Dawn Land

Just finished a graphic novel called Dawn Land, by Joseph Bruchac and Will Davis. It's based on a novel by the same name published back in 1993. I'd never heard anything about when I saw it on the shelf at Barnes and Noble. The cover struck me though, and as I flipped through and realized it was a Native American tale, I was interested.

The title refers to the place inhabited by the Abenaki people, known today as New England. They called it the Dawn Land because it was the first place in North America touched by the rays of the morning sun. The time is just after the last ice age. The ice has receded and warmer temperatures are returning. A menace is stalking the nearby villages, in the form of malicious giants who walk the earth, satiating their need for human flesh. One child watches his parents taken from him, but his life is spared. Instead, he is marked by the giants to help them later on, when he is older. As he matures, his behavior becomes more erratic, He kills animals for no reason, and attempts to rape one of the young women. He runs away from the village, and becomes a loner, responding to the giants' call when he is needed.

Enter Young Hunter, a young member of the tribe who is chosen by the ancestors to fight this menace. He is introduced to the Long Thrower, which is basically a long bow with extraordinary range and power. Armed only with this, and his knowledge of surviving in nature, he must trek north to face the giants and defeat them before they obliterate the "only people" from their homeland.

As the story develops, we're shown certain aspects of the Abenaki lore, such as a creation story, what the "deep seers" of the tribe know of the threat to their way of life. Young Hunter meets many challenges along the way, but he isn't alone. He's joined by three dogs who serve as his loyal companions and protectors. His journey is a few days in length, and it is late in the year, as the colder weather is setting in. He must contend with other tribes who are not friendly to him, and what appears to be a Sabretooth tiger, what he calls an "ancient one." By that point, there were probably few of them left, most of them having been culled by hunting or climate change.

Bruchac's prose and dialogue are natural, organic. He is a native himself, and well versed in the beliefs of his people. We are introduced to many members of the village who help and guide Young Hunter, in particular the mystic members of the tribe. Their names for everyday objects reveal the simple wisdom with which they interact with the world: the sun is the "sky walker"; a rattlesnake which bites Young Hunter is called the "brave one" or "close to the ground people". In english, these names seem rather awkward, but in the native tongue I'm sure they were more elegant.

I was enthralled from the first step of the journey, as I am often with stories and details of Native culture. Their spiritual outlook has always resonated with me, and it is something sorely missing from our modern western life. You see it in episodes from the story, as Young Hunter prepares for a "pure hunt", one where he must hunt a deer without the benefit of weapons. He is successful in the endeavor, and after accomplishing his task, thanks the deer for giving its life for him.

Davis is a veteran illustrator, and his style suits the story perfectly. He works in brushed gray tones, accentuating the timeless aspect of the tale. Many panels have no dialogue, or are written with a script that may or may not be a Native language. There was a time or two when I was a little frustrated they weren't translated, but it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the narrative, or disrupt the flow.

The three dogs who accompany Young Hunter get a lot of screen time in the book, and their interaction with him was humorous and touching. He refers to them as his "brothers", and many's the time they put their own lives in jeopardy to protect his. Bruchac mentions this in an afterword in the book, noting that people have suggested he call the book "Dog Land". He couldn't go wrong either way.

I read some comic blogs and websites, and I'm surprised this book hasn't been mentioned more often. It's easily one of the best I've read all year, if not the best. The elemental nature of the story is the perfect antidote to the rushed, structured life we lead today, with its immersion in soulless technology. I found it to be a true escape to a simpler time. It might not have been quite so comfortable back then, but it seems like it must've been more rewarding on a daily basis. To us, i-phones seem almost magical with their features and apps, but to the Abenaki of ancient times, magic was everywhere. In the rocks, trees, streams, rivers and mountains that they lived amongst. It's tragic that we've lost so much of that.

Coming Up For Air

Dusting this place off a little.  Now that my schedule has returned to a semblance of normalcy, I can sit down and get some thoughts together.

