The Himrich Library, 11/28/24
Godzilla, robots, history books and other things to be thankful for.
Hello, everyone! Here we are with Thanksgiving and the start of another holiday season upon us. No doubt most of you will be enjoying a nice big meal with your families today. I'll be doing the same: though my family doesn't travel for Thanksgiving, my parents and I still go all out on making a turkey, stuffing, cranberries, et cetera (not to mention a DELICIOUS cheesy corn bake). And we can't forget to accommodate my little brother, whose essential holiday tradition is feasting on the same meal that Charlie Brown and his friends make in A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving—toast, pretzel sticks, popcorn and jelly beans. Yeah, it's actually really fun, you should try it sometime.
Normally I wouldn't give much thought to Thanksgiving preparations. It's pretty low down on my list of preferred holidays (though not at the very bottom: that would be the Fourth of July). But things have been a little crappy this year, in case you haven't noticed. So in an effort to preserve my sanity, I intend to at least embrace the part of Thanksgiving where you actually give thanks.
What am I thankful for, you ask? I have a roof over my head. I have a job I love. I'm working on projects that I'm passionate about. I have parents who (mostly) support my creative endeavors. I've got amazing friends, a big book collection and two adorable cats. I get to venture out into the world to learn new things, see cool stuff and do fun activities all the time. And yeah, things look pretty bleak in the world right now. But the way I choose to deal with that is to not lose sight of the good things I still have in my life, the things that make life worth living. If you're still feeling blue, I recommend you do the same.
Set aside some time this Thanksgiving to just contemplate the people and things that you cherish the most. Stay at home, hang out with your loved ones, eat some good food, do something fun. Enjoy being alive.
What I've Been Doing
I've actually been quite busy these past couple weeks. I had intended to make a post like this covering the stuff I did the weekend before last, but now I have stuff from this past weekend to talk about too!
- Two Saturdays ago, I attended an author's conference at my local library. Over the course of two and a half hours, four different speakers gave presentations on a variety of subjects related to writing. We learned about resources for doing research, the pros and cons of traditional publishing and how writers can adapt to a world increasingly driven by generative AI. The writing couple Will and Julia Thomas hosted an extended talk in which they outlined their individual creative processes and the intersecting journeys they undertook to become published writers. Overall, it made for a lively and informative Saturday morning.
- Just a few hours later, I headed off to the local independent cinema for a very special treat: a screening of the original Godzilla (1954) to celebrate that landmark film's 70th anniversary. It was a packed house, of course, and we all sat in rapt awe at the grim majesty of Ishirō Honda's masterpiece. I don't exaggerate when I call it one of the best and most important sci-fi/horror films ever made. We also had the privilege of being joined by William Tsutsui, the author of Godzilla on My Mind: Fifty Years of the King of the Monsters. Tsutsui introduced the film and led a discussion with the audience afterwards, highlighting different interpretations of the film and its titular kaiju. We considered how Japanese viewers in 1954 would have linked the events of the film to their own recent history and used the fictional horror of Godzilla's rampage as an outlet for grieving their own wartime trauma. I had an incredible time at this event: it felt like I was back in some of my favorite college classes, watching and analyzing a film with a room full of fellow invested students.
- A week later, I found myself back at that same cinema for another special treat. This time I was there to see Fritz Lang's Metropolis on the big screen, accompanied by a live score. But not just any score: this was a heavy metal soundtrack composed and performed by The Silent Light, an LA-based musical group that specializes in creating new scores for silent films. Even though I'm not a metalhead by any means, I still appreciated this experience as an example of how music helps create the mood of a film. Metropolis is one of the rare silents where we have modern recordings of the original intended score. It's a grand, old-school orchestral affair, as you might expect for a 1920s epic film. TSL's score gives the film an angrier, more bitter edge. Its eerie electronic effects draw focus to the creepier elements of the story, while the pounding drums and wailing guitar emphasize the rage of the exploited working class in the titular dystopian city. I really enjoyed having an opportunity to finally see this classic on a big screen, as well as getting to hear music I wouldn't have encountered otherwise.
What I've Been Writing
For most of this month I have focused mainly on my fiction projects. The first draft of my novella is approaching the 10,000-word point, though it's nowhere near complete yet. I'm also working on a short story in response to a specific publication calling for submissions. I won't be talking about that just yet, but you'll hear more from me about it no matter how that turns out. If the piece gets accepted, I'll make an announcement and tell you where to read it as soon as it's ready. If not, I'll just post the story here.
What I've Been Reading
For the past couple weeks I've divided my time between several different books. Most of them are research for my novella, while a few others are just for fun. The one I'm going to highlight for you today is Founding Partisans, a nonfiction book by the historian H.W. Brands.
Focusing on the years between the end of the American Revolution and the turn of the nineteenth century, Founding Partisans charts the emergence of rival parties in American politics, born from the fierce debate over whether or not the nation should adopt a centralized government via the Constitution. I'm listening to the audiobook, but I do wish I had a physical copy to pore over as well. The text is rich and detailed, and Brands often uses extended quotes from his primary sources. I keep wanting to go back and spend more time with the material.
I'm attending an event next week where Brands himself will be interviewed and do book signings, so I wanted to read one of his books beforehand. I picked Founding Partisans because I think its central subject is relevant to the turbulence and division we're currently experiencing in America. Weird as this may sound, it's actually somewhat reassuring to learn fun facts like "James Madison thought the Federalists were going to ignore the will of the people and overthrow the government back in 1800." It illuminates the fact that there is no glorious past where Americans all got along and knew exactly what they were doing. We've always been having these conflicts between rich and poor, rural and urban areas, state governments and the federal government. What's more, our founders never had all the answers about how to solve the problems posed by these conflicts. They only began the work of building a nation: it's our responsibility to learn from their mistakes and evolve their ideas to fit our changing world. And that, I think, will be important to remember as we head into 2025.
I'll see you back here soon. Once again, I hope you have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!
—Dana
