Amazon.com
At the center of A Girl Becomes a Comma Like That, Lisa Glatt's heroic, hauntingly honest debut, is Rachel Sparks, a thirtysomething college professor who moves back home to sit with her mother while the older woman succumbs to terminal cancer. Glatt frames Rachel's story against a backdrop of women who range in age from 16 to 60, all of whom struggle with the conflicting sense of power versus the chilling vulnerability that seems so essential to their roles as women.
Although Rachel's mother's fate is apparent from the first chapter, Glatt does a commendable job of keeping the reader interested in her characters throughout the entire novel. We follow Rachel as she jumps from man to man, focusing on minute details while ignoring the basic flaws that make these men so fundamentally wrong for her. Along the way we get to know Rachel's student Ella Bloom, who must confront her cheating husband after less than a year of marriage. Ella's days are spent at a women's health clinic treating patients like 16-year-old Georgia Carter, who repeatedly exposes herself to sexually transmitted diseases in the hopes that one of these boys will show her the real affection that she can't get at home. ("Other men and boys noticed Georgia. It was as if they saw straight up inside her, all that she had done ... She understood that her body belonged to the whole damn street.")
While Glatt does an admirable job of showing women's weaknesses--and strengths--when dealing with men, it is her remarkable understanding of the tumultuous relationship that women have with their own bodies that makes this novel unique. From mastectomies to reconstructive surgeries to abortions to virtually anonymous sex, Glatt skillfully demonstrates how complex a woman's relationship with both her body and mind can be, and the tremendous power one often has over another. --Gisele Toueg
Book Description
Rachel Spark is an irreverent, sexually eager, financially unstable thirty-year-old college instructor who moves back home when her mother is diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. As she tries to ease her mother, a perpetually cheerful woman, toward the inevitable, Rachel turns from one man to the next -- sometimes comically, sometimes catastrophically -- as if her own survival depended upon it.
Ella Bloom, an adult student in Rachel's poetry class, has aspirations beyond her work at a local family planning clinic. But she spends her nights wondering why her husband kissed one of her colleagues and whether it will lead to a full-fledged affair. She is also preoccupied with one of her repeat patients, Georgia, a teenager whose frequent clinic visits speak volumes. What they all have in common is their desire for love, despite its many obstacles.
A Girl Becomes a Comma Like That is a novel rife with wit and compassion. A provocative, assured new voice in literary fiction, Lisa Glatt eyes the yardsticks by which we constantly measure our world and ourselves -- devotion, lust, forgiveness, and courage.
Customer Reviews:
A PAUSE BEFORE THE REAL THING.......2007-08-31
"A girl becomes a comma like that, with wrong boy after wrong boy; she becomes a pause, something quick before the real thing." ---A Girl Becomes a Comma Like That
This is a book about thirst, hunger, emptiness, and unquenchable needs, which cannot be filled or absorbed. Rachel admits she is sleeping with Dirk, Dick, Derrick, whoever, whatever. Did it really matter? Just some guy she met in the bar. She is only a pause after all.
Rachel's mother is dying of cancer, so not being able to control this, Rachel flaunts from man to man, boy to boy, abortion to abortion. Will sex fill the void or nameless faces or one night stands?
This is a book about women's relationships, especially relationships between mother and daughter. Rachel at one point says, "Who will I call? What will I do? Whose arms will wrap around me?" Nobody can replace a mother. Nobody.
Glatt does not hold back, which the reader will appreciate. All of the sex, raw emotion, and heartache are directly on the pages. And one comes to the realization that it's not about the sex whatsoever, but about the love...the love...the love.
Thus, it is only a pause before the real thing, a suspension before true love, a substitute of what shall be. Sometimes pain can be forgotten by pleasure, and this is the way the women of "A Girl Becomes a Comma Like That" find survival.
***Beautiful writing and interesting insight
"Comma" is excellent...exclamation point!.......2007-03-10
This book is about women's relationships with men and with themselves. The central character of the story is Rachel Spark, a 30-year-old college professor who lives in a beachfront apartment with her terminally ill mother. Rachel drifts from man to man, and each one seems to be worse than the last.