The paychecks were nice, but all the overtime had other repercussions.  I missed a couple bill payment deadlines...I neglected a few autumn chores which I'm just getting around to now...I've missed a bunch of meetups.  Being mindful of how the stress manifested in my body was kind of fascinating though.

Today I picked the rugs up from the back patio.  They are soaked, and probably weigh twice as much as normal.  I have one draped over my lawn chair and the other over the T-bar for the clothesline, to assist in drying them out.  Hopefully, they'll be dry enough by tomorrow morning.  Rain is expected around mid-day.

I'll be off to my Uncle's place tomorrow for the big feast.  I'm always in charge of bringing dessert, and this year it's an apple crumb pie and a pumpkin roll.  The pumpkin roll is new, but I think they'll dig it.  I just tried it for the first time a few weeks ago and it left a warm feeling of joy in my belly.  I want to get a run in before I leave.  Usually I'm able to do it, I'm just hoping the weather holds up in that window of time I'll have in the morning.

In spite of not being able to take the bus much, I've been continuing to read.  I want to post some reviews of what I've read as well.  I've been rediscovering the satisfaction of reading at home again.  It's meant less time online, but that's not a bad thing.

Looking forward, at last, to a long weekend.  The waves have been rough these last few months, but I'm thankful for all that I have.  I will remember this as I engage in wholesale gluttony tomorrow.

Killing Time

Out for another run earlier this week. The wind was restless again, and I tried to catch the leaves that floated down lazily near me. They were all too elusive though. It was a night more like Halloween than probably Sunday will be.

It's been a horrendously busy week at work. Just one more day to get through, then I can relax a little. I'll probably be in the office this weekend, just with a slight decrease in urgency compared to past weekends. I've been working overtime since late July. It's been nice for my bank account, but not for much else. I'd gladly take the free time over the extra change. Besides, I still have some things to do before it gets really cold and the snow starts flying. Mulch and rake leaves...put away the garden hose. The last three months have passed in the blink of an eye.

Not sure what the weekend holds. Reminds me of a lyric in a Bjork song. "I don't know my future this weekend...and I don't want to." I get that feeling now and then.

In Your Facebook

The Social Network is David Fincher's latest film, about the birth and flowering of Facebook, the social networking behemoth of the Internets.  Fincher (Seven, Fight Club, Zodiac) is nothing if not unpredictable in his choices.  How could such a seemingly dry subject be of interest to his agile camera?  But then, you're talking about the director who adapted an old F. Scott Fitzgerald short story into a full-length feature film with Brad Pitt.

Jessie Eisenberg plays Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder of the website.  I first saw him in Zombieland, and though that movie was a slight comedy at best, Eisenberg made me like it even less.  His performance seemed one note and hypermanic.  He's in more comfortable territory here.  Maybe it's because I'm not supposed to like his character anyway, I'm not sure.  Aaron Sorkin wrote the script, and right off the bat you can tell it's his baby.  The opening scene takes place in a bar between Zuckerberg and his girlfriend in college, and the actors are nearly breathless delivering the dense dialogue.  I found myself making an effort to keep up and stay focused on what they were saying.  Thankfully, the rest of the movie is not so dizzying.  I never saw West Wing, but I recall clearly the same effect taking place in Sorkin's first notable series, Sports Night.

The story gets played out in depositions given by the main players in the drama.  Zuckerberg goes back to his dorm one night and whips up the code for a Harvard website that asks the user to rate pictures of two women on campus side by side.  His effort attracts the attention of a pair of twins, played by one actor in the movie, Armie Hammer.  His role is digitally worked to create the effect of him being two separate people in the same frame.  It's reminiscent of the backwards aging trick he pulled with Pitt in Benjamin Button.  Supposedly, the twins have an idea for this Facebook-like site, and they try to enlist Zuckerberg to write the code for it.

Zuckerberg avoids the twins for weeks and even unveils Facebook before he has another meeting with them.  As the site's success mushrooms, it's not hard to see where the depositions become involved.

