Reader Views

Return of the Dittos

Edward De Bono the author once said that humor is by far the most significant activity of the human brain. If this is true, then "Return of the Dittos" proves conclusively that the fertile brain of its author, Dale Andrew White, continues to work overtime, much to the benefit of his readers.

"Return of the Dittos" is a rich confection of satire and humor, all boxed in twenty short stories and tied with a ribbon. There is no central theme to the stories which adds an element of surprise and anticipation to each one. Browsing through the stories the reader will be entertained by the account of a bag boy revolt in a rundown grocery store; a cat fight to end all cat fights over the presidency of a posh woman’s club; the boring and mind numbing revelations of an aging, semi-retired rock star; and even a bit of revisionist history concerning what really happened when Christopher Columbus approached Queen Isabella about exploring the new world. My favorite of the lot is the story of B. B. Motley, an up-and-coming young lawyer, who tries desperately and unsuccessfully to conceal from the staid, old law firm he works for the fact that he comes from a family of circus clowns.

One of the things that makes the stories in "Return of the Dittos" so clever and humorous, is White’s agile use of names to identify places and people. Several stories take place in Swampwater, which is the county seat of Mosquito County, Florida for example; and while reading the book, the reader meets such characters as Mr. Knuckell, a heavy-handed and authoritative high-school principal; and Emily Hattcheck, a shy and unassuming member of the aforementioned woman’s club. But among the divers cast of character portrayed in the book my favorite is Parker Pry, a nose fetishist who succumbs to the charms of a nasally-challenged married lady appropriately named Wendy Schnott.

I have to admit that even after reading White’s stories several times, I still have trouble describing his writing style. Some of his stories come across as being written in the classic style of humorists like Mark Twain or the British satirist Saki, while others remind me of the kind of comedy portrayed in the slapstick movies of Charlie Chaplin or Laurel and Hardy. Still other stories come across with raw, in-your-face humor worthy of Comedy Central. All I know is that Dale Andrew White is a clever and talented writer and "Return of the Dittos" is a truly funny book. It’s the kind of book you want to have with you when you have some time to kill and are ready to laugh at yourself and laugh at the world.

Return of the Dittos
Dale Andrew White
BookSurge (2009)
ISBN 9781439227329
Reviewed by Ron Standerfer for Reader Views (6/09)

Rancho Weirdo

Several years ago C&C Music Factory had a hit song entitled "Things That Make You Go Hmmm." That is exactly the feeling I experienced after reading "Rancho Weirdo" by Laura Chester. This book is a collection of short stories that seem to have nothing to do with each other. There was no lesson or moral I could find. I could not tell what statement, if any, the author was trying to make. Some of the stories seemed to resemble poetry but others were just ramblings of the storyteller. Frankly, I just did not get it.

Finally, I went to the author’s website to see if there was any information about this book because there is nothing in the book or on the back cover explaining what type of work this is. Here is what I found:

"Life on the U.S./Mexican border presents a clash of cultures and expectations that is explored with insight and dark humor in Laura Chester’s new collection of short stories,...[that] challenge our perceptions of the new Southwest—which includes snowbirds, illegal immigrants, Native Americans, ranchers, and cowboys—whose fates intertwine in the harsh and beautiful Arizona landscape." I did see a recurrence of the Mexican theme, but otherwise I did not have a clue.

The artwork was strange and somewhat juvenile and often did not appear to have anything to do with the story. Many of the illustrations were of people and animals but I honestly could not tell what some items in the pictures were supposed to be.

The one story I liked is entitled "Bye-Ya Con Dios" - but I did not like it not because of the story it told. I enjoyed how it employed words that students learn in vocabulary lessons that are often underutilized. As someone who believes if a word exists, it should be known by all, I appreciated the inclusion of such material.

Although I did not enjoy or understand this book, many individuals who have a different sense of humor, or are deeper thinkers than I, may appreciate "Rancho Weirdo" by Laura Chester. I do not mean to steer people away from this book - I just believe they should be aware of the content.

