The Devil in the White City doesn't have a lot of pictures for a book that focuses on a visual event such as architecture at the 1893 World's Fair. That is a little frustrating for me since I like visuals.

Fortunately, lots of images survive from those days. Here are a few to help keep your interest level up as you read the book and prepare for our book forum.

The guy to the left is Daniel Burnham, the hero of the book. Well, he is the hero of the book if you like the architecture which characterized the fair. Some folks frown upon the neoclassical stuff, but I like it.

This next picture is Frederick Law Olmstead, the landscape architect. Some might say that he was quite a hero of the fair, too. His landscaping efforts certainly were a star of the show. Personally, I am surprised that Olmstead was able to accomplich as much as he did since we Americans don't seem to pay much attention to the lay of the land. We just sort of cram in as much stuff as will fit.

The Ferris wheel was a big hit at the fair. The engineer who built the darn thing must have been quite a risk-taker. Can you imagine getting into one of the cars for the first ride? Apparently, this was how engineers tested their inventions back then? I enjoyed the passages in the book which described nuts and bolts raining down on the roofs of the passenger cars during the test run.

At any rate, the picture compares the Ferris wheel of 1893 with the current one on the Navy Pier in Chicago. I didn't realize how ambitions Ferris had been until I saw this comparison.

If you want to look at the buildings and grounds of the fair, then a quick search on Google will give you lots of results. Here is one picture that features the large statue. You can see the main buildings surrounding the Grand Basin.

I sympathize with the fans of the fair who were sad to see these temporary buildings torn down. However, I am not as big a fan of the large scale of the buildings as the people of 1893 Chicago. Things seem huge and impersonal. I noticed the same thing when I visited Chicago recently and sat down by a fountain in Lincoln Park. It was enormous. I prefer a smaller fountain in a nice, quiet courtyard.

The last picture is of a building in Tacoma, Washington. It was designed by the firm of Burnham and Root. Apparently, it is one of just a few surviving buildings on the west coast by this firm. I was struck by how sad the little building looks. It seems a fitting end for this blog entry since the last few pages of the book remind me of this building.

Hopefully you are enjoying the book or are preparing to enjoy it. The snow days allowed me to finish up today. We'll see you in April at our book forum.

Devil in the White CIty

Devil in the White City? The 1893 World's Fair? What is going on here?

Well, the going's on are an intriguing selection for our book forum. Devil in the White City is our selection for One Book One BU this April. Be sure to contact Melissa Flannery if you want a copy. We'll have an early order for the Christmas readers and another order this spring.

Here is a nice set of discussion questions in case you finish the book early and like to think big thoughts. It is a good sign for a me when a book is popular with book clubs. For me, it means that the book is readable and worthwhile at the same time. Check the guide at http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides3/devil_white_city1.asp


Here is the publisher's web page for the book. It is actually a pretty cool-looking page. The title of the book may have inspired a web designer: http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/devilinthewhitecity/home.html

Next up for One Book One BU is a mercy by Toni Morrison. We meet on Friday, October 16 at 2:30 pm in the Humanities Training Room 202. Remember to eat a light lunch on that day since great food and drink will be served.

Morrison's biography is available at http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/tmorris.htm in case you are curious about this winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize for Literature. I have heard much about her, but I have not read her work before. I look forward to this forum.

Curious to see if this book deserves your time and attention? As usual, the Christian Science Monitor does a nice job of keeping us informed. Check their book review of a mercy at http://features.csmonitor.com/books/2008/11/04/a-mercy/

I don't think we can afford to bring Morrison to campus for our forum. Here is the next best thing - she reads from a mercy on this video at YouTube. Enjoy! And, don't forget to give your $5 to Melissa Flannery for your copy of the book. We'll see you in October.

Our forum date is rapidly approaching. Have you read the book? You might want to set aside a bit more time than usual - this was sort of a slower book for me. It took me a little longer than usual.

Penguin Books has some great discussion questions available for book clubs. Would you like to get a head start on thinking big thoughts about The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao? Browse to http://us.penguingroup.com/static/rguides/us/brief_and_wondrous_life_of_oscar_wao.html and take a look.

I finished the book last week. Did I like it? Would I recommend it? Well, here is a review that mirrors my feelings about this particular book. It also has some study questions. http://bookclubclassics.com/Blog/sunday-salon-oscar-wao/

I bumped into a Theology professor from Creighton University last week. I mentioned The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and he came to life. It turns out he takes a trip with students each year to the Dominican Republic for mission work there. He had a lot to say about the book, which is a good sign that it is worthy of attention.

We'll see you on July 10 at 2:00 pm in the Humanities Training Room 202.

Our fearless committee has met, discussed, pondered, agonized, and finally decided. Here are the three books for our upcoming 2009-2010 academic year:

1. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz
2. A Mercy, by Toni Morrison
3. Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America, by Erik Larson

As usual, there were many contenders for the three slots. The Glass Castle almost made the cut. The Age of Innocence was in and out of the top three. Beloved by Toni Morrison, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah; the list goes on and on.

We scheduled our first forum on Friday, July 10 at 2:00 pm in Humanities 202. Contact Melissa Flannery to reserve a spot and order a copy of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. As usual, the university buys the book for you, and you pay $5 to Melissa to cover the cost of refreshments.

The Powers That Be at Bellevue University have pledged their support for this community-building event. In other words, you have the blessing of your boss to come and discuss a great book. Hey, bosses have each other's blessings to come, too!

Curious about The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao? Check the review in the New York Times at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/books/review/Scott-t.html Better yet, skip the review and read the book first - it is short and sweet and well worth the time.

As Groucho Marx once said, outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. We'll see you in July!

Recommendations for Future Book Forums?

Any suggestions for books for our three forums in 2009-2010? Our committee always wrestles with these decisions, so feel free to suggest a book. Just leave a comment and we'll be glad to take a look.

Here are our general criteria:

• Available in paperback - our budget has limits.
• Relatively short books – we try to avoid long books such as War and Peace or Moby Dick.
• Elements in the book that lend themselves to lively discussions.
• Readable - we are looking for books that interest a diverse audience.
• Typically works of fiction, although a non-fiction book that appeals to a wide audience would be good, too.
• A book worthy of attention from a university.

Perhaps the highest compliment for a book selection is when someone says, "I probably wouldn't have read that book on my own, but I sure am glad that I read it."

Th

Master Butcher's Singing Club

The Master Butcher's Singing Club is our selection for our spring book forum. Louise Erdrich deserves the high praise she receives from literary critics and casual readers alike for her vivid characters and compelling plot lines. My wife and I tried to share a copy but we kept swiping it from each other. "Hey, where is that book - I want to read it tonight." It is one of those books that you want to keep reading once you start.

I grew up in South Dakota, and so I am familiar with the stoicism necessary to endure the harsh landscape of this novel. And, I can empathize with the characters as they discover each other's secrets and rely on each other's support during the unexpected twists and turns of their tightly scripted and yet strangely ad-hoc lives. I highly recommend curling up with The Master Butcher's Singing Club on a cold January day and letting yourself get lost in the story.

Be sure to contact Melissa Flannery to sign up. Cost is $5 to help cover the cost of refreshments, and the university picks up the cost of your book. We meet in the Training Room in the Humanities Building at 2:30 pm on either Thursday, February 19th or Friday, February 20th.