books
BY MOLLY TEMPLETON
Failed Out, Fitting In
Growing up cross-culturally in Bone Worship
BONE WORSHIP, fi ction by Elizabeth Eslami.
Pegasus Books, 2010. Paperback, $15.95.
I
n plenty of coming-of-age novels,
it’s the parents you have to be patient
with. Seen from the kid’s point of
view, they’re embarrassing, hopelessly
out of date, mortifyingly inept in social
situations. In Elizabeth Eslami’s debut,
Bone Worship, Jasmine Fahroodhi’s
parents de¿ nitely have their stumbles, but
it’s Jasmine who requires your patience.
Prickly, socially awkward and friendless,
Jasmine has failed out of the University
of Chicago just before graduation. Hints
fall about speci¿ c reasons for this, but
generally, Jasmine just doesn’t get along
easily anywhere. She sulks and then
bursts into vicious sarcasm; she doesn’t
have a good grasp on small talk. More
than anything, though, she’s indecisive:
what to say, what to do, who to be. Her
Iranian father and American mother have
a simple plan for their troubled daughter’s
future: They will arrange a marriage with
an appropriate man. Jasmine tried to direct
her life in her own way and failed, so her
parents will put the pieces back together as
they see ¿ t.
Inappropriate suitors traipse through
the middle of Bone Worship, lending
themselves to comedy and awkwardness in
turns, but Eslami’s novel is too warm and
sincere to simply play misunderstandings
and moments of cross-cultural conÀ ict for
laughs. Jasmine’s parents married for love,
and they have
their reasons for
wanting something
different
for
Jasmine;
her
American mother
is often no easier
for Jasmine to
read than is her
gruff, authoritative
father, about whom
Jasmine says she
knows just seven
things. Eslami is
at her best when
Jasmine, somewhat
dreamily, begins
to expound upon
those
things,
writing
stories
in the margins
of books. The
narration
shifts,
slipping into an
almost fairy-tale cadence as Jasmine takes
a fact and leaps ahead of it, describing
details she could never know as she
imagines her father as a serious, silent
Classifieds
Page 39
child, occasionally and unintentionally
cruel. If he won’t talk about himself, she’ll
¿ nd a way to see him anyway.
When things start to wind up, Bone
Worship’s plot plays out just a touch too
neatly. A Thanksgiving dinner closes in a
tangle of unlikely timing, and Jasmine’s
gentle transformation — which, nicely,
comes about through her discovery of work
she loves as much
as it does through a
romantic prospect
— is a little on
the swift side.
Eslami is strongest
when Jasmine is
directionless, her
thoughts mostly
focused on her
parents, whom she
gradually comes
to understand and
accept. Jasmine is
the embodiment of
her family’s cross-
cultural tensions;
she can’t accept
either the arranged
marriage, in which
her decision is
made for her, or
the freedom to
choose whoever
and whatever she likes. Tentatively, messily
and satisfyingly, she ¿ nds her own way. ew
Elizabeth Eslami reads from Bone Worship at 7:30 pm
Thursday, Jan. 28, at Tsunami Books.
Page 40
Not the
Only
Dreamers
The American Library Association
holds a big press conference in
mid-January to announce award-
winning books for kids and teens,
and I followed librarian friends’
Twitter feeds from the awards
announcements. When the Sibert
medal for non¿ ction went to Tanya
Lee Stone’s Almost Astronauts:
13 Women Who Dared to Dream
(Candlewick, 2009), I pumped my
¿ st and said (both out loud and on
Twitter), “YES!!”
This book pro¿ les women in the
1960s who were not only perfectly
quali¿ ed to be astronauts but also,
in some cases, far more quali¿ ed
than the men who got the jobs.
Stone, with an excellent grasp on
making the archival record tell a
story, includes an infuriating letter
written by then-President Lyndon
B. Johnson that denied women any
chance in space. As a kid in the
1980s, I didn’t understand why Sally
Ride’s astronaut status was such a big
deal, but reading Almost Astronauts
helped me see that she truly stood
on the shoulders of giants. This is
a great book for teens, but adults
too will ¿ nd the beautifully written,
exquisitely documented history a
splendid addition to the knowledge
shelf. — Suzi Steffen
Page 41
Page 42
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AMENDED TRUSTEE’S NOTICE OF SALE
AFTER RELIEF FROM STAY
The Trustee under the terms of the Trust
Deed described herein, at the direction of
the Beneficiary, hereby elects to sell the
property described in the Trust Deed to
satisfy the obligations secured thereby.
Pursuant to ORS 86.745, the following infor-
mation is provided: 1. PARTIES: Grantor:
WYNONA J. ARENDS. Trustee: FIRST
AMERICAN TITLE INSURANCE COMPANY OF
OREGON. Successor Trustee: NANCY K.
CARY. Beneficiary: WACHOVIA MORTGAGE,
FSB fka WORLD SAVINGS BANK, FSB. 2.
RECORDING. The Trust Deed was recorded as
follows: Date Recorded: September 4, 2007.
Recording No. 2007-061756. Official Records
of Lane County, Oregon. 3. DESCRIPTION OF
PROPERTY: The real property is described
as follows: LOT 2, BLOCK 5, REPLAT OF
BLOCK 3, AMENDED PLAT OF ROSEDALE, AS
PLATTED AND RECORDED IN BOOK 10, PAGE
24, LANE COUNTY OREGON PLAT RECORDS, IN
LANE COUNTY, OREGON. 4. DEFAULT. The
Grantor or any other person obligated on
the Trust Deed and Promissory Note
secured thereby is in default and the
Beneficiary seeks to foreclose the Trust
Deed for failure to pay: Monthly payments
in the amount of $1,650.47 each, due the
first of each month, for the months of
March through September 2009; plus late
charges and advances; plus any unpaid real
property taxes, plus interest. 5. AMOUNT
DUE. The amount due on the Note which is
secured by the Trust Deed referred to
herein is: Principal balance in the amount
of $194,098.79; plus interest at the rate of
an adjustable rate pursuant to the terms of
the Promissory Note from February 1, 2009;
plus late charges of $422.64; plus advances
and foreclosure attorney fees and costs. 6.
ELECTION TO SELL. The Trustee hereby
elects to sell the property to satisfy the
obligations secured by the Trust Deed. A
Trustee’s Notice of Default and Election to
Sell Under Terms of Trust Deed has been
recorded in the Official Records of Lane
County, Oregon. 7. The Notice of Default
and original Notice of Sale stated that the
sale would be held on February 11, 2010 at
11:00 a.m, at Lane County Courthouse, 125 E.
8th Avenue, Eugene, Oregon. The original
sale proceedings were stayed by order of
the Bankruptcy Court and the stay was ter-
minated on December 7, 2009. 8. TIME OF
SALE. Date: March 4, 2010. Time: 11:00 a.m.
Place: Lane County Courthouse, 125 E. 8th
Avenue, Eugene, Oregon. 9. RIGHT TO
REINSTATE. Any person named in ORS
86.753 has the right, at any time prior to
five days before the Trustee conducts the
sale, to have this foreclosure dismissed and
the Trust Deed reinstated by payment to
the Beneficiary of the entire amount then
due, other than such portion of the princi-
pal as would not then be due had no default
occurred, by curing any other default that
is capable of being cured by tendering the
performance required under the obligation
or Trust Deed and by paying all costs and
expenses actually incurred in enforcing the
obligation and Trust Deed, together with
the trustee’s and attorney’s fees not
exceeding the amount provided in ORS
86.753. NOTICE TO TENANTS: If you are a
tenant of this property, foreclosure could
affect your rental agreement. A purchaser
who buys this property at a foreclosure
sale has the right to require you to move
out after giving you notice of the require-
ment. If you do not have a fixed-term lease,
the purchaser may require you to move out
after giving you a 30-day notice on or after
the date of the sale. If you have a fixed-
term lease, you may be entitled to receive
after the date of the sale a 60-day notice of
the purchaser’s requirement that you move
out. To be entitled to either a 30-day or
60-day notice, you must give the trustee of
the property written evidence of your
rental agreement at least 30 days before
the date first set for the sale. If you have a
fixed-term lease, you must give the trustee
a copy of the rental agreement. If you do
not have a fixed-term lease and cannot
provide a copy of the rental agreement, you
may give the trustee other written evi-
dence of the existence of the rental agree-
ment. The date that is 30 days before the
date of the sale is February 4, 2010. The
name of the trustee and the trustee’s mail-
ing address are listed on this notice. Federal
law may grant you additional rights, includ-
ing a right to a longer notice period. Consult
a lawyer for more information about your
rights under federal law. You have the right
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to apply your security deposit and any rent
you prepaid toward your current obligation
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do so, you must notify your landlord in
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tance with this matter, you may contact the
Oregon State Bar and ask for the lawyer
referral service. Contact information for the
Oregon State Bar is included with this
notice. If you have a low income and meet
federal poverty guidelines, you may be eli-
gible for free legal assistance. Contact
information for where you can obtain free
legal assistance is included with this notice.
You may reach the Oregon State Bar’s
Lawyer Referral Service at 503-684-3763 or
toll-free in Oregon at 800-452-7636 or you
may visit its website at: www.osbar.org.
Legal assistance may be available if you
have a low income and meet federal pov-
erty guidelines. For more information and
a directory of legal aid programs, go to
http://www.oregonlawhelp.org. Any ques-
tions regarding this matter should be
directed to Lisa Summers, Paralegal, (541)
686-0344. DATED: January 4, 2010. /S/
NANCY K. CARY NANCY K. CARY, Successor
Trustee, HERSHNER HUNTER, LLP , P.O. Box
1475, Eugene, OR 97440. FAIR DEBT
COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT NOTICE This
communication is from a debt collector.
Date of first publication January 14, 2010.
Date of last publication February 4, 2010
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE STATE OF
OREGON FOR THE COUNTY OF LANE
Department of Probate CASE # 50-09-27113
NOTICE TO INTERESTED PERSONS In the
Matter of the Estate of EDWARD PAUL
SENCHINA, deceased. NOTICE IS HEREBY
GIVEN that on December 18, 2009, Dorothy
M. Senchina was appointed and deemed
qualified to act as the personal representa-
tive of the above estate. All persons having
claims against the estate are hereby
required to present these claims, with
proper vouchers within four months after
the date of first publication of this notice,
as stated below to the personal representa-
tive, at 27299 Ken Nielsen Rd, Eugene, OR
97402, or sent to the personal representa-
tive, in care of Richard Huhtanen, Attorney,
142 W. 8th Ave, Eugene, OR 97401. (541) 465-
9112, or they may be barred. All persons
whose rights may be affected by the pro-
ceedings in this estate may obtain addi-
tional information from the records of the
EVENTS CALENDAR
EUGENE MARATHON PREP
MAY 2, 2010
RUN OR WALK – HALF OR FULL
MEETS SUN. 9 AM, 1/31 – 4/25, $100
KEITH MCCONNELL, Cert. ChiRunning/Walking Inst.
Just Breathe &
Village Health
!
Provides Training, Coaching, Support, Skills
For Effi ciency, Ease, Enjoyment
Free Intro: Sun. 1/24, 9 am, Eugene Running Co.
General Info: drkeithcoach.com
To register/info: drkeithcoach@msn.com
FIRE WALKING
GRAND OPENING
Saturday January 23rd
2868 Willamette St.
Refreshments & Art 1-5pm
!
Free Yoga, Nia, Thai Chi classes 8-6
541-684-3988 justbreatheeverybody.com
TAX PREPARATION
I COME TO YOUR HOME
• Available year-round
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Call: (541) 485-7447
or email: ned4taxes@gmail.com
on the web: www.ned4taxes.com
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Ned Glassman, Licensed Tax Consultant, Lic 27700C
Valentines
Day
Couples Walk
two for one special
space is limited call today
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Your event or
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for as little as $50/wk
Call Jayme or Geneva
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EUGENE WEEKLY JANUARY 21, 2010 37