Book Review: How to Be an American Housewife

How to be an American Housewife, by Margaret Dilloway is one of those rare books that manages to manipulate the emotions of the reader without causing them to lose touch with reality. There is no rick fantasy world, no foreign concepts, no desire to work solely by it's own logic. It's set right here in our own universe, and the characters, and their struggles, are all too real. It's easy to relate to these people, and the fact that they could be real draws you into their lives in a way that will leave you crying. The work is a semi-autobiographical account of the author's mother, but there's no telling how much is true and how much is fictionalized. But it doesn't really matter. Every word could be true, and it's so well written that you truly believe it is.

The story centers around Shoko and, later, her daughter Suiko. We begin, and are instantly drawn in, by a woman in her twilight years reflecting on her life. She has a major heart defect that doctors believe was caused by radiation poisoning, as she grew up in WW2 Japan and was exposed to the fall out from the nuclear blast. The heart disease has already taken out other members of her family, and she fears that she may not live much longer. She hasn't been able to see her family since she moved away from Japan, to the United States, with her husband, and longs to be able to talk to her brother once more before she dies. If that's not enough to tug your heartstrings before you even get out of the first chapter, you might not have a soul.

Shoko

The first part of the book is dedicated to Shoko, and is that tale of her life; from her time working as teenage in Japan to her series of whirlwind romances, both with local boys and progressively more clueless American soldiers, to her old age, comfortably settled but longing for the past and questioning her choices. It's a tale of the struggles of immigration, the confusion of what the concept of “home” really means. She's constantly questioning her choices. She makes no secret of the fact that she doesn't really love her husband, but settled for him because she could use him and his government connections to get out of her war-torn homeland. But she loves her children and can't really say that she has many regrets.

She had great difficulty, early on, assimilating to American culture, and almost feels cheated. She had expected something different, something grand, but got stuck in military culture; never being able to stay in one place long enough to truly feel at home before her husband's career required her to pick up and move. She tried so hard to make friends with townies, but found that she just fit in better with other Japanese military wives. Unfortunately they were few and far between, and she never really stayed in one place long enough to truly create any kind of social support. You would feel sorry for her, if you didn't know that she would hate you for it. Shoko is fiercely strong and independent; she essentially decides that she doesn't need anyone else and finds a sort of comfort in her own family. It's a trait to be admired.

Sue

It;s nearly impossible to talk about Sue without giving out spoilers, as she doesn't take over as narrator until after the events of her mother's life. Shoko believes that she is far too weak to travel; her doctor tells her that she probably wouldn't survive the trip, so she begs her daughter to go to Japan for her, to seek out the uncle she never knew. So Sue reluctantly agrees to take her own child and find her mother's estranged brother. She knows that the heart disease is about to claim her mother's life, and wants to do everything she can to reunite the family torn apart by war and circumstance. Sue doesn't find the warm, loving welcome that she had wanted, that one would expect from a novel. It serves as a grim reminder that this book is based in truth, and in the real world, we don't always get happy endings.

I was greatly disappointed to find that the book, continuously referenced throughout the novel, didn't actually exit. When Shoko marries her husband, he gets her a book entitled, “How to be an American Housewife” that intends to teach Japanese women how to survive in the states. It includes chapters not only on cultural assimilation, but on American religion, culinary arts, socialization, and housekeeping. I wanted to read it so bad. It would have been in public domain by now, since it was published in the 1940s. Unfortunately, the book is NOT part of the “true story” and was a fabrication by the author based on the book “The American Way of Housekeeping”, which was a guidebook for Japanese maids employed in western-style homes. I would love to read anything describing my culture from an outside source. As am American I come from a culture that is very visible and it's a rare opportunity. But it turned out not to be real. So that was a giant disappointment. Though I suppose I had no reason to assume it would be, and it's partially my fault for getting my hopes up.

Conclusion

I don't want to spoil the ending, and therefore won't be telling you how Shoko's surgery, or Sue's trip went. I will say that this is a book sure to stir the emotions of the reader. This isn't something you should read if you aren't ready for that roller coaster. And if you keep in mind that these are real people, there are even small things that will force a connection between your own experience and theirs. It isn't the sort of book that draws you in to a land of fantasy; it's the type of story that brings the characters to life in our world.

