Taft 2012's Author Jason Heller Talks Book Love

Last month I read and reviewed a compelling book entitled, Taft 2012 by Jason Heller. I was so impressed by its unique tale and its fun storytelling that I decided I needed to know more about the man behind the words. I searched out Jason Heller and, when I found him, I asked him the question you know I am always burning to ask, "What was your first book love?" He satiated my book love curiosity by agreeing to do an interview for the Book Love Series.

Jason Heller, like many I ask, had many book loves, but said that he, "really connected with and obsessively re-read," David Eddings' classic, five-book fantasy series, The Belgariad. According to the David Eddings Wiki:

The series tells the story of the recovery of the Orb of Aldur and coming of age of Garion, an orphaned farmboy. Garion is accompanied by his aunt Polgara and her father Belgarath as they try and fulfill an ancient prophecy that will decide the fate of the universe. Along the way, various "instruments", or helpers, of the prophecy join their quest.

Jason received Pawn of Prophecy (the first book in the series) as a gift from his uncle. As Jason puts it, "He knew I had an interest in fantasy (mostly because my earlier reading of Tolkien, of course!), and he probably thought, 'Hey, this looks fantastical enough for Jason!'" It looks like his uncle was right. Jason was hooked seemingly on sight. When I asked him what he thought first drew him in, he wrote of seeing Garion, the farmboy in the book.

There’s a painting of boy on the cover of Pawn of Prophecy, the first book in the series, although it isn’t technically for young adults. As it turns out, Eddings’ intimate, detailed, warm, and sympathetic rendering of the book’s hero, the young farm boy Garion, instantly hooked me.


I wondered if Jason felt that he could relate to Garion, or any of the characters in the series, or if his reading was an experience of complete escapism. I absolutely love his answer, "Both. That’s what I loved about fantasy, and that’s why I still love that genre more than anything else. It’s total escapism—and yet, the best fantasy is very much about real emotions, real struggles, and the real world.
"  Isn't this so true? Don't we all find ourselves running to magical, mystical lands on the backs of our books, only to more deeply understand our own realities? We may not even consciously realize that is what we are doing at the time, but who hasn't left a good book with a greater understanding of some piece of the world?

Jason also reminded me of one of the beautiful memories of the pre-Internet world. It was so much easier to be surprised then...

I was around ten at the time, and Pawn of Prophecy had just been published. So I had the additional benefit of being able to buy each new book as it came out—and totally savor it. Back in the ’80s there was no Internet, of course, so I wasn’t instantly clued in as to the release schedule for The Belgariad. I would just go to the mall, walk into the bookstore, and boom, there would be the next installment in the series. It was like Christmas!


I have similar memories of seeing new Calvin and Hobbes books by Bill Watterson and my fantastic experience of reading Stephen King's The Green Mile as he originally wrote it - as a serialized novel. It truly was just like Christmas to see the continuation of your story on the shelf on what otherwise seemed like an ordinary day.

Jason has been a life-long reader, even before he fell into book love with this series. He said, growing up feeling "awkward and self-conscious around other kids...  heaven was sitting in a quiet room, getting lost in the pages of a book. Still is, really.

" He's lost count of all the times he's re-read this series, but knows he's, "read all five books of the Belgariad—plus all five books of its sequel series, the Mallorean—at least a dozen times. Every time I read it, it’s like going home." So, of course, he recommends the series to others,

The Belgariad doesn’t get a lot of critical respect, but it still holds up as a solid, witty, well-told, coming-of-age tale. Yes, it’s bursting at the seams with clichés, and it clings fanatically close to the whole hero’s-journey archetype. But I didn’t know that as a kid—I just knew it moved me, dazzled me, and swept me away.




And in the midst of dazzling and sweeping Jason away, the series also taught him. First he learned through Garion, as he learned on his journey,

Garion is taught many lessons as he matures and comes into his power (not to give too much away!) throughout the series. The biggest lessons he learns are from the blacksmith Durnik, who works on the farm with Garion and goes on to be one of his companions on his journey. Durnik’s basic philosophy—which I only wish I was better at adopting!—is this: Work hard, do it well, and let it be its own reward.

Then, as a whole, the series taught Jason personal lessons of his own.

