Footnotes 7/23 (AmberBug)

Footnotes - July 23rd

Hello Readers! Remember that time I said I was adopting two dogs? Yeah, that happened then a fight broke out. Unfortunately for the safety of the submissive dog, we had to return the dog that attacked. It was terribly sad and I had a hard time feeling "okay" after that one. Now, we have the challenge of a dog that has been trying to gain "alpha" status and testing us at every turn. He has NO bite inhibition so that when he does "mouth" it HURTS! So far, dog ownership hasn't been great. I think we just need more time with him to get there. We shall see. The last thing we want is a dog attack on us or the cats. Ryder (his name) has had one session with the trainer (and us), so we might have to give it some time. Enough dog talk though... let's talk about books "baby", let's talk about words "sexy", let's talk about all the good ones and the bad ones that I've seen. Let's talk about BOOKS, let's talk about bookssss. Did I really just do that? Yes, yes I did. I'm leaving it... deal. I've been audiobooking Neal Stephenson's "Seveneves" and really enjoying it... although it's LONG (32 hours I think). Anyways, I have a signed copy from BEA but I decided to use an audible credit with this one because I don't want to ruin my signed copy!!!  I'm also reading (or maybe finished by the time this posts) "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates. I've been hearing excellent things about this one and I have a feeling it has a good chance to be a contender in the Tournament of Books next year. I've been picking what to read next this year based halfway on the belief that they might be Tournament books. I'm curious to see how many I've read by the time the final list comes out. I've been wanting to read more classics this year but it might not be in the cards this year - my obsession with the TOB has me devouring all the latest releases and ignoring blacklists and classics galore. Maybe I just need to get this out of my system... I tend to focus on something entirely (obsessed much?) and drop it like a hat after awhile. I'm sure this will be the same thing.    Can we just talk about Harper Lee a bit? Those numbers?!? I want to say "I'm not surprised" but I kinda am! I guess it's nice to know that a book like that can gain as much momentum as 50 Shades can. Wouldn't you agree?    Happy Reading, AmberBug P.S. - I have these books waiting on my Kindle... which one would you recommend? The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood (ARC) In the Country by Mia Alvar The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra (ARC) In the Woods by Tana French Twain's End by Lynn Cullen (ARC) City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg (ARC) Offshore by Penelope Fitzgerald Dark Places by Gillian Flynn Bad Marie by Marcy Dermansky Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

Underwater Puppies - R.J. Julia Event with Author Seth Casteel

Seth Casteel talks about his new book “Underwater Puppies" Hosted at RJ Julia Bookstore in Madison, CT September 16, 2014

   

I was lucky enough to get out of work early enough to catch this fun event at R.J. Julia in Madison, CT. Since Arianna couldn't make this one, with her moving so far away (sad times), I asked Marsha (she's reviewed for ShelfNotes as well) to come down with me, and we also got to meet up with Mary, friend and avid book lover who lives nearby.

My first impression of Seth Casteel, Photographer and Author of "Underwater Dogs" and "Underwater Puppies" was HOT. Yep, this guy had it going on... AND he loves dogs. I'm sure I wasn't the only one in the audience who thought so, but I might be the only one to admit it on the internet, hehe.

Moving on...  We missed a few minutes in the beginning where I believe he was discussing his charity, One Picture Saves a Life. After doing a little research of my own, I found out what this charity is all about. The basis behind the charity is to make sure as many dogs as possible get a gorgeous photo, and you might ask why? Well, for starters... which dog would you adopt? 

As you can tell, a picture can do WONDERS. One Picture Saves a Life is an amazing charity that gives away software and cameras to shelters to help them with adoption. I hope everyone heads over to that site and checks it out, I'll definitely be trying to help out in whatever way I can. I don't want to give anything away... but stay tuned, Seth Casteel might have won your heart with his philanthropic endeavors.... but they don't end there.

