The Movie Based on the Book . . .

I'm always wary when I hear this phrase. I just know the book will be far better than the movie. Maybe it's because I'm a book person and I love to read.

Anyway, recently I've been reading a lot of the work by Jhumpa Lahiri including two collections of short stories: "Unaccustomed Earth" and "Interpreter of Maladies". I find her writing to be stunning and I practically fell headlong into these stories. I think they touched me in a special way because she writes primarily about immigrants to this country from India and/or their children. Because India, like Nigeria, was once a colony of Great Britain, there are many similarities in language. But, and I found this surprising, there are also many similarities between traditional Indian (Bengali) culture and traditional Igbo culture. What is most intriguing to me is how Ms. Lahiri tackles the complex conflict that arises when a person is transplanted from the land of their birth and childhood and begins a completely new life away from everyone and everything they have ever know. Online and in real life, I have seen how difficult life can be for immigrants (and sometimes but not as often for children of immigrants). I mean, people can be downright hostile to people who come here and have "an accent". Some of the staunchest opposition I've seen in my life are from folks with the same color skin who feel like African immigrants have stolen something that's not rightfully theirs. I don't remember which story of Ms. Lahiri's I read but a mother and daughter have gone out to the store and the store owner is talking to the daughter (who has an American accent) instead of the mother (who had an Indian accent). As if the mother is stupid and uneducated. I have been in that position too. And since my goverment name is not English, I have been on the receiving end of such hostility and ill-will until the person finds out I "speak English". As if speaking English with an accent isn't speaking English. Anyway, I think Ms. Lahiri does a masterful job of capturing these complexties with authenticity and poise.

After having read these two collections of short stories, I was ready to read her full length novel The Namesake. As usual, the writing was beautiful however I really do like the short stories better. I think she's a master at writing short stories.

When picking up the novel The Namesake at the library, one of the librarians asked if I had seen the film. I hadn't. I figured when I finished reading the book, I'd take a look at the film knowing full well the film would disappoint. And it did. Look, my biggest literary regret is having watched the film The Color Purple before reading the book. Never again if I can help it! Anyway, I had read the novel so I proceeded to watch the movie. I mean, the kids were doing their thing and I had to pause it 800 million times but I watched it. It was lovely filming but I felt like it missed so many of the nuances in the novel and important points and emotions that were conveyed in the writing.

For example, the Ganguli family comes home from a trip to India only to find some racist grafitti on their mailbox. Gogol, the son, is incensed. His father takes it all in stride. In the novel, Lahiri is careful to show how much his father's indifference annoyed Gogol. Gogol cannot understand his father. His father cannot understand him. Even though they are father and son, there is a huge gulf between them fostered by the fact that Gogol is American. But Indian too.

Also, the main struggle in the book is Gogol's real hatred of his name. I mean, he hates it. He fights against it relentlessly and eventually changes it as an adult only to find that he cannot get away from it. The movie kind of glosses over that but that struggle, in my opinion, is the crux of the whole book. It's not my opinion actually. The name of the novel is The Namesake. It's essential to talk about, at length and in depth, the name!

There are so many other examples . . . I mean, I guess if they tried to film every little detail we would have been watching a 6 hour mini-saga. But I could have done without the movie. I enjoyed immensely the visual images Ms. Lahiri created in her novel and would recommend her writing to anyone. It is like rich chocolate for the mind.

And as an aspiring writer myself, I was encouraged so much by the fact that Ms. Lahiri is successful as a short story writer (because I mainly write short stores).

Oh, and I remind myself to stay away from movies based on the book . . .

I didn't mention . . .

That I finished my story. I was waiting for inspiration to hit and well, it just wasn't. So one day when the hubby was off, I pushed him and the boys out. I spent 3 to 4 hours and finished it. I retitled it "The Oracle" and while I don't think it's my finest writing and I know it still needs work, it is a good skeleton.

If you'd like to read it and tell me *honestly* what you think (be brutally honest), please e-mail me!

Love in the Everyday

There's love in the everyday
the everyday dish washed
the everyday table set
the everyday meal cooked

There's love in the everyday
the everyday bed made
the everyday diaper changed
the everyday hurt kissed

There's love in the everyday
the everyday encouraging word uttered
the everyday lesson taught
the everyday helping hand offered

There's love in the every day
the everyday load of laundry done
the everyday bath given
the everyday hand held in the dark

There's love in the everyday
the everyday book read
the everyday nose wiped
the everyday game played
the everyday bump and bruise, hunger and thirst nursed away

There's love in the everyday, I say!

It's powerful and monumental
Yet readily overlooked

It's a love that stays at home
Building, ensuring
Peace, Warmth, Stability

It's a love that knows how to give totally
Because it's one that doesn't exclude
You

It's a love that's true
That identifies with other truths

It's a love that's committed
Despite ridicule
Despite mockery
Despite everything

It's a love, I tell you
That manifests daily
Greatly
In the mundane
In the ordinary
In the easily taken for granted

It's a love that shines most brilliantly
through
with
around
and in
The Everyday.

Photo "Heart Candle" by Heartlover1717 on Flickr.com

New Idea for a story

I've been writing a story in my head. I've already come up with the plot that is loosely based on my experiences vis-a-vis marrying someone of whom my family disapproved. I will need to do some research though. I would like to read about and speak to Muslim women who converted (reverted) as adults especially those who became devout and decided to embrace hijab (head covering/face covering, etc) and what it was like professionally and in terms of family.

My first children's story is edited down from 9 pages to 5. I originally wanted to try to publish it as a book but in light of the fact that a book similar to mine has already been published (although there are, as my friend pointed out, very big differences in the storytelling). I am going to find some magazines geared towards 8-10 year olds and maybe even older and submit the story there. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for it to be published. That would be a huge boost.

I've been laboring over my children's book

Which is a retelling of a story I heard as a child. Only to find that someone has already retold it and published it.

I keep thinking that maybe my retelling is fresh enough and different enough that it will be published also. I put the book on hold at the library. I'm anxious to read it.

But I seriously have lost my momentum.

And I honestly feel trapped in mediocrity. I feel like the only thing I'm good at is being a mother and I have my days when I doubt even that. I don't feel creative. I don't feel innovative. Just mediocre.

I also need to find a way to bring it about $800 extra a month. Thinking about babysitting. Thinking about some other things.

I am scared because I know I never want to go back to teaching at least not while the kids are young but I still have the student loans from the degree hanging over my head.

And the car. DH has expressed that the payment is just too hefty. It was manageable when we thought I would be working full time but now, it's just hefty.

So an extra $800 should make things comfortable.

Publishing the books just doesn't seem like a viable place to put my hope for making a living. I don't even want to look at my manuscripts.

Ugh.