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Los Angeles Times
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
In Amy Bloom's exquisite ‘I'll Be Right Here,' Colette plays a key supporting role
Amy Bloom's exquisite 'I'll Be Right Here' is a slim volume spanning close to a century. While it's tempting to label the novel a family epic, that description would fail to capture how Bloom reconstitutes 'family' on the page, or how her chapters ricochet forward and backward from decade to decade or year to year, shifting perspective not only from character to character, but from first- to third-person point of view. These transitions, while initially dizzying, coalesce into a rhythm that feels fresh and exciting. Together they suggest that memory conflates the past, present and future, until at the end, our lives can be viewed as a richly textured tapestry of experience and recollection, threaded together by the people we've loved. The novel opens with a tableau: Siblings Alma and Anne tend to their longtime friend, who's dying. They tenderly hold Gazala's hands in a room that 'smells like roses and orange peel.' Honey — once Anne's sister-in-law and now her wife — massages Gazala's thin feet with neroli oil. 'Anne pulls up the shade. The day is beautiful. Gazala turns her face away from the light, and Alma pulls the shade back down.' Samir 'presses his hand over his mouth so that he will not cry out at the sight of his dying sister.' Later in the novel, these five will come to be dubbed 'the Greats' by their grandchildren. The scene is a foreshadow, and signals that the novel will compress time, dwelling on certain details or events, while allotting mere lines to other pivotal moments, or allowing them to occur offstage, in passing. At first this is disorienting, but Bloom's bold plot choices challenge and enrich. In 1930 Paris, a young Gazala and her adopted older brother, Samir, await the return of their father from his job at a local patisserie, when they hope to sample 'cinnamon montecaos, seeping oil into the twist of paper,' or perhaps a makroud he's baked himself. In their cold, tiny apartment, Samir lays Gazala 'on top of his legs to warm us both, and then, as the light fails, our father comes home.' The Benamars are Algerians, 'descended from superior Muslims and Christians both, and a rabbi,' their father, M., tells them. He delights in tall tales of a Barbary lion that has escaped Northern Africa and now roams the streets of Paris. Years elapse in the course of a few pages, and it's 1942 in Nazi-occupied France. One night before bed, M. Benamar shreds the silk lining from a pair of worn gabardine pants to craft a belt for his daughter. Then,'he lies down on the big mattress he shares with Samir and turns his face to the wall.' He never awakens. Now orphans — we don't know exactly how old they are — the pair must conceal that they are on their own. Samir lines up a job where their father worked, while the owner's wife finds Gazala a position as companion to a renowned writer, offering her 'up to Mme. Colette like a canape.' Colette (yes, that one!) suffers from arthritis, and is mostly bedridden. She hides her Jewish husband upstairs, while entertaining guests below. Gazala observes that her benefactor's 'eyes are slanted under the folds of her brows, kohl-rimmed cat's eyes in a dead-white face, powder in every fold and crack.' Soon, the sister and brother's paths diverge, and Gazala makes her way to New York City. It's 1947. Through Colette, Gazala has found work at a shop on Second Avenue, and sleeps in the storeroom above. Enter Anne and Alma Cohen, teenage sisters who take an instant liking to Gazala and her French accent; in short order, they've embraced her as a third sibling. Months later, there is a knock on the bakery door, and it's Samir, returned from abroad, in search of Gazala. For the rest of their lives, the nonblood-related siblings will conceal that they are lovers. Going forward, the plot zigs and zags, dipping in and out of each character's life. It's 2010 in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., where Samir and Gazala have lived together in a rambling old house for decades, maintaining appearances by keeping separate bedrooms. They are old, and Samir 'brushes her silver hair away from his lips.' She tells him she doesn't mind that he smells of the shallots in their garden. It's 1968, and Anne, by now a wife, mother and lawyer, has fallen in love with her husband Richard's sister, Honey. We glimpse their first sexual encounter after years of simmering emotions. Alma — who receives minimal attention from her author — marries a bighearted chicken farmer named Izzy, and later grieves the early loss of her husband, and the absence of children. As they grow older, the circle consisting of Gazala, Samir, Anne, Alma and Honey will grow to include Lily, Anne's daughter, and eventually Lily's daughter, Harry. Gazala and Samir take in Bea, whose parents were killed in a car accident; she becomes the daughter they never had. This bespoke family will support each of its members through all that is to come. It's 2015 in Poughkeepsie, and Gazala's gauzy figures float through her fading consciousness. Beneath the tree outside her window — 'huge and flaming gold' — sits her father, reading the paper. 'Madame pours mint tea into the red glasses.' The other Greats are gathered round. One last memory, the most cherished of all: It's 1984 and Gazala and Samir are in their 50s. He proposes a vacation in Oaxaca. 'Let's go as we are,' he whispers. At their hotel, 'they sit beneath the arches, admiring the yellow sun, the blue sky, the green leaves on the trees, all as bright as a children's drawing.' There, they freely express their love for each other. As Bloom has demonstrated throughout her stellar literary career, which began in 1993 with the publication of her acclaimed story collection, 'Come to Me,' she can train her eye on any person, place or object and render it sublime. Her prose is so finely wrought it shimmers. Again and again she has returned to love as her primary subject, each time finding new depth and dimension, requiring us to put aside our expectations and go where the pages take us. As readers, we're in the most adept of hands. Haber is a writer, editor and publishing strategist. She was director of Oprah's Book Club and books editor for O, the Oprah Magazine.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
