rtod: a folk song is what's wrong and how to fix it

Revolutionary thought of the day:

"I think real folk stuff scares most of the boys around Wahsington. A folk song is what's wrong and how to fix it, or it could be whose hungry and where their mouth is, or whose out of work and where the job is or whose broke and where the money is or whose carrying a gun and where the peace is -- that's folk lore and folks made it up because they seen that the politicans couldn't find nothing to fix or nobody to feed or give a job of work."

Woody Guthrie, in a 1940 letter to Alan Lomax, quoted in Woody Guthrie: A Life by Joe Klein

in which i scour the internet for signs of resistance and wonder if anyone is organizing a general strike

Where is the resistance? 

My question is not "where is the outrage, why is no one resisting," and so forth.

There is always resistance. I know it's out there. It must be happening. But who is organizing what and where -- that's not visible from a distance.

Looking at mainstream media, we have the usual "hundreds rally", or overviews of one or two Democrats and a scattering of judges.

In the socialist and anarchist media, workers are always rising. The world is always on the brink of a workers' revolution. One fine day they might be right, but they are certainly not a barometer of anything.

I'm also not talking about the so-called #Resistance^TM. The Democrats are ciphers. Utterly absent. Kamala Harris has disappeared. A blatant and obvious reminder that Democrats gonna Democrat: Party Über Alles.

Some Republican voters are apparently angry -- and this is important. Will our side understand the imperative to work with disgruntled conservatives? Or are we too consumed with anger and blame to welcome temporary allies wherever we find them? If Trump and Musk are to be stopped, it will take the active participation of non-fascist Republicans. 

Simple Sabotage Field Manual, a DIY resistance guidebook published by the OSS (precursor of the CIA) in 1944, is the number one search and download on Project Gutenberg. So there's that.

I've been wondering if some federal workers are planning a general strike. Talking on Signal or Discord, forming groups and coalitions. They wouldn't even have to risk their lives by demonstrating in the streets. They could simply stay home. A mass sick-out.

It could build from something barely noticeable to massive over the course of a workweek. 

It could include all federal workers. Office workers. Lawyers. Lab workers. Tech writers. Accountants. Kitchen workers. System analysts. Mailroom staff. Janitors. Statisticians. It should (but of course it wouldn't) include defense workers, contractors, secret service guards.  

Staying home as an act of resistance. Musk wants fewer federal workers, let's see what happens without them.

And then -- in my fantasy -- with federal workers showing the way, we could see a widespread general strike, calling for Trump's impeachment, arrest, prosecution, and sentencing. 

Why the hell not. Every action begins with an idea. Every idea begins with a dream.

Of course it would violate Rule Number One of all serious activism. Has the groundwork been laid? Have coalitions been built? Are people prepared? I'm guessing no, no, and no.

But this is an emergency. Maybe it has to happen organically. Maybe the rules don't apply. 

Or maybe it is happening. 

How can I support? 

thoughts about what's happening in the u.s.

I haven't been able to write anything coherent about what's happening in the US. All I have is a jumble of disconnected thoughts and emotions. Mostly I push them aside, needing to focus on work, union, and family. 

I guess this is a What's Happening in the US Brain Dump. I'm not even going to try to weave it into an essay. Even this brain dump has been sitting in drafts for more than a week.

* * * * 

Last night, a friend and I had our regular semi-monthly video call. This friend works for the federal government, and is queer. They are also really smart: they are leaving the country. 

As soon as our call started, I said: when are you leaving? I said, please don't wait. And we agreed: they won't be one of those families who waited just too long, not reading the signs around them, and were trapped to a horrific fate. The Jewish families who could have left Nazi Germany, but waited too long.

The words that I find myself repeating again and again: we don't know how far this will go. We don't know how far this will go.

Because these people do not respect the rule of law. 

That's the bottom line. 

They do not respect the rule of law, the Constitution, the checks and balances. Throughout my lifetime, throughout United States history, those safeguards, those imperfect systems, have been stretched, frayed, twisted, corrupted. They have been abused and misused. But they have still existed. They have endured. Now we see the final death throes. This putsch does not recognize any boundaries. As my friend said, no guard rails. 

I loathe hearing and reading "we will get through this". Who is we in that sentence? A comfortable middle-class (or above) income, a cis/hetero family, white skin, may get you through it. Just because you're not being rounded up, your kids aren't in cages, you're not being called vermin, your family is safe: "we'll get through this"? Fuck you. 

I'm a Jew. I know in my bones that we don't always get through this. 

And even worse: Jewish people who defend this. Jewish people who care about Israel more than humanity. My loathing for those people knows no bounds.

