New York Books

York's Journal: A Novel
By William Nichols

Review by Terry Davis



Oregon has been celebrating the 200th year anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The celebration includes lectures at universities, colleges, and other schools, exhibits, tours, music, with instruments of the period, and much more. Even now, a replica of Fort Clatsop is being built, after a fire recently destroyed the previous one.
York's Journal: A Novel, by William Nichols and published in 2005, is a creative addition to this celebration.
William Styron, a generation ago, wrote a novel, The Confessions of Nat Turner. The novel triggered considerable criticism and conflict regarding the author being white and trying to create the consciousness of a black man.
The same issue could be raised by York's Journal-a white author and a black main character speaking through the device of a journal. The resolution is that in spite of the racial difference, at least two important characteristics are shared. Both black and white share a common humanity and the potential for empathy. Through the power of the imagination, an author can shed beautiful and shining light on our common existence as humans. I believe that William Nichols has accomplished such a work.
York, a slave in the servitude of William Clark, was a member of the "Corps of Discovery" though never officially recognized as such. Earlier in his life, he had learned to read and write. How this unusual learning occurred is recounted in the novel. York's love of reading and writing is central to the novel. His perceptiveness brings out and develops many themes: the sheer adventure of the Expedition, with its hardships, illnesses, and humor, relationships with various aborigines and tribes, women and sex, the mystery of wilderness, spirituality, and the overriding tension between freedom and servitude.
The language, the voice of York, is impressive, consistent throughout, inventive, and often humorous. It sparkles with imaginative turns of phrase. Some examples give a taste of this highlight of the novel: "The master's fear is often the servant's opportunity" (p. 14). "The gold of evening" (p. 78). "Nothing is better than work one freely chooses" (p. 10).
The language is important to the novel not only for such characteristics but also for the importance of the journal and its writing to the characterization of York. When York has not had opportunity to write for awhile, he exclaims, "My journal comes alive again!" (p. 182). The journaling became almost an addiction for York, "like strong drink was to white men" (p.188). On the downside for York, "my journal was become a visible emblem of all the bonds that held me to civilization" (p. 188). On the other hand, his writing "gave shape to the joy I find in freedom" (p. 212).
These examples reflect and embody a central theme, a conflict both external and internal, between freedom and servitude. York never varied from his understandable longing for freedom. Yet he is honest enough with himself to see that gaining his freedom was not merely a matter of becoming legally free or of leaving the Expedition and staying with natives and making a new life with them. He "longed for civilization despite my hatred of servitude" (p. 166). The Expedition became for York a quest for his freedom. "On my journey westward I would be a man," he said, hoping to find freedom in the west (pp. 61, 62).
Along the way were all the adventures, joys, and trials and tribulation of this great physical adventure. As the Corps of Discovery made its way across the vastness of the continent, they encountered many native tribes, and their many differences are described. Because of his condition of servitude among the whites, York seemed much drawn to the natives and developed many interesting and valued personal relationships with them. Some of these were sexual relationships, which was an important part of York's adventures. In the Barocka Uanapa ceremony of the Mandan tribe, as an honored guest, he enjoyed the pleasures of intimacy with the wife of one of the Mandans. Later, he learned directly that "Clatsops couple more patiently and deliberately than any people I have known" (p. 149). He developed a close relationship of love with Keluk, of the Clatsops.
York felt drawn to the natives in part because as a slave in the white man's Expedition, he was lonely. Except for Shannon, a young white man, he could not be open with the whites. As York pointed out, "dissembling is a necessity of servitude" (p. 152). Shannon was "the one man on the Expedition with whom I did not have to pretend I was a dolt" (p. 28). Yet even with Shannon, York noted that he "was not foolish enough to share my dream of freedom with a white man" (p. 31).