Rancho Weirdo
Laura Chester
Bootstrap Press (2008)
ISBN 9780977997596
Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (1/09)

Every Day Life

It has been a very, very long time since I have read a play. With that said, even I realize that "Every Day Life" is not your typical play. Hip, although a dated word is the first one that came to my mind. We are a fly on the wall with four African-American men in the Long Beach inner city in the late 1990s. While the guys were hanging around smoking dope and talking, they taught me more than I could ever imagine.

"Responsibility and guilt aren’t the same thing, especially when you make the rules." They say of the white man. "Shut yo’ sounds-of-blackness ass up. You black – black. Yo’ forehead, yo’ lips, yo’ whole fact just black" They say of the black man.

Struggling with drugs, sexual freedoms (lots of condom talk), gang violence, and sometimes poor choices in relationships we take this walk into what some would call "the wrong side." After reading "Every Day Life," you realize it is not "the wrong side" - maybe a more accurate description would be "the side for those yet undecided."

In "Every Day Life," M.G. Hardie has provided this glimpse inside the walls of this tiny one-bedroom apartment that provides an education, resounding in nature. You see to the souls of these individuals; while making you laugh, they make you cry. And you can only hope that each of them realize what a precious gift they are wasting.

Every Day Life
M.G. Hardie
Llumina Press (2008)
ISBN 9781605940366
Reviewed by Danelle Drake for Reader Views (12/08)

Is It Just Me or Is Everything Shit?: Insanely Annoying Modern Things

These authors have had previous bestsellers in the United Kingdom with this type of satire and humor on subjects that each of us has considered unworthy of our attention. In their latest book geared toward the United States, they have dissed anything from the President to Brittany Spears.

Taking on a "who cares?" attitude, the authors have taken promotions, important people and commercials to new standards that address what most people probably think. While there are more important things to think about in the world, the stand against things that we the ordinary people could care less about is surmount in this book.

Although I have always thought that there are many things I would rather see on TV and advertisements, and have voiced my opinion, I find this book to be something I would have not chosen on my own to read. There are short paragraphs about everything you can think of with the author’s opinions on them. Is this some sort of conspiracy to get everyone to rise against all news, magazine articles and advertisements? This book is for people, I believe, who have a negative view on life. If the author’s thought they were being funny or sarcastic- I didn’t like it.

I think "Is It Just Me or Is Everything Shit?" is written for the British humor. Mother is British and I have never understood their humor.

Is It Just Me or Is Everything Shit?: Insanely Annoying Modern Things
Steve Lowe, Alan McArthur, Brendan Hay
Grand Central Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9780446197885
Reviewed by Carol Hoyer, PhD, for Reader Views (12/08)

The Organ Grinder and the Monkey

"The Organ Grinder and the Monkey" is a complex story of three individuals whose lives, personalities and characters are molded by events of their childhood. Sam Moffie builds a plot around these three characters: Seymour Petrillo, Irving Hanhart, and Constance Powers.

Seymour grew up in Steubenville, Ohio. He spent a lot of time with his grandfather who imparted philosophical views on Seymour. His father was gay. The marriage broke up. Seymour spent weekends with his father and his father’s friends. A particularly distressing weekend visit to his father left Seymour emotionally traumatized. Moffie gives an insightful look at the blight of the ghetto, the death and decadence of decay and parallels this with Seymour’s downward spiral.

Irving’s mother was Jewish, his father Irish. They operated a bookstore in Brookline, Massachusetts, which was a meeting place for radicals. They were known as revolutionaries. Irving developed a sense that all the events around him were the results of a great conspiracy. A childhood incident caused him to establish his career goal early in life. He wanted to become a New York City policeman.

Constance grew up in Boardman, Ohio with her mother. She came from a wealthy family. The family went through the money on gambling, drinking, and other vices before Constance had the advantage of an inheritance.

Following high-school graduation all three of the protagonists enroll in Youngstown State University. Fraternity hazing, secondary roles in drama, part-time jobs, and constant put downs by classmates continue to shape their personalities, philosophies, and quirks.

In a casual campus encounter, Seymour, Irving, and Constance discover that they are all planning to head for New York City after receiving their college diplomas: Seymour to become a veterinarian, Irving to attend police academy, and Constance to become a Rockette.

