I love it! I finally took the time to clean out my Goodreads account. I’ve had an account for well over a decade (possibly even close to two), but I have rarely used it to keep track of my reading or anything else. When I first joined, I started to use it to catalog my books. At the time, torn between Goodreads and LibraryThing, I didn’t realize that both websites were created with very different intentions. Goodreads aims to connect readers, help readers keep track of their reading, and serve as a true social media platform for readers. LibraryThing, on the other hand, is meant to help people catalog their book collections. They have also cataloged famous personal libraries and annually hosts one of my favorite Christmas traditions – SantaThing. Basically, SantaThing is similar to a secret santa for book lovers. Participants chose the amount they would like to spend. Then, participants choose books for another person while someone else chooses books for them. I have yet to be disappointed!
After several years of trying to decide how I want to go about tracking my reading, I have finally settled on Goodreads. You can find my Goodreads profile here. The wonderful thing is that a large part of my family is going along for the ride. Several of my aunts are avid readers, as are my new brother-in-law, his daughter, my sister, my sister-in-law, and my mom. We now have quite a crew and have already spent some time sharing book recommendations with one another. My Grandma Buttrick would be incredibly proud!
In fact, I’ve been meaning to brag about this here, but my grandma proved to be way ahead of her time. In the late 80s and throughout the 90s, Grandma Buttrick helped to establish an early version of a free little library. During that time, she always seemed to have a box of books to take/donate to the hotel in her garage. At the former Quality Inn in West Branch, a continued important part of Forward Corporation (Grandpa was president at the time, and later, served as chairman of the board), Grandma kept a rotating paperback rack full of books for hotel guests. Sitting in the lobby in an alcove near the registration desk, guests could take or leave a book. I wish I could tell her just how ahead of her time she was. I like to think that she’d be incredibly pleased to see how we’ve passed her love of reading down the generations. Our little book club of two lives on!
As a child, Grandma Buttrick was the one who helped me get my first library card in Standish. I’ve done the same with my niece and nephew. I do hope that our excursions to the library leave an impression on them. If anyone out there continues to believe that libraries are no longer relevant, they need to actually visit one!
Dean Butler as Almanzo Wilder in Little House on the Priarie
This year, the TV show Little House on the Prairie celebrates 50 years since its television debut. Oh, and does that show still have a following. To celebrate, several events were held at various locations throughout the country, including most of the homesites of the Ingalls and Wilder families. They even recreated several of the sets at Big Sky Movie Ranch in Simi Valley, California, where most of the series was filmed. Infamously, the last installment of the series saw the original set of the town literally destroyed as part of the plot. Under the terms of filming, the producers of Little House on the Prairie contractually had to return the land to its original condition.
So, where does Prairie Man by Dean Butler come in? First, the book debuted this summer in the midst of all of the events. Second, and most importantly, Dean Butler, who played Almanzo Wilder in the last years of the series, and Alison Arngrim, the one and only Nellie Oleson, who famously penned Confessions of a Prairie B*tch, have worked tirelessly to keep the legacy of the TV show alive. In fact, this entire year, they decided to host a podcast dedicated to all things relating to the 50th anniversary of the Little House on the Prairie TV show.
Prairie Man stands out for a couple of reasons. First, I may not be technically correct on this, but I believe that Dean Butler is the oldest surviving male cast member. Several actors that played young boys on the series survive, but the grown men, including Michael Landon, Victor French, Richard Bull, and Dabs Greer, just to name a few, are long gone. While there are several memoirs written by female cast members, including two alone written by Melissa Gilbert, Prairie Man is the only one written by a man.
While I’ve only read Confessions of a Prairie B*tch by Alison Arngrim (you can read my review here) and Prairie Man by Dean Butler, they could not be more different. I loved both, but I enjoyed Butler’s sense of history, not to mention his diplomatic handling of tensions between fans of the books and fans of the TV show. He addressed all of the controversies surrounding both series well.
