea of posting Carson photos throughout your thread!

Happy new one, Ellen.

You have a really thoughtful cat who is quite prepared to provide you with an ear warmer whilst you read! Priceless.

Loving the topper Ellen, and those are great photos of Carson.

Hi Ellen, and happy new thread!

>2 EBT1002: Carson is adorable. Great photos. I do have one or two or a hundred photos of him The majority of my photos are kitty photos, too.

Aha. A new thread! Let's see how long it takes before I fall inexorably behind.

I love the painting at the top of this thread, just as I love that time of year, and all the red light.

Happy New Thread Ellen

I caught up with you. I don't have a lot to report. Been watching the Seattle Storm on the TV, and sadly they have hit a string of losses. I think the Olympic Games, and then the Commissioners' Cup championship, has worn them down a bit. Several losses are discoraging, but they are still #2 on the Western side of the WNBA.

I also received Louise Penny's latest book, and I think I will dive into it.

Happy new one!

I saw the meetup evidence in Berly-boo's thread! Y'all're lookin' darn spritely for folk under heat-domes and smoke-clouds.

Hey all. P and I escaped rather impulsively to Portland for the weekend and, as some of you will have seen on Kim's thread, we connected with her for a visit to Powell's. Here is my book haul:



The two Ireland books were actually P's choice, but I paid for them. :-) We're still tentatively planning a visit to Ireland in the months immediately following my retirement.

The weekend was wonderful. We ate too much but walked a lot. In addition to Powell's and seeing Kim, a visit to the Japanese Garden was a highlight.

Now I'm back. I expect to have updates by the end of the week..... *holds on for dear life*

Thanks, everyone, for the happy new thread wishes.

By the way, I'm about 80% through Light Perpetual by Francis Spufford and it is wonderful!

Wow great haul! I'm really curious about the new Charlotte Mcconaghy and I'm glad you picked up the Donal Ryan. Is there a trip to Ireland in your future?

>35 EBT1002: Ooohhh, Like a Sword Wound! I really can't wait to hear what you think of that one.

A good visit, and much-needed respite from...everything. *smooch*

Nice haul, Ellen. I would love to go back to Ireland. I am a bit jealous of your Portland trip. Let's coordinate for one soon.

Nice haul!

Hi Ellen.

>35 EBT1002: I read about the meetup on Kim’s thread, and here I am. So nice that you had an impulsive weekend getaway to Portland, and yay for the book haul. I read The Midnight Library and thought it excellent.

Normally I am a person who Knows My Own Mind. Startling, I realize, for you to hear this...as I've always been such a soft-spoken crowd-goer-alonger.

Stop laughing.

Anyway. I need help. The wisdom of the crowd is sought to help be decide between two equally strong contenders for Read of the Month. I am simply incapable to unparalyzing myself from the FOMO I get thinking about this problem.

Please vote on the poll or you will be directly responsible for my re-admission to the Goofy Garage this birthmonth.

>35 EBT1002: Oh, Donal Ryan! I need to read more of him. His From a Low and Quiet Sea was a 5 star for me.

Happy Newish Thread, Ellen. Nice topper, and your ginger boy Carson is a hoot.

On RD’s recommendation, I read a book that you might be interested in if you haven’t already read it: Under the Udala Trees. A well- told story of a strong lesbian trying to live a fulfilling life under a backward government and culture and family.

Hope your environment is settling down finally. Our NY friends got hammered by Ida. We’re running out of time to collectively save ourselves from climate change, aren’t we. :-(

>42 richardderus: ELLENELLENELLEN! There was an exact tie at 5pm, so I've settled on TOMORROW (Saturday 4 Sept) at 5pm for the final decision. Please come vote! https://www.librarything.com/topic/334521#7593915

I'm so out of touch. I'll just leave this link here so you all (y'all) will know what my week has been about.
😬🙂😱🥂🎉

https://news.wsu.edu/2021/09/03/taylor-named-interim-vice-president-student-affa...

>46 EBT1002: Oh wow! Congratulations!

Congratulations, Ellen! (I think...)

>46 EBT1002: Err, what Darryl said >48 kidzdoc:. Ha. Is that only one job you will be doing Ellen, or one of many? I hope it gives you the right kind of challenge and satisfaction, in the lead up to your retirement.

>46 EBT1002: Congratulations, Ellen!
I hope it doesn't interfere with your retirement plans.

>46 EBT1002: Congrats!

ELLEN! WOW! Congratulations, my friend. This is a real testament to your abilities (of course we all knew you had what it takes), and to the university for spotting the talent in waiting behind the previous leadership.

At some point you'll have to tell us what "interim" means for you ... but for now sit back, raise a glass, and celebrate your accomplishment.

>46 EBT1002: Congrats on the vice president position, Ellen. Is this going to change your retirement plans at all?

Well, color me surprised. Are congrats or commiserations in order? Or a little bit of both?

Adding my congrats and I was going to ask what Anita and Mark asked - how, or will, this change anything with regard to your retirement?

And what does your previous boss-from-hell have to say?

Congrats, Ellen!!

Congratulations!

>46 EBT1002: Oh my heck. This...isn't what the script was supposed to read...but it certainly plays to your strengths.

Wow, Ellen! Congrats!

>46 EBT1002:. Great! Congratulations, and sympathy for the extra work it’s brought.

Is Dr. Gonzales the former boss? Interesting phrasing?? Well, in any case, I raise a glass with whatever toast feels appropriate to you. Gotta say, though, it SOUNDS mighty impressive and worthy of ATTAGIRL! to me. May it bring you satisfaction and a gratifying path to retirement.

>61 laytonwoman3rd: I thought that was interesting phrasing, too. Where I used to work, the phrase "garden leave" was used (in casual parlance, not official-speak) for someone who had been laid off, with a transition period in which they were still on the payroll, but not expected to come into the office. Sometimes this was done to facilitate a smooth transition to a successor.

Oh My. Interesting week to be sure. Hope you can share details soon.

Wow congratulations Ellen. Woo hoo!

Well, congrats!

>41 karenmarie: I too enjoyed The Midnight Library. And think a trip to Portland would be lovely.

You know well and plenty that I am 100% on your side in this "interesting" situation. If it brings clarity of responsibilities, and more money for more work, and responsibilities, well, then, I join in on the congratulations! I just hope it does not put in a "no win" predicament. I know you are great with younger people looking for some support and encouragement and if this job allows for plenty of that, good on you!

If you need a break occasionally, I'll meet you at Elliott Bay Books and we'll commiserate over coffee or tea; and then, you can go back at it!

Wow! Well, it can't possibly be more time-consuming or nerve-wracking than the current situation has been and perchance you can do some real good. Congratulations, I hope it's something you wanted when given the chance, and like everyone else, I am avidly awaiting details when you are ready!

Hey everyone -- thanks for the congratulations as well as the understanding that the situation is somewhat complicated. I'll not respond to the questions about the interesting phrasing about my predecessor. I wish her only good things and hope she is able to find a next step that works for her.

I will be doing only the one job, a huge one but only one. The division is huge and I will have five assistant/associate vice presidents reporting to me. They have been my peers up to this, and the transition from peer to direct-report can be interesting, but I've heard from every one of them that they are happy with the president's choice and optimistic about what this will mean for them, for the division, and for our students. Twice before in my career I have been promoted internally and in both instances I navigated the shift in relationships relatively successfully. It can be dicey. Also, with regard to the job itself, I will have a large learning curve and I'm okay with that.

In terms of retirement and the "interim" appointment, it just feels like all-win for me. The president and provost told me they hope I will serve in this capacity for 1-2 years and, if having a good time and doing well, there is the possibility of extending it as a "permanent" appointment. SO, it does shift things in that, while I might still retire at the end of next summer, and I have the option to do so, if it is going well, I'll work one more year. The real win in this is that I feel like I get to end my career on an up, rather than a down. I get to lead from my strengths, set the tone for the division, and make decisions I think are in the best interest of the university. People are being appropriately restrained and cautious given the dynamics of the situation, but I have received many messages of support from new peers and others.

I'll be working harder, but hopefully enjoying it more. I predict my reading pace will drop off a bit.... *sad face*

>69 EBT1002: The real win in this is that I feel like I get to end my career on an up, rather than a down. I get to lead from my strengths ...

This is fantastic. I'm really happy for you, Ellen!

