Where’s My Wand?: One Boy’s Magical Triumph over Alienation and Shag Carpeting
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- ISBN13: 9780399156557
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
Augusten Burroughs, David Sedaris, and David Rakoff have all produced winning life tale of their demented, alternately heartrending and sidesplitting late- twentieth-century American childhoods. Now, first-time leader Eric Poole joins their ranks with his chronicle of a childhood gone hilariously and heartbreakingly awry in the Midwest of the 1970s. From the age of eight through early adolescence, Poole sought refuge from his obsessive-compulsive mother, sadistic teachers, and sneering schoolyard thugs in the Scotchgarded basement of his family tree’s suburban St. Louis tract house. There, emulating his favorite TV character, Endora from Bewitched, he wrapped himself in a makeshift caftan and cast magical spells in an effort to maintain control over the rapidly shifting ground beneath his feet. But when a series of tragic events tested Eric’s longstanding belief that magic can vanquish evil, he started to question the efficacy of his incantations, embarking on a spiritual journey that led him to learn the magic that comes only from within.
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It’s the late 60’s and early 70’s. A young boy explores family tree, school and relationships and attempts to control his universe by donning an Endora-inspired cape made from an ancient bedspread, and performing magic. Not silly magic acts with playing cards and hats and rabbits, but escapist spell magick using creative visualization.
Sounds appealing and fun, right? Except…not so much. Between the shrewish, domineering, extreme mood-swinging Mother, the castrated Father and the annoying Teen Sis, this is already like a scene from my childhood! I’m not holding that against the book, I’m just adage that a childhood full of walking on eggshells so as not to disturb Mommy Dearest does not make for a fun read.
As a 70’s phile, I was further disappointed. References to makeup and television shows of the time are simply used as markers of years passing. In the first chapter, it’s 1969, with the Bewtiched references. Several chapters further and we’re watching Match Game ‘73. But so what? Our leader is gay, and there was so much fabulous gayness to the 70’s, but none of it is to be establish here. Didn’t Poole find himself identifying with Paul Lind, David Bowie, Elton John, Charles Nelson Reilly or Liberace? Accuse me of stereotyping if you must, but I like a Excellent Gay, and any homosexuals I know who grew up in the 70’s have marked their lives by identifying with these men. And if they did not identify *with* them, they were able to identify them as homosexual and thus at least have a role model of sorts, or maybe it helped them feel less alone. This Fabulous Gayness was pretty point to the 70’s. By the 80’s everyone was back in the closet, and a long gap from then until the aughts has kept most of Hollywood closeted. My point is, the “outness” of the 70’s must have been reasonably significant for this boy – where is it in the book?
The humor here is incidental, but this needs real shots of inserted LOL humor in order to be worthy of a read. We can nod in understanding with some of Poole’s experiences, but it falls flat. In fact, it feels reasonably sterile. Whether that is due to poor editing or inexperienced writing, I do not know, but this memoir does nothing to hold your interest in the leader, or his experiences.
Reader’s Rating: 2 / 5
If you are a fan of David Sedaris, particularly his autobiographical work, you might like this book, with a huge underline on might. Elsewise, skip it. More self-obsessed than Sedaris and lacking his edge, this an appealing effort, but it completely missed me.
Reader’s Rating: 2 / 5
Loved by many, “coming of age” books can sometimes follow a predictable course. There’s usually the growing realization that the world is not make-judge, followed before long by acne and school dances. Intersperse the inevitable run-in’s with bullies and teachers, round out with telling personal details and add the eventual steps into young adulthood and you have the basic recipe.
Though his own tale tends to be a bit truncated here, (from appx. age 8 to 16) Eric Poole’s “Where’s My Wand” follows a path all it’s own. His make-judge is unique, influenced by TV’s Bewitched and a huge dose of to some extent skewed religious beliefs. Poole’s childhood will be seen as far different from most and this becomes the book’s saving grace. He relates childhood events from the viewpoint of a child but with a bit of adult-view humor thrown in. From his mother’s obsession with cleanliness to his own obsession with the possibility of magic powers, Poole gives us a glimpse of what it might be like to grow up as an awkward, geeky kid who slowly but surely realizes he’s different yet still feels OK about it all.
