Ishmael

I recently read a rather interesting book: Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn. It is unusual among other recently read books in that I did not seek it out; my brother bought it because it is required reading for his environmental science class and, well, I'm not one to leave a book unread.

       Ishmael is really more of a philosophical treatise than a novel; it takes the form of a series of discussions between a human pupil and his gorilla mentor, Ishmael. The unnamed narrator responds to a newspaper ad seeking a pupil with "an earnest desire to save the world." To his surprise, the teacher is a telepathic gorilla, and the world is in grave danger from the current human model of civilization. He soon learns how the civilized world has based itself on the myth "the world was made for man" and by so doing endangered its own existence. They have several discussions about agriculture, sustainability, population, and how the world might be saved.

       There are several things I like about this book. For one thing, I appreciate that even though it is idea-driven, it still has characters and a plot (a simple one). That makes it more enjoyable to read, at least, than a 250-page essay. Additionally, it is very well written, and Quinn presents his arguments convincingly. I also do like that these arguments are in the Socratic format of question and answer. If I ever write a philosophy book (unlikely) it will be in that format. I love it because it's just so hard to argue with.
       However, that really only works if the teacher asks questions whose answers are inevitable; that is to say, if he is right. Quinn does have many points that are valid and that the world needs to know and act on: humans must take only what they need, and respect other life on earth, for example. But he also says a great deal that I disagree with. The main point of the book is that the hunter-gatherer societies have it right and the system of more-than-subsistence agriculture we use now is bound to destroy mankind. Now, if your only goal for mankind is continuation of the species, well... yeah, that probably would work the best. But a specific question Ishmael asks his student comes to mind. He asked the student to picture what the world would be like without humans. The narrator replied that it would be a frightening, chaotic jungle (the question was asked to illustrate the point that our culture views the earth as something to be tamed and organized by man). When I considered the same question, I thought, "It's beautiful... but there's no one to appreciate it, no one to discover its secrets and wonders."
       As you may have guessed by the fact that it puts the blame for the destruction of the world on the idea "the world was made for man," Ishmael is a decidedly non-religious book (it isn't quite so militant that I would call it anti-religious). A particularly eyebrow-raising part is when Ishmael explains that the accounts of the Fall and Cain and Abel are actually about the agricultural revolution. However, it is also decidedly non-scientific/technological (again, not quite over the line into anti-). I happen to be quite fond of science, technology and religion, and disinclined to look at them as symptoms of a dying world. Take away religion and science, and what is left of humanity? Only the mind of an animal: appropriate, I suppose, for a book whose main assertion seems to be that man is an animal and ought not to put himself above his fellows.

       Now, just because I happen to disagree with a lot of its arguments doesn't mean that Ishmael isn't a good book or that you shouldn't read it. Would I spend all this time telling you about something I thought was worthless? Really, it was thought-provoking enough to keep me up several hours. It might force you to consider or discover your own opinions. And it does have a lot to say that needs to be said, and heard. Finally, even if you hate the mere mention of environmentalism and think any account of the Earth in trouble is a myth, it does some good to read something you disagree with every once in a while. It could give you, at the very least, some perspective.

FANTASTIC.

       Fantastic, in every sense. That is the only word adequate to describe the movie I will be (sort of) reviewing today. Or rather, it describes my experience of it. Since I am really unable to look at this particular movie critically and rationally, this post is more rant than review. And it discusses everything I have ever wanted to talk about that is remotely related to its main subject. It's like catharsis in blog form. Enjoy.

       Yes, I went to see the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 premier, and yes I dressed up. Yes, I am slightly obsessed, yes, I enjoy it. There was so much excitement surrounding the event, with it being the last, and being able to share it with friends, that my emotions were already raging before I even stepped in the theater. I know this strongly affected my opinions on the movie, but I think even if I were to watch it again, alone, in my own house, I would still consider it a truly excellent movie. Then again, maybe not. All the same, should you go see it? YES.

       Part of what makes me so unsure of my own opinion is the fact that I have disliked all of the other Harry Potter movies, with the exception of 7 part 1, which was quite good although lacking the power of part 2. I have believed it a fact that it is impossible to transport Rowling's singular style, in which the beauty is in the details, to film, a medium that by necessity must neglect details. Actually, I still believe that, but it seems to me that the goal of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (henceforth referred to as HP7P2) was different from that of the other movies: to supplement rather than to replace the books. Perhaps it seems that way because all the excitement and suspense of the film (and there was an incredible amount of that - most of the time I was literally trembling with excitement) came from the fact that the audience already knew exactly what was going to happen; we expected everything but it was also like experiencing it for the first time. So it took all of the tremendous emotional power that film is capable of, and channeled it in the right direction. All of the HP movies have been steadily increasing in quality (and that power), but until now I believe it was wrongly directed. I am not sure what changed, exactly (as I said, it might have been only my frame of mind), but whatever it was, I came out at the end feeling like I had viewed a masterpiece.

       There were, of course, things I didn't like about HP7P2, mostly: the last spell between Harry and Voldemort, during which the sun most conspicuously did not rise; all the weird Voldemort hugs; and that moment when Harry was standing in King's Cross, all by himself, looking deserted, after the critical line had been said. Sigh. But, as we all know, there has never yet been a perfect movie.

       Now, there is something I must address, because HP7P2 also  marks the culmination of something that had been coming for years: my last finger was pried off my hatred of Snape, although I tried hard to keep my grasp. I'm sure right now you're reacting just like my friends: "What? How could you still hate Snape? He's so awesome, I love Snape, blah blah blah..."
You see, I have hated Snape much, much more than I have ever hated anyone, living or fictional, in my entire life. That kind of thing doesn't just go away. Also, you have to admit, there is something about hatred that makes you want to hold on to it, and since Snape is fictional, I felt free to hate him viciously without consequences. However. There are a few things you cannot do for someone and still continue to hate them, and crying is one of them. So I no longer hate Snape. I still don't like him. But I just can't hate him.

       That's all I have to say for today. But, regardless of how unappealing you find this blog post, or my own experiences and opinions, you really do need to see that movie. I don't think my heartrate will be back to normal for a week.

It's Over!

I am super sorry about no poem yesterday. I was pretty sick, and did not think I could stay up for another hour or so to write anything. I double-promise a totally awesome poem (in heroic couplets!) sometime soon to make up for it.


And now, International Lyssa Poetry Month is over. It was fun, but surprisingly hard to think up something that tried to be beautiful even when I was in the most un-poetic mood. Now you've seen me at my worst, and (I think) my best. I hope I've learned some things, like how to use rhyme and meter without sounding dumb, and how to write when I really don't feel like writing. I hope you enjoyed it too.


Also it's my birthday today. Maybe a comment in celebration? Maybe telling me your favorite poem from this month? Pretty please?