It taught me that I had more strength than I realized. That’s an incredibly important thing to be told as a kid, especially one who grew up in some pretty adverse conditions (not to bore you with my sob story!). In fact, it’s something we all need to be reminded of from time to time.




 While Jason won't be sharing his sob story with us today, he gave a fantastic list of book loves to keep us engaged for quite some time. Get your to-read lists ready, here are some wonderful recommendations,

A list of a few books that have changed, and continue to influence, my life would have to include

• J. G. Ballard’s The Crystal World, 
• China Miéville’s Perdido Street Station, 
• Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun, 
• Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, 
• Frank Herbert’s Dune, 
• Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, 
• Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, 
• Greil Marcus’ Lipstick Traces, 
• Ursula K. LeGuin’s The Left Hand of Darkness, 
• Umberto Eco’s Foucault’s Pendulum, and 
• everything by M. John Harrison. 
• Oh, and I can’t forget Michael Moorcock’s iconic Elric series. I do, after all, have an entire arm of Elric tattoos! If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.

I don't know where to begin! I've read some of these, but definitely not all, including The Belgariad series. However, to this list I would like to add the book that made this all possible, Jason's own work Taft 2012. I found it timely, fun and inspiring and have been recommending it to friends on a regular basis. 

I am grateful to Jason Heller for participating in the Rivera Runs Through It Book Love Series. You can follow Jason on Goodreads, Twitter or on his blog.

Now it is your turn! If you are ready to share your own book love story with the world, e-mail me at blogwithnv@gmail.com.

The Kreativ Blogger Award

I got such a surprise Thursday night on my blog, when I saw that Sandra from A Writer Weaves A Tale selected me as a recipient of The Kreativ Blogger Award along with six other Kreative Kats! Check out her blog post for the fellow honorees.

In the meantime, I am now supposed to tell you seven interesting things about myself. I suppose that is to replace any sort of embarrassing acceptance speech that can go on unchecked as there is no polite music to cue to let me know to cut it out. So, in that case... let's think "interesting." (Now it's time for me to get really "kreativ"!)

Paul Erdos, famous mathematician and collaborator

1. I'm kind of a liar, and an über-geek. It occurred to me yesterday, after putting up my post about Write On Edge that, while I started out by saying "I am not published," that I was incorrect in making that statement. I am published. In a Mathematics Journal called Congressus Numeratum. I was a coauthor of some research in Graph Theory that I worked on in Rutgers University. This publication gives me the distinct nerd qualification of a having an Erdos number of two, the highest possible now that Erdos has passed away, but only the geekiest of Math nerds have any clue what that means! (Or you can read this. I coauthored a paper with the fantasticly fun John Gordon Gimbel.)
2. I respond to sugar and caffeine the way most people respond to drugs and alcohol. I don't drink coffee, tea, or soda on a regular basis. My body has no threshold point for caffeine or sugar. When I do have any of these beverages, even if it is one glass, I can not sleep. If I consume more than one glass, or if I have more chocolate than I really should, then I have the energy and focus of a five year old child. This can help or hinder the writing the process - some days it helps me write a lot very quickly and gives me quirky, funny ideas, other times it gets me so distracted I can not even form sentences. Luckily, today was the former. (I, idiotically brought my chocolate bar OUT of the refrigerator and sat it next to me while I wrote. I ate half the thing in minutes - that bar could've lasted me weeks!)
3. My first beagle, Chewy, literally walked into my house in the middle of a winter's night. It was 2am, I was making some Mac n' Cheese for my friends in the basement, my mom was asleep when all of a sudden my brother came into the kitchen saying he heard a dog crying outside. It was snowing, so we opened the door, worried it was our Wheaton terrier, Ashley. The door opened and a blur of fur blazed through my legs. My brother and I both barely got out, "What the heck was that?!" When all of a sudden we heard the "Awww!" from my friends in the basement. Chewy was a four month old beagle puppy with no tags that hadn't grown into her ears yet. I tried to find her owners for weeks, then she cut her ear and I had to take her to the vet. There they asked her name and put her under my care. She was my furry baby for twelve years. 
4. I can't do a push-up. This was something I suspected for a while, but finally confirmed about two weeks ago with my face planted on my hardwood floor, completely unable to move it up. I am now working on striking this interesting fact from my list by attempting to do weird-o push-ups with my legs across my couch so that my face is already off the floor. These are more like hold-ups than push-ups, but I have to start somewhere with my pathetic weakness. I can't believe this was once a certified lifeguard swimmer's body! I'd probably drown just doing a 25 now!!
5. I'm terrified of aliens, but I love sci-fi. I'm really not sure what to say about this. It started with E.T. He is a brown, ugly turd who scared the hell out of me as a child. Then there were glimpses of the movies Communion and Close Encounters of the Third Kind - both terrifying again. However, in the interim, I fell in love with Star Wars, Star Trek and all of their characters, no matter how alien they looked. And now I am in love with the Doctor, you know Doctor Who, another alien and a show full of aliens. So I really don't know what's up. But I promise you this, if you show me a picture of E.T. or try to eat Reese's Pieces (E.T. food) around me, I will scream... some fears are just embedded.
6. Those "You Know You Love It" commercials were made to torture me. Back in 2010 I found out that one of the reasons that I have so many digestive issues is that I have an intolerance to both dairy and gluten. Before this diagnosis I could eat Kraft Macaroni and Cheese every single day of my life without a single complaint. I didn't, but I'm just saying, I could have. So, after buying a CostCo wholesale pack of ten boxes of the stuff and then finding out about my allergies, I had to sever the tie completely. It has been difficult, as all of my gluten-free and dairy-free living has been, but those damn commercials really make me want to cry. When they say "You know you love it," I always answer, "I do, you sick bastards, now LEAVE ME ALONE!" I've gotten pretty good at avoiding the commercials, I recognize them now, but last weekend they showed one in the movie theater and the cheesy goodness was enormous and delicious looking. It wasn't right. Someone should do something about this brilliant marketing campaign.

