Carter Books

THE MEMORY OF GILLS has been a long time coming. Not as long of course as the eons it's been since we had gills. Lucky for us it is finally here, because it is a gem among all the others beckoning from the shelves for our attention. So here's my suggestion, snap it up, run home and dive in.

Read it in the attic in the old rocker, out on the porch on the swing or by the sea with the waves nipping at your toes. With the zest of one who's moved around a bit we get views from the depths of love, eye to eye with clover, peaking from under the covers, and from places that only exist in the magic of poetry.

You'll have to force yourself to put this book down, to savor it in smaller bits, rather then swallowing it whole and still feeling hungry. With sights and smells, sounds and sympathies you'll march along from poem to poem completely oblivious to the rest of the world.

THE MEMORY OF GILLS is an excellent example of the poetry of persistence. With this book in hand we are brought to a place where we can benefit from the years of work, the diligent reworking, and the brushing away of rejection notices to find a home with a publisher that decided Catherine Carter's poems had evolved to the point that they could breathe on their own.

The Plague Court Murders (1934) and The Red Widow Murders (1935) are two of the first, and best, mysteries featuring John Dickson Carr/Carter Dickson's detective Sir Henry Merrivale. In the first, a cynical promoter of séances is brutally murdered while in a locked room, and a legendary local ghost is seemingly the only suspect. In the second, a young man agrees to spend the night in a haunted room, and when the room is unlocked after two hours he is dead of no apparent cause, and had been for more than an hour--though he had seemingly answered calls from his friends waiting outside the room during that time. The mysteries baffle everyone, including especially the readers--no detective fiction writer ever produced mysteries that, while being fair in the presentation of clues, were harder to figure out--but H.M. is always equal to the challenge.

While in some of his later (postwar) appearances H.M. became a more comic figure, given to tantrums and buffoonery, this tendency was as yet under control in these works, which established the character's well-deserved reputation as one of the greatest literary detectives of the so-called Golden Age of mysteries. His introduction in Plague Court Murders is classic. The "Maestro" welcomes old friends and colleagues who he worked alongside as espionage agents during the "Great War" into his shabby Whitehall office, unapologetically drinking brandy and smoking cigars while at work, and in his inimitable cranky, intimidating style, begins to get to the bottom of gruesome, baffling, seemingly supernatural crimes.

But there is a real sense of sadness as well as fun about H.M., whose loud antics thinly veil his regret over the deaths and disappointment his cases invariably bring to light, and his keen, watchful intelligence--he is like a poker player (and H.M. is mentioned off-handedly as being a fine one) whose bluster and jokes are intended to distract his opponents and observers from figuring out what he is really thinking and planning. One can readily see how H.M. could have been a formidable intelligence officer (where deception is so critical) as well as a masterful detective. But what really sets him apart from the Holmeses and Queens and Wolfes is perhaps that he seems immensely more sheer fun to spend time with. At one point in The Red Widow Murders (Chapter 11) H.M. insists that his "Watson" spend a late night with him at home, drinking whiskey and coffee, conversing interestingly and intelligently but rarely to the point, and playing board games ("what looked like children's pursuits") until the sun comes up. There likely has never been another fictional detective as amusing, interesting, and impressive, and he was never more so then in these two classic novels.

I must confess, I'm writing this with a somewhat overpowering dose of nostalgia. The book I'm reviewing was written by my dad some 37 years ago. Today would be Thomas P. Carter's 80th birthday, were he still alive.

"Mexican Americans in School: A History of Educational Neglect" is a testament to the power of social activism, and more specifically, to "scholar activism." My dad cared deeply about the plight of the Mexican American in schools across America, and used his skills as an educational sociologist to address the problem in this book, which is the first book of its scope to address the issue. "Groundbreaking" was the description given by his Mexican American colleagues at his memorial, who also said that he was a "pioneer in Mexican American education and social justice."

Written in 1970, when many Mexican American students were marginalized, discounted, and dumped into special education classes, this book examines this injustice, presenting the scope and specific details as well as the societal/institutional responsibilities.