We also learn about other women in Rachel's circle whose lives are all connected in some way. Angela Burrows, one of Rachel's best friends, is a physical and emotional basket case. Dust mites in her bedroom cause her lips to swell up to 10 times their normal size, and none of the men she invites into her giant bed seem to go with the decor. Ella Bloom is a young woman in Rachel's poetry class who works at a women's health clinic. In addition to dealing with troubled patients, Ella must come to terms with her husband Jack's wandering eye and her coworker Sarah's wandering hand, which wanders all the way down Jack's pants. Georgia Carter is a young girl who frequents Ella's clinic, contracting numerous STDs and unwanted pregnancies before she's even old enough to drive.
I really enjoyed this novel. The author skillfully jumps from one character's point of view to the next, keeping things exciting for the reader. There's a lot of frank talk about sex, disease, relationships, and pain, but each of these messed-up characters is remarkably strong in their own way. I thought it would have been nice to include a chapter told from Rachel's mother's point of view at the end of the book, but oh well...not a big deal.
"A Girl Becomes a Comma Like That" is innovative, moving, and very much in your face from the very beginning. I can't believe this is only the author's first novel...I look forward to reading more of her work.
A Girl Becomes a Mediocore Book..........2007-03-10
I have to admit I was disappointed with this book. I was drawn in by what the story had to offer but it just didn't come through in the end. There were so many possibilities with the female characters in this book -- unfortunately, they each were developed enough to be intriguing but then the development, and storylines, stopped. Not a bad read, but not a memorable one either.
Excellent book!.......2006-03-27
This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. The characters were very authentic and I could easily relate to them! I wanted to read more! I am definitely going to try some of her other books!!
Good writing hampered by weak characters.......2005-11-19
This is a book that sounded great in reviews, blurbs, even some of the reviews here at Amazon. However, having just finished it, I have to say it did not live up to the hype.
Lisa Glatt has a good writing style, one that I would have liked to seen used to better effect. The main problem with this book isn't the jump from character to character, as some have claimed, but rather the characters themselves. They are almost all weak, both in how they've been developed and in their actual actions.
There's no real need to go into details about the women themselves, as I found them almost interchangeable, especially Rachel and Georgia. Both of these girls (let's face it, Rachel is in no way a mature woman) sleep with so many men/boys that I found myself repulsed by their behavior. I was especially upset at their lack of knowledge of themselves. They didn't look at their actions too closely, they didn't feel remorse over the things they did, they just existed.
The only character that seemed to be alive and even the slightest bit happy was Rachel's dying mother, Elizabeth. I would have liked to have had more insight into her character but the author has chosen not to make her one of the viewpoints - disappointing. I realize that several of the reviews have mentioned that this book is "real" and shows some of the "harsh" realities of being female, of being a woman. I just don't see that here. I see a book of women who make the same mistakes over and over, women who seem to be just fine taking things as they come, women who not only do not control their lives but are OK with sitting back and letting things happen to them. Can't say that I find that to be my reality at all.
I was hoping to have more success with the author's other book, "The Apple's Bruise," but after reading the description of those stories, I'm going to take a big pass. Ms. Glatt, I hope you eventually write something worthy of the words you've committed to paper.
Amazon.com
Suzanne Paxton is out of work and at her wit's end. Just when she thinks life can't get any worse, her younger brother answers an ad from a Montana rancher who's looking for a wife. When Suzanne refuses to cooperate, her little brother leaves for Montana on his own, forcing her to follow.
Rand Harding wants a wife who doesn't need love, but his heart doesn't listen after he meets Suzanne. Suzanne isn't looking for love either, but the blizzard that traps her in the same house with Rand gives them time to explore the unexpected passion that blazes between them. But there are mysterious happenings on the Kincaid Ranch: someone is killing cattle, and a case of dynamite is missing. Will Rand solve the puzzle and keep Suzanne and her brother safe, or will tragedy drive the lovers apart? Fans of the popular Montana Mavericks series will be delighted with this story set in Whitehorn, Montana.
Customer Reviews:
strong family drama .......2006-02-16
Near Bramble, Texas, Camila Walker raises her eleven years old daughter Jilly by herself. Jilly's father Patrick died before he could marry Camila; his parents rejected Camila insisting she was a tramp and Jilly was not of their blood. The unwelcome child visits her grandparents' spread after reading in the Temple newspaper that her Uncle Tripp, national bareback riding champion and calf roper, had finally come home. Tripp left home after a family fight following his brother's tragic death but finally has returned to the ranch because his aging parents need him. Jilly tells him he and his parents missed plenty not being there to watch her grow and he not knowing her mama.