Why can't we stop feeding monkeys? Experts explain the reasons behind a dangerous habit
We've seen it happen. For example, a visit to the Ouzoud waterfalls in Morocco's High Atlas led to an encounter with a group of nearby tourists feeding chips – supplied by the tour guide – to some waiting Barbary macaques. Pointing to a nearby sign that read 'do not feed the monkeys' was met with complaints about spoiling their fun. Scenes like this play out across the globe. Feeding wild primates is common in many countries. Scientists have spent years studying its effects on primate behaviour. But much less attention has been paid to the other side of the interaction – the people doing the feeding. Our recent research explores not just the effects on animals, but why people feed monkeys in the first place. Understanding that is essential if we want to change behaviour and keep both humans and primates safe. Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK's latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences. As tourism expands and infrastructure develops, humans and primates are living in closer quarters than ever before. Some species like macaques and baboons readily adapt to living in developed areas by foraging in rubbish bins and dumps. Habitat loss also plays a major role. The wide scale destruction of primate habitat means they come to rely on human food waste or people feeding them. In some tourism hot spots, feeding the primates, known as 'provisioning', is deliberate but regulated, ensuring tourists see the monkeys but cannot feed them. In others, tourists feed even endangered species freely, with little oversight. That's when problems arise. Uncontrolled feeding brings animals and humans into unusually close contact, and not always in welcome ways. Primates can become aggressive, resulting in bites, scratches and potential disease transmission. They may enter homes and shops, damage property, or intimidate people. Some primates even learn to beg or to steal valuables, returning them only when a food bribe is offered in exchange. When food sources suddenly disappear, this type of behaviour can escalate. For example, during the pandemic, some macaque populations in Thailand made headlines as 'gangs' that caused chaos when tourists stopped visiting. When animals are seen as a public nuisance, calls for culling or relocation often follow. Read more: Nutrition is another issue. The types of foods given to primates are usually calorie-rich and highly processed. Excess consumption of these foods can make primates obese or lead to chronic disease like diabetes. The extra calories allow some species to reproduce every year, leading to larger group sizes and compounding human-wildlife conflict. Feeding of packaged foods also results in large amounts of plastic and other litter left behind by people. New roads contribute to this problem by offering opportunities to vendors to sell food to road users. The resulting food waste can attract monkeys to the roadside where passing motorists throw them more food. This puts both people and primates at risk of road accidents. Some societies have fed monkeys for centuries and these interactions can be neutral or positive. However, many instances of people feeding primates causes negative interactions, so understanding why people feed monkeys is vital. As primate experts, we deal with the negative effects of uncontrolled monkey feeding all the time and know the complexities of this common human behaviour. Our recent review of the relevant research coupled with our own field experiences found a surprising range of motivations for why people feed primates. We found that feeding primates could be a religious obligation, a way to perform a good deed or obtain good fortune. It may be helpful in managing a person's mental health. Many people feed primates for emotional reasons like pity, or to feel a connection to the animals. At some sites, residents have a vested interest in the continued practice of monkey feeding as it provides them with an income. Tour guides often receive higher tips when they can provide close animal encounters. Bus and taxi drivers can benefit from taking tourists to sites where they can observe and feed wild primates. Read more: Attempting to stop people from feeding primates is difficult as most perceive it as an enjoyable and carefree activity. Campaigns must be carefully designed and relevant to the local context. This includes understanding why people are feeding primates in the first place. As scientists we need to better communicate the negative effects of feeding primates to a wider audience. We also need to prevent it from becoming an accepted activity, particularly in areas that could prove dangerous to both people and primates, such as roadsides. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. But talking to people who feed primates to understand why they do it is fundamental for designing effective management strategies in future. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Sian Waters is affiliated with the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group's Section for Human-Primate Interactions (SHPI) and receives funding from Artis Zoo, Amsterdam, NL Ouwehand Zoo Foundation NL Re:Wild Tracie McKinney is affiliated with the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group's Section for Human-Primate Interactions (SHPI).