Bastards.

7. My home is my home, which is my home. People always find it interesting that I have lived in the same home for my entire life. I suppose it is. The first time I "moved" was when I got married and I moved from my bedroom to the master bedroom. I love my home, it is truly all I know in terms of a home. This home is where my heart is. I am lucky to have it and pray that I can keep it. I think everyone who is in the unemployed, disabled position that I am has the same fears, but in the case of an inherited home I just hate to think that after all these years I was the one who dropped the ball. 

And NOW (drum roll, please!) I present to you the seven bloggers that I deem to be Kreativ Bloggers! You should check them all out (as I do), so that you can be further enlightened by their Kreativ -ity.

• There is Morgan over at A Writer's Universe who is, among other things, working on her memoir these days. Morgan shares prompts and writer inspirations regularly.
• Pandora Poikilos is an author and blogger who is not only creative, but she is also a great sharer. On her blog she hosts a blog-a-licious tour that is a fantastic place to meet new bloggers from all over the Internet and world.
• Chris over at The Pedestrian Writer is also working on a book right now, but I think he might actually be heading home for the holidays soon. I love Chris' blog posts for the sincerity of his voice and his take-no-prisoners stance on all topics he is passionate about.
• There's Dawn over at Fabulous Follow Through who's been experimenting with photography in between sharing golf stories and reflections. Dawn is an amazing mom, wife and friend for life.
• Then there's Eric from I Can't Brain Today; I Have The Dumb who continues to entertain me with his musical (and geeky) musings when he isn't too busy at the helm of Studio30Plus.
• Each week I am treated to wonderful stories from JDaniel4's Mom all about JDaniel. They are so sweet, endearing and give a unique voice to the Mom blogging world.
• And the final blog and blogger is Galen from 10 Steps to Finding Your Happy Place (and Staying There). Galen's blog is a happy place all its own and I love to visit for quiet reflections of wonder and wellness.

So that's it. Now I have to go congratulate all those who I have bestowed this great honor upon! Thanks again to Sandra!

Who would you nominate for a Kreativ Blogger Award, or plain old Kreativ Person Award, if we had one?

What do those people do that inspire you to think of them this way? 