Tripp needs to know whether he is the preadolescent's uncle. He challenges Camila, who wants nothing to do with him or his family as they rejected her as an unwed twenty-year old pregnant woman whose only lover her son had just died. However, she also knows that when she first met her boyfriend's brother she was attracted to him; she did not know Tripp felt the same way but family comes first and he never acted on his feelings. Now he plans to act on that attraction that has seemed to grow stronger with their absence, but first he must deal with his bigoted dad.
THE COWBOY'S RETURN is a strong family drama started by an error in judgment by Patrick that still haunts the adults years after his death. Readers will feel for each member of the extended cast even those bogged down by bigotry as no one has obtained closure. Though the romance between Tripp and Camila is secondary to the deep character study, contemporary readers will enjoy this strong Texas tale.
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
An up-close-and-personal look at the Cowboys from the start of the 1992 summer camp in Austin, Texas, on through the Super Bowl victory in 1993.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from American Scholar, published by Phi Beta Kappa Society on September 22, 1999. The length of the article is 5189 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
From the supplier: A young sailor onboard a cattle boat bound for Poland during the reconstruction of Europe recounts his experiences. He enjoyed visiting Poland and describes trips he made to the country after his initial visit, and the success that his fellow sailors enjoyed once their stint was completed.
Citation Details
Title: The Return of the Seagoing Cowboy.
Author: Owen Gingerich
Publication:
American Scholar (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 1999
Publisher: Phi Beta Kappa Society
Volume: 68
Issue: 4
Page: 71
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
Neal Asher takes on first contact, Polity style. This original novel recounts the first contact between the aggressive Prador aliens, and the Polity Collective as it is forced to retool its society to a war footing. The overwhelming brute force of the Prador dreadnaughts causes several worlds and space stations to be overrun. Prador Moon follows the initial Polity defeats, to the first draws, and culminates in what might be the first Polity victory, told from the point of view of two unlikely heroes.
Book Description
One of the world’s leading theologians offers important insights into the history and significance of Christian creeds.
“A work of keen insight, great learning, and ecumenical generosity.”—Robert Louis Wilken, First Things
“[Pelikan’s] book is learned, indeed massively so, yet because of the lucidity of its prose it is accessible to the general reader.”—Luke Timothy Johnson,Washington Post Book World
“Indispensable. . . . An achievement unlikely to be surpassed.”—Donald K.McKim, Theological Studies
Customer Reviews:
Impeccable Scholarsip and Eminently Readable.......2006-11-18
Teaser: If you belong to either of the two largest Christian bodies, Roman or Orthodox, you stand and recite the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed every Sunday, saying "I believe in One God, the Father Almighty..."
Yet, these two ancient bodies schismed over the addition of just two words to this creed and Christians have never again been a united church.
This alone should give anyone interested in Christian history sufficient reason to read an excellent book about Creeds.
Content: CREDO is a comprehensive yet very accessible history of creeds in Christianity, their role, the struggles, and the need for them. Origins, conflicts, and evolution are all well-addressed.
Level: You can read and enjoy this book, and learn much, regardless of whether you are just exploring what it means when you say "I believe," are up to wondering what the origins of the Apostles' Creed and Nicene Creed are, or are interested in the subtle nuances of theology behind the filioque clause.
What Creed does your church use? Where did it come from? What is the difference between a statement of belief and a profession of faith? CREDO explains all of this and so much more, and does it clearly and completely.
Well-worth buying! A must for any Christian's library!
Extra Details about the Author: As many have noted, Dr. Pelikan was a professor of Christianity at Yale and an ordained Lutheran minister. He was the leading Christian historian of the 20th century. His books on Luther and Lutheran doctrine and history, written in the 60's, remain touchstones on the topic.
Less known, is that Dr. Pelikan, who fell asleep in the Lord in 2005, retired from the Ministry and Yale and left the Lutheran Church. Being an exemplary man, he never uttered any commentary, nor did he trumpet his own conversion, but he was chrismated into the Orthodox Christian Church a full decade before he died. His scholarship led him there, yet he never let this bias his later works. He went on to a late career as Dean of Theology at St. Vladimir's Seminary.
