Back in the Saddle Blues: Monday, October 14th!

You can’t do anything with anybody’s body to make it dirty to me. Six people, eight people, one person -- you can do only one thing to make it dirty: kill it. Hiroshima was dirty. -Lenny Bruce, comedian and social critic (13 Oct 1925-1966) 

Thanks for the lovely card and wishes. Happy Spring from Penticton where the leaves are turning! Quite blustery today so they are swirling everywhere!  Fondestos to you both. Cheers, Patrizzio!
 
Lucy Ellmann is an American-born British novelist based in Scotland. Her novel Ducks, Newburyport is a finalist for the 2019 Booker Prize. It stretches, bends and pushes the boundaries of what the novel can do. It's stream of consciousness. It's 1,000 pages long. And it's all one sentence. I heard her interviewed by Nahlah Ayed, host of CBC's Ideas, at 4:00 am this morning and was simply riveted by Lucy's comments and readings from her novel and lay in bed drinking in every word as Nahlah asked such interesting and intelligent questions. I'm going to suggest if for our next book club selection.
 
Ellmann comes from a family steeped in literature and scholarship. Her mother, Mary Ellmann, was an essayist and critic who in 1968 published a ground-breaking book called Thinking About Women. It opens with what seems to be a transcript of an interview with Mary Ellmann — the initials ME appear to stand for Mary Ellmann, and the initial I for interviewer. But it's really an imagined dialogue of the writer with herself: I and me.

This ability to break form for her own ends is what Lucy Ellmann calls the literary "mother's milk" she grew up on. Her father, Richard Ellmann, was the widely celebrated biographer of W.B. Yeats, Oscar Wilde — and of course James Joyce. Ducks, Newburyport has been compared by critics to Joyce's stream-of-consciousness masterpiece, Ulysses.

It's true that Ellmann deploys the same narrative technique as Joyce, but that's where she'd like the comparisons to stop. Ideas host Nahlah Ayed quoted Joyce's famous line about his Ulysses to Ellmann: "I've put in so many enigmas and puzzles that it will keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant, and that's the only way of ensuring one's immortality." Ellmann chuckled, then said: "It's such an arrogant thing to say. Why do we have to be immortal anyway? I don't get it. I'm not interested in deceiving anybody, or confusing anybody. I want clarity. And I'm interested in getting straight through to people." That straightness is arguably the most underrated and unnoticed aspect of Ducks, Newburyport. The narrator is likeable, decent and vulnerably underconfident. "The fact that I have the worst memory of anyone I know, the fact that most of my life is wasted on me"...– Ducks, Newburyport

For all its verbal pyrotechnics, the novel also has a warm, beating heart at its moral centre. The narrator is perpetually shocked at the everyday meanness of people driving, the shrill tones dominating airwaves, and almost paralytic with fear and revulsion at the regularity with which mass shootings occur in the U.S.

Yet what keeps the narrator going, and perhaps the novel itself, is the humanity that animates them both: "The fact that they rescued three little boys in that Italian earthquake, or avalanche, and when the rescuers reached the boys they said 'Come out, my love,' the fact that they said 'Come out, my love' as they pulled the boys free, and for some reason that made me cry, the kindness ..."
– Ducks, Newburyport

When I finally clambered out of bed at 7:00 am I spent most of the morning working on answering long overdue messages and by the time I drove Chloë back to her place, [She had gone shopping with Lady Dar, to West Kelowna and came back to our place, sans vehicle.], and had a quick look around to see how the place was taking shape after the move, it was close to 4:00 pm by the time I was suited up and ready to go for a short ride. Would be my first time on a free-standing bike since early March as I underwent a complete right shoulder replacement on March 12th and orthopedic surgeon and physio suggested I should not ride until back from Europe to ensure new titanium joint and surrounding bone structure were well and truly set and healed. Have missed this activity muchly but didn't want to risk any injury that could possibly have compromised the shoulder beyond repair.