He "longed to find a place where I could feel the presence of true companionship" (p. 41). Among the natives, he did find that true companionship. And because of his liking for them, he found his sympathies with them in the disputes and conflicts between the Expedition and the various tribes. The Clatsops, for example, feared a treacherous alliance between the white men of the Expedition and those of a ship arriving in the Columbia River. York's comment tells a lot: "Knowing what I do of white men, I saw no reason to dismiss their fears" (p. 149).
An outgrowth of his finding companionship with the natives was his hearing interesting stories from them, stories of mythological and spiritual insight. These stories, of Teahwit, Bear Woman, Talapus, and others, are engagingly narrated. They speak about truths relevant to York's emotional and psychological states and become integral and revealing parts of the novel.
They also point to what I take to be a central part of the novel. It is that the adventure becomes a deep spiritual quest. This aspect of the story is hinted at in the references to the mystery of the wilderness, at first just hints of the spirit, a feeling York "came to cherish" despite his fears (p. 72). The stories often related to such fears. As Keluk explained to York, the story of Awl Woman was a story of yas mesachie, that is, of great evil (p. 177).
The spiritual quest blossoms and deepens in York's encounter with Teahwit's story about seeking his tahmahnawis, the Clatsop term for the Holy Spirit, by going to the top of Saghalie mountain. This name refers to the mountain with the shape of a saddle. This mountain, now called Saddle Mountain, is a real mountain near the northern Oregon coast. It still, of course, is a place of great mystery and spirit. Teahwit's story led to York making his own journey up the mountain in search of his tahmahnawis. Significantly, there is just one path to the top. Also significantly, Mooluk, York's Clatsop friend and teacher, took York's rifle before showing him the way to the mountain. Nor did he take food.
As with any truly spiritual quest, York's ascension of Saghalie brought up the essential conflicts and troubles in his psyche and life. Central to these were his journal writing, so precious to him. But his writing was also the telling, as York said, "of a slave whose fortunes depended on the whims of others" (p. 188). His journal, he sees, had become "a visible emblem of all the bonds that held me to civilization" (p. 188). And that bond made his task more difficult. "In this vast wilderness," York says, "I knew I must come to feel at home" (p. 187).
York's resolution on the mountain top was to "forswear writing in my journal and if that failed to free my spirit to live among the Clatsops, I would throw its pages in the fire" (p. 188). The resolution to sacrifice the symbol of his bondage is at the heart of any true spiritual quest.
He did not, however, keep this resolution. The journey through life often hits us with the unexpected. For York, shortly after his quest on the mountain, Master Clark told him that he would free him on their safe return. "Then I understood the truth: I was not become a Clatsop" (p. 191). He could, York said, "think only of my joy and pride in holding freedom as a prize won on the Expedition to the western sea" (p. 191). But the inner conflict was so great that he was "filled with rage, knowing I would not choose to stay among the Clatsops" (p. 191).
Thus, he returned to civilization with the Expedition, continued writing in his journal, was freed as promised from the bondage of servitude, and given by Master Clark some land of his own to work.
How puzzling, ambiguous, and mysterious life is! York's return to civilization brought him "only sorrow" (p. 197). He concluded that "it had been an error to leave the land of the Clatsops" (p. 197). He remembered his farewell to Keluk and his promise to return "when I am free" (p. 197). She did not believe him.
The story of Talapus reverberates at this point with all the angst of life. Talapus, who must "guard against his habit of doing foolish things," had "grown to like his life among the shadow people" and he "tells the spirit he prefers to stay" with them (p. 199). Because of his disobedience, "The spirit never returns" to Talapus (p. 200).
Whether the story of Talapus applies directly to York is ambiguous. But York does say that in telling his story, he came to understand a truth: "this freedom and this land are not enough. It remains to tell what I have learned from writing my story" (p. 206). He understands also that he must "go to seek my way in the wilderness that once seemed to me only a terrifying land" (p. 216).
Perhaps he did. I hope so. Whether or not, he was indeed a man. True liberation of any person brings more light to our human condition. And this marvelous novel throws clarifying light on that condition. Well done!