In reading:

I finished Light Perpetual by Francis Spufford and gave it an enthusiastic 4.5 stars. Some have called it "alternative history" but it's really just an exploration of the richness of life, of lives lived, of the unpredictable trajectories life can -- and will -- take if allowed to do so. In the first chapter, five children die when a bomb lands on a London Woolworths' store in WWII. The rest of the novel follows these lives under the revised assumption that the bomb did not fall there. Character development is the only thing this wonderful novel is about!

I also read The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy and really loved it. Such delightful drawings and paintings to accompany a message of hope and love. It's filled with clichés but sweetly presented and the art pulls it up a full star all by itself. Four stars overall (three for content, five for artwork).

I've started Second Place by Rachel Cusk. I'll have to check in on Kim's thread to see if we're in sync on this one. I have it from the library so I had to dig right in.

>70 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. I'm so excited and a bit terrified. :-)

I merely will echo what others have said. You have what it takes.

What exciting news, Ellen! I really like your observation about ending your career on a high note and it sounds like you have a great opportunity to do so. How great to be recognized this way for all your past hard work. Congrats and hope you keep making time for your own health and well-being as you navigagte this change!

I forgot to mention that it has been a busy weekend. P and I prepped the cedar benches on our deck and then taped a bunch of plastic to protect the Trex decking itself, and then stained the benches yesterday. It was a lot of bending and stretching so I'm pretty wiped out! Then colleagues of mine came over and re-installed the shutters we had taken down and painted. Thank goodness for tall and strong young men! Even with our extension ladder all the way out, they had to reach pretty far. The shutters look SO much better!

Today is laundry, a walk, and watching some of the U.S. Open.

We've also been very caught up in season four of Unforgotten, an engrossing British mystery. Each season is one mystery that takes 6-8 episodes to unfold and unravel. Good stuff, gov.

>73 weird_O: Thanks Bill!

>74 vivians: Thanks Vivian. I appreciate the reminder about taking care of myself. I have been thinking about that a lot. At dinner Thursday night, P said "you already look more relaxed." !!!!

I know you all know about my health history (I can't believe it has been almost six years since that stroke that scared the daylights out of me!). I also got the news last week that I am "pre-diabetic." Barely, so thank goodness for that, but still. I am now recommitting to healthier eating and I'm really glad I've gotten back into swimming. I'm really at the very lowest cusp of qualifying as pre-diabetic so I can reverse it and prevent it from turning into diabetes. Talk about motivation!

Congrats, Ellen. It is great when competence is rewarded. And do take care of yourself. Any favorites in the US Open?

"The real win in this is that I feel like I get to end my career on an up, rather than a down." That's what I was hoping this would mean for you. As one who did not have that opportunity, I can appreciate how much it matters.

>75 EBT1002:
I am a big fan of Unforgotten. I spend my Sunday evenings watching Masterpiece Mystery.

>69 EBT1002: Sounds like a great opportunity - to do good things for the University and to feel good about your remaining time - whether it's 1 year, 2 years, or even longer. Good stuff.

>69 EBT1002: I love that you feel that you will be ending your career on an up note!! I am sure you will do a great job and make those working with you very comfortable. You are clear about your expectations and understanding of those around you. Wishing you the best as you take this one! Congratulations!

>76 EBT1002: And enjoy your swimming!

>77 BLBera: Thanks Beth. The upsets in this year's US Open are keeping it interesting. I'm kind of intrigued by Laylah Fernandez.

>78 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks Linda. I feel quite lucky that things have taken this turn. As tomorrow approaches, I can feel the nerves setting in. I "know" it will be fine... and it will be good to get this week, now that everyone knows and I get to lead a couple of critical transition meetings, behind me. And in three weeks, we're still heading to Yellowstone so that will be a good opportunity to process things!

>79 benitastrnad: Unforgotten is a good one, isn't it, Benita?

>80 karenmarie: Thanks for that nod, Karen. It feels like a great opportunity! And I still feel like I'm in the driver's seat in terms of how long I do it. How perfect is that.

>81 Berly: Thanks Kim! I hope I can indeed bring a sense of stability and calm to the division.
And yes! to the swimming! It is so good for my body and my soul!!

I've been typing with my laptop awkwardly balanced on the arm of my chair because HRH Carson is occupying my lap. The hand holding the laptop up is starting to get tired so I think I'll take a break and read some of Second Place.

It's great to hear more than just the announcement and that, yes, this is a really good thing for you.

>76 EBT1002: I'm pretty sure most diagnoses of "pre-diabetic" are due to a shift in interpretation, and that absent of family history and major dietary indulgences (of which I am guilty) they aren't dire at all.

Congratulations Ellen. And lucky institution to have you in the role.

I really did not like Second Place, despite enjoying Cusk's other two in this "trilogy". I've seen rave reviews though, so think it's a bit of a marmite book. Look forward to hearing what you make of it.

>85 quondame: I'll chime in on the "pre-diabetic" diagnosis and a shift in interpretation. A few years ago I had my first exam with a new primary care doc which included all the usual annual bloodwork. I learned my A1C was 0.1 into the "pre-diabetic" range and was advised to limit sugars etc. My A1C wavered +/- 0.1 for the next three years, no matter what I did. It was frustrating, so I brought it up at my next annual visit. This time I was seeing a new doc because the previous one had retired. The new doc noted that routine A1C measurement was a relatively new thing and thought it likely that I've been "on the bubble" for some time. Her advice was to continue to measure it annually, but not obsess over it. That eased my mind considerably. When we moved this year I once again brought it up with my new doc, and he was of the same opinion.

As always, you seem to be meeting this transition and slight change of plans with eloquence and grace. You amaze me, friend.

For all the reasons and effects cited, i think your news is wonderful, and will give you an opportunity to crown your career in a real leadership position. Congratulations on knowing that people see your worth and capabilities and put their trust in you.

I'm very happy for you, Ellen. Having the chance to retire on an up note is great!

>69 EBT1002: Well I do like a win/win situation Ellen, and I hope it all works out in the best possible way. You deserve to finish your career on a high.

Ellen, I'm so happy for you! It sounds very satisfying and I know you'll do a wonderful job!

And Yay that you still get to go to Yellowstone. I think this is a great time of year to go - it should be much less crowded as things are winding down.

Congrats, Ellen, they are lucky to have you.

Early thoughts on Second Place? Inquiring minds and all that...

60. Second Place by Rachel Cusk


This Booker long-listed novel contained some wonderful sections or passages, and it is original in its structure and narrative vehicle. The overall effect, however, is a somewhat pretentious meditation on ... well, it's hard to say exactly what we were meditating on. Art. Intimacy. Reality vs the fantasies we all maintain in order to survive life. Coming to terms with reality. Visibility and invisibility. All of these but none of these in adequate measure.

The narrative structure was intriguing: our narrator is telling the story to a particular third person, the otherwise anonymous "Jeffers." The story is of the time a famous artist came to stay in "the second place," an isolated cabin on the property of our narrator and her (really wonderful) husband. The artist turns out to be a disappointment and most of the novel is an introspective recanting of the impact of this disappointment on the narrator and her family. It wasn't without nuggets of wisdom and the story was oddly compelling, but I grew tired of not knowing what was the point.

Next up: Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy, a shared read with Kim.

>85 quondame: Thanks Susan. And yes, about the "pre-diabetic" diagnosis, I am right on the cusp (one tenth lower on the A1C and I would have fallen out of the "pre-diabetic" range) and I think you are right. This analysis is relatively new and I know it's not a dire situation. That said, if it motivates me to revisit my eating habits (like you, I am given to indulgences) and get to the pool a few times a week, that is a good thing. My clothes fit fine for most of the pandemic but in March/April of this year something shifted and I quickly gained about 10 pounds. That may not sound like much but I'm a short woman and my history of stroke almost six years ago (and serious family history for heart disease) means I need to watch it. I'm probably obsessing a bit more than necessary at present but the motivation and focus actually feel good.

>86 charl08: You can see my comments about Second Place just up there ^. I am honestly of mixed opinion but for the most part I found the novel tedious and unrewarding. I haven't yet read her trilogy but I have the first in the set on my TBR shelves.

>87 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. It sounds like we are in the same neighborhood on the A1C. Mine was 5.7, the lowest end of the "pre-diabetic" scale. As I noted to Susan ^, I welcome the motivation to revisit my eating habits and get to the pool on a regular basis. Diabetes doesn't run in my family (I think my paternal grandmother developed Type 2 late in her life but that's the only one I know of) but heart disease does. Losing a few pounds, balancing my diet, and getting more regular exercise will also help me manage the stress of my new job, so I'm embracing it.

