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| 1534323864
| 9781534323865
| 1534323864
| 4.19
| 10,520
| Nov 09, 2022
| Nov 15, 2022
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liked it
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TRIGGER WARNINGS: SUICIDE [image] This is a dark comic by Zoe Thorogood, a British artist who was 23 at the time of publication. She is suffering from d TRIGGER WARNINGS: SUICIDE [image] This is a dark comic by Zoe Thorogood, a British artist who was 23 at the time of publication. She is suffering from depression and has been since she was 14. She chronicles six months of her life, including going to a convention and meeting/staying with an American artist she has kind of idealized and developed a crush on. [image] Her images and drawings are quite beautiful and poignant, although the subject matter is very dark. I think Thorogood is talented. However, the 'plot,' such as it is, is disjointed and I would not recommend this to a person looking for a traditional structure. [image] TL;DR Would I recommend this? It's dark and beautiful. I would warn people that it deals with the topics of suicide and clinical depression. Thorogood depicts her depression as a huge black monster (kind of reminiscent of Hiyao Miyazaki's art) following her around and being her constant companion. [image] Her philosophy, her illustrations, and her worldview are IMO worth taking a look at if you can handle the subject material. [image] The book isn't really "about" anything, so if you can stifle those expectations, you will enjoy it more. [image] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 16, 2023
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Oct 16, 2023
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Oct 16, 2023
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Paperback
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| B0DN8P36KJ
| 3.74
| 70,050
| Jun 06, 2023
| Jun 06, 2023
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it was amazing
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I could not detect myself. I didn't transform into me - the me I knew I was - like the other boys did. I was desperate to wake up from this bad dream,
I could not detect myself. I didn't transform into me - the me I knew I was - like the other boys did. I was desperate to wake up from this bad dream, my reflection making me increasingly ill. Closing my eyes I'd find the memories, the moments of euphoria, of witnessing myself, praying I'd find that again. pg. 144 Probably the most surprising thing about this memoir is how well-written it is. I read a lot of memoirs, celebrity and otherwise, and many people have something to say. However, just because you have something to say does not mean you can write. Page can write. The book is not only well-constructed, it's poetic. It stands on its own as a book. You may be reading in order to gain insight on Page or the transgender experience, but the book is actually crafted solidly. Page does not tell his story in a linear way: first this happened, then this happened, and then this happened. Instead, you are moving through his life journey in a time-jumping yet organic and understandable way. It takes skill. And it's surprisingly poetic. Seems like Page is a poetic guy. It's intriguing. Page comes off as a compassionate, empathetic, kind and straightforward person in this book. There's definitely no bullshit nor sugar-coating, don't expect Page to pull punches with this. If you cannot handle frank and bald discussions of sex, rape, bodily functions (a lot of Page's thinking is done on the toilet LOL), abusive family relationships, eating disorders etc. etc. then skip this book. Page isn't going to hold your hand. Page is also (relatively) honest about his faults. He talks frankly about his fuckups, how he hurt girlfriends of his in relationships by being passive aggressive etc. "Mom, I think I may be gay - " "That doesn't exist!" she yelled before I'd completed the word. My body sank in the passenger seat, the air sucked from me. pg. 127 Any reader with compassion is going to be frustrated and enraged a lot of the time with how Page is treated by others. Due to a toxic family environment, he's kind of trained to go along with anything and not say 'no' nor express his true feelings. This leads to a lot of people taking advantage of him and abusing him. Despite my feelings of sorrow for him and his situations, and my anger at his many abusers, sometimes I just wanted to reach through the book and shake him, order him to stand up for himself. The book is about how he is eventually able to do that after decades by transitioning and also distancing himself from some toxic people in his life. "I've already dealt with my issues," he said before pulling away. "I think I'm gay," I said once while we were fucking. Closed off, disassociated, not even performative. "No you're not," he responded, continuing with the pumps. pg. 80 This isn't only an exploration of transgenderism, it's about lesbianism, living with toxic family members, coping with celebrity, struggling to survive anorexia, and being a rape survivor. Page also deals with a lot of harassment not only in real life but online. I can only imagine. A lot of this is painful to read about. The thought of confronting him, setting any boundary at all, made me feel like I was going to shit blood. pg. 155 Page's skill in writing makes these topics jump off the page. He does a great job at putting you in a transgendered person's mind - something that is sorely needed in this day and age. Many people simply cannot begin to understand transgender topics and people. Reading books like this can help. He's also quite talented at putting you in the mind of an anorexic. If you've ever wondered what struggling with an ED is like or what life with anorexia is like, this is an excellent and poetic illustration of it. Even though two topics are the ones that are highlighted in my mind (transgenderism and anorexia nervosa), you can also say this about many other topics. Rape, sexual assault. Dealing with toxic and abusive family members. Dealing with a society that hates you simply for existing. Trying to date men while pretending you are a straight woman, trying to date women while you pretend you are a lesbian... there's endless topics here, all bleeding into each other and each affecting the other. I resent that we were cheated out of our love, that beautiful surge in the heart stolen from us. I am furious at the seeds planted without our consent, the voices and the actions that made our roads to the truth unnecessarily brutal. pg. 179 He's very well-read, often talking about books he's read, and it's obviously affected his writing for the better. I can't help but think the plethora of books he's read informed this book. He's fond of quoting Vonnegut. Playing a character that was partially starved to death allowed me to lean in to my desire to disappear, to punish myself. ... I'll prove to you all that I need nothing. The little voice would brag with a creak of a side smile. pg. 78 The sheer essence of anorexia nervosa shines through this book. Page is able to illuminate anorexia in a poetic way. I think this book will not only really, really help people struggling to understand transgendered people, but also cast light on a lot of anorexic thought processes that are not very well known. I could see parents struggling to understand their anorexic daughter (or son) being enlightened by some of the stuff Page discusses in here. "I'm going to fuck you to make you realize you aren't gay. I'm going to lick your asshole. It is going to taste like lime. You're not gay," he slurred. He kept describing how he was going to fuck me, touch me, lick me. How he liked to pity fuck women. I don't know why I didn't demand he leave, ask for people to do more than "Yo, leave her alone." Some of my closest friends were there, witnessing it. Power works in funny ways. He was, and still is, one of the most famous actors in the world. pg. 66 The number of times Page is attacked in this novel is going to shock most people. Attacked sexually (sometimes raped), attacked on the street by gaybashers, attacked by people in Hollywood for being lesbian (and later transgender) - the amount of vitriol hurled at Page is shocking. He could be doing something like walking down the street to get a coffee and he is assaulted by a person screaming "FAGGOT!!! FAGGOT!!!" at him. Oftentimes in this book I was in fear for his life, even though obviously if he's writing this, he must be alive. It's really shocking and eye-opening to readers who are cisgender and straight. The number of times he is cold-approached as a lesbian and informed he is "not a lesbian, lesbians don't exist" by men is appalling and disgusting. The verbal abuse alone is atrocious. Reading this book can be upsetting. Please be warned: CONTENT WARNINGS: Rape, sexual assault, abuse by both family members and random people, anorexia nervosa (maybe avoid reading this unless you are secure in your remission), verbal abuse, manipulation, people taking advantage and hurting Page, emotional abuse, self-harm. TL;DR I would definitely recommend this book. I really did not expect it to be this good. Forgive me, but a lot of memoirs are shit. Even if people have a gripping topic to talk about, they cannot write worth a damn. Luckily for everyone, Page can write. The book is gripping and emotional. Page writes deftly and with a poetic strength. My only caveat would be the trigger warnings I mentioned - this book could be really upsetting for a whole bunch of people on a whole bunch of different topics. Please check where you are mentally before picking this up. That being said, it's very enlightening. On a variety of topics. Definitely worth reading. It can open your mind. The thing I really love about books is getting other people's perspectives and stepping into other people's lives. Page really allows you in. Many celebrity memoirs are cagey, tight-lipped, or sugar-coated. It was really refreshing that Page is none of those things. He's truly bare and raw in this book. I think it's a boon, not only for the queer community but for anyone looking for insight into walks of life they struggle to grasp. I would definitely read another book by him. NAMES IN THIS BOOK (view spoiler)[ Mo – dog Paula f Mark m Michael m Fiona f Dennis m Sara f Jane f Jason – name he gave himself as a child Samantha f Anna f Justin m Bubba – dog Eric m Linda f Scott m Ashley f Sandra f Catherine f Wiebke s Molly f John m Shaun m Lee Jerry Fallon f Patrick m Darren m Madisyn f Angela f Genesis Tommy m Karen f Diablo f Olivia f Jonah m Kenneth m Skyler m Drew f Marcia f Kristen f Alex f Patti – dog Zoë f Juliette f Eve f Alia f Ian m Carrie f Tina f Rainn m Peter m Leo m Tim m Ben m Brenda f Sandy f Kyle m Mabel – pig Jack m Carlos m Don m Delta f Gladys f Gladys Jean Gordon m John m Beth f Heather f Martha f Katie f Nikki f Jessica f Diego m Nina f James m Kiersey f Star f Emma f Roger m Shannon f Kate f Max m Kiwi f Matt m Spike m Joe m Josh m Samantha f Jamie m Amy f Tina f Julia f Scooby dog Dolly dog Marin f Beatrice f Bea Stella m Eric m (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 04, 2023
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Jul 04, 2023
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Jun 16, 2023
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Unknown Binding
| ||||||||||||||||
| 1620108593
| 9781620108598
| 1620108593
| 4.10
| 1,402
| Mar 29, 2022
| Mar 29, 2022
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it was ok
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I came out of this more confused than when I went in. [image] I was hoping for something illuminating like Gender Queer: A Memoir. [image] Perhaps I shoul I came out of this more confused than when I went in. [image] I was hoping for something illuminating like Gender Queer: A Memoir. [image] Perhaps I should pick up Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex. [image] The only thing that made sense to me was the part where they were talking about asexual stereotypes. Hence the two stars. [image] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jan 27, 2023
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Jan 27, 2023
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Jan 27, 2023
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Paperback
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| 1639550496
| 9781639550494
| 1639550496
| 4.33
| 7,101
| May 10, 2022
| May 10, 2022
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it was amazing
