Programs 2010 Rocket Boys

special events

1/30/10 Model Rocket Launch
11th and Seawall. 11 am
Austin Middle School Rocket
Club Presentation. 12:45pm.
Galveston College.
4015 Ave. Q, Room FA207
Refreshments provided.

2/23/10 Four Professors Panel
Discussion. Ball High
Lecture Hall. 4116 Ave. O
7 pm.

3/9/10 Roy Lee Cooke
An original Rocket Boy
Galveston College, 4015
Ave. Q, Room FA207, 7 pm

3/23/10 “October Sky”
Movie screening. Galveston
College, 4015 Ave. Q, Room
FA207, 6:30 pm

All events are free and open to the public

January 2010 Book Discussions

book discussions

1/6/10 Mosquito Café
628 14th St., 6 pm

1/12/10 Galveston Bookshop
317 23rd St., 5:30 pm

1/21/10 Mod Coffee House
2126 Postoffice St., 7 pm

1/26/10 Sugar Bean Coffee
11 Evia Main, 6:30 pm

2/4/10 Holy Family at St.
Patrick, 1010 35th St.,
10 am

2/9/10 St. Vincent’s House
2817 Postoffice, 6:30 pm

2/10/10 Unitarian Church
502 Church St., 7 pm

2/15/10 Westminster
Presbyterian Church
5127 Ave. U., 7 pm

2/16/10 Moody Methodist
2803 53rd. St., 10 am

3/18/10 Rosenberg Library
2310 Sealy, 12 noon

3/19/10 Freeman Library
16616 Diana Lane, Clear
Lake, 10:30 am

ALL EVENTS FREE AND OPEN TO THE
PUBLIC

Rocket Boys Display in September

Lynn Burke, our Galveston Reads inhouse illustrater/artist extraordinaire, has a new display for the Rosenberg Library. Hope to have members of the community join us this fall to blast off with Galveston Reads. Programming events are scheduled for Jan-March 2010.

Meetings: Tuesday, September 15th

Quick reminder that we’re doing marathon meetings again Tuesday, September 15. The Book Selection Committee meets at 3:00 pm, GENERAL Committee meeting (for everyone) at 4:00 pm, and the Programming Committee will meet at 5:00 pm. All meetings will be held in the McCullough Room of Rosenberg Library and with the library closing at 6:00 pm you can be assured all meetings will be punctual and kept to one hour.

Poom asked me to let the Book Selection committee members (affectionately known as the Readers Group) know the library now has copies of American Rust and Art of Racing in the Rain. Please contact Poom if you’d like either one held for you. American Rust is spoken for, Art of Racing in the Rain is only one available now.

Rocket Boys and Girls (GReads crew and spouses) in July 4th Parade 2009

Thanks to all who came and helped string those little foam beads last week, prior to parade- including Emmy’s husband, Chris! And it was so nice having a look at the rocket and banners that Poster and Lynn made (respectively)!

Thanks again, to Chris, Mike, David, Jim, Mary Case, Karen (Emmy’s friend), and Emmy for participating in the parade. We were right behind Lynn and the Privateers, who were the only marching band! More … Lynn was marching right in front of the float/truck with the Privateers, Glennda was the official photographer and Emmy, Karen(Emmy’s friend) and Galveston Reads crew, ran and tossed goodies.

We handed out bookmarks with beads, red, white and blue bears, and beads, and ran out about half way through. We enjoyed yelling: Read the book, See the movie, and Come to the library! To those who had read the book, perhaps a plot summary? Got some funny looks about plot summaries, as seemed to remind folks of school, during summer!

The silver rocket by Poster was a hit, and good for the Fourth, had a stand and colorful strings to denote fuel/engine blasts? Many in the crowd asked us to launch at them! But, Emmy didn’t think that was a good idea. I wonder why???

A good time was had by all, ended with lunch at the Mosquito and siesta for some of us!

