The Things *We* Carry

Somerville Reads committee member Jodi had an interesting idea: why not get people to talk about the items they carry around? Sure, we're not in a war zone (although it can seem like it when you're in Boston rush-hour traffic), but we all have distinctive assortments of items we carry around for reasons that may range from the practical to the irrational. So, Jodi asked people to come by Sherman Market, weigh what they have on their person and talk about it. Two friends of Jodi's, Anna and Meg, thought this sounded like an interesting project and graciously agreed to help.


















Meg diligently took notes on all the participant interviews.

Full disclosure: I (Kevin, a library staff member) came with my shoulder bag, which usually has books (3.01 pounds or thereabouts) my passport (only piece of ID with my full name on it--besides, if I decide to leave the country on a whim, I'd rather not stop by my apartment) and pen and tiny notebook (I'm often jotting things down).

Here's what other people had to say who came to Sherman Market on Sunday April 11, to talk about their day-t0-day gear.

Here Andrea puts her whole bag down on the scale. Total weight: 8.6 lbs.














In her bag she had a sketchbook diary ("In case I'm ever moved to draw," she said), chapstick, books, cell phone and a flashlight (which she said came in handy quite recently).

And here Andrea proudly shows off her Somerville Reads button:

















One man who asked to go unidentified showed us a police baton that he always carries with him. He found it on a street in Roxbury two weeks after being mugged. It weighs 0.8 lbs:



















Anna's bag weighed 3.18 pounds:





















The biggest surprise inside? "I carry corks around, in case I want to practice juggling:"













Jodi herself got in on the act. Her hemp bag weighed 2.61 lbs. Of the items inside, her journal was the clear favorite:





















"I write down lists and appointments and phone numbers and people to send postcards to and sometimes I write personal stuff in it but then I obscure it with colorful designs. This particular notebook has been to North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylavnia, New York, Massachusetts, and back and forth across the country with me twice."

One participant always keeps this key chain with her:




















She said, "This keychain says LOVE on it. A friend got it for me when I was in middle school. She got it in the New Dehli airport and she bought it because it reminded her of me."

A woman who asked not to be identified put a binder she had with her on the scale and found out it weighed 9.77 lbs. She said, "I'm a therapist and these are client files and paper work -- all the information about the lives, children they have... They're heavy, emotionally and physically. I think it's good to revisit why I'm acutally holding on to these things right now. I'm carrying fifty people's hearts and souls and pains and grief. "

And lastly, someone decided to weigh a person he carries around with him:



















This young man weighs 26.3 lbs. Derrick, his father, said, "26 pounds is a lot to carry, especially when you're moving around a lot."

The Things We Carry made for a really fun and fascinating afternoon.

A special thanks to Sherman Market owners and staff for letting us use the space!

Sherman Cafe Discussion Group

SPL would like to thank everyone who came to Sherman Cafe last Thursday night to discuss The Things They Carried. We had a lively, thoughtful discussion.

We would also like to thank Sherman Cafe and their staff for hosting the event.

Recap of Saturday's discussion group

Saturday's book discussion group was a tremendous success. Thank you to all the special folks who joined us and shared your thoughts on The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien, and the Vietnam War. We had a lot of different perspectives represented, from Veterans to war protesters, which made for a very meaningful discussion. A huge thank you to Michael Downing as well, our discussion moderator, who created a respectful and thought-provoking atmosphere for our thoughts to be shared. Enjoy the pictures from the afternoon, below.

Michael Downing, our moderator

While I have you here, next up is an all-day Vietnam film festival, happening at the Central Library this Saturday, April 24, from 9:30-4:45. We will screen 3 films, Good Morning Vietnam, The Quiet American, and Born on the 4th of July. We hope to see you there!

Pictures from Porter Square Books

We are happy to report the discussion group at Porter Square Books was a great success! Many thanks to all who came out and to the bookstore for providing these pictures and supporting Somerville Reads.

Margot Livesey led a great discussion

Nice to see folks chatting after the discussion

Discussion Group with Margot Livesey @ Porter Square Books

We are pleased to have Margot Livesey moderate a discussion group for Somerville Reads. Livesey's novels include Eva Moves the Furniture, Banishing Verona, Homework, and The House on Fortune Street. Her fiction has appeared in the New Yorker and The Atlantic Monthly. Born in Scotland, she lives in Cambridge and teaches at Emerson College.