I remember being shocked and so angry to learn that in some states, after a law is declared unconstitutional, the state keeps the laws on the books and continues to enforce it. A rogue state, if you will. Now we have a rogue nation.

Which is the other thing I keep asking. When will the nations of the world treat the US for it is, a rogue nation? That there no longer exists the US the ally. The US is North Korea. Iran. And Russia, perhaps literally. 

With the Orwellian pronouncement that Ukraine started the "war" with Russia -- 1984 come to reality -- maybe this has begun. Maybe "allies" are re-thinking.

The sight of Elon Musk in the Oval Office shocked me and turned my stomach. 

Living in a country where the economy is so intertwined with the US's brings that home faster. It's easy to talk about a trade war. It's harder to talk about an actual war. Canada has the world's largest supply of fresh water. Water is more valuable than oil. Where will that go?

None of this came out of nowhere. It's been building since the Reagan era. The steady march to fascism. We can be sure this march has not arrived at its destination.

De-regulation, unchecked capitalism, the revoking of what's left of a social safety net. Neocolonialism; corporate colonialism.

Mass incarceration, voter suppression, fraudulent elections. Bush v Gore. 

The constant disinformation, an Orwellian world where white so-called Christian men are victims, and attempts at inclusion are enemies of the state. 

Solidarity with persecuted Afrikaners. 

The Gulf of Mexico, Panama, Gaza. 

Crippling economics are met with scapegoating, and now round-ups. 

The endless war with shadowy intent, a shifting landscape of enemies.

The racism, both wide and deep, stoked into fury by the advent of a Black POTUS. 

Media amplifying the messages 24/7, broadcasting fiction and fantasy disguised of news. (If you doubt this, watch Fox News if you can stand it, or read Naomi Klein's Doppelganger if you can't.)

No conventional forms of protest are effective. No demonstration, no letter-writing campaign, will save Americans from this nightmare. Those forms of protest are only effective within a democracy. Or at least within a country that cares about world opinion. Or at least a country where sanctions can be brought to bear. Or at least. I don't know what.

we movie to canada: best of "what i'm watching" 2024

These are the best movies and series I watched in 2024, in no particular order.

Five stars: the best of the best

Ripley
This latest adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's novel The Talented Mr. Ripley is not to be missed. Visually seductive, almost unbearably suspenseful, it's the Ripley adaptation to make you forget all others. Andrew Scott's portrayal of Tom Ripley is bone chilling -- so mesmerizing that the viewer forgets whose side you're supposed to be on. And with eight episodes to delve into the story, it really does justice to the novel. 

Poor Things
This quirky social satire swept me away. It's hilarious, deeply moving, and brilliantly biting. Through the "naif discovers the world" trope, it weaves an uplifting philosophy of personal autonomy, self-created identity, love without possession or control, and the basic humanity and equality of all people, all wrapped in inventive steampunk design. Emma Stone's performance as Bella Baxter is one for the ages. Along with last year's "Everything Everywhere All At Once," I want to re-watch this, and will probably get more out of it. 

May December
Funny, sad, and uncomfortable in all the right ways, this drama inspired by real events sends your reactions flip-flopping -- and leaves you questioning each flip and flop. It's a thoughtful and nuanced portrayal of a difficult subject, something you believe to be clear-cut: you want it to be black-and-white, but it just refuses to be so. Thought-provoking and surprising.

Tell Me Who I Am (2019)
This documentary introduces twin brothers, raised in the same home. Alex lost his memory in an accident at age 18; Marcus helped him reconstruct their childhood -- or some version of it. It's impossible to say more without spoilers. The movie opens a rabbit-warren of questions about memory, reality, and our construction of the stories of our lives. It's intense, shocking, even harrowing, but ultimately hopeful. 

Barbie
I loved this movie. It was playful, funny, moving, powerful, and decidedly feminist.  

Blacklist S10
Ever since Blacklist got rid of you-know-who at the end of S8, the show deepened in emotional resonance, and James Spader turned in some of his best work of the entire show -- which is really saying something. S10 was suspenseful, sad, and stunning. I loved this series, despite its flaws, and will probably watch the whole thing again.

Slow Horses S3-S4
This British thriller about a group of misfit spies continues to do everything right. Great writing, great acting, suspense, humour, mystery, and the incredible Gary Oldman, eclipsing the other excellent performances. If you enjoy spy thrillers, don't miss this.

Killers of the Flower Moon
My expectations for this film were very high -- a movie adaptation of a great nonfiction book, Indigenous and American history, Martin Scorsese. I was not disappointed. Scorsese combines history, true-crime, mystery, romance -- greed, murder, betrayal -- into an American epic.

