Book Review of Nicholson Baker's "The Traveling Sprinkler"

Soooo…. Nicholson Baker.  A national treasure?  Maybe not.  A really, REALLY solid contemporary author...absolutely.  This guys body of work is as good as it gets for a guy still kicking around.  “Vox” and “The Fermatta” knocked me out 20 years ago and he has published good work since those.  He is a maturing guy who after those books had the elbow room to write what he wants.  The books range from Presidential assassination fantasies to diatribes questioning the politically correct narratives of World War II.  All of it cogently written in a particular voice.  That voice also lent itself to storytelling in “The Everlasting Story of Nori”.  If you want an overview of a diverse writers life, check his Wiki page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholson_Baker

“The Traveling Sprinker” brings us back poet/anthologist Paul Chowder (from his prior book “The Anthologist” who is struggling to write poems but instead forays into popular songwriting, dance music, electronica and beats.  It is a classic middle aged man’s take on his own mid-life crisis as he deals with:

Not knowing what to do with his life

Failed relationships that are not quite dead yet

Health issues

Cigars

Drinking

Childlessness…

and the like.  He uses the title subject as a nice metaphor for...everything. It is one of those things I refer to as a "tractor" sprinkler but it follows the course of the hose that feeds it as it goes on whatever path is set for it and waters and... lets just say there are a lot of metaphorical opportunities there.

But it is an endearing book and an easy read as he learns about modern music and listens to it and creates his own amidst what appears to be the abundant debris of his life.

He cannot keep his liberal politics out of it but throws off shattering statistics regarding deaths related to drone warfare while remembering his passion for the bassoon as he smokes cigars and tries to write, primarily in his car.  The portrait is one of a talented guy who is occasionally brilliant as he wanders, literally through his life and… other than the brilliant part, I could certainly relate.  

The lead character is also a Quaker and I know nothing about Quakers so found that interesting.  The idea of going to a “meeting” and sitting in silence and contemplation for an hour or so seems… very healthy.  I tend to only go to “meetings” where people are fighting about money or opening by saying, “Hi, my name is Mike and I am an…”.  I guess this is what I like about Baker as an author.  He takes me outside my realm of experience and really outside my normal way of thinking about things and there is something liberating about that in a book, but here is a comfortableness and reality to his characters that ring true.

Wives should read this to have a better handle on what a mess their husbands are.  Younger men should read it so they can see what they will become (and that is assuming everything works out) and middle aged men should read it so you can go, “that seems about right”.  

It is a nice read from a nice author.

Loose Strings

Picking up the pieces. It was commented upon by some alert readers that there was no comment in this space on the recent Imus debacle. There was no comment because this was a non event. A blow hard idiot who is supported by advertising dollars made some totally unacceptable comments about some young women with vicious racial overtones. Everyone is raising the issue of rappers. Rappers? Please. Rappers and their record companies sell directly to consumer. Guys like Imus require advertising dollars on their cable show and you cannot offend broad segments of the population...advertisers get scared.

You cant scare the advertisers. We can forget about whether you ever should do that in any position but in his position you cant. He will go to sattelite, deal directly with consumers and the same close minded people who liked him before will find him again. The whole incident was not nearly as newsworthy as they made it. Hearing that Russel (Def Jam) Simmons convened a hip-hop convention to discuss the issue did nothing to make me feel better. Surprisingly these great minds did not reach a possible solution.

A question. Is the guy (Imus) dehydrated or freeze dried or what? Who looked more like Skeletor? Don Imus or Skeletor? For those of you who do not remember Skeletor...my apologies.
***
This week a crazy man went on a rampage and tragically killed 32 people and injured another 20. The largest mass execution in US history. Shocking, appalling and grotesque but 24 hour media turns a national tragedy into a farce. Instead of respect and distance and recounting the facts we are treated to a parade of time filling blame makers asking questions about “what the University did wrong,” “why they couldn’t keep the kids safe.” They ought to be ashamed and we as a society should be ashamed that we will watch TV and listen to News with people and organizations who feed us crap like this. It cannot be long till Nancy Grace crucifies the kids parents and the University Administration and once we have a head then we have a bunch of new laws and rules further restricing the freedom we claim to hold so dear.

It is not the government or the colleges job to protect people from madmen. I think we are obsessed with being “safe” and “keeping our kids safe.” In fact all these things are used just to scare us into listening and watching. No one is safe from crazy people. Other people cannot keep us and our loved ones safe from crazy people. We cannot do it and the costs we incurr in trying to do so is taking time and resources away from other matters.

Of equal concern is the outpouring of “cheap grief” from people all over the country on the internet and in programs. Our nation seems to have a tremendous need to personalize and own selective tragedies. We share the victims pain, we share the pain belonging to the families and the immediate communit and we make it our own... in a very selective way and I would argue we cheapen it. When it is a tragedy involving children and easy to love people our society led by the media and even my precious NPR glom onto it like vampires.75 Iraquis (that we know about) died that same day. In The Sudan...the same thing. But this strikes a nerve but i wish, I wish we could apply the same angst on a more equal basis. We would all be better people for it.

Perhaps I am way too old. The Facebook thing has created a whole new dimension to college grief with literally hundred of Facebook sites dedicated to those who died, survivors, their families, the school...it went on and on... and our friends in the media have already started mining it for new angles on a tragedy. Today they were airing this guys last rantings and ravings for all the world to see. Likely just what the kid wanted. Wonder how I would feel if I lost a kid there and then got the opportunity to see this. Apalling.

***
Yesterday the Supreme Court made its first major shift towards significantly different and more conservative jurisprudence by upholding a statute banning partial birth abortion. I have become strongly anti abortion over the years but firmly believe that it is my responsability to impart those values on my family and that the government should continue to do their best to balance the harm. In this case they banned this form of abortion after taking testimony that there are some limited cases where the health of the mother is served by this type of procedure. It is the first time ever for the court to veer away from a doctrine which ultimately has always held the health of the mother to be the primary interest weighed. I am not passing judgment but...it is different. Pay attention...the times they are a changing.

***
Kurt Vonnegut passed this week. I hope he went without much pain. No one had more influence on my late adolescence then his writing. Once i found him I read everything and my mother wrung her hands and worried that it would make me jaded and harden me and... it certainly did not help. This was a man who naturally and through his experiences in the war and post war had a natural mistrust of authority and the people who make the rules...and sometimes the rules themselves. Brilliant stuff. He asked the right stuff, the right questions and his observations of people, how fragile they were and how dehumanizing insitutions can be were perfect pitch. A whole new generation will hopefully find his work and read it and use it to... find a way to like people more.

His last book a man without a country was anti war diatribe that spoke to me in ways that made me tear up at time. He had not released a book in 6 years and was tired, sick and old... but he had to rant one more time against the hypocrac and God Bless him for it. Released in the middle of 2005 Vonnegut once again and finally ahead of his time. He will be missed and like all really great writers will not be replaced, only remembered and hopefully appreciated.

***

It has been noted that to date I have strayed from Diner reviews. I promise to get...back to basics.