Valerie Akau Meli

I learned not too long ago, that my my trainer on my LDS mission to Sapporo, Japan, passed away.  Valerie Anne Pohaiamepumehanaakealoha Akau Meli was only 45.  I was saddened to hear the news.  She was a wonderful person, and a hard working missionary.  She taught me a lot, about how to work hard, and to care about people.  From all that I saw on her facebook and her husband's, she had continued being a wonderful, selfless person after the time I was blessed to know her.  She has a beautiful family, and I pray for God's comfort to be with them.  I had often imagined meeting up with her again at some point, and I'm sad now that that won't happen.  At least in this life.
Kami yo, mata au ma-de.

 

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

I know I've talked about The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien before, but with a new school year just starting, and the third Hobbit movie coming out in a few months, I thought I'd review the book again.  I had a great discussion with my students today about the book, and they seem to enjoy it so far.

The Hobbit follows the tale of Mr. Bilbo Baggins who starts out as a rather reluctant adventurer, who is compelled to go with Gandalf and thirteen dwarves in a manner that would probably bring on a lawsuit if it happened today.  But Bilbo is a good natured guy, and he goes along with it.  Mostly because he really doesn't have much of a choice.  He's not too happy about it initially, and he never really gets very comfortable, mostly because of all the life threatening things that happen to him.  But he does get braver and more confident as the story goes along.

If you know the story of The Hobbit, you know how it ends.  But I still won't give anything away.  It's a great book, and I haven't gotten tired of reading it yet!  I highly recommend it.

Plagiarism = NOT OKAY

I was shocked and frustrated for a wonderful friend, Rachel Ann Nunes when I learned that her book, A Bid For Love was plagiarized.  At first, she tried to give the accused person the benefit of the doubt, and assumed that the lady was not guilty.  But when the plagiarist refused to send the ARC, and then told inconsistent stories to her and others about the work in question, Rachel began to grow suspicious.  A blogger did the right thing and sent Rachel an ARC of the particular work for her review.  Sadly, it was true that she'd been plagiarized.  You can read about Rachel's nightmare rollercoaster ride over the last few days here.  It's pretty sad, and the plagiarist is brazen to the point of it almost being funny if it wasn't such a terrible situation.  Ethical writers and bloggers need to stand together and support each other.  No honest writer wants her or his work plagiarized!

Far World: Air Keep

Far World Air Keep by J. Scott Savage continues the adventures of Kyja, who grew up on Far World, and Marcus, who grew up on Earth. 

This time, they are tasked with finding the Air Elementals, which is no easy task.  They have to deal with all sorts of dangers, and all sorts of annoyances.  From sadistic riddle games to racing snails, to an Exsalusentia. (You'll have to read the book to find out what that is!)  The end contains a twist that the reader doesn't see coming, and it left me eager for the next book!

I'm glad that I read this book.  One thing that I like about it, is that even though it's fiction, it teaches me something that is very very true.  It shows me characters who are real to me; who work really hard to do what's right despite personal difficulty and loss.  It's a good lesson to have in a world like ours.

Anyway, it's a great book, and I highly recommend it.

My New Hero

My newest hero is Cassidy Stay.  I needn't say why.  What happened is too difficult for me to write about here.  I pray for her and for her relatives that they will be able to move forward and support one another, and that she will do great things in her life.

Author Julie Wright and her defense of Genre Fiction

A friend of mine, Julie Wright, the author of The Hazardous Universe series and several other books, recently posted an excellent defense of genre fiction on her blog. 

Far too often, people think of genres like fantasy and science fiction to be 'easy' or 'safe' and not touch well on reality, or on the human condition.  However, as Jules noted, this is very far from the truth.

Here is a link to her blog, and her excellent counter to this type of thinking:  here.

In response to her defense of genre fiction, I wrote this comment:

Hey, Jules! I love how you said what you did about genre fiction. Good fiction, any kind in my opinion, is something that speaks to the soul. It shows that we can slay our own dragons. It connects with what makes us human.
For me, anything that is only fluff, or wish fulfillment, breaks its own rules, or doesn’t require its characters to truly work for what they get, is completely useless to me, because such stories do not help me learn anything about how to be a better human being.
Genre fiction authors like Rowling, Tolkien, Lewis, and um, you, however, don’t create fluff. What such authors write isn’t ‘safe’ entertainment. It has substance. Deep substance. It serves a vital purpose in the lives of people who read it, (whether readers are conscious of this or not) in that it can teach us things about how to be better human beings. It makes us more humane, more tolerant, more brave. It makes us realize that we need to work for what we get. It can stretch our minds and help us think in ways we didn’t before.
Tolkien and Lewis in particular, wrote stories that are, at their core, true stories. Not because they actually happened, but because despite being peopled with hobbits, elves, dragons etc., they convey basic human truths. They teach me that I can do more than I thought I could. They teach me that worthwhile things are worth fighting for, and sacrificing for. They help me to be kinder and yet also braver. If Bilbo can face a terrifying dragon, or if Frodo and Sam can get an evil ring all the way to Mount Doom, well, just maybe, I can face the dragons and the mountains in my life, too.

Dr. Maya Angelou

I had the privilege of hearing Maya Angelou speak during my last year of college when I was taking a few classes at Weber State University.  I honestly do not remember what she spoke about, but I remember how I felt about what she said.  I remember what a gracious lady she was, how wise she was, and how she seemed to speak to me personally, though I was in a room of hundreds.    I was impressed with her command of words, and the way her words made me feel.  Even though much of what she spoke about I had not experienced myself, I felt that I could relate to what she was saying.  I felt that she understood humanity.  She had seen much in her life, terrible things and great things, and still she had faith in people, understood them, and believed in them.

She worked hard to overcome so many things; racism, sexism, etc.  Rather than letting her troubles get her down, she became strong.

Oprah Winfrey said of Dr. Angelou, "...The world knows her as a poet but at the heart of her, she was a teacher. 'When you learn, teach.  When you get, give,' is one of my best lessons from her.
"But what stands out to me most about Maya Angelou is not what she has done or written or spoken, it's how she lived her life..."

Dr. Maya Angelou was a great human being.  Even though I did not know her personally, I miss her. 

And I hope I can be even a little bit like her.