Book Review: No Turning Back - Stories

No Turning Back: Stories. Dan Burns. Chicago Arts Press, Chicago, IL, April 2014. Hardcover and E-book, 280 pages.

Reviewed by Starza Thompson.

No Turning Back is a collection of short stories that meets the characters of each story at a pivotal place in their lives and then plays out those life-defining moments in spellbinding and unpredictable ways. Dan Burns takes his characters to the brink of the unknown and then pushes them over the edge so that they literally cannot turn back. What results are stories that make the reader question his/her own life and the many life-changing moments that have shaped who the reader is as a person.

In Come Out Wherever You Are, Verne avoids the sudden and most unwelcomed limelight by going off the grid and living in a cabin in the woods. After ten weeks of solitude, Verne gets a feeling that something is off. He returns to civilization only to find his hometown very different than it was before he left. The decision to leave town, rather than face the sudden publicity, proved to be very beneficial for him and there was no turning back afterward.

At the End of the Day takes a modern spin on the classic story of star-crossed lovers. Jen is twenty years Jeremy’s senior, and while attractive, she is not the obvious choice for a possible mate for Jeremy. However, they both decide to throw caution to the wind and begin a relationship that neither thought was possible.  

Adios Amigos is perhaps my favorite story of the book. Al and Margie are visiting Guadalajara, Mexico. Both are the very nightmare of a stereotypical American couple: loud, disrespectful, and fat, though Margie is the lesser of two evils. Al insists upon stopping at a street-side food stand on the way to the airport and sucks on an entire chicken for the duration of the ride. Margie is more cognizant of their (Al’s) rude behavior and tries to make excuses for him, though her patience is drastically waning. Finally, after chasing Al to their gate only to find that their flight has been delayed, Margie leaves Al to sit and sweat, waiting for the plane. What happens next is a complete shock and an utter delight.

There are a few more stories within the collection, each contributing to the overall theme of not turning back. Every story is written with the finesse of an expert. Burn’s exceptional writing abilities should be no surprise since he is the author of breakout novel Recalled to Life, in addition to multiple screen plays and other novels.

One of my favorite things about this book was that Burns allowed the reader into his creative thought process at the end of each story. As a fellow writer, I absolutely loved learning how he came up with his ideas and hungered for more on his process.

While learning Burns’ thought process was an obvious benefit to reading this collection, the best perk was the inherent need to be introspective and reflective about my own life while reading about others who reached a point of “no turning back.” After finishing a story, I would often think about the times where I had a choice to make that ended up defining my life. It takes a special talent to create stories that not only tell a tale, but also enable the readers to deeply reflect on their own life choices.

Overall, No Turning Back is an excellent collection of stories that span genre and subject matter. The theme of not turning back is apparent throughout each story, yet it is subtle enough to not feel forced. This book enables the reader to enjoy each story as it is, and as a collection, all the while thinking about his/her own life and what decisions have been made where s/he cannot turn back. It’s not every day that a book makes you contemplate your life. Dan Burn’s No Turning Back does just that and then some. 

Book Review: Transition to Murder

Transition to Murder. Renee James. Riverdale/Magnus Books, March 4, 2014, Trade Paperback and Kindle, 334 pages. Originally published as Coming Out Can be Murder by Windy City Publishers (June 2012).

Reviewed by Julie S. Halpern.

Renee James’s provocative murder mystery is a classic page turner with an unusual twist. Set against the backdrop of contemporary Chicago, replete with frigid winters so beautifully and evocatively drawn, those not intimately familiar with our weather might actually find romance in James’s description of our town’s frozen and windy lakefront.

Sadly for James’s irresistible heroine Bobbi Logan, the harsh weather is the least of the brutality she is forced to cope with. A popular Chicago hairdresser, with a group of supportive friends, including a saintly ex-wife, and an endlessly understanding boss, she is a thirty-eight year-old, six-foot tall male transitioning to female. As Bobbi adjusts to life as a transwoman, she encounters myriad challenges that range from work issues (such as appearing in female attire for the first time at the salon where she works) to everyday activities ranging from shopping, to dating, to womensʼ room etiquette. A potent hormonal cocktail, which endows her with the sexual desires of a horny adolescent, creates havoc for the usually well behaved Bobbi. When a young transwoman client and friend is brutally murdered, Bobbi becomes an activist in solving her murder, almost getting murdered herself in the process.

Facing an unacceptable lack of action by Chicago’s finest, Bobbi takes the law into her own hands, risking her life to bring this crime to justice. James’s depictions of brutish, homophobic police officers and various low-level thugs were chilling, frustrating, and heartbreaking. As she bravely transitions to her new life, her resolve becomes stronger and her actions a great deal riskier. I found it impossible to put this book down and found myself rooting for Bobbi even when her endeavors to solve this crime bordered on foolhardy.