The Lorax

So, everyone loves Dr Seuss.  And much like how everyone has their favorite Ninja Turtle, everyone has their favorite Dr. Seuss book.  Mine was the Lorax- and this most likely shocks no one, as green as I am and whatnot.  I had a giant "Six by Seuss" book, and the Lorax was in it, then I had another strait-up Lorax book.  I loved them.  I read them far past the age where one would normally read Dr. Seuss.  I had the cartoon, the one that was made, I think, in the 70s, and I watched it until those little grey lines started popping up and destroying it.  I didn't much care for the Lorax's voice in the cartoon- it was to whiny.  I never saw him as someone who was just bitching at you, but as a strait-up threatening kind of warning.  But nonetheless, I loved that cartoon, and I loved that book.

So, I recently watched the new movie, and fell in love all over again.  There's not a character in the book that I didn't love, the Lorax, the cute little Barbaloots, the Swammy Swamns, the Humming Fish, and the Once-ler.  I actually liked the Once-ler because he was one of the few villains that figured out he fucked up.  True, he didn't figure it out quick enough, but at least there was some character growth there.

And I really like that the Once-Ler is given a more human identity in the movie. I know that Geisel left him purposefully ambiguous, but for the various folk all over the internet who keep insisting he's supposed to be a monster- that's simply not true.  Once-Ler is his name, not his species, and this is made clear, I believe in the line where he's kicking the Lorax out.

"Trees?  Trees?  You speak for the trees?  Well, I speak for men, and humanity's needs."  The Once-ler is now, and always has been, HUMAN.  His appearance in the book is not kept ambiguous in because he's a monster, but because it's supposed to allow everyone who reads it to see themselves reflected in him.  It's a story of how human greed blinds him to the plight of the ecosystem he destroys, which was a major problem at the time, and continues to be a major problem today.  It's a social commentary, which may be why it was my favorite book.  Seuss has said that he disliked how most books on the market treated  children like idiots.  He was a firm believer that kids could understand complex ideas, just as long as they were told with vocabulary that they could understand well enough to read on their own.  There are a lot of his books that teach lessons like this (Yurtle cost himself to, remember?  The douchebag turtle?) and that's one of the reasons that he's still beloved, and still relivent today.  Yes, these things were often silly and nonsensical, but they were, by their own logic, real.

So, I loved the actors. This Lorax, DeVito, sounded a lot more like the Lorax did in my head.  Like if you didn't get the hell out of his forest, he was gonna fuck your shit right up.  Not like he was begging you, but like he was warning you.  There were a couple really good songs- How Bad Can I Be is particularly catchy- I've still got the damn thing in my head, had to add it to my youtube playlist and re-listen to it to get it out.  The 3D was pretty good, but not right-over-the-top.  All in all, a really good re-telling of the classic tale.  Stuck as close to the book as you could imagine given that it had to be stretched to movie length, and actually much closer then some other Hollywood interpretations of classic Seuss tales. I was particularly glad that they decided not to go live-action on this one.  I think that the art style was much better for Lorax then live-action would have been.  All in all, an awesome experience.  And I had high hopes, like I said, it was my favorite Seuss book.  But I think you would like it even if it weren't already a favorite.  It's just a good movie.  It's just a good story.

Shirt Design

So... my favorite Dr. Seuss book is the Lorax, and as you all know, a new movie recently came out.  I instantly fell in love with it as well, and I got really bored today, so I decided to make a design tribute to the Thneed company- you know, the evil corporation owned by the Once-Ler that destroys the Truffila forest and makes the land uninhabitable for all the critters there.

I've been thinking about knitting me a thneed, but it looks like it would take absolutely forever and then be retarded after you make it.  I'd say that they really do all the things that the book says they do, but all those things are kinda stupid.

Actually, I just re-read it, most of those things are pretty useful. 

