The BOOKS Of SUMMER
Or, At Least, A Few Such Notions
Brian Paul Bach
I guess I’m kind of an oddball reader. That is, not your typical
(capable) consumer of reads for enjoyment, first and foremost. Nothing against
such pursuits, it’s just that I’m more of a grab-bag kind of explorer, book-wise.
Also, I’m maddeningly slow in plowing through pretty much everything. True, I
have an astigmatism that ensures my progression will be clunky and start-stop-start,
but it’s really because I’d rather be writing than reading. You know,
distractions arise – such as, non-related ideas crowding in, a relentless
parade of superfluous sensations, and most significantly, my two-year-old hound
Hudson sitting before me, smiling, snuffling, and grunting all of which suggest ‘git off yer ass and
let’s go goof off’, and I enthusiastically obey without any equivocation
whatsoever.
Thus, my own Dog of Summer eclipses any
Books of Summer that may vie for prominence. And that’s taking in the upcoming
Total Eclipse of the Sun, due in August, which he’ll probably sleep through...
Nevertheless, citing a few ‘summer-ian’
(though not Sumerian) book-looks is a cinch, because I can wax fondly over any read
that evokes sweet reminiscences of moods to be treasured.
I tend to gravitate to fiction that conveys
cinematic vividness and nonfiction that supports such characteristics
(including books about the movies themselves). I guess that’s why I threw
everything I knew about the film world into my four-part epic-noir-satire saga,
FORWARD TO GLORY. And I did so with a general feeling of everything being right
with the world, such as one might encounter in an afternoon of deepest summer,
and the enjoyments therein.
So, with the Fahrenheit/Celsius rising,
time to settle back on a ramshackle chaise, with both book and matching beverage
of the moment. Here are five, randomly selected, in no special order.
Hobson-Jobson:
A Glossary of Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases and of Kindred Terms Etymological,
Historical, Geographical and Discursive by Yule,
Burnell and Crooke 1902. India is one of my specialties, and yes, it is noted
for its varying aspects of heat. Yet, I’ve never been more chill than when I
got up before dawn to visit the Taj Mahal at Agra. That’s where I got this
particular book, a totally fascinating compendium that you can dip into on any
page and discover how shampoo, bungalow, juggernaut and thousands more terms evolved.
And yes, ‘Hobson-Jobson’ is fully explained. Hands down, one of my all-time
favorite desert island books. Perfect gin+tonic reading.
A Tennessee Williams omnibus: Suddenly Last Summer, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof,
The Night of the Iguana 1950s-60s. Just because ‘summer’ is in the title of
a book, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything seasonal, but most of this master
dramatist’s works are evocative of some kind of hot spell, either literally or
emotionally. Plays can be pretty fast to read, especially if you know the
story. And because these three classics are three classic films, going through
them is even more enjoyable. It’s also interesting to note the differences
between stage and screen versions. Refreshment? Ice tea (preferably spiked),
but no mint julips – clichés do not apply to Tennessee Williams.
At The
Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft 1973. I acquired
this book as a youth while visiting Oxford one summer, and I was pulled in because
of the wonderfully bizarre cover. I’d never read Lovecraft before, but the contents
didn’t disappoint. On beyond Poe, it takes place in Antarctica, where an
expedition makes some ghastly discoveries, all of which are shiver-worthy. The
only possible antidote: a hot toddy.
Baedeker’s
Southern Italy and Sicily 1903. I’ve been to
Naples, Pompeii and Sorrento, but not yet further south. I love old guidebooks
and of course, Baedeker’s are top of the line. This is the grand tour approach,
meticulously detailed, with delightful period touches, yet completely current
with the substance that matters. The tactile quality of these little red books
is sensuous, the maps are pure amazement, and it’s worth every lira to splurge
on a select Italian white.
Rootabaga
Stories by Carl Sandburg, illustrated by the
Petershams 1922.
Not necessarily a summer-oriented
collection, except that it reminds me of rose-tinted and carefree summers of
childhood, when joys were so simple, especially when discovering such a parade
of splendid originality as these ingenious inventions. It’s a pretty big book
for kids, and I’m powerful thirsty. Lemonade...? Well, now that I’m all
growed-up, I think I shall send out for cold beer.
PS: Not that I get snockered while reading,
but on such an afternoon, I do not question the summery magic that results from
indulging in such pleasures.
Thank you so much Brian for sharing your books of summer with us.
Forward to Glory: Tempering
Butterbugs is a nobody, a nothing. But that’s not why he’s compelled to drive to Hollywood and hurl himself upon the mercy of the cinematic capital. His only dream is to act. Without any plans, resources or friends, he throws caution to the wind and embarks on a journey to the City of Angels. The trials that result pose only one question: will Butterbugs remain a non-entity, or will his big dream come true?
Facing the movie monolith’s prospects alone, Butterbugs attempts to perform dramatic scenes in front of the homeless and amongst the inebriated. Living in his car, and with dwindling reserves, he searches for opportunities, takes on a hazardous scaffolding job, and makes desperate pleas to bankers for clemency. Isolation leads to alienation, from fringe existence to bare survival, all in a city which cradles high achievement and bottomless failure. Despite his rough start, Butterbugs is strangely attractive to other outcasts turned possible allies: Heatherette – a mysterious force for good whom he weirdly rejects, and who in turn, rejects him; Starling – the thief who tries to love him; ProwlerCat – who might indeed save him, though it is far too early to know for sure. At one of his bleakest moments, Butterbugs receives his first sign of hope that his dreams remain alive: a screen test and the chance to be an extra in a major production. But now, with his first opportunity in hand, nothing seems as it should, except his going forward.
Abundant with movie lore and invention, Forward to Glory I: Tempering by Brian Paul Bach is an ode to the cinema and the bewitching power of entertainment.
About the author:
Brian Paul Bach is a writer, artist, filmmaker and photographer; he has worked across the entertainment business, in theatre, music and as an academic. He now lives in central Washington State with his wife, Sandra. His previous works include The Grand Trunk Road From the Front Seat, Calcutta’s Edifice: The Buildings of a Great City, and Busted Boom: The Bummer of Being a Boomer.
Website: https://forwardtogloryquartet.wordpress.com/
Goodreads author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/340808.Brian_Paul_Bach
Goodreads FORWARD TO GLORY page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34416505-forward-to-glory?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/brianpaulbach/
Twitter: @ftgquartet
Follow along with the rest of Clink Street Publishing's big blogging festival - Blogival
Website: https://forwardtogloryquartet.wordpress.com/
Goodreads author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/340808.Brian_Paul_Bach
Goodreads FORWARD TO GLORY page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34416505-forward-to-glory?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/brianpaulbach/
Twitter: @ftgquartet
Follow along with the rest of Clink Street Publishing's big blogging festival - Blogival
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