Double Dippers

            I used to wonder why I sucked at so many things and why some people were amazing at practically everything they attempted. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized that very few people were truly exceptional at more than one thing. That doesn’t stop people from trying though. Pretty much every celebrity has tried their hand at something outside their expertise. More often than not, these efforts are major flops and often times lead to hilarious results, as with Shaquille O’Neil’s rap album or Mariah Carey’s acting.

            But there are a few who do this with some success. Here are some celebrities that have crossed over into the world of literature without making complete fools of themselves. Some of these are older, but have maintained their status on my bookshelves. They are, in my opinion, successful double-dippers.

Fiction

Shopgirl by Steve Martin

This is a poignant and compelling novella about a young lady who sells gloves at an expensive department store. We are taken through Maribel’s idle life as a bit of a wallflower and her confusing love life as she balances relationships with a middle-aged millionaire and a nerdy and socially awkward suitor.

Martin has written a few other novels since Shopgirl, including The Pleasure of my Company and An Object of Beauty, but in my opinion this is his best work. His characters are vibrant and real.

Non Fiction/Autobiography

Scar Tissue by Anthony Keidis

I am a bit biased here as a big fan of the Chili Peppers, but this was a very interesting autobiography. I don’t think you can make up the kinds of stories you find in this book. Besides getting a pretty cool look at the formation of the band through his point of view, you also get memorable stories of Keidis shooting up in a diner with a six foot tall transvestite with a mustache. Keidis is very honest about his past addiction and mistakes he made in his life.

I Before E

Except after C!

Pass Your Homework Up

This is my classroom. Welcome. I am a high school English teacher working in Southern California. I love what I do. It is a rewarding career. I love that I get to share great pieces of literature with wonderful students.

I am adding this section as an informational resource for teachers, a fun way to express what goes on in the school setting, and to vent about the frustrations we all have with our education system. Glad you can join me. Please pass your homework up. 

Welcome to Tuesdays

Although I have already posted a few things on this page, I neglected to introduce myself. My name is Cesar Castellanos. I would like to welcome you to Tuesdays with Yoda. The name is an homage to one of my favorite books, Tuesdays with Morrie, and to the smartest little green dude in a galaxy far far away.
This page was created to share information and anecdotes about life, film, literature, and various other interests. My intentions when creating TWY was to give myself a place to reflect. We spend so much of our lives preparing for the next phase that we often forget to be introspective. I know that I am very guilty of this at times. I make constant lists and goals for myself. I do this to the point of giving myself panic attacks and headaches because I create a world of expectations that no one could meet.
I have learned over the years to slow down. I should have listened to Ferris Beuller's advice, but I was too young to realize what he meant. At least I have my wife to keep me in check and tell me when to calm the fuck down. A verbal splash of water to the face and I am back to normal.
This, getting back to the point, is my opportunity to reflect on a minimal scale and an opportunity to be introspective. I am not sure how much I can contribute to humanity or what I can say that hasn't already been said, but I do know that it is important to have something to share with the world that you can be proud of. Welcome to my world, wipe your feet before you enter.

Espresso

By Cesar Castellanos

            I was eighteen years old when I tried espresso for the first time. Coffee was nothing new to me. I come from a Mexican household where cafecito con leche was a daily ritual since I was about twelve. Espresso, on the other hand, was an unexplored world of coffee that I only saw twenty-somethings on tv drinking as they prepared for meetings with high profile clients. It was a bit of a step up from the Folgers world that I was accustomed to.

            I remember hanging out in the University coffee shop during the first semester of my freshman year. It was a rainy fall afternoon. I was alone, as I often was in college. My friends were either in class or had gone home. I hadn’t met any new friends because meeting new people because I suffer from a rare case of awkward-moment-syndrome. On this particular afternoon I thought I would be daring and try something new. Isn’t that what college was supposed to be for? I’m pretty sure people have a different meaning when they talk about experimenting during college, but for me a new type of coffee was equivalent to losing my inhibitions.

            I nervously approached the barista and ordered a double espresso as if I knew what I was talking about. She read right through me. “Espresso for Cesar!” they shouted as my drink was ready. Great, now everyone knew that I was a tool. I picked up the cup and noticed that it felt empty. I looked inside, only to find about two ounces of black sludge at the bottom. Surely there had been a mistake, but it was too late to turn back. I hunched my way into a corner with my experimental drink. It was time. Passed the lips and through the gums. And almost back from whence it came. The bitterness made my face convulse. In a scientific anomaly my face cringed and expanded at the same time. I forced the sludge down. I decided to stick with my standard cafecito. 

The Cesar Chavez Effect

By Cesar Castellanos

            There is a new biography in stores this week. It tells the tale of tough and draconian leader who used organized crime to accomplish his goals. This biography takes what we thought we knew about a man, and gives us the dark background of accomplishments. This book, and the controversy it will stir up, will probably sell very well.

There is also new film premiering this weekend. The protagonist of the film is a strong, courageous hero that stands up for what he believes in and saves thousands of people. He is more than a hero, as he transcends those clichés. He is a folk legend and cultural icon. Yet, I have a feeling that very few people outside the southwestern part of the United States will even recognize his name, let alone watch the film. That is a shame.

            The film is Cesar Chavez. It was directed and produced by critically acclaimed duo Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal (Y Tu Mama Tambien, Amores Perros). The film chronicles the life of Cesar Chavez who led an American civil rights movement for migrant workers. Chavez was a labor organizer who is famously known for his nonviolent means of protest, including fasting for 25 days to bring awareness to the social injustices that many migrant workers faced. It is advertised as telling the tale of an American hero.

            The biography is The Crusades of Cesar Chavezby Miriam Pawel. This biography ignores the “hero” label we have placed on Chavez, and examines the dark shady side of the Union’s battle for the farmworkers movement. Pawel exposes several flaws in our hero including his stance against illegal immigration, his involvement with bribing police officers, and his connection to vigilante hooligans who worked for him. Pawel also reports first-hand accounts on how Chavez proclaimed himself “king” and You know, typical union stuff.