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FOALING SEASON 1 In the dew-saturated foot-high blades of grass, we stand amongst a sea of foals, mare and foal, mare and foal, all over the soft hillsid FOALING SEASON 1 In the dew-saturated foot-high blades of grass, we stand amongst a sea of foals, mare and foal, mare and foal, all over the soft hillside there are twos, small duos ringing harmoniously in the cold, swallows diving in and out, their fabled forked tail where the story says the fireball hit it as it flew to bring fire to humanity. Our friend the Irishman drives us in the Gator to sit amongst them. Everywhere doubles of horses still leaning on each other, still nuzzling and curious with each new image. 2 Two female horses, retired mares, separated by a sliding barn door, nose each other. Neither of them will get pregnant again, their job is to just be a horse. Sometimes, though, they cling to one another, find a friend and will whine all night for the friend to be released. Through the gate, the noses touch, and you can almost hear— Are you okay? Are you okay? 3 I will never be a mother. That’s all. That’s the whole thought. I could say it returns to me, watching the horses. Which is true. But also I could say that it came to me as the swallows circled us over and over, something about that myth of their tail, how generosity is punished by the gods. But isn’t that going too far? I saw a mare with her foal, and then many mares with many foals, and I thought, simply: I will never be a mother. 4 One foal is a biter, and you must watch him as he bares his teeth and goes for the soft spot. He’s brilliant, leggy, and comes right at me, as if directed by some greater gravity, and I stand firm, and put my hand out first, rub the long white marking on his forehead, silence his need for biting with affection. I love his selfishness, our selfishness, the two of us testing each other, swallows all around us. Every now and then, his teeth come at me once again; he wants to teach me something, wants to get me where it hurts. Still really enjoy Limón's work. I think her poems are quite touching. I also relate to her. Highly recommend this and Bright Dead Things. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jan 26, 2023
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Jan 26, 2023
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Jan 26, 2023
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Hardcover
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| 0063240084
| 9780063240087
| 0063240084
| 3.98
| 4,451
| Nov 01, 2022
| Nov 01, 2022
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really liked it
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A good book of poetry by the Korean-American author Franny Choi. Mainly deals with racism, the U.S. bombing of Japan in WWII, the death of Choi's boyfr A good book of poetry by the Korean-American author Franny Choi. Mainly deals with racism, the U.S. bombing of Japan in WWII, the death of Choi's boyfriend, and the apocalypse. It's pretty dark and depressing. But good. Compelling. DISASTER MEANS "WITHOUT A STAR" Sixty-six million years after the end of the world, I click purchase on an emergency go bag from Amazon. When it arrives, I’ll use my teeth to tear open the plastic, unzip the pack stitched by girls who look like me but for their N95s, half a judgment day away, no evacuation plan in sight. Another episode of the present tense, and I can’t stop thinking about the timeline where the asteroid misses, Earth ruled eternally by the car-hearted and walnut-brained. Meanwhile, I’m merely gorging on the butterfly effects of ashes, ashes; reaching for the oat milk while, hundreds of feet below, a chalk line marks the moment we were all doomed. We were done for. We were science fiction before science, or fiction. One billion judgment days later, I’m alive and ashamed of my purchases; I’m afraid of being afraid; I’m the world’s worst mother. My sister calls, and it’s already too late for things to be better. Every mistake, an asteroid that’s already hit, history already mushroomed into one million species of unfit, their fossilized corpses already forming coastlines, austere offices. This year was a layer cake of catastrophe long before any of us could, biologically speaking, have been imagined. Human History, a front parlor infinitely painted over with massacre, and into the fray came I, highly allergic, quick to cry, and armed with fat fists of need. I broke everything I touched. I got good grades. I was told nothing was more noble than to ensure my children would eat. I learned to take a chicken apart with my hands, to fill in a Scantron, cry on cue. Sixty-six million years after the last great extinction, six to eight business days before the next one, I whispered Speak to a fucking agent into the hold music to trigger the system into connecting me with a “real person.” I avoided coughing in public, though it was too late. I applied for a BIPOC farming intensive, though it was too late for the earth to yield anything but more corpses. New species of horror sequence were already evolving: election bot; cluster bio-bomb; driverless wife. I muttered curses to keep the deepfakes away, studied the stars for signs of the worlds to come, though they were already here—the extinctions and feudal lords, the dirty blankets, the dissidents tied to stakes or hung from branches, the price gouge, death camp, flood, bombs of liberty, bomb and bomb and bomb already dropped, already having made me from its dust, already broken and paid for and straddling my crown. What crown? If I’m king of anything, it’s being late. Omw, I type, though I’m still huddled in last year’s mistakes. Asteroid, Alexa corrects, and I say, Five minutes. Just give me five minutes. I’ll be right there. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jan 08, 2023
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Jan 08, 2023
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Jan 08, 2023
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Hardcover
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| 1606354442
| 9781606354445
| 1606354442
| 4.63
| 59
| unknown
| Aug 31, 2022
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liked it
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Iranian-American Fatemi writes poetry about her experiences going to Iran, learning Farsi, and feeling connected to her roots. When I speak my Farsi, I Iranian-American Fatemi writes poetry about her experiences going to Iran, learning Farsi, and feeling connected to her roots. When I speak my Farsi, I see gold flakes floating in the pan. I taste the pomegranate-walnut in the sounds of azizam when my great aunt looks at me from her tiny, scarved head. And the mint dressing she makes is summoned by the words she uses to love me when I am young and nervous at a new school that is near the house where she lives. pg. 25 It's okay. Not bad, but nothing particularly powerful or heart-wrenching in my opinion. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jan 06, 2023
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Jan 06, 2023
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Jan 06, 2023
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Paperback
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| 1636280617
| 9781636280615
| 1636280617
| 3.45
| 33
| unknown
| Oct 18, 2022
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it was ok
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Healy is a lesbian poet who suffered from encephalitis. This gave her aphasia, difficult for a poet to forget words and language. It was okay. I wasn't Healy is a lesbian poet who suffered from encephalitis. This gave her aphasia, difficult for a poet to forget words and language. It was okay. I wasn't particularly impressed. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. Here's a sample: MY LIFE BEFORE A slender aphasia altered my brain, bound and zipped, my shape was not my skill. I was the haywire that fuzzed my normality and me empty as a doubt. So, my goal led me trying to talk, practicing walks, sleeping during the night. I ate all my food but I hardly complained, sometimes I just asked my name again. It is a big deal now because I was just MISSING words. Even trying to breathe deeply, writing and re-editing again. Loving my words again. My language. My friend. NAMES IN THIS BOOK (view spoiler)[ Colleen f Eloise f John m Nikita – dog (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jan 05, 2023
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Jan 05, 2023
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Jan 05, 2023
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Paperback
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| 0374604339
| 9780374604332
| 0374604339
| 3.79
| 68
| unknown
| Sep 13, 2022
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really liked it
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THE WONDER OF HAVING LIVED HERE A LONG TIME [EXCERPT} While here I am, inhabiting a moment that supposedly was buried In those moments I spent looking t THE WONDER OF HAVING LIVED HERE A LONG TIME [EXCERPT} While here I am, inhabiting a moment that supposedly was buried In those moments I spent looking through their windows sixty years ago, Although I don't believe it. I'm supposed to be a part of nature too, As subject to its principles as particles and stars. I know time isn't real And everything that happens happened thirteen billion years ago, When all of this somehow "occured." I realize these things, And yet deep down I think they can't be true: I wasn't even real then And in a while I won't be real anymore, like the joke shops and Tempest Storm. As things turn into time and disappear (though she's still here). And while That might be just the way things SEEM, it's the say they seem to ME. "ELMER GANTRY WAS DRUNK." [EXCERPT] It stayed with me while everything started turning: High school into college, physics to philosophy, marriage And Milwaukee, fatherhood, divorce, the years of settled solitude And the second happiness of marriage, all turning into poetry, For that's what life becomes if you can get it into words. MURRAY GELL-MANN [EXCERPT] Some things are hidden from us, not because we don't know what they are, But because they're inconceivable until they happen, like the future. The morning light in our dining room has the inevitability Of the ordinary, and yet fifty-seven years ago it was as unreal As I was then, as unimaginable as that life I had is now. Sometimes I think the past is all there is. Sometimes I think It's the other way around, that only now is real. The future though Remains an abstraction, even when we know what's going to happen, like death, Especially death. There was supposed to be a different person in this chair. Where did he go? That universal destination, nowhere? It isn't a real question, Though it sounds like one. It's merely a feeling of perplexity Here's a sampling. He also wrote some good poems about sheltering in place during Covid. He seems obsessed with poetry and physics. It wasn't my favorite book of poetry, but it's good and he makes some interesting observations. NAMES IN THIS BOOK (view spoiler)[ Sinclair m Elmer m Burt m Lulu f Sharon f Willard m Amy f Howard m Doug m Benjy m Robert m Murray m Tom m Sylvia f Eric m Susan f Butchie m Diane f Betty f Matt m Rogers m Daisy - cat Diego m Kenny m Carlos m Lanni - dog Mitzi - dog Marvin m John m Peter m Kenward m Jane f Stephen m Samuel m (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jan 05, 2023
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Jan 05, 2023
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Jan 05, 2023
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Hardcover
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| 0143136828
| 9780143136828
| 0143136828
| 4.02
| 126
| Sep 20, 2022
| Sep 20, 2022
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really liked it
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Book about being a Black American. The first third is about growing up. The second third is about a dimension in which Malcolm X rises from the dead aft Book about being a Black American. The first third is about growing up. The second third is about a dimension in which Malcolm X rises from the dead after he is killed. This sparks a Black religious movement. A boy who is shot to death by police decades later also rises from the dead. General consensus has it he was looking for his little cousin, and found him, even before the first cop car ran like a living ram through the people. Before the boys in blue sprang, a spray of navy fléchettes, from behind its doors. Before they were caught in the scuffle, released ten to twenty rounds of ammo into the crowd without warning, bullets glancing off of Cutlass doors and corner store glass built for battle, all but three or four of which entered the boy mid-stride, lifted his six-foot frame from the ground, legs still pumping. For a moment, you would almost swear he was running through the gunfire, preparing for liftoff or something, little cousin held firmly in his arms, shielded from the onslaught. They never would have caught him if he hadn't been holding that child, said no one, though we all thought it during the weeks following that moment we each froze, the moment his body collapsed slow as petals upon the unremarkable cement, and we stared at our champion felled by an outcome so common we don't even have a special name for it. pg. 43 That was about the little Black boy murdered by police who later rises. Here's some writing on Malcolm X coming back from the dead: Over the years, I have been asked whether seeing him walk down the street was a Paul on the road to Damascus kind of moment, or more like Doubting Thomas seeing the wounds in Christ's hands. I tend to reply that it wasn't exactly like either of those things. There is nothing quite like seeing a stranger you saw die walk again. Casually at that, down the