Nathan Hill's "The Nix," Part 2

Author Nathan Hill

Nathan Hill's "The Nix" is a book that stays with you long after you finish reading it. It's culturally relevant and funny and filled with memorable characters and situations. And having had the opportunity to hear Hill talk about the book has  made me even more enthusiastic about it (if that's even possible). 

The book begins with an incident involving Governor Sheldon Packer, a right-wing Presidential candidate. It's a slow news day, and the media grabs onto the event with the force of a hurricane. It doesn't take long for someone to come up with the catchphrase "Packer Attacker" to describe the woman who threw a rock at the candidate (who seemed a lot funnier before November 8th).

"While [the media] waits for new information to surface, they debate whether this incident will help or hurt the governor's presidential chances. Help, they decide, as his name recognition is pretty low outside of a rabid conservative evangelical following who just loves what he did during his tenure as governor of Wyoming, where he banned abortion outright and required the Ten Commandments to be publicly spoken by children and teachers every morning before the Pledge of Allegiance and made English the official and only legal language of Wyoming and banned anyone not fluent in English from owning property. Also he permitted firearms in every state wildlife refuge. And he issued an executive order requiring state law to supersede federal law in all matters, a move that amounted to, according to constitutional scholars, a fiat secession of Wyoming from the United States. He wore cowboy boots. He held press conferences at this cattle ranch. He carried an actual live real gun, a revolver that dangled in a leather hostler at his hip."

It turns out that Samuel's mother Faye is the Packer Attacker. He hasn't seen her since she abruptly left Samuel and his father when Samuel was a kid. This sets up an opportunity for Samuel to explore his mother's past in search of an explanation. It's an exploration that leads Samuel--and the readers--back to the time of the Viet Nam War and the 1968 protests outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

During Hill's talk, I commented that the book seemed to have its pulse on our current political state. Take, for instance, Sebastian's comments about the protest.

Picture from the 1968 protest in Chicago

"The more the cops beat us up, the more our argument seems correct....It's actually pretty brilliant. The protestors and the police, the progressives and the authoritarians--they require each other, they create each other, because they need an opponent to demonize. The best way to feel like you really belong to a group is to invent another group to hate."

But to Hill, the real themes of the book are polarization and the inability of people to communicate. The protestors versus the police/politicians. Faye versus Samuel. Bethany versus Bishop (twins who play significant roles in Samuel's youth). And then there's Pwnage, a 30-something whose only affirmation in life comes from his status as a master player in a video game called Elfscape. His worldview of seeing people only as enemies, obstacles, puzzles and traps puts him in a class by himself.

Hill noted that the Oxford Dictionaries named "post-truth" as the word of the year. The dictionary defines “post-truth” as “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” (For a great article about this, click here.) 

Hill commented that the concept of "post-truth" also captures our tendency to ignore data that doesn't agree with our own views. It's an idea that's relevant both to the story of "The Nix" and to today's political scene.

I could go on and on about "The Nix." It is, after all, 600 pages (or 22 audio hours) of wonderfulness. But you should discover "The Nix" yourself. I can't think of a better way to start off the new year. 

Nathan Hill's "The Nix," Part 1

Nathan Hill

Author Nathan Hill likens the ten years he spent writing "The Nix" to tending a garden. It was a labor of love, something he says he did for himself rather than as "a widget to get popular."

But the endeavor has made him wildly popular as well. "The Nix" has a well-deserved spot on best of 2016 reading lists compiled by organizations from The New York Times to Library Journal to Amazon. It was the Audible book of the year. (Narrator Ari Fliakos is ridiculously wonderful.) It's been translated into 25 languages. And it's being adapted for television, with Meryl Streep in the role of the elder Faye.

Hill spent an evening at the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers, reading from and talking about "The Nix." I was front and center to hear more about the book, which made me laugh out loud and risk near-death experiences as I jotted down passages too wonderful to forget that I heard while driving. (Note: The near-death experience part is a slight exaggeration.)

It's difficult to distill the story of "The Nix" into a sound bite. (It is, after all, 6oo+ pages long.) Hill's website describes the book in part this way:

"A Nix can take many forms. In Norwegian folklore, it is a spirit who sometimes appears as a white horse that steals children away. In Nathan Hill’s remarkable first novel, a Nix is anything you love that one day disappears, taking with it a piece of your heart.

It’s 2011, and Samuel Andresen-Anderson—college professor, stalled writer—has a Nix of his own: his mother, Faye. He hasn’t seen her in decades, not since she abandoned the family when he was a boy. Now she’s reappeared, having committed an absurd crime that electrifies the nightly news, beguiles the internet, and inflames a politically divided country. The media paints Faye as a radical hippie with a sordid past, but as far as Samuel knows, his mother was an ordinary girl, who married her high-school sweetheart. Which version of his mother is true?......"

