The Baltimore Waltz

 

Vogel's masterpiece is "How I learned to Drive" and I was curious about her older plays. The Baltimore Waltz is about AIDS. It's semi-autobiographical. Vogel's brother died of AIDS and this is about the vacation they never took. The plot is about a schoolteacher getting a virus called ATD (acquired toilet disease) which she got from her elementary school. Her brother and her take a trip to Europe. It isn't until the end we realized this has all been imaginary and that her brother has just died from AIDS. The play may be on a depressing issue, but it does have its comic moments. It's worth reading.

The Great Granny Webster

 

This book was semi-autobiographical in fact it was shortlisted by the Booker Prize but was refused because it wasn't fictitious enough. I just read a biography on Robert Lowell and Caroline Blackwood was his third wife. I read this out of curiosity not only that I love the books that New York Review Books selects. This book is about the monstrous great grandmother that Caroline lived with and also her insane grandmother. It was interesting but I wish that the book was more balanced. Caroline only says one nice thing about her great grandmother and that's towards the end. I feel there could have been more to say. 

Robert Lowell Setting the River on Fire

 

This was a good biography on the poet Robert Lowell. However, the first fifty pages or so aren't that good. The author rambles about his ancestors for far too long. I thought about giving up the book but once it got started it was pretty good. It describes the link between genius and madness very well. It also goes over his struggle over mania. As well it goes over his three marriages. I thought it was pretty cool that he married female writers specifically. Elizabeth Hardwick comes across as a saint. I got the impression that he took her for granted. I started reading Life Studies recently. I'm new to the author. Frankly I started reading this book because he came across as very likable in the Sylvia Plath biography Red Comet. 

The Shape of Thunder

 

This was an ok middle grade book about coping with death and tragedy. Cora's sister died in a school shooting in which her friend Quinn's brother was involved. The two haven't talked for a year. But the two decide that perhaps they should time travel to change the circumstances. The characters were likable and overall, the parents and the characters' reaction to the shooting is believable. I like how Quinn still manages to find love for her brother but still can't excuse his behavior. This made it on goodreads best of selection in the middle grade category. It didn't win the prize but I'm going to read more of the books that were nominated.