The Blender Book Club discussion

Hi everyone,

As you may be aware, the mayor has ordered that all nonessential city employees stay home until April 22. This means we will definitely not be meeting in person this month, and possibly not for some time to come. In lieu of our in-person meetings, I'm working to figure out how we can conduct our discussions online in a video chat format. I'll fill everyone in well before April 15 so that we can get as many people as possible on board.

This month we'll be reading Helen Macdonald's 2014 memoir H is for Hawk, The Blender's first ever nonfiction title. The book explores Macdonald's lifelong love of falconry, and particularly her efforts to cope with her father's death by training a goshawk (a notoriously difficult species) named Mabel. Interwoven with Macdonald's own story is that of The Once and Future King author T.H. White, a deeply troubled man who also found solace by taming a goshawk. Macdonald writes beautifully and thoughtfully, and her book is one of my favorites.

The ebook is available on Hoopla and (for city residents) Libby/Overdrive, if you use an SLPL library card. Overdrive also has the excellent audiobook, read by Macdonald, which I can personally recommend.

I can't wait to continue our discussions in whatever form they take. In the meantime, please stay safe, and stay inside!

Sounds like Travis’s group is heading to Zoom. With group overlap, one “app” might be better than many. Let me know if you need help setting it up!

Does the library have a zoom paid account? The zoom site says 40 minutes for the free accounts. One person told me that his free zoom meeting was automatically closed after 40 minutes. Another person told me that, in his zoom meeting, there was a popup saying that the free account was being extended beyond 40 minutes.

Zack, I started "H is for Hawk" today (the audio version read by the author), and am enjoying it. I wasn't expecting the focus on T. H. White's life, at least in the first several chapters, but it's interesting too.
I see I'm already going to have to do some extra reading, on goshawks and how they compare with falcons and sparrow hawks.

I'm gonna go ahead and say that we should use Zoom, since it seems to be the one the most people are familiar with/using already. I'm getting conflicting info about whether or not the 40-minute limit is being enforced right now, but just to be safe, does anyone here have a Zoom pro account? If you do, we can just have that person start the session and then we won't have to worry about it.

Lucy wrote: "Zack, I started "H is for Hawk" today (the audio version read by the author), and am enjoying it. I wasn't expecting the focus on T. H. White's life, at least in the first several chapters, but it'..."

Lucy - Glad you're liking it so far. The T.H. White stuff is prominent till the end--if I remember right, it alternates between him and Macdonald every other chapter--but I think it gets more intriguing as it goes on. There's a lot of info about goshawks and their differences from other falconry birds throughout, as well (she likes to spool it out between other things), but supplementary reading never hurts!

I downloaded Zoom and set up an acc't, so I think I'm ready to join a 'meeting' for "H is for..." when we get organized.

Alright, I think I've done this right. Here's the link for next week's discussion. Just make a free Zoom account beforehand and then follow the url below:

Topic: Blender Book Club - April 2020
Time: Apr 15, 2020 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/226586533

Meeting ID: 226 586 533

One more chapter to go. Wish I was like Kim, writing down my thoughts & questions as I read, instead of trying to recall them all now.

Lucy, If you figure oput how to do it (write down thoughts & questions) let me know.

Hi everyone, looking forward to the discussion tonight! Just in case our first session is cut off after 40 minutes, I've scheduled a second one to follow it. Just click the link below when the time comes:

----
Topic: Blender Book Club - April 2020
Time: Apr 15, 2020 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/226586533

Meeting ID: 226 586 533

- [ ] Hello Everyone. I hope you enjoyed a peaceful Easter. Peter Ccottontail couldn’t hop by my apartment Sunday, but the pizza man saved the day! I am currently listening to the chapter,”
- [ ] The Line” within H is for Hawk. I Found Hellen’s decision to train a Goshawk rather a unique way of morning while also honoring her dad. I’m sure Alisdair Macdonald smiled down on his daughter. Although I know it was important to the plot, I really didn’t care to know all the technical information Hellen researched before getting her bird. To be honest, It board me. I cheated and watched interviews Helen did in promotion of her book. I also watched a video describing Goshawks. That help me understand Hellen’s patience as she sat
- [ ] and stood holding that bird. Christina and Stuart are great support for Hellen. Although I am three chapters from part two in the book, I plan on finishing it tonight.
- [ ] I am currently experiencing a bad case of sinus. Talking is difficult causing me to cough a lot. My doctor and I agree this is not the Covid Virus. I am Sitting out this month . I will share my thoughts here as I continue listening to the book. I will miss you. Look forward to next month. All my best to all of you! Donna.

Readridinghood wrote: "- [ ] Hello Everyone. I hope you enjoyed a peaceful Easter. Peter Ccottontail couldn’t hop by my apartment Sunday, but the pizza man saved the day! I am currently listening to the chapter,”
- [ ] T..."

I'm sad you won't be able to join us, Donna, but I'm glad it's a sinus issue and not COVID! Please share the rest of your thoughts here once you've finished!

Here are my discussion prompts for tonight as well:

1) Why does Helen turn to falconry to cope with her father’s loss? Does she find what she’s looking for with Mabel? Does the hawk make her mourning process easier or more difficult?

2) How does Helen’s journey with Mabel reflect White’s journey with Gos? How do they differ?

3) What did you make of White as a person? How was his personality reflected in his training of Gos?

4) Why do you think Macdonald chose to devote so much of her book to the story of T.H. White? Did you feel these sections added to or detracted from the overall experience?

5) What are some of the preconceptions about falconry, the natural world, wildness, etc. that Macdonald challenges in her book? Did you come away with a different understanding of any of these topics?