Meetings Moved to TUESDAY August 11

Next Meetings:

3 PM Readers

4 PM General

Location:

Rosenberg Library

From Karen:

Okay gang, I have good/bad news. The good news is that the summer reading club for children is going well and we have lots of kids attending our programs. The bad news is that this means the programs are a little more staff intensive than I originally thought they would be and we definitely need all hands on deck for the ferry ride scheduled July 21. What this means to you is the next Galveston Reads Meeting will be rescheduled for Tuesday, August 11 at 4:00 pm. The next Book Selection Meeting will be that same day at 3:00 pm. The meetings will be held at Rosenberg Library. Please adjust your schedules and I do apologize for any inconvenience.

Thank you!
Karen

Karen Stanley, Head of Children's Services
Rosenberg Library*2310 Sealy Avenue*Galveston TX 77550
(409)763-8854 x119

Galveston Reads Commitees 2010

There are 4 committees to choose from:

1. Programming: Poom Sunhachawi-Taylor

2. Publicity: Emmy Morrison, Barbara Arnold

3. Fundraising: Sandra Sullivan, Pat Jacobi

4. Book Selection: Carol Hodges

Each committee welcomes volunteers. For further information contact the Chair, Karen Stanley at kstanley@rosenberg-library.org or call 763-8854, ext. 119.

July Meetings

Our next general meeting is at Rosenberg Library on Tuesday, July 21 @ 4pm.

The Reader's Committee will be meeting earlier, at 3 pm.

Please contact Karen Stanley for further information on Galveston Reads.

Galveston Reads Launches a New Season

Rocket Boys: A Memoir by Homer H. HIckam Jr. is the Galveston Reads book section for 2010. A highly accessible slice of mid-century Americana, Rocket Boys is the coming of age story of Hickam during the infancy of space exploration. It’s 1957, Russia has just launched Sputnik 1, and young Hickam dreams of being a part of this new frontier. In sharp contrast, his home town of Coalwood, West Virginia, is a dying mining town where the majority of teens have little aspirations other than following their daddies down into the mines. Despite a couple of early rocketry misfires, Hickam, three friends and an inspirational science teacher succeed with a science fair project that helps him launch a space career. This story will ring true with Galvestonians who understand the importance of remaining optimistic despite unsettling conditions. The Island’s close proximity to N.A.S.A. makes this a very relevant read for the community.

Rocket Boys was published in 1998 and was selected by the New York Times as one of its Great Books of the year. The movie, October Sky, based on Rocket Boys was released in 1999. The book is available under both titles.

This is the seventh year of Galveston Reads. Book discussions and related programs will be scheduled January through March, 2010.

Galveston Reads Committee welcomes anyone who would like to become a part of the project and help with planning. The first meeting will be on Thursday,
May 21, 4:00 pm at Rosenberg Library. Volunteers are needed to serve on several committees, including programming, fund raising, publicity and book selection. For additional information on how to become involved in the pre-programming stages of Galveston Reads, please call Committee Chair Karen Stanley at Rosenberg Library,
(409) 763-8854 ext.119.

May 15, 2009

Barbara Arnold
Children’s Librarian
Rosenberg Library
409.763.8854 ext.135

Rocket Boys Wins Selection for 2010

Galveston Reads is proud to announce the selection of Rocket Boys by Homer H. Hickam, Jr. for 2010.

A skillfully written memoir that captures the wonder of the early years of space
exploration, this book reminds us of the mid-century wonder of seeing Sputnik in
the night sky. In his honest rendering of his youth, the author evokes the universal
angst of being a teenager while showing that anyone can rise above their
circumstances. Brought to the screen as October Sky”, the novel is far richer
and contains many more details about his life and times.

Thank You, All~

To the Editor:

Over the past years we have been fortunate to work with a remarkable group of people on Galveston Reads. This particular year, we were able to rebound after Hurricane Ike and continue with this project. This city wide book club, under the organizational umbrella of Rosenberg Library, sponsored a season long series of events to encourage everyone in town to read and discuss the same book, The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls. This is the sixth year of this project in Galveston, starting with Tortilla Curtain by T. C. Boyle, in 2004. This project owes its success to the efforts of many people and organizations, whom we would like to thank publically:

For sponsoring: Kempner Fund, Rosenberg Library, and Friends of Rosenberg Library.

