Reading Richard Rohmer

(Because you, the fans, demanded it) Behind the Scenes at Reading Richard Rohmer

Thu, Sep 4, 2014 5:21 am

Red Arctic?

From Brian Busby

Are we done with this dog? Shall we move on to Massacre 747? Has the book arrived, Stan? What after that? The Green North? E.P. Taylor? Sir John A.? Death by Deficit? Caged Eagle?

​So many questions. Enquiring minds want to know!​

Thu, Sep 4, 2014 6:05 am

Re: Red Arctic?

From Stanley Whyte

I have nothing else to say about it, so let's move on.

I received the book last night - thanks - and read the intro and first chapter last night.  My heart sank when in the intro he mentioned two questions "open for informed judgment" that he would deal with in the last few pages of the book.

My money is on Monty being responsible.

After this, I'd vote for The Green North because we all have it and it looks like something I'd love to get over with.

Thu, 4 Sep 2014 11:43:26 -0400
Re: Red Arctic?

From Chris Kelly

I don't have The Green North, but I'll order it today.

Thu, Sep 4, 2014 9:29 am

Re: Red Arctic?

From Stanley Whyte

Wait then - what do we all have (access to)?

We can do it that way.

Thu, Sep 4, 2014 10:32 am

Re: Red Arctic?

From Brian Busby

From what I understand, there isn't a single title we all own or have access to except Death by Deficit - assuming Stan has access to the Montreal library system. Do you, Stan?

Fri, Sep 5, 2014 10:51 pm

Re: Red Arctic?

From Chris Kelly

I ordered Green North.  I've been slowly getting into Generally Speaking.  His best book by a mile.  He's not a great writer, but he's much better not writing dialogue or trying to punch his way out of a cardboard plot.  His own story?  It's sort of touching, you know?  Nineteen, on a convoy out of Halifax, sleeping in his lifejacket. It's easy to lose touch with that Rohmer, a little guy who did brave things, and loves Canada and airplanes.

Like it says in Angels in America:

"You can never make that crossing that she made, for such great voyages in this world do not any more exist. But every day of your lives, the miles - that voyage from that place to this one - you cross. Every day! You understand me? In you, that journey is."

Sat, Sep 6, 2014 4:33 am

Re: Red Arctic?

From Stanley Whyte

I can believe that.  The problem I'm having with Massacre 747 is that he doesn't know how to stop telling you things that distract from the story.  "The flight crew punched in the navigation coordinates" becomes 2 paragraphs where each coordinate is named, its code number, the number of aeronautical miles till it was reached, the flying time, the altitude, etc, etc.

I'm looking forward to hearing him just tell his own story.

Sat, Sep 6, 2014 11:32 am

Re: Red Arctic?

From Chris Kelly

Seymour Hersh's book on Flight 007 is also full of people punching in coordinates but it's riveting.  I kid you zero percent.  Because Hersh is a journalist, and he's explaining how this fuck up happened.

He talked to lots of guys and made them explain it to him, and then he put their theories together, and now he'll explain it to you.

Whereas Rohmer is an honest businessman, at heart, and in his head he's just trying to get to the word count in his contract.  Which is honorable, too.  Especially if you never thought about "what's a book" any other way.

What's a book?  It's at least 160 pages and it ends with the president declaring war.

Generally Speaking contains the plans for the huge natural gas transporter plane.  It was something Rohmer asked Boeing to think about as a business idea, so it was on his desk anyway, so that's how it ended up in Ultimatum.

What's a book?  Anything interesting you've got lying around.