Oh, and Day One of Full Week One of being a VP has gone really well! :-)

>88 scaifea: Aww, thanks Amber. This really is a good thing so my meeting of it with equanimity is perhaps less impressive than it appears. I mean, I just got promoted! :-) The circumstances are odd and the public and vocal reaction is necessarily subdued but I'm feeling lots of support and enthusiasm around me.

>89 ffortsa: "Congratulations on knowing that people see your worth and capabilities and put their trust in you." Thanks so much, Judy. Today one of my colleagues shared that she is hearing lots of that kind of chatter: that people are looking forward to my calm, stabilizing leadership style and that they trust me. That is really nice to know!

>90 katiekrug: Thanks Katie. I agree!

>91 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caroline. I know I have a steep learning curve but I feel lots of support around me and that is huge.

>92 streamsong: I am so looking forward to Yellowstone, Janet. I can't wait to see it in the autumn! I know it has been a terribly dry and warm summer (all over this part of the country, not so much on the east side of the Mississippi) so we'll see how things look. I'm excited to do some hiking, reading, driving around looking at lovely landscapes and incredible beasts. :-)

>93 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda. I feel lucky to be able to bring my best self to this leadership role. It will be difficult at times, I know this, but I get to set the tone! (Can you tell I'm excited???)

>94 msf59: Hey Mark. See my comments in >95 EBT1002:. I can't really recommend Second Place although I know some readers have loved it.

>100 EBT1002: Glad to see you being excited!! You are going to rock this position and the buzz is warranted.

I started ONce There Were Wolves. : )

^ what Kim said. :) Except for the reading part.

>69 EBT1002: I get to lead from my strengths, set the tone for the division, and make decisions I think are in the best interest of the university.
Hallalujah! That sounds wonderful. I hope the transition continues to go well.
Reading will suffer for sure. Can you at least squeeze in an audio book while you exercise or commute?

>101 Berly: My first full week as interim VP is done and I think it went pretty well. It does feel good to be excited about work again.

I'm on page 100 of Once There Were Wolves and it is excellent. Between work being super hectic and the novel being achingly painful to read, I'm consuming it in small sips so it's taking me a while to read. But I hope to finish it this weekend.

>102 BLBera: LOL -- thanks Beth!

>103 LovingLit: Thanks Megan. I will still manage to read this year but I'm just getting myself adjusted to the probability that it will slow down a bit. I'm okay with that. I love your suggestion of audiobooks while I commute or exercise, and it kind of cracked me up. My commute is 8 minutes each way and my current exercise passion is swimming. :-)

It has been a good week. I am so pleased with the support I'm getting from the president as well as colleagues around the university.

Today P and I did a few chores around the house. Now we're settled in to watch the Women's Final of the U.S. Open. Two teenagers in the final and I rather like both of them. I'm just hoping for some good tennis! Later today a colleague from work and her husband are coming over and we're showing them how to hand-make pasta. It should be fun.

>104 EBT1002: That is great news about the job Ellen, I hadn't absorbed it was starting immediately.

I have that novel near the top of the mountain, post Mark's warbling I think. Autumn pile.

Great news about the job!

>105 EBT1002: Tina (TututheFirst) is a swimmer and I recall discussing with her how she used her MP3 player in the pool. It depends on how much attention you want to give to the swimming, I guess. She made it work.

Happy Saturday, Ellen. Sorry, Second Place didn't hit home with you. I may be the only one, over here, that really loved it. I guess the "point" of it, or lack of, didn't bother me as much. I just liked the writing.

I just bought a copy of Once There Were Wolves. I am glad to hear you are loving it.

>106 EBT1002: Yay! Support! Oh my heck, how good it must feel to get support instead of chaotic and demanding ukases from autocratic blame factories.

Sounds like your job is going well. Yay!

Did you enjoy the match? I thought they played a good one.

I might wait and read Second Place later. I liked Outline, and maybe I'll read the others of the trilogy before I tackle this one.

>105 EBT1002: My commute is 8 minutes each way
Haha, Walk slower? Drive the long way? Or just count your 16 minutes of audio per weekday as 16 minutes hard fought for and won ;)

>107 Caroline_McElwee: It was a whiplash-inducing change, Caroline. That will be part of the challenge as everyone on the team tries to make sense of it and adjust.

I'm on page 214/256 of Once There Were Wolves and it is un-put-downable!

>108 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda!

>109 ffortsa: That is interesting, Judy. Honestly, I find swimming meditative and I'm okay with focusing on my stroke and being as in the moment as I can. It's good for me emotionally as well as physically. I'll make time for reading where I can and it will be fine.

>110 msf59: I did like the writing in Second Place a lot, Mark. And the novel had some engrossing moments. I just don't think it will stay with me.

Once There Were Wolves, on the other hand, is knocking my socks off!

>111 richardderus: It does feel good, Richard. I continue to hope my predecessor is okay, that she lands on her feet. But it was fun to be the one making decisions and steering the ship this week.

>112 BLBera: Hi Beth. I enjoyed the women's final match a lot. I found myself pulling for Emma so I was glad she prevailed. I expect we'll see her and Laylah facing one another across the net many more times in the coming years.

I have Outline on my TBR shelves and want to give it a try. I think Cusk's writing is right in my zone even though Second Place didn't quite work for me, so I want to keep exploring her work.

>113 LovingLit: LOL Megan. Really, I'll be fine. I'll listen to audiobooks when I walk and I'll still find time for reading. I always have done.

Speaking of which, I need to get back to my audio of The Splendid and the Vile.

In two weeks we'll be one day into our Yellowstone vacation. I need to sort through my library hold list for my kindle as well as a couple of traditional books to take along. We'll hike and explore the park, of course, but I always look forward to sitting in the campground with a book!

Your Yellowstone holiday sounds great! How long will you be there?

I was also cheering for Raducanu.

>118 EBT1002: So cool! You'll have something that I hope you'll decide to take by then.*winkwink*

>118 EBT1002: Yay, Yellowstone! Sounds relaxing. Great to get away from all the noise.

Have a great week ahead

61. Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy


"...wolves...have an unrivaled ability to make humans feel."

How cool it feels to be going to Yellowstone just two weeks after reading the magnificent Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy. The novel is set in the Scottish Highlands but she makes it clear in her acknowledgements that the return of wolves to Yellowstone in 1995 served as an inspiration for her work. Inti is a wolf biologist involved in an effort to return wolves to the Cairngorm Mountains in the Highlands with an eye toward some rewilding of the territory, an effort to save the ecosystem that has suffered without its primary predator. Her twin sister Aggie is with her and we gradually learn of the violence they have experienced and witnessed leaving both of the emotionally scarred. Inti takes up with the local Police Chief. A man is found dead in the woods -- murdered at the hands of human or the teeth of wolves? Inti is determined to find out, hoping to prove that the wolves would not have enacted such violence.

McConaghy's writing is beautiful. She evokes the setting perfectly and develops complicated characters. This novel hurt to read at times; the violence of humans to one another and to the wild places on Earth is unflinchingly presented. But McConaghy also sees beauty in our interconnectedness and she recognizes that kindness does exist. She won't let us forget that even while we come to terms with the desperate stakes we face in saving ourselves and the planet.

>122 EBT1002: This definitely goes on my list, Ellen. First, though, Migrations.

>122 EBT1002: Not out here for a while, annoyingly! The plot (or at least, the rewilding) reminded me of Sarah Hall.

>122 EBT1002: Finished Once There Were Wolves and loved it!! Stayed up until 3 am finishing it last week. : )

So glad the first week went well. And you have a vacation on the horizon--life is good!

>122 EBT1002: Glad this was a good one Ellen. It must have been a different 'wolves' novel Mark warbled about (and I bought), as I see he is just reading this now.

Hi Ellen!

>95 EBT1002: I checked this one out from the Library. It’s sitting there, staring at me balefully, but yours is the second meh’ review I’ve read, so back it goes. Too many books, too little time.

>106 EBT1002: So glad you’re getting the support you need and deserve.

>118 EBT1002: Anticipation is half the pleasure – have fun anticipating your vacation.

>122 EBT1002: Congrats on a 5* read.

I missed the initial announcement so a belated congratulations! So happy for you and it is nice to have options even as you start this new journey!

Enjoy Yellowstone! I am ready to be back out west ASAP.

>119 BLBera: Five nights camping and two nights in one of the lodges. I'm SO excited!

>120 richardderus: Hmm... you have piqued my curiosity, Richard.