• Shirt
• a sock
• a large glove
• A hat
• Carpet
• Pillow
• Sheet
• curtains
• Covers For Bicycle Seats
• Hammock
• Toothbrush Holder
• Nest For Your Canary
• Thneed Soup That Cures Backache Pain And Chest (how this is possible is unknown)
• Makes A Perfect Windsheild Wiper
• Groom Your Hair When It Gets Mussed

• a sweater

• an umbrella
• towel
• Pants
• Blindfold
• Shoes
• Swimsuit
• Sponge
• Scarf
• Tight rope
• Butterfly net
• Thing for exercise 

I can actually see how most of those things work if the arm/leg thing is detachable, like with buttons or something.  It gives you a million versatile ways to wear it.

Hmm...  this post was basically an ad for my new pic, so I'll do a review of the movie later.

Heroes in a Half-Shell

So, when you were little, what was your favorite show?  Some folk liked Care Bears, some folk liked Thundercats, and some folk, like me, liked Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  I owned a red bandanna, I painted my face green, I made shells out of cardboard, and I pretended that I knew ninjitzu by just jumping around and smashing things.  I owned every cartoon, movie, comic, poster, I bought every toy I could find.  Everyone had a favorite turtle, and as you can see by the pic I drew to the left there, mine was Raphael.

Raph was, in all honesty, the only ninja in the group.  Leo was more of a samuri then a ninja, Donnie would have been happy never going into combat, just being a tech guy, and Mikey...  look, we all know that Mike was just doing the martial arts thing to make his dad happy.  Mike has no ambition and would have sat on his ass watching TV and playing Turtles in Time all damn day.  He put in the minimal amount of effort required to keep Splinter from getting all dissapointed in him.  Raph looked out for him, or he would have been dead in half the battles he fought anyway.



Raphael reminds me of myself.  He doesn't take shit.  He strikes in the dark, swiftly and silently, like a real ninja.  He will put on a trench coat and go watch Critters, despite being a mutant turtle.  He hangs out with a Canadian badass in a hockey mask.  Raphael, without a doubt, is the best turtle.  You're welcome to your own opinion, but Raph will forever hold a special place in my heart.

So, imagine my surprise and delight when I read on NPR that a new turtle movie was coming out!!  The last movie, Turtles Forever, was fucking epic.  I kept waiting on it to suck, and it never did!  The story tied the various universes together seamlessly for fans- it was quite possibly the best crossover that I've ever seen in the history of all time.  It was amazing.  So I ask myself, where will they go from there?  There's a million comic storylines to explore.  We could see the multiverse fighting championships, which would look amazing with today's technological advancements in movie magic- we could get cyborg Donnie, or that time that Leo challenged Hiroko for leadership of the foot clan, and all the grunts backed down, because as Himato's child he totally has a right to do that.  We could revisit dimension X, an multidimensional battle in this day and age would look amazing!

Then I clicked on the article and actually read it.  I must say that...  it struck me as odd.  And I, obviously, am a fan who's ok with watching Vanilla Ice Dance his way through the ending of Turtles 2.  It takes a lot to strike me as odd.  See, the article said that in this edition, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would be neither teenagers, nor mutants, nor turtles.  They would, instead, be adult aliens.  For...  some reason.  I'm not sure why.  Michael Bay is directing, which, honestly, cannot be a good sign (ask any hardcore TF fan) and has been making all the press appearances, so...  I don't know exactly how much input he has script wise, but it seems to be disproportionate.  Where are Eastman and Laird?  Does anyone have a link so that I can see what they think about this radical change?  It could greatly influence my opinion, because right now, I'm viewing this movie with a lot of skepticism.  But I don't know if it's my overreaching cynicism, or if this is as... well, off as it sounds.

I'm going to reserve judgement until we see more from this.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

So, you all remember a few days ago when I wrote complaining about how the Scary Stories series decided to change artists for their 30th anniversary edition.  Gammel's work is amazing, yet now, cannot be purchased new anywhere on-line.  I looked at every retailer I could find, and discovered that HarperCollins has discontinued the editions that feature Gammel's work.  Therefore, in protest, I'm offering all the books for download.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones

How Scholastic is Trying to Ruin Your Kids's Childhood

This article is set to tie in very closely with the one I wrote yesterday- or this morning...  I don't really sleep, and I'm on my second cup of coffee since 2am, working on my web comic- I need to find a scanner that works, my uncle's is on the fritz.  Anyway, remember how I said that the subculture is dieing?  And how we need to keep it alive for the sake of the children- WON'T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!?!  Well, here's a piece of your childhood that Scholastic just decided to shit all over.

