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Show A&EDiversions Friday, April 2, 2010 Page 7 Book finds way to offer perspective "I lie down on my back and look up at the stars. Cleo lights a cigarette. James lights a joint. Just so you know, this is not where this story becomes a morality tale about teen smoking or drug use." (Simone, pg.17) want the whole world to know about. At least, not one that the whole world doesn't already know about. For my Young Adult Literature class, I recently read a book called "A Brief Chapter in my And indeed, this protagoChelsey Impossible Life." nist's life is not impossible I happened across the Gensel for any reason related to book, the first by author Dana Reinhardt, while smoking or drug use. Sure, there is some. Not really by engaged in a comprehensive Simone, and not really as Google search for another a key theme, but it is presbook entirely, and needless ent just like it is in the real to say, the title intrigued me, Grade Bworld. But it's not what this as titles are wont to do. "A Brief Chapter in witty, heart-and-soul honest I wanted to know why the my Impossible Life" tale is about. narrator's life was so imposMost of the time, when sible, what "brief" chapter by Dana Reinhardt I read a book for a class, I could fill the pages of a can recognize the merit of novel, and why this was the that book for its purpose in chapter chosen to make a the curriculum. I may like or even love the novel. book and keep my own copy to re-read at That narrator turned out to be Simone, my leisure. But I don't often read a book a levelheaded teenager (I know it sounds for school, even a literature class, that I paradoxical) of liberal atheist parents, Book Review and, oh yeah, she's adopted. She's always known this and never wanted to know more, until her birth mother makes contact with her parents, who urge her to reciprocate. She refuses adamantly, all the while going through a unique version of the typical high school experience - finding the right extracurricular activity, finding (and keeping) the right friends and maybe a boyfriend, being a big sister and so on. Turns out, she's Jewish, too. Learning more about her genetic heritage prompts Simone to struggle with her religious and cultural identity on top of everything else, and truth be told, I think she handles it remarkably well. Whether it is a flaw in the writing that makes it less believable or just a flawed sense of what "impossible" means, I don't think the title fits the novel. It is a great take on both youth and how adults react and interact with youth and addresses some critical points about the American culture, prejudice and identity in many of its forms, but I don't think it's impossible. The "twist" seems predictable from an objective standpoint, but I have to admit I didn't see it coming as I read. I enjoyed the character but sympathized with the minor characters as well, which is part of what makes me want this to be universally read. Even though it is all written in first person present-tense, from Simone's perspective, it somehow finds a way to offer perspective. Consider reading "A Brief Chapter in my Impossible Life" if you are looking for something that is light, fun and easy to read without being "fluffy." It deals with some heavy subject matter without weighing down the humorous, angsty and philosophical or political aspects of the storyline. Stay tuned for next week's episode of teenage religious identity struggle. Bear with me this one more time and I promise not to make it a theme, but - gay, Mormon. That's all I'm saying. - chelsey.gensel@aggiemail.usu.edu Stroke of inspiration found at laundromat T his week has been particularly difficult to find the necessary inspiration to produce a column. Most weeks, when an idea pops into my head, I will drop everything I am doing, race to my Behemoth laptop, pound the colorful keys and fill the computer screen with my meandering thoughts. But this week, alas, every idea I have churned has turned dud once I have gotten it out of my brain and into a Google doc. Meaning long and wordy and hard to comprehend. Stale. My ideas are fine, I never lack ideas, but my writing is stale. I have written and rewritten and tried to rejuvenate former musings over and over to no avail. My writing style has been sickening me as of late. I am not proud of it, not one bit. I am annoyed, irritated and irked by it. Blech, biff, barf. For instance, I had a keen idea that the Performance Hall on our campus should dispense scantrons through the funky holes adorning the exterior of it, or at least sharpen pencils or something useful, but every time I attempted to express this proposal with written word, it refused to make sense. My roughly conceived column ended up being nothing more than unintelligible stupidness, especially when I tried to explain my bonanzical epiphany that the "Price is Right" gameshow ought to create a Plinko display along the side of the aforementioned musical venue. Do any of you even know what Plinko is? Are you confused by my inarticulateness? I am. Other article ideas streamed unsuc- cessfully through my fingertips. A doomed writers block. I would say that I have a temdescription of that one time I organized my porary delusion of hindered capability. Just great aunt's Tupperware