C18 books thisweek reviews Readings &signings on LI To day Fanfare TheafterlifeofAuschwitz East Quogue resident Vito Gentile reads from and find out what happened to his signs his IN PARADISE, by Peter mother, who sent him to the book, “Fifty Matthiessen. Riverhead, but did not Poems About 256 pp., $27.95. make it herself. There’s a Spring” romantic thread involving (August First BY MARION WINIK Olin and the nun, and troubled Arts). At Special to Newsday back stories for several others. 2p.m., Unfortunately, the plot Quogue Library, 90 Quogue St., oward the end of the proceeds somewhat mechani- Quogue, 631-653-4224, late Peter Matthies- cally, revealed through quoguelibrary.org sen’s novel “In Para- summary and contrived Tdise,” Clement Olin, a conversations. As aresult, “In 55-year-old American academ- Paradise” is not fully realized Tu esday AGES/ JACEK BEDNARCZYK

ic, takes one last look around IM as anovel. But it provides rare Actress Alicia Silverstone the grounds of Auschwitz- insight into the dark magne- ETTY

discusses and Birkenau, where he has been /G tism of abrutal landmark.

signs her on atwo-week retreat with a AFP What drives asurvivor to book “The group of 140, including “In Paradise” explores the powerful attraction of Auschwitz. return? What inspires conflict- Kind Mama: descendants of both perpetra- ed visitors to join hands in ASimple tors and survivors. He imag- weaves several skeins of plot. and committed suicide after spontaneous dancing? The Guide to ines the not-too-distant day Olin is investigating the life his release. Olin has apersonal fiction’s flaws are balanced by Super- when the land is reclaimed by and death of Polish writer quest, too, as his Protestant Matthiessen’s courage and charged commerce and time: Tadeusz Borowski, areal family emigrated from atown clarity in addressing this topic Fertility, a “The last barracks, the last figure who was interned there outside the camp. He hopes to —signal virtues of his career. Radiant Pregnancy, aSweeter guard post, all that barbed Birth, and aHealthier, More wire and broken brick, will AN APPRECIATION Beautiful Beginning” (Rodale be stripped off and scav- Books). At 7p.m., Book Revue, enged ...the weather will 313 New York Ave., Huntington, transform the ash pits into 631-271-1442, bookrevue.com lily ponds, and fresh mead- Natural world loses afriend ows will be suitable once more for butterflies, wildflow- BY STEVE PARKS margins by the Hamptons’ Wednesday ers, children’s voices, Sunday [email protected] boom. “Men’s Lives” pre- Sag Harbor resident Mac Gris- strolling, picnics, trysts. ... miered at Bay Street Theatre wold reads Even its picturesque old eter Matthiessen in 1992 and was revived for from and name, Brzezinka, can only experienced the the Sag Harbor company’s signs copies enhance the marketing poten- world, up close and 20th anniversary. of her book P personal, in away tial of the grand development “Peter was an inspiration “The Manor: to follow. The Birches? River few of us ever will. And for for me,” says Pintauro, who Three Centu- Meadows? And what will the last half of his life, he attributes his Zen-Buddhism, ries at aSlave happen to its strange power?” made the East End of Long in part, to Matthiessen’s Plantation” Island his home —when- influence. Of “Men’s Lives,”

(Farrar To capture that “strange ever he chose to stay put. RVIN he said, “For Peter, it was a Straus Giroux). At 11 a.m., Free- power” was the last literary Matthiessen, whose final GI book that had to be written — NDA

port Library, 144 W. Merrick Rd., task undertaken by this three- book —“In Paradise,” anovel LI the destruction of livelihoods, 516-379-3274, time —was released last week, The East End was home for the rapid buying up of land, freeportlibrary.info winner who lived in Sagapon- died April 5athis Sagapon- Peter Matthiessen. changing everyman’s Arcadia ack. (Matthiessen died at 86 ack home of leukemia into asuburb.” Wading River author Jody on April 5.) Based on the complications. He was86. Conference, where he, along Matthiessen’s life and Mitchell discusses and signs author’s experiences leading Athree-time National Book with such luminaries as E.L. career was, however, about copies of her self-published Buddhist retreats at Aus- Award winner, Matthiessen Doctorow, , much more than man’s book “Angels and Ogres.” At chwitz, the novel explores had the singular distinction of John Guare, Frank McCourt, relationship to the natural 6:30 p.m., Riverhead Library, 330 anti-Semitism, nationalism, earning that prize for both Joe Pintauro and world. In the 1950s, he and Court St., Riverhead, 631-727- the human capacity for evil fiction and nonfiction. He led graduate master classes. fellow American expatriates 3228, riverheadlibrary.org and the role of art, mostly as won twice, in 1979 and 1980, Jones is the daughter of co-founded the Paris Re-

newsday.com debate topics among the for “The Snow Leopard,” his “” view, aliterary journal that characters. Olin’s compan- account of an expedition to author James Jones, who, also served as cover for his Thursday ions are afeisty group, includ- the Himalayas in search of with Matthiessen, was part of moonlighting with the CIA, Award-winning screenwriter ing aprofane provocateur the endangered cat. In 2008, apost-World War II coterie spying on suspected Ameri- Trish Doolan named Earwig, atroubled he won for “Shadow Coun- of authors who mingled in can Communists. speaks and nun, and aSwedish biologist, try,” an 890-page revision of a Manhattan and the East End. But writing was Matthies- signs her all gathered under the leader- trilogy about afictional sugar- Pintauro, who lives in Sag sen’s devotion. “I am awrit- self-pub- ship of Ben Lama, “a genial, cane autocrat in frontier-era Harbor, adapted Matthies- er,” he said in a1999 Paris lished novel, bearded, near-bald psycholo- Florida. sen’s nonfiction “Men’s Lives: Review interview. “A fiction “The Singing gist left over from the flower- His local imprint was most The Surfmen and Baymen of writer who also writes Gardener.” power days of apsychedelic directly felt in his longtime the South Fork,” as aplay. nonfiction on behalf of social At 7p.m., California youth.” participation in the Long Based on Matthiessen’s and environmental causes or Book Revue, To connect the philosophi- Island University hands-on work as awater- journals about expeditions 313 New York Ave., Huntington, cal questions and the crew of Southampton (now Stony man, it portrayed the lives of to wild places ...Yet, Iam

NEWSDAY, SUNDAY, APRIL 13, 2014 631-271-1442, bookrevue.com characters, Matthiessen Brook Southampton) Writers fishermen shunted to the energized by fiction.”