Anyway, I set off, following my route regulare, down Ellis, heading for the Tennis Club where I dipsy-doodled until I had about 5km on the clock before following Lakeshore and Riverside to the mall there. Lot was almost empty, due to holiday, so I had no trouble gerbilizing until I had registered 8 km before heading for Power where I started another round of hampster loops, [X3 for each mini-route], on the surrounding streets until I was ready to cross Westminster and circumnavigate SOEC twice and then I was ready to head back to Burns. I only wanted to be out for two-thirds, [34 km] of my basic ride, [51 km], as I didn't want to push my legs too, too much on first outing. Wind wasn't overly strong but it was coolish once the sun went behind the hills so I was pleased to be back home shortly after 6:00 pm. Overall, I felt fine although I know I have to log more time in order to regain the fitness level I had before my shoulder operation. Nevertheless, felt invigorated, [in spite of abysmal AVG], and can only hope weather cooperates over the next month or so. Don't mind if it turns increasingly cold as long as streets are dry. Hip Hip Hooray! Cheers! Map and Stats for ride:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/4158368592#.XaVeSeXE8W4.email
 

P Dunn, Where are you? Did you receive my email Re A Manitoba Love Connection?? If so RSVP, if not RSVP in direct email, when time allows..
DBJS Hi Jake! Thanks for forwarding the Gilbert Plains info. We were in Bern when your message arrived and I did forward it to Lady Dar's mother, who replied: Who is this Bob Love? When we lived in Dauphin the Sutherland name was no longer on the store, just Steick's Hardware, that is where Jim my Brother worked before he joined up.

Have been meaning to ask her about Love connection but although we chatted on weekend forgot to mention it. [We arrived home on Saturday.] Will send her a message and see what she might be able to add. Perhaps we'll see you at the Farmers' Market on Saturday. Until then, Fondestos from Lady Dar, to you and Vittoria. Cheers, Patrizzio, aka The Wild Man of Borneo!

Hi Rosita, et al! When we chatted on the phone I forgot to ask you about the message I had from Jake Snyder, chap I knew at United College. The message I forwarded was from Bob Love, one of Jake's former students. He said he thought his uncle, James, might be related to Jake through his, Jake's, Sutherland family:  My mother, a Sutherland, from Gilbert Plains had a cousin whose father David Sutherland had a store in Dauphin. Sutherland & Steick Hardware est. 1898, My guess is David's  grand daughter married a Love.

That is all I know so far but will quiz Jake next time I see him in person. If you have anything to add that would be great but don't worry, if not. We've got more pressing matters to worry about now that credit card balances, post holiday, are arriving. Hang the expense, as Dusty would say, although some of your anticipated prize money, Ayn, would be most appreciated to help defray costs! Love and Cheers from the Paupers of Burns Street!

Hello Patrick, I recently purchased a Mondavi bourbon cask aged red wine - which I found alternated between interesting and appealing, and odd (kind of off flavour and not-quite-right). And then I tried another whiskey cask aged red wine, and again conflicting opinion of quality. Have you tried these 'cask aged' wine? And if so, what's your view? I trust all is well in the Okanagan, John
Hi John! Lovely to hear from you and know you are well beyond our first foray into wine-tasting! Still remember going to Mondavi and being introduced to Robert's Fumé Blanc. That being said, I must admit, for all our considerable tippling, since those heady days, that I cannot really say that we are overly familiar with whiskey cask aged wine, red or white. Many of the vintners, hereabouts, do use some of said casks but I cannot say to what great good result, or striking difference in taste/flavour, at least as far as my palette is concerned. I think, generally speaking, it is yet another marketing ploy. I guess I could care less as long as it doesn't mean an increase in price!

What I'm far more familiar with is malt whisky aged in former bourbon or red wine casks. Edradour, per esempio, ages one of their expressions in former Sauternes casks. As far as I'm aware, Bourbon and rum casks are probably the most widely used. Speaking of malt, I am now in possession of a Talisker 57º North, named for the latitude of the distillery and, far more importantly, its cask strength! It had been living in France for a year and I just repatriated it as we are just back from six weeks in Europe. Fondestos from Lady Dar to you both. Stay well. Cheers, Patrizzio!

John can't help who he's married to. Good of him to show that he has no issues with you. Hi Tinsel Town, et al! Yes, I agree. [John sent a brief message a few days ago, asking a wine-related question.] I just wonder if John thinks Jean is not well. Anyway, we'll see if this might lead to a "thawing"! [Jean said she never wanted to hear from me again after I told her, in as gentle a way as I could, about her writing efforts.]

Congratulations, again, Ayn, on being nominated and having trip to New York. Hip Hip Hooray! Buona Fortuna but remember we'll still love you even if you don't win! Fondestos from Lady Dar/Mom. Cheers, Patrizzio/Dad!