York's Journal is intriguing partially for what it is NOT. The novel assumes that the reader is informed about the expedition or is able to look things up. So, as other readers have noted, it does not spread itself thin trying to cover non-fiction matters commonly available. One hardly senses, for example, the enormity of the distances and time (and drudgery) involved. Nor the trip's logistics, goals, funding, setbacks, and even its historical impact. And since its protagonist is something of a stoic, it doesn't dwell very long on privation, loneliness, and hardship.

Rather, York's Journal: A Novel is a fully imagined and unexpected trip into a trip. The language is magical; the locutions, vocabulary, and rhythms carry the reader back to our young nation's growth spurt and lend a compelling sense of authenticity. York gives us dark views of the leaders, esp. Captain Clark. Since York is Clark's black slave, his special position vis-à-vis his "master," his white company and the very different Indian nations they meet makes for some startling possibilities (and also some humorous and uninhibited sexual encounters). It offers York's troubling, mysterious dreams and nightmares as he becomes more and more alive.

Most important, though, is how the novel artfully explores powerful connections between writing, freedom and selfhood.

As a history reader and teacher, I am acutely aware that history is about "selection" of the available data. In this way many stories, often those of women and people of color are left out.
Nichols has done an amazing job of recapturing Clark's slave York's story from the Lewis and Clark Journals, never overstepping into flights of fancy but instead imaginatively giving us another insight into that incredible troop of explorers and their incredible journey. Good scholarship, excellent writing, a great read.

This book turned out to be quite a nice surprise. I have little interest in either historical novels or the Lewis and Clark expidition, but was intrigued by the fact that the journey did, indeed, include a slave, and in Nichols' book, the slave can read and write, and therefore we have, his, York's journal.

Fortunately, the author has spared us a day by day account of the journey West, and concentrated on the more notable events of the trip, including extensive interaction with Native Americans and the difficulties attendant on traversing a new and unknown part of the continent. This is all seen through the
eyes of York, who shares in the triumph of discovery as someone thought of as something less than a man. The book deals in detail with his interaction with the various tribes that are encountered, and the concept of freedom begins to define itself in York, until a promise is made to him which is revealing of both the tragedy and the sorrow of slavery, and the book ends with York's decision of how to deal with it.

This novel succeeds on all levels. It is an informative narrative of the journey as well as an excellent description of the white-and black-mans interaction with the tribes of the West. The passages dealing with Indian myth and legend are of particular interest. Most importantly it succeeds in its presentation of another dimension of the peculiar, and horrifying, institution of American slavery. Equally important, it is the story of a slave not broken at the wheel, and able to rise beyond circumstance to assert his right to humanity.

When I finished reading this book,I had to spend a little time thinking on it. This is the highest compliment I can pay any
author, and lament the fact there aren't more who can lead me to do so. For a modest investment, this is a very fine read.

Anyone interested in good historical fiction, especially about the American frontier, should read York's Journal, a novel about the Lewis & Clark expedition as told from the point of view of William Clark's slave. Nichols has created a plausible, dignified, often humorous and engaging voice for his narrator. Like an earlier version of Frederick Douglass, York keeps his literacy and intelligence secret from his white master. We experience his longing for freedom, his robust sexuality, his prowess as a hunter, his dignity and integrity. From his first glimpse of native people along the Missouri to his friendship with members of the Clatsop tribe at the mouth of the Columbia, York feels a deep kinship with the mistrusted, despised, yet resilient Indians, and he is forever scheming to run off and join them. He shows us the familiar heroes in an unfamiliar light, especially Clark's struggles with the English language and Lewis's struggles with the gloom and paranoia that would eventually consume him. Having read several accounts of the Lewis & Clark saga, including the official journals, I was intrigued by this fresh telling.

I am new to New York city and have been discovering good (and bad) places to eat in a hit or miss fashion. I was given this book as a gift and it has become more useful than the Vindigo guide I have been using on my Palm Pilot.

It cannot be missed on your shelf or bag when ever you want to have a wonderful dinner in NY. This book is deeply reliable even for a very demanding person for food as me. The formula of the book allows you to get to know whatever you are looking for in a few minutes. Comments are brief but give you the exact idea of the place. No other food guide book can be so reliable and useful as this one here. Try also the one on London and Paris which are fantastic too. We are all looking forward to the one on Milan.......

This book has a permanent place on every book shelf I own. A true New Yorker will live and die by this book. Tim and Nina Zagat began their restaurant reviews as a hobby for friends but it grew into a monster and now they reach out to diners around the world to rate and review any and all eating establishments in New York and around the world.

They have also branched out into rating hotels around the world. The reviews found in these books are very accurate as they are rated by real eaters (include this particular diner).