Highly Recommended.......2006-07-05
This is a must read for any who are Christians or who are interested in the Christian scriptures. It is clear, readable and succinct. If you read your Bible you should know its history.
You don't have to be a scholar to appreciate this book.......2004-06-11
If you have an interest in how we got our definitions of faith in Christianity, you would be well served to read this book. It is not a "story" per se, however, and it will only give you an overview of the process as it has occurred over the centuries. Also, Pelikan is VERY academic in his language and presentation, so you might get a little lost from time to time among his lists and examples. However, if you can stick with it, he drives his points home with precision, and rarely is an issue raised with just a single example or reference, so you will get the gist of what he's saying, even if you can't follow everything.
I came away from this work marveling at the surprising UNITY of the very diverse (on the surface anyway) orthodox Christian faith through the centuries, and feeling that it was very hard not to see the hand of God in it. Pelikan knows this subject like (I imagine) no one ever has. He speaks from an authority that is remarkably.
Seeing is believing..........2004-01-12
Credo: I believe...
With these words, Christians around the globe and across the millennia have on a regular basis begun their regular recitation of faith. Christianity has been from very early days a faith that has laid heavy emphasis on orthodoxy (right belief) apart from (but not always separate from) orthopraxy (right action) - indeed, Christianity has always hoped that right belief leads to right action, but it has put the focus upon right belief as the foundation.
Jaroslav Pelikan, emeritus professor of History at Yale has written extensively on the history of Christendom, specialising in many of these texts on the history of Christian belief (his masterful five-volume series on this topic is still a standard). Honoured with degrees, awards, and even a post at the Library of Congress, there are few in the same league as Pelikan when it comes to developing the history of Christian thought. This particular volume, 'Credo', is both a stand-alone volume of the basic history of development of the creeds or belief structures of the major strands of Christianity, and also serves as an introductory volume in the larger work 'Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition', a series most likely to find a home in major libraries, but rarely in individuals' homes, save the most serious of scholars. That is not a problem with this volume, however; as it should find a place of honour in the libraries of Christians Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant.
Pelikan, an ecumenically minded scholar but decidedly orthodox Christian, gives an admirably fair overview of the traditions presented here, striving as best he can to preserve the terminology of each tradition as each defines itself. This can be confusing at at times, as Pelikan notes; every tradition sees itself in terms of being orthodox, evangelistic, catholic, and reformed in differing ways against differing social and historical contexts.
The narrative essays comprise four major sections: Definitions of Creed and Confession; The Genesis of Creeds and Confessions; The Authority of Creeds and Confessions; The History of Creeds and Confessions. Much hinges on the definitions employed when talking about creeds and confessions - churches are sometimes defined by these or over against these, but as Pelikan states, these are more easily described than defined. Pelikan spends a good deal of time showing the different kinds of formulae and statements of faith, how there is both continuity and change in their development across the many strands of Christian expression, and what exactly creeds and confessions are meant to do and not do. In exploring the creation of creeds and confessions, Pelikan starts with scripture, but quickly moves on to the other influences; the number of Christians over time who have maintained an exclusively-scriptural creedal or confessional basis is vanishingly small. In this confusing field, Pelikan lays out very clear paths. Similar confusion occurs in looking at the issue of authority, which brings up another difficult issue in interpretation - the interpretation of creeds and confessions can be as difficult and varied as biblical interpretation. All of these set a strong contextual stage for examining history-proper of the creeds, stepping from the early church to the Eastern Orthodox formulation, to the Medieval West, to the Reformation Ear, and finally to statements of faith in the modern Christianity.
There are three other major sections: first, an extensive bibliography with up-to-date titles in the area of Christian history and the creeds; second, indexes to the other volumes of the 'Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition'; and third, several indexes to the present volume, including indexes to scripture, to various creeds and confessions, and to persons mentioned in the text. The indexes are generally good, but there are minor issues that could make the volume more handy (for example, the index on creeds is done by abbreviation; these abbreviations are found at the beginning of the book, and could be repeated here for ease of use, or at the very least, the page number of the abbreviations could be listed). The majority of Pelikan's references are in English and English-translation, on the assumption that scholars can draw from these the original language references more readily than non-scholars could draw from original language; however, again given the scope this work, perhaps a few extra pages could have been incorporated to permit these references as well. These are small issues in an otherwise magnificent research resource.