avenue on a Wednesday, as if on his way to buy a cup of coffee. It shifts something in you that won't ever switch back. Imagine seeing the inner workings of a complex though generally familiar organism - an oak tree, for instance - in real time. The rings, root system, atomic structure, all visible via second sight you never accessed before that moment and could not explain if you tried. That's what I saw. That's what our Manifesto was initially for. I had to capture the sensation of that moment with the same deliberate intensity that inspired it, in the spirit of the very same clarity it gave me. A clarity I have committed to ever since then, every time I am asked to describe what the Second Resurrection means for us all. So that anyone who reads the Manifesto for themselves can get a sense of what exactly it is we are dealing with here; the seriousness with which we must approach the new reality we all share. We ought to rejoice! What other reaction is sensible in the wake of an event such as this? A true, dyed-in-the-wool man of the people, a cultural hero beyond compare, chosen by the One Above All and raised from the dead. The wounds on his body closing no more quickly than they would on any man as a sign of divine imagination. Yes, he was our Messiah returned. But he was also one of us. He bled and healed like us. But he did not die like us. He did not pass on the way we were told that we would. King Malcolm triumphed over death, and in doing so modeled for oppressed peoples all over the world what can happen when one is willing to give their life over to the cause of collective revolt against the forces of capitalism and global white supremacy. You may already know where I'm going with this. My message for the past several decades hasn't moved all that much. There are battles to win in the name of human freedom, human dignity, and we will win them. We have on our side a man who dueled with death, and won, and came back that we might have heaven here on Earth. No pie in the sky. No paradise later and famine where you stand. No diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, pneumonia, lung cancer, PTSD, while you work your 9-5 for a man who doesn't know your name, or that of the woman you love, and then you die. pg. 68 The last third of the book is about Bennett's son being born. It's touching. moment. It's Thursday. In the spot where I'm writing I'm thinking about the worst things anyone ever said to me or your uncles, Grandpa, for no reason other than meanings they map the moment we enter the frame. No prelude. No conflict or probable cause. And I actually, openly, weep, son. In front of Mom. I don't want people to treat him like that, I say, entirely in earnest, as if I am the first person to have the idea. There is nothing I would not do to shield you. My trepidation is nothing if not an introduction to a new and previously unthinkable vision of myself. A starship destroyer in orbit; orchards atop ashes; a castle of falcons lifting you up and through the available expanse, your laughter like the arguments of angels, giving texture to the atmosphere. pg. 114 TL;DR Is this something I would re-read and quote? Probably not. But it's quite good, and Bennett makes some amazing points in here. I think poetry can beautifully encapsulate some concepts. This is in the new form, it's not rhyming (I've been told by my poetic friends that rhyming poems are considered old-fashioned and silly). Read it if you want a poetic view of Black life in America, if you think a universe in which Malcolm X was resurrected from the dead and a religious order sprung up in response to this occurrence is interesting, or if you or a loved one have recently had a Black male baby. I think his thoughts on being a parent to a Black male baby are quite accurate and depressing. He talks a lot in this book about the short life expectancy of Black men. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Dec 23, 2022
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Dec 23, 2022
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Dec 23, 2022
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Paperback
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| 1566896517
| 9781566896511
| 1566896517
| 4.33
| 2,719
| Sep 13, 2022
| Sep 13, 2022
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really liked it
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Winner for best cover of 2022? I really like it. This is a book of poetry by Saeed Jones, he is a Black and gay American. He deals mainly with race in t Winner for best cover of 2022? I really like it. This is a book of poetry by Saeed Jones, he is a Black and gay American. He deals mainly with race in this book. It's mainly about navigating the United States as a Black man, being gay is not as focused on. It's really only mentioned in passing. Also, his mother is dead and her death obviously impacted him in a big way. A lot of poems talk about his mother and his struggle to adapt to life without her. ALIVE AT THE END OF THE WORLD The end of the world was mistaken for just another midday massacre in America. Brain matter and broken glass, blurred boot prints in pools of blood. We dialed the newly dead but they wouldn't answer. We texted, begging them to call us back, but the newly dead don't know how to read. In America, a gathering of people is called target practice or a funeral, depending on who lives long enough to define the terms. But for now, we are alive at the end of the world, shell-shocked by headlines and alarm clocks, burning through what little love we have left. With time, the white boys with guns will become wounds we won't quite remember enduring. "How did you get that scar on your shoulder?" "Oh, a boy I barely knew was sad once." ... HERITAGE October, 2019 - Oxford, Mississippi The color of a memory is the difference between haunted and hunted. In Mississippi, red white and blue don't mean "remember this is America." They mean "history is a gun and every bullet in its chamber wants you to forget." They mean "we tried our best not to be America and failed and now we keep forgetting to forget and anyway, who did you vote for? No need to ask us. You already know." They mean the white man in the White House who tweeted this morning that he's being lynched. Outside my hotel - no, I'm not from around here - on the street corner, there is a plaque that tells me where I can find the body of the town's first white settler. But it's almost sundown and I've been told darkness in Mississippi is not a metaphor so I chase the shadows back into the hotel. At the bar, I beg the bartender to make me a stronger drink. He tries and he fails. I'm scared and Black and mostly sober at the hotel bar and reading an essay about lynching when some Ole Miss frat boys explode into the room, cheering in a dead language, and my heart doesn't even wait for me to get the check. My heart is already gone. My heart is cowering in the hallway in front of my hotel room because I have the key and I just now got the check and I keep forgetting to forget that the America I was born in will not be the America in which I die. A good thing also about this poetry collection is that at the end of the book Jones includes backgrounds for all the poems. What they were inspired by. What he was thinking about when he wrote them. Etc. TL;DR Interesting book of poetry. Jones makes some good points and he crafts some good poetry and ideas. I would recommend it if you are interested in a modern book of poetry revolving around Black American life. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Dec 25, 2022
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Dec 25, 2022
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Dec 15, 2022
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Paperback
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| 0316365211
| 9780316365215
| 0316365211
| 4.06
| 10,854
| 2022
| Oct 11, 2022
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really liked it
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We see care as unnecessary and unimportant. We believe we don't really have to rest. We falsely believe hard work guarantees success in a capitalist s
We see care as unnecessary and unimportant. We believe we don't really have to rest. We falsely believe hard work guarantees success in a capitalist system. I have been told this constantly for as long as I can remember. On nights when I worked two jobs, still unable to pay my bills on time or save, I continued to tell myself, "Burn the midnight oil, keep working hard, go to college, find a third job and a side hustle." pg. 24 A 195-page book that could have been an article. I like the points Hersey makes here. I think she's onto something. I also think her ideas are powerful. Her radical message is that instead of thinking her Black ancestors wanted a seat at the oppressors' table, instead they probably really wanted a nap. She argues that 'grind culture' is a result of slavery, plantations, capitalistic devaluing of human life. She says that the most powerful, antiestablishment thing we can do (as humans, this book isn't just aimed at Black readers, she makes that explicit) is refuse to work ourselves to the bone, and instead rest. She often gets strong pushback for this, having people say to her that they have no time to rest; if they are not constantly being productive every single second of the day, they won't be able to pay bills and will end up in extreme poverty. As someone who has been impoverished herself, Hersey disagrees with this. She basically feels like resting and making sure you are not exhausted and burnt out is giving the middle finger to white supremacy, capitalism, and our toxic culture. She says even taking a ten-minute nap a day or staring out the window and daydreaming while on the train can be an act of resistance. She discusses a lot of interesting things in here. She has a virulent hatred of capitalism. She argues that no matter how hard you work, it is damaging yourself instead of making you rich or happy like society tells you it will. Hustling and grinding trying to get to the unreachable finish line of wealth that most have never enjoyed. The nightmare of capitalism has always been out of reach; we exist only as a product of it. pg. 153 She argues that humans are trained from childhood to become cogs in the corporate machine, to push themselves to ignore their bodies in order to better obey their corporate masters. As children, this starts with things like being punished for daydreaming, being called lazy for not wanting to catch a bus at 7 a.m., or being ordered to hold their bladders until the teacher allows a bathroom break. Later, my son left the comfort of our slow-paced home into the public school system, and I began to watch slowly how his voice, connection to his body, and intuition were attacked. In elementary school, students are being trained to be workers who can follow orders, memorize facts, and be on time no matter what. Imagination and critical thinking skills are replaced with cookie-cutter learning and standardized testing. I would volunteer in my son's third grade classroom weekly and noticed the young children being told, "Hold your pee. Bathroom break isn't for another twenty minutes." I watched in horror as an eight-year-old squirmed, attempting to wait the twenty minutes until he could allow his body to relieve itself. The teacher, obviously overwhelmed with a large classroom, continued to ignore his cues and he eventually used the bathroom on himself. pg. 22 She argues that this is to turn us into good little workers in the future, in which people refuse to take the paid vacation offered to them, work outside of their work hours, live and die for the company. "Grind culture has normalized pushing our bodies to the brink of destruction. We proudly proclaim showing up to work or an event despite an injury, sickness, or mental break. We are praised and rewarded for ignoring our body's need for rest, care, and repair. The cycle of grinding like a machine continues and becomes internalized as the only way." pg. 32 I would agree with this basic premise. I would agree with a lot of her basic premises. This culture does not want you rested unless it is attached to your increased labor and productivity. pg. 94 She is also very against social media, warning readers to remember it does not exist to help you, but in order to help corporations turn profit. For this reason, she takes Sabbaths from social media, sometimes for as long as three months at a time. ... There are some things I will say as a criticism about Hersey's writing, however. As I said earlier, this could have been cut down. She calls it a 'manifesto' and it is indeed a manifesto. It goes on and on, repeats over and over and over. She never says something once, she says it fifty times. It's much in the style of a Pentecostal preacher or something along those lines, which I am sure is intentional. Yet even if it is intentional, it's not going to be for every reader. The message is for every reader, I am convinced. I do believe she has powerful and important ideas. But the writing style is long-winded and repetitive. If that annoys you, you might want to skip this or simply read her first section without continuing on to the other ones. Another thing that didn't gel with