Perhaps most importantly, Carter flatly disproves the common thinking about these students, and shows the institutional racism for what it was. He also suggests and discusses several solutions to the problem of educational inequity for the Mexican American student.

Chillingly, he recommends that schools need to "become for [Mexican American students] a relevant, exciting, pleasant, and truly significant experience." He then goes on to say that in order to achieve such an experience, educators must eliminate the conditions which work against it such as "rote teaching, rigid curriculums, biased teachers..."

The rigid curriculums and rote teaching associated with No Child Left Behind, along with the increasing tensions surrounding immigration issues and the continuing high dropout rate among Mexican American youths, indicate that the book is as relevant and important today as it was when it was written.

Too bad. But perhaps we have a way out, if we take Carter's challenge and institute his ideas for reform. As he writes, if "thoughtful people" continue to push for what is right informed by what is true, there might still be cause for optimism. I hope so. It's been 37 years since the book was written and Mexican American students are STILL struggling. Perhaps it would help if more thoughtful people read this book. Our society is clearly still in need of social, educational, and scholar activism.

Tom Carter Jr.

As a sixth grade teacher, I found this book to be a fascinating resource for students. The book is sectioned by Michelangelo's works, such as by sculptures, paintings, and architectural works. The photos are beautifully displayed and each work has a description for the reader. In addition, a chronological biography is outlined page after page as it relates to his works. Information such as his lifestyle, personal events, and affiliations and accomplishments are described. What's great about the book is the fact that it includes information about the renaissaince, such as other artists and important figures of the times. This gives the reader a feel for the period and gives an opportunity to make connections to its significance in time. A great book for both young readers and adults.

You really can talk to God and He really does answer. Be amazed by His Strength and miracles in this compilation of true stories recounting God's intervention in the affairs of nations, rulers, and soldiers. Powerful book.

My small church performed this musical in 2002. We had a fantastic turn out! The children loved it, and the congregation raved about it for weeks. The music was a great blend of fun upbeat tunes and moving ballads. The setting and props were easy as well.

Ann Leaf and Gaylord Carter were both silent film accompanists in the 1920s. They both contributed to arrangements of some of the pieces. This is a historical recording by a couple of the giants of the genre, made with recent technology in 1977. Both of them were still playing as if they were at work, not going through the motions.

played on
Senate Theatre; Detroit MI Wurlitzer Special 4 manuals, 34 ranks
Organ Power Pizza No. 2, Pacific Beach CA 5 manuals, 28 ranks
San Gabriel Civic Auditorium, Wurlitzer 4 manuals, 21 ranks

Arrangements are full and lush. I have heard other albums that were minimal by comparison, as if made in somebody's parlor. Recording quality is pristine, not tinny or hissy, even though labeled as "ADD". Fine mikeing picks it all up, without overdistortion or dropouts and weak passages. Volume can stay where you like it. These are large pipe organs in large spaces, well, largish, anyhow, and a full range of expression and theatre percussion toys are used. The closest modern equivalent would probably be Donna Parker playing a special evening at Organ Stop Pizza at Mesa AZ (see youtube for open pizza or ATOS meeting, with lesser sound quality than this, naturally).

I had to play it through 3 more times this evening before this review, even though I have had the CD for several years. Turn up the volume and immerse yourself.

Michael McMenamin's knowledge of the dairy industry blends with his eloquent prose and political savvy to form a literary masterpiece that would make the cows proud. This book will open your eyes to the frothy underpinnings of what was an industry driven by questionable special interests that acted to forever taint the beautiful opaqueness of my favorite white beverage.

This book was awesome! I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me. Okay, well, it was pretty good. Well, it didn't stink too bad. Umm... at least it didn't make me nauseous.

This exhaustive review of the evolutionary changes in the healthcare industry is nonbiased and very readable. An excellent account of the impact of the outcomes movement, quality improvement and information science on how doctors will be treating patients for the foreseeable future. A must for all caregivers and useful for the rest of us seeking state of the art care for ourselves and our families.The author's background and review of recent historical changes provides for a great read.