Attachment to Sin

We all have them, however much we may not like to think about it. Recently, having read the first four chapters of St. Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle, my friend Marcia and I have had frequent conversations about Teresa's insistence that our souls are so glorious and immense that if we could see them clearly then we would understand just what damage sin does to us.

Cathy from Recovering Dissident Catholic and I have been having a little chat via comments boxes about the need to be aware of the damage done by venial sin. Indeed, this is often a problem for me. I attribute it to my entirely secular background, perhaps wrongly. I know venial sins are a problem but have trouble getting all worked up over them. When it is time for confession I am usually brought to it by having to ask the Holy Spirit to show me what is a problem. Thankfully (though I always regret it), He always comes through, usually immediately. I then have one problem after another with a hasty temper or some other thing I have managed to forget about. And off I go to the confessional ...

God seems to have been working on me lately through books (no surprise there, right?). Having read Inferno (a Dante-lite of sorts) I was brought to a new awareness of venial sin in my own life. Darwin's Lenten series on Dante's Divine Comedy has also been of immense help in keeping these sins before my eyes. Unlike some friends who have a problem with feeling guilty and letting go of sins, I suffer (and I use "suffer" advisedly) from the opposite problem of feeling as if my sins are so small that they seem as if they don't really matter. I know intellectually that this is not the case, however, knowing is not the same as feeling which is often what sends me to confession. Hence, these constant reminders are very good indeed for me.

This post was prompted by reading Adoro te Devote's recounting of a dream. Reading it from the outside the meaning seemed crystal clear and I again was sent back to considering my own soul. The images are vivid and disturbing (though not gory or unnecessarily disturbing) and just what I need to keep in mind. Her comments about complacency hit home as if she'd been aiming for a target on my forehead.

I woke up then, shuddering, wondering why I had been so complacent in that dream?

I often pray the rosary on my way to work, and that morning, as I prayed, the images from that dream pulverized me...and so I let the images come, praying all the while, asking God what I was supposed to gain from this?

And He answered.

Go read the whole thing at Adoro te Devote. Confession anyone? I'll be in line next Saturday for sure.

Amazing Nature Photography

Y'all have simply got to go check out the photos on pildiblog. I'd feature some here but I'm afraid of his copyright statement. Do go take a look.

Poetry Thursday: Screwtape V

Rose's summary of The Screwtape Letters in five poems. Today, the fifth and final poem.

Oh my dear Wormwood, my poppet, my pigsnie
The patient is dead and down here we agree,

You’ve screwed it all up, you’re finished, you’re done.
And punishment for you has barely begun.

You thought it was bad when he saw the great light
And realized that you were what never felt right.

You thought it was worse when he ascended the stairs
Confirming the fact that he was now theirs.

But, oh, do not come calling on me.
Our family bond’s not what it should be.

You’ve wanted me like I’ve wanted you
But you must know I’m the stronger of the two.

Now you’re place is on the dinner plate.
Your ravenously affectionate uncle, Screwtape

Meat or Vegetables?

... "One man's faith allows him to eat everything," the apostle Paul said in Romans 14:2, "but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables." The responsibility lies with the diners to attend to their conscience, know their weaknesses and steer clear of damaging choices.

Similarly, each of us must be sensitive to our fellow diners. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says, "Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!" (18:7) Sadly, there are some little ones and weaker brothers who fancy themselves to be the strong ones, readily denouncing rather than just cautioning those interested in meat. Imagine a child lecturing an adult about matters requiring maturity and you might understand why some moviegoers roll their eyes when self-righteous Christians confront them on what they choose to watch. Their selections may be complicated and even dangerous, but that does not always mean that the viewers are spiritually ignorant or rebellious.

It's a challenge for me as a film critic to help weaker brothers avoid films that might pose a threat to them. I need to be extremely cautious, taking care to educate readers about what dangers they might encounter. But it would be an equally damaging response if I were to condemn all films that contain potentially offensive elements or to burden my examination and appreciation with catalogues of things that could trouble someone else.