Poole’s writing style lends itself to a quick read, I was able to end the book in a weekend. In parts, the book is humorous but missing were the type of laugh-out-loud situations which I was hoping for. It’s cute but not audacious and though the writer is touted by Tracy Ullman to be “one of the best writer’s I’ve ever met”, I didn’t find this particular example to be ground-breaking. I was a bit disappointed that the writer had chosen to stop his tale just fleeting of figuring out his own sexuality (even though there are hints early on). In fact, by the time I was 3/4ths finished, I could see he wasn’t going to take us on into adulthood and that felt like a letdown. The book ends at the high school dance, where 16-year-ancient Eric is playing in the band.
I would recommend this book as light, enjoyable reading, but don’t expect any major revelations. It’s a nice tale that is told well, but ultimately fails to be memorable in the way that “Running with Scissors” by Augusten Burroughs or “Inklings” by Jeffrey Korterba truly make it.
Reader’s Rating: 3 / 5
Poole, Eric. “Where’s My Wand? One Boy’s Magical Triumph over Alienation and Shag Carpeting”, Amy Einhorn Books/ Putnam, 2010.
A Wonderfully Read
Amos Lassen
Eric Poole is now a member of the literary elite who have written their life tale of growing up. His mother suffered from OCD, his teachers were sadistic and mistreated him and the school thugs were out to get him. He loved “Bewitched” and pretended to cast magic spells. This was how he stayed “sane”. He learned through a series of tragedies that evil is not permanently eradicated by magic and he started to question which led him to a spiritual journey where learned that there was magic inside of himself. This is Eric’s tale–irreverent and odd–of growing up in the 107-`s, before email and cell phones and when shag rugs were the rage. He grew up in the Midwest in a family tree that was not 100% all there. This is a witty tale about a nerd who pulls no stops as he tells us about his life. It sure brought back a lot of memories (hell, I could have written this book–not as well but there are many comparisons).
Eric comes to terms with family tree drama by “making miracles” with the help of “Bewitched” and a ratty bedspread turned into a robe. He tries to know and accept the fact that he is not like the others and when his friend Stacey comes along, he finally realizes what friendship is. Stacey was born lacking arms but she still champions Eric. After a serious bus crash, Eric is forced to face reality and he manages to survive.
Eric must also face the fact that he is gay even while his father tries to male a man out of him.
Eric Poole is a amusing, amusing man and his book, a collection of autobiographical essays is perfect for providing laughs. He remembers what it is like to be young and innocent and he keeps the reader laughing. The characters are incredible and very, very real. Eric takes us to a world that can be cruel and unfair but he survives it and triumphs. It was not simple to grow up gay in the 70’s but Eric managed and we are all that much better because he did.
While a bit on the light side, it is well-written and engaging. Eric tells us tales but he doesn’t tell us all that was happening. I really want to know more of how he thought and what he was thinking as well as how he managed to renovate resilience and survive such a hard childhood like his Today he would have been sent to a child psychiatrist and be labeled. As a replacement for he stood up for himself.
Reader’s Rating: 4 / 5
Yes, the David Sedaris comparisons are apt, but this really reminded me in many positive ways of Freaks and Geeks – Poole has a wonderful way of telling a amusing, Sedaris-like memoir, but he gets at the sadness and emotion far better than Sedaris does.
As regularly as you get fantastic lines like “As a member of the Royal Ambassadors, the Baptist church group for boys, I was charged with a number of vitally vital duties on behalf of Jesus, who was rumor has it that swamped and needed some part-time help,” you get moments where Poole’s alienation and difference are touchingly real – the girl in class who only talks to him when she has a question about her gay brother, the way he performs “magic” to get Stacy, born with no arms but a fighting spirit he lacks, to be his friend, the boy he falls for and his desperation to impress him.
Probably better read in tiny doses, as it’s more a series of essays than a cohesive whole, but amusing and touching in equal measure.
Reader’s Rating: 4 / 5