self-discovery

How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly

admin — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

The title of Connie May Fowler’s novel How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly comes close to saying it all. It is the story of a thirty-five-year-old woman’s inner struggle for independence and self-acceptance, which she slowly succeeds at achieving over the course of one single day—the summer solstice of 2006.

The novel takes place in the hot, sticky forests and savannas of northern Florida, and it starts as one imagines the weather might feel. Slow moving, but full of detail, the reader learns about the immediate situation Clarissa finds herself in, as well as her surroundings.

While Clarissa is in the kitchen of her sixteen-room, century-old house, her husband of seven years is outside taking photographs of naked women. He is an artist, and Clarissa is a bestselling author who hasn’t written anything in more than thirteen months. Instead of writing, she focuses her creative energies into meticulously detailed daydreams about the death of her husband.

Fowler makes it clear from the start that Clarissa is in a loveless, emotionally destructive marriage. While her husband works on his “art,” he lives off of Clarissa’s money and treats her like she's worthless. Coming from a childhood with an abusive mother and no father, Clarissa realizes she is a doormat, but doesn’t know how to overcome it. Luckily, on that summer morning, a switch flips inside of Clarissa's mind when she realizes how trapped she is. What she experiences afterward not only inspires her to write again, but inspires her to change her life, to “learn to fly” in more ways than one.

The novel focuses on Clarissa’s journey, but is told from the perspective of many. Clarissa’s house is haunted by the family who once lived (and died) there. There is a grounded angel and a carnival of dwarfs in town, and several of Clarissa’s inner voices prod her into taking action instead of waiting for things to happen. Every character she happens across that day seems to help to remind her that she is worth something.

Fowler does an admirable job of making a story that’s been told original and exciting. Clarissa’s story culminates with a storm, which picks up the pace considerably. This is welcomed after the slow, winding road the novel has gone down up until that point. The transformation she goes through is satisfying, but mainly because she is so insecure (almost unbelievably so at times) throughout the majority of the novel. Her situation is extreme, but her lack of confidence in herself and the decisions she makes is relatable. People need validation in their lives, and, thankfully, once Clarissa receives it she moves on.

Written by: Jill Hindenach, March 27th 2010

My Estonia: Passport Forgery, Meat Jelly Eaters, and Other Stories

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:00:00 +0000

By Justin Petrone

Petrone Press

Long Island native Justin Petrone, like many young people, wanted to shake up his life after graduating from college. He wasn’t sure how, but he managed to do it in a big way. My Estonia tells his true story of a life-altering year of love and timeliness.

“Finland really was my last hope. It was calling me in my sleep from Helsinki: an open-air mental institution on the other side of the world.” Little did he know joining a foreign correspondence program wouldn’t just change his direction for a few shorts weeks. Ultimately, his compass would be facing north for a time longer than he ever imagined.

On his first day in Finland, he met the captivating Estonian named Epp. She wasn’t so much concerned with direction as long as she was moving. Justin quickly fell in love with her as she took him on a winding road to Estonia through England, France, Italy, and Ireland. Once it was decided they would marry, they settled for a while in Estonia so Epp could finish school.

As his time in Estonia progressed, Justin discovered the good, the bad, and the beautiful of this little country that many Americans are unable to locate on a world map. The small size of Estonia allowed him to explore the medieval old town of Tallinn, the hip university area of Tartu, and the bogs of the south.

He moved to Estonia in January, a time of year when the country is covered with ice and snow, and was hit by bitter cold days and a darkness that falls by mid-afternoon. Although he handled the weather well, other things didn’t come as easily: “When most people think about adjusting to life in a northern country during the winter, they think about being depressed by the dark and the cold and turning to alcohol for relief. But wasn’t the weather that starved me of joy in Estonia; it was the awful food.”

Through humor and humility I was able to connect with his experience. It also helps that I’ve been to Estonia and related to many of his observations. The one aspect of Estonia that I do disagree with, though, is his initial interpretation of the people. He never displays contempt or even very much irritation, but does paint them as not being personable. I’d agree their culture isn’t as open armed as, say, Brazilians or Italians are, but I was met with a lot of kindness and felt very welcome during my stay.

From his description of Tallinn’s Old Town to the college town of Tartu, anyone will become intrigued by this unique nation. This could be seen as a travel novel for people who have an interest in Estonia, but underneath is a much deeper story. Anyone who has moved somewhere unfamiliar, or unexpectedly fallen in love, can relate to this book. Even if you’ve only imagined finding love in an exotic place, this would be an interesting read for you.

Written by: Andrea Hance, March 3rd 2010

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:27:00 +0000

Directed by Rebecca Miller

Elevation Filmworks

It's always a relief when the author of a novel decides to take its film adaptation into her own hands, especially if the author also happens to be a fairly seasoned writer-director for the screen. In The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, Rebecca Miller recreates her original character study in her own image, bringing the story of a misguided youth-turned-Stepford Wife to brilliant, riveting life.

The film starts off quietly, with the kind of domestic dinner party scene we've come to expect from tales of unfulfilled suburban housewives such as these, but the event actually turns out to be in honor of Pippa's fiftieth birthday. I must admit it took me more than a few minutes to accept Robin Wright Penn (Forrest Gump, Nine Lives) as a fifty-year-old woman; even with the aging makeup, the forty-three-year-old actress' youthful glow still manages to emanate. However, there is a method to this casting choice; it quickly becomes apparent that Pippa's physical appeal is an integral part of her character, a beguiling mask that has always brought her just as much trouble as it has helped her to avoid.

Pippa is a doting wife to her much older husband (Alan Arkin) and a loving mother to her son and daughter, even in the face of their disapproval, but there is little life or substance to her. Penn's interpretation of the character is a remarkable transformation, as she uses a much higher vocal register and carries herself with almost no conviction or purpose. Her Pippa—at least for the first part of the film—is a bit of a ghost, a stark contrast to the independent, inaccessible roles the actress has often portrayed in the past. When Pippa makes the terrifying discovery that she is having a nervous breakdown, the character is inspired to reexamine all the traumas that have led her to her quiet suburban life, and she—and Penn—take an acute turn right before our eyes. Pippa gives up her mask, revealing a resilient woman who is both piteous and funny as she drives herself mad.

If you haven't read the book (which I haven't), the film is delightfully unpredictable. I was pleasantly surprised to be transported to Pippa's unorthodox childhood, to spend so much time on her carousel of questionable caretakers, from her speed addict mother (the wonderful Maria Bello) to her über-cool, über-liberal Aunt Kat (Julianne Moore). As a Gossip Girl skeptic, I gave a huge sigh when Blake Lively first appeared as teenage Pippa, but she turned out to be surprisingly effective, standing her ground in the formidable shadow of Penn. A scene between Lively and Bello in which Pippa takes her mother's drugs as an experiment in empathy is absolutely heart wrenching.

Winona Ryder is also a surprising highlight as Pippa's extremely neurotic, needy, and often hysterical friend. She provides a hilarious counterpoint to Penn, sweating the small stuff very publicly while Pippa suffers a lifetime of disaster in complete silence.

To reveal more about Pippa's past (and future) would detract from the joy of watching it unfold on screen—and it is an utter joy, even as upsetting as the protagonist's circumstances sometimes are. Though I have yet to read Miller's book, I would imagine that Pippa's tale of rediscovery could not have found a better interpretation.

Written by: Caitlin Graham, January 13th 2010

East of the Sun

admin — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:00:00 +0000

By Julia Gregson

Touchstone

East of the Sun follows the journey of three young women and their quest for love, life, and self-discovery in the autumn of 1928. The story begins in London with Viva Holloway, an orphan and aspiring writer who takes on the responsibility of chaperoning three young adults—Rose, Tor and Guy—in traveling to India. Upon receiving word of a trunk belonging to her late parents resting with a family friend in Simla, Viva embarks on this journey to fill the missing blanks of her childhood in India, and ultimately gain control of her life.

Rose is a naive, beautiful, young girl who is soon to be married to Jack Chandler, a cavalry officer in India. As we follow her voyage, we discover many facets of her personality, which unfold one by one as she discovers her life and its many shades of grey. As she boards Kaiser-i-Hind, the ship that takes her to India, Rose feels a mix of anxiousness in marrying a man she barely knows, and sadness as she leaves behind her beloved parents. Will Rose discover love or heartbreak? We follow her as she grows into a woman and endures life’s not-so-happy surprises.

Victoria “Tor” Sowerby, Rose’s best friend and bridesmaid, is the complete opposite of Rose. Despite her persistence to settle down with an eligible suitor, she lacks self-esteem, which is complemented by her mother’s constant criticism of her body image. For Tor, the journey to India is an escape from her overpowering mother and a quest to find the love of her life. Tor’s emotions are more public than any of the other characters depicted in the story and that is what makes her the most interesting character to observe. Will she find love that lasts or will she have to return back home alone?

Gregson carves a beautiful journey of the lives of three passionate women, each wanting their own share of fairy tale happiness in life. As the characters develop the story gains complexity yet it retains the innocence with which each of the women began their journey. Throughout the book we witness each characters’ evolution into an individual, and how their friendships never lose ties.

The story combines suspense and thrill to evolve into a drama, which keeps the audience turning pages, while Tor adds the comedic touch to the plot with her flamboyant personality. As the characters cross paths several times in India, we witness violence and hope amidst the end of the British Raj and colonialism, and the start of independence within both the country and the characters.

East of the Sun is an historical fiction novel with a backdrop of Indian culture. As Viva, Rose, and Tor battle the violence within their lives and in a nation wrestling for freedom, every character heals herself, and eventually emerges fresh. The peaceful teachings of Gandhi that are faintly touched on in the story are in line with the book’s ultimate message of love, hope, and resolution.

Cross-posted with Gender Across Borders

Written by: Maria Khan, September 4th 2009