If your friend has a peanut allergy, don't serve him or her a peanut butter sandwich. At the same time, don't protest stores that sell peanut butter. If we decide that the best way to avoid being a stumbling block is to insist on abstinence from anything that could possibly be a temptation, we bind up the body, confining everyone to the limitations of the weaker brothers. The goal should be growth and strength, not mere safety.

Through a Screen Darkly by Jeffrey Overstreet

Indeed yes. I couldn't have said it better myself. Which is why I posted this excerpt.

Children and Prayer

Christ was very clear about letting the little children come to Him and if we are offering little giggles and smirks when our kids express their spirituality... we are inadvertantly giving them the message that there's something "abnormal" or out of the way about it. OURS is the "right way" to worship: lofty, serious, and composed. But the little ones are closer to Christ than we are!!! And in their minds, they are trying to make sense of the spiritual world in ways that they can understand. This is beautiful and noble!

Coffee and Diapers has a good post about a subject I never thought about much. (Scroll down to March 6, The Purity of a Child's Prayer ... there doesn't seem to be any permalink on this blog.)

I especially appreciated this viewpoint when viewing Stevie's video of her daughter, Grace, saying the Hail Mary. As Stevie says, "I know it makes all of Heaven smile when they hear it."

Our Daily Work and Little Mortifications, Part II

Now for the active mortifications ... the ones that we visit upon ourselves, so to speak. This is not exactly how I think of active mortifications but he definitely has a good point. I am better at dealing with these for some reason. Perhaps it is because I was quite tortured by a vivid imagination and memory and so was thrilled to be given this help in getting them under control.

As well as those mortifications known as "passive" -- mortifications which present themselves to us without our looking for them -- the mortifications that we propose to ourselves (and seek out) are called active mortifications. Amongst these, the mortifications which refer to the control of our internal senses are especially important for our interior progress and for enabling us to achieve purity of heart. These are:

• Mortification of the imagination -- avoiding that interior monologue in which fantasy runs wild, by trying to turn it into a dialogue with God, present in our soul in grace. We try to put a restraining check on that tendency of ours to go over and over some little happening in the course of which we have come off badly. No doubt we have felt slighted, and have made much of an injury to our self-esteem, caused to us quite unintentionally. If we don't apply the brake in time, our conceit and pride will cause us to overbalance until we lose our peace and presence of God.
• Mortification of the memory -- avoiding useless recollections which make us waste time and which could lead us into more serious temptations.
• Mortification of the intelligence -- so as to put it squarely to the business of concentrating on our duty at this moment and, also, on many occasions of surrendering our own judgment so as to live humility and charity with others in a better way. To sum up, we try ot get rid of those internal habits that we know we would not like to see in a man or a woman of God.

In Conversation With God Vol 2: Lent and Eastertide

Let the Joyful News Be Spread ...

The Vatican named Bishop Kevin Joseph Farrell as the new bishop of Dallas Tuesday. The new man replaces Bishop Charles Grahmann, who reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 last July.

Dallas Morning News

Bishop Farrell's biography can be found here. I see that the Dallas diocese site is down right now, either because they are rearranging thing or it has had too many hits.

I'm cautiously optimistic. I'd say that no one could be worse than Grahmann (Lord, how we have suffered) but all we have to do is look at Los Angeles to know that's not true. However, a friend mentioned that she was trusting Pope Benedict on this and I will do the same. She also liked that he doesn't have ties to the area (Grahmann surely does) and that we haven't heard of him before. I also tend to think it is fairly healthy that we haven't heard of him before. Hopefully that means he's been busy doing what he was supposed to and not hotdogging for glory (ahem, we'll let any comparisons just drop right there, I think).

Let's pray for our new bishop and also for the old one. Bp. Grahmann surely needs our prayers.