In a unique way Moffie weaves together the lives of these three very different individuals in a complex story with psychological twists that touch the emotions, through humor, tragedy, and reality. Broken dreams, disappointment, dysfunctional personalities, and difficult circumstances continually confront the three protagonists.

The Organ Grinder and the Monkey
Sam Moffie
Xlibris (2008)
ISBN 9781436327756
Reviewed By Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (11/08)

Henry Potty and the Deathly Paper Shortage: An Unauthorized Harry Potter Parody

"Henry Potty and the Deathly Paper Shortage" is the seventh book in the Henry Potty series. It is the sequel to the first book, "Henry Potty and the Pet Rock." In this tale, the evil Lord Revolting, also known as the Dim Lord, begins a mission to terrorize the people. He divides his soul into seven plot devices. These include: a dead man’s chest, a wooden eyeball, the one ring, a coloring book, a slug, and a video. In spite of his lack of academic skills, Henry Potty has been selected to be The Chosen One. He must seek out and destroy all of the Plot Devices to save humanity. He must defeat Lord Revolting before he himself is destroyed.

This book was hysterical. As a parody on the Harry Potter series, it also includes many other characters found in other children’s books such as, the tooth fairy, goblins, trolls, leprechauns and elves. The creatures that tend to be cute in fairy tales are not so cute in these stories. The tooth fairy is even evil. This makes the book so much more fun.

It took great talent and imagination on the part of the author, Valerie Estelle Frankel, to come up with so many ideas to parody in "Henry Potty and the Deathly Paper Shortage." As I read, I pictured everything in a colorful cartoon format. I really enjoyed taking a break from my mundane world and all of my self-help books. What better way to help myself, than with laughter? If you enjoy Terry Pratchett type books, you will be pleased to discover this series.

Henry Potty and the Deathly Paper Shortage
Valerie Estelle Frankel
WingSpan Press (2008)
ISBN 9781595942418
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (10/08)

An Overexposed Mind

The author, Rudolph Strasswimmer, Jr. gives you a look at the world through his eyes in "An Over Exposed Mind." This book is a collection of 650 works that are written in a Haiku format. Strasswimmer describes his work as, "a form of literary art meshing creativity with mathematical reasoning." He covers a variety of topics including humor, emotions, philosophy, human relations, politics and fun. Upon reading these works, you will discover that the author has some very unique and humorous perspectives!

As I read the through the works, I was amazed that he was able to do it all in the Haiku format. That had to have taken some time. He also seemed to have something written for everything that is going on in our world. Many of these works will cause you to laugh out loud, as I did. A few others made me think, "Ouch," and then there were some that sparked a "Huh?"

I think that "An Overexposed Mind" by Rudolph Strasswimmer, Jr. would absolutely make the perfect gift for someone that you have no idea what to get, or someone that has everything, because I seriously doubt that they would have something like this! Even after I read this book, I kept it by my desk at work so that I have something to entertain myself while I am stuck on hold. It is so much more fun and thought-provoking than solitaire!

An Overexposed Mind
Rudolph Strasswimmer, Jr.
Bull’s Head (2008)
ISBN 9780981774404
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (10/08)

The Bag Lady War: A Novel

Imagine working hard your entire life, and upon retiring you find yourself alone, a tiny step from financial ruin and scared out of your wits. Your husband has been shot to death by a burglar, your neighborhood is being terrorized by a gang of hoodlums, the apartment you are renting feels like a prison and your social security is in jeopardy, since the local political bigwigs clearly believe that the money would be better spent on more jails and other "corrective measures" for criminals. What in the world is a senior citizen in such a dire situation supposed to do?

Well, if your name is Josie, Mabel or Mil, you might come up with a truly ingenious plan: spending the rest of your life in a safe and secure place, with free meals, clothes and medical services for the rest of your life, and surrounded with lots of other women, most of them young. The catch? Well, the only such place for them is the prison. With government spending forty-thousand-dollars a year per prisoner, the three elderly widows come up with a fantastic plan – they will remove enough criminals from the street to save the government an appropriate amount of money, which would cover their care until they die. So they get guns and get to work, very efficiently dispatching an impressive number of thugs and covering their dead faces with grocery bags. The detectives in charge are utterly stumped by this latest crime wave, until the ladies give themselves up and explain their motives.

