Friday, October 16, 2009

Death and Truth


This is a wonderful book written from the perspective of 'death.'  It's supposedly for young adults, but I'm wondering about this classification because the content is so 'adult.' I bought it because a fellow blogger recommended it (www.thehollydays.blogspot.com). It got me thinking about the books I'd stolen. I can't remember the title of the first one because, years after the theft, I returned it to the library. The guilt was eating me up, mostly because I equate reading with being morally superior.

The second book I stole was "The Once And Future King." I borrowed it from a friend and I never bothered returning it. I feel really guilty about this one, because the friend is now dead (she died of breast cancer - this is another whole post - 14 women that I grew up with, within a one mile radius, have or had breast cancer - and that's just the ones I know about - 'downwind theories' anybody?).

The third (and I hope the last) book I stole was this one:

When I performed with Utah Opera's outreach program to the schools, we travelled to Hildale/Colorado City - home of the polygmists. This was a couple of years before they moved to their compound in Texas. We did a very cute operatic version of "Little Red Riding Hood." While I was in the teacher's lounge, I spotted this yearbook. After seeing so many children with braids and eyes on the sides of their heads, I knew I had to have this book. Here is the page with Allen Steed, who twenty years after this picture was taken, was married to his under-aged cousin in a ceremony performed by Warren Jeffs. Both were prosecuted, but I believe Allen is innocent, considering the inbreeding and his years of conditioning in the sect
(and besides, look at his face. He is in the middle, bottom row with glasses).






Allen at trial.
This breaks my heart,
but the statutory rape
of his cousin
is also wrenching.








Another book like "The Book Thief," written from an interesting perspective is "Living with the Truth." This is a book written by fellow blogger, Jim Murdoch (www.jim-murdoch.blogspot.com). Instead of death, his character gets to spend an infuriating two days with the personification of truth. You can buy this book here.

8 comments:

  1. Aw, that was sweet. I got a mention. Thank you.

    I can't actually remember misappropriating a book. I stole enough things as a kid but not books. I suspect that was because books were really not a big part of my life till much later when the fear of being caught was much more powerful than the need to possess a book.

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  2. Don't think I've ever been the thief, but have had a good many books never returned, in most cases that was okay in the long run.

    I love the observation, "eyes on the side of their heads" -- and I think I see what you mean.

    Thanks for the note on these books which I will keep in mind ... so many books, so little time. And I'm a slow reader.

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  3. Glad to know that I'm not the only one who "stole" books, especially ones that are out of print. Thanks for admitting you did it also. I never equated readers with being morally superior, just people who have a curious mind and are always searching....perfect book? Another life? Easing pain? Escape?

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  4. I was tongue-in-cheek with the 'morally superior' description of myself as a book-reader. Sometimes I've felt less than authentic in my intellectual pursuits.

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  5. I took that as tongue-in-cheek. Just thought I would add other reasons, also tongue-in-cheek, because who knows?

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  6. I have a picture of my son with Bo. He also loves Bo. He is kind of cute.

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  7. I'll put the picture of him on my sidebar by tomorrow and then I'll take it down on Wed. It's blurry because it was taken with a telephone.

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  8. Sorry to leave so many messages, but it's on Memory Blog sidebar at the top.

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