For presenting at the various discussion programs scheduled: Dale Taylor, Stephen Curley, John Gorman, Dayle DeLancey, Kat Joel-Reich, Alan Griffin, Michelle Sierpina, Dwight Wolf, Karen Smith, Glennda Rassin and Trudy Deen Davis. And for hosting those programs: Galveston College, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Moody Methodist First United Methodist Church and Mosquito Café.

For volunteering on the Galveston Reads committee:
Barbara Arnold, Bernice Torregrossa, Beth Dekeyser, Carol Hodges, Dale
Taylor, Dayle DeLancey, Debra Morris, Emmy Morrison, Fanny De
Gesero, Glennda Rassin, Gracie Otin, Joan Hyatt, John Gorman, Lynn Burke,
Margaret Scofelia, Mary Case, Michael Berberich, Michelle Quinn,
Pat Bumpus, Patricia Jakobi, Patty Mayeux, Poom Sunhachawi-Taylor,
Sandra Sullivan, Sharon Pagan, Stephen Curley and Karen Stanley, Chair.


For offering the book for sale: The Galveston Bookshop and UTMB Bookstore.

For advertising the book program: Galveston Daily News, Wizard, Parrot, Islander and Guidry News.

Special thanks to Heber Taylor, of the Galveston County Daily News, for his support. The newspaper coverage was invaluable.

And finally, we’d like to thank all of you who read the book and talked about it with your friends and neighbors, especially the students and teachers that incorporated the reading of this book into their curriculum. The Galveston Reads committee is currently working on a book selection for 2010.

Vote for your choice for the Galveston Reads 2010 book:

Online voting at: galvestonreadsbooks@yahoo.com
Email voting at: kstanley@rosenberg-library.org
Phone voting at: Karen Stanley 409.763.8854 x119


Voting ends April 24, 2009.

If you would like to serve on the committee, please contact Karen Stanley at kstanley@rosenberg-library.org or call 763-8854, ext. 119.


Poom Sunhachawi-Taylor
Program Chair, Galveston Reads committee
Rosenberg Library

Last Program in 2009~

Galveston Reads presented the last program, The Successfully Resilient Child and The Glass Castle; a panel discussion at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall on 502 Church Street, on Wednesday, March 25, 2009.

This season finale was well attended, with Dr. Taylor and several students from Galveston College and members of the Galveston Reads Committee. With over 55 people in the audience, panel participants Dwight Wolf, MD, a child psychiatrist at UTMB, Karen Smith, PhD, a child psychologist also at UTMB, and Trudy Deen Davis, LMSW with Glennda Rassin, LMSW, serving as moderator.

Trudy discussed how close to real life this book was for her. Literally, she felt that she couldn’t read the book, as she lived it, hearing the stories that she could name the families who were similar to the Walls family. She felt the parents did not provide sufficient support/scaffolding. She both loved and hated this book.

Karen mentioned meta-recognition, whereby Jeannette knows she has to pretend that her family’s life was one long adventure. In addition, the boundaries were blurred and the parents exposed the children to risk. The example she used was the sink or swim theory Rex used to teach Jeannette how to swim. There must have been some support as, the children; both Brian and Jeannette could read.

Dwight did not enjoy the book, as he became detached from the narrative. Initially was engaging, but, he felt the author offered little insight to her life. He mentioned the novel seemed voyeuristic. He also pointed out that children tend to trust their parents, as all powerful, all caring, all good, or all bad. Jeannette seemed to idolize her father.

Glennda defended the book with enthusiasm, as she felt that the author recalled the highlights and was successfully resilient.

Some engaging comments from the audience were received from the panel members such as background of the second husband, who had problems with alcohol and his first marriage, and impending release of a second novel: Half Broke Horses: A True Life Novel. Glennda noted this seems contradictory. The evening ended around 7:30 with more conversation among the panelists and audience.

THE SUCCESSFULLY RESILIENT CHILD

As part of the programming for the 2009 book The Glass Castle, Galveston Reads will hold a panel discussion on the topic of “The Resilient Child” on Wednesday, March 25, 2009, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall at 502 Church St. in Galveston, from 6:30 to 8 pm. The program is free and open to the public.

