Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini 

While at Kathy Patrick’s Girlfriend Weekend, I met Deborah Rodriguez, author of Kabul Beauty School. She is a wonderful lady and author and I’ve added her book to my must-read list. Those in attendance were deeply moved as she told her story and the story of the novel. You can read more about Rodrigues and her writing here: http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/features/kabul/

Related to this topic, I recently completed a reading of Khaled Hosseini’s novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns. It was a wonderful read and such a moving story. Previously, I had only read of Afghanistan in Mitchner’s novel, Caravans, and in a few issues of Soldier of Fortune Magazine. (Actually many of the articles in that magazine were top notch and FULL of information useful to a writer.) It is obvious that the author writes from experience, research, and from interviews. His writing is solid and if one wanted, he or she could conduct a cultural study of Afghanistan by researching the people, places, special words, historical allusions, and historical events. In fact, if I were teaching the novel, I would focus on the cultural enrichment that could be gained from such a study.

There were many lines worthy of quoting, but the most interesting (and haunting) to me were the decrees of the Taliban once they had taken over. If you ever had any doubts about what your life would be like under the Taliban (take America’s strictest fundamentalist preacher and multiply by 10), this should convince you that the society they want to build is not exactly a model of love and tolerance. This message that was proclaimed from loudspeakers, on radios and written in distributed flyers is from p. 247:

These are the laws that we will enforce and you will obey:

All citizens must pray five times a day. If it is prayer time and you are caught doing something other, you will be beaten.

All men will grow their beards. The correct length is at least one clenched fist beneath the chin. If you do not abide by this, you will be beaten.

All boys will wear turbans. Boys in grade one through six will wear black turbans, higher grades will wear white. All boys will wear Islamic clothes. Shirt collars will be buttoned.

Singing is forbidden.

Dancing is forbidden.

Playing cards, playing chess, gambling, and kite flying are forbidden.

Writing books, watching films, and painting pictures are forbidden.

If you keep parakeets, you will be beaten. Your birds will be killed.

If you steal, your hand will be cut off at the wrist. If you steal again, your foot will be cut off.

If you are not Muslim, do not worship where you can be seen by Muslims. If you do, you will be beaten and imprisoned. If you are caught trying to convert a Muslim to your faith, you will be executed.

Attention women:

You will stay inside your homes at all times. It is not proper for women to wander aimlessly about the streets. If you go outside, you must be accompanied by a mahram, a male relative. If you are caught alone on the street, you will be beaten and sent home.

You will not, under any circumstance, show your face. You will cover with burqa when outside. If you do not, you will be severely beaten.

Cosmetics are forbidden.

Jewelry is forbidden.

You will not wear charming clothes.

You will not speak unless spoken to.

You will not make eye contact with men.

You will not laugh in public. If you do, you will be beaten.

You will not paint your nails. If you do, you will lose a finger.

Girls are forbidden from attending school. All schools for girls will be closed immediately.

Women are forbidden from working.

If you are found guilty of adultery, you will be stoned to death.

Listen. Listen well. Obey.

Kathy Patrick’s Girlfriend Weekend in Jefferson, Texas:

Photos of the “Ball of Hair” held at the Bull Durham Playhouse in Jefferson, Texas are being posted now. There will be six galleries total at this site: http://easttexastowns.com/siteMOL/MainPage2.cfm

Yours truly is in some of them. The costumes and hairdos were wild! Here is one of me with the Houston Chapter of the Pulpwood Queens. Yes, I wore my kilt that night. As I said earlier, I’ll have several postings about this event and the wonderful people/authors I met.

Book Signing News & Schedule:

Friday, I have a signing beginning Friday morning at Waldenbooks in the Alexandria mall. That night I’ll be meeting with some friends and contacts to discuss my work and writing. Saturday, I and the beautiful and talented Bonnie Barnes will be presenting a program to Louisiana Librarians at their Midwinter Conference. Our presentation is entitled, “Wickis, Webcasts, and Writing.”

On that note, I have my own Wiki for my children’s book, Jim Limber Davis: A Black Orphan in the Confederate White House. If you have children who have read the book, there is a great writing exercise they can do. The Wiki site is at http://rickeypittman.pbwiki.com/ If you would like the password so that your children can complete the exercise, email me at rickeyp@bayou.com.

