WHAT ARE YOU READING?
3:39 PM October 26, 2009
Today an old friend came on the show to promote his first book and I was very happy to help him do it. Jesse Katz is a former Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Magazine reporter whom I first met more than 20 years ago. I was an intern at the Los Angeles Times and he was a recent hire.
Many people taught me how to write over the years but Jesse's tutorials were especially instructive. I learned there could be poetry in news writing. I admired the way he crafted his stories--choosing just the right words, reading his sentences aloud, appreciating the people whom he was writing about. I found myself trying to write in the same way in the years that followed. I never achieved the same level of craftsmanship in my writing but he certainly influenced me in a positive way.
Jesse's new book is called "The Opposite Field." It's a memoir about Jesse's experiences as a dad and as a Little League baseball commissioner in multicultural Monterey Park. I enjoyed the book thoroughly. I hope it's just the first of many books to come from Jesse Katz.
Books, by the way, are why I'll be absent on Tuesday. Mrs. Buckley is the co-chair of a fund-raiser at our sons' school to benefit the school library. Los Angeles writer Lisa See ("Shanghai Girls," "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan") was kind enough to accept Elena's invitation to speak at the breakfast. A banquet room full of folks will be looking forward to hearing her presentation. I'll be one of the volunteers on hand to sell her book and others with the monies going to put more books into the school library.
We love books in the Buckley Family. All of us read every evening. Elena and I have always been readers and we're happy to say the Buckley Boys have become big readers, too. One book I will recommend to them in the years ahead is one that's on my bedside table right now, "Little Bee." It's not a book that's appropriate for the boys just yet.
While I tend to go for the Tom Clancy sort of stuff when I want to be entertained, I look to my wife's reading list when I want to read good literature. That's how "Little Bee" recently came over to my side of the bed. It was written by an English writer by the name of Chris Cleave and it's hard to describe without giving too much away. As Simon and Schuster puts it:
"It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it. Nevertheless, you need to know something, so we will just say this: It is extremely funny, but the African beach scene is horrific. The story starts there, but the book doesn't. And it's what happens afterward that is most important. Once you have read it, you'll want to tell everyone about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens either. The magic is in how it unfolds."
A good book is like that. You'll find magic in the pages. What are you reading?
Posted by Frank Buckley | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)
About what you've said about "Little Bee", now i'm interested to read it, too.
Posted by: chairs for the disabled | July 11, 2011 at 10:37 PM
Frank:
Okay . . . it is time to post something new to your blog.
Posted by: Helen | December 10, 2009 at 04:29 PM
Frank, I just sent a commit. When I did amessage say's my e-mail dose not show up. Well My E-Mail Address is 173rdsourdough@gmail.com I'm a Viet-Nam vet. smokes for my health. Dan Williamson (173rd Abn. Bde.)
Posted by: Dan W. | November 24, 2009 at 08:30 AM
Frank, I'm Makinging a comment about Med.Pot I use it!! 1.I have always Doctored myself,and have always been healthy. I'm a Viet-Nam Vet. I'm 100% disabled (PTSD) I went to the V.A. at my dad's Request because of a lump which was just a swollan glan. The Doc at the V.A. Talked me into seeing a Psyc. for P.T.S.D. He said I had it and and started giving me Chemical meds. I blooned up to at 1 time 260lbs.I have never been over 195lbs. with in 3 years I had high blood presure,high colesterol,and dietbeties,and my frist (1) Heart Attact a year later I had second heart attact and Bypass heart surgery. I was told the meds. I was taking was going to hurt my kidney and liver but I had to take it the rest of my life. I asked what would happen if I stoped my meds?I was told I would be dead with in a year.WEll I smoke my meds and I'm still alive and I do not take any of my 13 differentChem.meds. OH YEA I'm goingon 5yrs and still alive and in better health. Go figure. Dan Williamson (173rd abn bde viet-nam)
Posted by: Dan W. | November 24, 2009 at 08:20 AM
What a wonderful suprise it was to see Jesse Katz on your show.
Frank, I had the pleasure of having Jesse coach my son Brandon Yepiz 8 years ago. He played on the Dodgers with his son Max. I believe they did win 1st place that year.
Jesse was right on when he said the league was falling apart as know one wanted to really get involved and had no direction. Jesse was the right dedicated individual to take over and turn around a little league that was in such dispair. I am sorry that I did not get a chance to see the improvement that Jesse accomplished as I moved my family out to San Dimas after the following year.
Jesse used his newspaper writing skills at the end of the season to do a personalized sports story for each player on his team highlighting their skills and some of the key plays that each player had throughout the season. My wife and I came across the article that he wrote about my son Brandon just a few months ago. Not only was it very touching, but Jesse was right on what he said about Brandon's future as a ball player. Brandon is now a Junior at San Dimas High and is the starting 3rd Baseman for the Varsity team.
Thank you Jesse Katz and Thank you Frank.
Posted by: Jerry Yepiz | October 28, 2009 at 01:43 PM
In Costco today I was barreling toward the checkout line with one item, a Halloween costume for Jake, when a stack of books caught my eye - "Have a Little Faith" by Mitch Albom. My daughters have been avidly discussing his "Five People You Meet in Heaven." Thought I'd venture forth and read Albom's next work. Grabbed a copy of HALF and still made it to my next appointment. So far, so good.
The only reason I'm here tonight is to check for Sam's review of "This Is It." Hope he liked the movie. Can't wait to see it.
Congrats to you and your family on the fundraiser for the library.
.
Posted by: jozielee | October 27, 2009 at 09:11 PM
Frank,
Another great blog. You said your friend worked at the Los Angeles times. It's sad that newspapers are disappearing. I know many are going on line, but it's not the same. There is nothing quite like opening a brand new book or paper for the first time.
Posted by: Tristan | October 27, 2009 at 04:29 AM
Frank:
I really enjoy your blogs. They are often thought-provoking and designed to learn more about your viewers.
I am a fan of John Grisham, and today while I was shopping I saw one of his books that I had not read. I couldn't believe it! I thought I had read all of them. So I purchased "The Associate", and I'm going to read it tonight.
However, after reading your description of the book "Little Bee", I think I want to read it, too. Thankss for the tip about "Little Bee" . . . and thanks also to Mrs. Buckley.
Posted by: Helen | October 26, 2009 at 04:51 PM