Children grow up in many different circumstances. Some seem to have wonderful childhood experiences, yet turn out badly. Some have very difficult childhood experiences and grow up to be strong, successful adults. The child in the memoir The Glass Castle appeared to have a very difficult, impoverished childhood, yet she became a strong and successful adult. There are many theories and research about what makes a child more resilient. We are fortunate to have a panel of experts in the field of child behavior and development to discuss latest research, different aspects of child development and community efforts in keeping children strong and healthy.

Panel participants include Dwight Wolf, MD, a child psychiatrist at UTMB, Karen Smith, PhD, a child psychologist also at UTMB, and Trudy Deen Davis, LMSW with Glennda Rassin, LMSW, serving as moderator.

In cooperation with Rosenberg Library, Galveston Reads, a “One City, One Book” project, is now in its sixth year of encouraging everyone in town to read and discuss the same book. For more information or to join the committee, please contact Karen Stanley at Rosenberg Library, 409.763.8854 x119 or logon to our website at www.galvestonreads.org.

Lifestories II: A Journaling workshop with The Glass Castle

3/11/09 Lifestories II: A Journaling workshop with The Glass Castle. WestminsterPresbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 5127 Ave. U. 5:30-7:30 pm. With MichelleSierpina.

In the second of two workshops on journaling, Michelle Seirpina helped participants practice ways to tell their own stories.

This was a great workshop with 16 participants from the community.

Workshop Participants
· Discovered basics of journaling for self-reflection
· Reviewed peer reviewed literature on benefits of writing
· Learned the health benefits of attentive listening
· Practiced writing and sharing personal vignettes
· Received a comprehensive bibliography on personal writing
· Were introduced to lifestory protocols and research on lifestory at UTMB
· Became acquainted with Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UTMB

Both sessions answered the question, “What is journaling?”
· Self-reflective writing—in journals, diaries and other daily records
· Techniques include flow writing, issue resolution, guided imagery, “morning pages,” and more
· Can be done daily, but not required
· Begin with your own pattern and structure—whatever works for you

Participants used proven techniques to begin their own writing.
· Keep your hand moving
· Do not edit…ignore spelling and grammar errors
· Stuck? Write it. “I don’t know what to write about…”
· Let the writing guide you
· Keep your pen moving

Sometimes it is difficult to know what to write about, so Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen recommends using these three questions:
· What surprised me today?
· What moved me or touched me today?
· What inspired me today?

Examples of the many research studies on the importance of writing your story presented at the workshop are:
· Individuals with rheumatoid arthritis and asthma, who wrote about stressful experiences, realized measurable health improvement (Smyth, et. al., 1999).
· Writing about personal experiences for only 15 minutes a day for three days, subjects demonstrated improvements in both physical and mental health—those who used more positive-emotion words gained most benefit. Pennebaker, J., & Seagal, J. (1999) Journal of Clinical Psychology 55(10)1243-1254

Many Lifestory protocols developed in OLLI at UTMB help people tell their stories:
· Introductory Lifestory
· Lifestory as Legacy
· Meaning among the Memories
· That’s Another Story
· Advanced Lifestory
· Lifestory on DVD
· Lifestory Theater
· Harris County RPO Writers Group

Lifestory Group Programs share the following elements
· Participants write and share their stories in a safe, caring environment during 8 weekly, two-hour sessions
· One person reads a story of about five minutes in length, while other members of the group listen attentively and with intentionality
· 12-16 seniors in each group are guided by a Trained Facilitator

Lifestory Groups follow these core principles:
· Life experiences shared in 5 minutes vignettes read aloud to the group
· Personal story ideas emerge from stories others read
· Authentic lifestories—no fiction—
· One Voice—one person speaks at a time, no “cross-talk,”
· No interruptions. Everyone listens attentively.
· The writing speaks for itself
· Participants find “One thing I liked in your writing…”
· Comments are on the writing, not on the writer
· Writers refrain from:
· Dialogue about content or missing details in the story
· Conversation about similar or shared life experiences
· Group advice or problem solving

Vote for next Galveston Reads book for 2010

It’s time to vote again! Since opening the final selection to the public went so well last year, Galveston Reads is pleased to announce the short list of candidates for the 2010 “One City, One Book” project. Voting for the 7th year of the community-wide book read is now open to the public. To cast a vote please email Karen Stanley at kstanley@rosenberg-library.org by April 24.

