All the Light We Cannot See

This book by Anthony Doerr is written simply, but with the emotional power and magical intensity of a fable or fairy tale. The book is set in World War II and centers on two main characters, a blind French girl and a talented young German soldier, who are eventually drawn together and meet in the walled city of St. Malo. The structure is a little unusual, with short chapters that switch from one character to another and back in forth in time, getting closer and closer to the moment of meeting.  

There's a very interesting interview with Doerr that was published in the Powell's Book Blog.   At one point, the interviewer, in asking him about the short chapters, says perhaps they "can allow for more lyricisms and/or experimentation with language in some ways than longer chapters because you get that cessation. Doerr agrees that his writing in this novel is very lyrical and says "I know that's demanding, so this was a gesture of friendliness, maybe. It's like I'm saying to the reader, "I know this is going to be more lyrical than maybe 70 percent of American readers want to see, but here's a bunch of white space for you to recover from that lyricism." [Laughter].

The story and characters are so captivating that All the Light We Cannot See is hard to put down.  When I had finished and was thinking over the book, it seemed to me that it differed from many books in that it had no strong themes.  One line spoken by a character in the book has been repeatedly quoted by readers and reviewers:  “Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever.”  The title and this statement clearly relate to the blind girl, but I finally came to feel that they also describe a central "theme"of the book: that life is magnificent; joyous and heartbreaking, meaningful and random, kind and cruel. Although Doerr is not Tolstoy, and All the Light We Cannot See is not War and Peace, the power of the writing nevertheless grips us and invites to embrace the variety of life.

Northwest Coast Indian Art

The only thing in my entire life that I believe I was fated to do was to buy this book by Bill Holm.

On my last visit to Seattle, I went to the Burke Museum of Natural History on the campus of UW. The museum is small and cozy with specialized, excellent exhibits.  One that I especially enjoyed was a new permanent collection of Northwest Coast Indian art, named in honor  of Bill Holm, a longtime professor at UW and a revered scholar and beloved mentor to many native American artists.  There was also a temporary exhibit of paired pieces of native art - several contemporary native artists had been invited to stay in residence at the Museum, to study iconic pieces in the collection, then choose one and create a responsive piece - an update, a variation, or some kind of modern riff on the piece.  Many of these works were highly inventive and visually stunning.

While I was browsing these exhibits, I noticed an older man and two women who were examining pieces and commenting animatedly on them - and in a personal way.  Comparing this group to the pictures accompanying the Bill Holm Collection, I realized that the man was Bill Holm himself!  I exchanged a couple pleasantries with him and his friends and took the picture you see below.

The exhibit had indicated that the founding of the Bill Holm collection had been coupled with a special commemorative edition of Holm's famous book, Northwest Coast Indian Art.  I was interested in the book and inquired at the Museum desk if they had copies for sale, although, at $35, the price was a little higher, truthfully, than my level of interest.  The woman at the desk said no, unfortunately they had sold out of them, though they were expecting a new shipment in a couple days.  Somewhat relieved, I went to a different section of the museum to see an exhibit on the geology of the northwest coast.  A few minutes after, the woman from the museum desk caught up with me in the exhibit and breathlessly announced that I was in luck - the delivery had just arrived!

Well, I have been reading my copy of Northwest Coast Indian Art rather slowly.  Holm made a meticulous study of more than 400 high quality artifacts, recording and eventually collating detailed information on the "rules" that he discovered underly the stylized designs.  These principles are almost invariant, but like other rigorous forms such as the sonnet, the gifted Indian artists were able to create stunning and distinctive designs while working within these constraints.  Holm's deep knowledge of the forms, his humility and his respect and generosity toward the Indian artists made him a honored figure and valued friend.  I feel grateful for this fleeting moment of contact with him.