STICKY DOORKNOBS

Trophy Books: What's on your shelf?

You can tell a lot about a person by the books on their book shelves. Not the bedroom closet shelves or reads tucked away in dusty dark corner shelves in the den, but the living room shelves, the ones there for the whole world to see. Seinfeld joked about it on a recent rerun episode, wondering why people display their books like they're trophies for everyone to behold, as if to suggest they are somehow proud at the fact that they've read a book.

In a previous generation of the web, there used to be a phenomenon called memes, where people would play along with their own answers to questions posed. I'm not sure memes are much in demand anymore, but I'll still share my Trophy Books with you, and you can add your own if you like. Here's what you'd find in my house, in my living room book shelves, if you were to come for a visit:

• "Living a Life That Matters," by Harold Kushner (Rabbi as inspirational speaker/author works very well in Kushner's case)
• "Seven Storey Mountain," by Thomas Merton (Spiritual classic)
• "John Paul the Great," by Peggy Noonan (A great piece of nonfiction by President Reagan's great speech writer)
• "Sports Illustrated's Great Baseball Writing" (Best collection of baseball stories I've ever read)
• "Sports Illustrated's Great Football Writing" (Ditto football)
• "Prayer," by Phillip Yancey
• "The Story of Big Bend National Park," by John Jameson (For Benders hopelessly in love with the land and its history).
• "The Joy In Living," by Mother Teresa (Daily nuggets for living a joy-filled life)
• "The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers" by Amy Hollingsworth. (Insights and spirituality from one of the wisest people who ever lived.)
• "Return of the Prodigal Son," by Henri Nouwen (Must also be considered a spiritual classic)
• "West Texas" (Great coffee table book about our beautiful, under-appreciated neck of the state).
• "Yates: A Family, a Company and Some Corn Field Geology," by Ellen Hopkins (Have to have a book in here written by a good friend who just happens to also be a top-notch writer. Wonderfully-written history of the Artesia-based oil company)
• "Hiking Big Bend" by Laurence Parent (The pages are falling out of this one).
• "What Baseball Means to Me," assorted authors (The game as pastime before its current state of ruin.)
• "Baseball," by Ken Burns (Great history of the game and companion to Burns' PBS documentary).
• "Big Bend National Park," Laurence Parent and Joe Nick Patoski (Parent's photos of the park of breathtaking; a must-have for any fan of the park).
• "The Lord is My Shepherd," by Harold Kushner (Great verse-by-verse analysis of the nost beautiful poem ever written and a truly inspirational study of the psalm.
• "To Kill a Mockingbird," by Harper Lee
• "East of Eden," by John Steinbeck
• "Grapes of Wrath," by John Steinbeck
• "Same Kind of Different As Me," by Ron Hall and Denver Moore (Their story should be widely read merely for Denver's pearls o' wisdom)
• "My Life," by Bill Clinton (Say what you will about the man, the first half of this work is a highly interesting account of Arkansas state politics.)
• "My Life With the Saints," by James Martin, SJ
• "Witness to Hope," by George Weigel (The definitive biography of Karol Wojtyla)
• "Seasons in Hell," by Mike Shropshire (Funniest non-fiction sports book I've ever read).
• "Landry," by Peter Golenbock
• "Lonesome Dove," by Larry McMurtry (Best contemporary novel ever. To me.)
• "Skinny Dip," by Carl Hiassen (Funniest fiction work I've ever read).
• "The Road," by Cormac McCarthy (A dark, apocalyptic Pulitzer prize winner that will leave you with hope even at the end of the world).
• "No Country for Old Men," by Cormac McCarthy (Much better and darker than the movie; a genius of a writer).

Joe Nick's epic book

Joe Nick Patoski, a great Texas writer, has completed his work on what could very likely prove to be the definitive biography of Willie Nelson.

"Willie Nelson: An Epic Life" is out April 21 and given Joe Nick's extensive history of interviewing and writing on Willie, it should be a rollicking read.

Joe Nick's a great guy and has written insightful, fascinating works on Selena, Stevie Ray Vaughan and volumes on his beloved Big Bend National Park, including, with the incomparable outdoor photographer Laurence Parent, the best and most beautiful book ever on the park.

I look forward to sitting down with Joe Nick next week for a conversation about "An Epic Life." You can also check out the blog Still is Still Moving. And there's a few bits of information on the book at Joe Nick's blog ...

Clear your calendars for a remarkable story you won't want to miss

If you have something on your calendar the evening of March 5, cancel it. Leave yourself open and then write this in: "6:30 p.m., First Presbyterian, Midland: Ron and Denver."

Ron Hall and Denver Moore are coming to Midland to hare their inspiring, emotional journey together; the story that hundreds of thousands have benefited from through reading the book, "Same Kind of Different As Me." For those who haven't read the book, it is inspirational in the same way "Tuesdays With Morrie" was.

It is the story of Denver, a homeless hobo who was raised a sharecropper's son; who grew up without an education and took to riding abandoned box cars before turning to a life of crime and sleeping in boxes on the streets of Fort Worth.

