Dawn of the Algorithm, by Yann Rousselot

Sci-fi poetry?  Seriously?  Yes.  It sounds crazy, but Yann Rousselot pulls it off.  Remember when Jodie Foster's character in the movie Contact said, "They should have sent a poet"?  Well, here he is.  Dawn of the Algorithm is an odd, entertaining, poetic collection of Rousellot's poetry, illustrated eclectically by others.

As with any poetry collection, I liked some more than others.  I think my favorites were the first-person narratives.  "T-Rex is Sad," he writes, about becoming "the laughing stock of the Internet: a meme with tiny arms, a mockery."  KITT, from Knight Rider, misses his driver, but can "still feel his imprint on my leather."  And in the titular poem, Algorithm, the artificial intelligence that has risen to dominance over humans, gets to know his subjects (in between stock trades, which is interesting in light of the recent rise of "robo-advisors" and "robo-brokers" in the financial services industry).

Rousselot was influenced by and pays homage to classic and contemporary sci-fi, monster movies, and the present and future human condition.  By bridging these two genres, sci-fi and poetry, that typically have so little in common, he forces both to look harder at the other.  Sci-fi fans can see poetry as a window of speculation and wonder; poetry fans can see sci-fi as a vehicle for meaningful and profound reflection.

I wonder how autobiographical this line is: "I do not own a smartphone, but sport a pager and write poetry, mostly about the fact that no one ever pages me."  If you're looking for a sci-fi poet, page Rousselot.  Even if you don't love his work, you'll be intrigued, amused, and maybe enlightened.

More from Rousselot: yesrousselot.wordpress.com


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Words That Heal, by Michael Ross and Brian Doyle

I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did.  Michael Ross and Brian Doyle, veteran writers, have written Word That Heal: 40 Encouraging Stories Inspired by James 3:1-12.  FIrst of all, I think the subtitle is misleading.  It's not really "40 encouraging stories."  There are some stories.  But really it's "40 wide-ranging devotionals."  And they're not really "based on James 3:1-12."  They are based on a variety of scriptures, with an encouragement to follow the guidance of James 3:1-12 to harness the power of our words.

That said, Words That Heal can still be useful and encouraging.  The devotional readings cover church life, work life, family life, and community life.  Rather than just scripture and exhortation, each reading includes a challenge for a response.  The reader is encouraged to write healing words that he or she can speak, healing words he can speak to grow, and words to pray.  I like the fact that there is opportunity for reflection and response.

There are some nice tidbits in Words That Heal.  But despite the feature of the added response time, the readings themselves were, for the most part, pretty flat.  It's an OK devotional book, but not one I would heartily recommend.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

The Accidental Feminist, by Courtney Reissig

Courtney Reissig is not a feminist, at least not in the sense that the word is usually used.  In The Accidental Feminist: Restoring Our Delight in God's Good Design, she writes as a "feminist in need of recovery."  What is she recovering?  God's design for women.

Reissig holds to the complimentarian view of gender roles, "believing that God created men and women equal, yet different."  She contrasts this view with the "bill of goods" that mainstream feminism sold women, "telling women they can have it all, by giving women endless choices" and promising "freedom to have what you want when you want it."

Women are life-givers and nurturers.  We primarily picture these roles as being played out in the home and family, but Reissig demonstrates that women can fulfill these functions in many ways, not exclusively as wives and mothers.  She is careful throughout the book to include single woman and childless women in her exposition.

Feminism is one of those terms that can mean a variety of things to different people.  To the extent that mainstream, secular teaches "feminism equals sameness" I agree with Reissig that they are wrong.  She goes as far as to say "the seeds of feminism are actually an affront to the gospel."  Most importantly, while "feminism claims to be the answer for the oppression of women," Reissig writes that "nothing frees women like the gospel of Jesus Christ."

Feminists (as commonly understood) won't like Reissig's perspective.  Many Christian feminists will take issue as well.  Her arguments about the role of women in the church are thoughtful, but ultimately reflect a patriarchy that many Christians are not comfortable with: "From the birth of the church after Christ's resurrection until now, God's intention for the local church has been for godly, qualified men to lead his people through the preaching and teaching of his Word."  Some women, as well as men who would like to see women in more leadership roles, won't be satisfied with her consolation that women can serve in other important ways in the church.

