What to Read Between TikTok Deep Dives
Today I continue extolling the virtues of Yoko Ogawa and TikTok. Also a reminder that I want to send you free books! Just reply to this email.
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Hello there. Somehow it is August, which means I can be spotted sitting on my stoop while munching on an ice cream sandwich.
Let Me Give You Books, People
I am trying to get rid of books! I will send you a box of (1-3) books. They will be fun and random, and you will love them. Just email me for details or refer to last week’s newsletter.
Thank you to those of you who have already reached out! I’ll let you know when I send out your wares in the next few weeks.
This Week in Activism, Mutual Aid & More
Justice For Breonna has the most updated actions you can take that seek justice for Breonna Taylor. You can sign the petition, contact relevant officials, and review met and unmet demands through the site.
The Movement For Black Lives is commemorating Black August through a series of events and campaigns centered on Black resistance and revolution. They accept donations, have created a #DefendBlackLives automated system that will send you updates (text “DEFEND” to 90975), and more.
The Wholigan Tip Jar was started by fans of one of my favorite podcasts, Who? Weekly. (I am in 100+ subgroups related to the show.) The tip jar supports those in the community who have become financially insecure due to the pandemic. Tomorrow they’re launching an Instagram silent auction ($1 = 1 ticket) to make it even easier to contribute.
The Books
I read The Binding by Bridget Collins this week, which I went into completely blind and stayed up until 3 AM to finish. I also read the very short Indelicacy by Amina Cain and am working my way through a few other books.
I also (virtually) attended a book talk with Big Friendship authors Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman that was moderated by Jia Tolentino for Source Booksellers in Detroit, Michigan (which ships nationally). It made me miss all of you, my friends!
Are you seeking an enthralling and eerie set of short stories that is both delicate and unexpected, like a strawberry shortcake getting smashed in a face? Read REVENGE by Yoko Ogawa. This uncanny story-cycle sometimes follows characters from one tale to the next. Other stories are linked through unassuming objects (kiwis, tomatoes, novels, lab coats). All of the stories carry Ogawa’s trademark precise tone, though many characters tightrope between lucidity and absurdity. As the title suggests, the stories all have a certain dalliance with vengeance.
What to know before going in: I firmly believe that the less you know about the plot of the book, the better. It was originally published in Japanese in 1998 and translated to English in 2013, but was recently on display at my local bookstore because of the 2019 release of Ogawa’s buzzy book, The Memory Police (which was shortlisted for the 2020 International Booker Prize and just came out in paperback last month). I will also tell you that I read the whole thing (~160 pages) in a few hours, and Martin enjoyed it so much that he immediately ordered copies to be shipped to 3+ friends so we can all discuss it.
If you’d like a sample of the prose, NPR published one of the stories online. If you’d rather just jump right in, I’ll leave you with this excerpt from Ogawa’s New York Times profile from last year that should give you a vibe:
...[Ogawa] considers herself an eavesdropper on her characters. “I just peeked into their world and took notes from what they were doing,” she said.
“I see a bridge from that item to the next scene, or I see a rainbow that I have to climb over to move to the next scene,” she said. “That’s how I write.”
If you’re looking for something else, the Booker Dozen was released this week (though Roxane Gay takes rightful exception to one honoree); The Strategist’s panel of experts curated the best books on the American prison system and organized them by subtopic; Finally, Elle actually has one of the better lists of 2020 summer beach reads that I’ve seen.
Keeping it short and sweet this week because I am too busy enjoying TikToks before the app gets banned (like this cooking one, and this cute one, and this incredible one). Later, skaters.