me was how woo-woo and spiritual this book is. That's okay, it speaks to Hersey's truth and how she feels, but if you are someone who side-eyes religion, The Spirit, stuff like Divine Humanity and etc. etc. this is going to rub you the wrong way. It's not OVERLY religious or spiritual, but enough that it's going to grate on a lot of readers. She makes everything... spiritualist. I'd also appreciate a little more insight into her life. She gives us two or three examples of 'Rest as Resistance' in her own life, and when she does, it's fascinating. But I don't know much about her or her life story, I'd have liked a little more discussion of this. I really have no idea who she is or where she's coming from or what makes her tick as a person beyond this 'rest' activism. She's a poet, perhaps this explains the strange set-up of this book. TL;DR I honestly think Hersey is onto something. She raises some great points. She makes some salient arguments. I tend to agree with her on a lot of things. I would recommend this book and think it's an interesting viewpoint and that the book makes you think. However, it is long-winded and repetitive. It's also wrapped up in a pretty specific and individual spiritualism that might not resonate with all readers. Hersey also doesn't really delve into her own life and her own life experiences. She's got incredible power when she links her outrage and fuck-you attitude towards society with what she's experienced in her own life. But she only offers small glimpses of this in the book. Worth a read. Worth your time, if only because her ideas are pretty radical. I know so many people who are on the grind. It's sad; entire lives are wasted in pursuit of money. People get married and have children but spend their time and work and don't even know their spouse/children very well. I can't argue with her about the sickness that pervades our culture. And I know plenty of people working two and three jobs. It's quite horrifying, and I agree with Hersey that the choice between working yourself to death or being put out on the street is an inhumane false choice created by capitalist society. Worth reading for the brain food. Any complaints I have pale in comparison to the big picture. NAMES IN THIS BOOK: (view spoiler)[ Ora f Rhodie f Jean f Audre f Alice f Harriet f John m Madison m Gwendolyn f bell f James m Octavia f Willie m Charles m Camie f Lance m Monica f Charlie f Fannie Lou f Martin m Dennis m Trayvon m Rekia f Sandra f George m Breonna f Emilie f Malcolm m Carol f Howard m Harriet f Sylviane f George m Harry m Langston m Alice f Nikki f Missy f Sun m (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Dec 09, 2022
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Dec 11, 2022
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Dec 09, 2022
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Hardcover
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| 1989603645
| 9781989603642
| 1989603645
| 4.39
| 302
| Mar 02, 2021
| Mar 02, 2021
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it was amazing
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This book was hard to write. At times, I felt as if I was going in circles of life and death, life and death, life and death - on repeat without respi
This book was hard to write. At times, I felt as if I was going in circles of life and death, life and death, life and death - on repeat without respite. pg. 0 This is a devastating, heart-rending, emotional graphic novel about Myriam Steinberg's quest to conceive. I've said before that I'm not a crier, especially when it comes to books, but this is the second one in the last month that has brought me to tears. The other is Raising a Rare Girl: A Memoir by Heather Lanier. We follow Myriam, a straight woman, as she obeys her biological clock (shown holding a shotgun to Myriam's head) and pulls out all the stops in order to get pregnant. She's already 40. It's a horrible, devastating, tragic journey and Steinberg really holds nothing back as she discusses miscarriage after miscarriage, and even an abortion. It's brutal. Not to say it's without it's humorous moments! Here's a more lighthearted excerpt: "Mommy, how are babies made?" "Well... There's these birds, you see, and these bees.... and... When the penis enters the vagina An egg goes from the ovary to the uterus... When a man goes in one room and a woman goes in another room... And poof! The magic of science! pg. 151 [image] Myriam tries everything: friends donating sperm, anonymous sperm donors, IUI, IVF, etc. etc. It's very emotionally harsh and it offers a very clear and raw view of what a single woman's crusade to get herself pregnant entails. [image] I would highly, highly recommend this book. It's an amazing book. HOWEVER. If you do not feel like you are in the right emotional place to read this, if you think reading about these endless miscarriages and even an abortion will upset you too much due to your past or your present, skip it. It's not worth sinking into a depression over. Please tread cautiously. [image] For anyone interested in spoilers, MAJOR SPOILER (view spoiler)[She does give birth to a healthy set of boy-girl twins at the end of the book. I was honestly surprised. I thought it would end with her baby-less and trying to come to terms with it. Joyous ending, will bring fresh tears of happiness after all the sad ones you shed reading the first 99% of the book. [image] (hide spoiler)] MAJOR SPOILER [image] TL;DR - Just an amazing book. This topic is unexplored. Usually even fertility memoirs involve the woman having a partner (male or female), seeing a book about a single woman's dogged pursuit of pregnancy was a welcome insight. I also think it really illustrates the realities of abortion and miscarriage and explores what these do to someone's psyche. She's extremely honest. Whether you are pro-choice or anti-choice or pro-abortion or anti-abortion, I would still recommend this highly. I think her perspective is valuable and touching. Be advised that it does feature graphic panels, obviously. Myriam is nude sometimes, she's often at the OB-GYN, she is shown in heart-rending panels to be going through miscarriages and her abortion. It's a brutal, brutal book and that includes some of the artwork. Vulvae are shown occasionally (not in a sexual manner) and birth is shown. TRIGGER WARNINGS: Miscarriage, abortion, despair. I can't recommend it enough, but you know if you can handle this book or not. Make your own determination as it is highly sensitive material. [image] NAMES IN THIS BOOK (view spoiler)[ Bruce m Steve m Myriam f Sherbert – rabbit Maya f Johanna f Dahlia – baby (miscarriage) Danny m Mendel f Riny f Menucha f Rachel f Esther f Cass f Barry m Azariah – terminated due to Down Syndrome Liba f Lyon m Ariah m Ezra m Gabrielle f Lani f Paul m Patrick m Leslie f Kieth m Gabrielle f Maggie f Karen f Rachel f Georgia f Toni f Ella f Rosea f Pritya f John m Anne f Colleen f Mindy f Stacey f George m Larry m Leila f miscarriage Susan f Bryant m Isaac m Abegail f (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 2022
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Oct 2022
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Oct 01, 2022
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Paperback
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| 0525559639
| 9780525559634
| 0525559639
| 4.50
| 1,798
| Jul 07, 2020
| Jul 07, 2020
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it was amazing
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Mothering Fiona was turning me into a different kind of woman. pg. 80 I'm not really someone who cries while reading books. While other people describe Mothering Fiona was turning me into a different kind of woman. pg. 80 I'm not really someone who cries while reading books. While other people describe books as 'tearjerkers,' I walk away cold. I can read 'tearjerkers' with no tears. I have a low tolerance for emotional manipulation in fiction. But this book isn't fiction, it's non-fiction, and I was definitely crying while reading it. This book is well-written, emotional, touching, and it teaches you a lot. I wouldn't advise reading it while pregnant, or while someone you love is pregnant. Lanier gets pregnant by choice, with her husband, Justin. Like many pregnant, she is super-careful about everything she does. When I was pregnant, I tried to make a SuperBaby. I didn't realize I was doing this. I thought I'd long ago shed the theory that a body could be made perfect. But looking back, my goal was clear. I swallowed capsules of mercury-free DHA to help grow my SuperBaby's brain. I filled my grocery cart with organic fruits and veggies, letting our monthly food bill consume a quarter of our income. Of course, I followed the medical advice standard for women of my generation... but I went above and beyond. I gave up wheat for reasons I forget. I kept my flip phone at least an arm's length away from my belly to avoid damaging my SuperBaby with electromagnetic waves... I spoke to my SuperBaby.... I avoided finding out my SuperBaby's sex so I would project gender roles onto her/him/them. I slept on my left side... pg. 3 When Fiona is born, she has Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. Lanier doesn't find this out until later, though. First she has to deal with everyone's disappointment and scorn. Accused of taking drugs while pregnant when in the hospital, she takes the baby home and has to deal with medical professionals accusing her of starving Fiona. Even when the syndrome is diagnosed, she faces judgment and pity at every turn. I wanted to reach through the book and shake the medical professionals in this, who range from well-meaning but hurtful to doctors who outright say she should be able to euthanize Fiona or put her in a home and leave her there. Interacting with the public is equally difficult, people jerking in shock when she tells them how old the baby is. Fiona is very tiny and looks malnourished. People giving her pity and looking at Fiona like a specimen. Lanier also has to wrestle with her own preconceived notions, what she calls 'excising her ableism.' Ableism is just built into society, she explains. It's hard for her to wrestle with parenting Fiona, whom she loves deeply, while struggling with the fact that her child might never speak, might never walk, might die from seizures before reaching puberty. Lanier's past also factors into her motherhood. Her biological father was a strong Baptist Christian who believed in going to church regularly and had a sexual interest in his two daughters. This gross and terrifying time in her life thankfully ends when her seemingly meek mother finds the courage and strength to divorce her husband. Beyond lucky, Lanier gets a second Daddy when her mom remarries, and this time to a mensch. Lanier's stepfather is a great Daddy to her. They love each other very much and thankfully she gets to spend years with him, knowing what a real father is before he dies a painful and slow death to cancer. Not everyone gets a second chance after their father turns out to be a piece of shit, she's incredibly lucky her mother remarried to a mensch. Lanier makes her own decisions as an adult when she decides to marry a mensch, her amazing husband, Justin. She really, really, really lucked out (or perhaps it was super-smart decision-making) in marrying this 10/10 mensch. I don't know how she would have possible accomplished everything she accomplishes in the book without her loving, supportive, smart, calm, relaxed, wise, and non-judgmental husband. He's amazing. "Aren't you scared?" I asked him on the way to the first geneticist's appointment. ... Fiona was now the object of our budding work of acceptance. We had to love her as she was, not as how we'd wanted her to be. "No," he said, his hands on the wheel, his eyes on the interstate. "I'm curious. I want to learn more about her. I want to understand who she is. So I can love her better." I stared out the window, watching billboards pass, choking on a lump of tears. "Anything we learn today," he said, "will just help us love her better." pg. 64 Lanier herself is amazing, and that's what makes this book such a joy to read. Since she is a professor, and a writer, and a poet - the book is a beautiful piece of art. Her writing is exquisite. She writes gorgeously. She's so smart. Fiona was so lucky to be born to two kind, smart, loving parents. The book covers SUCH a range of topics. It's great for disability studies. Lanier covers how society sees disabled people, and tackles thoroughly how she herself has to get through her preconceived assumptions about disability and disabled people. It's SHOCKING the things people (in society and in the medical profession) say to her and Justin about Fiona. Just SHOCKING and heartbreaking and devastating. She turns into an advocate and fights hard for her daughter's personhood, not putting limits on Fiona and believing her capable of many more things than she is told by the medical establishment. How did I ever learn that people like my daughter were less-than? Had the roots of my thinking been planted by the DEFECT language, by the BAD SEED and AT ZERO language? Had they begun in the hallways of that elementary school I attended.. The roots of my thinking were older than me.. "Who sinned to