More Than Petticoats Remarkable Pennysylvania Women by Kate Hertzog

Though the title is rather embarrassing (who thought putting that tagline on this title was necessary), I always enjoy books like these. Sometimes you just want a book that's going to give you a brief overview of someone's life, not the comprehensive history of every time they used the bathroom.

In this case, Remarkable Pennsylvania Women gives the reader at fifteen women with ties to the Keystone State, and why they are important enough to read about. No section is very long, but if the reader wishes to learn more, they can either do a search on their own or refer to the bibliography in the back of the book. Personally, I probably don't need to go and read a lot more on any of these figures, though I might for one or two. However, I really like that the author took time to include this section for those who really do like to get down and dirty in the details.

I must admit to being a bit ashamed that I did not recognize the stories of more than one third of the women in the book. I kinda figured I'd be a bit better steeped in non-traditional PA history than I apparently am. It's easy to pick up on Rachel Carson, of course, but it's not every day you talk about Sybilla Masters, the first woman to get a patent from the King of England and the first person to do that in America, period.

Or there's Margaret Corbin, one of the women who, I've learned over time, fought in the Revolutionary War as a soldier. If you're of a more peaceful mind, try Amanda Berry Smith, an African American who started life as a slave but ended as a missionary who traveled overseas. Is medicine more to your liking? In addition to the Civil War story I knew, I was introduced to Florence Seibert, who worked in the TB test.

These are just a few of the tales that were new to me. Depending on what era of history you've concentrated on the most, your experience will vary, but I'd wager that almost anyone picking up this book will find quite a few new faces staring back at them, with a short set of pages ready to tell you why they are important.

Short is the operative word here. I do admit that, while I like my biographies brief, these sketches are only slightly longer than an encyclopedia entry (does anyone use an encyclopedia anymore?) and thus are lacking in depth. This book is clearly meant to be a sampler, which makes it ideal for the casual reader or a student.

It's the latter group that I think can most benefit from this book. It's important for young people to realize that while we always focus on the biggest names from any conflict or issue, there are a lot of Americans, of all races, genders, and social standing, who came together at one point or another to make this country what it is today. Highlighting women, some famous, some not so well known, gives a student a better sense of context and also gives a chance to look further, if they're so inclined. This is also true of adult readers, of course, but I think it's crucial that a person learning their sense of the world and sense of self see that while George Washington might lead the battle, it takes the Lydia Darraghs of the world to help him do it.

Remarkable Pennsylvania Women may not be a remarkable book, but it is a good introduction to the lesser known side of history. I learned a lot from its brief pages, and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for insight into the role of women, particularly those in Pennsylvania, in the making of America.

Drive, They Said Poems About Americans and Their Cars edited by Kurt Brown

Anthologies are always a tricky thing, but I love the mystery that goes into reading one. You never quite know what you're in for, even if you're familiar with some of the authors. A lot of times, it all adds up to luck, even if the book comes with the backing someone you trust.

Drive, They Said was recommended to me by a person I usually agree with in terms of poetry, but this time we're as far apart as a highway with a scenic divider. The theme of this collection is poetry about how Americans relate to their cars, and at least to me, it made for some pretty bland reading.

I probably am not the target audience for this. While I might ogle a classic car, it's the age of the item, not the item itself, that wows me. I can appreciate a fine corvette, but I have no desire to get behind the wheel, not even for a test drive.

I own a car, but it's strictly utilitarian. I don't tinker with it. I don't fret that it's got a few dings from parking lots. I would no sooner change its oil myself than I would volunteer to clean up Three Mile Island. Hell, I've never even washed it. In other words, I'm not in love with cars, just what they can do for me when I need it.

Thus, this was an odd choice but I tried it anyway. Unfortunately, it just didn't register for me at all.

The first problem is that from the get-go, we're separated into gender before we do anything else. I hate gender separation as a rule, and given the subject of cars, that just made matters worse.