>121 figsfromthistle: Thanks figs. It will be a perfect break from the noise of real life. We plan to read, drive around seeing sights and wildlife, go for a few hikes, read some more.... and if I take a nap almost every afternoon, so be it!

>123 BLBera: Both are outstanding reads, Beth. I gave 5 stars to each but if I could, I might give Once There Were Wolves 5.5 stars. :-)

>124 charl08: I haven't read any Sarah Hall in a while, Charlotte. I need to revisit her.

>129 EBT1002: Incoming box...surprises therein.

>125 Berly: Hi Kim. I hear you about staying up late to finish Once There Were Wolves. It was so good.

It's nice to have a vacation looming. The past two weeks have been a bit intense. P's description to her dad: "Ellen is working harder but she's a lot happier." 😀

>126 Caroline_McElwee: Hmm, I wonder which 'wolves' novel Mark had been warbling about.

>127 karenmarie: Hi Karen. Of the Booker nominees I've read so far, Second Place was my least favorite. As you say, there are plenty of books so sometimes we have to let one go.

I agree that anticipation is half the fun! I'm relishing the vacation on the horizon, enjoying the planning and imagining us sitting around the campsite, books in hand.... Yay!

>130 richardderus: *smooch*

I'm so happy your new position is making you happy. 🙂

62. China Room by Sunjeev Sahota


Set in India in 1922 and 1997(I think), it is the story of Mehar, a young woman married to one of three brothers. Veiled and isolated, visited by their husbands only at night and in the dark, Mehar and her two sisters-in-law try to sneak peeks of the three young men. "Which one is mine?" Mehar struggles under the constraints of her traditional marriage but also finds comfort in the everyday routines.

Seventy-five years later, a young man determined to break his heroin addiction camps out at a long-deserted farm. I won't say how these two stories converge but Sahota's nuanced narrative structure along with his depictions of time and place are really special.

The 2021 Booker Prize Long List, or ‘The Booker Dozen’, of 13 novels, is:

🟣 A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam
Second Place by Rachel Cusk
🟣 The Promise by Damon Galgut
The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
An Island by Karen Jennings
A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson
🟣 No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
🟣 The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed
🟣 Bewilderment by Richard Powers
China Room by Sunjeev Sahota
🟣 Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
Light Perpetual by Francis Spufford

🟣 = Short List

>133 BLBera: Thanks Beth. I know there will be difficult times ahead -- it's still work -- but it feels good to be in different emotional space.

>131 EBT1002: It was History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund. I'm sure Mark warbled that into my tbr mountain a few months ago Ellen.

One more week to go before your lovely trip. I'm definitely in favour of afternoon naps. Serve as required.

>135 EBT1002: Looks like you're going to have to bite the 600-page bullet and read Great Circle. 😁

>137 Caroline_McElwee: Ah. I read that in 2017 and gave it 3 stars. So, good but not excellent (for me).

>138 BLBera: Yes, indeed. P is still reading the hard copy I checked out from our local library. She is enjoying it. I have it on hold as an e-book from SPL so I'll read it when my turn comes up in that queue.

Last night I started reading Leonora in the Morning Light by Michaela Carter. This morning I had an extensive phone call with my sister (SIL not doing well), then we ran errands, and we've been watching Coug football while I catch up on LT. The game was going well and now it is going badly so I'll likely head upstairs soon to dig into the novel in earnest. The first bit was good.

It is a good one, Ellen. I thought it was too long, but there are lots of five-star ratings here.

>140 EBT1002: :-)

Sorry to hear about your SIL. Do you have a visit planned?

>143 BLBera: Not yet. Between my new job, COVID, and the fact that getting there takes a very long day of travel (and the same in the reverse), I don't know when I'll be able to make it happen. I may have to go for a few days and work a few hours each day. We're back in person, of course, but I can (and do) still do a lot of my meetings via zoom.

Sounds like you are enjoying your reading, and your new job! And everyone is liking Once There Were Wolves---I need to read it.

>140 EBT1002: I'm sorry about the game and really sad to hear of your sister-in-law's increasing challenges.

*smooch*

HI there! Just diving in to catch up with folks and wanted to congratulate you on the job situation. So glad that this (as you said) will allow you to end your career on a positive note. I have no doubt that the you’ll do well.

Enjoy Yellowstone!!

>117 EBT1002: ah huh! It must have been you I was subconsciously prompted by to read The Splendid and the Vile. I am currently up to chapter 82...also on audio. I am really enjoying it. Larson's writing (not to mention his research) is exquisite.

Great review of Once There Were Wolves, Ellen. I have that one slated for October. I am really enjoying Great Circle. This might be a good fit for you too.

>135 EBT1002: Interested by your assessment of the longlist, Ellen.

Based on your star ratings three of your top four reads have failed to make the shortlist and your two favourites thus far included in those overlooked. I thought Spufford would make it just because I read the novel before this and rated his skills as exceptional.

Congratulations on your promotion, Ellen. It may be more responsibility but it sounds like the support will be more consistent than in your former position.

Hiya, here's a link to the teaser for No Straight Lines: the Movie, a doc about gay comix from the beginning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSdTKPXDBWM

Of course Alison Bechdel is featured, why else would I tell you about it?! Have "fun" (?) camping!

Ooh yes, have a great holiday Ellen.

Hi, Ellen. Very quiet here, and I'm imagining it is because the new job, and adjusting to it, is taking a lot of your time.

I am still struggling to finish what I pick up. But I did read All the Devils are Here by Louise Penny. She is easy reading, and I think I'll request another of her books from the Library. The Bellevue Library has a mobile unit which comes here once a month to drop off, and pick up, books! Yeah! I like not driving.

>154 maggie1944: I am coming to the end of the Armand Gamache series and very sad. I really enjoyed All the Devils are Here as it gave a larger role to the children and their families. I believe I only have her most recent to go and am saving it for a long weekend when I can read slowly and savor. Glad to hear that you can access books easily as well!

I hope the holiday is going well Ellen, batteries need to be recharged for returning to the new job.

I'm not sure you are aware of the meetup in Portland the second week of October. There's a thread put up by Berly titled Portland Visitors. Any chance you and P. can make it?

witchyrichy, are you in possession of some knowledge of Louise Penny's plans for the future. Is she retiring from writing?

I have the next book, in possession of one of my friends here at my cooperative senior living place. She may be a slow reader cuz it seems like she has had that book forever. Oh, well, one more lesson in patience.

Hey everyone -- thanks for your patience.

We had a wonderful vacation to Yellowstone although the night before we left there was a shooting near campus -- one death and one serious injury. It made it hard to leave as I felt pulled to be here to support everyone but the president and others were supportive. And it gave a chance for my teams to know that I trust them and have confidence in them to do what they need to do. Indeed they did.

It was COLD and sunny in Yellowstone. We saw elk (one big buck strutted right through our campsite after intimidating another buck to leave the area!!), bison, a mama bear with a youngster (from a great distance), two healthy-looking and beautiful foxes, a coyote, and lots of geysers and hot springs. No wolves, more's the pity.

I finished Leonora in the Morning Light by Michaela Carter and The Secret Place by Tana French, each earning a solid 3.5-star rating. The days were shot and it was cold so I got less reading done than usual when we go camping. We were in bed early and got lots of good sleep. I needed that, so it was an acceptable trade-off.

I'm now reading The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed and it is excellent.

>159 EBT1002: ...and going to the Post Office...

So so sad about the shooting, but your handling of it says everything about the difference between your style and your predecessor's.

Delightful sounding time in Yellowstone! Unlike you, *not* seeing wolves would've made my entire decade.

Welcome home, and back!

The job is going well. My predecessor moved her personal belongings out of her office this week so I'll be moving into that space in the coming days. I'm looking forward to having that nice, big office with its sit-stand desk and large windows. I don't generally care that much about my office space as long as it's functional (there was that magnificent office I had at UW from which I had a view of the space needle!), but it will still be nice to occupy the vice president office.

I continue to settle into the new role. I love it. It's hard work and lots of work (my reading pace really is going to go down a notch) and I'm learning a lot. I get to make decisions. I get to establish protocols and procedures. I get to set the tone and lead from my values.

It's so nice to see you happy at work, Ellen. That's fantastic.

>160 richardderus: Richard! The post office held our mail and the package you sent arrived a day after we did. What fun! You know I want to read Dear Mrs. Bird and I'm excited about the new Peter May. The other two are unknown to me and look right up my alley! THANK YOU!