The discussion group will take place at Porter Square Books this Tuesday April 13, starting at 7:00 pm. We hope you can join us for a great program!

Vietnam War lecture pictures

Many thanks to Harvard Professor Hue-Tam Ho Tai for an insightful lecture on the Vietnam War and experiences of the Vietnamese people during the conflict. Also, thanks to all who attended and helped make this a successful event.

Here are some pictures from the evening.

Somerville Reads Is Underway

Thanks to all who attended our first kickoff for Somerville Reads last Sunday at Arts at the Armory. We had about 100 people in attendance and were so happy to see a great variety of folks representing our great city of Somerville. Here are some pictures of the event, which was a huge success!

The Band That Time Forgot


The dance floor...




View from the balcony...

A Brief History of the Vietnam War

We are pleased to host Harvard Professor Hue-Tam Ho Tai at the Central Library this Thursday, April 1 at 7:00 p.m., for a talk on the Vietnam War. She will discuss the experiences of Vietnamese on all sides of the conflict from a very unique perspective. The lecture will also be accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation. Hue-Tam Ho Tai is the Kenneth T. Young Professor of Sino-Vietnamese History at Harvard University. Please join us for this exciting and informative lecture on the Vietnam War.

New Novel on Vietnam War

A new novel has just arrived that deserves a worthy mention. Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War, is Karl Marlantes' first novel. Thirty years in the making, this novel makes a grand entrance into the genre of Vietnam War fiction. To reserve a copy from the library, click here.

Booklist
Due to the efforts of such soldier-writers as James Webb and Tim O'Brien, the Vietnam novel has come of age, and this is a worthy addition to the genre. Marlantes, a former marine who was awarded the Navy Cross in Vietnam, sets his debut in Quang-Tri Province, at an American fire-support base. The environment is painted in vivid, intense hues: the fog malevolent, the bugs and leeches constant torturers, and jungle rot universal. The enemy is always near and often unseen until firefights explode with shocking savagery. But this novel isn't flawless. The major characters fill traditional roles: the young, inexperienced lieutenant; his grizzled, tough sergeant; and the cowardly griper. The contempt shown by the soldiers for the supposedly uncaring brass and politicians often seems over the top. Still, the characters are, if traditional, certainly believable. This tough, unsentimental saga is filled with frightened men; most endure and achieve a certain nobility in spite of themselves. An engrossing chronicle of men at war.--Freeman, Jay Copyright 2009 Booklist

Publishers Weekly
Thirty years in the making, Marlantes's epic debut is a dense, vivid narrative spanning many months in the lives of American troops in Vietnam as they trudge across enemy lines, encountering danger from opposing forces as well as on their home turf. Marine lieutenant and platoon commander Waino Mellas is braving a 13-month tour in Quang-Tri province, where he is assigned to a fire-support base and befriends Hawke, older at 22; both learn about life, loss, and the horrors of war. Jungle rot, leeches dropping from tree branches, malnourishment, drenching monsoons, mudslides, exposure to Agent Orange, and wild animals wreak havoc as brigade members face punishing combat and grapple with bitterness, rage, disease, alcoholism, and hubris. A decorated Vietnam veteran, the author clearly understands his playing field (including military jargon that can get lost in translation), and by examining both the internal and external struggles of the battalion, he brings a long, torturous war back to life with realistic characters and authentic, thrilling combat sequences. Marlantes's debut may be daunting in length, but it remains a grand, distinctive accomplishment. (Apr.) Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.

A Conversation with Tim O'Brien

On Wednesday, March 24, 2010, Tim O'Brien took part in a discussion with seniors at Washington D.C.'s Cardozo High School to commemorate the 20th anniversary of The Things They Carried. Iraq Veteran and author Nate Fick (One Bullet Away) moderated the conversation, and read additional questions submitted by students across the country. Over 300 schools broadcast the event live.

An archived version of the event will be available here on Monday March 29, 2010.*

He was also interviewed on NPR's All Things Considered. That interview will be available online at approximately 6pm this evening. To listen, click here.

*Info is courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books