So the men get poems that try hard to sound masculine, with references to speeding, drinking, and leaving people behind. The women leave bad men, worry about the danger of being alone, and of course, the safety of their children. There's nothing wrong with these poems, but it feels like Brown as editor tried hard to make sure he ticked off ever gender cliche when compiling his opening sections. That turned me off, and made for tough sledding the rest of the way.

The other sections feature exactly what you'd expect, with no surprises to be found. "Driving into Yourself," "Stopping by the Side of the Road," "Head On," "Driving as Metaphor," "On the Bus," and "Passing Through" all do what they need to do in a way that passes muster but doesn't stretch the reader's comfort zones in any way. It's as though every poem was tested in front of an easily-offended church group. Unlike a highway in the rain with traffic moving far too fast, these poems gave me no sense of danger or thrill.

The section "Driving as Metaphor" ended up feeling far too forced, with the editor choosing the most obvious examples available. The comparisons are forced more often than not, reading more like an exercise for a college class than something I would want to read. In their own context, they probably aren't bad. However, when you read tortured line after tortured line trying to fit in the idea of cars relating to other parts of our life, it just gets to be a bit too much.

Of these sections, only "Head On" features any poem that wasn't apparently given an "inoffensive test" before making it into the collection and even those are edgy only in comparison to what is around them. As a result, I enjoyed it the most, but not enough to make up for the banal nature of the poems I read in the other areas.

There are a few well-known names in here. Joyce Carol Oates has a few entries in the women's ghetto, Robert Bly appears, as does Charles Wright. Wright's poem is one of the best in the collection, using the idea of a road to discuss the various ways people interacted by going to different neighborhoods. ee cummings also makes an appearance in a clumsy poem comparing driving a car to a person new at sex. I admit I've read very little of cummings' work, but I'd like to think he's done better.

Overall, I took a chance on this one, and feel like I came up with a lemon. The theme isn't close enough to me to forgive some bad poetry and the desire to make sure that no one reading this would get upset at a blatant sexual reference or overtly foul language just killed it for me. I'd recommend cruising to a different poetry book, but if you have a car-loving reader in your family, preferably an older one, this book might just work better for them than it did for me.

Baltimore Noir edited by Laura Lippman

This is the third book in Akashic's series of crime anthologies set in cities across the United States and in some cases, the world. I'd really liked the first two books I'd read, but unfortunately I was not charmed at all by the one set in Charm City.

The book starts off pretty good, actually, which is why I was so sad when I hit the second part of the three-section collection and very quickly ran into three adventures that left me cold. Editor Lippman's introductory piece, "Easy as A B C", finds us with a corrupt contractor that cheats on his wife but can't stand it when his lover turns him away. That's a textbook noir plot, and Lippman's snappy writing from the perspective of the killer sets the mood for what I hoped would be more stories in this vein.

The problem is that somewhere along the line, whether to pad the page count (this entry is nearly 100 pages longer than the other two I read, give or take a page) or because she was lacking in stories with a true sense of desperation and grime, we end up getting to the point where there's a cozy with a huge cliche for a solution in the middle of the book.

Now I understand the idea of what makes a story fitting of the noir label is variable depending on who you talk to, and I bet if you asked me twice a few months apart, I might even give you a different answer. But when "Almost Missed It by a Hair" features a woman who does PR for hairdressers solving the crime for her cop sister by using an amateur trick that was old when fellow Baltimorean Edgar Allan Poe invented the genre in the first place, I'm going to cry foul.

That was the only story written by an African American about a city that's overwhelmingly African American and I'd be lying if I said that didn't bother me a bit, especially given the fact that it's not like this anthology is jam-packed with writing gems. I find it a bit hard to believe that there weren't more crime stories written by black authors and set in Baltimore. I find it even harder to believe this when Ben Neihart's "Frog Cycle," possibly the worst story in the collection, doesn't even have any cultural link to Baltimore at all. (Move the exhibit to any other city and it would have worked fine.) I also failed to see anything crime-related about it.

