States visited: California (all down the coast), Oregon (Portland only)
BOOKS
I was so eager to devour books written for an American audience (I know, I know…) that I read 7 books in about a month - a combo of ones from the “Best books of 2018” lists and “Staff picks” recommendations from local bookstores.
LIKED:
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan: So fun! A fantastical story about a strange bookstore in San Francisco. My only complaints were that it felt very 2012 - as in, weirdly adoring of all things Google/Silicon Valley, and also pretty old-school sexist (jealous boyfriend “jokes” abound).
You Know You Want This by Kristen Roupenian: The author of “Cat Person” (the viral New Yorker short story) has a new book of short stories out! It’s a strange book, but I enjoyed it. Two things you should know: She used to write mostly horror fiction (so you’ll get some weirdness in these stories), and she wanted the stories to discuss complicated power dynamics in relationships of all sorts (romantic, familial, platonic).
Educated by Tara Westover (h/t Netta): This memoir is unbelievably BONKERS; it’s hard to believe that it could be true. Westover describes her upbringing in a poor, rural, and extremist Mormon family, in which her parents forbid any of the children to go to government school or to see Western doctors. Instead, the children hunt for scrap metal; treat deep injuries with prayer, herbs, homeopathy, and “muscle testing”; and ignore dangerous mental disorders. This book recounts those misadventures, and reflects on the beauties and difficulties involved in leaving “home” to find yourself a new one. It is both shocking and incredibly relatable. There’s no way this book doesn’t get optioned to become a movie.
MIXED FEELINGS:
Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday: This book was on basically every “Best of 2018” list, so I’m embarrassed to say I don’t think I really “got” it. It’s told in two parts, one a Woody Allen-esque quirky story of a relationship between a young woman and a much, much older (as in, likely in his 70s) man; and the other about an Iraqi-American economist who gets detained at a London airport (flipping back/forth through his life, and the political relationship between America and Iraq). I suppose one is supposed to compare/contrast these two narratives, and understand how love, empathy, and power play out differently (or similarly) between the characters in each piece. It’s also a rumination in the power (or limits) of art/writing. I thought the first half was excellent, but the second half just seemed to try too hard. Anywhere, here’s the New Yorker on why the book has been a phenomenon.
DID'N’T LIKE:
There, There by Tommy Orange: This was also on many “Best of” lists. I wanted this book about contemporary, urban “Natives” (Native Americans) to be better than it was. It was from an interesting perspective, but unfortunately was neither interesting (plot- or character-wise) nor particularly lyrical/beautifully composed.
The Pisces by Melissa Broder: The Portland staff pick description of this was “I thought it’d be a fun summer beach read, but then I found it really poignant, and it’s stuck with me.” I found the first 50 pages light, airy, and laugh-out-loud funny. And then it got weirdly dark about love/sex addiction and awfully repetitive. Definitely NOT a fun beach read.
LONGFORM ARTICLES
All that book-reading hasn’t left much room for long-form, so I’m quite behind.
“What is Glitter?” (NY Times): A delightful and informative deep dive into why glitter is amazingly high-tech.
”Elwood, Illinois (Pop. 2,200) Has Become a Vital Hub of America’s New Consumer Economy. And it’s Hell.” (New Republic): The plight/future of Middle America, through the lens of warehouse logistics and consumer tax breaks. AKA why small towns need to stop giving beneficial tax breaks to massive companies entering their markets and promising job creation. (Similar story by Reply All here, on Foxconn in Wisconsin)
“Is Sunscreen the New Magarine?” (Outside ): A thought-provoking piece on the science (or lack thereof) behind doctors’ suggestions to always wear sunscreen, regardless of the season or your race. Main interesting facts to me were: (1) There’s no evidence that Vitamin D supplements do anything, despite recommendations by big institutions like the UK’s NIH, and (2) Though sun-lovers were more likely to have skin cancer, they were less likely to have malignant types / to die from the cancer vs sun-avoiders who got skin cancer. This article has actually transformed how I think about when to where sunscreen.
PODCASTERY
We’re now in the process of an epic road trip through Mexico and (part of) Central America, so there’s gonna be plenty of podcasting. Some highlights thus far:
"Relentless: How One Guy Brought the Internet to America’s Schools” (Without Fail): In general I quite like Alex Blumberg’s new interview-format show, in large part because I like him. In this case, the story and central personality in this story is also incredibly likeable.
“The Accidental Room” (99% Invisible): I can’t explain the plot of this without giving it away, but just listen to it. You’ll never be able to see a mall in quite the same way ever again.
“Frequent Flyer Miles” (Surprisingly Awesome): This is from 2016, and Gimlet has since killed this show, but it’s worth a listen because it is pretty joyous. And the story of the pudding guy is just fabulous. (Side note: I’m pretty terrible at maximizing for miles, so this recommendation is in spite of me generally not being into FF programs.)
“Beat Around the Bush: On Pubes” (The Cut on Tuesdays): Smart women talking (and joking) about pube maintenance and trends over time. Weirdly enjoyable.
“In the No” mini-series (Radiolab) (h/t Mandy): This is a FANTASTIC three-parter on what consent means, from various perspectives: a woman who feels wronged, a woman who defends men accused of sexual abuse, young college-aged men who aren’t sure what to do, and a BDSM practitioner on how that community has tried to define rules around vocalizing sexual limits/consent.
“Rom-Com” (This American Life): This whole episode was pretty great (as TAL often is), but the last story (“Act Four: You Had Me at Hello”) in particular is a cringe-worthy, great bad date story extraordinaire. Werner and I can’t stop discussing it. That story begins at 43:35, if you want to jump straight to it.