Metro
11-06-2025
- Business
- Metro
'Last major hurdle' of Brexit resolved by UK over Gibraltar and Spain
The UK and EU have reached a agreement over the future of Gibraltar, solving what the government described as the 'last major unresolved issue from Brexit'. People travelling between the tiny British territory – located on the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula – and neighbouring Spain will not need to be checked under the deal. It was called a 'historic agreement' by Gibraltarian chief minister Fabian Picardo, while British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said a 'practical solution' had been secured. The Foreign Office has 'ensured Gibraltar's interests – as part of the UK family – are at the heart of this agreement', Lammy added. Half the people who work in the territory, famous for its monumental rock and Barbary apes, cross the border between Spain and Gibraltar every day. Picardo said it is now 'time to finalise the Treaty' agreed by the UK and EU following Brexit, which left the issue of the territory to be solved another day. Craig Munro breaks down Westminster chaos into easy to follow insight, walking you through what the latest policies mean to you. Sign up here. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the deal, writing on X: 'It safeguards the integrity of Schengen and the Single Market, while ensuring stability, legal certainty and prosperity for the region.' Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ Or you can submit your videos and pictures here. For more stories like this, check our news page. Follow on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here. MORE: Rachel Reeves: Ending asylum hotels by 2029 'will save taxpayer £1,000,000,000' MORE: Rough sleeping to be decriminalised with 1824 law finally scrapped MORE: Sizewell C nuclear plant gets £14,200,000,000 green light from government
Time of India
01-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Three rare-to-find endangered macaques born at Trentham monkey forest in Staffordshire
According to a BBC report, a trio of Barbary macaques which is an endangered primate species with fewer than 8,000 left in the wild has been born at Trentham Monkey Forest in Staffordshire. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The staff has described the arrival as a joyful surprise that was discovered early in the morning by head guide Anna Smith during feeding rounds. The infants were born overnight and were nestled high in the treetops. Smith called the experience of finding newborns "wonderful," adding that watching them grow is an "absolute privilege" for the team. The wide-eyed newborns are part of the dwindling global population of only 8,000 Barbary macaques that is a species currently classified as endangered. New Barbary macaque births boost hopes for endangered species The 60-acre sanctuary, which houses 140 Barbary macaques, had anticipated the births for several months. The sanctuary said newborn Barbary macaques have soft pink faces and black fur and are typically seen holding tightly to their mothers for warmth and reassurance during their first hours of life. Their births are considered a significant milestone for conservationists working to increase the Barbary macaque population. Expert views on the birth of endangered macaques Park Director Matt Lovatt explained that the sanctuary is now entering its "baby season" with six to ten births typically expected each year. He noted that the newborns will be cared for by their wider group and will begin learning the unique behaviors of Barbary macaques from day one. "We're excited to see which little one will be next," he added, "as we anticipate more arrivals in the near future." Trentham monkey forest efforts Trentham Monkey Forest partners with organizations dedicated to safeguarding wild Barbary macaques in Morocco and Algeria. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The sanctuary said its mission includes raising awareness about the species' endangered status. Barbary macaques adorable images captured Charming images capture three endangered baby Barbary macaques snuggling close to their mothers after being born high in the treetops at a UK monkey sanctuary. These adorable African primates are believed to be just a few days old when they were born at Trentham Monkey Forest in Staffordshire which is the largest primate habitat in the UK. Source: BBC Also read:
Belfast Telegraph
27-05-2025
- Belfast Telegraph
Council completes probe into ‘near miss' lion incident at Belfast Zoo but refuses to disclose details
Belfast City Council has completed its probe into a 'near miss' incident which involved a young trainee being locked in the lion enclosure last summer — but is refusing to share any details with the public due to commercial concerns among other considerations. The Belfast Telegraph has made repeated queries about the investigation that was launched in August 2024 after an individual on a training scheme managed by the Department for Communities was left in the company of a pride of Barbary lions.