6) If you’ve ever mourned a loved one, did you find Helen’s grieving experience relatable? What insight registered most for you?

7) Do you think it’s ever truly possible to “know” or understand an animal like you do a human being? What’s Macdonald’s take on this?

8) If you had to boil it down, what would you say is the message or major theme of H is for Hawk?

9) How does Helen Macdonald defy or experiment with genre in H is for Hawk? How would you define this book?

10) Would you recommend this book? Would you read another book by Macdonald if given the opportunity?

When I said "bye," Emory said "Bye...I love you!"

So Emory sends his love :)

Donna asked for a recap of last night's discussion:

Overall everyone seemed to like the book, while not quite loving it. We all agreed that it was interesting learning about goshawks and Mabel's training process, and found Macdonald to be a skilled and knowledgeable nature writer. Most of us also found that the T.H. White sections provided an interesting contrast with Macdonald's experiences, though we also felt that his story didn't always fit very well alongside the other elements of the book. Several people expressed an interest in learning more about falconry or reading T.H. White's Once and Future King, and we all agreed that Macdonald's journey through the grieving process was appropriate for the troubling times we're living through.

Wish you could have been there! I hope you recover soon and that we'll see you next month!

Unfortunately the PBS documentary with Macdonald that I mentioned last night isn't available online, but I did manage to find some clips from it. Here is a short video of Macdonald flying a different goshawk named Lupin, and there are links at the bottom of the page to other videos.

Wow! Thank you Zachary! I really enjoyed watching that clip. And enjoyed last night’s Zoom book club.

Thanks for the love, little Emory. Right back atcha!

Kathy wrote: "Wow! Thank you Zachary! I really enjoyed watching that clip. And enjoyed last night’s Zoom book club.

Thanks for the love, little Emory. Right back atcha!"

We were happy to have you!

Hi Everyone. My sinus issue it’s still one of frustration, but I have been keeping constant contact with my doctor. In fact, I have talked more with my doctor and medical staff than I do during my appointments! Thank you Zachary for the incredible summary of Wednesday’s book club. I am so encouraged to finish the book. Speaking of that, I am having a
difficult time understanding chapter 17, Heath. It seems to me Helen has reached the point of questioning her reason for training Mabel to hunt. Perhaps she was thinking more of
her training as a sport then a killing of prey. I must admit, after listening to this chapter, I wondered how Hellen could find joy in knowing she was teaching one animal to kill another . How does the story of white,
Gos and the tale of the boy who felt his father was going to execute him on his birthday tie into all this. Your talking questions are great. I intend to address them when I finish the book. Miss you all. Hope to be with you next meeting. By the way, that was so cute about Emary Saying I love you.

I finished the book. As I listened to H is for Hawk, I made notes. Hope this is not too much. I am taking breaks from this book, I don’t know if it’s cabin fever or just general frustrations because I just learned about the senseless shooting in Nova Scotia yesterday, chapters 18 & 19 is bothering me. (Flying Free /extension) Helen let the poor Goshawk go and be comforted with Happier times with your father!
Question.If Helen stored food in a refrigerator for Mable, why is she being trained to hunt? The fact that Hellen now prefers to eat meat Mable has captured vs store bought turns my stomach! I May become a vegetarian!
I hate the viciousness of chapter 22, Apple day. How can Hellen killing the rabbit or as she puts it, putting the animal out of its misery, be any worse than Mabel killing the animals?. If this were not a book club selection, I would totally stop listening to this book
now. Zachary, I remember one of your questions. Would you recommend this book. I haven’t finished it, but at this point of listening to it, No. Ch. 25. (magical places) I am now understanding, in her depression, Hellen has formed an unhealthy relationship with Mable eating the pray her hawk captures. YUCK! Glad she is coming to her senses and getting help. Chapter 27. (The New World) Mable’s killings are very grafficly written and a torture to listen to.Chapter 28 (Winter Histories) is Hellen & Mable are Hunting during Christmas? I’m speechless. When Hellen & Mable saw the rabbits & deer, I thought I was going to have to listen to another killing. Glad I was wrong. Chapter 29 (Enter Spring) Forgive me for saying this, but I was a little happy Hellen cut her finger rescuing Mable from the pheasant reserve. I know it is not nice for me to feel that way, but by this time all the hunting and pray killing has gotten to me. I think I understand the idea of Hawk hunting a little better, but I still to agree with the sentiments of a man who questioned T H White’s love for hawks after reading his book. That’s about it that’s it. I am glad I read this book. It took me through a lot of changes. In some cases it’s hit a little too close to home for me as I am going through a difficult emotional time with my sinuses it has never been this bad before. Hope this review wasn’t too long or wordy. Thanks for reading me.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/24/st...

Thanks Ann for the article. I may be obtuse, but I can't understand the logic of some of this. Adam Baz in the article talks about using his hawks to "remove" unwanted birds. Is he just scaring them away by flying his hawk around or does the hawk kill the birds? If the hawks kill the birds, why not just let them eat the birds and not have to spend "hundreds of dollars per month" buying chicken, quail, and rodents to feed the hawks? I would think that the hawks would not scare away the birds for very long if the hawk never killed a bird.

I had some of the same questions when reading the book. Why was the author buying all this food for the hawk when the hawk was out hunting and killing prey all the time? Maybe she was taking the killed prey away from the hawk, taking it home, defeathering, skinning, or whatever so that she herself could eat it. However, there was nothing mentioned in the book about herself eating the prey. But lots of mentions about how she purchased chicks, and so on to feed her hawk.