For Our Better Angels
Books, music, stories, and the art that helps us remember who we are
By Clay Hipp
Salem Cove, Maurice Prendergast, American Painter, 1858 - 1924
I have to say that lately I have been very engaged in my own concerns about us and our country. It might have been therapeutic for a while, but it needs to stop. We need to refocus on each other and our relationships, and on supporting and raising our collective spirits.
In that context, I would like to make a few suggestions about turning to some things that represent our better angels: some reading, music and art, and communing.
First, I have found great solace in reading some very fine literary fiction that I recommend now and for the summer.
I do not wish to demean anyone’s preferences, but these are books that have been particularly engaging and to which I have found a need to return are those which offer style, theme, and psychological complexity. Two recent examples are extremely different in time and place:
-- The Oceans and the Stars: A Sea Story, A War Story, A Love Story by Mark Helprin. The title tells it all. It is contemporary and takes the reader somewhere they might not want to go—the Middle East—and it is about a war. It is a very fine glimpse into the essential nature of global conflict. However, the essential story is about the character of a single man, a naval officer who captains a very unique vessel and must assemble his crew on very short notice in order to embark on a very uncertain engagement. The reader will learn about what military leadership (or any kind) should be—both realistic and inspirational. Each of the three stories is fully developed. The reader will learn much of value from all three. Epic.
-- Riders of the Purple Sage, by Zane Grey. From the early part of the twentieth century, a book that some might refer to as just a “Western.” I have known the title for a long time, but I was never particularly drawn to the genre. Sure, I saw movies about Hopalong Cassidy and Roy Rogers, but they were mostly about chase scenes and silly shooting while riding a horse. Great Saturday entertainment at the Strand theater but nothing to take home to Mom.
Somehow, I was reminded of the adventurous title and the famous author and wondered why, avid reader that I was, that I had never checked it out at the library. Perhaps my kind librarian Miss Reba Scott had warned me away. Or perhaps, the fates were saving it until now. Glad that they did. Turns out that Zane Grey was a prolific and very talented prose artist (and on a variety of subjects).
Read this and laugh and cry and wonder at the stories from the wild west (Arizona/Utah). There is of course conflict over land rights, but much more including religious conflict (Mormon and Gentile). Perhaps even more importantly, very fine lessons in character and human psychology. Perhaps the greatest joy comes from Grey’s descriptive portrayal of the vast geography. A revelation.
Second, some favorite music.
-- Appalachian Concerto, the Kruger Brothers. If you are in a Classical, but contemporary, mood, this is just the ticket. One of the brothers, Jens, is one of the finest banjo players going and an accomplished composer. Though he and his brother … (a very good guitar player though not quite the virtuoso as Jens) were invited to Merlefest thirty years ago for their bluegrass skills. Wait a minute you say. Where does the Concerto come from, a cover? No, his very own composition and written for bluegrass trio and a string quartet. We attended the premiere at MerleFest fifteen years ago in front of 1000 people and there was a standing ovation before the last movement started. They have recorded several more of his long pieces since. This concerto will make you cry; it represents our mountains so well.
-- Unentitled, John Gorka. The latest in a long string of albums written and performed by one of the best singer/songwriters for the last forty years. Here, he showcases a very reflective group of songs that demonstrate both his maturity and the times we are living in—so very “listenable.” Treat yourself to someone I would declare to be songwriting “royalty.”
-- Father’s Son, Pierce Pettis. Also a sterling writer/performer for four decades. He can be funny, poignant, a storyteller “par excellence,” who spins beautiful love songs as well. Here he reflects on his long life, his days and nights on the road, and relationships of all kinds. His voice has deepened over time to an almost hoarse, but deeply resonant, baritone. Much like Gorka his live performances are “heart to heart.” They each engage their audiences with a sense of gratitude and thanks for making their chosen lives possible. I cannot help but say “folks my Mama didn’t raise no fool and in terms of vocal music, it don’t get no better than this—regardless of the genre.” Hope it speaks to you.
Some movie recommendations…
I am taking a big chance here. I am decidedly not a movie buff, but I do follow friendly advice (especially from those who know my shortcoming) when someone says, “you really should watch this one.”
I am asking you to consider this in that spirit. It will not hurt my feelings if your reaction is “are you kidding me?!” I understand informed biases. Life is too short.
--Star Trek, the Next Generation, Gene Roddenberry. Captain Jean Luc Picard (played by the distinguished Shakespearean actor Patrick Stewart) is the reincarnation of Captain James Kirk of the earlier version of Star Trek from the 1960’s. While Kirk was more of a swaggering “cowboy,” Picard is an erudite gentleman and also a caring human being with an extremely difficult job. He captains a huge spaceship called the Enterprise whose mission is to find and explore new worlds and “to boldly go where no one has gone before.”
The ship resembles a small city populated by crew and families to perform all the tasks needed to carry out daily life. The heart of the story involves the officers of the command bridge. They are a diverse group of men and women (and an android) whose job is navigation and interaction with populations they encounter. They must work together, follow the captain’s lead, and perform many complex tasks. But the fascinating part is that they are also human beings with all our complicated relational issues.
The story is about our “future history.” We seem to have evolved from our previous warring selves and must follow a “prime directive” in order to avoid interfering in the cultures they encounter. The series lasted eight seasons with the main cast, so we get to know them and their virtues and faults. One who follows it will learn much about ourselves. (Careful, you might get hooked and that would not be a bad thing.)
--Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery. A film version from 1985. Stunning photography, a sterling cast, and a compelling story of Anne Shirley, a spirited, imaginative orphan mistakenly sent to live with siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert who live and farm on Prince Edward Island. Watch it once and you will almost certainly watch it again. Top notch, not to be missed (the book came out in 1907). You can stream it from this site. Definitely worth the price of admission: https://www.gazebotv.com/products/anne-of-green-gables-complete-collection
--Prime Suspect was a game-changer for the 1990s. Brave, hard-edged, and unrelenting—and I’m talking about Jane Tennison just as much as the show. It was the first TV police investigation I actually believed in—the first that got its hands really dirty. As one of the first senior women, up against the brutal institutional sexism of the contemporary police force, Jane Tennison could easily have come over as too PC to be true, but right from the start she was compellingly flawed as well as admirably ambitious and as kick-ass as they come. Played by one of Britain’s finest actresses, Helen Mirren.
Finally, it would be terribly wrong if I did not highly recommend that you watch a TV classic.
--Jacques and Julia, Cooking at Home. A celebrated, Emmy Award-winning PBS series featuring legendary chefs Julia Child and Jacques Pépin cooking together in a relaxed, unscripted setting. The 22-episode show is praised for its warmth, genuine friendship, and expert culinary techniques, emphasizing classical French techniques for home cooks.
That is the description, but it is so much more. Their interchanges reveal so much more. These are two mature people who demonstrate love and respect for each other while doing it with humor and a bit of feisty (mostly Julia), competitive spirit. Learn to cook but also how to live. They ended each show by looking at the camera and saying: “Bon appétit!” by Julia Child, followed by “And happy cooking!” by Jacques Pépin. Please give it a viewing—as good as it gets.
I realize that offering a list like this is terribly presumptuous. Maybe all I really mean to say is this: when the world feels too loud, I need to remember what is still good.
A fine book. A true song. A story with heart. A table where people laugh, cook, argue a little, and love each other anyway. That is the kind of art, and the kind of communing, I crave right now.
I might just take my own advice and work my way through these again.
I wish for you an inspiring Sunday morning….