THANKSGIVING MOUSE : TALKING TO STRANGERS

I felt torn when I told my friend that I could not go out of town to Thanksgiving with her to her family but in the end staying put was the best thing to do. Up early to prepare with local friends for dinner for 12 at 5, I cleaned, did laundry, walked the dogs, and made lunch while they got truly last minute crazy.... ah, scrubbing the floor of the bathroom on hands and knees is one thing but actually sealing the floor and redoing grout... how we must impress! But Oh how that bathroom sparkled!

In the process we found light bulbs that needed to be replaced, made extra trips to garbage cans and charity bins, and discovered a pecan pie recipe that had to be tried.

We also found a mouse, a dead mouse, in their doggie's bed.

Their dog is a huntress.  She outdoes the cat.

I didn't want to be the one to pick it up and throw it out somewhere.

Everything wants to live.

It was blustery, damp, dusky and cool outside.

Warm inside and the smells of cooking lured.

Who could blame the mouse for wanting inside and finding a way?

Instead it was his death.

That night I thought I heard another mouse rummaging through my bags in the closet.

The sound of tiny footfalls.

My dog was sound asleep in the bed with me.

And then I heard slurps at my dog's water bowl.

Little mousy slurps.

C 2019 Christine Trzyna BlogSpot

EXCERPT : AND THE SHOW WENT ON : CULTURAL LIFE IN NAZI-OCCUPIED PARIS BY ALAN RIDING

Pages 239-241

"...the Nazi had...long since "cleansed" the publishers' back lists...some 20,000 books were seized.

"...After the Otto List, a far wider sweep followed, with German military police raiding seventy publishing houses, closing eleven of them, and confiscating over 700,000 books. But the Nazis were not yet satisfied. In July 1942, Propaganda Staffel issued an updated Otto List of 1,070 titles; some books on the first list were removed as mistakes, and others were added. Then in May 1943, a third list was issued, naming 1554 authors, including 739 "Jewish writers in the French language.'

... "In his memoir Heller said that a total of 2, 242 tons of books were burned. He noted, "I was able to visit the place where these books were stocked before their destruction. it was a vast garage on the avenue de la Grande-Armee. In the sad light coming through dusty windows, I saw piled up, torn dirty books, which for me were the objects of a veritable cult. A mountain of horror, a dreadful sight which reminded me of the autos-da-fe in front of Berlin University in May 1933.'

C 2010 Alan Riding
Borzoi Book
Alfred A. Knopf Publisher

LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK FAIR AT USC : CHANGE HARD TO TAKE REVIEW BY CHRISTINE TRZYNA

After 15 years at UCLA, the LA TIMES BOOK FAIR, moved to University of Southern California (USC) campus this past weekend, and as I waited in line to attend Panel Discussions by book authors (memoirists) and Publishing Industry Professionals (The Book as a form is not dead but new innovative Reader forms may be the future), I talked with other attendees who told me the Bloggers were posting scathing reviews. My review is scathing ... before I heap praise.

LOGISTICS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT

The LA TIMES itself seems to have kept a mystery as to why the fair was moved to the USC campus from UCLA. I imagined the it was budgetary as so many decisions in this terrible economy seem to be.

Speculation in line was that USC is all flat ie easy walking. However, THE FAIR WAS TOO SPREAD OUT TO WALK, made more difficult by getting lost and wasting time going through the Children's area and Cooking, which was the area where the SHUTTLES PROVIDED BY TARGET dropped you off. I got tired quickly. I'd gone to Union Station and from there took the shuttle, but coming and going the trip seemed to be tedious and too long. The shuttles had only one drop off and pick up point, so that made me cross the campus again in order to go.

THE MAPS PRINTED BY THE PAPER WERE LOUSY; Buildings were unnamed if there was no panel discussion held there which did not help, and buildings were not even colored the same on all maps, so you could not orient easily with two people looking at the maps at the same time! There seemed to be few volunteers identifiable to ask for directions, and I got confusing directions from some of the Festival-T shirted employees that I saw. I walked around talking to myself, hoping someone would pick up on my confusion and direct me with ease.

So attending Panel Discussions became fraught with anxiety because I didn't have the confidence that I could make it from one point to the next. I even wondered if the festival was spread out to make it difficult to attend one panel discussion after another. Was it intended to make me waste time or entrap me to buy food? I NEVER DID FIND THE GREEN/ECO EXHIBITORS which I wanted very much to see.

That I got there at Sunday after 10 and there were still tickets - Telling!

I attended two panel discussions and THEY WERE TERRIFIC. The audiences (mostly writers I swear!) were also terrific. I don't know when last I experiences such an exhibit of intelligence in both authors and publishers and audience members and moderators. The questions were insightful and interesting and so were the responses!

Other things I noticed: Many radio stations broadcasting, Ben and Jerry's ice cream did the most extravagant, energetic, and generous marketing, with the cutest young men and women with the biggest smiles handing out little containers of new flavors of ice cream. Cliff Bars gave out too - but so oriented to children that I felt sneaky taking one, sans children.

Also noticed, the USC stage, which featured genuine USC students performing, singing unaccompanied, playing the Stand Up Base. A home grown touch, which fairly advertised the most expensive and prestigious university in Los Angeles County.

C Christine Trzyna 2011 All Rights Including Internet and International Rights Reserved