~Bill Holm: Minnesotan of Icelandic heritage, poet, essayist,
teacher, writer-in-summer-residence of Hofsós.~
teacher, writer-in-summer-residence of Hofsós.~
My first introduction to Bill Holm was a paperback that I happened upon at 17.5 Cafe, which had a small used bookstore in addition to good coffee. Seldom has $6.50 led to so much enjoyment. This book was the beginning of Iceland on the Brain for me, which I can date to early 2002, when Jonathan was working at 17.5. Unfortunately I can't provide the day and time.
Holm taught English and literature to Chinese teachers at a polytechnical college in Xi'an. Holm observed, laughed, cried, made friends, suffered, got sick, and got an education at the same time that he was educating others. Isn't that the way it is?
His book is structured alphabetically--which is crazy, because there is no alphabetizing the Chinese language! But Holm's way of thinking, looking at things, and expressing himself, while idiosyncratic, is certainly not crazy. His alphabet chapters are a way of structuring some of what he learned and observed while living in China...they tell of his abhorrence for the politicians and the bureaucracy, and of his admiration and affection for the people he met. Each chapter is a microcosm of Chinese society, an anecdote of his life there, or both.
I'll leave you to discover the joys of E for erhu (which I had never heard of but came to love), U for underwear, and B for book smuggling.
When I read this book for the first time, I was intrigued by "I for Iceland". Holm uses the visit of his Icelandic friend Wincie to introduce Iceland, and to discuss differences and commonalities in China and Iceland. He is particularly eloquent in describing language and books:
...Chinese and Icelanders share an archaic impractical language, and an old literature. They are tribes of poets...That poetry gets them through the poverty with at least part of a soul intact and gives them insufferable pride, self-centeredness, even arrogance, that they also share.After reading this chapter I wondered: what kind of books do Icelanders write? And that was the beginning.
Thank you, 17.5 Cafe. Thank you, Bill Holm.