L.A. Confidential rewatch (1997)
I was wondering how this classic would stand up. The answer: it is one of the greatest neo-noirs of the modern era, second only to "Chinatown" (which we re-watched last year), and a truly outstanding movie of any genre. Taut, visually gorgeous, complex without being too convoluted to follow -- crisp, stinging noir-style dialogue that doesn't descend into parody -- brilliantly understated acting -- and breathtaking twists. Back in the 90s, this is the movie that sent us on a hunt to find others like it. We discovered a genre, but learned how rare movies of this caliber are.

Better Call Saul S1-S5 (full series)
I was not a fan of "Breaking Bad," and until now, I've had a strong dislike of Bob Odenkirk. I found Odenkirk in Breaking Bad unwatchable. Allan convinced me to try this series, and I'm so glad he did. Stepping out from his tiresome shtick, Odenkirk gives a brilliant, nuanced, unforgettable performance. The series transcends the crime-thriller genre, exploring the bonds of family and friendship, loyalty and betrayal, love and loneliness, our attempts to control our own lives, and the forces that make that impossible. Few shows are both suspenseful and heartbreaking. One of the very best series we've seen.

The Hateful Eight (2015)
I'm still bingeing the modern western genre, and my new interest in the films of Quentin Tarantino, sparked by "Django Unchained," made this a must-see. As you might expect from Tarantino, this movie is fast-paced, hilarious, gruesome, and meaningful. I'm glad I've acquired a taste for his over-the-top, humorous violence, like a secret language I suddenly understand. If you also understand that language, this movie is nearly perfect. Or it might actually be perfect. 

Heartstopper S1-S3 (full series so far)
This is my current favourite, heart-squeezing, tear-inducing, teen coming-of-age story. It's a celebration of love in all its many beautiful forms. Where "Sex Education" invents a world where queer kids can always be themselves, and are never bullied or rejected by anyone but maladjusted adults, Heartstopper's world is more realistic, which makes it all the more meaningful. I'm in love with Nick and Charlie's love. 

Le Samourai (1967)
A tense and complex noir thriller from the master, Jean-Pierre Melville. From the seductive cinematography of black-and-white Paris, to the crisp, taut dialogue, to the understated acting, this film is perfect in every way. Alain Delon sets the bar high as a professional hitman trying to do his job and save his own skin. 

Four stars: worth every minute, highly recommended

Shrinking S1 rewatch + S2 (full series so far)
Season 2 of this smart comedy-drama is much deeper and quite a bit sadder than S1. Last year, I wrote that the series is about "grief, loss, therapy, honesty, and reclaiming joy". Now I'll add self-awareness, self-deception, forgiveness, and mortality. It's a truly great show. 

A Nearly Normal Family
This eight-part series explores what a family will do to protect each other, and asks if protecting others is more important than the truth, and even more important than ourselves. If it were a book, I'd call it a literary thriller -- honest, authentically human, moving, and suspenseful, with some great twists.

Hollywood Con Queen
This short docuseries reveals a con so elaborate and far-reaching that it seems like improbable fiction -- but it's based on reporting by an investigative journalist. If it were fiction, it might be funny, but in fact it was horribly cruel. A strange and fascinating doc.

No Sudden Move (2021)
A crime thriller that subtly shifts into hidden history and social commentary, without losing its edge, is a rare and beautiful thing. There's street-level crime, then there's the crime and greed at the top, the kind that hurts more people -- and kills the planet. Like "A Nearly Normal Family," above, this is the movie version of a literary thriller.

The Pigeon Tunnel
Errol Morris on John Le Carré. What more do you need to know? 

Private Property (1960)
This gritty noir was considered prurient and shocking when it was released, and more than 60 years later, it has lost little of its power. It's a true film noir, unyielding in its cynical and depressing worldview.

Burn After Reading (2008)
This dark, satirical comedy from the Coen brothers is great fun. Brad Pitt is hilarious as the mimbo, but the star-laden cast keeps the viewer at arms-length. It's impossible not to see George Clooney, John Malkovich, and even the great Frances McDormand as actors, rather than their characters. 

The Holdovers
This bittersweet comedy-drama may be Paul Giamatti's best work. Director Alexander Payne puts aside his usual ironic distance, and the results are profound and completely absorbing.

The Green Glove Gang S1
An excellent heist comedy, plus seniors playing real people, without mocking or resorting to caricatures. 

Good Girls S1-S4 (full series)
A heist comedy that quickly turns dark, with underlying anti-capitalist and anti-sexist themes. I really enjoyed this. 

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2012)
The classic adaptation of the classic John Le Carré spy novel. 