The book is arranged alphabetically however diners can locate restaurants divided by location, type of food, top ratings, most popular as well as by any special features. Always helpful and handy, I highly recommend this book for a fabulous meal in New York.

Among the plethora of guide books to New York restaurants and and nightlife, the Zagat guides (there is also a Zagat guide to Nightlife and a Zagat guide to specialty food shops)have always stood alone at the top- and with good reason.

No other book can came close to matching the accuracy of these handy little guides. Easily organized alphabetically in the main section and then reorganized again in the back by both type of establishment (type of cuisine in the case of the restuarant guide) and location (ie. upper east side, village, etc.) all the best restuarants are right at your fingertips.

Each establishment is rated on a scale of one to thirty in three categories (food, decor, and service in the restaurant guide) and then there is a small paragraph blurb below about the place and what its like. I have found these descriptions to be TOTALLY accurate and more than once have gone to a place and described it to my friends only to find that the Zagat guide had the exact same thing to say.

All in all, a very accurate guide. An indispensible tool whether or not you are visitng NYC for the first time or, like me, you live here and are just looking for somewhere new to go!

I'd give these suckers 10 stars if that was an option!

The Zagats put out a class A guide to New York City restaurants giving three ratings for each place: (1)quality of food, (2) decor, and (3) quality of service. The guide also includes what the average price of a dinner with wine is for each restaurant rated. There is no long description of the menu, ambience etc. However, the short blurbs are often humorous and the basic information is given.

The restaurants are listed in alphabetical order but there are extenssive lists of different categories, such as French (and every other ethnic category), vegetarian, kosher and just about every other traditional category you can think of. There are nummerous other categories as well, such as best places if you are eating alone, best "power" places, most romantic, best places for kids, for teens etc. I have barely scratched the surface .. the breakdown of categories is very extensive and I find them to be extremely useful.

Like I say, there is no extensive description of the restaurants rated but, there are a lot of them that are reviewed and this is a wonderful source for quickly finding the right place to eat amongst hundreds of choices. An additional feature is that the book is not restricted to Manhattan; good restaurants from all the boroughs are included. I highly recommend this book.

Newly recovered from a broken heart, Morgan Price, the Public Relations dynamo, returns to her New York City office after a year's hiatus, determined to get back down to business. The last thing she needs is to get physically involved with another client, but when sexy pro snowboarder Vince Evans comes sailing into her life it seems inevitable. Against her better judgment Morgan takes him on as a client. As his career begins to take off, so does their tumultuous relationship...

I really enjoyed this book. The author has created a fast-paced and well layered plot peppered with interesting, likeable characters and love scenes to make the heart flutter. Her use of snappy, realistic dialogue and colorful situations make 1080 Kiss a fun and delightful book to read. I'll definitely be looking forward to more works by Ms. Angela Steed.

A very good friend of mine loaned me this book while I was on vacation and looking for a good read. I usually only read biographies, so I did not think I would like this book so much. I will now read more romance novels because this book was so good. It is fun and light and it will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy after reading it. I will definitely buy the next book from this author!

I was very pleased with this book. It was so full of excitement and energy, I had to call off work just so I could finish it all in one day!
I highly recommend this read to anybody who likes a glamorous, fast paced romance story with true love and hot passion.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2V9OYCVK6YL2O 1080 Kiss is a very entertaining read involving the romance of Morgan and Vince, both strong-minded individuals who have not previously been happy in love. The two meet when Morgan is hired to manage Vince's snowboarding career. Vince has all the potential in the world as he is very talented, but his unreliable and sometimes troublesome personality has prevented him from rising to the top.

The plot is full of surprises as Vince's rival becomes enamored with Morgan, and even a rock star gets involved as the story unfolds. The romance in 1080 Kiss is one that you root for as you grow fond of both characters. One point that meant a lot to me is the theme supports healthy relationships as opposed to self-deprecating ones.

The writing style is smooth with lots of beautiful descriptions. Having enjoyed snow skiing in the past, I loved reliving the vivid scenery in Steed's story. She is a very talented writer, and I look forward to her future releases.

--Lewis Aleman, author of Cold Streak

Well written book, nice to see Rich and Sue are doing well, I used to work with them at Eastman Kodak.