I learned a lot. While I knew that Rose Wilder Lane’s “adopted” grandson, Roger Lea McBride, ended up with the television rights to the novels, I did not know the full story. The real story is included in Prairie Man. In the early 70s, Ed Friendly purchased the rights from McBride due to his wife’s and daughter’s love of the books. Only when Michael Landon became involved as executive producer, taking the TV show further and further from the original books, did trouble occur. According to Butler, Roger Lea McBride became horrified when realized what he had done. Like Friendly, he envisioned a TV series much more faithful to the books.
The real Almanzo Wilder, subject of Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Eventually, all of this grew tension between Landon and Friendly. Landon’s vision, of course, ultimately prevailed. It may have been for the best. Ask yourself, how many children and adults were introduced to the books via the TV show? Alison Arngrim even admitted that she didn’t read the books until after being cast as quite possibly the best child villain ever portrayed on television, Nellie Oleson. Michael Landon may have taken extreme creative license, but love it or hate it, Little House on the Prairie, the television show, is still shown all over the world in syndication 50 years later. It will not die.
The funny thing is that I used to blame Roger Lea McBride for selling the rights to the television series and Michael Landon for what it became. I used to view the Little House series of books as a cautionary tale as to what can happen if an author’s legacy isn’t well-guarded or just ends up in the hands of attorneys. For those who don’t know, Rose Wilder Lane never had children (she never formally adopted Lea), and thus, with her death in 1968, Laura Ingalls Wilder and Almanzo Wilder no longer had any direct descendents. I see it differently today. I suppose I now subscribe to the old saying “any publicity is good publicity.”
While I probably would have discovered all of the books on my own, especially after my 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Butz, read Little House in the Big Woods to our class, I doubt any of it would have left such a lasting impression without the TV show. Early elementary school would not have been the same without it. I distinctly remember jumping off the bus after school, pigtails flying behind me, eager to catch the 4 PM reruns. Funny note: Due to the fact that I grew up on the reruns, I thought Dean Butler was significantly younger, by at least a decade, than he actually is. His book, of course, made this clear.
Today, I am not necessarily a fan of the TV show, although I do greatly admire what Dean Butler and Alison Arngrim have done for all Little House on the Prairie fans. I suppose I am not a typical fan. Normally, most people are devoted fans of the books or the TV show, not necessarily both. More than anything, I am a huge fan of the real person, the writer herself, the real Laura. Her true story is far more fascinating than just the books. She lived an incredibly full additional 70 years after the life she described in all of her books. When you add in all of the drama surrounding her only daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, it justifies all of the relatively new scholarly work surrounding the Ingalls and Wilder families. There are still so many questions left to answer.
If you are interested in the Little House series at all, whether book or TV show, Prairie Man is well worth reading. Butler makes the case that he feels he was born to play Almanzo. Growing up on a ranch in California, he describes in detail how his entire career has been shaped by that one role. As he grew older, he decided to lean into it and run with it, much as Alison Arngrim has over the last few decades. Fortunately for Little House fans, its incredible legacy is in good hands for the time being.
You can also check my review of Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser here.
Written during the pandemic as an example for a poetry project I assigned my middle school students. They needed to take a line from a favorite song and then use that line to begin a poem.
There are places I remember Places that hold memories long forgotten Long shadows, witnesses to the past Smells that immediately transport me back
Back to a simpler time when we could gather freely Children could be kids Adults accepted responsibility A time when freedom reigned and the republic lived
A black and white portrait here, Kerosene lanterns afixed to the wall Polished glass overlooking the cedar swamp The coziness of a Franklin stove
My sister and I, in curls, smocked dressed, and bows Polished patent leather shoes and all smiles Helping mom and grandma prepare Thanksgiving Waiting for hunters to return and string a buck up on the pole
Living as pioneers until nightfall, the generator roaring to life The bustle and business of extended family Cards, laughter, and love Cousins, forts, and leaves
Memories long buried, decades past Rising each fall with the smoke from burning leaves
I just found out today is National Author’s Day. How appropriate! The creative writing club I started at school met this afternoon at the end of the school day. There is never a dull meeting. They are so passionate about their interests, including but not limited to writing. I’ve watched as members have bonded over music and other media. It is inspiring how they support one another, too.
