STEINBECK

“In 1933, thirty-one year old author John Steinbeck newly famous and living near Monterrey, California, with its unmatched views of the Pacific Ocean, began to notice the strange appearance of rundown vehicles from Oklahoma. By 1938, he was watching destitute fathers cooking rats, dogs and cats as food for their children while working on what would become The Grapes of Wrath. Though it became a best-seller, and was almost immediately recognized as an American classic, it was also reviled, accused of being “a lie, a black infernal creation of a twisted, distorted mind” by Oklahoma’s Congressman Lyle Boren, and banned by school boards in New York, Illinois, California, and elsewhere”
Jay Parini

Steinbeck titles read twice each:

Grapes of Wrath is set in the Great Depression of the 1930’s is the story of a family of sharecroppers who had to leave their land now a ‘dust bowl’ seek to live elsewhere and still suffer extreme hardship. Winner of the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for fiction (novels)

Of Mice and Men – This tragic play written in 1937 is about George and Lennie, two traveling ranch workers and their desire to save enough money to buy their own farm. A story also set in the times of The Great Depression it portrays much hardship and the struggle against racism and prejudice, and against the mentally ill.

East of Eden – In this novel set in the Salinas Valley Steinbeck deals with the nature of good and evil. The story the Hamiltons and the Trasks is partly based in his own family background, published in 1952.

Waiting to read: Steinbeck’s
Travels with Charley and In Dubious Battle

Republican Spell Check Gods

Spell Check Gods

The Spell Check Gods are not taking kindly to Insult Throwing Republicans in America:

Rick Santorum sent out emails to reporters: Santorum’s “Publc” Schedule
Jon Huntsman issued press passes: with his name as “John” (misspelt)
And now our very own Romney App: A Better “Amercia”

Boys, boys! Is it too much Partying? What did they put in your Tea?

With a clown stepping in with support Mr Mitt Romney does not care how he gets there: “Just get me there, give me that 50.1%”

What next for the Presidency to be! The world is waiting with abated laughter.

A Piece of Bread

I will be posting stories from my Floating Petals collection.

The inspiration for “A Piece of Bread,” my very first story and the first story in the collection, came from the fact I liked the smell of pencil wood resin and sharpening pencils long before I started school. I still love sharpening pencils.

A Piece of Bread

I pause, I remember.

Click to read the rest of this story.

If you’d like to read all 14 short stories in Floating Petals, you can order the paperback at Nanadon Publishing, or download the eBook at Amazon US or Amazon UK.

Hong Kong: My City Wet

In Central on a Wet Day

It has been several long wet weeks in Hong Kong; much thunder lightning and storms. To enjoy some of the rain Don and I decided on a city walk of exhibitions last Sunday. We took in ‘Transforming Minds’, the great Buddhist Exhibit of sculptures at the Asia Society, and made a trip to Sundaran Tagore Gallery showing Annie Leibovitz photos and visited my friend, Karin, at the Karin Weber Gallery exhibiting Phaneendra Nath Chaturvedi works.

Along the Bridge Asia Society

Long and Wet

A still fountain reflecting green and high-rise

Image Buddha above city scape. Sculpture by Zhang Huan

Fountain Hong Kong Park

Roots in City Street

Escalator Pacific Place

Bananas in Graham Street

Famous Causeway Bay Flower Man in Central

Chempak $10, and $20 Gardenia

may 13

A May day. Sunday. Thirteenth.
Waking to perfumed oils and
candles smoky snuffed. From a
a starless dream that belonged
to a night not spilling secrets.
A village dawn no sky, no sun
just storm. Lightning flashing blue
thunder crashing. Blossoms blown.
Seeds sent to other gardens.

Magenta Rain

From above morning sun stolen.
Patio magenta, bougainvillea strewn
Delighting wet film of grey.
Frogs greeting from tunnels hidden.
Rhythmic. Answering calls come
echoing from friendly frogs.