"200 Waterfalls in Central & Western NY" is an especially well organized and presented recreational guide to a dazzling, beautiful, sometimes unexpected but always memorable assortment of natural waterfalls in NY. Maps, directions, time and effort required to reach them, as well as distinctive features of each waterfall are listed in this handy, convenient and highly practical vacationer's guide. If you are an outdoor enthusiast and planning to travel through the central and western regions of New York State, then begin planning your excursion's daily itinerary by browsing through the pages of Rich & Sue Freeman's "200 Waterfalls in Central & Western NY."
The Midwest Book Review - Buhle's Bookshelf

200 Waterfalls In Central & Western New York is an especially well organized and presented recreational guide to a dazzling, beautiful, sometimes unexpected but always memorable assortment of natural waterfalls in the New York area. Maps, directions, time and effort required to reach them, as well as the distinctive features of each waterfall are listed in this handy, convenient and highly practical vacationer's guide. If you are an outdoor enthusiast and planning to travel through the central and western regions of New York State, then begin planning your excursion's daily itinerary by browsing through the pages of Rich and Sue Freeman's 200 Waterfalls In Central & Western New York.

Rich and Sue Freeman have come out with another must-have Finger Lakes guide book. This one, called "200 Waterfalls in Central & Western NY," is a well-done guidebook of accessible waterfalls complete with driving directions, access trails and photographs. Their descriptions include information and some historical notes. Whether a year round resident with out of town visitors or a summer resident, you will find this book a fine reference for area waterfalls. Mark this book as a good gift too.
Leona Jensen, The Observer

I Pissed My Pants Reading This Book...

A very funny book and indispensable reference guide to finding a bathroom in the Big Apple (which is not always easy). Very Practical research and very, very funny!

If you're one of those people who thinks that the world is your toilet, or if you're just some average joe who likes to go al fresco, you'd be amazed at what you don't know about peeing in New York. This little book tells you all you need to know about peeing outdoors WITHOUT getting busted and, more important than that, how to pee in New York without splashing all over your shoes, your purse, your what-not, and so on. In fact, splash reduction is a major focus in this homespun tour de force, and it gives fascinating, detailed instructions that any curbside pisser can understand and appreciate. The weird drawings alone will give you hours of mictur-iffic enjoyment. It's a great gift for someone you love or anyone else who loves to pee in New York--bar mitzvah boys, barflies, AA graduates, NYU students, anthropologists, you name it. This book belongs on every toilet tank in the greater metropolitan area.

Hilarious! This is one funny little book. If you're a New Yorker like me, you'll recognize the peeing zones in the book. A real treat for anyone strolling around manhattan.

I am sure that many people who live in New York or just come here to work or visit,know that it is hard to find a public restroom.Well people the book you need to have to solve this problem is "A 40 Point Guide To Peeing In New York" By Ray Tempus.This book tells you in hilarious words and brillantly drawn pictures how any man or woman, young or old can take care of natures call, without getting caught, and maybe even having some fun while your at it.This book should be on everyone's bookshelf!

I recieved these cards as a birthday gift and loved the restaurants and recipes so much that i ordered them for my Mom and Grandma for Mothers day.. the recipies make cooking so much fun and the cards are so much more portable than a book when shopping for the ingredients .. it also makes picking a restaurant in the city soo easy!

86 has introduced me to so many places to eat right in my own neighborhood! Everytime I thumb through these great little cards, I find new a restaurant I can't wait to try. The best part is making the recipes yourself, everything is laid out so clearly, even a novice can create these amazing dishes. The wine pairings are excellent, and I love that the recipes cover brunch to dessert and everthing in between. I'm having such a good time trying them all at home!

I was so happy when I opened this package. This beautiful little box works on two levels--wonderful guide to NYC restaurants, fabulous recipes. The packaging and cards are beautifully done and it's a terrific addition to my recipe collection. It's like a modern version of the old fashioned recipe box my grandmother had!

I've just recieved this box of goodness as a gift for my bridal shower. I love dining out in the city and always curious about the recipes. I've made a couple of the recipes so far. The cards are easy to read and the recipes are surprisingly easy to prepare and well explained. plus, the box is really cute so i don't mind having it out in my kitchen. It's just a nice change from the traditional book. I'd definately reccommend it as a gift or just to have!!

