Review: Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work

Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work by Tim Gunn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I loved it! Tim Gunn's unique voice really comes through in this advice/tell-all book. He expounds on his philosophies of good behavior, ambition, teaching, and even parenting. The book is deeply personal as Gunn's family dynamics (including his father's relationship with J. Edgar Hoover) and professional life play a major role throughout.

A must read for any Tim Gunn fan going through withdrawal when Project Runway is not airing.

Favorite quotes from the book:

"But let us not be swept up in this tide of rudeness. This book (in addition to being a fun excuse to tell some of my fashion-world stories) is a call to arms, a manifesto for kindness, generosity, and integrity. I hope will join me in trying to make society a friendlier, more polite, and less aggressive place."

"Also: If you're going to yell demands for food into a room full of strangers, you'd better be as fabulous as Diane von Furstenburg if you expect to get away with it."

"There are times for protest, for civil disobedience, but on a day-to-day basis, it's best to avoid bringing out the big guns."

"Never try to resolve an emotional conflict over food. I recommend ordering drinks instead - with neither ice nor olives."

"Why bitch-slap someone unless you're leaving the planet for good? Don't burn bridges; you might need them later."

"If I were a waiter and someone talked rudely to me, I know I would be seriously tempted." I would never intentionally put someone's life at risk, bu half-a-dozen laxative tablets disolved in a cup of coffee would be sweet payback, indeed."

"I can't imagine a more aesthetically offensive item of footwear than Crocs. That little strap! I shudder."

"I also have no problem if you want to find a cave and have someone roll a boulder in front of it. To each his own."

"Call me a schoolmarm, but few things make me angrier than people not taking care of library materials." ~A man after my own heart!

"But let's talk some more about the bad ones, because they're the most fun to gossip about, and they deserve a little public shaming."



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Tales as Old as Time

I just finished Mercedes Lackey's The Sleeping Beauty (I know, I know, it wasn't on the summer reading list, but there was a lot of flexibility in that list and I have been pretty steadily working at it as I have finished the Dresden Files). It was good, but about the same as the other books in the Five Hundred Kingdoms series, which is not up to the standard of the Valdemar universe or even her Elemental Masters series (I highly recommend both).

The basis of the Five Hundred Kingdoms is that there are all these, well, kingdoms that are guided by this omnipresent and unintelligent force, the Tradition, that seeks out people whose lives closely resemble a fairy tale, saga, or myth and force events to replay that same story over and over again.  So if you have a deceased father, a stepmother, and two stepsisters who are ugly in some way, you turn into Cinderella (the basis of The Fairy Godmother, the first book in the series).  However that is not always the case because what is the Prince Cinderella is supposed to fall in love with is two years old, or eighty-five years old? Then there is all this Traditional magic that builds up around the almost-Cinderella that could be used for good or evil.  This is where the Fairy Godmother comes in, an individual who guides (read 'manipulates') the Tradition to a non-evil ending.  Basically, the book is full of allusions to tales - Grimm's, Anderson, and the Greek and Norse myths.  It's a creative way to deal with the fact that "there is no such thing as a wholly original work of literature," (Foster 29).

If you didn't follow the last link, the book I am referring to is Thomas Foster's How to Read Literature Like a Professor, which is actually a really good and fairly easy read about how to pick apart some of the inner workings of books.  Anyhoo, Chapter 5: Now, Where Have I Seen That Before? examines the intertextuality of literature, whether it be from direct references, allusions, or reworking stories.  Though I don't completely agree with his "big secret" that "there's only one story" (Foster 32), because that seems a little simplistic and too broad, the the idea that stories build upon one another and are constantly referring to each other is completely wrapped up in fairy and folk tales.  I mean think about it, how many versions of Cinderella have you seen or read? I estimate at least 20, but that seems low because, in essence, most chick-flicks play on that theme.  There is just this fascination with happily-ever-after that never seems to leave us from our first introduction through the safety of the Disney-ified versions of the stories to the humorous modern interpretations to the dark and dangerous "originals."