The majority of his talk was the history behind "Underwater Dogs", which was very inspiring. To be honest with you, I didn't do much research coming into this event and thought this 'Seth Casteel' was just another lucky guy with a lucky idea that someone else hadn't come up with first. Which, if you ask him, he'll probably say is true. But there is more to this story, not everyone would have come across this magic, only someone with a true love of dogs and photography would have persevered. 

His first underwater dog was Buster. This was an accident that happened on a commission, one that was offered through Groupon no less! Seth was fired from Disney for being a bad "multi-tasker" which led him to think things over and he decided to try his hand at pet photography full time. Groupon was offering assignments to photographers for $59/shoot (minus whatever Groupon takes for listing it). This sounds okay but when it came down to it, some of the shoots ended up being 3 hours away and would take multiple hours to do. After all is said and done, Seth would find himself in the hole. 

At one of these Groupon sites, he met Buster the (Cocker Spaniel? Brittany Spaniel?), who loves the water. Now, he was commissioned from the owner to take a nice beauty shot of this dog... but Buster had another idea. The dog jumped in the pool and came out looking like this: (The picture is a little dark but we all know how attractive a wet dog out of water looks).

So instead of scrapping the shoot and admitting defeat, Seth heads to the nearest store to buy himself an underwater camera (disposable). Again, remember that Seth has already LOST money at this point, so spending more money just sounds crazy, right? If you think so, you'd be wrong because look at the pictures he captured from this:

Seth pretty much told us that he owes this dog more than he'll ever know. BUT that's not all folks. Casteel isn't done yet, oh no! His next adventure involves PUPPIES! Okay, so you probably knew that since you've read the title of this. Why puppies? Why not? So cute, adorable... and wait... they can drown? Why are you telling me this?!? Yep, puppies can drown and in the United States it happens quite often due to lack of awareness and the amount of unfenced pools. Seth decided to head out and spread awareness and take it one step farther... even TEACH these puppies to swim and be comfortable getting in and out of pools. Meanwhile, if he caught a good shot during these lessons, GREAT. If not, that's okay too. Is this guy the bomb or what? His story is that timeless rags (okay maybe not that low) to riches story that evolves into something even more beautiful, art for a cause. Here are a few of the puppy shots:

So I could go ON and ON about what types of equipment he used, some of the cute stories, or even statistics on how many dogs he had to shoot or how many states he had to go to... but I won't. I felt like I've taken up too much of your time already. Seth Casteel is already working (almost done?) on his third book which will feature "Underwater Babies". My question to him was "what was next?" and as much as he'd like to do an "Underwater Cats" series, he isn't sure if the possibility will arise. He HAS bought the domain name though... just in case? He even suggested that a possible "Underwater Creatures" which would cover various wild animals, but alas, this type of project would be quite costly. So here is my plea to you... BUY all his books, and then he'll have PLENTY of money to make this book. We can do it! The link to buy both books & 2015 calendars is down below... now go do it! 

Last but not least... The New Haven Animal Shelter attended the event and brought us a puppy that needs a home. Please contact the shelter if you would like to adopt this adorable puppy (Toby) or ANY of the dogs that need a home. Website -- Adoptable Pets.

Toby from the New Haven Animal Shelter

P.S. - I'm not using links for the ebook, because really? Why would you want this beauty as an ebook? Nope, buy the Hardcover already! 

 