But before Hill gets deep into Samuel and Faye's relationship, he fills us in on Samuel's current circumstances. In an excruciatingly hilarious chapter, we meet Samuel's English lit student Laura Pottsdam. Samuel and Laura are meeting to discuss the paper she plagiarized on the topic of logical fallacies in Hamlet's thinking. The college has a software program that compares essays written by students to its vast database of papers. Laura's paper was found to be 99% plagiarized -- in fact, "everything had been stolen except for the name 'Laura Pottsdam."

By request, Hill read this chapter at the Arts Alliance -- and I was nearly doubled over once again with laughter. Hill structured the conversation between Samuel and Laura as a series of 16 logical fallacies -- from circular arguments to false compromises to appeals to emotions. (Hill said he edited out another eight fallacies.)

The chapter starts with "the loaded question."  "I wonder what is wrong with the software?" says Laura..."I wonder why it's malfunctioning. Is it wrong a lot?" 

"You're saying it's a mistake?"

"It's like so weird. I don't get it. Why would it say that?" (One of the things I loved about Hill's writing was his ability to capture the voices of his characters.)

Hill goes on to describe his student's appearance. "Laura looks like she showered in a wind tunnel, her hair is so frazzled and disorganized. That she is wearing tiny frayed flannel shorts roughly the size of a coffee filter is impossible to ignore...On her feet, she's wearing slippers, Muppet-fuzzy...with a gray-brown film of dirt around the footpads from being worn too often outdoors. It strikes Samuel that she might have come to his office today literally wearing her pajamas."  (Note: Wearing PJs out is something my niece described doing at Emerson.)

Then there's the appeal to pity.  "This is so unfair," she said...."You asked for an essay on Hamlet. That's what I gave you."

"I asked you to write an essay on Hamlet."

"How was I supposed to know that? It's not my fault you have these weird rules." 

It turns out that Laura plagiarized the same paper in high school.  When Samuel brings this up, her response was, "But I can't be punished twice for the same paper. If I was punished in high school for plagiarism, I can't be punished again now.  Isn't that, like, double jeopardy?"

And on it goes. 

It turns out that Hill was himself a professor and that the conversation was based in part on his own experiences. He shared that one anonymous student gave him a low rating on "RateMyProfessors.com. The student's comment was, "I asked him for help and he refused. He's a jackass." 

As you can probably tell, I was wholly enamored with "The Nix." My next post will share more of Hill's fabulous writing and his thoughts about the book.

A Theatrical Point/Counterpoint, Part 2 -- Best of Enemies

Theater has the power to compel audiences to confront social issues. "Best of Enemies" at Florida Repertory Theatre made me consider not only where race relations in our country have been, but where they are going. The show was the yin to the yang of "Guys and Dolls" at Asolo Rep.

The play tells the true story of an attempt made in 1971 to desegregate the Durham, North Carolina public school system. Yes, the Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 stated that "in the field of public education 'separate but equal' has no place." But nearly 20 years later, Durham had only succeeded in fully integrating its county-run elementary schools. Higher level county schools -- and city schools at all levels -- remained essentially segregated.

C.P. Ellis and Ann Atwater

Enter Bill Riddick, the Department of Education's man on the ground. Riddick put together a steering committee of local leaders to spearhead an intense planning period (known as a charrette) open to the entire community. At the conclusion of the ten day charrette, the committee would present its desegregation proposals to the school board for consideration. It would have been a daunting task even if there were unanimous support for the objective of an integrated school system.

Riddick realized the necessity of including representatives of both sides of the desegregation issue. He enlisted Ann Atwater to speak on behalf of people of color in the community. Atwater was a divorced mother of two daughters who struggled to make ends meet. In her "spare" time, she fought for better housing for the poor in her community. She is full of spit and vinegar.

Riddick also persuaded C.P. Ellis, the Exalted Grand Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan, to participate. No explanation is required about his views. Ellis was truly hateful, and it made me squirm to hear the language he used to talk about African-Americans. On the "human" side, Ellis was the father of four children, including a son who was deaf and mute. Like Atwater's household, his family was barely making it. His status in the KKK gave him an identity and a sense of belonging.

As the charrette progressed, it seemed unlikely that the members of the steering committee would succeed in overcoming their differences. At one point, Atwater proposed bringing her church choir into a meeting to sing. She felt it would lift the spirits of the people working hard to help their community. Ellis didn't like the idea. But he agreed to concede the point if an exhibit about the proud history of the KKK could be put on display. Surprisingly, Atwater agreed. She knew that in order to fight your enemy, you have to understand where they're coming from. And so we see--in juxtaposition--Ellis swaying and clapping his hands to the music of the choir and Atwater learning about the roots of the KKK.