The Selection Committee started the selection process in early 2008. Even in the face of Ike and its associated problems, committee members continued reading and discussing possible books for 2010. At the beginning of 2009, the list was refined and narrowed and now there are three books for the public to choose from.

The nominations for 2010 are as follows:

“Rocket Boys” By Homer Hickam
A skillfully written memoir that captures the wonder of the early years of space exploration, this book reminds us of the mid-century wonder of seeing Sputnik in the night sky. In his honest rendering of his youth, the author evokes the universal angst of being a teenager while showing that anyone can rise above their circumstances. Brought to the screen as “October Sky”, the novel is far richer and contains many more details about his life and times.

Set in the early 60’s in a poor mining town in West Virginia, “Rocket Boys” details how Homer was inspired to start his own rocket-building club with his friends and how that group wound up winning a National Science Fair award. Initially, only his friends and his mother believe in him; by the end of the book, the whole town is cheering him on. This uplifting story reminds us to keep dreaming and keep striving towards your own personal goals, no matter what obstacles may occur. The economic setting should ring true with many readers as the mining town struggles to survive, and the close proximity of N.A.S.A. to our island strengthens its relevancy to us here on Galveston Island.


“The Hungry Tide” By Amitav Ghosh
This novel is a fairly contemporary story of adventure and unlikely love, identity and history, set in one of the most fascinating regions on earth: the immense labyrinth of tiny islands known as the Sundarbans, an area between India and Bangladesh. Published in 2005, the book is told from the perspective of its two main characters, Kanai Dutt, a Delhi businessman, and Piya Roy, an American scientist of Indian descent who has come to study the rare Irrawaddy dolphin which lives in the rivers of the tide country.
Life is precarious with attacks by deadly tigers common. Unrest and eviction are constant threats for the inhabitants, and without warning, at any time, tidal floods rise and surge over the land. In this land of vengeful beauty, the lives of three people from different worlds collide. Compared to Galveston, with Hurricane Ike leaving devastation in its wake, this book offers insight to the commonalities for all inhabitants by the sea, regardless of where one is located.”The Hungry Tide” is a powerful and irresistible book about ordinary people bound together in an exotic place where devastation can occur with the ebb and flow of the tide. Does this sound similar to those of us here in Galveston? The basest of human emotions, love, jealousy, pride, and trust, make the difference for the characters in this story. Perhaps it’s a lesson that readers can share as they follow Piya, Kanai, and Fokir into the heart of tide country, the Sundarbans. Choose this title for the 2010 Galveston Reads book for a compelling read.

“The Septembers of Shiraz”, By Dalia Sofer
This is an incredible debut novel by Dalia Sofer where characters come alive and the reader is anxious to know what happens next. Imagine living a very comfortable, even luxurious life. How much of that would you be willing to sacrifice? This story of a prosperous Jewish family living in Tehran shortly after the Iranian Revolution gives us a glimpse of a particular family in a time period we’ve heard about in the news but know little. The author orchestrates the drama beautifully with the written word and family dynamics are shown by the author’s alternating of chapters giving each member a chance to tell his/her own story. The power of good literature is that it transcends our differences and shows us commonality of human experiences. Will readers be able to see any connections or experience any changes of attitude as this engaging book is being read?

Galveston Reads is a volunteer organization that encourages participation at all levels. To serve on a committee or cast your vote, contact Karen Stanley at kstanley@rosenberg-library.org or call 409-4763-8854. Remember that the vote will end on April 24th. All books are available at the Rosenberg Library, as well as local and online booksellers.


Happy Reading!

Final Three Books For 2010

I’m pleased to announce the Galveston Reads Book Selection Committee has selected three finalists for the 2010 Galveston Reads Selection. Committee members and interested members of the community are encouraged to read all three books and vote for the title they think would best serve the Galveston Reads community. To cast a vote please email me at kstanley@rosenberg-library.org by April 24. Happy Reading!

