Monday, October 27, 2008

Trials of the Monkey: An Accidental Memoir by Matthew Chapman

Matthew Chapman is a screenwriter who also happens to be the great-great grandson of Charles Darwin. In this, his first book, he set out to write about the legendary Scopes Monkey Trial, which occurred in Dayton, TN in 1925, and wound up writing what he accurately calls "An Accidental Memoir."

The centerpiece of the book is an annual re-enectment held in Dover on the anniversary of the original trial. He makes two trips to Dover, one for some background and the other to cover the re-enactment. Hilariously, Chapman gets his date confused and makes his return trip to Dover the week AFTER the mock trial.

Intertwined with with accounts of his two trips to Dover are glimpses from Chapman's life growing up in England, his early exposure to writing and his career as a Hollywood screenwriter. This makes for a fascinating read that tells as much about the author as it does about the legendary creationism vs evolution trial and Christian fundamentalism both past and present.

I've also read Chapman's second book, "40 Days and 40 Nights," in which he covers the more recent intelligent design vs evolution trial in Dover, PA (see my post elsewhere on this blog) and am finding that he is becoming a favorite among current authors. His tendency to inject himself into the story and his ability to find something to like about almost everyone he comes in contact with, regardless of whether he agrees with them or not, make his writing endlessly interesting. He also has an ability to laugh at himself that is a crucial element in any memoir.



Monday, October 20, 2008

Possible Side Effects by Augusten Burroughs

I don't know if it's a new thing but, there seems to be a developing genre of authors who's focus is on their own lives, which have been tortured by mental illness and any number of substance abuse problems. Actually, when I stop to think about it, maybe this style has been around longer than I think. Jack Kerouac? Ernest Hemingway?

Whether it is a new genre or not, Augusten Burroughs' writing falls squarely in this realm. "Possible Side Effects" is a collection of hilarious but also often sad essays on Burroughs' life both past and present. His delivery will keep you laughing out loud but the pathos that lies beneath most of his writing will, at times, have you concerned for his safety.

In a lot of ways, Burroughs' reminds be of his fellow gay humorist, David Sedaris but, as hard as this may be to believe, I think Sedaris is more comfortable in his own skin. There is a dangerous edge to most of the writing in "Possible Side Effects" that makes it as powerful, thought provoking and compelling as it is funny.

I really can't say enough good things about this book. When I finished it, I had to resist the urge to simply turn back to the beginning and start again.



Monday, October 13, 2008

Monkey Girl: Evolution, Education, Religion, and the Battle for America's Soul by Edward Humes

I just realized that I am WAY behind on my goal of writing about all of the books that I read this year. I actually finished this book back in August, have read two more since and am almost finished with a third. So, without further adieu:

If you've been following my blog this year, you know that the battle between evolution and intelligent design has become something of an obsession for me. It started with Richard Dawkins' book "The God Delusion" which, I think, lays out a very compelling case that there is in fact no evidence of the existence of God and that the theory of evolution isn't controversial at all. It is settled science.

In "Monkey Girl," Humes does an excellent job of reporting on the 2005 trial in Dover, PA. If you're unfamiliar with the case, the Dover school board had adopted a policy of "teaching the controversy" between intelligent design and evolution and was successfully sued by the parents of several students within the school district. The judge in the case found that intelligent design is not science at all. Instead it is merely creationism with a new name and therefore has no place in science class.

Having read Matthew Chapman's excellent "40 Days and 40 Nights: Darwin, Intelligent Design, God, Oxycontin, and Other Oddities on Trial in Pennsylvania," I was already very familiar with most of the story told by Edward Humes. However, Humes book focuses more on the facts of the trial and the impact on the community where Chapman's focus is more on the individuals involved in the story. "40 Days and 40 Nights" reads more like a memoir where "Monkey Girl" is a piece of journalistic reporting.

Both books are excellent and both are crucial to understanding this important trial in American history. Why do I think it's so important? Because science matters. This is a free country and we have the right to believe whatever we want but a fundamentalist reading of the bible that chooses to ignore established scientific fact, for example that the earth is much older than ten thousand years, isn't faith it is ignorance.