Mudwoman

Mudwoman Joyce Carol Oates 4/5	Published 2012 First Sentence "You must be readied, the woman said."
Publisher's Description: A riveting novel that explores the high price of success in the life of one woman—the first female president of a lauded ivy league institution—and her hold upon her self-identity in the face of personal and professional demons, from Joyce Carol Oates, author of the New York Timesbestseller A Widow’s Story Mudgirl is a child abandoned by her mother in the silty flats of the Black Snake River. Cast aside, Mudgirl survives by an accident of fate—or destiny. After her rescue, the well-meaning couple who adopt Mudgirl quarantine her poisonous history behind the barrier of their middle-class values, seemingly sealing it off forever. But the bulwark of the present proves surprisingly vulnerable to the agents of the past. Meredith “M.R.” Neukirchen is the first woman president of an Ivy League university. Her commitment to her career and moral fervor for her role are all-consuming. Involved with a secret lover whose feelings for her are teasingly undefined, and concerned with the intensifying crisis of the American political climate as the United States edges toward war with Iraq, M.R. is confronted with challenges to her leadership that test her in ways she could not have anticipated. The fierce idealism and intelligence that delivered her from a more conventional life in her upstate New York hometown now threaten to undo her. A reckless trip upstate thrusts M.R. Neukirchen into an unexpected psychic collision with Mudgirl and the life M.R. believes she has left behind. A powerful exploration of the enduring claims of the past,Mudwoman is at once a psychic ghost story and an intimate portrait of a woman cracking the glass ceiling at enormous personal cost, which explores the tension between childhood and adulthood, the real and the imagined, and the “public” and “private” in the life of a highly complex contemporary woman.
Dear Reader, This is a book about the true development of a crushed human soul. A woman who has lived with a confusing and troubled past. A past that she has broken away from to become a reputable and accomplished President of a very prestigious University (the first FEMALE one). Even though M.R. has gained acclaim from her academic career, we slowly see her unravel in a horrific downward spiral. It brings the reader to a very strange place, that has you wondering what might be real and what might be hallucination. This is something that Oates does very well and really brings about that gothic and dark feel she is so known for. We're first introduced to M.R. (Mudwoman) as a child who lives with an overtly religious zealot mother and her creepy pedophilic boyfriend. There is no mention if this man is her father, and later on even M.R. reflects on this, wondering if she ever even had a father. Within the first few chapters (might even be the first one, can't quite remember) we read in horror as her mother takes this precious little girl and throws her into a mud pit to suffocate (hence the title of the book). By the good graces of a local who is guided by this mysterious "King of Crows" (a recurring animal guide in the story), he finds this child in the mud and rescues her. This all happens very early and is even mentioned on the book flap, so I don't consider this a spoiler. The child is then taken to an orphanage and adopted shortly after by a Quaker family, very kind and loving but they have a strange story of their own. I won't get into this because I think there is a pivotal point to the back-story of this family, one I don't want to ruin for you. The book goes back and forth from present to past as we watch M.R. slowly deteriorate and travel back to places that remind her of her past. Oates did this so smoothly, it wasn't hard to follow at all. I love when an Author has a good grasp of when to move the story from present to past without losing too much of the feeling. You find yourself wondering what exactly is going on, but not because of the time frame. This feeling is from all the daydreams, hallucinations and events that happen and you don't quite know which is which. Is what just happened a dream? Reality? It was kind of fun trying to figure it all out without getting you lost in the process. I think my favorite part of this book is the major theme of feminism. Yes, Oates tends to have a heavy hand on this theme in most of her books... but does that make it any less important? No! Mostly because she does it so gosh darn well. You have to remember that Oates was born in the late 1930's, during a period of time that was extremely enclosed. She grew up on a farm and attended a school with only one classroom! She was given a typewriter at age 14 and has been writing ever since. She really makes the perfect feminism writer, although she claims she doesn't like that label and would rather be known as "a woman who writes". I just adore everything about this woman, so yeah... I'm pretty biased. Getting back to the book, Mudwoman is so chock full of symbolism that at times I was wondering if I was fully understanding everything there was to the story. For example, during M.R.'s travels she came across many physical bridges that also played a huge part in unraveling her past. These bridges were big turning points for her, crossing them brought her clarity to her past. This was probably one of the most obvious symbols in the book and I'm sure I missed quite a few of the more inconspicuous ones. This would be a book to re-read, knowing that the second attempt would bring about much more clarity to the story. If you want to challenge yourself a little, I suggest reading this book and trying to reflect on what Oates really was trying to convey with Mudwoman. I would be interested to see what others thought. Happy Reading, AmberBug