Ultimately, the important point is that "men and women are equally created in the image of God."  They are different, with different roles and functions, but both are valuable and unique.  Reissig affirms and encourages women to fulfill their role and express their gifts.  I, for one, want to be a man who supports my wife, daughter, and other women in doing so.  Isn't that the most basic, most elemental expression of feminism?


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

The Worrier's Guide to Life, by Gemma Correll

Gemma Correll is a very funny woman who draws very funny pictures.  How's that for a profound, insightful start to a review?  Ms. Correll's new book, The Worrier's Guide to Life, reveals her anxious side.  If you're the anxious type, you will find a kindred spirit here.  Worried about rare diseases?  Awkward social situations?  Pet peeves?  Body image?  So is she.

Plus there's a lot of other random stuff thrown in here.  Here humor is rather absurd and silly, like the "Less Appealing Seasonal Drinks," like "Yellow Snow Iced Tea" and "Turkey and Gravy Macchiato."    Her "Ye Olde Video Games" include sure hits like "Dance Dance Industrial Revolution" and "Harpsichord Hero."  I particularly enjoyed her more realistic women's magazines: "Vague: For the Fashion Backward and Just Plain Lazy," including a feature article on "What to Wear from the Pile of Clothes on Your Floor."  "Out of Touch," which has pictures of people with the caption, "We have no idea who any of these people are!"  "Mediocre Housekeeping: How to Get Away With Doing the Bare Minimum."

Her content is definitely female oriented.  I think she'd acknowledge that me deal with anxieties and issues, to, but she's writing primarily "girl to girl."  (Not to say a sensitive male like myself won't get the humor. . . .)  Correll is funny and real and goofy and fun.  The Worrier's Guide to Life will make you forget your worries . . . for a bit.

For those times when you just happen to be dating someone and February 14 rolls around:

I used to have a dog who would lick and lick and lick my feet, so I got a kick out of this:

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Hand-Drawn Jokes for Smart Attractive People, by Matthew Diffee

Matthew Diffee has one of those senses of humor that, well, some people will get and others won't.  I found his cartoons in Hand Drawn Jokes for Smart Attractive People to be pretty hilarious.  Diffee writes that he has found that people who don't like his work "are, without exception, ugly and dumb," whereas the people who enjoy his work are just the opposite.  In fact, "the more beautiful and intelligent a person is, the more they tend to enjoy my stuff."

I don't know how smart or attractive I am, but I definitely enjoyed Diffee's take on life.  In one memorable piece, a doctor declares that athlete's foot is a flattering name.  It sounds better than "disgusting fungus."  So he comes up with other flattering names, like "cheerleader's lip" (herpes), "poet laureate throat" (goiter), and "billionaire's sphincter" (hemorrhoids).

Some of the cartoons are quick and silly, like the sloppy looking guy sitting in front of a sign reading, "Face Painting Five Bucks."  With one hand he's dragging on a cigarette.  In the other hand he's expectantly grasping a paint roller in a pan of paint.  I'd love to see the finished product!

Diffee's work has appeared in The New Yorker.  I haven't looked at that magazine in years, but it might be worth picking up just to see what Diffee comes up with next.  No matter how smart or attractive you are, you just might like Diffee's unique humor.


Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Devo's Freedom of Choice, by Evie Nagy

As a young teenager, I remember being entranced by Devo, so delightfully different from the pop-rock garbage on the radio.  I joined Club Devo and eagerly awaited every new release.  Alas, I never saw them live.  Looking back after three decades, I am realizing how much I missed in Devo's music.  Evie Nagy has filled in a lot of gaps for Devo fans in Devo's Freedom of Choice.

Focusing on Devo's third album, Freedom of Choice, Nagy tells Devo's story.  She draws extensively on interviews with band members, who lend insight into the creative process behind the album and tell great stories about the life of Devo.  Perhaps more importantly, Nagy places the album in context.  She quotes contemporary reviews and other musicians who were influenced by Devo, and discusses Devo's place in and influence on the general state of rock music.

I enjoyed reading some of the backstory of the songs.  On "Whip It": it wasn't meant to be sexual.  They say "We wrote it as a 'you can do it, Dale Carnegie' pep talk for President Carter." After so many fans assumed a sexual theme, for the music video, "Devo ran with the S&M theme to the absurd extreme."