We got up about an hour before dawn one morning and drove to the Lamar Valley where wolves are known to hang out. Spent a very cold hour watching the day break and listening and watching for wolves. No luck but it was beautiful. It was on that drive that we saw one of the foxes. I was hoping to at least hear wolves but hearing coyotes in the night and being there during the elk rut was exciting enough. :-)

>162 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. It's a nice change, isn't it?

>145 banjo123: I cannot recommend Once There Were Wolves too highly, Rhonda. I think you'll like it.

>146 richardderus: Thanks Richard. It's hard to know my SIL is declining and it's so hard to be there. Yesterday I was thinking about her and how important she was during my teenage years, in particular. Life at home was pretty awful and the couple of weeks I spent each year with my sister and her partner really helped me stay sane and develop as a somewhat healthier human than I might have done otherwise. Betty (SIL) was always supportive and nonjudgmental, and challenging in the best sense.

>147 SuziQoregon: Thanks Juli. It feels SO good to be enjoying my work again!

>148 LovingLit: Hi Megan. I started listening to The Splendid and the Vile again yesterday. You inspired me to think that, even with a short daily commute, it can be audio-reading time.

>149 msf59: Hi Mark. I have Great Circle on hold at the library. P enjoyed it and I agree that it sounds like it's my cuppa.

>150 PaulCranswick: I would never tout my skills at selecting finalists for the Booker (or any other) Prize, Paul. I do think this year's list is a strong one top to bottom (based on those I have already read).

>163 EBT1002: I'm so glad they're not just dust-catchers...Tainted Witness isn't a fun'n'breezy beach read but it is *important* and, from what I can tell, a well-done treatment of the subject. The Nors, well...I hope it won't strike you poorly because as I read along I kept thinking, "...Ellen needs to read this...Ellen would appreciate this..."

That Peter May was one of my favorites. And, well, a hardcover of Dear Mrs. Bird that I can't re-read? Who else?

*smooch*

...elk...rut...

>151 Familyhistorian: Thank you, Meg. I think you're right -- the work is harder but I feel supported by those below, above, and at my level. I just want to make a positive difference and leave the place better than I found it.

>152 richardderus: Oh, Richard, I had not heard about that! Thank you for the link; I will definitely check it out!

>153 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caroline. It was a great trip.

>154 maggie1944: Hi Karen. I love that the library has that service in place and that you're taking advantage of it. It was indeed quiet around here because of work, as well as because of the week away (and truly off the grid)! I'm even busier than before but I love it and I come home in the evening worn out but feeling good. I feel pretty damn lucky.

>155 witchyrichy: I'm glad you're enjoying -- and savoring! -- the last installment in the Louise Penny series, Karen. I've read about three of them and they are fine but not as compelling for me as for some folks.

>156 Caroline_McElwee: Yes, indeed, Caroline! Those batteries needed recharging and they got it! Now I'm pretty much settled in for the rest of fall semester.

>157 ffortsa: I was not aware of that Portland meet-up, Judy. Rats! No way we can make it. October is going to be a super busy month. I will be working both of the next two weekends. I do go to Seattle Oct 28-30 for a couple of medical appointments but other than that, I'm sort of tied to the Palouse for the next several weeks. That said, P and I are starting to talk about retiring to Portland so in a couple more years, we may be present for all PDX meet-ups!

>158 maggie1944: Hoping Karen (witchyrichy) has some info for you there.

>166 richardderus: Definitely not dust-catchers, Richard. I'll let you know as I read them.

I need to figure out how to post videos from my phone here. I have a video of Mr. Elk giving hell to a sage bush on the edge of our campsite, one on which we had draped rinsed-out hiking socks! I also have a video of him bugling.... quite a sound!

>159 EBT1002: What a horrible start to a vacation. I'm glad you had a good one though and you sound ready to get back into the working life.

>168 EBT1002: I figured you might be too busy to make it. Kim asked me today if you knew about it, and it's too bad, but I'll be back to Portland now and then. No current connections in Seattle, but you never know.

I'm really glad you feel so good about the job. And SO sorry to hear about the shooting. I often wonder what is going on in this country, and was it always so, with less news coverage, or is it truly new. Maybe as we climb out of this pandemic to a life that feels somewhat more normal, we can better assess these events.

Your trip to Yellowstone sounds tremendously restorative. Great to hear.

Ellen - You sound so enthused about your job! That is great. It sounds like I will be retiring before you do. :) I plan on being done at the end of spring semester. My retirement date will be in August.

Your Yellowstone trip sounds wonderful.

National Book Award Nominees

▶️ Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr (Scribner)
Matrix by Lauren Groff (Riverhead)
Abundance by Jakob Guanzon (Graywolf)
Zorrie by Laird Hunt (Bloomsbury)
▶️ The Love Songs of W. E. B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers (Harper)
▶️ The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr. (G. P. Putnam’s Sons)
Intimacies by Katie Kitamura (Riverhead Books)
The Souvenir Museum: Stories by Elizabeth McCracken (Ecco)
Hell of a Book by Jason Mott (Dutton)
▶️ Bewilderment by Richard Powers (W. W. Norton)

▶️ = On My Shelves
I've not yet read any of the books on this list.

>170 quondame: Thanks Susan. It was pretty terrible. The young man who was hospitalized is now out of the hospital in a rehab facility. Thank goodness. There are too many guns in the world.

>171 ffortsa: I will look forward to future PDX meet-ups, Judy!

This shooting appears to be a situation gone bad rather than a premeditating thing. Late at night, a block or so from a huge student party. I don't know what actually happened but the fact that a young man was carrying a concealed firearm (apparently a modified Glock) just means tragedy was easier to come by.

>172 BLBera: I was so set on the end of next July, Beth, it is weird to be thinking summer 2023 now. But I'm no longer "counting the days." If that changes, I still have the prerogative to change my mind. :-)

Caroline posted this on her thread and I'm sharing it here.

20 classic books by writers of colour, chosen by writers of colour

I've not (yet) read a single one of them. :-|

>175 EBT1002: Interesting. Completely new to me too.

Here are the twenty in the list:

A Broken People’s Playlist by Chimeka Garricks
The Joys of Motherhood by Buchi Emecheta
A Visitation of Spirits by Randall Kenan
Redemption Ground: Essays and Adventures by Lorna Goodison
When We Ruled by Robin Walker
Night Haunts by Sukhdev Sandhu
Heart of the Race by Beverley Bryan, Stella Dadzie and Suzanne Scafe
Night Theatre by Vikram Paralkar
Storms of the Heart: An Anthology of Black Arts & Culture edited by Kwesi Owusu
Ark of Bones and Other Stories by Henry Dumas
Corregidora by Gayl Jones
The Silent Traveller by Chiang Yee
Introduction to a Poetics of Diversity by Édouard Glissant
I Wonder As I Wander and Collected Poems by Langston Hughes
Search Sweet Country by Bernard Kojo Laing
Hellfire by Leesa Gazi (trans Shabnam Nadiya)
The Nakano Thrift Shop by Hiromi Kawakami
London Calling by Una Marson
The Tunnels Below by Nadine Wild-Palmer
Labyrinths by Christopher Okigbo

>176 quondame: >177 EBT1002: Ah, the "Twenty contemporary writers recommend overlooked novels, essays and poetry" does indicate that we won't find the obvious on this list.

>177 EBT1002: I worked for Thunder's Mouth Press for a few years, so Henry Dumas and Langston Hughes were staples of my 1980s reading; Buchi Emecheta and Randall Kenan's books followed along in the Aughties; but the others...? Maybe Corregidora got onto my shelves but never into my eyes, though I always planned to. Too bad I'll be dead before I get too much closer to being TBRless...NOT! I get the collywobbles thinking about not having something(s) cued up to read.

That's a great list of overlooked books by BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) authors. I don't own and haven't read any of them, and the only one I've heard of is Corregidora.

>177 EBT1002: I cannot find anything on the Chimeka Garricks book at all. The only one on the list that I have read is The Joys of Motherhood, but I now own When We Ruled and have The Nakano Thrift Shop on the way.

>173 EBT1002: I've read Matrix, which is great.

>177 EBT1002: It is a great list. I've read Corregidora. I have Palmares on my desk and hope to get to it soon. I'll have to check out the others. A good project for the next couple of years.

>161 EBT1002: that is great news. Do you wish you could have entered the university in that role, or did it work better for you having the time there to settle?

>179 richardderus: >180 kidzdoc: I haven't heard of any of them! Although, I could say the same for the Booker longlist now as well...
I like the sound of The Nakano Thrift Shop and The Silent Traveller by Chiang Yee. And the cover of the latter is drool-worthy.