make this man blind? The man or his parents?" Disability as punishment. Disability as sin. Disability as a problem,.... pg. 129 Of course, she's white and has enough money. But to her credit she acknowledges this and talks also about racism and how many people who parent disabled children aren't as fortunate as she is. She's very astute. It's also a touching, heart-breaking memoir. If you like memoirs, especially powerful and emotional ones, this one will rip your heart out. Not because it's exactly what I would call 'depressing,' Lanier makes it clear that Fiona (view spoiler)[makes a ton of progress, is able to do tons of things the doctors said she would never do, she's alive at the end of the book despite some scary seizures, and Lanier fights and succeeds in getting Fiona in a public school where she is treated well. (hide spoiler)] but because the set-up and the conclusion are so brutal and emotional. Her hopes and dreams for her 'SuperBaby' are completely gutted. She has to start viewing humans and society and life in a TOTALLY different way, which is a difficult and extremely painful process. She has to constantly deal with abled people seeing Fiona as less-than and treating her as such. It's such a brutal, constant, everyday battle that your heart aches for Lanier as she puts herself out there day after day. She gets treated like shit, her child gets treated like shit, it's a very tiring and emotional struggle everyday to fight for her daughter's rights. It also is a good book on the topic of misogyny and feminism. Lanier discusses a lot of harsh truths about how society treats women, pregnant women, mothers, and how devastating mom-culture can be and how many strains and worries it puts on moms and moms-to-be. It seemed that, once pregnant, we were supposed to become conduits of total joy and safety. ... The voices of the culture implied that we should become carriers of life that will not experience what life inevitably feels - pain. ... We are urged to stop the growing body inside us from having what all bodies inherently have: vulnerability, that crack of a doorway through which our suffering creeps. pg. 31 It's also, in a smaller way, a book about religion. If you like spiritual books or books with a good religious message, this fits the bill. Justin is a priest and also has a strong Zen monk background, the book discusses religion and spirituality a lot. God is discussed in a very loving, beautiful way, there's none of the judgment or hatred one normally associates with organized religion - so if you are interested in gentle, kind religion and a belief in a gentle, loving God than this book is for you. I didn't just stop believing in the ability to make a SuperBaby - I questioned the morality of it. Our values were too twisted to know what would make for better versions of ourselves. pg. 197 TL;DR Just a beautiful, heart-shattering book that I highly recommend. There are so many things to recommend this: disability studies, feminism, positive and gentle Christianity, powerful and emotional memoir, beautiful writing. The only caveat I would offer is that if you are pregnant or about to become a grandparent or etc. I would hold off on reading this, it might stress you out. A rare case of a book making me cry, this is such an anomaly I think I can count it on one hand. So glad I picked it up. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING. RELATED READING: Ghost Boy: My Miraculous Escape from a Life Locked Inside My Own Body by Martin Pistorius Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America by Barbara Ehrenreich NAMES IN THIS BOOK (view spoiler)[ Justin m Fiona Soen Ray f Ray m Virginia f Mary Lou f Rhonda f Louise f Amelia f Chrissy f Lisa f Steve m Brenda f Pat f Sarah f Thomas m Amanda f Lauren f Dave m Lennard m Francis m Deborah f Charles m Rob m Arnold m Elizabeth f Emily f Ronan m Blair f Sue f Maureen f Tammy f Maya f Dana f Dave m Shankar m Peter m Richard m Thomas m Tracy f Margaret f Elton m (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 24, 2022
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Sep 07, 2022
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Jul 24, 2022
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Hardcover
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| 0525534032
| 9780525534037
| 0525534032
| 3.98
| 775
| Aug 11, 2016
| Jul 03, 2018
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it was ok
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Self-consciousness can make people contort themselves in incredible ways. The contortions become more than habits; they grow into us, become us. pg. 1
Self-consciousness can make people contort themselves in incredible ways. The contortions become more than habits; they grow into us, become us. pg. 126 I don't know how or why this is so lauded. It's basically about nothing. I'm not giving it a one-star because Young's writing can be charming. After I'd slept a few hours in a fold-out bed in his study, he made us coffee. I watched him carrying out a long-winded filtering method using an old hand grinder and a grease-stained plastic funnel. I recognized that funnel from our garage. I'd used it a few times to funnel milk powder into plastic bottles for newborn lambs. And Dad had used it to funnel oil into the car. "What is this? What are you doing?" "What's the problem? he said. "Gets the job done." And he tried to show me the method he had invented. I shook my head. We drank coffee silently at the kitchen table. I thought I could taste the old garage. The filtering method seemed to me a sign of madness. It was definitely a sign that my dad's world and mine were drifting further apart. I imagined various bits of detritus from our old lives across town becoming strange tools in his solitary life. He would become more and more eccentric in my eyes, and I would become more narrow-minded in his. pg. 24 I also, of course, enjoyed her chapter about her dealing with an eating disorder. I could listen to anyone, anytime, anywhere discuss eating disorders. I felt bad her psychiatrist was so shit. Listen to what her psychiatrist tells her, "Do you want to have children? Or do you want to be a old woman who needs a cane, who needs a new hip, who walks around all hunched over and curled up?" I don't see this as an effective technique to combat ED. No anorexic is going to be like, "Oh, yeah! Anorexia is BAD FOR ME. Thanks for reminding me! I'm cured now!" Scare tactics don't fucking work on anorexics. Anorexics laugh at scare tactics, in some ways they are already resigned to death, if that's what it takes. But for those readers NOT interested in eating disorders (which is only ever one chapter, anyway), the only thing 'saving' this book is the writing. Young's charming, skillful writing. But what is she applying this gift to? Let's see. Some examples: - A guy in the past had fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. - Some chapters that have no point and discuss random stuff. - Her dad was once in a band and now her brother is a musician. - Her brother had a red coat once. Very long chapter. Just as boring as you are imagining. - Ferdinand Cheval. - She sits next to some old women on a plane. - She goes for a walk. - A chapter about a miniature dachshund she had as a kid which depressed me because she didn't really like the dog. - She goes to a chiropractor. - She is embarrassed that she naturally has a slight faint mustache. Etc. etc. you get the idea. It's very boring. It's quite a boring book, despite Young's natural writing ability. I was boggled as to why she was wasting her time on this. She says at one point that it's a book about her family and no one will care about it but her own family and I'm sorry to say that is pretty accurate. It's not even interesting, as, for example, Alexandra Fuller or Augusten Burroughs who are entertaining and/or have a point. Young doesn't have a point and she doesn't really have anything to say, either. She is just describing her incredibly mundane existence. Which is fine. Keep a journal! I don't think most people will be interested in reading it, however. TL;DR I cannot recommend. Very boring. Has no point, and has no entertainment value. The only thing saving this from one-star-land is her skilled writing, but even that is a stretch. Avoid. NAMES IN THIS BOOK: (view spoiler)[ Harry m Helene f JP m John-Paul+ Hutch m Julia f Jenny f Jessie f Ferdinand m Rosalie f Victorin m Ferdinand Cyril m Marie-Philomène f Alice-Marie-Philomène f Neil m Geordie m Samuel m Struan m Stables m Tutty m Rajesh m Raj Penny f Jane f Jeff m Kohe m Vorn m James m Joe – dog Russell m Tane – dog Emma f Caryl f Linda f Greg m Sue f Daniel m Peter m Wilber – cat Paul m Michael m Rangi m Bruce m Trevor m Naomi f Lillee f Blackie m Ben m John m Jerry – cat Kiwa m Ngaire Jeng f Graham m Margaret f Doug m Andy m (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 02, 2022
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May 06, 2022
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May 02, 2022
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Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 1549304003
| 9781549304002
| 1549304003
| 4.27
| 72,372
| May 28, 2019
| May 28, 2019
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it was amazing
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I remember when I realized I never had to have children. It was like walking out of a narrow alley into a wide open field. I never have to get married
I remember when I realized I never had to have children. It was like walking out of a narrow alley into a wide open field. I never have to get married. I never have to date anyone. I don't even have to care about sex. These realizations were like gifts that I gave to myself. pg. 178 This is a relatable, well-written memoir by nonbinary author Maia Kobabe. [image] I read it because of all the kerfuffle - this is the number one in banned/challenged books in America right now and I wanted to know why. Reading hysterical accounts of it being 'pornography' online obviously did not answer any of my questions. So I read it, and I found it delightful. Clear, helpful, and written by an author who is relatable. WHY DO YOU KEEP SAYING IT IS RELATABLE, CARMEN? YOU ARE NOT QUEER. Ok, sometimes I doubt these 'conservatives' are actually reading the material they are foaming at the mouth to ban. Yes, this book is an INCREDIBLE and reassuring resource to teenagers (I would say 12 or 13+) who may be struggling with feelings about their gender or maybe worried that they are not sexual enough (Kobabe is asexual). It's SO important to see another person (in this case, Kobabe) wrestling with the same issues, questioning why e doesn't have a strong sex drive, questioning why e feels like neither a boy nor a girl. [image] But honestly, EVERYONE should read this book. EVERYONE. For two reasons. 1.) I think one of the big obstacles against the LGBTQIA+ community is straight, cisgendered people not really understanding what any of the letter-soup is. A lot of straight cisgender people might be a bit frightened of LGBTQIA+ people, not understanding them is a huge part of this. The fear and even disgust straight cisgender people may feel when confronted with 'scary queer folk' (especially in the narrative pushed by the right currently, about all non-straight people being pedophiles and etc. etc.) can be ameliorated. IT CAN BE AMELIORATED. It doesn't have to lead to hatred. Simply introducing queer characters into media has helped with this A LOT. Representation matters. Will & Grace. Willow Rosenberg on Buffy. I mean, stuff like the L-Word and Queer As Folk are amazing, but they are not mainstream. I'm more focusing on stuff you didn't have to pay to get. Stuff that you could get on regular, national television. Modern Family. It helps take the mystery away. It helps see a person with a queer identity in a different light for people who may not know any (out) queer people in their daily life. Someone who is not in an urban environment, maybe doesn't personally know any queer people, can pick up this book and say, 'Huh. I read this book and I relate to Kobabe.' [image] Because Kobabe is very relatable. People might agree with eir for a plethora of reasons - even if the reader of this memoir is not queer. How about the fear and discomfort of getting a pap smear? Very relatable for a lot of women, especially young women reading this book who might not have gotten their first pap smear yet. How about Kobabe's amazing confidence in turning down dating/sexual partners who e knows won't work for eir? That's quite inspiring. A lot of young people lack the ability to maturely turn down people who want to date them. Seeing Kobabe practicing healthy boundary-setting and assertive self-protection is a great role model for teens. What about females who simply do NOT want to get married? Women or girls who do NOT want to have children? Straight, cisgendered women get tons of negative feedback for not wanting to get married or have children. Seeing Kobabe come to these decisions for eirself and about eirself is powerful. Sex isn't eir thing. This takes eir a long time to figure out. Readers might be struggling with the dawning realization that they have a low sex drive (doesn't necessarily mean you are asexual, although