UPDATE

• Wick Allison sez:

  The reason we’ve waited six months, I heard, is that Archbishop Wurhl asked that his auxiliary be given more time to finish up some important projects. I also hear that he’s a real good man.

• A quick summary of Bp. Grahmann's history in Dallas which may help enlighten some who do not understand local opinions.

Our Daily Work and Little Mortifications, Part I

First the passive mortifications ... the ones that are visited upon us just through daily living. I am mortified (you should pardon the expression!) to see just how many of these I am so bad at every day.

The source of the mortifications God asks of us is almost always to be found in our daily work. Mortifications right from the start of the day: getting up promptly at the time we have fixed for rising, overcoming laziness from the first moment; punctuality; our work finished down to the last detail; the discomfort of too much heat or cold; a smile even though we are tired or do not feel like smiling; sobriety in eating and drinking; order and care for our personal belongings and for the things we use; giving up our own opinion ... But for this we need above all to follow a particular piece of advice: If you really want to be a penitent soul -- both penitent and cheerful -- you must above all stick to your daily periods of prayer, which should be fervent, generous and not cut short. And you must make sure that these minutes of prayer are not engaged in only when you feel the need, but at fixed times, whenever it is possible.Don't neglect these details. If you subject yourself to this daily worship of God, I can assure you that you will be always happy. (Furrow, St. Escriva).

In Conversation With God Vol 2: Lent and Eastertide

All the Rumors Fit to Print: Farrell Named New Dallas Bishop?

I got a call this evening from a friend who'd heard a new bishop mentioned on Channel 11 News. I hadn't heard this buzz yet, but I knew who would have if it was out there at all.

Lo and behold, I was right ... trust Rocco Palmo to be whispering about Bishop Kevin Farrell, the 59 year-old auxiliary of Washington.

Dublin-born and a former member of the Legionaries of Christ -- for which he was ordained in 1978 -- both the administrative and demographic situations on-the-ground play to Farrell's strengths, making him the clear front-runner for Dallas since speculation began at Grahmann's 75th birthday last summer.

In 1986, after years of ministry in the Legion's home-base of Mexico, he was named the second director of Washington's Centro Catolico after its founder, Fr. Sean O'Malley was made bishop of St Thomas in the Virgin Islands. Since 2001, he has served as DC's moderator of the curia and chief vicar-general after 12 years as the capital see's top financial overseer. He's the brother of Bishop Brian Farrell LC, the Stato veteran currently serving as secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

A runner and workaholic, Farrell's colleagues in Washington frequently cite their ability to trust him as the first of his standout qualities. Known for his uniquely personal outreach to victim-survivors of clergy sex abuse, he's said to be affable and gentle with a keen sense of humor, but "clear," "tough," and a straight-shooter when the task calls for it...

The Dallas Morning News also has heard the rumors and has a story on their website. As to whether it's true or not? We'll have to wait and see.

Wheelbarrow Manor

A new blog written by my dear friend Stevie.

She has lots to say and can answer all your questions ... such as what does a wheelbarrow have to do with anything ... and how come a girl is named Stevie?

I'm not just sending you there because she's my friend. She's got some good insights and an easy conversational style such as when a quote in O magazine (yes, Oprah's magazine) starts a commentary about Catholic tradition.

"So much of what we know about the world comes from oral histories, shared experiences - so I write about science in the first person, as if I'm telling a story," says Rebecca Skloot.

Okay, so she's not talking about tradition in Catholicism - but it really got me thinking.

Tradition is a hard concept for non-Catholics to understand. I never realized this until my husband and I started having discussions about it when we first started dating. He would be shocked at things I believed in that he had never heard of before in his Bible church - the Assumption of Mary for one. I was naive enough in my faith at that time (not that I'm much better now, mind you) that I couldn't explain it to him so we'd have to go have a good old apologetics lesson from my deacon dad. It took him a while to get it. Of all the things that he started out questioning, I'd say tradition was the hardest of all for him to come around on. He may still struggle with it for all I know...