Here are some of my favorite re-tellings, fairy tales and other wise:

• Bill Willingham's Fables series -- They're graphic novels that put all of your favorite characters in a modern setting, complete with inter-dimensional travel, epic battles, and sex.  Great storytelling and concept. Rated PG-13 for language, images, and sexuality. See my earlier rave post on this very subject.
• Mercedes Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdoms series -- Again, not up to her usual standard, but these romances have a great concept and they are entertaining.  I also like the fact that she features different traditions of tales in each of the books.  Start with The Fairy Godmother.  Rated PG to PG-13, depending on the book for mild sexuality.
• Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Masters series -- This universe is set in Victorian era Britain for the most part and combines the basic plot of fairy tales with elemental magicians.  They are less simplistic and a little darker than 500 Kingdoms; my favorites are Pheonix and Ashes and The Serpent's Shadow.  Rated PG-13 for mild sexuality, violence, and mature themes.
• Anything by Robin McKinley --  She writes mostly for young adults and has a feminist twist (rated PG). My favorite is Beauty.  The only adult story I've read of hers is Deerskin and it was okay.  Definitely check out her original fiction as well, The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword. 
• Politically Correct Bedtime Stories and Once Upon a More Enlightened Time by James Finn Garner -- Humorous, modern re-tellings of all your favorites.  It's been awhile since I read them, but I think I would rate them PG-13 for some mature material.
• D.J. MacHale's Pendragon Series -- It's an older children to young adult series of a modern-day hero of the Arthurian legend.  Great story-telling.  Rated PG for some heavy action. I haven't finished the series, so shh! Don't tell me what happens.

Some other popular fairy tale re-fashioners include Gail Carson Levine of Ella Enchanted fame (G), Gregory Maguire of Wicked fame (definitely R) and Angela Carter (R), but really almost all writers pull on these various traditions and you can find fairy tales tailored to almost any philosophy from feminism to Marxism to Nazism (I kid you not, the Nazi party re-wrote Grimms tales to better reflect Arians and put down Jews). 

The possibilities are endless and I love seeing what has bee added to the literary tradition. I can't wait to read more fairy tales and add a little magic to my life.

The Good Book Feeling

It's part warm  fuzzy, part shock and awe, and part anticipation/satisfaction.

It's confusion and exhilaration and a mind-numbing emotional roller coaster that leaves you speechless and shaking.

I am experiencing that feeling right now, and I can't believe how long it has been since I last felt this way.

There are now words to truly describe it, but I think it's about as close to an orgasmic experience that I will be for a while.

You just have to experience it for yourself.

If you are wondering what book did this to me, read the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher and just pray you get to, the twelfth book, Changes; it's Harry Potter for adults without the final letdown.

Thank you Emily, for making me read this series.

Celebrate Banned Books Week! (Sept. 26 - Oct. 3)

According to the ALA (American Library Association), "Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States." Basically it is a week celebrating all of those books that push the envelope, discuss controversial subjects, or are deemed immoral in some way shape or form. This definition covers a lot of books, and many that are considered as "classics" now and even the Bible and the Qur'an. This is totally awesome!

I've tried finding a complete list of all banned, censored, or challenged books, but none fo the lists I've seen match up completely. Here are a few links: Wikipedia, banned-books.com, Alder & Robin Books. I wonder how Boston is celebrating and if Salman Rushdie is doing okay?

For my own personal celebration I am going to read a banned book. I'm not entirely sure which one, but I'm leaning toward re-reading A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess.

People- Go out and celebrate your freedom of speech and thank God that you live in an open-minded society! And check out this blog post.

Fables Fanatic

I've always felt that reading comic books, graphic novels, and manga (yes, there is a difference) always had a certain stigma attached to the act, but recently I've changed my mind. I was taking down a cart of books to shelve at the Undergrad and saw the first three volumes of Fables by Bill Willingham amongst the other books. I began to peruse them and got hooked. They're basically about all the fairytale and fable characters in literature and how they were driven out of their Homelands by the Adversary and now live in our "mundy" (short for mundane) world.

It is possibly the most awesome story line I've read in awhile. Not only does Willingham show a great knowledge of his Grimms brothers and other sundry traditions, the world he has crafted for his characters is so ... awesome. Everyone has their flaws and foibles, but you get attached to them just the same. His cast includes Snow White (no dwarfs, so far), Bigby Wolf, King Cole, Prince Charming, Boy Blue, and even non-human Fables like the Three Bears and the Liliput people. It's absolutely amazing the amount of creative genius that's been put into the series and I can't wait to read the next one.

My anxiousness is basically why I'm writing this post. I've finished both volumes I brought to work, and am too keyed up to do much else. I think I'll ride back to my room during break and get the other two I have checked out from the library. However, my entertainment will be short-lived as I only have one more to go before I reach the road block of the bindery. *sigh*

Here's a link to find out more:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fables_(comic)