drawer, matching like the polluted inversion that gets stuck each lid to each container. An ineffective over Logan until it snows or rains away, my retelling of a memory when I hid from the pessimistic mind-set is hovering above my bus in middle school because I did not want writing, interfering with any sort of bold or to race hurdles at the track meet. A useless communicable communication from my travelogue regarding my visitation to each brain to my column. computer lab on campus. A feeble obserFresh changes in scenery do wonders to my writing, so I decidvational analysis of the vocal habits and quirks ed to move my lazy Mostly unknown to employed by Utahns. bum to a new location. the common man, Decent, interesting Instead of sitting lonesome in my room tryideas, right? But fails, laundromats are each and every one. ing to hammer out some These musings are past incredibly inspiring, hackneyed statements, recovery because they I walked a few blocks mostly because the have been drafted to away from my house to people that patronize death by my critical the nearest laundromat them are incredibly judgments. They just to try my luck there. don't got no flow no Mostly unknown unusual. more, and though a douto the common man, ble negative may have laundromats are incredibly inspiring, mostly altered the true meaning of this sentence, I think you catch my drift. because the people that patronize them Hm? Drift caught? are incredibly unusual. There was a man, Maybe my stale writing is an indication probably in his late 50s, rocking the world that my life is stale. My brain is indeed out of a vintage pinball machine. I observed fried, meaning I need a break more than with curious awe as he beat the previous anything. While you had your Spring Break, record like it was a walk in the park. dear readers, I was teaching and yearning I put a ten dollar bill into the change for the day I'd get mine, three weeks later. machine and felt like a winner hitting jackDo you know how hard it is to read the pot as ten dollars worth of quarters started Facebook statuses regarding everybody's to cascade into the monetary berth for my rockin' Spring Break when you are not per- gathering. sonally celebrating one? Let me tell ya, it is I took note that the four green Speed not enjoyable. In fact, it is plumb difficult. Queen dryers had names: John, Joe, Hall So anyway, I would not say that I have and Greg. I put my wet clothes into Greg. I forgot to put my fabric softener sheet into the dryer. Then I sat underneath my laptop and basked in deep, loaded questions that lit my mind with inspiration as well as static electricity. Examples: Why does the New York brand of croutons have Texas-style croutons? Why does it snow in spring? Why do cashiers ask me if I have found everything all right, when they honestly couldn't careless? Why did the personality test I took tell me I am an otter? Why are leopard print snuggies so wonderful? Why do mandarin orange cups always squirt juice when they are opened? Readers, just so you officially know, this column was groundbreakingly typed in a laundromat. I hope you feel your five minutes reading this pointless garbage was well spent. Now excuse me as I retrieve my clothes. Melissa Condie is a senior majoring in music education. Questions or comments can be sent to her at m.condie@aggiemaiLusu.edu There was afarmer who had a cow The Diamond Wholesale Fable S. E. Needham IV C ustomers occasionally ask me about retailers who use the word "wholesale" to promote their businesses. There are countless retailers who use this tactic all across the country, both in and out of the jewelry industry. The word wholesale means that the item being sold will then be resold. When it is resold, sales tax will be charged. Whenever an item is sold to a consumer, it is being sold as retail, whether the business calls it retail or not. Thus wholesale to the public is a misnomer. Retailers who use the word wholesale in their advertising may think it is the only way they can be successful. The word wholesale may cause many to assume they are getting a better price and to not compare. They may get a good price or they may not, but they have based their decision on the misuse of a THE AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT HOSTED Barnyard Bingo Wednesday. Sections of the Quad were marked as personal bingo squares. However, the cow escaped and ran around Old Main. TODD JONES photo Sto re Hours: Monday - Saturday 10:00 - 7:00 word rather than on true comparisons of value. When retailers (anyone who sells to the public) use the word "wholesale" they are hoping that customers will assume that they are getting a "special deal" that another business cannot offer. Those who fall prey to such misrepresentation do not necessarily get a better price. We use the name "S.E. Needham Jewelers" in our advertising, as it accurately portrays who we are. We are jewelers who are confident in our prices and services. S.E. Needham is my name. It is the name of my great-grandfather, my grandfather, my father, and now my son. We strive to keep our customers happy with fair and honest transactions, hoping that clients past and future will appreciate us for it. Where Utah Gets we .141 North Main • 752-7149 www.seneedhancorn !diddle of tar loloele du el,' tip of the clog !_ |