In the online school environment, there aren’t quite as many opportunities to strike up friendships with classmates as in brick and mortar. Personally, I think that is why school clubs are so vital in an online school environment. Last year, my first year teaching online, I watched as students planned for weeks and even months for the in-person prom held at the Lansing Center. Students attended from all over Michigan. The pictures, conversations, and friendships made that evening were discussed repeatedly as the school year came to a close. I can only hope that that same can be said when I reflect on the creative writing club at the end of the school year.
In my first year as mentor and creator of the club, I sought to find the best possible resources for aspiring high school writers. Luckily, my online classroom set aside for our new club allowed me to do just that. It is now a place where students can collaborate, offer one another and seek encouragement, as well as find resources and inspiration. I can only imagine if I had had such a resource in high school. I admit, I’ve had too much fun setting things up. So far, my entire experience with the creative writing club has underscored the importance of community as a writer.
Face it: Writing can be lonely work. Over the years, I’ve always enjoyed meeting other writers. I can’t imagine where I’d be as a writer without Mid-Michigan Writers. I’ve learned so much from other members over the years, and I would not have discovered Delta College’s general writing certificate program if I hadn’t attended MMW’s Gateway to Writing workshop with other writers who raved about the experience. If my students take away anything from our creative writing club, I do hope that they realize the importance of community for writers. Brainstorming works best with others! At some point, we could all use a second opinion. We all have to learn from someone. I can’t imagine not having my very own community of writers and readers. Happy National Author’s Day!
Over the last few weeks, I’ve watched as my students in my creative writing club have bonded over pop culture – every form of storytelling one can imagine. They bonded over books, movies, video games, and above all, music. Several left ecstatic having met other students who share similar tastes in TV, movies, music, and more. What is it about pop culture that binds us together?
I just finished The Women by Kristin Hannah, which dives deep into the experiences of field nurses in Vietnam. Throughout the book, particularly in chapters set in Vietnam, certain songs by a myriad of artists set the scenes without mentioning one lyric. The names of the songs and artists was enough. Then there were the clothes. Set roughly from 1967 to 1982, author Kristin Hannah used descriptions of hair and clothing to add realism and depth to her setting and characters. As one of the finest pieces of historical fiction I’ve ever read, I will be reviewing the book at a later date. It is that good.
Up until fairly recently, I would have told you that we used to bond more closely over pop culture in the past. Growing up in the 80s and 90s, we only had three TV channels for a large chunk of my childhood. Most hit TV shows were shown on either NBC, ABC, or CBS. That’s only changed over the past two or three decades. Shows such as M*A*S*H set ratings records that will probably stand the test of time. Today, with dozens of streaming services and an endless variety of cable channels, TV viewers have more choices than ever.
Music changed, too. As a child, I watched MTV and VH1 come into their own. With shows like Unplugged, Behind the Music, and Pop Up Video shown among a solid stream of increasingly intricate music videos, they were all about the music. In fact, I recently came across a conversation in which my contemporaries argued that it can be difficult for people of our generation to separate certain songs from their music videos.
Indeed. I have a difficult time imagining TLC’s Waterfalls, Michael Jackson’s Thriller, or Jamiroquai’s Virtual Insanity without their iconic videos. I could name a dozen others. Today, we have it all at our fingertips. We can pre-order albums in our medium of choice or subscribe to an all-inclusive music service for a fraction of the price of one traditional CD. That simple fact made my Xennial heart incredibly happy and angry at the same time.
Personally, when it comes to music, I am glad that I had the opportunity to experience the transition from vinyl to tapes to CDs to MP3s to streaming services … and all the way back to vinyl for collectors. I watched as a wide-eyed little girl as Madonna and Michael Jackson exploded onto the scene, respectively becoming the Queen and King of Pop, ushering in a new era of great music. Thanks to my Gen X elders, I developed a deeper appreciation for 80s music, expanding beyond pop rock.
