Something Rising

Haven Kimmel is a good writer and she creates interesting characters. Nonetheless, for some reason I never got caught up in Something Rising (Light and Swift). I think part of the reason is that most of the characters are not all that likable… they’re just a little strange. The central character, Cass, grows up surrounded by family members who aren’t all there, either literally (her father is only an occasional presence in her life) or emotionally (her mother and sister are both what I might call borderline personalities). So it isn’t that surprising that there are some emotional holes in Cass’s make-up. But does it make her angry, sad, or lonely? I'm not quite sure. She develops a strong personality herself in order to survive, but there is still a curious lack of emotionality. Understandable under the circumstances, I guess, but just not all that compelling.

Despite my lukewarm reaction to this book, I think Kimmel has a lot of talent and I’m actually looking forward to reading another of Kimmel’s books, either her well-received memoir, A Girl Named Zippy, or the novel The Solace of Leaving Early.

885 Greatest Albums of All Time

Almost anyone who has talked to me over the past 3 weeks has heard me wax rhapsodically about the 885 greatest albums countdown going on at WXPN, my favorite radio station. If you haven't had a chance to be a part of this wonderful event, you still have time (and you can listen on line*)! Right now (Sunday, 1 p.m.) they are playing #13, Blue, by Joni Mitchell. This album was on my top 10 list so I'm delighted that it placed so high in the countdown. This morning we also heard #15 Radiohead, OK Computer and #14 Miles Davis, Kind of Blue. Where else can you hear a mix of music like this other than XPN?

Tomorrow, starting at 9 a.m., they will begin the final countdown of the top 10. *Because of the Digital Millenium Copyright act, the station is not allowed to stream over the internet more than 3 songs by any one artist within an hour time period, so while the entire albums are played on the radio, only the first 3 songs are played on the internet stream. This promises to be a huge problem tomorrow, because there are still 5 albums from the Beatles that haven't showed up yet on the countdown and all will probably be in the top 10, if they don't hit at #12 or 11 today.

I didn't actually get around to voting (5,400 people did) but I did make up my own top 10 list. Assuming that the Beatle's Revolver is still to come (my #1 pick), 9 out of 10 of my picks made the list. Only Ottmar Liebert's Nouveau Flamenco wasn't recognized, but it's a wonderful album nonetheless.

UPDATE: The countdown is finally (and sadly) over. I was pleased to see Abbey Road come in at #1 and really enjoyed listening to it again. Five Beatles albums did make the top 10, along with some gems from Dylan and Pink Floyd, among others. Gotta say I was suprised to see London Calling by The Clash come in at #8, since it's an album I've NEVER listened to. Thanks to everyone at XPN who made this countdown so much fun.

Something special

Ever since I got the cookbook Baking with Julia, I’ve been wanting to make this dessert, Chocolate Napoleons. Not only is it a fun dessert, but it’s also really delicious and an intriguing combination of tastes and textures. The scaffolding is created by crispy chocolate phyllo layers (the only really challenging part of this recipe). Layered in between these crisps are poached pears, chocolate ganache, and ginger cream; then the whole thing is surrounded with a tart, orange-spiked cranberry compote. All the components can be made ahead of time, but assembly of the dessert must be done at the last minute. It was a challenge, but well worth the effort, both in terms of the “wow” factor and the wonderful flavors. It’s surprisingly light, which was all the more welcome after a hearty and delicious dinner of lamb shanks with porcini mushrooms, polenta, and a yummy asparagus salad (which our friend Susan brought). Complementing the dinner, we served an excellent Brancott Pinot Noir as well as our favorite New Dog Sauvignon Blanc for the white wine drinkers. The meal cushioned the disappointment we all felt watching our Eagles get trounced by the hated Dallas Cowboys.
Chocolate Napoleon 

Mountains Beyond Mountains

Yesterday, I read an interesting (and to me, surprising) news item in New Scientist, which claimed that chronic diseases (heart disease, cancer, and diabetes) are the biggest global killers, far outshadowing infectious diseases as killers of people in low and middle-income countries. Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet opined that “Without concerted and coordinated political action, the gains achieved in reducing the burden of infectious disease will be washed away as a new wave of preventable illness engulfs those least able to protect themselves.”

This revelation in no way takes away from the remarkable work done by Paul Farmer and the organization Partners In Health to combat AIDS and TB in Haiti, Peru, Russia, and other poverty stricken communities around the world. The reason is that Farmer is as much fighting the indecency and inequities of poverty as he is any particular disease.

Tracy Kidder accompanied Farmer on his journeys around the globe in order to write the book, Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World. Kidder gives us a portrait of a multidimensional, true-to-life hero, a physician who gives up the cushy life that his Harvard medical school training prepared him for, choosing instead to make a life among people in a poor community who need his help; a man who will take a whole day to walk to an outlying village to treat one or two of his patients; and an anthropologist who appreciates the power of cultural beliefs and practices in combating disease. What I found most inspiring about the story is that Farmer and his colleagues at PIH refused to back down when other global health experts resisted change in favor of the status quo. And that Farmer continued to minister to the needs of his patients when colleagues and friends urged him to turn his attention to broader issues of public health. Acknowledging that this too is important, Farmer has managed to stick with the work (patient care) that brings him personal pleasure and for which he obviously has tremendous gifts.