Rodger’s Two Cents: Banning Books

As a writer, the entire idea of banning books disgusts me. My Facebook and other friends range from radical progressives and more than one ‘Never Trumper’ to people from the far political right, some who believe we are in the midst of a Communist takeover. To try to understand banning books, I approached a couple of Social Conservatives and was a bit shocked to find that I agreed with much of their thinking.

Putting this into perspective, I reflected on my own childhood, where issues like sexuality and themes that divided us were not part of elementary school. I had friends of all races, economic status and probably sexual persuasion, although as a young kid, none of us even knew what that meant.

The Social Warriors I talked to weren’t book burners. Rather they believed that kids should be allowed to be kids and deep emotional themes in books should be reserved for later years when readers could evaluate the messages themselves without indoctrination. In other words, books should be age appropriate, as determined by parents.

I did not have the same experience when discussing book and curriculum bans with my ultra-progressive friends. Their abject anger over the new history curriculum and books promoted by the Florida Department of Education made little sense. Their primary argument was over one section of the curriculum that addressed slavery. The curriculum writers offered an observation that many enslaved people actually accumulated skills that helped them after slavery was outlawed. Somehow this was interpreted as a justification for slavery.

In Solomon Northup’s book Twelve Years A Slave, written by a former slave, he discusses numerous jobs he did and observed others doing. They included lumbering and mill operations, construction, maritime work, and others. Any study of the collapse of the southern economy at the end of the Civil War and situations that fueled ongoing racial anger shows that the lower and middle income southerners saw many of the jobs that supported their families go to newly freed black Americans under the Military rule of the South after the war.

What we need to address is access to controversial books when kids are at an age to interpret and analyze what they read. Heller’s Catch 22, and the book Rosa which addresses racism in the mid 20th century are important works. Cider House Rules, which addresses issues like drug use and abortion, is not a ‘how to’ book; rather it is a vivid telling of the emotional brutality that can come with adolescent life. Many of these themes make those on the right uncomfortable, but they are important for our youth to read—when they are ready.

On the other side of the aisle, much of the historical fiction and non-fiction writing deal with issues and practices that today most reject, for example slavery. But we cannot change history by ignoring it. Many of our founding fathers owned slaves at a time when it was culturally acceptable. Writing those leaders out of history is simply ignoring all the other things that they did for the country. Finding the silver lining in dark places proves that throughout history, mankind has been trying to make the world a better place.

Rodger's Top 5: Life Lessons

My values, like most of us, have evolved over the years. Many of the trappings of success when I was 30 are not only less important today, but some also I’ve learned are deterrents to a successful life. With that said, I find that time alone on the porch of a wilderness cabin, watching brown bears fish in the river below offers a perspective that is hard to find in the clutter of modern life. I just returned from nine days with four guys, hunting and telling lies over a drink or two. I loved it but also found time to just be alone as I do every year. I jotted down a number of life’s lessons and found the priorities different from just a couple of years ago and added some while deleting others. I try to do this annually, to set priorities for the coming year. Here are my 2023 lessons.

1. Relationships are the most important part of life. Family, good friends, old friends and young, business and professional relationships give meaning to life. This requires sharing honest experiences, genuinely listening, and embracing others’ priorities. As a writer this is essential, because those relationships are the ones that give me critical feedback and make both life and my writing better.

2. Time is finite and incredibly valuable. In a normal week I will devote five hours a day to my profession and craft. That discipline affords me the time to do other things I love like spending time outdoors and being with people I enjoy. Managing my time also keeps me from the life-robbing feelings of “I wish I had…” and “I should have…”

3. Learning is a lifetime process. Early in life much of my learning came from study and classroom work both in school and in career. Later I found that observing others and how they do things was more valuable. And of course, embracing the lessons of my own failures and treating them as learning experiences remains one of my highest priorities.

4. Good health, both physical and mental, is one of my most treasured gifts. As a cancer survivor, one who stepped on a stingray snorkeling ending up with a pacemaker, and one who’s always attacked life, a little gray hair is a bonus. I work out, walk ten to fifteen miles a week. I also have learned to deal with problems immediately, not to let them become a crisis. Love of life is difficult if you spend all your time anguished.