The point of these collections is to spotlight the dark edges of the cities in which the stories are set. And sometimes they do. Robert Ward's "Fat Chance" places a man of Hollywood back into the hells he tried to escape. "Pigtown will Shine Tonight" has a disturbing premise and a character that wants to do the right thing, but also save his skin. "As Seen on TV" by Dan Fesperman skewers the idea of a noir story by having his main character think that he can relive the glories of fictional drama. Those are all great stories that fit the theme.

However, there are just too many that don't. A simple murder to take control of a business or a Scooby-Doo style ghost story, "Goodwood Gardens", do not provide the reader with anything grimy or creepy. I'm afraid that the multiple inclusions of violence against women don't count, either.

Horrific crimes aren't noir, they're terrible crimes. They no more fit into a book like this than an armchair detective piece. You have to give them a feel like the characters have no way out. Time and time again as this anthology progressed, I just wasn't feeling that sense of desperation or situational helplessness. I got in in bits and pieces, such as when David Simon provides us with a drug addict who can't do the right thing in "Stainless Steele," but that's just not enough to carry this anthology through.

Anthologies rest on the backs of their editors, and in this case, I think Ms. Lippman and I have a different definition of what makes for a good noir story. She seemed to be going for a very general idea of revenge crime, if you look at all the stories as a whole. Had this been called "Uncharmed Lives: Baltimore Gets Revenge" I might have felt better about the contents, some of which were pretty well written. But I don't think revenge automatically equals noir, nor do I feel that Ms. Lippman explored enough avenues of possible stories (a lot of these authors all have ties to the Baltimore Sun) to give us a good variety of material.

Overall, Baltimore Noir was a disappointing entry in the Noir series. But after taking a break to finish up things before the move--to Baltimore, as things happen--I'll definitely keep reading more of these anthologies. I'd just recommend that you give this particular volume a pass.

"Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" by Beverly Daniel Tatum

[Just as a side note, I read the original version, not the revised text. -Rob]

Despite the title, this book is less about dealing with racial issues in class than in the general idea of racial issues. Dr. Tatum structures her book to discuss why we often don't talk about race, the idea of racial identity for blacks and whites, and even a bit about why in an America where immigration is far more complex than it used to be, why this discussion can't solely happen in black and white terms.

The Chapter from which this book gets its name was part of a set of readings I needed to complete, and it intrigued me enough to want to read the entire text. As I've grown older, and especially now that I will be a white teacher primarily working with black students, I want to read all I can on the idea of racial identity.

This is a tricky subject. It's one that, as Tatum notes right away, no one wants to talk about. A young child who sees someone different from them is often told to be quiet, rather than engaged in the idea of difference among people. As a result, as these issues of difference grow over time, it's not something to be discussed. Instead, the child is given a steady diet of racial depictions that are often stereotypical at best and horribly racist at worst.

Once you get talking, as Tatum works to do in her classes on race, the answers can be troubling, both to hear and to express. The book is sprinkled with multiple comments from her past students, several of which might just make you fly into a rage or be stupefied by the ways in which people think about racial relations. I do wish she had shared a few more positive stories, however, as I can't believe there were nothing by bad journal entries.

This book works best when it's centering on the idea of forming racial identity. Her explanation of why after a certain age, children stop playing together in racial harmony and begin forming groups in the lunchroom and elsewhere makes perfect sense. As a child gets older, the messages of society tell them that's the thing to do. The idea of beauty, for instance, is completely race-based. It only makes sense (even if it's horrible in practice) for children to take in these messages and act accordingly. If they're told, in action if not in words, that they aren't supposed to be together, or are supposed to act out in class, or any number of other things, then that's just what they're going to do. That's sad, but true.

Having a popular culture where race-based stereotypes exist in everything from television (how often are African Americans depicted in a way that's not negative), to the news (how often are the stories in poor, minority neighborhoods a positive one?), to my own personal favorite genre, comics (white Hal Jordan, almost never makes a mistake, while black John Stewart has a long history of making mistakes or perceived errors, often tied to race). If there's no one out there to fight these depictions, then we're going to internalize them. It's a problem that Tatum brings to the forefront and makes the reader think about, whether they have before or not.

