pickHanif‘s poetry and essays have a way of cutting straight to your heart without you realizing it. On the surface he‘s talking about music and critiquing concerts he‘s attended. But when you dig deeper, he‘s processing his life events: deaths, exclusion, crushes, and so much more. He‘s walking us through the ways music can make us feel connected to both ourselves, who we‘ve been in the past, and the people who have helped shape us. It‘s beautiful.
bailedI couldn‘t connect with this on audio. I think because multiple essays/authors share readers, and it messed with my mind. I may try again in print sometime, but for now it‘s a DNF.
"I have indeed lived nominally fifty years, but deduct out of them the hours which I have lived to other people, and not to myself, and you will find me still a young fellow. For that is the only true Time, which a man can properly call his own - that which he has all to himself; the rest, though in some sense he may be said to live it, is other people's Time, not his.”
- The Superannuated Man, by Charles Lamb
pickFiction and non fiction collected from Marina Keegan‘s published works after her untimely death.
This was lovely. Her nonfiction essays were stronger for me, and I desperately wish more of her poetry was included. Her voice is compassionate and attentive. And I wish we could have seen what she would have done. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
pickAfter enjoying Koul‘s first book, I was excited to dive into her sophomore book of essays. It did not disappoint. Primarily focusing on her marriage &divorce, Koul also touches on other serious topics such as sexual assault, her mother‘s cancer, & the way society tends to treat women of color. Even with these topics, Koul does not lose the humor I‘ve come to know from her writings which combined creates an honest, sometimes raw look into her life.
#5JoysFriday
1) Opening season soccer game-we won ! #hartfordcityfootballclub
2) lily of the valley blooming in my yard ( the one day we had no rain this week)
3)Em-cat waits patiently for me to come to bed every night-nestles on my pillow
4) books!!!!
5) coffee always!
pickI had never read anything by this author, although he has published extensively. This is a surprisingly uplifting in life, affirming book, and I will probably seek out his other nonfiction.
pickAgain so in awe of an author's prowess that I'm scrambling to come up with the words to properly praise their writing.
There is no better way to understand Gay's skill than reading her essays (articles? These were all originally published in column form) first hand. This is a marvelous collection for any attention span as most entries are around three pages and none over ten. 1/?
pickWhat a great essay collection! I loved the way Mester featured her eccentric grandmother (and relationship with her son/Mester‘s father) in the beginning, middle, and then end of the book to display different aspects of “excess”. There‘s an essay on “fat camp”, the American mall, wealth, sweepstakes, the Midwest, boarding school, and much more that had me entertained during work. Recommended for my fellow essay enthusiasts!
“We went wherever the day took us.“
Best kind of plan sometimes is to have no plans and wander.