5. Dogs… (or for some cats or horses or other pets) in my life bring great joy and peace. Writing is a solitary career, with hours on end spent alone. Having a dog come up and put his head in my lap for an ear rub a couple of times a day, forces me to break and reminds me of the importance of caring for myself and others. Weatherby, and before him Winchester, Ruger, and others help me keep that perspective.

Rodger That: Scarface

Most of my friends who write for a living reside outside of Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, or Denver. Our home is only ten miles from the center of Anchorage, with a population of 330,000, where we have three four-star restaurants and a performing arts center where Hamilton is now playing.

That’s where our home is, but we prefer our remote log cabin on a pristine river two hours by plane from Anchorage, where we are connected to the wilderness, to moose, lynx, ravens, foxes, wolves and eagles. Looking out over the river we see the swirls of thousands of salmon making their way to spawn and eventually to die. The world as planned during its creation is one of beauty, survival, simplicity, and brutality.

We get to know our neighbors. We recognize certain eagles and ravens and grey jays who make a living around our cabin. Sprue grouse feed on spruce needles and plant tips all winter, and on salmonberries, cranberries and blueberries in the summer. Moose are browsers, their favorite meals include fresh summer grass, but their everyday diet is the new growth on willow trees.

Others feed on the browsers. That is a more violent experience. We’ve watched cow moose repeatedly charge wolves and brown bears to protect their newborns. Sometimes they fail. Even when the mass of salmon arrives in our valley there can be conflict. Brown bears will stake out the best fishing sites, generally small tributaries, or shallow riffles where the bear's speed gives them an advantage over swimming salmon. Usually, the first bears in those areas are sows with cubs. The females will fight to protect the best fishing areas, but almost always they will be pushed out by larger and stronger males. (The good news for them is that by the time that happens, there are so many fish in the river that they can feed their young almost anywhere.)

At the height of the salmon run, we experience what many call, ‘survival of the fittest,’ where the strongest and most powerful bears, sometimes sows, will fight brutally to protect their easy meals. Meet SCARFACE, not the largest bear in the valley, but huge, probably weighing more than 800 pounds. SCARFACE has a reputation for being fearless and we’ve never seen him lose a battle. He wears the disfigurement of dozens of wounds, ripped skin, torn ears, slashed legs and chewed feet. He’s earned and proudly displays every one of those blemishes. His years of fighting against extraordinary odds means he seldom needs to fight anymore. His mere presence assures him of dominance. He’s also known to just lie on the bank and sleep while other bears use his fishing hole.

In the world most of us live in, people who have the strength to overcome, whose wounds become learning experiences have a leg up. SCARFACE has earned a tame and abundant life, but from time to time we see inexperienced bears watching him and can almost read their minds thinking, ‘that’s not fair.’  Unlike the human world, the concept of ‘that’s not fair’ doesn’t offer any solace. Not all successful Americans earned their success. Some born with a silver spoon in their mouth try to tell us that they put it there themselves. But overall, if more of us fought as hard as SCARFACE, if instead of success envy we studied it and emulated it, most of us would reach a point where life offered more abundance and peace.

Anyway, I just wanted to introduce you to an acquaintance who I have great respect for.

Rodger’s Two Cents: Developing Book Covers

If you’ve visited my website, you know that I love finding snippets of history or politics that just don’t add up and then researching, sometimes for years, to understand what might have really taken place. Often the answers aren’t available in the USA, where, like most countries, the powerful dictate written history.

In decades of foreign travel, I found that many countries, especially those who have had their differences with America, keep their own version of history in their museums, archives, and libraries. They aren’t necessarily accurate but offer a different take on incidents and disputes.

With more than one perspective, it’s fascinating to craft a thriller that might just be more accurate than the official version. The covers of my books all begin with flags of the nations that are at the heart of conflict. For example, in The Eel and the Angel, the thriller is based on the technological competition between the US and China. Both nations' flags adorn the cover.

