Southern Bookman

Labor Day returns with optimism for future

Five years have passed away since I spent Labor Day weekend at Piedmont Hospital.

Diagnosed with "heart failure" caused by rampant A-Fib, I remained at Piedmont for nine days.

From my room, I watched construction workers in their orange vests and hard hats change shifts. They were building the hospital's new Marcus Center, where I would return several times after its completion.

During the height of the epidemic, I went alone to Piedmont to receive a high-tech pacemaker, which keeps my heartbeat in rhythm. I recently underwent two successful urology surgeries at the hospital's Marcus wing.

Along with my personal health battles, the Covid epidemic shut down the world in the spring of 2020. I received several vaccinations, which didn't prevent me from catching the disease.

Now, I'm almost healed from bruises suffered in a fall. With the pacemaker beaming away, my A-Fib appears under control.

Another Labor Day arrives with good health and hopes for a beautiful autumn.

Fall books lists give hope that reading will endure

Fall books previews arrive, heralding the publication of new novels, memoirs, essay collections and other non-fiction books.

Yet reading feels more and more marginal, especially with the presidential election determining the future of American democracy.

The autumn's bounty of new books affirms the validity of reading, whether for entertainment, knowledge or artistic enlightenment.

While fewer and fewer people enjoy fiction, exciting new books by Sally Rooney, Rachel Kushner, Haruki Murakami and other well-known authors will assert the novel's cultural significance.

For pop music fans, Cher's coming out with her first memoir. Former Vanity Fair writer Lili Anolik will explore the tense Los Angeles-flavored friendship of Joan Didion and Eve Babitz in the joint biography "Didion and Babitz." Anolik's profile of the reclusive Babitz led to a rediscovery of her work.

Provocative author Ta-Nehisi Coates will publish his first new book of non-fiction in nearly a decade. Coates' essay collection "The Message" will travel from the American South to the Middle East and Palestine, asking why stories matter in a time of growing strife and injustice, according to the Associated Press.

The fall books previews testify that stories, and writing, are vital.

While readership declines and the publishing industry grows more monopolistic, interesting and important books still appear. A new dark age has not yet arrived.

 

 

 

Al Pacino in excerpt from memoir "Sonny Boy" looks back on South Bronx childhood

Al Pacino's three closest childhood friends succumbed to heroin.

Acting, and his mother's love, saved Pacino from a similar fate, as he vividly recalls in his forthcoming memoir "Sonny Boy." 

In an excerpt titled "Early Scenes" in the current issue of The New Yorker, Pacino looks back on his childhood roaming the South Bronx with his wild friends.

Abandoned by his father, Pacino and his mother lived with his Sicilian grandparents in a small apartment in a multi-cultural neighborhood near the Bronx River. His mother's father, a plasterer, really did come from the small Sicilian village of Corleone.

Pacino's emotionally fragile mother took her "Sonny Boy" to the movies from an early age and did her best to protect him from the worst excesses of the streets. Through the years, Pacino rarely saw his father, although he remembers him fondly.

At age 16, Pacino discovered the theater, viewing a small company's production of Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull" at the Bronx's Elsmere Theater. 

The self-taught actor rode the subways reading the Russian writer's plays. Later, after classes at New York's High School for the Performing Arts and lessons at an actor's studio, he recited Shakespeare soliloquies while walking the city streets. He and his roommate, Martin Sheen, worked menial jobs at small theaters seeking to break into acting.

His mother's accidental drug death left Pacino numb with grief. In his warm recollections of her, he never mentions her name.

Despite the devastating loss, Pacino refuses an offer to return home and live with his grandparents. "Early Scenes" ends with his decision to begin the next act.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Braves' Brian Snitker raises a glass to his 4,000th game

Brian Snitker might never make the Hall of Fame, but his career defines the essence of baseball.

Snitker in the Braves' 9-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins Monday night managed his 4,000th game, all with the Braves organization.

After years managing in the minor leagues, he's enjoyed a stellar reign in nearly a decade as the team's Major League skipper.

His players love him, giving him a signed bottle of wine Monday night in honor of his milestone and expressing their appreciation for his steady leadership, as noted in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article.

In his years running teams like the Anderson Braves and the Durham Bulls, Snitker endured a lot of bus rides, saw countless repetitive baseball plays and watched the major league dreams of many young men blossom or crash.

At last taking over the big club in 2018, Snitker has taken the Braves to a level of success not seen since the great Bobby Cox era, winning the World Series in 2021 and capturing several division titles.