The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh
Rocket Boys by Homer Hickman (Paperback may be under October Sky which is the name of the movie.
Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer

These books are, of course, available for check-out at your Rosenberg Library.

Karen Stanley
Head of Children's Services
Rosenberg Library

Readers Choose Short List for 2010

Short List Decided- Feb 26, 2009

The Readers’ group, part of Galveston Reads, under chair, Glennda, met and decided on the final three:

The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh
Rocket Boys by Homer Hickman (Paperback may be under October Sky which is the name of the movie)
Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer

We met at Emmy’s home on Sealy Avenue, and shared food, wine and appetizers aplenty. For Bernice’s benefit, and food lovers, will list some: chick pea and red pepper(hummus type of dip), cheese crostinis, garlic chips, chocolate coated almonds, fruit plate, and lots of wines. One was a Shiraz, aptly chosen for the book, Septembers of Shiraz.

Once we’d had our fill, each of us cast votes, 3 points for #1 choice, 2 points for # 2 choice, and 1 point for # 3 choice. We did cast an absentee ballot for Bernice, as she emailed her vote to us, prior to her departure for DC, I believe.

Tally was as follows:


Rocket Boys/October Sky – 13 points

A Land So Strange, The Epic Journey of Cabeza de Vaca – 9 points

The Hungry Tide - 10 points

Septembers of Shiraz – 15 points

Mister Pip - 3 points

Film Club – 9 points

A very pleasant evening was had by all, thanks to our hostess, Emmy!

Glass Castle Discussion at Mosquito Café

Six people attended the Glass Castle book discussion at Mosquito Café Wednesday evening, February 19. The question of whether Jeannette Wall’s parents were negligent was examined. The consensus was no. Although participants agreed the mother and father were not average parents they were not considered neglectful because the children turned out all right (or at least three of the four did). One participator said she admired Rosemary, the mother, for being creative and following her heart for art sake and not to make money.
Facilitator, Bernice Terregrossa, found it interesting that the opinions of the discussion group differed so much from the book’s selection committee and commented that the selection committee must have done a good job of finding a book that lent itself to divergent interpretations.
The program lasted one and a half hours with everyone in attendance saying they plan to be present for the Resilient Child Panel Discussion on March 25th. This is the last of book discussions for this Galveston Reads season 2009.
Submitted by Barbara Arnold

GALVESTON READS TO SPONSOR BOOK DISCUSSION

Galveston Reads will hold a discussion of the 2009 book, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, on February 18, 2009, at the Mosquito Café, 628 14th St. in Galveston at 7 pm. The program is free and open to the public.

In cooperation with Rosenberg Library, Galveston Reads, a “One City, One Book” project, is now in its sixth year of encouraging everyone in town to read and discuss the same book.

Movie and Discussion at Galveston College

The movie, SURFWISE, an amazing true odyssey of the Paskowitz family is a documentary by Doug Pray. Members of the Galveston community gathered to watch the movie and participate in the discussion following the film. After the movie, Alan Griffin led an animated discussion about the movie, covering parallels and contrasts of the lives of the Paskovitz family versus the Walls family, from the Galveston Reads book, Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls.

Thanks to Gracie Otin, Galveston College librarian for coordinating with her colleagues in publicizing the book and the movie; specifically, Dr. Dale Taylor for incorporating the book in her classes, and Michael Berberich for being part of Galveston Reads; Henry Newkirk for organizing the participation of the African American student club to provide pop corn and cold bottled water. Special thanks to Paul Mendoza , Culinary Arts Academy instructor, responsible for making the cookies, and coffee. He and his students provided a delectable treat, including biscuits with apricot jam, mint, chocolates and cakes, as well as Mr. Jose, in facilities for setting up the room, and Robert Taylor for setting up the multimedia. Thank you to Lynn Burke for the program and her painting, and our chair, Karen Stanley, along with the Galveston Reads Committee for their support.