>175 EBT1002: >176 quondame: >183 LovingLit: Oops, I have read The Nakano Thrift Shop. The TIOLI challenges can broaden one's reading.

>173 EBT1002: I've read a few of those on the list Ellen including Bewilderment, Zorrie, Intimacies, and The Prophets. Of those, Zorrie is my favorite, another quiet gem of a book, along the lines of Mary Lawson to me anyway. I'll be reading Matrix soon.

So glad your job has turned into a satisfying experience for you.

ETA: Great Circle was a five star read for me. Some folks thought it was too long but for me, I didn't want it to end.

Extremely belated congratulations on the promotion!

Welcome back! Glad you had a good trip. Love hearing that you’re settling in to your new role and (even more importantly) loving it.
Has Carson forgiven you for being away yet?

Good reviews, Ellen! I’m going to give Second Place a miss, and add Once There Were Wolves to the WL. As to the latter, if one loved Scotland, would the depiction of it in the book add to its appeal?

I LOVED the new Ozeki book. Right now I’m reading Matrix by Lauren Goff and eating it up. I must say, it sure strikes me as an Ellen book. The new Anthony Doerr will come after that, and then may be Once There Were Wolves. What a fall season of great novels we’re having!

You're going to need a bit of time to read The Love Songs of W.E.B Du Bois, Ellen. i was helped along by the fact that it was a library hold and there were other people waiting for it. I barely got it done in time because it is long!

>178 quondame: Good catch, Susan.

>179 richardderus: "Too bad I'll be dead before I get too much closer to being TBRless...NOT!"
LOL, Richard. I think being TBRless is something none of us around here are at risk of experiencing -- and it is indeed a chilling thought.

>180 kidzdoc: I'm in the exact same boat, Darryl. And I am hesitant about LT challenges for next year, knowing that my job has gotten even more demanding for the foreseeable future, but reading 12 of those overlooked works, one each month, would be kind of a cool 2022 challenge.

>181 alcottacre: I'm glad you've acquired a couple of the books in the list, Stasia. A few of them are pretty obscure - by which I do NOT mean not worth seeking out. Just challenging to find.

>182 BLBera: Hi Beth. Lauren Groff is in the same category for me as Sarah Moss. Two authors I love and whose oeuvre I want to complete in the next few months.

And I agree that tackling some of the works in the list in >177 EBT1002: over the next couple of years is a good idea for a project.

>183 LovingLit: Hi Megan. I have moved from one university to another twice in my career. Both times it was a lateral move, and both times I ended up getting promoted. It's something I've thought about a lot - how my confidence (or lack of it?) has played into this pattern. And it has worked for me. I feel like I'm starting this job with a lot of trust and credibility.

I'm in the same boat. And I'm going to try to change that over the next year or two!

>184 quondame: "The TIOLI challenges can broaden one's reading." Yes! I have not participated in TIOLI challenges recently but for my first few years on LT they were a regular thing for me. They definitely expanded my reading horizons, along with great recommendations from so many of my LT buddies.

>185 brenzi: Hi Bonnie. I love your description of Zorrie as a "quiet gem of a book."
I'm going to be in Seattle at the end of October and I will seek out copies of several of the books on that list!

I need to see where I am in the library queue for Great Circle. I think my turn should be coming up pretty soon.

Looks like you had fun at the Cougars game, Ellen. Good to see you and P out enjoying yourselves.

>186 ArlieS: Thanks Arlie!

>187 SuziQoregon: Hi Juli. Carson really doesn't punish us much when we go away. Part of that is (I think) because we have a wonderful cat sitter. Of course, with Carson it can be hard to tell because he's so moody even when we haven't been away!

>188 jnwelch: Hi Joe. I think you will love Once There Were Wolves but the Scottish highlands setting is not a major force in the reading experience. It's all about the characters, the wolves, and the story. The mood of the setting is memorable but I didn't feel that I had been transported to Scotland.

I'll add The Book of Form and Emptiness to my wish list. I loved A Tale for the Time Being.

I have Matrix by Groff on my wish list. I've loved everything I've read by her so far.

My current read is The Midnight Library by Matt Haig and I'm enjoying it. It leans a bit into the telling me what I should be getting out of the story instead of just letting me get it out of the story but I'm still enjoying it. It is keeping my attention and I want to know what's going to happen. This is a shared read with Kim(Berly).

>189 Familyhistorian: I feel like I have been acquiring some long novels, lately, Meg, and that might be a problem with the current press on my reading time. Still, I seem to be pulled toward "chunksters" these days.

>193 ronincats: Hi Roni. We did have fun at the Cougs game last evening. It was our first time in the President's box. The view was amazing, the food and drink were plentiful, and the Cougs won. I'm glad you saw the photo P posted on FB.

Happy to see you posting, Ellen.

Just had a shared read of Great Circle with Stasia and Luci - all of us liked it but Stasia and I were both in the "it's too long" set.

>177 EBT1002: I too saved that list from Caroline's thread. I have three of the books on the shelves and we will have a group read of The Nakano Thrift Shop next month if you can join.

>197 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul. I don't have much time in my week these days but I figure if I'm going to sit and watch football on Sundays, it's a good time to do some catching up. Not only do I get to catch up with some of my LT buddies, but it helps manage my emotional involvement in the game. You know.... trying to be sanguine about the Seahawks. (ha)

I'm looking forward to reading Great Circle when my turn in the library queue comes up. It will be interesting to see if I fall in the "it's too long" camp.

Oh! I will see about acquiring a copy of The Nakano Thrift Shop and join you all for the group read in November! Thank you!

Okay, I know I have a wish list collection here but I want to start a list of books I want to see if I can find on my upcoming Seattle trip which, while very brief, will include visits to a couple of my favorite bookshops.

Fiction/Lit
The Nakano Thrift Shop by Hiromi Kawakami
The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
Still Life by Sarah Winman
Matrix by Lauren Groff
Zorrie by Laird Hunt
Intimacies by Katie Kitamura
The Guide by Peter Heller
A Start in Life by Anita Brookner -- inspired by Bonnie
Infinite Country by Patricia Engel
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin
Hell of a Book by Jason Mott

Mysteries
The Armada Boy by Kate Ellis
The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger

Poetry
Dialogues with Rising Tides by Kelli Russell

and more, I'm sure.

I'm not saying I'll actually purchase all of these, but it's a working list for my shopping pleasure. :-)

Hi Ellen! So happy to hear that your job is going well and that you are enjoying yourself again. Win win! I totally enjoyed The Midnight Library. It was my diversion while I spent the day in the ER, so that may have made be more grateful for having it, but I really enjoyed the exploration of life and its meaning, asking what would my life have been like if I'd done X? I'll post a review on my thread one of these days.

And love all the praise for Once There Were Wolves--another great read with you!

I finished The Midnight Library last night. 3.5 stars, a very good read.

Started Love and Fury by Samantha Silva this morning. A novel of Mary Wollstonecraft — and so far it’s really good. Time for my morning walk, though.

>200 Berly: After I finished The Midnight Library I kept thinking of things for my personal “ what would my life have been if I had done X instead of Y?” Very fun. I agree — it was a wonderfully diverting novel!

Hi, Ellen. Nice chatting with your yesterday. Glad you enjoyed The Midnight Library. I liked it but did not love it. I should be finally starting Once There Were Wolves, possibly today. I am also looking forward to the new Groff. Joe really liked it too.

Good heavens, Ellen, my new thread has been up since 10pm yesterday (your time), has three reviews posted, about a zillion posts, and you haven't even visited yet?! Quick sticks, possum!

*smooch*

Quite a shopping list, that. I'd say you're due a splurge since you're a Grand High Pooh-Bah now. (P might have countervailing thoughts on the subject, of course.)

>177 EBT1002: Maybe we can share some of these reads, Ellen.

>199 EBT1002: Nice list. My copies of the Kate Ellis books are e-books, the few that I have or I would send them on to you. I loved Matrix; I think you will like it.

I'll keep Midnight Library in mind. I just read a great graphic memoir of Mary Shelley and would love to read more about mother and daughter. I'll watch for your comments on Love and Fury.

Wow, interesting developments re: the WSU football coaching staff!!

>206 ronincats: I just read that Wazzu's head football coach was fired due to his refusal to get vaccinated. He was in the second year of a five year, $15.6 million contract, which means that he is giving up roughly $10 million to maintain his anti-vaxxer stance.