Enemy Patriots is set during WW-II in the North Pacific. The research for the book took me all over the US and into archives left behind in Karafuto which at the time of the story was the most northern of the Japanese provinces. Technology allowed me to actually look at Japanese documents that were seven decades old and get them translated. The cover of the book displays both the American flag and the maritime flag flown by the Japanese navy during the war.

The Opposite of Trust displays the flags of the US and the flag of the former Soviet Union. My research in the Soviet Union and later, after the collapse, Russia, was fascinating. The Russians kept everything, but often the documents told a tale curated by the government. Most, however, left clues on where to find more accurate answers. While in Russia, my constant companion was a French woman who was my translator. Her extraordinary language skills often led to conversations going on in four or five languages simultaneously. She passed away a couple of years ago, a real loss.

Figuring out the cover for Two Civil Wars was a task. The belligerents in the Mexican civil war included the US, The Confederacy, and both Royalist and Juarista factions. Simultaneously, in America's Civil War, Americans were killing each other by the thousands. The flags chosen for the cover were the current Mexican flag and the battle flag of the Confederate States of America. I selected them because the American Civil War was fought over political and policy differences and resulted in a United States; while in Mexico both sides had remarkably similar dreams yet at the war’s end, could not come together.

The cover of my upcoming book, The Shadow Game, includes the flags of the United States and Iran. The late Shah of Iran was propped up by the American CIA who saw the nation falling under Soviet influence. His secret police were hated. But his efforts to drag a feudal nation into the modern world were deeply appreciated by many Iranians. The revolution that created the Islamic State, drove thousands out of the country. Thousands more were killed. The seizure of the American embassy in 1979 locked in place animosity that survives today. It also laid the groundwork for manipulation of the crisis by many parties, assuring it continues.

Rodger Recommends: Famous Quotations

With The Shadow Game coming out in November, I took a couple of hours to do a little research on what some of history’s best-known politicians and activists might say about the book. These five quotations from people as diverse as Mahatma Gandhi and Bruce Lee offer a glimpse into how their comments on other issues might describe The Shadow Game.

“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you and then you win.” - Mahatma Gandhi

“Hope never abandons you, you abandon it.” - George Weinberg

“You will never reach your destination if you stop to throw stones at every dog that barks.” - Winston Churchill

“It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.” - Bruce Lee

“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” - Mark Twain

Top-5: Future Book Ideas - Self Inflicted Wounds

The small conflicts I write about are part of larger clashes and too often, disasters. Leaders have a propensity for arrogance and often do not understand cultural differences. Here are five disasters, some suggested by my readers. In each of them are events covered up by the powerful when things went all to hell and are a potential plot theme for a great future book.

As the War of 1812 opened, the US sent an expeditionary force into Canada, thinking it was the soft underbelly of the United Kingdom’s military in North America. The powers believed the force would be welcomed by Canadians. (That assessment was wrong.) An American Revolutionary war hero who wanted nothing to do with the invasion was given command. The Canadians threw the force out of Canada and then invaded American Territory, leading to The Battle of Detroit, where the American commander surrendered after the loss of only seven men. The misguided belief that Canadians wanted to be Americans opened a second front, and a war that should have ended in months stretched into years.

In the same conflict, British General Sir Edward Packham decided that the former French region of the US known as Louisiana, would embrace European rule. He fully expected the local Native Americans to support him, just as they had along the Canadian border. He launched an attack to capture New Orleans. On the Calmette battlefield he attacked a cobbled together army of locals, Native Americans and pirates led by Andrew Jackson. In a single day the British lost 6,034 soldiers in a rout where Jackson lost only 62. The locals, especially the local indigenous people had supplied the American forces with intelligence on every move the British made.

In the Battle of Little BigHorn, Custer knew he was attacking a superior force made up of four different indigenous tribes, believing that the coalition would splinter with the first shots. He was so convinced of the inferiority of his enemy that he did no reconnaissance and ignored his intelligence. The tribes not only stuck together but wiped out five of the seven companies under Custer in a few hours.