The movie was a documentary portraying the many different ways the Paskowitz family used to drop off the grid. The unusual style and urgency Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz, the paterfamilias of what is lovingly, and at times, enviable described as the first family of surfing. It was an intensity in part born of his passionately felt engagement with history as a Jew, which took him from Stanford Medical School in the 1940s to button-down respectability in the 1950s and, thereafter, on the road and into the blue yonder with a devoted wife, nine children, a succession of battered camper trailers and the surfboards that were by turns the family’ cradles, playpens, lifelines and shields, featuring archival film footage.


The controversial method of child rearing in an isolated environment without the benefits of a formal education provided for good discussion. There was discourse regarding when the children left their bohemian/gypsy “just another beach boy” anti-establishment family pod to strike out on their own. The lack of society’s graces created an incredible culture shock when the adult children immigrated to live in the “real” world. What seems normal to many of in the audience, such as having a formal education, being able to manage households in a “modern” fashion, work, pay bills, formal public education, were examples of things they had to “learn”. The daughter even said that she felt like a fish out of water when she integrated into society as we know it. They were taught that life outside of the core family was something to be very careful of. Doc believed that you gain wisdom from life (not from Stanford). The children were reared, it seemed to some in the audience, in a Buddhist philosophical way. The children were not encouraged to have an attachment to material wealth, They had been being taught that money was the root of all evil.

The issue of survivor’s guilt for many Jews was discussed, regarding the scene of the famous photograph of the Nazi soldier in the field aiming his gun at a woman and child. How, from seeing that visual, with no sound, some people seemed to sense what happened next.. Doc Pascowitz felt personally responsible for her death, and the death of Jews. However this could have been a product of his time, and that many of the audience members who also were born after the depression era seem to feel that same guilt.

There was great discussion about the mother of these 9 children having breast fed all her children for as long as she could. Doc told her: If an ape breast feeds their young for two years, you will breast feed our children as long. “I won’t have a monkey being a better caretaker than my wife”. Doc believed that health is the key.

There was further discussion of how the family evaded Social Services. At one point Juliet (Mrs. Paskowitz) mentioned ‘if you don’t go into the system, they don’t know you exist.’ And so it was, that the children dropped off the educational grid.

Galveston Reads Rebounds in 2009

Galveston Reads, a “One City, One Book” program selected Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls for 2009. After Hurricane Ike, the Galveston Reads Committee quickly reassembled to plan the spring 2009 schedule of programming. Reading programs prevail on Galveston, with many programs and book discussions in February and March of 2009.

The next program in the series, a movie discussion programs featuring the movie Surfwise, will be shown at 6:00 p.m. February 11, 2009, at Galveston College, Room FA-207. “Surfwise: The Amazing True Odyssey of the Paskowitz Family” , a 2007 documentary by Doug Pray, of a family that lives outside the norm, is another depiction of what could be termed dysfunctional family or perhaps one that just defies the usual expectations in our culture regarding child rearing, responsibility, and schooling. The father, Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz, who was born in Galveston, drops out of life as a Stanford trained physician to live in a camping trailer and travel around to surfing locations with his wife and nine children. The movie features archival footage of the family surfing, as well as interviews with the father and children. The movie is rated R for nudity and language and will be followed by a discussion comparing the book to the movie led by Allan Griffin, a retired psychologist. This program is free and open to the public.

The kick-off program for Galveston Reads, the Four Professor Panel Discussion, was held on January 6th at Galveston Colleges with over 50 people in attendance. The kickoff panel featured Drs. Taylor, Gorman, Curley and Delancey, and facilitator, Ms. Joel-Reich. The panel provided a very interesting, varied panel on this book. Dr. Taylor is an associate professor of English and Journalism at Galveston College, where she teaches writing and literature classes. Dr. John Gorman, is an island resident and teaches literature and creative writing at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. He is involved with Poets Roundtable and the Osher Life Long Learning Institute; he has been part of Galveston Reads since its inception. Dr. Dayle DeLancey is an Assistant Professor of the History of Medicine in the Institute for the Medical Humanities at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. She received her Ph.D. in the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine from the University of Manchester, Manchester, England. Dr. Stephen J. Curley is a professor of English at Texas A&M University in Galveston who received his Ph.D. from Rice University in 1974. Currently is the Area Chair for the Sea Literature, Popular Culture Association; serves on the Advisory Board of the Journal of American Culture and is also a member of the American Culture Association. His interests are anything having to do with sea literature, including chanteys (work songs at sea); Jean Lafitte and Texas culture.