Kobabe is). This can be scary. Thinking you are a freak because you are uninterested in sex or fantasize about growing up to be the maiden aunt can make a young person feel alone. But tons of people struggle with this stuff. And seeing Kobabe do it is helpful and reassuring. [image] Same thing with Kobabe refusing to shave eir legs or underarms. Or vulva, for that matter. Tons of women are interested in this, but society is BRUTAL in its enforcement of gender roles. Seeing Kobabe (and one of the women e dates) frankly discuss how they both have body hair before engaging in sex, and how that has to be a 'confession' because a female having body hair is SO SHAMEFUL is powerful and really can make teens (or any reader) think critically about how society forces gender expression. [image] There's about 8 more examples of 'totally relatable stuff for readers, even if you are not queer' that I could list here. [image] The book is not at all preachy. Kobabe speaks simply and honestly. You really understand Kobabe and where e is coming from by the end of the book. Kobabe doesn't shy away from troublesome elements. For example, e has a difficult conversation with eir lesbian, feminist aunt who thinks nonbinary and transgender is a form of misogyny. Or the part where Kobabe admits that as a young person, e fantasized about having to have eir breasts removed because of cancer - stating that since then people in eir family have had breast cancer and what a terrible fantasy that was. It's honest, it's reminiscent of a book by Judy Blume. Obviously, this book is aimed at an older audience than Judy Blume's audience. But the honest, helpful-to-youth, tackling-difficult-issues-without-being-preachy feeling is strong, just like Blume's work. Probably not a coincidence, since Blume's books were banned and challenged frequently. I think that a.) depriving teenagers of this material is doing them a huge disservice. The book is EXCELLENT. I am not saying this because it is queer, I have rated plenty of queer books 1 or 2 stars. Some queer books are horrible. So, this is not a case of me praising this book 'because it's necessary.' I don't believe in that, I always review books based on the book, not out of any sense of 'as a liberal I have to support this.' I don't have to support it, and frequently don't. However, the book is amazing and should definitely be in high-school libraries and in every public library. I would recommend it to LITERALLY everyone, regardless of whether they are in the queer community or not. It's just a smart, relatable, helpful book for all humans. [image] b.) The idea that 'conservatives' seem to have that reading about 'gays' will 'make children/teens gay' is really bizarre to me. No matter how many books I read about lesbians, I'm not a lesbian. *shrug* If you don't like dick, reading about dicks isn't going to make you suddenly want to take a dick. I think literature is a huge gift to humanity, and that children and teens will self-censor. I was allowed to read anything I wanted to growing up. And I did. And I think it was one of the best parenting decisions my parents ever made. Children and young people read what interests them. Tons of stuff doesn't interest them, forbidding them to pick it up is only going to spark their curiosity. I think the ideas and concepts in this book are great. I think they are really helpful. I think the book is educational and interesting. That being said, a lot of young people will have absolutely no interest in reading it. Just let things take their natural course. [image] If you want to know what I think is very damaging to children and young people, it's Internet porn. I would worry about Internet usage much, much more than BOOKS. I guess books are ban-able, though, and the Internet isn't. All this hand-wringing is completely pointless if your kid has a smartphone and/or access to the World Wide Web. Pornography is very damaging, and it's being introduced at younger and younger ages. Two ironic and sad things about this book is when Kobabe learns to read (at age 11!) due to Harry Potter. Must sting a lot in light of Rowling's outspoken views that we now know (this isn't discussed in the book. I'm just speculating). And TWO, Kobabe finding refuge, solace, and comfort in the library while discovering queer books and trying to figure out eir gender and sexuality. Books are so important, public libraries are so important. And now eir important, sensitive, helpful book about gender identity is being banned. PEOPLE HAVE CLAIMED THIS BOOK IS PORNOGRAPHIC. IS IT? CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT'S IN IT? Sure. The book is NOT pornographic. However, it does tackle issues of sexuality and etc. It's definitely not meant to titillate or sexually excite people. It's not pornography. However, it does contain sexual material. Let's go over it. - Kobabe grows up with hippies and pees in the yard. There is a drawing of eir peeing in the yard as a 3-year-old. - E tries to go shirtless as a child (prepubescent) and is quickly made to cover up and be ashamed. - Discussions of periods, drawing of a bloody pad. I wouldn't even think this was 'offensive,' since it is a natural bodily function, but after the 'conservative' panic from Turning Red (Disney) about the HORROR of talking about menstruation, I'm mentioning this. - Kobabe fantasizes about having a penis (no penis is shown in this part). E also discusses how imagining two gay men having sex is what sexually arouses eir. And fantasizing about eir (non-existent) cock getting sucked. No penises shown, it's just talked about. - Kobabe's older sister kind of dares eir to taste eir own vaginal fluids. Kobabe is asexual and finds this 'gross.' We see this progress later as e grows up to honestly tell eir female dating partner that e won't go down on her. - Drawings of Kobabe undressing for eir first, terrifying pap smear. Shows a naked female body but it's just normal, not sexualized at all. The pap smear is horrifying for Kobabe, and there is a picture of eir naked body being impaled on knife to illustrate the trauma e feels about being penetrated. This is one of the most relatable and heart-wrenching parts of the book IMO. - There is a picture of a Grecian plate shown while Kobabe has a sexual fantasy in which a bearded naked man is touching the penis of a teenage boy. - There's a scene in the book where Kobabe's girlfriend agrees to fellate a strap-on that Kobabe is wearing. As I expected, Kobabe doesn't enjoy it at all because there is no sensation in a plastic dick, obviously. E never does that again, and actually kind of gives up on sex permanently by the end of the book. The book is surprisingly unsexual for supposed, alleged 'porn.' After all, Kobabe is an asexual and even as a teen has a very low sex drive. That's pretty much it, make your own decisions on if your kid/teen can read this (if they are even interested, which I doubt). I can easily and happily see it in any high school. Lower age than that I probably wouldn't put it in a middle-school or elementary-school library. Saying this should be banned from elementary school libraries, though, is kind of like saying 'We should ban rhinoceroses from elementary schools.' This book simply isn't going to be there, it's not an issue. And I'm completely against book banning of any sort. PERSONALLY as an individual I wouldn't hesitate to give it to any kid age 12+, but I understand I'm very loosey-goosey with what kids read because I read anything I wanted to growing up and I think kids/teens should read anything that holds their interest - especially a smart, well-written book like this which will educate them and make them think. I'm also a feminist, so that might explain why I like this book so much. After all, I read OUR BODIES, OURSELVES when I was young. It was GREAT, this is kind of akin to that. Another huge boon in this book is that Kobabe has a loving, supportive, kind family. It can be depressing to read queer memoirs where the family is hateful and shames and humiliates the author. This book illustrates what a kind, accepting family can look like for a queer youth. [image] TL;DR So glad I read this. I feel sad that Kobabe's book is being banned and challenged. It's an excellent book. Very helpful for any teens/adults who might be struggling to understand why traditional gender roles aren't suiting them; why the intense sexualization of American culture is not attractive to them. Why they don't spend hours fantasizing about a crush. But even beyond this, Kobabe is relatable to any reader. Any person who just wants to understand queer identity better should read this. Confused about what non-binary actually is? Confused about how a person can be born in a female body and not feel womanly or girlish? You don't even know what genderqueer means? Is Kobabe trans? What's going on here? Just read it. It's an excellent educational material for straight cisgender people. I think it can be a huge boon in taking away any fears or disgust people in 'mainstream' society might have regarding LGBTQIA+ people and that is super-important, especially nowadays with the right's insistence that 'queers are coming for your children.' The book clearly shows the reader a kind, relatable human being. Perhaps this is the real reason the book is being banned by the right. What if queer people are JUST LIKE YOU in a lot of ways? [image] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Apr 27, 2022
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Apr 27, 2022
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Apr 27, 2022
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Paperback
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| 0733334946
| 9780733334948
| 0733334946
| 4.29
| 3,082
| Mar 21, 2016
| Mar 21, 2016
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it was amazing
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Penguin could not have arrived at a better time, by which I mean a more terrible time. There are some things children should never have to see - and wa Penguin could not have arrived at a better time, by which I mean a more terrible time. There are some things children should never have to see - and watching their mother be critically injured and almost die is very definitely one of those things. When Sam finally came home, after more than half a year in the hospital, she may have been out of immediate danger, but the painful reality of her condition had only just begun to sink in. When I first carried her over the threshold, it had been one of the happiest days of our lives. But this time around, carrying Sam from the car to our front door was one of the saddest occasions you could possibly imagine. pg. 60 This is a good book, and an emotional one. It's the true story of Sam Bloom, as told by her husband, Cameron Bloom. They led a happy and active life traveling the world. She worked as a nurse and he as a photographer. One day, while on vacation with their three boys in Thailand, she leaned on a rotted safety fence and plummeted. The result was a long stint in the hospital and a paralysis from the chest down. Along with a loss of taste and smell which is permanent. The book talks mainly about how Sam struggles with getting her life back. It's difficult. She contemplates suicide. She feels rage and despair and like she is a freak. Cameron ties in his wife's story with the story of a magpie he and the boys found injured. He and the boys take in the bird and raise her up. When his wife comes home from the hospital, Cameron sees the bird help his wife come to terms with her own losses and help his family unite and stay strong. Bloom is an apt writer, I enjoyed being in his mind. He obviously loves his wife and sons deeply, he came off as a caring, kind, amazing individual. I'm always interested in reading non-fiction by male authors since I enjoy getting a glimpse into men's minds. He's also a photographer, and the book has pictures on almost every page of his adorable children, Penguin, and his wife. It's lovely. They're a lovely family. There is a section at the end in which Sam writes a little portion directly to the reader. First, she speaks to other paralyzed people. Then, she speaks to the friends and family of paralyzed people. It's a chance for her to speak about difficult truths, I appreciated hearing her perspective. But the main perspective of the book is from her husband: how he sees things, how he interprets things, and how he copes with keeping his family intact after his wife's accident. TL;DR Emotional. A good book. I'd recommend it to anyone. It's interesting, short, has lots of pictures, and tells a touching story which is not sugar-coated, nor defeatist. I preferred this infinitely to Me Before You. This might be an unfair comparison, since Me Before You is fiction, but Moyes is emotionally manipulative and sappy. The ending was terrible. This book is much better, and it's true (real) besides. Bloom is charming. Whether you are an animal-lover or a people-lover, this will hit the right notes. It's also a movie on Netflix now, I believe, starring Naomi Watts. I haven't seen it (yet), but do plan on doing so. RELATED READING Ghost Boy: My Miraculous Escape from a Life Locked Inside My Own Body [image] by Martin Pistorius Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness [image] by Susannah Cahalan Me Before You [image] by Jojo Moyes NAMES IN THIS BOOK (view spoiler)[ Sam f Bundy dog Rueben m Noah m Oliver m Cameron m Bradley m (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Apr 09, 2022