General MacArthur was so obsessed after his early victories in Korea that he ordered his troops north to the Chinese border. China sent warning after warning that they would intervene if the allies reached their border. MacArthur saw the Chinese as a paper tiger until a million Chinese troops drove his forces back to the original border between North and South Korea. That extended the war for years, and there is still no peace treaty. Even worse, it soured relations with China. Both North Korea and China remain opponents of the US today.

My last example came after a victorious American effort. As the US Army rolled into Baghdad to end the Iraq War, only a few of the Iraqi army units opposed them. That army was largely a Suni in a mixed Suni/Shiite nation, formerly commanded by Saddam Hussein. The American occupation government led by Paul Bremer believed the Iraqi people saw them as oppressors. He ordered the army to be disbanded. But the Suni and Shiites saw their army as the power that had given them independence from the British. The vacuum created by their demise was filled with a dozen militias and terrorist groups, leading to decades of conflict.

All good starting points for stories. But the best current example is Putin in Ukraine.

Rodger Recommends: Fresh Salmon

How’s this for a recommendation from Alaska: how do you prepare an extraordinary salmon dinner? Let’s start with the basics. First, it is best if you only prepare fresh wild salmon. Most Atlantic salmon available in stores is farmed. Wild salmon only feed on protein, krill, plankton or other fish, never on grain pellets. Farmed salmon is pasty, softer and frankly tastes a lot like processed food.

Second, you catch it yourself. In order of preference, I prefer sockeye or red salmon, chinook or king salmon, and coho or silver salmon. Pink or humpback salmon is okay if it is very fresh and fried. Chum or dog salmon is more like farmed salmon, and best left in the water or on the seafood counter.

Over the next few months, I am to offer fish and game recipes, and here is one of my favorites for extremely fresh sockeye salmon.

Filet the salmon and heat a grill to medium heat. Flesh side up, rub the fish with a tiny bit of canola oil, fresh lemon juice, and a little salt and pepper. Rub the skin side with a little oil. Place the salmon on the grill, flesh side down for about three minutes, or until the flesh turns from red to more of a burnt orange. Flip the fish and sprinkle the flesh with a little more salt and freshly chopped dill, then squeeze more lemon juice on the fish. Continue cooking for three to four minutes, until you notice the tiny white bubbles of fat all along the edges of the filet. (DO NOT OVERCOOK.)

Remove the fish and serve with either rice, or grilled vegetables and a salad. In the pictures, the salmon is served with grilled zucchini (just oil and salt and pepper on each side…cut into ¼ inch strips it cooks at about the same speed as the fish.) A Chablis. or light Pinot Grigio goes well, but I prefer a very cold IPA beer.

Salmon is best when served in a place as beautiful as in the pictures; the screened porch of our cabin on the Iliamna River where the fish swam only an hour before. Sockeye is available in fish markets, or you can catch them in freshwater, but they are almost impossible to sportfish for in the ocean. I’m sure you have your own favorite getaway, but fresh sockeye is still as good served at home.

Rodger’s Top 5: Advice From American Philosophers

As I wrap up work on the latest Team Walker novel, I am turning my focus to rewrite an unpublished novel from the Gritt series, one that takes a hard look at America. We’ve had some extraordinary presidents and a few turkeys. Keeping the best humble and the worst somewhat harmless, has been the task of two centuries of American philosophers. They come from many walks of life, with words that still resonate today. Below, I note five of my favorite everyday philosophers whose words continue to be protected by one of our most cherished freedoms, the freedom of speech.

Robert Frost advised, “People need to think, that’s not to agree or disagree, that’s voting.”

Mark Twain gave us thought provoking advice, including, “It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world, and moral courage so rare.”

Eleanor Roosevelt gave the nation a real understanding of power behind the throne. Her value system and access to the media allowed her to set a tone for the people with advice like, “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and small minds discuss people.”

Harriet Tubman offered advice for those escaping slavery, and that advice is every bit as important today. For example, her narrative, “If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.” For a successful life, keep going.