Today, there are infinitely more choices out there. Yet, it is easier than ever to connect to other fans of your favorite TV shows, movies, music, books, and so much more. No more annoying dial up, parents or siblings waiting not so patiently to use the phone. Things might be a bit fragmented, but when you find your tribe, there is no doubt.
First, fair warning: this is going to be a series of posts. There is simply too much material, and the entire premise of the project means too much to me. Before I get into the meat of the book, it is better if readers understand the background. While John gave me a beautiful hardcover version for Christmas 2021, I am just now reading it. I knew that I will get sucked in, and I wanted to give it the time and attention it deserves. The entire idea of this massive memoir grabbed my imagination as soon as it was announced.
In his introduction, Paul McCartney discusses how he has been approached several times to write a memoir or autobiography. With this idea rolling around for years, his former brother-in-law, Lee Eastman (the late Linda McCartney’s brother), gave him the idea to write a memoir using his song lyrics, explaining their backgrounds and inspirations. Frankly, it is a brilliant idea. In creating The Lyrics, Paul McCartney sat down with renowned poet Paul Muldoon to discuss the poetry behind the lyrics. Paul Muldoon also served as editor.
I may be only through songs starting with C, but I am thoroughly enjoying the book. The entire organization of the book is unique. The Lyrics, of course, covers some of the earliest Beatles songs (back to the Quarrymen, actually) to Paul’s latest solo efforts, with Wings in between. It truly covers 65 years of some of the best pop music ever written. Some songs written were given to other bands or acts, such as Peter and Gordon and Badfinger. The book is not in chronological order, but it is instead arranged by song title. Throughout the book are dozens of historic photographs from McCartney’s personal archives. Throughout, he explains his song writing process and inspirations. Another cool feature of the book is that someone took the time to create a Spotify playlist that includes all of the songs in The Lyrics in order that they appear in the book. You can listen along as you read. In my opinion, it doesn’t get much better than that.
I look forwarding to sharing more about The Lyrics once I finish the book. It may a bit, but it will be well worth it in the end. As a writer, music lover, and avid Beatles’ fan, especially Paul McCartney, I’m obviously the target audience. Yet, I feel as though there is something for everyone in the book. Now in his 80s, Paul McCartney is still touring, still writing music, and still out there. Supposedly, his shows are right around three hours long, without a break. His work ethic, his passion for performing and songwriting, and deep appreciation for his fans is the only explanation.
I’m not sure exactly what I expected when I started this book, but I did not expect to enjoy it so much, especially given the gritty nature of the subject material covered. I don’t want to give too much away, but it does deal with such loaded subjects such as suicide, infertility, grief, and love. Yet, it is witty and realistic as well. There is definitely humor amongst all the drama. It is well worth a read.
My favorite is the contrast between our protagonist, Phoebe, who inadvertently crashes a swank wedding week in Rockport, Rhode Island, and Lila, who is a bride-to-be about to kick off a week of wedding activities. Phoebe has just left everything behind, including her husband, job, house, and cat. Lila couldn’t be more different, and she is determined that nothing, including an uninvited guest, will ruin her wedding. Intending to marry in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic and losing her father, Lila spared no expense or experience for her guests. Will it be enough?
Much of the plot revolves around the emotional and social lives of these two women. The characters, and I do mean all of the characters, are wonderful, even if the reader isn’t inclined to love them all. They are deeply flawed and human. One of my favorites is Juice, Lila’s soon to be step-daughter. While I love the characters and many are highly developed, well beyond just the protagonists, I would not go so far as to say this is a character-driven novel. It simply isn’t. The plot really drives the action, and a lot happens in a week.
I’d love to say more, but I do not want to give away major plot points. While the action certainly hinges on wedding events over the week, the title itself is a bit misleading. The book is about so much more than just a wedding or even marriage. It gets hilariously messy, but it is worth it in the end. Check it out!