The central section of the book, where Dr. Tatum refers to the idea of whites and blacks facing their own racial identities, did have a complication for me that might say more about me than about the book. I was a bit distressed by her feelings that it is best for people to go over their feelings about race with people who are of the same race as they are. I got the impression that only after a person had finished being completely comfortable with their identity that they could and should move on to bridging the racial divide.

In an ideal world, that might work, but this is a very imperfect place. Leaving people in their comfort zones to explore their issues is not going to work. After all, if you're comfortable, are you going to tread the dangerous ground of possibly upsetting someone by pointing out that they made a racial remark? To me, down this road leads to a status quo for too much of the white population. It means the individual has to work too hard to change. I don't think people are going to do that. After all, with gated communities and the ability to voluntarily segregate if you have even just the smallest income flexibility, why try?

In my opinion, I think you have to interact well before the person is completely comfortable with the differences of race, mostly because I think the only way to change things long-term is to stress the similarities, not the differences. I agree that people need time to find out who they are, especially in a culture that downplays their importance, but if we're always looking at how we are different, how are we ever going to find a way to be together? As this country moves to majority minority status, that's going to be the key to keeping America together. I don't see a way for that to happen if we're all spending all our time waiting to be perfect.

I may be misreading Dr. Tatum's argument. This is a subject that is easy to have a personal opinion on, and I'm obviously coming at it from a different angle. But while I agree with her that it's hard to have a positive image of being black (or for that matter, latino/hispanic or even asian, since a stereotype is still a stereotype) and that whites take for granted a hell of a lot, I don't think the way to solve this problem is through navel gazing.

Dr. Tatum does spend a bit of time at the end making suggestions, such as writing a letter to the editor, getting a racial dialog together, or looking closely at race relations at work or in your school. I think those are all good ideas, and they can be hard. But they don't need to wait until you feel better about race to do them, and they don't need to be done in a racial block.

At the end of the day, I agree with this book more than I disagree with it. The biggest problem about race in America is that we aren't talking about it. If you've ever tried, it's hard. I know personally I often just opt to fall out of a situation rather than talk about it, when faced with racial remarks in person. I wish I'd been stronger at those times, but as Tatum notes, you pay a price for being the person who makes others examine their actions. What I did was better than agreeing with them, but it still pales compared to what I could have done.

A book like this one is good for people who are already pretty far along the racial recognition progression, to see how others view the same concepts. It's not going to reach anyone who wants to defend their racist views, but I don't think Tatum expects it to. I think it does a great job of showing how people form their racial ideas, but struggles when discussing how to move from exploration to action. It might be unfair of me to have hoped that it would, however. I definitely recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the subject of racial identity and how that impacts on society. To answer Dr. Tatum's question of has she said anything helpful, the answer is definitely yes.

After all, her role is to start the discussion, either in a classroom or through this text. It's up to those of us who read the book to decide what to do next.

Teaching Books: The Heart of Teaching by Audrey J. Sirota with Laura Ianocone Taschek

[I'm not going to try to review the books I'm reading as part of my transition to becoming an educator. However, I do want to at least do summaries, both for myself and if anyone's interested. Consider these mini-reviews, if you will.]

This book offers a look at some actual lesson plans used by either individual or groups of teachers across a variety of grades and subjects that put a high focus on literacy, interactivity, and achievement.

They are grouped into sections based on the primary focus of the lesson (participation, complex thinking, making connections, etc.) and generally contain three examples for the reader to consider. In several cases, the reader is even allowed to see how the lesson plan was revised over time to make it better, based on either student feedback or seeing how it worked in the classroom.

Heart of Teaching shows how effective lesson plans can be created with scoring rubrics and goals based on state achievement tests without using the standard lecture format. In fact, in almost every case, the lessons were revised to reduce lecture time as much as possible. It also helps to show that creating a lesson plan does not need to be complex so much as it needs to be focused.

Holmes on the Range by Steve Hockensmith

It's always fun to see other writers play with the ideas created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle all those years ago. Some, like Laurie King, opt to use Holmes himself as a side character. Others try to write a book that fits neatly into the cannon.