It is the story of Ron Hall, an upscale international art dealer who rarely if ever knew what a struggle was.

And it is the story of the woman who brought them together, Ron's wife, Debbie, a woman who had a calling to help feed and nurture -- both literally and spiritually, -- the downtrodden through a mission in Fort Worth. Every day Debbie left the comfort of her life of privilege to help those who were helpless and hopeless. Debbie never took no for an answer. She only did whatever necessary to comfort those who could not find comfort themselves.

"Same Kind of Different As Me" is a story of three heroes and the impact they had on one another. It is a wonderful book, and seeing the two together to present their story in Midland is a can't-miss opportunity.

Plan for it.

Comedy not always pretty for Steve Martin

When I was a kid, I practially worshiped Steve Martin. Iwas 18, 19 during the height of his stand-up career. He was what I always wanted to be. A guy who had it all. Fortune and fame, sure, but mostly he had that characteristic I longed for more than anything: laughs. Lots of them. For me, he was the funniest stand up comedian to ever grace a stage, even though he endured the bright spotlight of the lonely comic's stage on a national scale for only a brief three or four years.

Martin put years into honing to perfection his craft and for guys like me who could literally lip-synch along to the entirety of all three of his albums, it quenched a thirst for laughter like only water can on a hot day. I remember listening again and again and again. The comic element of his humor never faded. He was as funny the 50th time I listened to "Let's Get Small" as he was the first. There was no one else like him on the stage.

Martin calls his book "Born Standing Up" a biography and not an autobiography because he said it was written "about someone I used to be." It is highly readable for anyone who grew up in the 70s, or whoever appreciates the masterful craft of what makes a good stand-up.

While not totally giving away his secrets, Martin does go deep in sharing how he arrived at some of his gags and he recounts many stories about playing to empty houses, playing to a house at the Playboy Club in San Francisco with nothing but Japanese-speaking audience members, and being billed to open one night for a new rock and roll act -- Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. As it turned out, not a soul came to the show.

His insights into the world of comedy are priceless, but what is most surprising is the painful detail into which he delves about the strained relationship with his father. Without giving much away, the two make good with each other and father makes it known to his son that Martin's career was something the elder Martin had always dreamed of -- but for himself.

Martin spends little time on his guest hosting on "Saturday Night Live" but does admit the program was an idea he had hoped to be the first to initiate.  His reaction upon turning on a hotel room TV after a gig one night to see the premiere of SNL was one that is obviously still painful for him.

"Born Standing Up" is definitely worth staying up a few nights to read if you are a student of comedy from that era. 'Standing Up' contains only a few surprises, fewer shocks and a "tell all" factor of zero. The closest Martin comes to scandal is writing of his relationship with former coworker Stormie Omartian, who would go on to become a hugely successful Christian inspirational author. She was, Martin said, not quite so holy when the two met, but that's as shocking a revelation as you will likely find, which is why it makes for a good read and for such a memorable foray into comedy's not-so-distant past.

And the ending? Vintage Steve Martin. 

Please tell me I'm dreaming. Please.

From the back flap:

"After I heard Jessica sing, I, like, said to myself, 'Gosh, I wish I could find a Chicken Soup for the Soul book to read that would tell me how wonderful I feel after, like, I hear Jessica sing. Now there is! Thanks American Idol. Thanks Jack Canfeld."

Why 'Harry' is good (Pt. 2)

( **mini spoiler alert in paragraph five :)

I read the first three Harry Potter books, have seen every movie and just finished Book 7 Monday. They have been mesmerizing. Every word, every image on the screen. And Rowling's fantastic finish is classy closure to a series that has kept the world flipping pages like few other books of our day.

I have never bought into the notion that Harry Potter, Dumbledore or Hogwarts are anti-Christian. Many respected theological writers have even found Christian elements in the series. Rowling herself has stated that she is a Christian.

Most every book must have an antagonist; someone to get in the way of the hero's progress. Voldemort is Harry's antagonist. Some see him as Satanic; others have seen wizardry, witchcraft and magic as anti-Christian, but I have always seen it all as simple plot elements, like the yellow brick road and the flying monkeys and oh yeah, the Wicked Witch ... who no one really complains about these days as being representative of Satanism.

J.K. Rowling has given us a timeless classic. A story for our generation, for the next and maybe even the next. Harry is not flash-in-the-pan pop culture. His escapades are enduring, edge of the seat reads, and the ultimate message of these books in the end is this (mini spoiler alert): good can be triumphant, and the absolute necessity of family, friends, and (the greatest of these) love  are absolutely essential to surviving in this world -- or Harry's. Those are some pretty strong Christian holdings. J.K. Rowling may not use the word heaven, but there is little doubt that one scene in Book 7 takes place in a heaven-like setting called, not ironically, King's Cross.

---

I have always found the coming of new Harry Potter books and movies events to write on the calendar. Millions wait with breathless anticipation.

