Book Review | If You See Me, Don’t Say Hi by Neel Patel

This is an interesting collection of 11 short stories involving Indian Americans. Recurring topics include interpersonal relationships, family business, sexual relations, and cultural perceptions, among others. Most characters seem to be in their 20’s to 40’s and dealing with issues present in everyday life. While the narrators could be from any background and experiencing their issues, the stories are injected with an Indian flavor that makes the book stand apart from other similar works.

Easily digestible, each tale has a specific focus and voice. While none of the stories is particularly uplifting, each one does hold the reader’s interest and create a curiosity for what is to come. Clearly, many of Patel’s cultural insights come from personal experience, which he is able to share in a way that makes the characters relatable. This book is recommended for fans of ethnic fiction, realistic short stories, or those looking for a quick read while in transit. Check it out from a library near you.

I received an advance reading copy of this book as a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to the author/publisher for participating. *Fans of If you See me, Don’t Say Hi, may enjoy A Life of Adventure and Delight by Akhil Sharma (2017).

Exhibition | Beneath the Prairie Sky: Photography by Jim Richardson at KSU’s Beach Museum of Art

“I’ve designed this show as an invitation to viewers to enter into an alternative way of seeing the Great Plains.” -Jim Richardson
This stunning collection of photographs includes both images of nature and man-made objects. It will be on display in the Beach Museum’s Wefald Gallery from March 8 through June 26, 2016.

Exhibition | Minidoka on My Mind: Paintings and Prints by Roger Shimomura at KSU’s Beach Museum of Art

 “I offer this exhibition as a metaphor for the impending threat posed by current times, and as a warning and reminder that during international crises our government seems to consistently lose its memory regarding past mistakes.” 

-Roger Shimomura
Shimomura began the series “Minidoka on My Mind” in 2008. The paintings and prints are based on his experience and his grandmother’s journal about their time in an internment camp during World War II. Shimomura offers a uniquely Midwestern point of view on being Asian American and racial discrimination at the time. Most of the images in this collection include the barbed wire present in the camps and imitate more traditional Japanese artistic styles.
The exhibit is on display in the Beach Museum’s Hyle Family Gallery from April 5 through July 17, 2016.         

Pictorials | Photo 003: maple whirligigs

 

maple seeds. they’re heavy and sticky when they melt. they copter down, hence the whirligig name. a craft in grade school. something people try to prevent from growing. 2016.

Pictorials | Madison, Wisconsin, USA – market month photo 13

Strawberries on the Square. 2013. Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

Madison Bike! Bingo – A Celebration of Community Biking

Tomorrow kicks of Madison’s first ever session of Bike! Bingo. From May 12 – June 12, 2016 riders will be able to participate in a celebration of biking in the Madison community by riding to participating local businesses and receiving bingo stamps and prizes. For a suggested $2 donation, riders can buy a bingo card with over 30 squares of bike enthusiastic establishments. When a rider completes a five in a row bingo s/he will be eligible to receive a row prize. Larger prizes exist for the ever popular cover-all or blackout, when a rider stamps all of the locations on the bingo card. Cards are now on sale at bingo business partner shops (list here). Bike! Bingo will also be tying in with some of the upcoming Wisconsin Bike Fed events including the New Belgium Clips Beer and Film Tour at Olin Park on June 2.

The event took place last year in Milwaukee and was a big hit with the cycling community. This Radio Milwaukee article provides some detail. Bike! Bingo was originally started by Ian Klepetar, founder of Bicycle Benefits, an organization that aims to get more people out biking and increase related benefits. I helped to coordinate Madison’s version with Zac Barnes from Wisconsin Bike Fed, a small group of Badger Volunteers from UW-Madison’s Morgridge Center for Public Service, and a handful of other helpful locals. We’re really excited about the event and hope to be able offer future editions of Bike! Bingo with community support. Enjoy your ride!

Partner Businesses on the Bingo card:

4 star video, Ace Lakeside, Alchemy Cafe, Aldo Leopold Nature Center, Anaala Salon, Bloom Bakeshop, Boulders Climbing Gym, Brasserie V, Community Pharmacy, EVP coffee, Isthmus, Mother Fools, Regent Market Coop, Servv, Short Stack Eatery, UW bookstore, Wine and Hop shop, Old Sugar Distillery, Wisconsin’s Water Library, Union Hair Parlor, Fair Trade Coffee House, Ian’s Pizza, Sardine, Higher Fire Clay Studio, Wingra Boats, Colectivo, Great Harvest Bread Co., Mimosa Books & Gifts, Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Next Door Brewing Co., UW-Madison’s Morgridge Center and more!

 

Pictorials | Detroit, Michigan, USA – market month photo 08

Eggs in Eastern Market. 2014. Detroit, Michigan, USA.

Book Review | Wisconsin Supper Club Cookbook by Mary Bergin

In Wisconsin Supper Club Cookbook, author Mary Bergin takes readers on a tour around approximately 40 local supper clubs. She addresses the question of what a supper club is and serves up historical facts in a very palatable manner, incorporating them within chapters on each restaurant. Added fact boxes at the end of select chapters serve to highlight other related notables. Bergin includes several recipes for most of the included establishments, spanning the whole meal from drinks and appetizers to main courses, sides and desserts. You won’t find many healthy or vegan recipes here though. These foods are more about tradition and include some heavy ingredients, but perhaps some at home tweaking will yield a family favorite. Although some great photos are included, an absence of captions make some images hard to decipher. The photo quality leaves many images visually less than appealing and many appear to be amateur shots. In the introduction the author mentions there being over a hundred supper clubs in Wisconsin, but only about 40 are included. A full list would have made for a treat of an appendix. Overall, the book was enjoyable and is recommended to Wisconsinites interested in local tradition and history or out-of-towners wanting to learn about supper club culture. Check out this book from a library near you.

Book Review | Shotgun Lovesongs by Nickolas Butler

Being a Wisconsin native, I was looking forward to Shotgun Lovesongs, a book taking place in Wisconsin, written by a fellow Wisconsinite and alum of my alma mater. Truth be told, having grown up in Milwaukee I couldn’t relate to this small town tale and at page 65 I was trying to decide whether to continue reading or quit the book. I kept reading and the book did get a bit more interesting. The book focuses on a group of friends who grew up together in a small town south of Eau Claire. After high school they went their own ways – one took over the family farm, one a traveling rodeo star, a mainstream musician, a big city broker, and the lovely girl next door. The book begins as the characters drift back to their hometown and experience challenges of adulthood – marriage, money troubles, divorce, and bites from the past.

Other readers have praised the big heart and love that shines through in the text. Sure the love does show among these tight knit friends, but the book just wasn’t that special. That said, Butler does paint a positive picture of small town Wisconsin and I do think this book would be very appealing to readers from small towns who can relate better to a small cast of characters. The struggles do seem realistic, but in a way they are all glazed over since the book seems to be more about the big picture. If you’re still interested in this homegrown Wisconsin novel, give your local library’s copy a try. By the way, the musician character is loosely based on Bon Iver.