I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK: ANDREW W.K.-Tiny Desk Concert #37 (November 30, 2009).

When I saw Andrew W.K. on the list of Tiny Desk players I was intrigued to say the least. W.K. is a maniac.  His first album was packed with full throttle, really dumb party anthems.  Later he made an albums of… piano instrumentals.  Then he became a motivational speaker.  He’s done children’s shows and he recently did an anthem for an internet cat.  He even played drums for 24 hours straight–setting a world record.  So who knew what to expect.

Well, I didn’t expect two lengthy piano improvisations (quite pretty, if a little scattered).  Holy cow, does he attack that keyboard!  The improvs are really unexpected–meandering and interesting (mostly), especially at the end where they kind of decay.

Then he plays a keyboard version of “I Get Wet” which sounds almost symphonic especially compared to the pummeling version on the record.

He ends with a faithful cover of “The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress” made famous by Linda Ronstadt.  He sings in a proper voice and if you didn’t know it was Andrew W.K., it would be a pretty normal song.

Nothing like what I expected, this is a most unusual (and slightly awkward–for a motivational speaker, Andrew seems a little distracted) Tiny Desk.

 [READ: February 19, 2014] Boxers & Saints

Gene Luen Yang is a wonderful artist and storyteller.  He has written several books that I’ve enjoyed quite a lot.  This is a two volume set that is meant to be read together (although each story is more or less independent).  I assume that Boxers should be read first since Saints has an epilogue, at least that’s the order I read them.

This story is about the Boxer Rebellion.  I knew literally nothing about the Boxer Rebellion, so for those who don’t, here’s Britannica:

Boxer Rebellion,officially supported peasant uprising of 1900 that attempted to drive all foreigners from China. “Boxers” was a name that foreigners gave to a Chinese secret society known as the Yihequan (“Righteous and Harmonious Fists”). The group practiced certain boxing and calisthenic rituals in the belief that this made them invulnerable.

In the late 19th century, because of growing economic impoverishment, a series of unfortunate natural calamities, and unbridled foreign aggression in the area, the Boxers began to increase their strength in the provinces of North China. In 1898 conservative, antiforeign forces won control of the government and persuaded the Boxers to drop their opposition to the Qing dynasty and unite with it in destroying the foreigners. The governor of the province of Shandong began to enroll Boxer bands as local militia groups, changing their name from Yihequan to Yihetuan (“Righteous and Harmonious Militia”), which sounded semiofficial. Many of the Qing officials at this time apparently began to believe that Boxer rituals actually did make them impervious to bullets, and, in spite of protests by the Western powers, they continued to encourage the group.

Christian missionary activities helped provoke the Boxers; Christian converts flouted traditional Chinese ceremonies and family relations; and missionaries pressured local officials to side with Christian converts—often from the lower classes of Chinese society—in local lawsuits and property disputes. By late 1899 the Boxers were openly attacking Chinese Christians and Western missionaries. By May 1900, Boxer bands were roaming the countryside around the capital at Beijing. Finally, in early June an international relief force of 2,100 men was dispatched from the northern port of Tianjin to Beijing. On June 13 the empress dowager ordered imperial forces to block the advance of the foreign troops, and the small relief column was turned back. Meanwhile, in Beijing the Boxers burned churches and foreign residences and killed suspected Chinese Christians on sight.

On August 14, 1900, an international force finally captured Beijing, relieving the foreigners and Christians besieged there since June 20.

So that’s the background.  This story is about two participants in the rebellion.  In Boxers, we follow a young boy who joins the Righteous and Harmonious Fists.  In Saints we follow a Chinese girl who becomes a Christian.

Boxers opens on Little Bao, the youngest of three brothers.  His older brothers are abusive to him as older brothers tend to be.  His village is very poor and traditional.  They faithfully observe the Chinese traditions and worship accordingly.  Then one day a Christian priest comes into the village seeking recompense for a slight.  He destroys the idol of Tu Di Gong, their earth god.  The village considers revenge, but they learn that the missionaries have the support of the military behind them and any attack would be suicide.  So rather, Little Bao’s father goes to talk to them.  But on the way, he is beaten up and returns home never to be the same.

Sometime later a man known as Red Lantern shows up.   He reveals that he is a master of kung fu and a member of the Big Sword Society (which would later become the Righteous and Harmonious Fists).  And soon the village is lining up to train with him. Little Bao would dearly love to, but his brothers keep him away.  Until Red Lantern agrees to train him privately–and Little Bao excels at it.

Soon, Bao receives some more training from master Big Belly until he is able to channel the spirits of ancient Chinese warriors. These scenes are mystical and the warriors all become imbued with a spirit who makes them a supreme fighting force.

Bao learns that he has been channeling Ch’in Shih-huang, the first emperor of China.  The emperor hates what the foreigners are doing to his land and he wants them eradicated.  Bao is swayed by this giant figure and becomes more and more ruthless in his preparations and his attacks against the enemies.  He not only goes after the missionaries but also any Chinese who have converted.

The culmination comes when they arrive at a Christian stronghold–full of orphans and widows and set next to the great Chinese library.  Bao’s path is clear, what will he do?

Saints follows a character we see briefly in Boxers. She is a girl who is hated by her family.  She is the fourth daughter and since four sounds like the word death in Chinese, they wish that she had died rather than her still-born siblings.  She is just called Four-Girl and made to do all manner of unpleasant things.  She learns to make a devilish face (much to the dismay of her relatives who send her to a doctor because of it) and she decides that she will be as devilish as possible for the rest of her life.  And what better way to be a devil than to follow the White devils and their acupunctured god on the big cross.

Initially Four-Girl takes advice from a Big Raccoon, but soon he is frightened off by her.  Especially when Four Girl starts seeing visions of a golden warrior who turns out to be Joan of Arc.  She begins learning about Christianity from Dr Won and his wife Chinese converts to Christianity. Dr Won feels that Four-Girl must have a calling as Joan of Arc did.  But Four-Girl doesn’t know what it could be.

Eventually she converts to Christianity and takes the name Vibiana.  She is kicked out of her house so she follows Fr. Bey (the priest who destroyed the idol in Boxers) to a remote village where she works at an orphanage.  Perhaps you can see where this is heading.

Even though the main characters are likely not real, the story is based in reality and the violence and destruction that was done to China on both sides of this issue.  This story looks at fanaticism on multiple levels.  How people will do anything if their passions are inflamed and they believe that they are righteous.  It is an incredibly well told story, and as always, Yang’s drawings are marvelous–conveying so much with just a few lines.

This is a great introduction to Yang and the Boxer Rebellion.  And it’s interesting to see if readers think either side is more right than the other.

Sarah also read and enjoyed these books and you can read her thoughts here.