It was interesting to learn that Sean Parker, the founder of Napster, was involved with the site in its very early stages.  Justin Timberlake plays him in the film, and he's better than you might think.  He's portrayed as extremely narcissistic, and his contribution is difficult to figure out (other than a minor name change).  Zuckerberg's original, and as the film implies, only, friend, Eduardo Saverin, is the decent guy left out in the cold.  He provides the lion's share of the seed money for the site, and by the end he's suing his estranged friend just to get the credit he deserves.

I've heard that the film plays a little loose with the facts, but it didn't lessen my fascination with the story.  With its depiction of Harvard, you feel as if you're getting a glimpse into the insular lives of America's elite.  The twins are nonplussed that something could actually be going wrong for them.  Parker glides through the film, confessing that he hasn't made much money from his venture, yet still getting celebrity treatment at restaurants and clubs.  Saverin resents him for it and seems to be the only one who can see that he's really just a hanger-on.

Trent Reznor, aka Nine Inch Nails, scored the movie, and it's an effective soundtrack to the proceedings.  It's very blippy and techno.  At one point, there's a transition into a San Francisco nightclub, and in the theater the music suddenly boomed out of the speakers.  It actually sounded as loud as what you'd hear at a club.  I waited for someone to get up and liquid dance.  Sadly, no one did.

I'd recommend this one, even if you don't write code.  It's sharply written, Fincher keeps the story moving as fluidly as possible, and it's a window into a world most of us never see.

Evening Run

Got home after a nine and a half hour day today. Stretched, and ran outside under the fading light. Just enough to see the low clouds sliding by, almost low enough to touch. It was breezy. Leaves swirled down to the slick streets. Some of them lay there still, flattened, as if they had been painted there.

There was a light spray coming down. I'd thrown a hoodie on for the run, hoping it wouldn't be too warm. It wasn't. Running into the wind validated the decision. There was a bite in the air.

There's something about these evenings, when the wind is restless. I almost feel like I have company, no matter where I am. Maybe it's because it stirs the trees, Branches wave...pines whisper. There's an arboreal party going on. I run through it, listening. Glad not to be alone.



My reading at present. Amis molds the language like clay. Much of the time, I get the sense he's just throwing warmup, like he can write this in his sleep. Still enjoying it though. No one can make depravity sound so elegant.





Gone Sunday Gone

The weekends seem even more ephemeral when you throw in time at work.  Spent a few hours there today, trying to tread water.  All the overtime is the only thing which has kept me on track.  On the plus side, I've managed to save more money.  I need that after the car purchase last year.

Came home and mowed the lawn.  The leaves are multiplying.  Trimmed a few of the bushes that line the property.  I'd really gotten behind on that over the summer.  There is another small landscaping project that will probably wait until next spring.

Slowly picking up the novel again, at least starting the process of getting it into electronic form.  I'd like to see if that makes it easier to sit down and work on it.  I've always worked longhand before.  Maybe a mixture of the two is the answer.  Changing up the method might keep me on my toes more often.  I've long since given up the notion that I could make a living doing it.  That's not so important anymore.  I do like to write...I miss it when I don't.  Creativity is also a part of the path.

The week ahead looks crammed.  I have a full weekend next week as well, attending a series of talks given by a Tibetan Lama on Mahamudra meditation.  It's the practive I've adopted personally.  I hope to gain some new insights and strengthen what I've been doing.  With every year, the urgency to practice grows more intense.  Feels like a good sign to me.

Mad Rush

Leave off your mad rush for gold and jewels--
I've got something far more precious for you:
A bright pearl that sparkles more brilliantly than the sun and moon
And illuminates each and every eye.
Lose it and you'll wallow in a sea of pain;
Find it and you'll safely reach the other shore.
I'd freely present this treasure to anyone
But hardly anyone asks for it.

-Ryokan

You're Not The Girl You Think You Are