Go welcome her to St. Blog's Parish!

So. Very. Difficult. To. Let. Go!

But as I listened to this internal dialogue something jumped out at me: it's all about me being in control, about my plans. And as I thought back over the past couple of years, I realized that, in general, I have always expected to grow closer to God on my terms. I want a sign that fits my requirements at the time and place of my choosing; I want my first Adoration experience to be powerful so that I'm easily motivated to go more often; I want this final Lent before I enter the Church to deepen my faith according to the schedule laid out on my calendar, starting with a stirring Ash Wednesday Mass and ending with a movie-quality Easter Vigil experience. And when things don't happen in the manner, time and place of my choosing, I promptly resign myself to frustration and despair.

I have never, I realized, been able to let go and trust in God.

Et Tu, Jen has a really good post about the way that we would all like to control our destinies ... even the parts that we already know we should let God run for us.

Darwin-mania

First of all, I didn't even know Dallas had an Irish Fest going on but we're sure glad it was since it brought Darwins large and small to our house.

Those girls are adorable! Cutest kids I've ever seen (except, of course, for the world's most adorable children ... Hannah and Rose). We really were put in mind of when Hannah and Rose were that small. Full of energy and interest in everything around them, delighted by the smallest details like our kitty napkin rings and ready to play with the dogs at the drop of a hat. The cat heard the initial excited screaming and wisely spent most of the weekend under the bed.

For a bit of contrast, Baby cruised serenely underfoot, bestowing enchanting five-tooth smiles at any who caught her eye, giggling when sisters dragged her around to "play," and glorying in times when she got all the attention because the older girls were gone watching Kiki's Delivery Service (we were glad to see that they are being given the requisite classical video training).

Needless to say this was all quite intriguing to the dogs who were much more active than usual and promptly collapsed in place, exhausted, when the car pulled away the next day.

In the meantime, around the fringes we grown-ups got to talk ... about authors, movies,and many things: "Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--Of cabbages--and kings--And why the sea is boiling hot--And whether pigs have wings." What a clever set those Darwins are ... and how very interesting to talk with!

Oh, I almost forgot. Kudos indeed to the Darwins for the way their girls behaved at Mass, As one would expect, there was wriggling, squirming, and a bit of pouting (they had been away from home for a bit after all and were tired from running with the dogs). But it never got to a level that anyone else could hear and they did us proud. The gentleman on the other side of me who was giving dubious looks when we piled into the pew next to him was smiling kindly on them by the end of the Mass. And that took a bit of doing to convert him, I can tell you. Excellent training in public behavior! Such a thing is all too rare these days. Darwins, I salute you!

Great Firewall of China, Batman!

My URL is blocked from being read in China. Of course, with "Catholic" in the name, I'd kind of expect it.

Here is where you can test your URL.

Via WardWideWeb where Ma and Pa Beck are head-over-heels in love with their new baby who is a real cutie.

"It's bad enough those folks outside are praying for me!"

Attending the controversial Pope and the Witch at the University of Minnesota, Cathy of Recovering Dissident Catholic found a protest vigil being held in the way that only Catholics can do.

Drifting on the wind on this snowy evening, I thought I heard "O Sanctissima". Huh? I rounded the corner and there's a whole big crowd of 70-80 people in front of Rarig. Mostly men. 2 of them in surplices and holding a banner: "Men of Christ", with the insignia of St. John Vianney, the college seminary at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.

Ray of Stella Borealis was also there and has this further description.

The cloudy sky obscured any possible view of airborne transportation, but 60 Men in Black were seen in formation, led by four men wearing three-quarter length white over-garments (not down-filled by the way, in the 20 degree temperature), with some lacy garnishes and embroidered edges and a large white tab at the neck on their black collarless undergarments. (And these leaders were not wearing gloves when they held out their identifying signs.) Definitely not what the cool UofMN students is normally seen wearing.