I don’t understand. I adore writing, and I have no shortage of material. In fact, I came across my blogging notebook today. Page after page full of great ideas I have not yet written. I also came across another binder of writing projects, as well as my writing portfolio from one of my favorite writing classes, a class I took at Delta College nearly a decade ago. What to do with it all? It is time to bring it all together. Why is it so difficult for me to write consistently for long stretches of time? Why did I abandon poetry again? I came across some wonderful pieces. Pieces that need a home.
Then there are the larger projects. Mom and I need to finish her series of children’s board books, abandoned nearly nine years ago. I still love them. Over the last several years, I’ve toyed around with the idea of writing a book about the canoe livery. It is time to put in the research. I need to interview my parents and former employees before it is too late. I do not want those stories to be lost, even if they are never published. There are simply too many good ones.
So, what is getting in the way? Quite simply, life. Accepting a position as a 10th grade English teacher at Michigan Virtual Charter Academy (MVCA) back in August, I’ve been busy. While I subbed at MCVA most of last school year, I am now a full-fledged faculty member who hadn’t yet experienced the start of the school year – and all that brings (I started in early October last year). In other words, I’m now getting back to finding time to write. Just because you have prepared for a new school year in a brick and mortar school does not mean that you know the ins and outs of preparing for a new school year at a virtual school.
One highlight of the school year is creating an official high school creative writing club. I am passionate about it. So far, I’ve been able to create a safe online space for students interested in creative writing. As a club, there are no academic expectations. We are writing for the sheer creative power of it. By the way, MVCA offers a creative writing course as well. This … this is something different, something special.
Thus far, I’ve curated websites that might help budding high school creative writers. I’ve also shared my favorite quotes and books on writing. There is space for students to share their work amongst themselves. I can’t imagine what I would’ve done with those resources, all online and free, and such a nurturing community. The best part is the enthusiasm of my students. I’ve watched them form fast friendships over favorite music, video games, books, movies, and more. They are so supportive of one another. I can’t wait to see all that we will accomplish this year. That includes getting back to my own writing.
I am ashamed to admit it, but I have yet to fully read one of Anne-Marie Oomen’s memoirs or books of poetry, even though I own two of her books (signed) and have attended a couple of her writing sessions (one for teachers and other, this past spring, open to the general public), as well as a reading from her latest book, As Long As I Know You: The Mom Book. I’ve only read and heard snippets of her work … so far.
What I’ve read and heard thus far is wonderful, and knowing the topics/subjects/genre included in many of her books, I know that I will love them. How could I not purchase a book titled Love, Sex, and 4-H? Then there is As Long As I Know You: The Mom Book. I can’t wait to read it. The passages that she read during her author event, along with the anecdotes she shared about herself, her mom, and writing the book, definitely left me hooked.
What I really want to discuss today is her capacity as a teacher. Just over a month prior to the shutdown orders signaling the official start of the pandemic, I had the opportunity to attend a day-long writing program aimed at teachers. Titled “Homecoming: Coming Home,” it was sponsored by the Saginaw Bay Writing Project. Anne-Marie Oomen happened to be one of the presenters that morning.
During her allotted time, she taught us the term ekphrasis – a method of using different works of art to create various forms of writing, whether poetry, personal essay, or short story. Imagine studying a painting and then creating a poem from your experience. That is ekphrasis.
After explaining the process and providing us with examples of her own work, Anne-Marie Oomen had us create our own art inspired piece. She brought with her a large collection of postcards. I chose one with a portrait of Annie Oakley on the front, “little sure-shot.” I enjoyed the experience and still have a digital copy of her presentation from that day. I left realizing that I could easily create vision boards on Pinterest to gather my thoughts and ideas for various writing projects.
Anne-Marie Oomen used the painting Nighthawks by Edward Hopper to demonstrate the process of ekphrasis.
As wonderful as that experience was, a few months ago I learned that Anne-Marie Oomen was to be a guest scholar at Saginaw Valley State University. During that time, she conducted a similar writing session open to the general public at the Marshall Fredericks Museum on SVSU’s campus. I am so glad that I attended. It made me look at one of my favorite museums in an entirely different light. I left with a notebook full of ideas and even a rough draft. The following evening, Anne-Marie Oomen held a reading at the Wirt Public Library in Bay City, sharing snippets from As Long As I Know You: The Mom Book. I’m so glad that I attended as it brought back so many memories of the short few months I had living with Grandma Reid before she needed more care than I could provide. It is never easy watching someone you love age and decline.
