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Visionaires,<br><br>I've been able to do a lot more reading this summer than ever before, and I wanted to recommend one of the most stirring, profoundly affecting novels I've come across in decades -- Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, which I got at Bookpeople before our Canada trip.<br><br>It takes place in 18th-century China and involves the (utterly barbaric) ritual of footbinding, the class divisions inherent among rural Chinese of the time, and the development and use of <span style="font-style: italic;">nu shu</span>, believed to be the only written language developed and used solely by and for women. My commitment to non-violence would be sorely tested by anyone who
refers to it as "chick lit," but I rank it with The Color Purple,
Little Women, and Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon as one of the
truly life-changing books I've read. I generally read non-fiction with an emphasis on theology and current events, and I chose this on a lark because, well, I was managing to bore even those closest to me with "here's a neat thing I read recently." I rarely feel so strongly about a book that I'd publicly announce its effect on me, but this one really got to me. <br><br>And yes, there's a non-fiction recommendation, too -- "Kingdom Coming," an exploration of the effect of "dominion theology" on the United States over the last three decades. Fascinating, well-documented, and a kick in the butt necessary for those who think that "tolerance" requires keeping silent, ignoring, or explaining away the menace around you.<br><br>Hey, I may be trying to lighten up a bit by reading fiction, but Keely wouldn't be Keely without some dreary tome about fringe religious beliefs, would she? Now, where's my copy of <span style="font-style: italic;">The National Enquirer</span> ???????<br><br>keely<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">"And these women that you spit on as they try to change their worlds/</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Are immune to your consultations . . . they're quite aware of what they're going through"</span><br>(With apologies to David Bowie)<br><br /><hr />Find a local pizza place, movie theater, and more….then map the best route! <a href='http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&ss=yp.bars~yp.pizza~yp.movie%20theater&cp=42.358996~-71.056691&style=r&lvl=13&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=950607&encType=1&FORM=MGAC01' target='_new'>Find it!</a></body>
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