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Apr 09, 2022
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Apr 09, 2022
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Hardcover
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| 163779004X
| 9781637790045
| 163779004X
| 4.02
| 315
| unknown
| Dec 14, 2021
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really liked it
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This is a depressing book about living in Iran. Like living in any place where religion makes the rules, it is an oppressive and horrifying patriarchy
This is a depressing book about living in Iran. Like living in any place where religion makes the rules, it is an oppressive and horrifying patriarchy. Both men and women suffer a lot. Sex is forbidden outside marriage. Women then resort to what born-again Christians do - everything but. They give blowjobs and have anal sex in order to remain 'virgins.' The government can do virginity tests at any time, resulting in a lot of women being raped. Rape is quite common because of the reality set up by religion in which any woman who is not 100% beyond reproach is then considered 'dirty.' 'Police' can stop you at any time and pretty much do whatever they want to you. Men are beaten and forced to pay bribes if caught doing illegal things like drinking alcohol or listening to rock music. Men are forced into marriages they don't want, just like women. Women can be forced to take virginity tests before marriage. Men have mandated military service which has been extended to longer periods. The only ones not suffering are the mullahs, who make the rules. They fuck prostitutes and claim it is okay because of 'temporary marriage' that they can enact and then annul. The rules they make apply to everyone except them. The government surveils everyone constantly and is always alert to catch you doing something 'bad.' There is very little privacy and you are literally risking your life by having sexual relations outside of marriage. Everyone lives in constant fear. It honestly sounds like a fucking nightmare, and it's important to remember this is where all religions pretty much end up when allowed unlimited power. This is why it's important to keep religion out of government. There's already a lot of move towards the Christian right trying to take control in a lot of spaces right now in the U.S. of A. People have fear of them overturning Roe vs. Wade, then coming for banning all gay marriage and gay adoption etc. On the micro-level they are working hard to get books banned in both school and public libraries, which is scarily effective. They take over the local boards and then just enforce their religious beliefs on everyone else. A lot of anti-Semitism is on the rise, and a lot of book-banning is occurring of books written by Jewish, POC, and LGBTQIA+ authors. Eventually are we going to get to a point where the Holocaust will no longer be taught in schools? The remaining Holocaust survivors are dying out. They banned The Complete Maus in a TN school district, ostensibly because it had a swear in it and a naked mouse in it, but really it is because they are anti-Semites and want to erase history, and although TN is in the news right now, it's happening EVERYWHERE. Of course, it's not really about religion, it's about control. Controlling other people is the biggest desire of these groups and the people behind them. Religion is simply an effective and emotional and powerful way to get support for totalitarianism. TL;DR - Read it and weep. Pity Iranians? Never think 'it can't happen here.' Please look at history of other countries, current events in other countries, and then take a look at your own country. I'm not only talking to U.S. citizens here. Do not feel secure and like your country is immune. It's not. ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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Jan 29, 2022
not set
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Jan 29, 2022
not set
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Jan 29, 2022
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Hardcover
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| 9811059187
| 9789811059186
| B075P235W8
| 3.60
| 20
| unknown
| Sep 15, 2017
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really liked it
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After all, Duterte himself began to communicate a more pragmatic strand of leadership as he inched closer to formally occupying the highest office in
After all, Duterte himself began to communicate a more pragmatic strand of leadership as he inched closer to formally occupying the highest office in the land. Weeks before his inauguration, Duterte sought to reassure the media that it will be his 'last time as a rude person.' Duterte promised that, 'when I become president, when I take my oath of office... There will be a metamorphosis,' whereby he will 'steadily evolve from a caterpillar and blossom into a butterfly.' pg. 43. Instead of reading Trump book after Trump book, which I find frustrating, reductive, and frankly a masochistic exercise - not in small part due to unskilled and rambling authors who are trying to make a quick buck - I find it helpful to look at the bigger picture. Duterte is part of this and while reading this book you will be noticing similarity after similarity between the two presidents. If you are interested in a.) a bit of Filipino history and b.) interested in Duterte, either due to his similarities with your national leader (whoever that may be) and/or his slaughter of drug users and drug dealers, or c.) looking for more information about populists, this book might be of interest to you. Not to say it is easy reading. It's not. For one thing, it's dense and to work through it you MUST have an interest in these topics mentioned in the above paragraph. For another thing, I'm sorry to say Heydarian has numerous grammatical mistakes in this book. I mean A LOT of grammatical mistakes. Probably blame belongs with the editor, but the book needs serious touching up. This is a book about Duterte, but it's also a look at populists, and, let's say, leaders of a certain ilk. Heydarian touches on but does not go into depth about such leaders as Trump, Nigel Paul Farage, Marine Le Pen, Shinzo Abe, Park Geun-hy, Narendra Modi, Recep Tayip Erdogan, Najib Razak, and Joko Widodo. People who follow the news should not find these names surprising, I was happy for the inclusions and interested in what Heydarian had to say. I'm interested in examining this sort of social and political phenomenon on a whole, not focusing only on one person. TL;DR Reading this forced me out of the microcosm of the United States of America. Which to Americans often seems like the whole entire world. Many Americans I know do not have a good grasp of world history nor of world politics and seem uninterested in gleaning news and ideas from places outside of the U.S. of A. I had an interest in learning more about Duterte after reading about him in the news many times. It was hard to find a book about this topic. When this title came up I found it a bit hard to get my hands on, but I'm glad I did. NOT an easy read nor a light one, NOT going to be of interest to a majority of readers. Please don't think this book is a must-read for everyone, it's definitely not. Although I encourage people to get out of whatever sphere they are in and take a look at the bigger picture. It can be enlightening. It doesn't have to be through this book, however. Please see my status updates for pertinent excerpts. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 29, 2021
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Nov 27, 2021
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Oct 29, 2021
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Kindle Edition
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| 1324001933
| 9781324001935
| 1324001933
| 3.84
| 27,351
| Sep 14, 2021
| Sep 14, 2021
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liked it
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The question has defied satisfactory resolution for centuries: What is the proper course when nature breaks laws intended for people? pg. 2 Probably my The question has defied satisfactory resolution for centuries: What is the proper course when nature breaks laws intended for people? pg. 2 Probably my least favorite Mary Roach book so far. She's the gold standard of non-fiction as far as I'm concerned. My problem isn't with Roach, it's with the subject matter. Here, Roach is tackling what she calls “human-wildlife conflict.” This is a topic I find deeply depressing. If you are an animal-lover, proceed with caution or perhaps skip this one. Humans murdering animals just for annoying them and wanting to exist in the same space as them is a topic I find pretty depressing, and with Roach, of course, no detail is spared. This can be brutal. Topics covered: bears. Because there's a lot of eating to be done. It's early fall, the time of year when black bears eat with purpose and abandon, to construct the fat they will live off in their dens over the winter. You may be wondering: When you live off your own fat, do you need to use the toilet? If you are a bear, you do not. Hibernating bears reabsorb their urine and form a “fecal plug.” Cubs, on the other hand, let it go inside the den. Not a problem, because the mother bear eats it – partly as cleanup, but mostly as food. She is nursing, after all. While hibernating. Black bear hibernation isn't the same as sleep. They're just sort of slowed down and out of it. Surreally, black sows give birth halfway through their hibernation. They deliver a couple of cubs, snack on the placenta, then go back into hibernation, nursing and tending their cubs in a state of semi-alertness until spring. According to a scientist who has taken blood samples from hibernating black bears, they do not have sleep breath and their dens don't stink. They smell like roots and earth and that is all. pg. 31 Elephants in India. Monkeys in India. Leopards in India. Cougars in the United States. There is a chapter about trees and the dangers they pose to humans. There is a chapter about beans. The threats are kidney beans, red or white, broad beans, and lima beans. Fail to boil these common edibles for at least ten minutes, and you may find yourself in significant gastrointestinal distress. As did a thousand-plus viewers of a Japanese TV show that recommended grinding white kidney beans in a coffee mill, toasting for three minutes, and sprinkling on rice. According to the journal article “The 'White Kidney Bean Incident' in Japan,” a hundred people were hospitalized. For more on the evil a kidney bean can inflict upon a human, I steer you to “Foreign Body (Kidney Beans) in Urinary Bladder: An Unusual Case Report.” In 2018, in Jaipur, India, a young man pushed four kidney beans up his urethra “for the purposes of sexual gratification.” As often happens in these cases, the items made their way beyond the point of easy recovery, and once discomfort outweighed embarrassment, the man sought medical help. An ultrasound revealed the kidney beans “floating” inside the man's bladder. Because the beans had been soaking overnight, they had, as any dry bean would, expanded and softened, complicating their extraction. Figure 3, “kidney bean removed piecemeal” is a photograph: a helping of broken, slightly mashed beans in a stainless steel surgical basin – more appetizing than most things removed by forceps in a surgery suite, but probably not, owing to the urine presoak, more delicious. pg. 158 There is a chapter about birds, this can get pretty gruesome. There's a chapter about hitting deer and other animals on the road that cause injuries to humans. There's a chapter on trying to scare off animals instead of murder them. There's a chapter about gulls. There's a chapter about the Vatican and its stance on animal killing in regards to “pests.” There's a chapter about so-called “Humane” methods of murdering animals. You might want to skip this one if you have a soft heart. The last chapter, and perhaps the scariest one – is about killing off animals using gene editing. Using gene manipulation to make animals incapable of giving birth to female offspring, releasing this population into the wild. Roach talks about how Jane Goodall is virulently against this and also about how methods like these may have unforeseen long-term consequences that we may deeply regret later. TL;DR Mary Roach is her usual self: funny, smart. To relocate the scent, good hounds will run a zigzag, sweeping wide left and right until they pick it up again. I tried this on a street near my office, after a young man passed by in a reek of Axe body spray. I let him turn the corner and disappear from view, then waited a few minutes. By zigzagging hound dog-style, I was able to track him to his destination, a cheesesteak place on the next block. pg. 128 The problem I have with this book is the subject matter – I don't want to read about killing animals and hurting them and them suffering