Seven Psychopaths (2012)
This crime-comedy-satire from Martin McDonagh is dark comedy at its best. McDonagh manages to do it all and mock it all at the same time.

A Serious Man (2009)
Another dark comedy from the Coen Brothers, with some profound thoughts about faith, love,  misfortune, and mortality woven in. Apparently it's regarded as one of The Greatest Films. I wouldn't put it in that category, but there's a lot going on; it would probably benefit from a second viewing.

Strange Fruit: The Biography of a Song (2002)
This documentary unpacks the haunting song of the title, along with the man who wrote it, and the woman who made it famous. I wrote about it here.

Night of the Hunter (1955)
This classic noir thriller is chilling, suspenseful, and just a wee bit campy. With a screenplay by James Agee, directed by Charles Laughton, the film has quite the pedigree, and was highly influential. Robert Mitchum is brilliant as the master of deception, the beloved preacher who is about as far from holy as it gets. Unlike "Private Property" (above), Night of the Hunter lets in a little light, veering away from the most cynical of all possible endings -- and it works.

Belfast (2021)
Coming of age during The Troubles, brought to you by Kennth Branagh. A lovely film.

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
The original subway-hijacking thriller is tense and suspenseful, but understated, played always on a human level. Like all good films from this era, the look and feel -- both cityscapes and subway scenes -- are so authentic, that you can lose yourself in the action, in a way that (for me) big-budget so-called action films cannot match.

Mr. Monk's Last Case (2023)
Tony Shaloub treats us to one more turn as the incomparable Adrian Monk. Like the brilliant series, the movie is funny, sometimes profound, a little corny, and in the end, uplifting. I am so in love with Shaloub's portrayal of the incredibly irritating, incredibly loveable, deeply damaged detective. Monk fans, see this movie.

Santa Clarita Diet S1-3 (full series)
A zombie comedy not trying to tell us anything, just making us laugh. A lot. Timothy Olyphant and Drew Barrymore are hilarious and loveable.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
Our rethink of the Coen Brothers and my modern-western binge came together for this one. At times silly, hilarious, sad, dramatic, and occasionally profound, the film hits all the right notes. Too many recognizable faces plus the anthology format marred it a bit for me, but it was still very satisfying.

Series Noire rewatch, S1-S2 (full series, 2014-2016)
We absolutely love this crazy crime comedy from the Quebecois team of François Létourneau, Jean-François Rivard, and Vincent-Guillaume Otis. It's hilarious, sad, and occasionally profound, full of self-referential irreverence, without hitting you over the head with its cleverness -- although it has cleverness to spare. 

Special mention

Django (1966)
After I fell in love with Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained" (and I watched it again, so Allan would see it), we wanted to see this classic Giallo / Spaghetti Western that Tarantino pays homage to. It's a completely ridiculous movie -- creepy, grotesque, unintentionally hilarious -- and it out-tops Tarantino's over-the-top violence. 

Honourable mentions: worth seeing

The Lincoln Lawyer S3

Huge in France S1 (full series so far) (2019)

"Unknown" series: The Lost Pyramid, Cosmic Time Machine

STEVE! (martin): a Documentary in Two Pieces

Previous "we movie to canada" awards

- Canadian musicians and comedians (2006-07 and 2007-08)
- my beverage of choice (2008-09)
- famous people who died during the past year (2009-10)
- where I'd like to be (2010-11)
- vegetables (2011-12)
- big life events in a year full of Big Life Changes (2012-13)
- cheese (2013-14)
- types of travels (2014-15)
- famous people who died plus famous people who died, part 2 (2015-16)
- the picket line (2016-17)
- movies (2017-18)
2018-19: 1-5 ☮s
2019-20: 1-5 💉s
2020-21: 1-5 😷s (without the tear!)
2021: best of 2021 april to december
2022: best of 2022
2023: best of 2023

memories of my niece eva

Eva Kaminker Andres was one of the very best people I have ever known. Remembering Eva, it's difficult not to be effusive. You might think I am exaggerating. I assure you, I am not.

Eva was an extremely caring and loving person. She was completely focused, completely present. She and Tim lived their values in a way that few people ever do, living a life focused on love, friendship, community, spirituality, and a connection to the natural world, a life intentionally not filled with consumerism and the quest for material goods, a life without professional pressures, one turned away from the noise of the mainstream world. 

They shared a beautiful small home, in a tiny, remote town on California's "lost coast," living a simple life. When I visited them in 2022, we shared a laugh over their kitchen goods: only a few plates, mason jars for glasses, but an expensive, high-tech kettle to bring the water to the exact, correct heat for their fancy French press. Because what's really important in life? Coffee!

