BOOK
SARA HOUGHTELING: PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION
(Knopf)
In her debut novel, Berkeley resident Sara Houghteling examines an oft-neglected aspect of World War II—the Nazis’ theft of fine art—by chronicling the quest of Max Berenzon, the son of a Jewish gallery owner in Paris, to recover his father’s looted paintings. It’s a rich premise, but the meandering plot and numerous subplots—an awkward romance, a family secret that’s not nearly revelatory enough—distract from the more interesting notion of the wartime adventures of these mute masterpieces. The characters suffer from underdevelopment: When Max tells Rose, his love interest, “I couldn’t understand you less,” the reader can relate. (Minor plot contradictions add to the confusion: Rose’s hand remains “warm” as she exclaims that “Paris is a Frigidaire!”) Houghteling’s meticulously researched tale bursts with fascinating facts, including a who’s who of the art world in wartime Paris, and powerful images, such as Winged Victory’s evacuation from the Louvre via a complex network of ramps and scaffolding. But in the end, you can’t help wishing that some narrative embroidery had been omitted so the story of the art could be the focal point. B
—KATE WILLSKY
ALBUM
ZION I: THE TAKEOVER
(Gold Dust)
The Bay Area has three pervasive hip-hop styles right now: the post-hyphy party scene, where rappers like E-40 sing the praises of popping pills and pimping rides; more conscious acts, like Michael Franti & Spearhead, who take a thoughtful look at the world around them; and underground acts, like Subtle, who mix dance and rock sounds into their tracks. On their sixth album, longtime Oakland duo Zion I attempts to traverse all three. DJ AmpLive’s musical soundscapes are both radio-ready—full of big hooks and slick production—and head-spinningly diverse, jumping genres like a mad kangaroo. “DJ DJ” mixes Brazilian favela bravado with the electro beats of such ’80s icons as Afrika Bambaataa. “Gumbo” kicks off with a wild Nawlins jazz cacophony, while “Country Baked Yams” feels like the video game version of a sex-you-up ballad. Meanwhile, MC Zumbi drops critiques of the greenhouse effect and urban blight alongside shout-outs to party rockers and hot mamas. With a disc this varied, it’s a shame that The TakeOver’s title doesn’t refer to a radio revolution. A-
—DAN STRACHOTA
BOOK
CRAIG WALZER, ED.: OUT OF EXILE
(McSweeney’s)
As the modern world feeds our addiction to instant information, we don’t bother retaining much. Why should we, when we can just Google it? Voice of Witness, the latest series from San Francisco–based McSweeney’s, seeks to reverse this collective loss of memory by committing to paper the oral histories of people whose human rights have been violated both here and abroad: in this case, in Sudan. (Previous titles in the series focus on Hurricane Katrina survivors and undocumented U.S. immigrants.) Out of Exile presents extended interviews with 17 men and women whose childhoods, families, and livelihoods were ripped away by senseless, often politically motivated violence. If this sounds relentless, it’s not—the interviewees tell their horrifying tales with a combination of grace, anger, and clarity that’s entirely engaging. Compared with the work that must still be done to halt abuses in Sudan, this book may seem like a Band-Aid on a gaping wound. But, as the foreword notes, “We wanted to make sure that a reader knew the narrators not just as victims or statistics, but as fully human.” The extraordinary people who shared their lives for Out of Exile aren’t asking us to feel sorry for them, only to listen—and once you experience their history, you’ll have no choice but to remember it. A
—MIA LIPMAN
BLOG
KATY MURPHY: THE EDUCATION REPORT
(ibabuzz.com/education)
Education is often cited as the cure for society’s ills—but the ingredients for that panacea are far from clear-cut. Fortunately for local parents, Oakland Tribune reporter Katy Murphy’s blog offers the best possible primer on East Bay public education. Controversies arise daily in the Oakland school system, and Murphy’s multimedia recaps open readers’ eyes to the intricacies of the ongoing debates, which cover everything from mismanagement of district funds to teens protesting during school hours, weapons on school grounds, and the rights of students, teachers, homeowners, and parents. These topics are decidedly more complex than liberal versus conservative, and local opinions are all over the map. Murphy’s concise and informative posts help make sense of the fray, sometimes linking to a related Tribune article for further reading; she also welcomes guest posts from students, which serve as a reminder of the real kids who are affected. The blog solicits comments and is amply rewarded for the effort: Readers publish passionate responses about resources, oversight, and socioeconomic and racial segregation. This honest account of the state of Oakland’s education deserves high marks. A
—JESSICA KELMON
BOOK
DACHER KELTNER: BORN TO BE GOOD
(W. W. Norton)
Eternal optimists, take heart—in this new study, UC Berkeley psychology professor Dacher Keltner pulls from research and personal anecdotes to back up his theory that human nature is empathetic and generous, not petty and controlling. The first two-thirds of the book read like a series of academic articles, citing lots of examples (Paul Ekman’s facial coding, Darwin’s descriptions of emotional expressions) of how humans tease, play, and get embarrassed—but none of it feels fresh. Even Keltner’s lengthy stories—like one about a summer spent working at McDonald’s in his youth—make obvious points (in this case, that there’s a difference between a fake smile and a real one). Only in the later chapters on touch, love, and awe does his argument start to gel. He posits that we’ve evolved to feel interconnected with and invested in others in part to care for our vulnerable offspring, and eventually he’s able to sweep us along in his excitement over the newest discoveries in this field. Keltner’s ideas, though not especially original, are at least a valuable reminder that compassion is worth cultivating. B-
—SARAH MUELLER BOSSENBROEK