As the days passed, Atwater and Ellis began to work together. Ellis' standing in the community rapidly fell as he veered away from the hard line of the KKK.  Both Ellis' and Atwater's children were ostracized at school as the offspring of traitors. Ultimately, they realize their commonality as poor, disenfranchised citizens.

The two became friends of a sort -- the "best of enemies." But that doesn't mean the community at large had suddenly become enlightened. The committee's recommendations were rejected in full by the school board. The audience is left to contemplate whether Atwater and Ellis' friendship provides a basis for hope.

My biggest issue with the play was the speed with which Ellis' conversion occurs. To go from leading the KKK to seeing eye-to-eye (on some issues at least) with an outspoken African-American woman seemed preposterous.  But truth can be stranger than fiction.  Some post-play Googling revealed that the timeline for Ellis' conversion is historically accurate.  (For an interview that Studs Terkel did with Ellis, click here.)

Florida Rep's production of "Best of Enemies" was top-notch. Both Graham Smith as Ellis and Mary Hodges as Atwater were excellent, and I look forward to seeing more of them. The multi-media staging was terrific as well. The screens on either end of the black box theater had the effect of enclosing the audience in the action. It was uncomfortable at times, but in an intentional way.

If you're interested in learning more about the unlikely friendship between Atwater and Ellis, the play is based on a book of the same title by Osha Gray Davidson. 

Postscript:  The Durham, North Carolina public school system did not fully desegregate until 1992. 

A Theatrical Point/Counterpoint, Part 1 - Guys and Dolls

'Tis the season. And I'm not referring to the holidays, although of course they are upon us. The Southwest Florida theater season is in full swing, and I'm putting the mileage on my car to prove it.

As Janice and I were leaving Asolo Rep's delicious production of "Guys and Dolls," she pointed out that the show was a great contrast to the serious--and unfortunately timely--production of Florida Rep's "Best of Enemies" we'd seen the prior week. Her comment has lingered with me. (It also prompted me to watch a YouTube video of the wonderful SNL Point/Counterpoint with Jane Curtin and Dan Akroyd. Jane is not, in fact, an ignorant slut.)

First, the fun. Like last year, Asolo Rep is kicking off its season with a crowd-pleasing musical. I sometimes take myself entirely too seriously. While I was looking forward to seeing "Guys and Dolls," I had found myself doing some advance eye-rolling about the light-hearted show. Isn't theater supposed to make me contemplate the world and my place in it, etc., etc.? 

Todd Buonopane (in plaid) killed "You're Rockin' the Boat"

The answer, of course, is a resounding "sometimes." With each familiar song, I found myself enjoying "Guys and Dolls" more. Frank Loeser's lyrics are as fresh and fun as the day the show premiered on Broadway in 1950. "Luck Be a Lady" rang out from the gambling den carved out of a New York City subway platform. Adelaide and her fellow "dancers" sang "Bushel and a Peck" from the stage at the Hot Box Nightclub. And Sarah got a break from proselytizing and sang "If I were a Bell" while in Cuba with Sky Masterson.

Great lyrics can be wasted, though, if the singers aren't up to the task. But Asolo Rep's production features a cast filled with Broadway-caliber voices. The resumes of the four leads (Cole Burden/Sky; Audrey Cardwell/Sarah; and Chris Hoch/Nathan Detroit; Julie Kavanagh/Adelaide) are filled with National Tour credits and a spattering of Broadway shows. Cardwell's voice had an operatic quality made for the stage. Burden and Hoch were terrific as well.

Burden, Cardwell, Kavanagh and Hoch

But it was Kavanagh who stole the show with her portrayal of Adelaide. We of course don't know what Kavanagh's real voice sounds like, as Adelaide has a baby doll feel about her and a voice to match. My favorite Adelaide number was not "Take Back Your Mink" (although I watched the striptease carefully after getting the inside scoop from costume designer Brian Hemesath).  Instead, it was "Adelaide's Lament," a number in which she sings about the physical toll a 14 year engagement can take on a person. (Sample lyrics include "In other words, just from worrying if the wedding is on or off , A person can develop a cough." You'd recognize the song the moment she starts singing.)

Kavanagh's non-musical moments were equally captivating. Her expressions were priceless. Her mincing steps as she walked around in her form-fitting dresses provided the perfect contrast to Cardwell's marching around the stage in her maroon "save your souls" outfit. (Poor Cardwell to have to wear this homely dress in the midst of the glamour.) 