I took something away from each of Anne-Marie Oomen’s events. On top of sharing her love and knowledge of writing, she is a wonderful teacher. Better yet … she is a Michigan author willing to help aspiring writers and teachers.
Anne-Marie Oomen’s latest book As Long as I Know You: The Mom Book details her experience dealing with her relationship with aging mother.
I admit, it took me a little longer than usual to get throughStoryteller: Stories of Life and Music by Dave Grohl, but it certainly didn’t disappoint. It is one of the best memoirs I’ve read. Considering his current stature in the world of pop rock/alternative, whatever you want to call it, as a drummer, his humble nature shines through. It all started with his pure love of pop rock, namely the Beatles, moving on to the punk scene of the late 70s and early 80s, and making it big with Nirvana and grunge. Today, it seems as though Dave Grohl has settled in as drummer and girl dad extraordinaire. If planning on reading the book, I highly recommend the audiobook version as he reads his own memoir. There is nothing quite like hearing about Nirvana’s early days and the danger of their exploding fan base from the drummer himself. Then there are the well-placed expletives in his internal monologue as he meets his musical heroes and juggles world tours with daddy-daughter dances and musical projects with Joan Jett.
There is so much that stands out that it is hard to know where to even begin. First, the unwavering support of his teacher mother is undoubtedly one of several keys to his success. She supported – or put with – his love of music and his decision to drop out of high school in order to tour the United States with a band. Dave’s description of his discovery of punk rock at the hands of a formerly “preppy” family friend is memorable, as is his realization that she was in a punk band herself. It sets the stage for what is to come.
His description of his life between dropping out of high school and eventually joining Nirvana is as hazy and transient as his life at that time. It’s great and easy to imagine. Opportunities to fill in and drum with his idols Iggy Pop and Tom Petty standout as it is clear that Dave was as star-struck as can be at the time.
Frankly, the section in Seattle with Nirvana is just sad as we all know how it ended. Dave’s descriptions of Nirvana’s meteoric rise to infamy is gut-wrenching to read and full of danger. He describes in spectacular detail playing venues far too small for how big Nirvana had grown in such a short amount of time thanks to MTV and “Smells like Teen Spirit.” After Kurt Cobain’s death, Dave understandably took some time to process everything and ground himself once again.
Given the timeline, it appears that Dave developed Foo Fighters and started his family at roughly the same time, both growing together. For me, the best part of the book involves Dave’s descriptions of juggling life with his three daughters and superstardom. Stories involve things such as Paul McCartney giving his eldest daughter her first piano lesson and Joan Jett reading his daughters bedtime stories.
The Joan Jett story is one of my favorites. It starts with Dave in the Barbie aisle helping his daughters pick out a doll and coming across a Joan Jett doll. His girls didn’t realize that Joan Jett was a real person. Soon, Joan herself was over to their house working on some musical project with Dave, when his oldest daughter asked her if she would read them a bedtime story. She did .. in her pjs.
Then there is the story of the daddy-daughter dance. It involves a whirlwind trip to Australia and back to make the dance, the Australian tour itself, and a horrific bout of food poisoning. Yet, he made it and didn’t break his little girls’ hearts.
Above all, it is a series of stories about following your dreams, hard work, fame (or infamy), family, and music. Dave’s descriptions of conversations with his dad are touching in the end. In the beginning, it seemed as though Dave hated his dad due to his conservative politics and his parents’ divorce. While much of Dave’s relationship with his dad remained complicated prior to his fame, it does seem as though they made up in the years before his father passed away. It also appears that Dave took his dad’s financial and career advice.
While I didn’t outline it here, there are plenty of rock star stories from the road in the book as well. They are just as good. Dave appears to have found a balance between his career and family both in the memoir and in real life. If you love music at all or just enjoy memoir, check it out.
Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde 