Lawrence Weschler

I was working at the membership desk in the Museum of Natural History in NYC around 2008 when Dr. Sacks came in to renew his membership. This book has made me regret ever more not saying something, not shaking the man's hand, not telling him what an impact he had already made on me at that young age. I know now that the simple gesture would have meant more to him and to me than I ever imagined at the time. This memoir/biography is beautiful, heartfelt, and truly shines a light on the kind of person Dr. Sacks was, beyond the doctor and the writer.… (altro)

I bought this book by mistake. Great title and cover art. I was prepared to read anything about Vermeer. But this turned out to be more veneer than Vermeer. Rather than a novel this book is a collection of articles previously published by the author as journalist, foreign correspondent and cultural correspondent. The association with Vermeer comes from the first few articles. The basic premise is Vermeer is the go to time out for those associated with the war crimes tribunal in The Hague. They sit through hours of description of horror and inhumanity and need the relief of the Vermeer's to take their minds to a more peaceful place. The author asserts that the little known fact is that Vermeer was concentrating of scenes of normal life as a way to avoid the horrors of inhumane acts that occupied life around where he was painting. Seems tenuous but makes some sense.

The metaphor begins to get stretched the further we get in to the book. The next section begins to see the association between art and war with lengthy insights into the life of people caught in the Holocaust of WWII such as Roman Polanski and the author's grandfather, Ernest Toch, a composer who fled the horrors of Germany to have a major career in films. Beyond that, Poland seems to be what ties this together. We gets side trips learning about the author's daughter, Sara, Ira Glass of This American Life, David Hockney, and Ed Kienholz. The major glue that holds these together is the author, Lawrence Weschler, staff writer for the New Yorker. Fortunately he's a talented writer and has some keen insights.

I don't think this will ever be turned in to a movie, possibly a few documentaries.… (altro)

Oliver Sacks to the author Lawrence Weschler "At my symbolic best, I aspire to Donne, at my conceptual best, to Wittgenstein, but I grant, I get over-Donne" Oliver Sacks was the real neurologist portrayed by Robin Williams in the film Awakenings. Author Lawrence Weschler has written a very worthwhile about Dr. Sacks, his life and his work. I have started to listen to two of Oliver Sacks books on audio but never finished either, not because I wasn't intrigued but because they were long and it takes me a while to listen to a long audio book. A library loan time just wasn't enough time. I will get actual paper copies next try. Sacks was a physician who gave his patients all the time they needed. He was careful and thorough and that doesn't fit with current insurance company driven practices. Oliver Sacks didn't care. In addition to his medical work Sacks led an interesting life. He loved fast motorcycles, often going well over 100 miles an hour on city streets in his younger years. While working in Southern California he took up weight lifting at Muscle Beach and once set the California record for squats lifting 600 pounds. But most importantly he was a dedicated physician and researcher.
There are long books that I can't wait to finish and be done. This was the other kind. I am a bit sad that it is finished. I will miss Oliver, Lawrence and their friends. Now to read On the Move by Oliver Sacks MD himself.… (altro)