
READ ALL ABOUT IT
Since 2012, I’ve been writing about books. And the act of reading. And the importance of story and narrative. But, mostly, the underlying theme of all I write is how taking a moment to stop and digest some longform text — instead of scrolling, instead of watching a video, instead of multitasking — can be one of the most grounding things we can do for ourselves. Here’s the one-stop online home for all this writing.
You can read more about me and my work by moseying over here. Want to peruse periodic “essay drops” — excerpts from my work-in-progress essay collection about Homesickness? Here ya go.
Happy All the Time
Like a classic New Yorker cartoon. Or an older Woody Allen film, à la Hannah and Her Sisters or Annie Hall. Throw a Wendy Wasserstein play in there too. If that's your thing!
At the Bottom of the River
I cannot stand winter in the Northeast US. I don’t mind the cold (rather like it, actually), don’t mind the snow (love, it actually), it’s not like I have seasonal affective disorder and need to move to Florida (no) or get a special lamp. Rather, I just really, really dislike the grey-ness and I really, really, really dislike the barren trees that all look dead. “Look at that marsh over there,” says Matt with an admiring tone on our drive. “You mean the one with what looks like toothpicks sticking out of it?” I think. Pass! Sorry to offend any diehard NE’ers here, but well...
A Book Prize From Those Behind Bars: Goncourt des détenus
As always, I’m spending too much brain space on this notion of celebrities becoming book pushers. So this NYT article from a couple of weeks ago was a nice change-up. The Prix Goncourt is France’s version of the Booker or the Pulitzer, but in some ways it might be more akin to being bestowed the Oprah stamp of approval: The monetary prize is only €10, but the payoff in book sales is considerable.
Library or Police Station in McFarland?
Whooooo… (Picture me whistling in an ‘oh boy’ kind of way, not that I know how to do that). I picked up this article the other day. It’s part of the New York Times’ “Across the Country” series. In this installment, a reporter goes to McFarland, California, a migrant farming community. The Police Department needs more space, and it’s eyeing the public library. Not surprisingly, conflict has ensued. The library of course offers services beyond checking out books: “Perhaps more so than in wealthier places with more options, the library serves a vital role. On average, 200 to 250 people come through the doors daily.” And many would agree that communities need effectively staffed and resourced police departments. McFarland, in particular, is seeing higher crime rates and an uptick in violent gang activity.
Spotify, Apple, and Audiobooks
Separate from Elon Musk and his sink, here’s some other tech news: Spotify wants to jump aboard the audiobook revolution, but Apple is playing gatekeeper.
Jane Austen and the Pursuit of Status
Amanda Taub and Max Fisher write a column for the NYT called “The Interpreter,” which gives context and analysis allowing the reader to — ta da! — interpret current events. Occasionally, Taub does a dispatch called “What I’m Reading” and gives people some tips on (nonficition) books that provide more in-depth knowledge to stories that she’s reporting. For instance, in early August her “What I’m Reading” version of the column had the subhed “The seismic shifts of the 1960s are still reverberating in the Democratic Party”; in the body of the column, she gave some examples of books that helped illuminate this theme. (If you’re interested, they included The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration, by Isabel Wilkerson and Racial Realignment: The Transformation of American Liberalism, 1932-1965, by Eric Schickler.)
Read Like the Wind
I’m really enjoying the new-ish “micro column” ‘Read Like the Wind,’ penned by Molly Young and appearing each week in the NYT Sunday Magazine. In it, Young “recommends old and new books.” Which is very to-the-point, as is the format: Quick summations and breezy — not to mention interesting — “read if you like” comparisons. None of this generic “If you like hot-book-of-the-month, you’ll like…” No, it’s more like, Read if you like… “cryptic crossword puzzles” … “suffering from an inability to link cause and effect” … “eavesdropping” … or “the film My Dinner With Andre.”
Graywolf Press
Once in a while I post about the publishing industry. (Most recently Aug. 3, July 7, July 17, June 29…) To sum it up rather simplistically: There are 5 (maybe one day 4?) dominating publishing houses that put out so much of what we read. Publishing has a “diversity” problem. And there are definitely people trying to make things more accessible.
Minor Feelings + Dictee
I love logic, facts, clear arguments. But when you’re exploring something that doesn’t fit in neat and tidy categories — such as, say, a person or an identity — simple and straightforward doesn’t necessarily work.
Barnes and Noble Appreciation Post
⚡️📚Barnes & Noble Appreciation Post ⚡️📚
An (Expected!) Boom of Diverse Bookstores
“Diverse Bookstores See a Boom No One Was Expecting.” Strange headline, but I’ll get to that in a sec. Here’s the subhed: “Over 300 bookstores have opened in the past couple of years — a revival fed by demand for ‘real recommendations from real people.’”
TikTok and Bestsellers
I like TikTok. Unlike Snapchat — which my friend Rebekah and I decided to investigate in 2015 and which resulted in me texting her, “I think I just accidentally sent you a picture of a plant across from me in the orthodontist waiting room” — I’ve stuck with TikTok. (No, I’m not trying to pretend that I’m not 46. Spin it this way: I want to remain as “tech-aware” as I can until the day I die.)
Can Books Start a New Chapter?
Excellent cover story in Sunday’s NYT Magazine. “Can Books Start a New Chapter? For generations, America’s major publishers focused almost entirely on white readers. Now an effort is underway to open up the industry.”
Mixing Culture and Politics
“They think you cannot mix culture and politics. I said: Maybe *you* cannot. I can!” – Andrey Kurkov
Preserving the Books in Trinity’s Old Library
One of my favorite things to see in Dublin is the Book of Kells, which is housed in the library at Trinity College Dublin.
It Appears That Celebrities and Wedding Guests Love Books
Is giving books out as wedding favors an awesome idea? Yes, yes, it is. (Thanks, Holly, for sharing this article with me!) Couples having a “book bar,” couples creating book centerpieces, couples giving out books to each guest. I love it all. Especially because — to paraphrase the subhed — if books appeal to celebrities, then they will certainly appeal to your wedding guests. 😎🤔
Plagiarists Keep On Keepin’ On
We heard about this on ‘Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!’ yesterday while driving, but here’s a screenshot of a blurb about it from the New York Times.
RAWTS: Amy’s Take on The Overstory
Well, I cried.
RAWTS: Matt’s Take on The Overstory
The Overstory is a book about trees...an incredibly beautiful & well-researched book that weaves plant science through everything, painting the background for the individual narratives driving the plot line as well as being the plot itself. The book follows the lives of numerous characters—scientists, professors, engineers, lawyers, etc—and how their lives intersect, mostly related to some interest in trees.