all because humans are annoyed that they come onto their golf courses, or whatever. It's sad. Some of the killing in here is frankly horrific, and the idea that animal lives and animal pain means nothing is very depressing. If you're a pet owner, maybe avoid this book. If you are someone interested in animal welfare, maybe avoid this book. Roach's motives are good: she is also against cruelty and wrestles with herself a bit in this because she is an omnivore. By the end of the book she has given up on using mousetraps and instead uses non-harmful ways to get mice out of her house. She also tries to just resign herself to some interactions with nature: she realizes that sometimes humans will have to interact with animals and be inconvenienced by them and will just have to accept some level of occasional discomfort... unless they are willing to fuck up the planet permanently, which, let's face it, we are pretty much doing anyway. I really recommend Roach's books, but this one I feel has to come with a big warning. Proceed at your own risk. Unless death by diarrhea and dehydration is the intent, castor oil is a useless murder weapon. A technique favored by Mussolini's squadristi thugs. Political foes were force-fed large quantities of castor oil – up to a quart, according to The Straight Dope. WHO DOES THAT? Moreover, why? To kill by dehydration? To humiliate? I could find no satisfying answer, not even from the International Castor Oil Association, which, despite large quantities of emails, had no comment. pg. 155 NAMES IN THIS BOOK (view spoiler)[ Wilf m Joel m Kevin m Lindy f Ben m Aaron m Stewart m Tina f Lauren f Charlie m Roy m Stephen m Larry m Dave m Kurtis m Carmen f Fat Albert – bear Mario m Zach m Dipanjan m Aritra m Saroj m Jayantha m Janet – elephant Congo – elephant Padma f Narendra m Ashok m Sohan m Jim m Rowdy – couger Stanley m Clark m Carole f Justin m Shweta f Vidya m Narender m Hema f Qamar m Divya f Nilanjana Steph f Meera f Ishwar m Donald m Melania f Ravi m Nila f Gurji m Sanath m Catherine f Doug m Jay m Sayre m Nikita m Jonathan m Albert m David m Ed m Dean m George m Casey m Georgi m Dooly m Andy m Cathy f Terry m Page Joe m Mae f Richard m Weldon m Michael m Jack m Johnson m Mortimer m Foster m Jerry m Benjamin m Hubert m Mable f Travis m Chesley m Tom m Magnus m Donna f Bradley m Keith m Allen m Junior m Nico m Neil m Julie f Paul m Sarah f Jasper m David m John m André m Gervase m Juliet f Ronald m Esteban m Erich m Rafael m Carol f Carlo m Dieter m Adriano m Silvano m Raymond m Alec m Sandro m Gail f Shaun m Bruce m Samantha f James m Georgia f Robin f Rip m Jane f Toni f Kevin m Katherine f Will m Charles m Roger m León m (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Apr 26, 2023
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Apr 28, 2023
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Oct 28, 2021
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Hardcover
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| 0271087064
| 9780271087061
| 0271087064
| 3.76
| 291
| Jun 07, 2017
| May 03, 2021
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really liked it
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AMBROISE PARÉ: "Feeling any better?" MC: "Yeah, actually. I started working again, and that's done me some good. Apparently I'm not the first one-hande AMBROISE PARÉ: "Feeling any better?" MC: "Yeah, actually. I started working again, and that's done me some good. Apparently I'm not the first one-handed baker. My stump is healing well. I'm almost ready to get a temporary prosthesis. And in 3 to 6 months, once the swelling has gone down a bit more, I'll be able to get a permanent one! Life is pretty good. Although I still have some trouble with the looks I get. I think people look at me differently, you know? But it seems that it's actually only a reflection of how I see myself. And once I've fully accepted my new self, I'll feel better." AMBROISE PARÉ: "Yes, well, I'm not your shrink. Let's get moving. There's more to see!" pg. 89 Don't read this while eating breakfast, that's my advice. It's a frank little graphic novel about amputation, prosthetics and transhumanism. Sure, it's illustrated as a cartoon, but it's pretty graphic. You've been warned. The book starts out with our white MC having a normal morning. He wakes up, takes a shower. Gets dressed. Drinks coffee and has breakfast with his WOC girlfriend. They laugh and read the paper and kiss. He grabs his jacket and puts on his helmet and gets on his motorcycle. He wakes up in the hospital, and his left arm is missing. "Holy shit." pg. 9 He's crying and upset when he hears a voice. It's Ambroise Paré, the French physician. From, you know, 1550 or whenever. CHAPTER ONE: AMPUTATION Ambroise walks MC through the history of amputation. Literally. He talks about the oldest known amputation (6,900 years ago), amputations in mythology (Vishpala), amputation in the medieval era (pretty horrifying). He discusses the Renaissance and his and Dominique-Jean Larrey's advancements in amputation. He discusses the invention of surgical anesthetic and the movement from antisepsis to asepsis. Tourniquets. He goes through the MC's own modern procedure, which makes the MC very squeamish. The MC is quite depressed due to his arm being amputated. He imagines all the stuff he can no longer do. His girlfriend tries to comfort him, but obviously it's something he's going to have to work out on his own. She can be there for him, but he's got to get over the psychological trauma. CHAPTER TWO: PHANTOM LIMB In this chapter, Paré discusses and explores phantom limb with the MC. I won't go into detail. MC remains depressed. He struggles to do all the stuff he never gave a second thought to before. Even relaxing - playing videogames - is challenging with only one hand. His girlfriend is always there, cheering him on, and he has to go to therapy a lot. He sees the paralympic games and gets extremely excited. Which leads to CHAPTER THREE: PROSTHESES Paré walks him through all the different kinds of prosthetics, and through the history of prosthetics. CHAPTER FOUR: TRANSHUMANISM Paré talks about the future of humanity. "It's not new to want to surpass your biological limits and rise above your state of being simply mortal." pg. 126 Augmented humans. A sci-fi future. A future like the one presented in something like Battle Angel Alita, where most humans have at least some augmented body parts, and it's considered 'weird' to be fully biological. Technology is discussed. Are we already transhumans, due to the use of vaccines and cochlear implants? Is moving toward a transhuman future dangerous, or the highest aspiration? Ethics: Will this lead to a future of rich transhumans and poor laborers who could never afford such augmentations? Can we eliminate cancer through transhumanism? What about the issue of eugenics? TL;DR The MC drinks coffee all the time, which I like. He's the kind of guy who sits in a café drinking coffee and reading Ghost in the Shell (which, of course, is a form of joking by the author). The book is quite educational - I learned a lot. The book not only deals with education about limb amputation, prosthetics, and transhumanism - but it also examines what a human's response is to having a limb amputated and some of the things they go through psychologically. It's also a funny book, Chochois adds her little touches of humor, it's amusing. There's even a Spiderman joke in here. I would not recommend reading it while eating, due to gore. NAMES IN THIS BOOK: (view spoiler)[ Ambroise m Vishpala f Hephaestus m Odin m Tyr m Hippocrates m Aulus Cornelius m Napoleon m Dominique-Jean m Andreas m Crawford m Louis m Aron m Vincent m John m Lucy f Oscar m Nicholas m Todd m Gregory m Icarus m Prometheus m Isaac m Aldous m Gilgamesh m (hide spoiler)] ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 11, 2021
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Jul 12, 2021
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Jul 11, 2021
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Paperback
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my rating |
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| 4.19
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liked it
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Oct 16, 2023
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Oct 16, 2023
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| 3.74
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it was amazing
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Jul 04, 2023
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Jun 16, 2023
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| 4.10
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it was ok
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Jan 27, 2023
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Jan 27, 2023
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| 4.33
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it was amazing
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Jan 26, 2023
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Jan 26, 2023
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| 3.98
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really liked it
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Jan 08, 2023
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Jan 08, 2023
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| 4.63
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liked it
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Jan 06, 2023
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Jan 06, 2023
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| 3.45
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it was ok
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Jan 05, 2023
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Jan 05, 2023
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| 3.79
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really liked it
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Jan 05, 2023
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Jan 05, 2023
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| 4.02
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really liked it
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Dec 23, 2022
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Dec 23, 2022
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| 4.33
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really liked it
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Dec 25, 2022
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Dec 15, 2022
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| 4.06
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really liked it
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Dec 11, 2022
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Dec 09, 2022
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| 4.39
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it was amazing
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Oct 2022
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Oct 01, 2022
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| 4.50
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it was amazing
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Sep 07, 2022
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Jul 24, 2022
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| 3.98
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it was ok
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May 06, 2022
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May 02, 2022
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| 4.27
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it was amazing
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Apr 27, 2022
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Apr 27, 2022
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| 4.29
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it was amazing
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Apr 09, 2022
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Apr 09, 2022
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| 4.02
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really liked it
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Jan 29, 2022
not set
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Jan 29, 2022
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| 3.60
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really liked it
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Nov 27, 2021
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Oct 29, 2021
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| 3.84
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liked it
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Apr 28, 2023
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Oct 28, 2021
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| 3.76
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really liked it
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Jul 12, 2021
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Jul 11, 2021
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