These 60 aliens (alien, at least to students of the University of Minnesota leaning out of their dorm, office and library carrel windows and accosting visitors as to what was going on) seemed to be alternately singing and reciting verses with musical chants and poems that seemed to be in some dead language.

I especially liked Cathy's description of one woman's reaction.

n the restroom before the show (you hear the best stuff in the loo!), I overheard a older lady in a dyed red fur jacket (Terry, you would have hated it! It was ugly.) saying: "It's bad enough those folks outside are praying for me!"

Oh, and so many more, that you can't even imagine, my dear woman.

Word is that St. Blog's Parish members will be gathering again this evening in support of St. John Vianney seminarians' continuing prayer vigil protest. Please accompany them with your prayers.

Penance and Reconciliation: The Tender Mercy of Our God

Tender mercy isn't the phrase that most people think of when they think of confessing sins, even if it does wind up with reconciliation with God. They are more worried about having to tell their sins to the priest.

Rarely have I read a more beautiful piece on penance and reconciliation than this Lenten pastoral letter by San Antonio Archbishop Gomez. It is comprehensive and yet has such a tender tone. I especially liked seeing his instructions to the priests that came at the end ... which should set anyone's fears at rest when coming to confession. This letter is in a pdf in your choice of Spanish or English here. Here is a sample but do go read it all.

14. I realize that such language about sin and judgment is rarely heard anymore. Under the influence of our highly secularized society, we have lost that lively awareness of what the Church’s tradition calls the “four last things”: death, judgment, hell, and heaven.14

But we are called to a mature faith, my brothers and sisters. We want to stand confidently before our Lord, with full assurance that we know his will for our lives (1 Cor. 14:20; Eph. 4:13; Col. 4:12). We must not let ourselves be confused or led astray by a culture that would have us avoid truths of the Gospel we might find challenging or uncomfortable.

15. It is true that our merciful Father has created each of us out of love and that he desires to make us holy and to live in communion and friendship with us, beginning in this world and continuing for all eternity in the world to come. This is the beautiful hope of our faith.

But our Lord made clear that evil and sin could thwart our path to heaven. He described sin as a kind of voluntary slavery (John 8:34) and warned that it could ruin us if we do not open ourselves to his Gospel (Luke 13:3, 5). He taught that we could freely choose to say “no” to God and to exclude ourselves from communion with him—even for all eternity.15 At the end of our lives, we will be judged by our love for God and for our neighbor.16

16. However, let us not reduce the Gospel to something negative. Jesus did not come only to warn us about the wages of sin. He came not to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:16–17). He wants every one to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4). That is why he left us this powerful sacrament by which we are reconciled to God—so that none of us would be lost, so that all of us would come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9).

Much thanks to David for putting me onto this letter.

What's Going On ...

... around our house.

HANNAH
Spring break begins next Friday and she'll be home! Woohoo! She recently went rock climbing outside on real rocks with some friends who were experienced climbers. And she survived. Which was my main concern. And she loved it so I guess I'd better get used to nagging her guardian angel to keep a closer eye on her when she's climbing.

ROSE
This has been tech week for the spring musical, L'il Abner. That means that anyone working on the musical makes it home at around 11:00 at the earliest. Add to that her U.S. history timeline due today and it makes one tired kid. Not to mention that Tom and I have been waiting up for her to get home (as is our custom until the kid is going to college) and so we're all rather tired.

We went to dress rehearsal on Wednesday and it confirmed my belief that comic strips shouldn't be made into musicals. It had some very funny parts and the kids all did a great job ... but the musical as a whole just doesn't hang together well.

Rose being gone all week resulted in me watching no television whatsoever since she'll want to see everything too. Good thing I didn't give it up for Lent. I didn't miss it a bit. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I realized that. So there's at least one thing that I'm detached from. Woohoo!