Devo famously had a dysfunctional relationship with record labels.  They also continuously satirized commercial culture.  So it's interesting to read their thoughts on the subject of money and success.  Nagy writes, "While Devo objected to the excessive corporate greed that led to unacceptable levels of inequality, they of course were not opposed to making money. . . ."  They also had a contentious relationship with MTV.  When the network started, Devo was one of a very few bands that had been making videos of their songs, so Devo got heavy rotation.  Soon, all the bands were doing it, and MTV shifted from "playing all the art stuff that was out there, to concentrating on music videos that record companies were basically making as commercials for the albums they were trying to sell." Since Devo didn't get the radio airplay that many other bands got, the found themselves excluded from MTV's rotations.

Now that I'm well into middle age, I have to admit Devo's music doesn't move me like it did when I was kid.  But I do still love it!  As a conservative Christian I probably shouldn't embrace them; I certainly don't embrace their liberal politics and atheism.  As a conservative Christian 13 year old, I know I didn't get some of that subtext.  As I've looked back at some of Devo's videos, I am also reminded that Mark Mothersbaugh is to blame for giving me the idea that it would be cool to wear my racquetball eye guards to a party.  I was a dork.

Spuds will love the nostalgia and the insiders' information in Devo's Freedom of Choice.  You may or may not agree with Mark that Freedom of Choice marked "the end of Devo."  But a good case is made here that, while their later work is enjoyable, this album did mark their pinnacle.  Non-spuds who think of Devo as a one-hit wonder will be surprised to read of Devo's impact and musical influence.  Spuds and non-spuds alike will want to dust off their old LPs or cassettes, or pull up some songs on YouTube, and relive the early days of Devo, a great band ahead of its time.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Death Row Chaplain, by Rev. Earl Smith, with Mark Schlabach

Earl Smith has spent a good deal of his life behind bars--but not in the sense that he could have!  During his formative years (actually, into his adult years), Earl Smith lived his life is such a way that he could have become a permanent guest of the California Department of Corrections at the notorious San Quentin State Prison.  In Death Row Chaplain: Unbelievable True Stories from America's Most Notorious Prison, he and co-author Mark Schlabach tell his story and the stories of the inmates he met during his twenty-three years as San Quentin's Protestant chaplain.

It takes a while to get to San Quentin.  The first 1/3 or so of Death Row Chaplain dwells on Smith's story.  He was a pretty bad guy, making some terrible choices.  Drugs, dealing, crime, stereotypical street thug behavior marked his life.  Finally, when he was nearly shot to death and somewhat miraculously survived, he turned to Jesus.  Then he went to college to become a preacher and, well, drank, did drugs, and slept around.  Like many, OK most, OK pretty much all of us, Smith didn't become perfect once he became a Christian.

He did have a passion for reaching prisoners with the gospel, though.  Early on, he heard the voice of God tell him that he would become chaplain at San Quentin.  Years later, he got the job.  Few would be as well-suited for the job.  He could relate the population.  In fact, he ran into plenty of his old street buddies from Stockton, including the man who shot him.

The theme of forgiveness runs through Death Row Chaplain.  When he first happens upon his would-be murderer, thoughts of revenge ran through his mind.  Smith could easily have had him killed.  But God gave him grace to forgive.  That forgiveness set the tone for his ministry among the hardened criminals and death-row inmates he met every day.

Rev. Smith had a much more forgiving spirit toward his charges than I would be able to have.  At times he seems almost flippant, with stories like, Oh, he raped some young ladies and killed some folks, but now he's a Christian, sings in the choir, and man, you should seem him hit the baseball!  But really what he's saying is, Jesus met this criminal in the depth of his depravity, and now, in prison, he is learning to be a disciple of Jesus.  Smith certainly does not condone crimes or rule out the need for prison.  He writes, "A prison has to exist for certain people.  Some are lawless to their core, and, even if given an opportunity to change into law-abiding citizens, they would turn down the offer."  But he approaches every prisoner as someone needing the love and grace and forgiveness Jesus has to offer.  As much as that may go against my human inclinations, I certainly can't argue against it from a spiritual perspective!

I admire Rev. Smith's work with the San Quentin prisoners. He has impacted not only the prisoners' lives, but their families' lives, and even the lives of the victims and their families.  When the sheep and the goats are separated, there's no question that Smith will be counted among those who visited Jesus in prison. Well done.


Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!