There are indeed many works on creeds, confessions and the development of Christian profession (as distinct from Christian theology or Christian history proper); there are smaller volumes that cover the same material, but this volume takes advantage of the latest scholarship, and the vast encyclopedic knowledge of Pelikan and his team of scholars, including among the many contributors Valerie Hotchkiss (co-editor of the other volumes in the series) and Bishop Kalistos Ware.
Pelikan's work on creeds and confessions began in earnest with his doctoral dissertation in 1946, nearly 60 years ago; he has spent as long a professional life in this field as it is almost physically possible for anyone to do. This work may not be the capstone on his career, but it is certainly a worthy standard in its own right, and should serve as a major touchstone for years to come.
"I believe in One God...".......2003-09-26
If the words of my title ring a bell, then I assume that you have been saying the main creed of orthodox Christianity for some time. But what you may not know is the fascinating history behind the creed. Whole empires were torn apart in its development over "one iota" about who Christ is, lone theologians fought "contra mundi" for the truth, and political intrigue weighed heavy upon bishops and kings. After Nicea II, several other ecumenical councils were required to delineate the ground upon which theology could be built in reaction to the various challenges both philosophical and cultural that were presented to the faith's expression. Serving as a floor rather than a limiting ceiling, the creeds and the dogmas serve the Church as a sort of map by which we may travel in our faith without getting too lost in the byways of bizarre speculation or individualism.
Before I actually looked at the book, I thought that it would either be a slim volume of original work, owing to Pelikan's age and seemingly fast publishing schedule, or a large tome of primary sources with his insightful notes adding commentary. Oh how I was wrong on my first count! This book weighs in at a hefty 600+ pages and is chuck full of his elegant and scholarly prose. It is not so intellectually lofty that the novice would be intimidated, but perhaps works such as Kelly's "Early Christian Creeds" or Leo Davis' "The First Seven Ecumenical Councils" would serve as good companions. There is always that other fine work, "Beginning to Read the Creeds".
Pelikan is truly the master historian of doctrinal development, and the whole notion of creed is intimately bound to that development. He touches upon the perennial themes concerning the validity of the creeds both then and now, the meaning of an ecumenical council, the notion of tradition as the vivifying role of the Holy Spirit in the Church, and the interrelation between scripture and dogma. Orthodox, Roman Catholics and Protestants of all varieties would do well to sit at the feet of Pelikan and reconsider and reflect upon their own notions of the foundation of the faith- the natures and person of Christ and his Bride. We do not always follow the premises of our faith to their logical and historical conclusions.
If you are interested in creeds, you may also enjoy Pelikan's five volume set on the development of doctrine, along with his slim "The Vindication of Tradition". One author that I continually reference is Georges Florovsky. He had a firm grasp on the primary sources and spirit of early Christianity and served as one of Pelikan's mentors. His, "Bible, Church and Tradition" is very relevant to the whole notion of doctrinal development and creedal consensus. Of course there are tons of other great books, but those are quite useful in orienting your mind to the historical process involved in formulating eternal truths. Enjoy!
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Church History, published by Thomson Gale on June 1, 2005. The length of the article is 580 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Credo: Historical and Theological Guide to Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition.(Book Review)
Author: Andreas Muhling
Publication:
Church History (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 74
Issue: 2
Page: 426(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Theological Studies, published by Theological Studies, Inc. on June 1, 2004. The length of the article is 783 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Credo: Historical and Theological Guide to Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition.(Book Review)
Author: Donald K. McKim
Publication:
Theological Studies (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 2004
Publisher: Theological Studies, Inc.
Volume: 65
Issue: 2
Page: 391(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life, published by Institute on Religion and Public Life on May 1, 2004. The length of the article is 1529 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: We believe.(Credo: Historical And Theological Guide To Creeds And Confessions Of Faith In The Christian Tradition)(Book Review)
Author: Robert Louis Wilken
Publication:
First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life (Refereed)
Date: May 1, 2004
Publisher: Institute on Religion and Public Life
Issue: 143
Page: 39(3)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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