DARWIN-MANIA COMING TO DALLAS
I've been working and reworking the menu mentally for our visit from The Darwins! Not that I'm excited about it or anything .... so far I'm thinking Oven Fried Catfish, Mashed Potatoes, Jalapeno Spinach, Coleslaw, Potato Rolls and Chocolate Pie. The only part of that set in stone are the Potato Rolls because I made them earlier this week. Mmmm, Potato Rolls...

ALSO DROPPING IN
Rose will have a couple of friends spending the night on Friday so they can work on a group project all day Saturday ... before they all go off to work on Saturday night's musical. I'm the catering crew for that project.

As well, there is the likely possibility that our house will be overrun with various musical-working acquaintances next Thursday and Friday during the gap between when school ends and they have to show up for the evenings' performances. So many kids live far away that it is easier for them to find a friend's house to stay at ... and then they get fed also. We're close enough that we've provided the crash pad and catering in past years. Occasionally, they'll come by to sleep too. The only thing I have to know at this point is ... how many?

QUICK REVIEWS

• Earth Abides by George R. Stewart
  One of the more boring end-of-the-world stories I've read. Stewart was all caught up in the ecology of what happens if mankind succumbs to a disease that wipes out practically everyone. He writes about mankind as if they were animals with no real urges for religion, no creative spark if not pushed, and no incentive to better themselves. I found it especially unrealistic in the way that everyone responded to the emergency ... with good manners and leaving all the trappings of civilization in place to provide a living for the survivors.


• The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope
  A real swashbuckler with lots of adventure, a lively sense of humor, and an intriguing love story. Englishman Rudolf Rassendyll has a practically identical resemblance to the king of Ruritania which he discovers when accidentally meeting the king the day before his coronation. The King is kidnapped by Black Michael and Rassendyll must impersonate the King in the coronation ceremony in his romance with Princess Flavia. Highly enjoyable.


• Bumping into God in the Kitchen by Fr. Dominic Grassi
  A friend recently was suffering from a terrible sinus headache and asked her husband to get her a "sweet book" about the faith. I provided him with some gentle fiction only to discover later that her real desire was for nonfiction. If only I had received this book at the time. Grassi's book is a delightful blend of stories about growing up, food, friends and life ... and the lessons we can learn about our faith and God if we pay attention to little details along the way. It is simple and sweet but nevertheless kept me up until midnight last night as I just couldn't put it down until I finished it. Highly recommended.


• Not One Less
  This is a simple movie about a 13-year-old substitute teacher in a rural Chinese village. She is not the brightest teacher or even the most dedicated, however she definitely is the most determined. She is promised a bonus if none of the students leave the class by the time that the real teacher returns. When one boy steals away to the big city to support his starving family, she determinedly heads off after him. Watching this we know in advance that it is a hopeless task to find one unattached individual in a city, but the teacher has never been to the city and we see her working pluckily through every alternative she can find to get her student back. In the meantime, we are shown the plight of the young boy who is reduced to begging for food to survive. This is a simple and straight forward story and, yet, unexpectedly moving and insightful by the end. As an extra note: we were amazed to see in the credits that no actors were used. If someone portrayed a restaurant owner that is because they actually were a restaurant owner. It added another dimension to the movie when thinking back over it. Highly recommended.

Inherit the Mirth

These cards are hilarious ... check out Inherit the Mirth's store.

Poetry Thursday: Screwtape IV

Rose's summary of The Screwtape Letters in five poems. Today, the fourth poem.

Oh my dear Wormwood, you cretin, you fool!
Now he’s in love with the Enemy’s tool!

All is not lost you stumbling buffoon,
Though you must act quickly, no minute’s too soon.

Slumtrimpet tells me the girl’s got a side
That could give the patient spiritual pride.

Now that he’s chums with her family and friends
Make him think that he really blends.

He’s met his equals, the finest elite.
Around anyone else he feels incomplete.

He’ll feel that now he’s been born anew
Even though what they say he can barely construe.