Rewatching Buffy from the Beginning [Throwback Thursday]

I love writers and I love good stories. One writer that has captivated my imagination for years is the über-talented Joss Whedon. I hear his name associated with a project and I simply MUST know more. However, it wasn't always that way. It began with the story of a high school girl starting in a new school, wanting desperately just to get along without making any waves; it started with Buffy Summers who had the unfortunate burden of being the Vampire Slayer.

Dani, author of the GeekGirl's Manifesto, and fellow contributor to Word of the Nerd, organized a virtual viewing party for us as she gets ready to read Season 8 of BtVS in graphic novel form (Buffy fans, you need to read this!). I am using the time to read my new book The Psychology of Joss Whedon before his version of The Avengers hits theaters this May.  It's a great opportunity to share insights about the show and just geek-out, in general.

For fellow Buffy fans, I hope you join the conversation, for others, perhaps this will intrigue you enough to give the old show a shot! I present to you our reactions for the first two episodes, as collected and transcribed by Dani: 

For the next few weeks some of the lovely ladies from Word of the Nerd, are going to join me as we complete a re-watch of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Joining me this week are Becca, Nicole and Corinne.

Episode 1: Welcome to the HellMouth

DANI: Okay...the first thing that jumped out at me on the rewatch is that the first guy to die (I have to look up his name) went on to have a regular recurring role on 'CSI-Miami'. So, for some people, being vamp bait in BtVS is not the career equivalent of being a red shirt on Star Trek. *lol* Besides that, I love a series that starts quickly and a vamp bite within the first 2 minutes counts as 'fast'. And the writing. I love the fact that the 'quips' start flying so early in the series.

BECCA: The actor who died is Eric Balfour who went on to die in many more movies & tv shows.

DANI: All that aside, I've always found 'The Master's' main henchman to be annoying. And it strikes me as funny that after he is killed off in this season, he reappears in a later episode as another vampire. Talk about being type-cast. The poor only guy ever plays bad guys (the BtVS equivalent of the red shirt actor curse, perhaps?)

...Girl Power as an Archtype

NICOLE: 

Thinking of episode 1 there were a number of things that struck me. The first was that one major theme of the entire show was made clear from that very first vamp bite - girls can be powerful, too. I know it is almost cliche to bring up such a thing when talking about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but it seems to me that the first scene was designed to make us think the girl was going to be the typical horror story victim, and them - WHAM! - she's a monster! So that scene really was a huge one-two punch: 1. there will be action, 2. females are powerful. I loved that.

DANI: You are so right about the opening sequence and the idea that the female would be the victim. It does set the tone for the rest of the show, really.

...Angel's Fashion Sense

DANI: Oh yeah...and WTF is up with that 'shiny' satin/velvet coat they put on Angel in Ep 1??? Are we going for vampire kitsch here or what?!

NICOLE: I'm cracking up over here about Angel's jacket! I had to go back and check it out after reading Dani's comment! It really IS shiny! How did I miss that? And... what was costume design thinking?? I'm desperately trying to remember the styles of the late 90s to see where that fits, but I can't figure...

...YA Novels Related to the Series

CORINNE: Did anyone ever read the YA novels that came out for the series?

NICOLE: I did not read any of the YA novels, but I did get started on season 8 in the comics and I read FRAY, as well. I didn't know there were YA novels!!

CORINNE: The YA novels were really good. Amazon has a few used. Christopher Golden was one of the writers, I can't recall the other woman that wrote for them. They did a 3 or 4 part series on Dark Willow too that expounded on some stuff that she might have done between scenes in the series. The books tried to keep a good handle on what was going on in the series and gave fans a chance to see old characters from the show and movie return. Pretty cool.

...The Bronze and Music in the Show

NICOLE: I also was wondering when I watched this episode whether or not Buffy was the first teen show to set up the whole "regular hang out with music" place. I'm sure it wasn't, but the inclusion of the Bronze and the new music in every episode seemed to flow very naturally for me in this series. I hadn't remembered that it started all the way back in episode one. 

DANI: I noticed something similar, only my issue is more with the fact that I never saw a place like that when I was in highschool. And even if there was one (I went to HS in Orlando, and heaven knows that city is big enough) I wouldn't have been allowed to go out to a club like that. That said, the music forms a kind of linking 'net' throughout the series as a whole, often showcasing up-and-coming bands of the time, while using songs that speak to the actions/emotions of the characters.