Robert E. Lee’s Birthday

I feel a little bit of irony in pointing out that yesterday (January 21) was the birthday of Robert E. Lee. He is a man who should be honored. He loved and served his country, his family, and his state of Virginia. Unlike some other politicians and military leaders, he maintained his integrity and morality all his life. He did not own slaves, nor did he believe in slavery. You should investigate his life. There’s plenty of good biographies about him. Many schools and geographical locations bear his name, and they should be proud to do so.

Jed Marum is more than a friend: he is an inspiration and the finest Irish and Civil War guitarist and songwriter I’ve ever known. I just received this note of a newly released documentary on the burning of Lawrence, Kansas that features some of his original music. (If you’ve heard my own Civil War program or show, you’ve heard me do some of Jed’s songs). Do yourself a favor and check out this trailer for the documentary. Here is Jed’s note:

One of the recent projects I’ve worked on is a film called BLOODY DAWN. It has just been released and is currently making a series of premier and festival showings around the US. It will be later be released to television and DVD and I will spread the word when that happens (probably next fall).

You can view the film’s trailer on Youtube at this link
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9NI47D32mi8

BLOODY DAWN is documentary that retells the story of the Lawrence Raid, led by William Quantrill and 450 renegade riders. The film uses narrative, interviews with historical experts and dramatic reenactment to tell the tale. They have licensed 4 of my recordings for use in the film and I am currently working with them on some of the incidental music. You’ll hear some of my song, ONE BLOODY FRIDAY in the trailer.

Please take a look at the Youtube clip and also please rate and comment. Ratings and comments help with the Youtube rankings – which in turn helps draw more traffic.

And finally I ask that you please pass on this news to folks you think will have an interest.

Thanks!

– Jed

Book Signing News: I just returned this morning to Monroe from spending four days in Jefferson, Texas at Kathy Patrick’s Girlfriend Weekend. So much was accomplished and I met so many wonderful writers, artists and others associated with the publishing world that I’m sure to have many posts about this event, so do check back with me.

Friday night after the Neil Simon play, the audience was entertained by the acoustic guitar and vocal music of Trish Murphy. The beautiful and talented Austin, Texas musician was accompanied by featured event author, Melanie Wells (My Soul to Keep, Multnomah Fiction) on fiddle. I found Murphy’s original music to be innovative and possessing powerful lyrics. She performed again on Saturday, and we spoke at length about her music, travels, and ideas. As far as evaluating her song writing ability, I’d have to rate her as an equal to my friend Jed Marum–and that is high praise I don’t give lightly. I obtained three of Murphy’s CD’s: Girls Get in Free, Captured, and Crooked Mile.

You can (and should) check out Murphy’s website here: http://trishmurphy.com/

trish murphy

My head is reeling from hearing so many good speakers Friday morning and afternoon. I’ll have much more to say about the speakers, topics, and my observations in future posts. Last night, I was out till 11:30 pm. At the Bull Durham Theatre here in Jefferson, I saw a play.  A Wonderful performance in a historic theatre. Here is the play’s description from the playhouse’s site:

 THE SUNSHINE BOYS – Dinner Theatre

by Neil Simon

THE SUNSHINE BOYS is filled with sparkling dialogue about a long-ago-broken-up vaudeville comedy team named Lewis & Clark who are convinced to reunite for a network television special. However, these two grumpy old men can’t stand each other anymore, and their mutual crankiness produces both hilarious and heartwarming moments. When a major television network decides to do a special on the history of comedy, they call on the famous vaudeville team of Lewis & Clark. However, the two aging comedy stars haven’t spoken in years and must be persuaded to work together. Willie Clark is a diehard New Yorker who lives and breathes show business. The stubborn and slovenly actor still auditions for work, although he can’t remember his lines. Al Lewis walked out on the team’s final show to retire and move to New Jersey with his wife and kids, much to the chagrin of his show-loving partner. The two eccentric characters are complete opposites who worked together as a comic powerhouse in the past, known in their heyday as the Sunshine Boys. Reminiscent of THE ODD COUPLE, THE SUNSHINE BOYS is a theatre experience to treasure, with all its emotional ups and downs, laughter and tears.

