DEMON COPPERHEAD

There are books that grab you by the shoulders and awake you from sleepwalking through life. These books radically open up worlds you had no knowledge of and leave you wanting more time with the characters, just like loved ones in real life. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver is one of those books.

The book is set in far western Virginia in Lee County and charts the adolescence and growing up of the main character Damon Fields, whose nickname is Demon Copperhead because of his fiery red hair. He is the son of a mother with drug addiction and a father who passed away prior to Demon's birth. The book is modeled after David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, and very soon this does turn into a book about an orphan's odyssey through the world.

The book was heartbreaking at times - mainly because the author helped one to understand that there are countless Demons out there whose lives have been ravaged by our economic policies, lack of medical care, the opioid industries that preyed on them, and the lack of focus or understanding by the rest of America on the Appalachian region in which the story takes place.

There are so many truths this story revealed, but most of all it reminded me that the main difference between Demon and the rest of us is the multiple safety nets - familial, financial, and structural - that we have to fall back on and that poor kids like Demon do not have. The novel made a strong case for addressing the root causes of the disparities that exist in our country by investing in social services, schools, addiction recovery, and medical care in rural communities. However, the greatest lesson the novel taught me is that children are our greatest asset as a nation. Failure to invest in a child not only dooms that child to so many poor outcomes; it also dooms the generations that follow from the child once he/she grows up. 

After you are done - and I recommend you read this book right away - I highly recommend this podcast episode with the author. She grew up in Appalachia, and she moved back there after many years away in recent years. Her novel made me want to know her other works better and to know the people of that region better, too.

A COMEBACK FOR THE AGES

This week, the Kansas City Chiefs triumphantly came back from behind to win their second straight super bowl and third in five years. It is safe to safe that even if they lose next year - which would be the expectation because no team has ever won three Super Bowls in a row - this Chiefs team is a Dynasty!

What made this Super Bowl victory so special was how far the team had to go this season. They started off quite poorly by their standards, dropping balls, committing infractions that led to penalties, and not closing games out. They looked mortal for the first time.

However, as the regular season was concluding, the team seemed to come together and realize that the playoffs were an opportunity to reset things and begin anew.

They defeated the Miami Dolphins at home in one of the coldest games in NFL history - well below freezing. They then went on the road and beat the Buffalo Bills - again in frigid conditions. Finally, they defeated the AFC Champions, the Baltimore Ravens, in Baltimore. Quite a run!

Many still considered them the underdogs in the Super Bowl against the San Francisco Forty-Niners. Those people must have forgotten that Patrick Mahomes is the Chief quarterback and that he is surrounded by an incredible group of players on offense and defense.

It was a disappointing first half of the Super Bow for the Chiefs. However, just like in the regular season, they came back strong in the second half and turned things around. It was a fourth quarter and overtime for the ages.

Congrats to Chiefs Kingdom! I cannot wait to visit there in June for Cate's soccer.

Let's get that third in row next year!

BEAUTIFUL HARMONY

Our society is riven with division. Many days, it seems very difficult to break through to the other side or to find common ground (see the recent breakdown of the border legislation after months of bipartisan negotiation). Therefore, it was such a delight to watch the Grammy's last weekend and to watch the wonderful performance of "Fast Car."

Chapman, a black female singer songwriter, wrote the song and released it in 1988. It was a major hit back then, and I remember listening to it when I was 15 in high school. However, I must admit I did not comprehend the song's meaning or message despite the lyrics being clear as day. I guess that is what growing up does for you.

Last year, the country singer Luke Combs, a white man from the south, decided to cover the song, and it has received a tremendous amount of critical acclaim, including "Song of the Year" at the 2023 Country Music Awards. 

Many people have taken exception to Combs covering this song - nearly all from the left. He has been accused of appropriation and worse. However, in the video intro to his performance with Chapman at the Grammy's, Combs described how his father first introduced him to the song when he was a young man. He said he always admired it and felt inspired to release his own version.

Last weekend's duet with Chapman and Combs was a coming together, a blending of styles, races, generations, and so much more. The New York Times described it well, stating that the performance had brought harmony to a nation that had forgotten how to live together. I cannot think of a more apt description. Here is the performance from the Grammy's. I hope it brings a little bit of harmony to your day!