Carol Leonard SeCoy’s "The Bag Lady War" touches many a raw nerve. The three heroines might possess a peculiarly twisted logic, but the reader has to ask him or herself what is wrong with our society if the criminals are treated better than the honest senior citizens; and the amounts spent on them are so much higher than the available funds for seniors. Josie, Mabel and Mil also touch on many other problems of today’s society, from lack of parental involvement, the question of euthanasia and better use for abandoned military bases to low self-esteem bringing certain people into serious trouble. They do not mince their words and they have something to say on just about every topic. Lovable, wacky and incredibly real, those three are some of the most endearing heroines I’ve encountered in a long time.

Crazily funny and written in an engaging, fluid style, "The Bag Lady War" by Carol Leonard SeCoy forces the reader to stop and reexamine the world we are living in. Although labeled as a satire, this is a book that hits close to home, and it packs a punch.

The Bag Lady War: A Novel
Carol Leonard SeCoy
iUniverse (2007)
ISBN 9780595470358
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (9/08)

Like Dizzy Gillespie's Cheeks

Scott E. Smith has fashioned "Like Dizzy Gillespie’s Cheeks" as a memoir narrated by a fictional character, Sam Greene. The story takes place in Chicago in 1999.

Scott’s character Sam Greene took on a life of his own. I was drawn into his offbeat humor, his outlook on life, uncertainty about death, and a unique and personal opinion on core values. He became vulnerable as a character when he shared his personal feelings, insecurities, achievements, and thoughts on his friendships and his relationships.

Whether it was Sam Greene or Scott Smith I bonded with, I am not sure, but I felt like I was visiting with an old friend who had just lost a very special personal "someone" and was entering into an unknown area of the grieving process.

Sam’s indecisiveness, his short attention span, a loyalty to music and, a dedication to his mentor, Ben Webster, the pianist, (not the saxophone player), add to the complexities of his life. These same traits came through in his emotional psyche as he flip flops between an unhealthy relationship with Liz, an heiress, and Kate, a reporter, pursuing a story about his friend Ben.

In short fast-moving chapters, Sam Greene narrates the story of his friend, and long-time mentor, Ben Webster’s life as a jazz pianist. As he relates his story of Ben’s life, Sam also gives the reader glimpses into the history of jazz as he introduces some names of jazz greats. Smith’s own love for jazz comes across in his writing.

Scott’s character development is strong. His characters are believable. The narrative takes on the authenticity of a memoir or informal biography. Smith’s writing is filled with tongue-in-cheek humor and satire.

The rambling rabbit trails and off-beat stories added to the suspense, conflict, and resolution that became a kind of addiction keeping me glued to the pages, afraid I might miss an innuendo, or incident. I found myself frequently moving from a wide grin to an audible laugh that starts deep within to become a hearty, healthy, roll with laughter experience.

"Like Dizzy Gillespie’s Cheeks" by Scott E. Smith is entertaining, informative, and hilariously funny!

Like Dizzy Gillespie's Cheeks
Scott E. Smith
iUniverse (2008)
ISBN 9780595475292
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (8/08)

Heavenly Humor for the Woman’s Soul

Do you ever feel so frustrated that you are alone in the situation that you find yourself in? Sometimes being a woman can either make you laugh or cry. It all depends on whether you find yourself in a humorous situation or are just plain upset.

Maybe you are looking for a few anecdotes for a speech you are making in front of a bunch of women. You just can’t think of the right words to say or want to start your speech off with a real bang. Perhaps using some of the barbs that are listed in the sections entitled “Words a Woman will never say” will give you just the boost you need.

You might just be having a hard day and are feeling confused and alone in your mothering or womanly situation. If you feel so alone, you will be comforted in knowing that others have experienced the same things you are enduring. With these humorous stories you will be amazed in how the authors use Holy Scripture to encourage you. “Heavenly Humor for the Woman’s Soul” is an excellent resource to keep on hand for that boost of encouragement you might need on a given day. If laughter is the truly the best medicine, then couple it with Holy Scripture -- you just can’t lose!

Heavenly Humor for the Woman’s Soul
Compilation
Barbour Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9781602600300
Reviewed by Lori Plach for Reader Views (6/08)