Snitker's calm, impassive presence on the top step of the dugout rarely changes no matter what happens on the field. Unlike Cox, he doesn't cheer, and rarely gets into arguments with umpires.

His press conferences are a treat, packed with folksy baseball wisdom.

Braves fans hope Snitker wins another World Series before saying farewell.

Whatever happens, they'll always fondly remember the man who's risen much larger than his nickname, "Snit."

 

 

 

 

Harris, Walz seek new burst of excitement with South Georgia bus tour, Savannah rally

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock understands that Georgia elections are won outside of metro Atlanta.

Heeding Warnock's counsel, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz will target South Georgia's rural voters this week with a bus tour Wednesday and a rally Thursday in Savannah, Warnock's hometown.

The South Georgia swing marks one of Harris and Walz's first appearances following the rapturous Democratic National Convention. Walz, a former teacher and high school coach, will strongly appeal to an economically declining area known for its devotion to high school football.

Georgia, with 16 electoral votes, again finds itself among the heated "battleground" states, following Joe Biden's narrow victory over Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election and the successful campaigns of Warnock and fellow U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff.

Trump and the GOP seek to forestall a Democratic victory this November with onerous election recount rules recently imposed by a Republican-dominated board given control of voting by Georgia's Legislature.

The GOP-dominated General Assembly in a flagrantly partisan move wrested control of elections from Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who refused Trump's efforts to fraudulently negate Biden's win in Georgia.

Spooked by the enthusiasm generated by Vice President Harris' campaign, Trump also ended his feud with Gov. Brian Kemp, who pledged his fealty to the former president.

Trump and his GOP allies have manipulated Georgia law to contrive a bulwark against a Democratic victory.

The Democratic campaign can prevail over the GOP's machinations with a large turnout of black and other minority voters. Former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, whose voter registration campaigns fueled the Democratic advances in Georgia, was noticeably absent during the convention. Her participation will be crucial to Democratic efforts to increase voter registration and turnout.

With all of the high-tech algorithms of political campaigns, Harris and Walz hope an old-fashioned bus tour keeps the convention momentum going.

 

 

Harris rises to historic challenge in memorable acceptance speech

Kamala Harris' impressive acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention Thursday night accented her remarkable political transformation.

Since President Joe Biden's withdrawal as the Democratic Party's candidate, Vice President Harris has risen to the historical moment, displaying unexpected skill and imagination in leading her campaign.

Now, with the rousing convention over, she turns to the slog of her battle to defeat the odious Donald Trump.

Aided by former CIA director and Secretary of  Defense Leon Panetta's endorsement, Harris demonstrated that she's the candidate best equipped to take charge as commander in chief and leader of the Free World.

Chicago, much maligned by the right wing attack mob, came through with a memorable convention. I was rooting for the city of Nelson Algren, Studs Terkel, Carl Sandburg, Ben Hecht, Gwendolyn Brooks, Saul Bellow, Jimmy Piersall and Harry Caray, with its great restaurants, splendid art museums, expansive bookstores and innovative theater companies.

The city known for the blues, rabid sports fans and Lake Michigan welcomed home mesmerizing convention speakers Michelle and Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey.

A Harris presidency offers hope of healing the urban wounds of Chicago and other great American cities. Shame on the GOP for disparaging them.

The GOP will dial up its attacks on Harris and Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz. The convention left me confident that Harris and Walz can withstand the barrage of negative ads and GOP misinformation.

Harris in her speech reached out to all Americans, from across the political spectrum, promising a new era of unity and freedom. 

 

 

 

Democratic Party espouses small-town values of self-reliance

Speakers at the Democratic National Convention keep evoking a mythical, small town America where neighbors help neighbors and folks talk politics with each other down at the coffee shop.

Visions of Mayberry have taken over as delegates chant "we won't go back."

From Barack Obama to Doug Emhoff, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton and Tim Walz, Democratic speakers seek to shed the party's elitist image, placing it on the GOP.

While the Democratic speakers espouse self-reliance, hard work and helping neighbors in trouble, they cast the GOP as the big-government party intruding on personal freedom, especially in eviscerating women's reproductive rights.

Fielding speakers like former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, the Trump-despising traditional Republican, the Democrats appeal to GOP moderates, independents and undecided voters.

At last taking the stage beyond prime time, Vice President nominee Tim Walz in a populist speech Wednesday night pushed small-town values. I thought he'd be overshadowed by earlier speakers, but borrowing his football metaphor, he won the night with a fourth-quarter field goal.

Suddenly, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow and Chris Hayes discovered a love for Midwestern high school football.

