Love and Trouble, Monsters, House Lessons, The American Idea of Home
I’ve been meaning to do a roundup of nonfiction I’ve read in the last few months. Some of these books were read with the intent of observing format and style for my own writing, but the subject matter is fascinating too. So, win-win. (I mean, could you have an interestingly written book about something boring? Of course. But it wouldn’t come across as boring. Therein lies the quandary…)
Turns out that I’ve been reading more nonfiction than ever (for me), so I’ll divide this in (maybe 4?) parts.
Here we go. Part 1:
Love & Trouble (Claire Dederer) — This is actually a re-read for me. It’s marketed as the author’s exploration and analysis of her romantic life starting as a pre-teen all the way up to her middle-aged marriage. That sounds navel-gazey — and some people might think it is — but I’d argue it’s just a springboard. I love Dederer’s meandering style, especially when she starts dissecting Seattle. She’s a bit older than I — and grew up in the city as opposed to my across-Lake-Washington childhood — but she really nails the whole scene in an IYKYK kinda way.
Monsters (Claire Dederer) — How do we make sense of good art produced by people who have done bad things? This one feels like an outgrowth of the above because her obsession with the Roman Polanski trial plays in both. This question is the “point” of the book, but Dederer is sort of finger painting here…before you know it, the picture has expanded, and you’re reading her thoughts on the role of a culture critic.
The American Idea of Home: Conversations about Architecture and Design (ed. Bernard Friedman) — I checked this one out because Meghan Daum wrote the foreword, but in the end that was beside the point. I’m obsessed with people’s living spaces and how they are thoughtfully designed (or not), and if you are too, then you should find this one.
House Lessons (Erica Bauermeister) — I LOVE this book. (Also a re-read.) You like architecture/renovation and how that interplays with lived experience? Here you go. Bonus points for another PNW setting (Seattle/Port Townsend). PS: Erica — along with Karen Karbo — joined me for a virtual event with The Wayside Inn a few years ago. She’s the best.
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