So just do what I say and you’ll be in great shape.
Your affectionate uncle, Screwtape

Our Hunger for Unity

All human beings want unity and desire it from the bottom of their hearts. The need for unity is a hunger for the fullness of being. There is a need for unity at the heart not only of marriage, in which two people unite themselves to become one flesh, but also, in a different way, at the heart of the quest for material goods and new knowledge.

Why, then, is it so difficult to achieve unity, if everyone desires it so much? It is because we want unity, of course, but ... unity around our point of view. Our view seems so obvious, so reasonable, that we are astounded that others do not agree and instead insist on their point of view. We even carefully lay out the path for others to come where we are and join us. The problem is that the person in front of me is doing exactly the same thing to me. No unity will ever be achieved if we go about it this way; unity takes the opposite path.

Contemplating the Trinity: The Path to Abundant Christian Life by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa

Zombies, Zombies Everywhere ...

... and not a brain in sight!

I've never been a real zombie fan. Too much blood and guts everywhere (literally). However, these two examples are too good to pass up.

SHAUN OF THE DEAD
Shaun and his best friend are a couple of slackers. A good evening is one that ends at the pub and every evening ends at the pub. Shaun's girlfriend is less than pleased with this lack of initiative, especially after celebrating their third anniversary ... at the pub. She breaks up with Shaun who is so distraught that he doesn't notice all there is a zombie epidemic all around them. This leads to some hilarious scenes, such as when Shaun and his friend first encounter zombies and think they are drunks. Shaun takes the lead in rescuing his mum and ex-girlfriend to take them to the safest place he can think of ... the pub. I was anxious to see this from the first moment I heard the premise, yet put it off for fear of the "R" rating (for zombie violence ... yes, that's actually what it says). There is plenty of warning for any such scenes and much of it is so fake that it doesn't matter. The directors are really good at combining our awareness that this is a zombie movie with Shaun's general cluelessness to provide many very funny jump scenes as well. HC rating: nine thumbs up!

WORLD WAR Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

It goes by many names: “The Crisis,” “The Dark Years,” “The WalkingPlague,” as well as newer and more “hip” titles such as “World War Z” or “Z War One.” I personally dislike this last moniker as it implies an inevitable “Z War Two.” For me, it will always be “The Zombie War,” and while many may protest the scientific accuracy of the word zombie, they will be hard-pressed to discover a more globally accepted term for the creatures that almost caused our extinction. Zombie remains a devastating word, unrivaled in its power to conjure up so many memories or emotions, and it is these memories, and emotions, that are the subject of this book.

This record of the greatest conflict in human history owes its genesis to a much smaller, much more personal conflict between me and the chairperson of the United Nation’s Postwar Commission Report. My initialwork for the Commission could be described as nothing short of a labor of love. My travel stipend, my security access, my battery of translators, both human and electronic, as well as my small, but nearly priceless voice-activated transcription “pal” (the greatest gift the world’s slowest typist could ask for), all spoke to the respect and value my work was afforded on this project. So, needless to say, it came as a shock when I found almost half of that work deleted from the report’s final edition. ...

World War Z (WWZ) is the book that began the zombie invasion of publishing. You may thank or curse Max Brooks, depending on your feeling about the genre. Actually, WWZ is the follow-up to Brooks' 2003 book, The Zombie Survival Guide. Where that book was a twist on more practical manuals, however, WWZ is a much more serious novel than one might expect.

In this "future history" a reporter travels the world to interview key individuals who fought in the zombie wars after a virus surfaces that sweeps over populations in an epidemic, leaving huge numbers of zombies roaming the earth. The clever premise provides much food for thought about how individuals and governments respond to unexpected emergencies ... or fail to respond. Brooks uses this vehicle not only to tell an excellent story but to skewer both governmental policies and lambast the powerful who take advantage of any situation for their own gain. This is a real page turner that resulted in many late nights as I watched civilization collapse and wondered what was found that allowed victory over the zombie hordes.