I have watched as two of my children have grown up with Harry Potter. Our 21-year-old daughter began reading the books when she was 12 and she was just as anxious about the book at 21 as she was as a pre-teen. And The Boy, 13 now, began reading the series with the fourth book's release, when he was about 8. He read the "Goblet of Fire," over 700 pages, in a week and Book 5, weighing in at 870 pages, in three days.

Seeing children and adults line up at midnight -- about 800 in Midland -- all of whom have a childlike glee and happiness across not only their face but their entire selves, is a site to behold. Think of it: a book, a simple book, bringing so many people together. When was the last time the written word was met with such great anticipation in our lifetimes? When was the last time you bought a book, took it home and read the entire thing overnight? The power to bring people together because of the written word is truly a gift, God-given surely. What a grand accomplishment.

This global giddiness can only be attributed to one thing: While Harry is a strong, strong character and so many other characters in the book are deep and well drawn, "Harry Potter" has held so many people spellbound because of one thing: it's all in the story. J.K. Rowling is a masterful storyteller, the likes of which we've not seen in some time. She is the envy of great authors, weekend wannabes and simple bloggers the world over.

Say farewell to Harry Potter, but hopefully we will have Rowling's gift to enjoy for years to come.

Why 'Harry Potter' is so good (Part 1)

Having just finished "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," I have a few thoughts on this remarkable series of books for all ages. I won't give anything away for any stragglers (like me until yesterday) out there still reading.

But I thought I'd first let the written word speak for itself.

This is an excerpt from "The Deathly Hallows," Pg. 535.  It does a great job in showing just how gifted a descriptive writer J.K. Rowling is. The paragraph is about a dragon.

A gigantic dragon was tethered to the ground in front of them, barring access to four or five of the depeest vaults in the place. The beast's scales had turned pale and flaky during its long incarceration under the ground; its eyes were milkily pink; both rear legs bore heavy cuffs from which chains led to enormous pegs driven deep into the rocky floor. Its great spiked wings, folded close to its body, would have filled the chamber if it spread them, and when it turned its ugly head toward them, it roared with a noise that made the rock tremble, opened its mouth, and spat a jet of fire that sent them running back up the passageway.

J.K. Rowling wrote 759 pages much like this one in Book 7 alone. Her talent for storytelling is immeasurable, and it is the one reason why with the Potter books and films, we have been left with a true cultural phenoenon  not just for this generation, but for the next and perhaps the next.

"A Thousand Splendid Suns"

Few books have kept me turning pages like "A Thousand Splendid Suns," Khaled Hosseini's followup to Kiterunner."

Both stories are set against the backdrop of war torn Afghanistan and I never thought I'd say this, but while "Kite Runner" is a compelling story, "Spendid Suns" is a better book. Much better. It's been awhile, maybe forever, since I have rooted so hard and so caringly for two fictional characters up against the horrible odds of survival that life as a female under Talib rule poses.

Mariam and Laila, Tariq and Aziza are people you truly care about. In particular, the two female leads are deeply drawn, multi-dimensional characters in a multi-layered fascinating and spellbinding tale.

"A Thousand Splendid Suns" is simply one of the best contemporary novels I have ever read. I haven't turned pages with as much anticipation in about 23 years -- since the summer of "Lonesome Dove."

Read this book!

Micro-niching God's Word

OK it's official: There are no more special interest groups that need Bibles any longer. We have it sufficiently covered, thank you. Pretty soon maybe they'll publish a "Bible for Bible Readers."

With the publication of the Golfers Bible and the Sportsman's Bible (which, I'm disappointed, was not published with a camoflauge cover), I guess I am left  to wonder what's next: A Hacker's Bible? And then maybe "The Bible for Guys with A Wicked Left Hook." As for the "Sportsman's Bible," I suppose the logical next step would be publication of "The Guys Who Accidentally Nail Their Hunting Partners with Buckshot Bible."

With these two books on store shelves, it's official: there are now more specialty Bibles than "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books.

'The Road': When all hope is gone, only love remains

A remarkable work of prose set in a post-apocalyptic world, Cormac McCarthy's The Road is a stunningly beautiful, heartbreakingly sad, yet ultimately a spiritually uplifting masterpiece.

Winner of this year's Pulitzer Prize for fiction, The Road takes readers on a journey with seemingly no hope for its two nameless protagonists, known simply as Papa and the boy. With skilled insight into human nature and the cost of survival, in the end the book is really a giant battle of good vs. evil. Who wins may surprise you.

As the two characters walk through a dead world in which all around them is gray and black, you realize at the conclusion of The Road that the book's ending is really something you have been reading about -- turning toward -- for the entire journey. Sparse and undecorated, McCarthy's story paints intimate profiles of the man and his son, who share a profound love for each other, a love we would all do well to have; a love that would make even a dead world almost bearable. Readers will come to appreciate and sympathize with both father and son, but most of all realize that maybe the power of love can sustain us forever.

Read it. It will be well worth your time. And let me know your thoughts when you are done.