James brings the unique flavor of several Chicago neighborhoods to life in vivid detail, particularly Boystown, a neighborhood that has welcomed gay and transgendered people for the past few decades. James’s description of specific “El” stops resonate with any us who have waited for a train on an isolated platform or walked down a deserted street on a cold, dark night.

One warning: the beginning of this book contains extreme graphic, sexual violence. Some of the language and detail disturbed me to the point that were I not reviewing this book I might have stopped reading. I am glad I got past the first chapter, however, because this well-written book gave me insight into a world existing alongside all of us every day. While many of us live, work, and socialize with transgendered individuals, most of us have no idea what challenges and obstacles they encounter daily. It was a privilege to have spent time with Bobbi Logan. Readers of Transition to Murder will find their perceptions of the transgendered community irrevocably altered and will find themselves wishing Bobbi Logan the very best on her journey.

Book Review: Imperfect Things: Artwork 2010 – 2013

Imperfect Things: Artwork 2010 – 2013. Tiffany Gholar. Blurb and Amazon Digital Services, Inc., 2014, Hardcover, Trade Paperback, and Kindle, 60 pages.

Reviewed by Marcie Hill.

It was an honor to review Imperfect Things: Artwork 2010 - 2013 by Tiffany Gholar. In addition to being able to relate to her experience of trying to find a balance between earning a living while living her dreams, I felt that she was speaking to me and encouraging me to persist, despite the challenges I’m encountering on my journey to being a recognized and paid writer.

Named after one of her pieces of artwork that symbolizes “a temporary thing,” Imperfect Things is a visual and emotional journal of Tiffany’s journey to being accepted—and paid—as a gifted visual artist. The image of the beautiful mess of different shapes and vibrant shades on the cover says to me that, although life will not always be the way we want (shapes), we will overcome and the final outcome will look and feel so much better than expected (colors).

Tiffany expresses her creativity in words and pictures, as well as with the media used to create her artwork. The journal entries included in the book have a poetic flow that made me want to read more of her thoughts. The images of the pieces she selected to express each stage of her journey are ideal. For instance, when her relationship ended, she used dark colors and rougher materials. As her mood and spirits lifted, the colors got brighter and the media with which she created was smoother.

One of the coolest aspects of the book is the way Tiffany explains the different materials and tools she used to create different pieces, and why she chose them.

Tiffany took me on a ride on her emotional roller coaster. I was excited when she opened her art gallery. I grieved with her during the loss of her relationship and wanted to comfort her during her period of hibernation. I rallied with her and the other “99%-ers” when she joined Occupy Chicago. I was able to relate to her emotional fight with Sallie Mae regarding her student loans. It seemed that with each step she took forward, Sallie Mae said, “I’m going to steal your money . . . and your joy, too.” Then I celebrated with her when she was able to “buy my freedom at last” after winning on Jeopardy and finally started selling her work.

As an accomplished writer and blogger who is still struggling to be paid, I totally related to those periods in Tiffany’s life where she questioned her skills and herself, and when she had moments of victory. Here are some of her memorable quotes:

“If I really had talent, wouldn’t I be successful by now?”

“I just need to get some new customers. I know they’re out there somewhere.”

She was trying “not to commit artistic suicide.” This was a powerful statement! 

“It felt amazing to get some recognition when I have felt underestimated because of my race and my resume.”

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. The words, images, and journal entries flowed well. I feel that Tiffany has a wonderful spirit and I’m looking forward to connecting in person soon.

There are only two things that could have been different, but they didn’t take away from the book at all. First, some of the paragraphs could have been a little shorter. Second, with all of the challenges, struggles and imperfect things Tiffany overcame, including breaking the chains of Sallie Mae, the ending could have been more powerful.

I highly recommended Imperfect Things for creative people who are challenged with living their dreams and staying financially afloat, for people who want to live their dreams and are afraid to take the first step, and for dreamers who need a touch of reality about what it really takes to make their dreams come true.

Book Review: Menghedi: Two Women. Two Journeys. One Hope for Freedom.

Menghedi. Semhar Gebre. Halpin Publishing, February 26, 2014, Trade Paperback, 234 pages.

Reviewed by Dipika Mukherjee.

Menghedi means “Journey” and Gebre’s book traces the journey of two very different women: Ma’arinet is an American girl, having been brought up by Eritrean immigrants to Chicago; Timneet’s story takes place amidst the brutality of a civil war for Eritrean freedom from Ethiopia. Gebre does a good job of shining a spotlight on Eritrea, an area of the world that is rarely covered by the international news media.