WTF is wrong with these people?! American exceptionalism = exceptionally stupid Americans.

NYT: Washington State Fires Football Coach for Refusing to Get Vaccinated

>202 EBT1002: Ha! I am doing the same thing. LOL. And I agree with your rating on The Midnight Library. The writing was good but not great; and the conclusion was pushed a tad. But a very fun concept and actually a page turner for me!

>207 kidzdoc: Either he expects to somehow make even more money, whether on the right wing talk circuit, in politics, or via some kind of wrongful dismissal lawsuit, or he honestly believes the vaccine is extremely life threatening.

Or I suppose he's more interested in something other than money or life/health, such as political power, and thinks this will help him get it.

Or he already had one foot out the door - perhaps he'd been caught with one hand in the till, or worse - and this is a face saving (for him) way of giving him the boot. (Usually, though, the malefactor just resigns "for personal reasons" in such a situation.)

Or perhaps he was indulging in brinkmanship, and honestly expected to be exempted from the rules if he acted stubborn enough, and his employers chose not to leave him a graceful way to back down.

-
FWIW, I recall a case where someone managed to get himself fired from Google, where he was probably passing out of the promotion zone, in a manner that set him up for life as a right wing speaker.

Happy weekend-ahead's reads, Ellen!

>199 EBT1002: 15 books on the hitlist sounds eminently reasonable, Ellen!

>207 kidzdoc: >209 ArlieS: Apparently he had applied for a religious exemption. Theology is not my area of speciality but I am uncomfortable when religion gets thrown into the debate - I'm not personally aware of which religions dictate an aversion to vaccination but surely the religion of common sense would dictate its efficacy?

I am against mandates as visitors to my thread would know but this is a complex debate that shouldn't fall on party lines. Biden himself campaigned as an anti-mandates guy so his metamorphosis is, I guess, frustration at the lack of trust shown in both the science as explained and his (and the predecessor too) administration (s). It isn't long ago that both Biden and Harris were saying that they would be nervous of taking the "Trump vaccine" and if Trump had mandated it then they would have been urging civil resistance against authoritarianism.

Someone's genuinely and profoundly held beliefs are something that we disdain at our peril and it is a poor society that condemns them unreservedly as stupid. I don't think that it is fair to ascribe him motives as we are making suppositions based on our own view of the issue. I personally think that the case for vaccines is indisputable especially for those in risk groups that have not previously had the disease and even then I don't see the problem with taking the jab as further insurance. That is me, however, and I don't have a monopoly on being right. If the WHO/FDA were to discover tomorrow that the eating of pork limits the risk of contraction of COVID and the UK government mandate its consumption then - I'm sorry - I am not going to comply as my religion dictates against its consumption. I don't know or understand the motivations of those holding out against the vaccines but I believe that they have a perfect right to do so.

The Public health argument / good citizen argument doesn't seem supported empirically. Having the vaccine doesn't seem to stop you contracting or spreading the virus but it does clearly help in reducing its adverse impact upon the individual vaccinated. Herd immunity also seems like a pipe dream, especially in the populations with a younger average age as there seems to be an unwillingness to vaccinate children and they will be super-spreaders via school interactions and so on.

For me the civil liberties here outweigh the "need" for mandates which has frankly not been established and the bull-headed insistence on no exceptions for quite obviously political reasons. The fact that the football coach was willing to sacrifice such a high paid job rather smacks of sincerity than opportunism. Would repeat that I was one of the first to sign up to get my shots but let's not condemn when persuasion, education and ultimately tolerance should be more effective. Biden came to power promising an end to division and he seems to be going out of his way to do the opposite.

>211 PaulCranswick: I find it difficult to understand how not getting the vaccine could be more important than keeping one's job, to anyone, without some ulterior motive; hence my cynical comments.

OTOH, there are a number of sects with strange aversions to various types of medical care. Either one should trust entirely in religious curing (Christian Scientist) or one should eschew most operations (Jehovah's Witness?). Doubtless there are others I don't know about.

Personally, I'll find the quest for a religious exemption credible if the person requesting it turns out to come from a sect with a documented history of problems of objections to vaccination.

>212 ArlieS: I do find the religious argument here a bit strange, Arlie, as I said as I am not aware of which denominations of which religions are anti-vax. I have heard maybe Hasidic Judaism is responding negatively through certain rabbinical directives but I as I said I am not a divinity or theology major.

I don't know this guy and cannot really comment on his motivations or his beliefs in his personal instance but I do think that a society imperils itself when it is intolerant of genuinely held religious or conscience dictated viewpoints. Will we be proscribing certain religious groups next as terrorist organisations, as it is not a huge leap from mandates?!

This is probably believable since it was posted in 2018 before the pandemic and basically identifies only very limited religious opposition to vaccines:

I think in the USA it mentions the Dutch Reformed Church and Christian Scientists seemed openly opposed. The debate has been had in islam and overwhelmingly my religion is in favour of them other than those which may contain prohibited substances.

https://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/blog/religion-vaccination-confusion

In the case of the football coach, it appears that he is a devout Roman Catholic and is objecting on those grounds - the religious objection somehow being linked to the alleged use of aborted cells in the process. It seems that the Catholic church both via its leadership in Rome and in the USA has concerns over the vaccines but have not promulgated any decrees against their use by catholics, although stating that it is an individual conscience issue. Under those circumstances, I do feel that Nick Rolovich is quite possibly expressing a genuinely held conviction and it looks like he is being persecuted for holding to it. I have a feeling that the Supreme Court will eventually uphold any application made as freedom of religion is enshrined in the US constitution.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249346/fired-for-refusing-covid-19-vacci...

Jehovah's Witnesses are apparently not opposed to immunisation :
https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/jw-vaccines-immunization/

Jewish talmudic law also seems to suggest that in the case of a life threatening epidemic then a vaccination is a question of mandated responsibility but I understand that fear for fertility (based on what studies I'm not sure) caused hesitancy in some Orthodox jewish families according to the New York Times.

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2870103/jewish/What-Does-Jewish-L...

Israel itself overcame mistrust of the vaccine, which seems to have been the result of a campaign of misinformation, by religious decree in favour of getting innoculated.

https://www.npr.org/2021/04/22/988812635/how-israel-persuaded-reluctant-ultra-or...

I am making no comment on anyone's profoundly held beliefs but some of the religions previously mentioned as being anti-vax - Islam, Judaism, Jehovah's Witnesses - are clearly not so. Again I would say that education will overcome mandates every time.

People increasingly distrust politicians and the new media and - now with the glare of attention focusing of Fauci's support of funding to the Wuhan labs - on medical officialdom too. I can understand the Biden Administration's frustrations but its policy decisions will make things worse - they need to explain not mandate and punish.

>214 PaulCranswick: Yep, there are some religious groups that have a long-standing objection to medical treatment - where I am, the Amish are one such, and their reasoning is in line with long-standing interpretation of the Bible and their belief about remaining separate from the greater world.

Most of those I know applying for religious exemption are using the reason that they object to the vaccine because human stem cells from aborted fetuses were used to develop them. (Early on it was that the vaccines *contained* stem cells, disinformation since discredited.) while this is true, many other drugs that these same people are happy to take were also developed using stem cells. I’m struggling with them cherry-picking their objections.

I am opposed to mandates and in favor of common sense.

We in America are going to have to learn to deal with living in a country where not everyone gets vaccinated.

Sometimes democracy is messy.

>216 magicians_nephew: Exactly my position too, Jim.

It's hard for me to agree to let people make their own choices when they breathe the air I breathe, and others breathe, and could spread infection. Even though those who are vaccinated can spread the disease, if everyone were vaccinated, the effects would be mild.

The list of diseases we have ended or could end because of existing and proven vaccines is too long: small pox, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, measles, and to a certain extent influenza. We might be about to include malaria. Among them, tetanus is the only one I think is not transmissible, human to human, or human to host to human. It would be wonderful to include ebola, dengue fever, and other diseases that continue to ravage communities. We will never educate everyone enough to get totally voluntary compliance.

>218 ffortsa: I agree with you, Judy, that education may not net us everybody but could get us to the herd immunity stage at least. One of the uncommon features of this virus seems to be that the present vaccinations seem to be at least partially ineffective against further infection which is why the public health argument for mandates is weakened.

I can understand and indeed share the frustrations but I don't think that they are sufficient to take away another's freedom of choice/conscience/religion.