You love Steve Gammel. I don't care if you think you've never heard of him- you love him and worship him like the nightmare god he is on a daily basis- every time you think of the artist that influenced your childhood, this is the man that you are thinking of. Because he was the man who illustrated the book that inspired you to enjoy your life, because sometimes, life could scare the absolute shit out of you.


This is the man who illustrated the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series.  His watercolors were both breathtaking and horrifying, and the only reason that these books were so immensely popular.  It's not that I dislike Schwart's writing, nothing could be farther from the truth, but the fact remains that the stories were really only collections of American Folk Tales; stories that were published by a dozen authors in a dozen books- the like of Wait Till Martin Comes and Oh Susanna, but these iconic images could be found in only 2 sources- the Scary Stories series, and children's nightmares.

As the image on the left illustrates, the images don't even have to have a DAMN THING to do with the story, this pic, I always thought was what Suzy was dreaming while her roommate was being murdered, though there's absolutely no evidence for that apart from my own mind and the inclinations it has toward trying to tie shit together because it's got control issues.  But my insanity aside, you all know that you picked those books because of the amazing illustrations.

 So with the 30 year anniversary, obviously, the publisher's going to do something amazing, right?  A new box set complete with audio books and a Gammel Hardcover art book with new and original illustrations from the past 30 years or somesuch.  Something amazing like that that would put Der Mond to shame- something that commerates an artist who gave us 30 years- longer then some of us have been alive- of amazing artwork, changing our childhoods and teaching that art is more then just bright colors and linework- that it can be a window into the very soul, whether that soul is charming or dark.  Or both.  The fact that both can coexist.

I know that at this point, you're going to be expecting a link to this new set, just for the artbook.  You're willing to spend the $50 or whatever they're asking, just to see those new prints.  And I would gladly provide such a link- if one existed.  However, what the good people at the Harper Collins publishing company have decided to do is down a significantly darker path.  They've chosen to shit all over your childhood.  Not only are they replacing every singe Gammel work in the new edition, they're discontinuing the editions that have the artist you've grown to love.  And who have they chosen to replace Gammel?  Why Brett Helquist, whom you may remember as the illustrator of Bunnicula.  Give it a second to sink in.  Read it twice if you had to.  Understand that you read that correctly, the publishing company behind the Scary Stories series thought that the guy from Bunnicula would make a better artist then Gammel.

What

the

fuck?


Alright, now that that's sunk in, we can imagine that there must be a reason for this change.  This man must have amazing skills that he just, until now, has not had an opportunity to showcase.  So, let's compare a few of his illustrations with those of Gammel.  First off, a strait comparison.

Everyone remembers Harold, the story of the renegade scarecrow that comes to life and flays himself a couple of farmboys.  Alright, so here, we have the original.

That motherfucker is certainly capable of ripping off your skin and laying it to dry on the roof because you pissed him right off.

Is it just me- that's certainly a possibility- or does this guy looks like he could break into the chorus of If I Only Had a Brain at any second?

Both are strait on portraits of the character- both are in black & white, but still I see no comparison.  Perhaps this is just a bad example.

What about the story of The Walk?  That one that ends with the pants-shitting scream that's meant to be read aloud?  You know the one about how your uncle was walking alone in the woods at night, and so was another man he had never met?  And the man was scared of your uncle, and your uncle was scared of the man?  That entire story is about mystery, and the fright that comes from the unknown.  Gammel chose to illustrate this principle, with 2 shadowy figures in a nondescript wooded setting.

Lets see what Helquist chose to do-

Hmm...  2 men walking, both obviously Victorian-era white guys, and therefore, not at all everyone's uncle- or anyone's uncle, unless you have an uncle who is old as fucking hell.  Also, neither one of them looks particularly scared, the one in the background, the brunette (and therefore, most likely to be my uncle, I guess...) looks rather annoyed, but not at all scared, and the one in front looks downright pissed that the other guy is looking at him.  I don't know that Helquist somuchas knows what fear is.  He seems to be confusing fear and anger.

So...  if anyone knows where I can download an e-book of the originals, as Amazon is no longer selling them, I would be much obliged.