There is some fine fiction written in English highlighting the Ethiopian revolution (Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese and Beneath the Lion's Gaze come to mind), but the Eritrean struggle for freedom is still largely unknown, especially as Eritrean independence was achieved as recently as in 1991. Timneet’s story is full of the brutality of war and occupation, sparing neither the children nor the old, and provides brief glimpses into the lives of child soldiers and the desperation that leads them to make inhumane choices.

Ma’arinet’s life is a depiction of domestic violence; also horrific although it focuses on the personal rather than the oppression of an entire people. This brutal story only ends when the victim understands a basic truth about her life: “I’ve learned that nothin’ is more frightenin’ than the realization you could be a prisoner in your own life.”

The book would have benefited from the attention of a good editor, as it tends to veer into the melodramatic:

“Director Almaz allowed another long pause to pass before she closed her gaping mouth and stared with no words to explain her behavior. She cupped both her hands over her eyes in utter disbelief and sobbed like a motherless newborn”

Despite some occasional hiccups, Menghedi is a very engrossing story about two remarkable women who fight the violence in their lives and choose personal freedom, even if it could lead to death. The description of life in Eritrea, with close-knit and loving communities of women dealing with loss but fortifying each other, is especially charming. The storyline has a nice twist at the end that explains how Ma’arinet and Timneet are connected.

The story is brutally graphic at times, especially with the mass shooting of schoolchildren and the callousness of child soldiers. However, for those who stay with the story, it offers an insight into a relatively untold story of human history and exemplifies the strength of the human spirit despite all odds. 

Book Review: Real Courage: The Story of Harper Lee

Real Courage: The Story of Harper Lee. Katherine Don. Morgan Reynolds, Greensboro, N.C., 2013, Hardcover, 128 pages.

Reviewed by Greg Borzo.

Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, once said, “The book to read is not the one which thinks for you, but the one which makes you think.” This describes both To Kill a Mockingbird and Real Courage: The Story of Harper Lee.

Real Courage, a clear, concise biography of the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, describes Lee in direct, straightforward terms and explains how this remarkable book came to be.

One of the best features of Real Courage is the way it places Lee in context. Throughout her highly readable book, Katherine Don refers to events that helped to form Lee’s character and views, as well as events that helped change attitudes toward poverty, education, and civil rights — events that shook the nation. In addition, Don does so in a way that will enthuse, encourage, and empower young readers to learn more about the times during which Lee wrote the book and the impact the book had in its aftermath. In fact, even well-informed adults who read this book will find themselves wanting to learn more about a wealth of topics, from the Scottsboro Boys to the Freedom Riders; from Southern culture to Hollywood glitz; from small town life in rural Alabama to the literary scene in New York.

To its credit, Real Courage does not shy away from controversy nor does it gloss over Lee’s foibles and faults, such as being unpopular as a child, never romantically involved as an adult, and the possibility that she drank too much in her later years.

As part of the World Writers Series, Real Courage appropriately sheds light on the writing, editing, and publishing processes. In the case of Lee, there’s plenty to talk about including self doubt, writer’s block, and the need for heavy editing — and then dealing with overnight, world fame. One fascinating story tells of a remarkable Christmas gift Lee received in 1956. Michael and Joy Brown offered to pay all of her living expenses for one year to allow her to focus on writing. Lee made good use of that gift, writing much of what evolved into To Kill a Mockingbird.

Real Courage, itself, will inspire young writers to pen to paper, or whatever it is they do these days when the muse strikes. Don sources important points and includes an extensive bibliography, both of which help make the research and writing transparent. Meanwhile, the attractive book includes vintage images and has a striking, old-fashioned design.

I do have two quibbles with Real Courage, however. It does not weigh in or even mention the well-known controversy over whether Harper Lee wrote To Kill a Mockingbird by herself or with extensive help from her lifelong friend, Truman Capote (who otherwise looms large in this book). This is an odd omission for a book that touches so many sensitive aspects of Lee’s life, including her sexual orientation, depression, familial relationships, failing memory and, most importantly, the fact that Lee wrote only one book. Why was the hullabaloo about the authorship of To Kill a Mockingbird ignored?

In addition, I wonder why the book is called Real Courage. Lee wrote a great book but it did not take a lot of courage to do so. True, her book and the subsequent movie played significant roles in the civil rights movement, but not because Lee championed those causes. Au contraire. She was no Rosa Parks — or Atticus Finch, for that matter.

In any event, Real Courage is sure to inspire young and high school readers to pick up a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird and better understand Lee and her times.

The choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first selection in the new One Book, One Chicago program in 2001 served as a reminder of the importance of this classic tome. The publication of Real Courage: The Story of Harper Lee last year serves as another valuable reminder.