>219 PaulCranswick: if religious barriers are honest and other accommodations accepted, I tend to agree. But most of the objections I have read emphasize 'freedom' and religion, if mentioned, is an afterthought. These days, religious exemption is regarded in the U.S. as a reason that trumps(NO pun intended) all argument. When accommodations such as masks are also refused, the objection loses credibility in my mind.

Hi, Ellen. ( i doublechecked that this was your thread!) I'm with Judy on the vax question.

I'm immersed in Once There Were Wolves, having been led to it by your enthusiasm. What a storyteller she is.

>221 jnwelch: - Snort. Me too on checking what thread this was.

Hi Ellen! Read any good books lately? :)

Oops. A bit of a hijacking has ensued. Sorry about that. Do update us on your job, your reading, your life in general, as these are much the happier topics.

68. Love and Fury: A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft by Samantha Silva


The chapters in this wonderful novel alternate between Mary narrating her life story to her second daughter, and the story of her last 11 days as experienced by the midwife who helped bring that daughter into the world. Both stories (and, of course, they are really one story) are engrossing and beautifully told. We meet the loves of Mary's life, and feel her longing for independence and self-authorship, even as she learns to crave and value true intimacy between equals. The backdrop of dramatic history, including most notably Mary's first-hand witness to the Terror of the French Revolution, is subtly woven through her most personal memories, providing texture and tension but never undercutting the main arc of narrative interest.

I've been gaining interest in historical fiction and this is just the ticket.

Currently reading:

Square Haunting: Five Women, Freedom and London Between the Wars by Francesca Wade

And Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro just came available via the library so I'll be downloading that and reading it this coming week as well.

>223 ffortsa: Hijacking acknowledged and it's (almost) always fine with me. I honestly don't have the energy to participate but I'll update you.

First, it's important to know that the football coach was fired not because he did not get vaccinated, per se, but because he did not comply with university policy which is based on our state's requirement that all state employees be vaccinated or obtain a valid medical or religious exemption. Before the Emergency Use Authorization was transitioned to full FDA approval, the university allowed for "personal" exemptions, as well. Our coach availed himself of that option; when it went away with full FDA approval, he shifted to a religious exemption. Again, I don't know the details of the rationale he provided but word on the street is that he has said he is Catholic. So is our Athletic Director (and I've heard it said that most of our Catholic staff have said something to the effect of "I've never seen him - the coach - in church"). Regardless, the review of his request for exemption went through the same process as every other employee, a blind review with multiple reviewers.

This past week was hard but not nearly as hard as we expected. The feedback from community, donors, students, parents, and others has been almost completely supportive. Our athletics department had one of its best weeks ever in fundraising with $3.7M coming in after the announcement was made last Monday. There were a couple of large gifts in there from donors who were already in the pipeline, but they didn't withdraw their support and the university received an amazing number of small donations from more ordinary folks, donations in the $100 - $500 range.

My own feelings have been mostly outrage. I'm not persuaded by most religious objections -- and I have read some of them. They are fatuous and false. The pope says get vaccinated. The head of the Mormon church says get vaccinated. The list of medications developed using old fetal cells includes Tums, acetaminophin, aspirin, ibuprofen, Benadryl, Ex-Lax, Sudafed, Claritin, Maalox, Lipitor, Prilosec.... In my mind, a sincerely held religious belief demands consistency of conviction. "My religion objects to this vaccine because my religion says I should be free to do what I want" is not convincing. I'm not saying that is what our coach wrote; I don't know what he wrote. But some of our students and employees have said very much just that. I remain unmoved. And let me be clear: one has not needed to be incredibly articulate about one's sincerely held religious belief to obtain an exemption based on it. You can well imagine that the lawyers have us being quite liberal with approvals. The fact that our coach did not succeed at securing a religious exemption tells me that he simply did not make the case. Maybe he didn't try. Or maybe he simply could not make his rationale sound reasonable and convincing because, well, because it wasn't. But if he had anything faintly resembling a sincerely held religious belief that prohibited his vaccination, I wholeheartedly believe he would have been afforded a religious exemption.

Dozens of university staff have dedicated everything to managing the pandemic since March 2020. It has been scary, demoralizing, exhausting, all-consuming. In the spring we thought it was going to be over. We volunteered weekends for vaccine clinics and celebrated that light at the end of the tunnel. And then politics turned it all sideways. Politicians who were themselves vaccinated promoted anti-vax rhetoric and I can only read that as cynical, selfish, and unforgivable. And so we have forged ahead, continuing to dedicate every ounce of energy to effing pandemic management. I'm tired of it. I'm done with it. His refusal to get vaccinated was, in my opinion, selfish and disrespectful to all the people who have dug so deeply to manage this shit for going on two years.

Our student population is over 95% vaccinated and our employees are about 93% vaccinated. About 2% of each population have received approved medical exemptions; another 3% have received approved religious exemptions. Some are still in process (their request is still being reviewed). I understand the concern about "mandates" but society has rules and there have been vaccine requirements in place for many diseases for a long time. The resistance to this vaccine is unprecedented and, in my opinion, entirely irrational and based absolutely in politics. Were it not for vaccines, we would still be fighting smallpox, polio, measles, mumps, rubella.... And never before have we been in the middle of a global pandemic for which, in the moment, we had available to us the one tool that would get us out of it.

So, my opinion? You're losing your job? Because You. Would. Not. Get. A. Shot.
I have no sympathy whatsoever.

I guess I did have the energy to engage. But let me say this: I'm honestly not interested in a conversation. I'm not interested in a dialogue or a discussion or a debate. I get that there are those who feel "the government" shouldn't tell us what to do. To a large degree and in many contexts, I agree with that. And in this instance I think it is just toxic individualism disguised as patriotism and anti-totalitarianism. It's a shot. Not a surgery. Get vaccinated and let's get on with it.

I'll start a new thread soon. Thanks for understanding (or not) my desire to move on.

>226 EBT1002: - Well said, Ellen.

(You do not need to acknowledge this post, I just wanted to show my support!)

>226 EBT1002: Well said. It wasn't the government that fired the coach, it was the university who have to fund his medical treatment and look to the health of students and staff. He did not deserve to keep his job.

No comment on anything other than to see you back posting, Ellen. I look forward to your new thread. x

>226 EBT1002: - I have read everything posted here and did not participate because, like you, I am so sick of the *debate*. There is nothing to debate. Those who refuse to do the one thing that is necessary, deserve whatever befalls them, including job loss. Period.
As always, you have said it all very articulately.

>226 EBT1002: A very thoughtful, well stated post Ellen. Thank you for drawing closure to this conversation. I'm looking forward to your new thread!

>226 EBT1002:



*sits back down and waits patiently for the new thread*

>226 EBT1002: I'm grateful for your clear and candid description of the incident. It seemed muddled in press stories. Totally agree.

>224 EBT1002: Looks like a good one. I thought the book was going to be about Mary Shelly her daughter, author of you-know-what, but this sounds even more interesting.

I can be a nit-picking PITA about authors taking liberties in historical fiction but this one seems to have its feet on the right cobblestones.

>234 magicians_nephew: Jim, I agree! Mary Shelly makes an appearance in this, of course, and it was interesting to read it knowing a bit about where her life would take her, but this was a really great fictional telling of Wollstonecraft's life.

>226 EBT1002: Nailed it

>226 EBT1002: This whole subject brings out the cynic in me, and triggers every bit of anger I have at (certain) religious people and dogmas for ways in which they have attempted to oppress or abuse me, sometimes successfully.

There's a brand of "Christianity" out there which is easily conceptualized as folks worshiping a sadistic bully, primarily by attempting to emulate Him. This bully created a sentient species that it pre-destined to eternal punishment (torture), ostensibly because His sense of justice required obedience to rules that He knew could not possibly be obeyed by any of His creatures. He then chose to spare a few of them, thereby qualifying in His own mind, and those of His Stockholm-syndrome-afflicted worshippers, as kind and loving as well as merciful. It endorses every abusive hierarchy humans have ever created, starting with consigning all females to be servants to males.

I hypothesize that harming one's neighbours, either randomly by spreading disease, or directly and individually, is honest religiously motivated emulation of this God.

I could continue in this vein for much longer, including a long detour into the branch of His worship known as Prosperity Theology (aka victim blaming), and the question of whether Donald Trump Jr. qualifies as an avatar of this God, or merely a Prophet. ;-)

But the whole thing is disgusting enough, and likely offensive enough to any sincere Christians, that I should probably stop now.

>226 EBT1002: Eloquently and succinctly said, Ellen. Virtual hugs for being smack in the center of all of this.