The Reviews

Nick’s Picks will remain at the forefront of this category and will remain focused on top notch literature of ranging genres while occasionally including film and music. Originally this began as a weekly column contribution to a neighborhood blog here in Chicago, Uptown Update.

The Warriors

/ nicholasdaletaylor / 1 Comment

The Warriors in a few words: fearlessly brave and entertaingly honest.

Mary Hollis Inboden is a survivor of the 90’s West Side Middle School shooting.   The Warriors presents a hybrid of true personal testimony and creative narrative in a night of theatre that champions original productions.

Entering the space reveals mingling memories moving floor to roof from a multicolored patchwork rug to an ornately fashioned ceiling with dozens upon dozen of jewels as reflective as thought itself.   Join a cast of company favorites as haunting nostalgia forms framework of southern support lending hands to fellow victims reaching across isolating distances of damaging truth.

Juggling the self-imposed defense wall of distance and the need to reconnect drives the ambivalent journey leading Mary Hollis (playing herself) across the canvas of fellow survivors, sacred scrapbooks and shared messages of “victim art.”  JC  (Whit Nelson) remains at arms length from any approach towards the topic while a clutching Camille (Nicole Pellegrino) reveals this history as an integral part of all their characters, no matter how far one runs; this tender woman is seen gripping her necklace as if always grasping at an ongoing prayer.  Through the emotional arc lines of saving grace provide for relief from the awkward and stark reality such as with “a teaspoon of bullshit in a gallon of ice-cream.” Perspective resonates through the profiled and subtly round audience as Danny (Sarah Gitenstein) professes “You weren’t there!” working through her down days with the strong anchor of her partner Logan (Michael Peters).  Polarized play comes to a point with a stopping realization as Danny discovers neighbor Curtis (also played by Nicole Pellegrino) houses one of the school shooters, Mitchell Johnson.  Post googling the NPR interview new romantic interest Jeff (Wes Needham) nods Mary Hollis along her travel amidst fractured facts encouraging her to extend a simple Thanksgiving invitation.  Leading to a closing moment of gathered healing we all witness the power of support and importance of simple acts and small steps even if, at the time, all it means is simply clicking on the button marked “send.”

Send yourself to a great night of touching, witty testimonial located at 3408 N Sheffield, The Second Stage (formerly known as The Left Stage) housing this unique, progressive collaboration from a group that is clearly leading the way in live innovative storytelling, The New Colony. Purchase your passes at the door or in advance on their webpage for $25 and return anytime through the run of the show.  The show is at 7:30 and continues through April 17th.

While these heavy memories remain core the piece contains exquisite savvy and lighthearted delivery poignantly fashioned through Mary Hollis Inboden’s impeccable timing and endearing confession that will forever reside in the heart of these young survivors, The Warriors.

And Another Card

/ nicholasdaletaylor / Leave a comment

While I get caught up in the layout or arc of a story sometimes I wonder if that makes my point vague to some readers.  I certainly embrace subtlety and nuance in my writing but I do want to be clear about the previous entry.
Initially, I thought about calling the blog Orson Scott Tard as his views concerning gay marriage are buried by a biased indoctrinated perspective.  Yet, I was torn for it seemed to me to simply write off OSC by saying, “I’ll never read/buy his books again,” leaves me, in some ways, on his level.  I shan’t be inhibiting a book or two of his from selling by advocating against it; he’s doing that job for me.  And while his words will continue to sway his audience in his desired direction they also daily denigrate his reputation.  Why?  Because his view is, like that age old belief of the world being flat, dated and wrong.
In short, if one remains diametrically opposed to purchasing a small book by Orson Scott Card due to his beliefs and practices (which I fully  understand and support as a choice) then one should reconsider some of the larger investments of his or her life.  Where do you work?  Where do you bank?  What are the factory working conditions surrounding the manufactured clothing label of choice?
For those who truly want to start the adventure of becoming an awakened consumer I have another author to recommend, Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine and No Logo.  As many, many bookstores will be closing in the next few months (Borders Group, Inc. recently filed for Chapter 11 and will be closing over 200 stores in the chain), I have provided links to pages for each newly suggested title.  So, add that information to your deck and put that card in your hand.  Happy weekend and happy shopping.

The Lost Card

/ nicholasdaletaylor / Leave a comment

Many from Memphis know the actor in me and others from the Knoxville, TN area know the Musician in me and here in Chicago friends and acquaintances dub me the comedian or “the book guy.”  Jack of many trades is a term I’ve come to love.

Working in a book store for over three years has not only allowed for my vastly increased knowledge regarding contemporary literature but also for my ability to review said literature in succinct fashion in a program I’ve so named, “Nick’s Picks.”  Persnickety is a word that comes to mind considering the limited space allotted for these two to three sentence critiques.  Ever constant as I remain to self-edit these selections, occasionally an error of spelling or syntax or worse slips through the cracks.  One such crack involved The Lost Gate by highly recognized science-fiction writer, Orson Scott Card.  Following formula (in our humble book store), I always write the title at the top of the shelf label insert.  In this instance rather than writing, The Lost Gate, it read The Lost Card. This escaped my attention for a week or so until I swiped it from the shelf.

During the next week I chose the selection to be recommended at length as my weekly submission to local blog Uptown Update (see Nick’s Picks).  The response got my attention.  “After hearing what a homophobe OSC is, I will never buy another one of his books.”  Supposing this could simply be conjecture or damaging rumor I did a quick google search and found many heated arguments against OSC’s views on marriage equality many of which reference his article submissions to The Mormon Times. Essentially, his stance regarding same-sex marriage is that such an allowance for this equality robs heterosexual couples of their societal privilege and ultimately damages the sacrosanct integrity of this divine partnership.  His support of Prop 8 and praise for the youth who align with this support flesh out his opposition.

I am a proponent for marriage equality; however, details regarding my position on the matter remain for subsequent posts.  I come now to the dilemma.  Given the aforementioned book was my first reading of the author’s works, do I stand behind my recommendation or allow new insight and feelings to contradict my already published opinion?  Illumination should always temper ignorance.  Yet learning such news about this author doesn’t change the fact that it is, in fact, a good book.  This being said, I’ve confessed my ignorance.  While I could claim this new knowledge changed my opinion of the author I simply had no opinion of the author other than hearing tale of his being an ace among science-fictionists.

Sharing this conversations with many friends elicited the same state of surprise that such an imaginative author could subscribe to such a nebulous view.  Clear though it may seem to those aligning answers to a set of dogmatic principles, the institution of marriage is one that will evolve just as it has and just as we have.  Those who consider their way of life under attack need think again, for identifying a marriage to be solely between a man and a woman through an ordained sect for purpose of procreation sounds as robotic as a view from the next great dystopian novel.  The heart is missing.

In close I know Orson Scott Card from this one work as an amazing writer, an “Ace,” in a deck of many face cards.  And while such a figure may trump many hands it all depends on what you’re playing for in the game of Euchre the Jacks are the bowers.