Colin Powell reached the zenith of military leadership and international politics with common language and level head. For example, he advised, “Don’t be buffaloed by experts and elites, experts often possess more data than judgment.”

We are fortunate to live in a country where everyday people rise to the levels where their words are published, and the philosophies that made them successful become advice to us all.

Rodger’s Two Cents: There Are Two Types Of Voters

I write this column with a bit of trepidation. In an era of cancel culture, taking on the subject of why Donald Trump remains popular with a large segment of the population risks alienating some potential readers. But those same people are the ones I hope to reach with this short essay.

There are two types of voters. One type votes almost exclusively on issues and policy. The second type of voter makes decisions on character and personality. Most policy voters will overlook flaws in a candidate who promotes their views and promotes policies that further those views. Personality voters will choose a candidate who they like and who they believe will do good things.

Trump is acutely tuned into the views of economic and socially conservative voters and has been willing to champion those views with policy decisions. They see the flaws in the man. They recognize his propensity for bombastic rhetoric. Most of them don’t like that, but they appreciate a candidate who is open and unafraid to take the slings and arrows of those with very different values. They know that they aren’t racist or prejudiced just because of their beliefs. Trump has become a bit of a folk hero for taking heat over the same things they believe.

Most conservatives truly believe that we are one people. They reject identity politics. They accept that none of us start on the same level but believe that we are all created equal and with that we are all challenged to make the most of what we are given. They ascribe to the belief I wrote about in my book Still Common Sense, that YOU OWN YOU, and that each of us has the ability to chart our own success. They reject the idea that somehow equality is superior to liberty.

Even evangelical voters continue to support Trump, perhaps because they believe that we are all flawed with sin, and believe that each of us can be forgiven.

I am not promoting Trump’s values, although I personally am closer to those than I am to a political philosophy that invests enormous amounts of energy in telling any citizen that the deck is loaded against them. I’ve never seen the value in telling anyone that it will be difficult to succeed. Personally, I’d like to see Donald Trump retire and take on the role of statesman for his beliefs. But until another candidate documents their commitment to the policies he promotes, perhaps with a more likeable persona, Trump’s following will be secure.

Those with differing views on policy are clear evidence of the value of liberty, the cornerstone of the constitution. Our disagreements as a people are a great strength. Anthony Bourdain said it very well, “I don’t have to agree with you to respect you.”

To the creators of vitriol-based social media, the nation is clamoring for solutions and that has always taken both sides to listen and negotiate. Ghandi once offered, “Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress.”

Rodger That: We Are Blessed

Before I met Carmen, I was content. That is different from being happy. It is different from fulfilled. I made a good living and was proud of building several successful companies. My kids would make any man proud. Among my passionate sidelines were flying, fly fishing and writing. I had written mostly political work, often for political campaign managers.

After our marriage, including an agreement that finding real joy in life would be important to our future, she looked at me and offered, “you write for politicians, you write a lot of fiction, so why not write your own?” Boom, out of a suit and into a career change.

From that moment, Carmen has been a full partner in my writing. Her daily encouragement keeps me focused. Her criticism sharpens the finished story line. Her fellowship in creative writing and education master’s degree gave her license to be my primary editor. She also helped my appreciation of faith and acceptance that as much as we would like, often we are not in charge.

Away from my office, she has become the navigator for our travels, including in our own plane. Her skills with a fly rod now challenge my own. Her engagement with our extended family helps overcome my reclusive tendencies. In short, contentment has been replaced with joy.

With that background I want you to imagine what ran through my head when she came home from a doctor’s appointment with the message, “they found two large tumors, and they cannot reach them for a biopsy.” As a cancer survivor, I wasn’t terrified, but I was aware of how similar findings disrupted my life for several years. The question, Why? ran through my mind more than once, even though I intellectually know that there is no answer to that.

On June 20, only three weeks after diagnosis, they operated, removing both tumors. One week later, in a meeting with the surgeon we got the word, both were benign. Now her only task is to recover from the surgery. And my only task is to be there and to remember that often our troubles, just like for characters in a book, help us realize how blessed we are.