...Continuity Issues
NICOLE: The only other comment I can think of about episode 1 is: I hope when they first aired the show they started it off with a two hour special and did not leave people hanging for a whole week to see what would happen to Buffy!! I started watching the show in season 2 or 3 (I forget which one), so I had the benefit of flying through the first season on the wonderful technology of VHS tape borrowed from my friend.

CORINNE: I noticed the time/continuity issue as well. I wonder if it had something to do with the fact that Whedon was unhappy with how campy they ended up making the movie and maybe the series was his chance of a 'do-over' since he was acting as the showrunner/exec producer?

CORINNE: I remember when I first saw this ep thinking okay the movie ended with her graduating high school and the series is starting with her being a sophomore, yeah I can live with that. 

...On Willow, Xander and Cordy

 DANI: I was such a Willow in HS, so I'm sure that is why I can completely appreciate the whole 'high school' is hell thing that Whedon was going for -- and it works for me. I spend most of my time wanting to throttle Cordy. And actually think in the early episodes that Xander is cute in a 'geekily endearing' sort of way. 

CORINNE: Oooh Angel and Xander, drool!

Episode 2: "The Harvest" (AKA: Welcome to the Hellmouth - part 2)

Did you find Xander and Willow's reactions believable or not?

DANI: I liked the 'mini-history of vampires' Giles gives near the start of this episode. In many ways I think it points to the later 'book-sessions' that the Scooby-Gang has to find out info -- while at the same time playing up the stunned reactions from Xander and Willow. I think Willow's reaction was very believable (I would have reacted similarly). I love this exchange:

Willow: "I think I need to sit down."Buffy: "You are sitting."Willow: "Oh. Good for me."

NICOLE: I almost addressed this in my discussion of episode 1 since Xander had the weird eavesdropping in the library discovery of Buffy's slayer status. I'm happy I waited. I find them believable BECAUSE Xander has had a little more time to mull this over than Willow. He confronted Buffy with it in ep 1 with the appropiate "this girl is crazy" type of reaction. Then, both Xander and Willow were in a situation WITH Vampires where they actually saw one turn to dust BEFORE Giles tried to explain them away as if they were a normal part of everyone's lives. Had they not had these experiences, I would have expected a lot more laughing, skepticism and, ultimately, avoidance of the library.

Angel's random 'pop in/give cryptic message/vanish' act -- Does that annoy anyone else?

DANI: I can SO understand where Buffy is coming from when she complains about him doing this. The fact that Buffy complains about his 'Mr. Cryptic' routine makes me wonder if it is intentional. In many ways, Angel is doing the same sort of thing that Giles does -- popping up with doom and gloom warnings, then leaving her to do all the hard work. Kind of like Angel is the 'Anti-Giles' (non-father-figure), but does the same sorts of things that Giles does.

NICOLE: I think, in the beginning episodes, the mystery of Angel was laid on a bit too thick. In hindsight, it all made sense, but going through the motions it felt a bit annoying. Like DUDE WHO ARE YOU?! It seems evident that he is interested in Buffy (estowing her with gifts), but one has to wonder... is he some sort of creepy stalker?!

What do you think of 'The Master'?
DANI: I like the idea of him as a plot point, because the first 'baddie' needed to be something that would galvanize the group. But at the same time, I find it kind of funny that he has so many 'Nosferatu' qualities similar to the first vampire movie -- minus the fluffy eyebrows and huge ears. That said, I think his 'finger of death' trick at the end of the episode was completely cheesy and totally paying homage to Nosferatu.

NICOLE: Without a doubt, Master = Nosferatu. Also, I think the Master was the opportunity for Whedon to demonstrate the level of campiness he is willing to accept. It is obvious that the Buffy movie came from Whedon, but someone made a caricature of it. Whedon can be hilariously funny, and then there are times his humor rides the line of corny (which is fine with me). I think they both have their place and he (and his writing team) do a great job of balancing it all with the horror elements of the show. In my opinion, the Master is one tool for this purpose in the first season.