The professors brought up various themes, such as the archetypical early American point of view, the autodidactic father, Rex Walls, the resilient child, free spirits from the 1960s, counter culture parenting, conscientious non-conformist parents, choosing to be lower class, no safety net such as health insurance or a regular income for the family, the narcissistic father and mother, forgiveness and redemption, the doppelganger/double personality effect on Jeannette, the Joshua tree symbolism of resilience to the wind and elements as are the children, the glass castle as a fragile symbol of hope, mental illness, and eventual homeless status.

Galveston Reads has encouraged reading by offering programs held at various locations throughout Galveston County for the past six years. Past selections include Tortilla Curtain, by T.C. Boyles; Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team , and a Dream, by H. G. Bissinger; A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, by Mark Haddon; Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America, by Barbara Ehreinreich and A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines. The programming has included local discussion groups, theatrical presentations, author visits and panel discussions, including the ever popular evening with local English professors.

The next book selection for 2010 is under consideration by the committee, and to be selected by the community later this spring.

2009 Glass Castle Program, Movies and Discussions

Book Discussions

2/9/09 Westminster Presbyterian Church.5127 Ave. U. 7 pm.
2/10/09 Moody Methodist First United Methodist Church.
2803 53rd St. Noon.
2/11/09 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. 502 Church St. 7pm.
2/18/09 Mosquito Café. 628 14th St. 7 pm.

Programs


1/6/09 Five Professors Book Discussion. Galveston College, Rm. FA207. 4015 Ave. Q. 7 pm. Featuring Michael Berberich, Dale Taylor, Stephen Curley, John Gorman and Dayle DeLancey. Facilitated by Ms. Joel-Reich.
2/11/09 Screening of “Surfwise” movie. Galveston College, Rm. FA207. 4015 Ave. Q. 6-8:30 pm. Facilitated by Allen Griffin.
2/17/09 American Dissenters and The Glass Castle. Westminster Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 5127 Ave. U. 7 pm. Featuring John Gorman and Dale Taylor.
2/28/09 Lifestories I: A Journaling workshop with The Glass Castle. Westminster Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 5127 Ave. U. 2:00-4:00 pm. With Michelle
Sierpina.
3/11/09 Lifestories II: A Journaling workshop with The Glass Castle. Westminster
Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 5127 Ave. U. 5:30-7:30 pm. With Michelle
Sierpina.
3/25/09 Resilient Child Panel Discussion. Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. 502 Church. 6:30—8 pm. Featuring Dwight Wolf, Karen Smith and Trudy Deen Davis.

GALVESTON READS TO SHOW MOVIE ‘SURFWISE’

Galveston Reads’ choice for 2009, The Glass Castle, depicts what many would call a highly dysfunctional family. That description, however, is debatable given the successful adult lives of the children in the story. “Surfwise: The Amazing True Odyssey of the Paskowitz Family” , a 2007 documentary by Doug Pray, of a family that lives outside the norm, is another depiction of what could be termed dysfunctional family or perhaps one that just defies the usual expectations in our culture regarding child rearing, responsibility, and schooling.

The father, Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz, drops out of life as a Stanford trained physician to live in a camping trailer and travel around to surfing locations with his wife and nine children. The movie features archival footage of the family surfing, as well as interviews with the father and children. The movie is rated R for nudity and language.

The movie will be shown on February 11, 2009, at Galveston College, Room FA207, 4015 Ave Q in Galveston beginning at 6 pm. The film is 93 minutes long and will be followed by a discussion led by Allan Griffin, a retired psychologist. This program is free and open to the public.

Galveston Reads, a “One City, One Book” project is now in its sixth year of encouraging everyone in town to read and discuss the same book. For more information or to join the committee, please contact Karen Stanley at 409.763.8854 x119 or logon to our website at www.galvestonreads.org.