Cast:

Andrew Looney as Willie Clark

Lindsay Lebell as Nancy Silverman

Bill Smith as Al Lewis

Dan Harrigan as the Patient

Helaina Patrick as Nurse MacIntosh

Yesterday, I arrived in Jefferson just in time time to attend the Author/Speaker/Media  Reception sponsored by the House of Seasons Bed & Breakfast on South Alley Street. Leonarto DeVino, aka church Gray, had a hilarious presentation of his book, The Da Vino Code.  If you love thematic playfulness with words, you will love his book. I met so many cool authors from so many places. Kathy Patrick asked me to play my guitar and sing a couple of songs, then I accompanied a wonderful singer, Wava as she sang a couple of songs.    After more wine and cheese/snacks, we moved on to the Bull Durham Playhouse in Jefferson for  a gumbo supper.   Today is full of workshops at the United Methodist Church here, and tomorrow’s sessions will be at the  Jefferson High School.  Tonight, we’ll attend dinner theatre:  The Sunshine Boys by Neil Simon at the Bull Durham Playhouse.

Last night, I met a fascinating writer, Rosemary Poole-Carter.  I also obtained her new novel, Women of Magdalene. Here is a short summary from the back cover:

“The women of Magdalene are dying and no one seems to care, least of the haughty Dr. Kingston, the director of the genteel Ladies’ Lunatic Asylum.  Set in the shattered post-Civil War South, Women of Magdalene is a beautiful tale of deception, betrayal, greed and self-sacrifice.”

I’ll give a full review after I’m finished reading it.

Sometime ago, I think after watching the movie Gladiator, I did some reading on Marcus Aurelius. That reading inspired this poem.

The Color of Our Imagination

A person’s life is dyed with the color of his imagination—Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180).

Marcus Aurelius was much more like us than you think,
Writer, thinker, burdened with duties he didn’t relish,
A man with a firm sense of responsibility,
Worn out from fighting, defending a crumbling empire,
Forced to watch the collapse of the Pax Romana.
We’ve done all of that in our own way.

He was a stoic by necessity and choice,
Believing the soul to be the
Active elements of air and fire,
Believing the soul to be a *tabular rasa,
Accepting fate with eagerness, believing that
Whatever happens, must happen,
That inner freedom is attained when
Detached from that not in our power.
Survival tactics we should remember.

His writing shows that
He knew much of life and love,
I think this quote was written for us,
For we found each other through
The colors of our imagination,
And it dyed our lives with
Colors we’d never seen,
Feelings we’d never had,
Beginning a journey we
Thought we’d never dare.
Aurelius believed that the natural
Had its own innate beauty,
And every time I see you,
I know it’s the truth.
You are the color of my imagination.

Book News: Today I’m traveling to Jefferson, Texas for Kathy Patrick’s Girlfriend Weekend. This is advertised as the biggest and best book lover’s  and book club convention in the South. So many talented writers will be there, and I’m looking forward to meeting them and learning from them.  I’m sure I’ll have much to report in my future posts. From Jefferson, I’m taking advantage of the long holiday and driving to my parents’ house in Kemp, Oklahoma to help them with some chores.

What I’m Reading: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.  I read about 80 pages last night before the powers of darkness overpowered me and I fell asleep. This book was a gift from my daughter. (I’m so glad I raised a reader!) Of course, I must also read Hosseini’s The Kite Runner.  My friend Michele, an extremely talented, Gifted English teacher in Assumption Parish, said she’d soon give me a report on the book and the movie.

School Programs:  My calendar (see my personal website, rickeypittman.com) is filling up fast with signings at bookstores, programs at schools and libraries, and with other events. I’m working on several new programs to do, including one for Texas about Juan Seguin, one about Hank Williams (for arts schools perhaps), and one on the Scots-Irish in America. The Scots-Irish in America program is the one I hope to begin as early as March, in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day.

1. I will be costumed (in my kilt)

2. I will have a show and tell table that so far has Scottish/Irish flags, peat, tartans, Celtic cross, as well as photos of claymores, bagpipes (both Irish and Highland) heather, thistle, and William Wallace.