In the case of Holmes on the Range, Hockensmith tries a different tack, and it works surprisingly well. Our story involves two cowboys who are down on their luck that get a job at a ranch that might not be all that it seems.

They're basically told to stay out of things, but that's not in the nature of Old Red Amlingmeyer, an avid reader of...The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Soon Old Red and his brother Big Red are doing "deducifyin'," whether the rest of the ranch hands want them to or not. Can they solve the crime before someone makes them stop permanently?

This is a fun variation on the Holmes script. Big Red, like Watson, narrates the adventure and is an often reluctant participant in the proceedings. His brother has an eye for detail, but he's nowhere near as arrogant as his idol and also not quite as good at staying out of trouble.

Hockensmith writes a book that features two men who are aware of how good Holmes is, and one who wants to emulate him. That doesn't mean they're perfect at it. In fact, just like Hockensmith might tell you he's not as good a writer as Doyle, the characters know they aren't going to be as good as the master detective. It's a conceit that might not work in other hands, but Hockensmith pulls it off in a convincing fashion.

Plus, his mystery is not too shabby. We're given a few likely suspects, but solving the crime will take more than just suspicion. After all, how can two drifters looking for a job be trusted? Getting over prejudice and finding a way to make things right give the plot some extra twists and turns. Plus, by the time we get to the end, unlike an 19th Century story, the crime itself is far more complicated.

I liked Holmes on the Range a great deal, and I need to get around to reading more by Hockensmith. If you're a mystery fan that likes the Holmes mythos or Westerns, give this a try. I think you'll be glad you did.

Everyday Racism by Annie S. Barnes

Any book dealing with racial issues is not easy to read. Sadly, issues of racism aren't something we can leave to the history books. It's very real and very current. Life would be better if that weren't the case, but since it is, we need to study racism in all its forms and learn how to combat it.

That's where a book like that by Ms. Barnes comes in. Rather than looking at racism as an issue of the past, she takes it into the daily life of Americans. Using a variety of real-life examples to bolster her arguments, Barnes shows how African Americans are still running into discrimination.

The stories are, quite honestly, brutal to read. It pains me to know that as a country, we often aren't any better than we were fifty years ago. There may not be segregated buses or schools, but the idea that I can get a separate check without thinking and a black person might not is horrible. Similarly, I don't have to worry about being followed at a store or held back from getting a job or being promoted.

We all know this happens, but I think everyone tends to treat it as a rare occurrence. When Denny's gets nailed for discrimination, it allows people to pretend that the issue is over. Unfortunately, that's not the case, not even close.

I know that I was offended when I was asked to join an all-white (I know because they didn't ask my black cross-street neighbors) neighborhood watch because the street was getting "crime ridden," which was blatant code. A security company tried the same thing with me. I hate the fact that this still happens, and I hate the fact that because I'm white, I'm supposed to go along with it. Further, I hate myself for not being firmer in my rejections.

That's exactly why we need a book like Everyday Racism. Barnes lays it out in page after page of very difficult reading. She uses examples from all classes and situations, so this is not a case of people discriminating because a person looks poor. Racism happens to affluent African Americans as well.

Barnes wrote the book knowing it would touch a nerve. That's the point. She doesn't even need to add much in the way of commentary--the stories do that for her. It's a chronicle more than an analysis. A fervent Christian, Barnes notes in her introduction that an awful lot of Christians don't practice very Christian actions towards minorities.

Each chapter also has a set of suggestions for both white and black people to deal with the racial issues presented. They're mostly about attitude and perceptions. None of them are earth-shattering, and most of them seem like no-brainers. Yet I bet you'd be surprised if you look around and realize just how often these little things don't happen.

If you don't want to have your perceptions challenged, then don't read Everyday Racism. I know that I came away from the book looking more closely at how I interact with people, both white and black. This book is designed as a place to start the conversation of racial relations. Anyone interested in doing so should definitely pick it up. Unfortunately, those who most need to read something like this probably won't.