So that's it for now.
Fellow fans, what are your thoughts about the first two episodes?
For those who have never seen BtVS, did you just miss out on it, or were you avoiding it?
What show from your past would you like to get nostalgic with and re-watch?
**this last question is important... I have plans in the works here!

Don't forget to check out all of these lovely ladies at their respective websites, or to  see more of us all in one place, come check out Word of the Nerd!

Write On Edge: My Distant Teachers

I am a writer. If you ask to see my credentials, I will show you all I have written. I did not say I was a published writer ...yet. To be a writer all it really takes is to set to the task of writing on a regular basis.

That is fulfilling, but, personally, I don't like to do anything half-assed and I know that I am on the steep end of the learning curve when it comes to all that is involved in the craft of writing. I did not study writing or even literature in college. I was a double major in Mathematics and Education. These studies have served me well, and, I believe they continue to serve me, but there is much I don't know about that which I spend my days doing now, and I am thirsty for knowledge.

Enter Write On Edge. This is a website often linked to from Rivera Runs Through It and discussed in passing. I was recently asked in an interview for the Carpe Diem blog what my number one favorite website was (besides my own). I nearly dismissed the question as unanswerable, until it occurred to me, I visit Write On Edge every single day. Here's just a piece of my answer:

I have gotten an incredible amount of inspiration from Write On Edge. This group has two weekly writing prompts that I try to participate in as much as possible. Those prompts, in part, are what inspired me to start Rivera Runs Through It so I would have a blog space to write creatively.

I realized that if I had a computer that could only access one website and nothing more, I would set it to http://writeonedge.com/ because I could sit by my computer with a notebook and some paper and still write, still learn and still grow as a writer only with access to their site.

It began with a quest for writing prompts and community. I sought out the two prompts a week from what was then known as The Red Dress Club, and let them unleash my creative juices. (Off My Trail  was the first post I wrote for the community, I am still so proud of it.) Then, as each prompt came with a word count, I began to learn about word efficiency. Through reading the posts created by other bloggers linking to the community, I began to see how many different angles one theme could be perceived from, which led to even more creative thinking. Finally, I started to read the posts in between the prompts that were filled with writing tips, experiences, lessons and the creation of a book club for writers.


I did not intend to write about the Write On Edge community today as I sat down before my computer. My intention was to write about and review the book I finished yesterday, The Memoir Project by Marion Roach Smith. The book taught me so much about writing, research and observing life, but I would never have read this book if not for Write On Edge. It was the selection for our current book club. We will be discussing the first three chapters tonight on Twitter at 9:30pm EST (use hashtag #writeonedge if you want to join the discussion).

The other two books we read as a group were On Writing by Stephen King and Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. With each turning page I feel more connections being made, more dendrites growing and a new skill is blossoming at my fingertips.These are incredibly exciting reads for me. So, just as I wrote about On Writing and as I reviewed Bird by Bird, you can be certain you will be reading my reactions to The Memoir Project, but it appears that story was not for today. Today's story is about my distant teachers, the wonderful people behind the scenes at Write On Edge and the community of people who participate there as well.

Today's blog post is a long overdue Thank you to a community that probably has little to no idea what a large impact they have had on me.

Do you participate in an online community?

How have they helped you grow, learn or just share in your time with them? 

For fellow writers, where do you find your inspiration and your education?

 

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

The following post is taken directly from my hand-printed Reader's Journal. I will be sharing these reflections each week on the Rivera Runs Through It blog. The date at the end of each post is the date of the original writing, which is typically the date I completed the book. The reflections are short, but represent my initial reactions to a book, a brief summary of the book or the questions it raised for me at the time. I hope you enjoy this segment in my blog and feel free to comment on what you read here.

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis


The first of seven books in The Chronicles of Narnia begins an interesting tale. A story of two children thrust into a magical world against their wishes. Aslan, the Lion from Narnia, is a fascinating character. I was enthralled by the birth of the land and touched by Aslan's warning to our world as he left Digory and Polly at the end of their time together. I am curious enough to explore the rest of the Chronicles.

Dated: 11/22/03

I will spoil the ending by telling you that I feel in love with this series.
For those who have read The Chronicles of Narnia, when were you introduced to it? 
For fans of the Narnia films, have you read the books?