I would be remiss not to mention Lee Savage's fabulous sets and Paul Miller's lighting for the show. The duo recreated the feel of Times Square circa 1950s (well before it had been Disney-ized). It's worth noting that Miller has done the lighting for many New Year's Eve celebrations in Times Square. (Click here to see some photos of his work.)

And if you (meaning me) want a more serious take-away from the show, here's an interesting tidbit. "Guys and Dolls" won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1951. It was also up for the Pulitzer Prize for drama. The book for the show (which was based on two stories by Damon Runyon) was written by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. Unfortunately, Burrows had gotten caught up with the House Un-American Activities Committee due to his association with some Communist Party members. This resulted in the Pulitzer nomination being vetoed. 

"Guys and Dolls" plays at Asolo Rep through January 1st. It's well worth the effort required to fit it into your holiday schedule. 

Next up:  The more thought-provoking "Best of Enemies."

Paddling Southwest Florida

With Susan

It's been ages since I've been out in a kayak.  Two recent outings reminded me of how much fun it can be on the water.

First up was Paddle Punta Gorda. Susan was my partner in crime for the experience, which was perhaps geared towards more regular paddlers than we are. (It was Susan's second outing ever, and I am definitely a novice.)

Our day started with an overview of what we could expect from our paddle on Alligator Creek. The leader got our attention when she started talking about the black crabs and spiders that might drop onto our kayaks when we were gliding through the mangrove tunnels. 

"I didn't read that in the waiver," Susan noted. "It was in spider print," someone responded.  With that, we were off. 

Mangrove tunnel

It was a lovely paddle during which our naturalist guide shared some tidbits about the flora and fauna. We learned that ospreys mate for life. The female birds have white markings around their necks that make them look as if they've been to a jewelry store. They are efficient fishing birds. Using their talons, they snatch their prey from the water, turning the fish head to the wind in order to be more aerodynamic.

Brown pelicans, on the other hand, turn their heads sideways when they scoop fish from the water.  Even doing this, they take in approximately 2 1/2 gallons of water. The good news is that each bird lives 25-30 years, so they have plenty of time to perfect their technique.

The biggest issue with the paddle wasn't the spiders (which we later learned had been cleared in advance), but with Susan's kayak.

Not long after our departure, I heard Susan say (from a distance), "My kayak won't go!"  I thought she was just being funny. Instead, she was having a problem. The pedals inside her kayak had slipped down so that she could only reach them with her tippy toes. With no leverage, she had to paddle about four times as hard as anyone else to keep up. Eventually, a more experienced kayaker helped her adjust the pedals, at which point her day got a lot better.

With Wendi

Next up was a paddle around Matlacha Pass during Wendi's visit. I had no idea what to expect from this outing with Nature Tours and More that I had purchased on Groupon. It turned out to be a private guided tour for the two of us, which was particularly nice given the conditions.

When we arrived at Matlacha Community Park, it was so windy that there were whitecaps on the water. This did not bode well. Lynette, our guide, quickly reassured us that we would be protected if we headed the other way. We gave her our trust and set off on our adventure on the Great Caloosa Blueway.

Once on the water, we noticed a rope streaming behind Lynette's kayak. "Is that a tow rope?" I jokingly asked. "It is," she replied.  We hoped we wouldn't need it, but it was good to know it was there just in case.

As we paddled along, Lynette talked to us about the importance of the mangroves to our eco-system. Virtually all of the keys we were kayaking past started with a single mangrove taking root. Surprisingly, mangroves don't actually like salt water all that much. Their yellow leaves are "sacrificial;" they take in the salinity and die for the betterment of the rest of the plant.  The oysters that attach themselves to the mangroves also play an important role, as each oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of salt water each day.

When it came time to head back, Lynette asked us if we wanted to backtrack or paddle across the open water. Our destination was near a bridge that looked like a tinker toy creation on the horizon. When we turned the corner, it was so choppy that I literally couldn't make any headway. We wisely decided that we had enjoyed our paddle out and would be happy to revisit the scenery. 

Still, it wasn't easy. The wind had picked up, so Lynette suggested hugging the mangroves and, later, the docks to make the paddling easier.  Not wanting to make it any harder on myself than necessary, I followed Lynette's advice. Wendi, on the other hand, "let the kayak take her the way it wanted to go" and ended up paddling across open water much more than I did. We both slept well that night.

I'm hoping to persuade Susan to go on another kayak outing -- perhaps a private tour to Lovers Key with Lynette as our guide. I somehow suspect that the dusk tour to see the bats would be harder to sell.