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.

Nurk: The Strange, Surprising Adventures of a (Somewhat) Brave Shrew by Ursula Vernon

Nurk by Ursula Vernon is a fun story suitable for children which I may have reviewed on here before, but re-read recently, and enjoyed this time just as much as I did when I read it several years ago. 

Nurk, the title character, is a somewhat less brave grandson of the great heroine, Surka.  He has a picture of his brave grandmother in the front hallway of his little house, and he admires her, and her inspiring journal, but clearly doesn't feel like he can be quite as brave as his grandmother.  But he is drawn, somewhat reluctantly, and quite by accident, into an adventure where he finds himself faced with the choice of being brave to save an unjustly imprisoned dragonfly prince, or turning around and going home.

And the choice Nurk makes?  Well, I won't give that away.  But suffice it to say, I highly recommend this book.  It was a fun read!

Atticus Finch

Today, I want to talk about one of the most heroic fictional characters I am aware of:  Atticus Finch.

If you are familiar with the book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, in my opinion one of the greatest books ever written, you will be familiar with Atticus Finch.  He is a lawyer in the small fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama.  He is the widowed father of the narrator, Jean Louise (Scout) Finch, and her brother, Jeremy (Jem) Finch.  While the story is told from Scout's little girl perspective, Atticus seems to be the main protagonist of the story.  Scout has many adventures through the story, including meeting Dill, a boy who becomes a good friend to her and Jem, and trying to get Arthur (Boo) Radley, the neighborhood recluse, to come out of his house.  The main conflict of the story starts, and Atticus shows his noble-hearted nature, when he takes on the case of Tom Robinson, a young African American man falsely accused of raping a white girl. 

While it becomes clear to the reader that Tom Robinson couldn't have possibly committed the crime, the town cannot shake itself of its prejudice against people who are African Americans, and treats Atticus badly simply for being willing to defend his client.  Through Scout's eyes the reader sees what a great man Atticus is, and the character it takes him to stand up for what is right, even though he has to stand against years of prejudice to do it.

I love To Kill a Mockingbird, for the wonderful story it tells, the positive message it teaches me, and for the example of Atticus Finch.  Even though he is fictional, I believe that such people like him exist, and I am glad for the hope that he offers humanity.

Write Here In Ephraim!

The fabulous Shirley Bahlmann is helping to host a Central Utah writer's conference in Ephraim, Utah on March 29th. 

The Write Here in Ephraim writer's conference will be on the beautiful Snow College Campus, and will go from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  I have the good fortune of teaching one of the classes, and my class will be entitled, How To Suspend Reader Disbelief.  I'm looking forward to the conference!