3. With guitar and vocals, I will perform Scottish or Irish music. I’m currently working on my song list, which will vary according to age group in the schools,  but it will include songs about Scottish and Irish history, St. Patrick, war, immigration, mythology, and love songs.

4. If the program is extended, I’ll show my young scholars how to make their own children’s book in a creative writing exercise or read/write about some of the Scottish, Welsh, and Irish writers I hope to introduce to them.

In short, this program will be packed with information and activities!

Yesterday, most of the day was spent on the phone or sending emails relating to my writing business. I did manage to set up several new signings/programs. I also signed my contract my contract with Louisiana Delta Community College, created and copied my syllabus, and resumed my teaching duties. This semester I am teaching ENG 101. They seem like a friendly group of students. The class is MW from 5:00-6:15 pm. We covered the syllabus, had an introductory writing exercise (which I need to read and mark before Wednesday) and read an essay by Camille Paglia I like to use in 101 entitled, “Rock as Art.”

An Aside:

I received a letter from a Fort Worth Librarian who wants me to come to her school for a program. This great quote was in her signature:

“Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed.”

G. K. Chesterton

Book Tour News:

I’ll be in Jefferson, Texas, from Thursday until Sunday for Kathy Patrick’s annual book and author gala. Patrick, who began her literary career through the nation’s first hair/book salon, has been featured in Oxford American Magazine and on Oprah. I’ve attended this event since it first began, and this year I’m scheduled to sign books and be a member of the “Blue Bayou” Panel Discussion, Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Here are the other authors scheduled for the same particular panel:

Moderator: Will Clarke, The Worthy: A Ghost’s Story, Simon & Schuster
Kim Sunee, Trail of Crumbs, Grand Central Publishing.
N. M. Kelby, Whale Season: A Novel, Three Rivers Press
Rosemary Poole-Carter, Women of Magdalene, Kunati, Inc.
Rickey Pittman, Jim Limber Davis: A Black Orphan in the Confederate White House
Stories of the Confederate South, both by Pelican Publishing.
Lyn LeJeune, The Beatitudes: Book I, iUniverse.com
Wava Everton – Musical Artist

Here is a new review of my children’s book. The reviewer is Cassie A. Barrow. It was published in the November/December 2007 issue of the Confederate Veteran. 

Book Review for Jim Limber Davis: A Black Orphan in the Confederate White House by Rickey Pittman. Children’s Book, illustrated, 28 pp., 2007. Pelican Publishing Company, 1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053, $15.95 plus shipping.

Throughout history there are incidents and events that are forgotten or overlooked by time. Jim Limber Davis is one such story that few people would recognize. There are ample primary sources to support his account with the Davis family, but many politically correct historians say he is only a legend.

Rickey Pittman, author of Jim Limber Davis: A Black Orphan in the Confederate White House, weaves the tale about this young boy who was a member of the Davis family until the Union army removed Jim by force from his loved ones. Due to the fact that the author takes liberty to add dialogue to this story, the publication is considered a historical fiction; yet, the story line is completely factual. Details such as the President Davis registering Jim as a free black child and becoming Jim’s legal guardian can be proven.

Mr. Pittman allows the chronicle of Jim Limber Davis’s story to come to life for the reader. The story is captivating and informative. The book also contains detailed pictures by Judith Hierstein to help its young audience visualize what the words are portraying. One such illustration is of the First Lady, Varina Davis, reading a night time story to her biological children and Jim. Even though this book is primarily for elementary aged children, readers of any age would find the story fascinating.

Mr. Pittman ends the book with an Epilogue to Parents by stating, “Jim Limber Davis’s disappearance remains one of the great mysteries of the War Between the States. The Davis family searched for Jim for many years, but they never found him. Many scholars and historians have continued the search, but they have failed to discover the fate of Jim Limber, a black orphan in the Confederate White House.” Even though Jim’s life may have been left out of history books, he should never be forgotten. Jim Limber Davis, A Black Orphan in the Confederate White House keeps his memory alive in an informative yet fun way.

Written by Cassie A. Barrow