The party associated with big cities on the West and East Coasts had landed in flyover country. The Democratic speakers sounded like Ronald Reagan Republicans.

An aged Bill Clinton, pointing out that it's been 23 years since he left office, chortled that he's younger than Donald Trump. With his rambling speech, strained voice and shaking hands, Clinton still appeared sharper than Trump.

A surprise appearance by Oprah Winfrey galvanized the crowd, cheering as if her TV talk show had been revived.

The stylish Oprah cited her American odyssey from Mississippi to California to "sweet home Chicago." Claiming registration as an independent voter, she targeted those sitting on the political fence.

The Democratic message of freedom and joy envisions a new era of American unity, hoping to attract those sick of Trump's politics of grievance, authoritarianism and discord.

 

 

Climate change should be major issue of Democratic campaign

I'm amazed each morning at the number of 100-degree readings in The New York Times' list of American cities' weather forecasts.

Large areas of the Southwest, Southeast and Northwest bake in soaring heat that has lasted for weeks.

Here in Atlanta, cool mornings have arrived, giving hope for a pleasant autumn. The afternoon temperatures still rise into the mid-80s.

To meet the power demand from data centers, Georgia Power seeks to build new reactors fueled by oil and natural gas, after spending billions on new nuclear plants.

The always compliant Republican Public Service Commission has given preliminary approval to Georgia Power's plan, without an estimate of the eventual costs, according to the AJC.

Ga. Power and parent company Southern Co. make enormous profits, yet keep receiving rate increases from the PSC. 

Some of those data centers will serve companies building solar panels and electric vehicles. In Georgia Power's reactionary view, more fossil fuels will be required to complete the shift to a carbon-neutral economy.

Climate change has received little mention at the Democratic National Convention outside of President Biden in his farewell address citing his far-reaching but still inadequate environmental legislation.

With GOP candidate Donald Trump vowing to eviscerate climate change policies, the election will determine the world's future.

Democratic nominee Kamala Harris should reaffirm Biden's commitment to ending the nation's dependence on fossil fuels, with plans to limit the environmental costs.

 

Joe Biden goes gently into that good night

Joe Biden seemed reluctant to leave the stage.

In a 50-minute speech at the Democratic National Convention, Biden catalogued the greatest hits of his curtailed presidency, a spirited defense that came much too late.

After a long procession of speakers, Biden finally came out near midnight, beyond prime time on the East Coast. He wiped away tears after his daughter Ashley's lovely introduction, beaming at the outpouring of love from the audience. His impassioned address felt like a farewell.

Biden displayed no signs of bitterness at his ouster as the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, remembering to praise Vice President Kamala Harris for her contributions to his administration's impressive gains.

The old Democratic warrior promised to keep working for new accomplishments during his final five months in office. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in the Mideast, seeking to hammer down a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Harris, who secured the nomination before the convention, surprisingly appeared onstage before Biden's belated arrival. Taking a seat beside her husband, Doug Emhoff, and her vice presidential choice Tim Walz and his wife, Gwen, Harris glowed as speaker after speaker showered praise on her for reviving the party's hopes of victory over Donald Trump.

Before Biden's address, Democratic stars Hillary Clinton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamie Raskin and Raphael Warnock attacked Donald Trump with fresh energy, fueled by the delegates' soaring excitement over Harris' campaign. 

With Biden gone to the West Coast, Harris takes charge with a surge of enthusiasm. 

 

Farewell Maurice Williams, Zodiacs leader and author of R&B classic "Stay"

Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs dished out 90 seconds of R&B bliss with their 1960 hit "Stay."

Williams, the group's lead singer and author of the spell-binding song, died Aug. 6 at his North Carolina home. He was 86.

While Williams performed most of the vocals on "Stay," Henry Gaston's keening falsetto chorus "oh, won't you stay, just a little bit longer" soars with an operatic intensity rare for pop music, one of the era's most memorable moments.

At 90 seconds, "Stay" is one of the shortest songs to ever top the charts. The Zodiacs produced several other minor hits, but "Stay" was their only No. 1 recording.

Their small slice of rock ecstasy enjoyed  a long history, covered by the Hollies, the Four Seasons and other bands. The song is also part of  "The Dirty Dancing" soundtrack.

Jackson Browne adapted the song into the signature closing event of his concerts, honoring his road crew and fans. Browne's guitar player David Lindley performs the falsetto part, addressing Browne's audience with the promise to perform one more song.

Henry Gaston's voice makes us all want to stay just a little bit longer.