Every police officer, deputy sheriff, firefighter, EMT, and others should have a copy of this book. I am a 20 year retired law enforcment veteran. My wife purchased this book for me. It was one of the most thoughtful gifts I have ever received. This day forever changed our lives. Our children and our grandchildren will deal with the aftermath of these events for years to come. Every time I pick this book up and even now as I write this review my eyes tear up. We must never forget the courage and service of those that fight and have fought to protect the many freedoms we enjoy as American citizens. This book helps us to remember.

This book was so great! The pictures can just show you what went on from like a person who expierienced its point of view! They are so amazing! I loved this book! This was one of the best 9-11 books that I have ever read!

This book starts off nicely by remembering 9-11 and that section is quite moving. In fact it is excellent. Then the book begins hero worship of the President, the Prime Minister of Great Britain and a parade of world leaders. It loses sight of 9-11 and thinks only of the "big" people. It continues into the war in Afghanistan then Iraq. I understand Afghanistan but the Invasion of Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11. That part should have encompassed another book.

When future generations look back upon this event these are the pictures they will study. Hopefully, looking at them will give our descendants a sense of what it was like to be an American at the beginning of the 21st century.

Yes, there are pictures of "important people" like Bush and Blair. While "little people" worked to repair the damage of 9/11, leaders like Bush and Blair had to decide how to respond. The response they chose was to destroy the Taliban and topple the pirate-ocracy of Saddam Hussein. Perhaps these actions aren't popular with some but what they did is now "history." History isn't composed of events and decisions that are nice, easy, sensible or popular.

Look at these pictures and consider the people who's own history ended on that day.

Any attempt to disentangle the many threads of Adorno's rather confusing opus hinge on the fact that he never exhibited any sense of actuality. He was but mere unlived potential, a wasted and fragmented soul. Academics will read and enjoy. The rest of us will be stuck with Star Trek.

It is probably harsh to say of Pensky, "The parallels are with Star Trek", since surely they lie elsewhere, near the Bay of Fundy. When the villagers arrived to tell us that the basilica's southern tip had submerged we finally got it, Adorno had an acutality, but one very different than what we previously had assumed.

This is the best book I know that treats Adorno's relationship to postmodernism (esp aesthetics). Certainly written for experts, it presupposes strong familiarity with Adorno and some of the posty folk (esp Derrida).

(Non-)structurally speaking, Pensky's commentary on Adorno is an attempt to isolate the isomorphic tensions present in later works by Adorno. The parallel here, as is the case with much of Pensky's work, is to the later episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. But isn't that the point?

This book is wonderful. The pictures and narratives are both wonderful and the diversity is nice as well.

Bought this for my dad on his 59th birthday while I was in Tupper Lake. I think he is really going to like it!

... truly awesome; must see to appreciate!

This was a gift to my husband who has hiked many of the high peaks. The pictures in this book were breathtaking.

The book has many beautiful pictures and may easily be dismissed as just another pictorial Chamber of Commerce celebration of a city's history, a "coffee-table book." But instead, it is a great and accurate account of a city built by Deutsch (Dutch & German) and Irish ethnics, written by a historian and public man of breadth and character, who is intimately familiar, through his family, with the history of the city of Albany to the mid-19th century. I am myself a historian of 19th century New York State, and found the book not only to be very informative, but enjoyable to read as well.

Bravo, finally a superb book on the history of Albany and Albany County by the man who lives and breathes Albany, John(Jack) McEneny. Such insight and history into a city I grew up in. From the dutch settlements through the great Democratic political Machine, Jack captures the essence of what Albany was and is like to this day. Memorable photos take you back to a wonderful time gone by. It is truly our great city on the Hudson. I HIGHLY recomend to all.

This Book Tells About Albany's History. John McEneny Did A Great Job On This Book. It Has The College Of St. Rose In It. It Also Has Historic Areas Like Lark St. Albany's Village, The South End's South Preal St., State St., The New York State Capital And Education Building, The Empire State Plaza, N.Y.S. Museum, The Corning Tower, And It's Bus Company Known As C.D.T.A.

John McEneny gives a full coverage of the history of Albany, NY. Well researched; easy to read; some great maps included.