We ate breakfast on their tiny balcony, looking out onto the wild beauty of the mountains and listening to the surf. Eva told me that every night after dinner, they watch the sun set on the ocean. We walked across the road and down a few feet -- not even a five-minute walk -- and settled in to their spot to take in the beauty. 

By saying that Eva was intensely spiritual, caring, and present, I don't mean to portray her as saccharine or prim. She had a sharp sense of humour and could surprise you with hilarious, biting observations. She laughed a lot, because she found great joy and also great hilarity in the world.

Eva was never preachy or showy or militant about her life choices. I marvelled at her ability to meet people wherever they were. Eva was the embodiment of the expression be the change you wish to see in the world. She had been an activist for a while when she was younger, but gave that up. I sensed that choice was connected to her Buddhist spirituality, but we never talked about it explicitly. She knew I was an activist, and she was always interested what I had going on. I hope I was always as positive about her life choices as she was about mine. I learned a lot about acceptance from Eva. You don't have to understand everyone. You only have to accept them as they are.

* * * *

Eva and I had a special bond. We were both the youngest in our families, and both chose life paths that were outside family expectations and perhaps not always understood. We both chose not to have children.

She lived in Auroville for a time, an intentional community in the south of India, and traveled alone in India for an extended period of time. 

She worked as a cook, feeding staff and visitors of the Spirit Rock Meditation Centre, and as a massage therapist. Eva was also an artist. She once traveled to a remote part of Maine to meet and spend time with a relative of my mother's who is an artist, just to connect.

* * * *

Eva grew up in New Jersey, and when she and her brothers were younger, Allan and I were the "cool aunt and uncle" across the river in New York City. We would hang out together, see grunge bands or musicians performing in coffee houses, and just walk around the city, poking around bookstores, record stores, maybe stopping in an art gallery, finding fun inexpensive places to eat. Eva really enjoyed that, and also liked going to the occasional baseball game with us.

I want to capture two NYC memories that we laughed about whenever we saw each other for years -- just the punchlines. One is the musician in the coffee house singing about The Big Toe. The other was the guy on his cell phone in Di Fara Pizza: "I'm in fucking Brooklyn! Eating pizza!" I was actually blogging already at that time! I wrote about it here.  

Our time together when we were younger formed a deep bond that lived on. When she was already living in California, she had some reason to be in New Jersey, and while she was on that side of the continent, visited us in Ontario -- twice. This was no small thing. It meant a lot. 

I'm so incredibly grateful that when I visited my Oregon family in 2022, I visited Eva and Tim in Shelter Cove. I had an incredibly beautiful six-hour drive, then spent two nights and a full day with them. (From there I drove down to the Bay Area and visited another nephew (one of Eva's brothers) and niece-in-law, and met my new grand-nephew.) 

That was the first time in many years that Eva and I spent quality, alone time together, and the only time I hung out with her and Tim alone. We had so much fun -- serious talks, tons of laughs, the incredible coastal beauty. We had dinner with some of Tim's family who lives nearby, and they welcomed me as family in the warmest, most genuine way. Most importantly, I saw Eva and Tim -- their beautiful partnership, their boundless love for each other.

Tim was much older than Eva, actually a couple of years older than her father (my brother). This raised eyebrows, of course, as did Tim's unconventional life. But would Eva ever have chosen a conventional person as her partner? Spending time with Eva and Tim, I saw the deep love they shared, the world they created and inhabited together, and I was so happy for them. I also shared these observations with my mother, and it brought her a lot of joy, too. 

* * * *

Eva was always lovely and attractive, but as she got older, she really came into her own beauty and style. She had warm, deep brown eyes, a big, bright smile, and gorgeous, thick, brown hair. She didn't wear makeup (as far as I know) and always looked slim and physically fit. I picture her in jeans and boots, a cotton tee or a plaid flannel shirt, or at a family function, in a simple dress and a colourful scarf, looking both totally natural and totally elegant.

* * * *

The last time I saw Eva was in late June of 2024. My brother and sister-in-law had just moved our mother into an assisted living facility, and we were helping sort through her things. My mother wanted us to take anything of hers we wanted; it made her happy to know that some of her possessions would continue to be valued, and that her children and grandchildren would enjoy and benefit from them. 

Eva took some furniture. My brother helped her tie it down in the bed of her truck. We hugged and said I love you. Then I watched her drive off in her truck, smiling and happy, on her way back to home, California, and Tim.

eva

 

Eva Kaminker Andres, November 28, 1985 - January 5, 2025

One of the very best people it has been my privilege to know and to love.

Rest in peace, beautiful soul. We will miss you forever.

what not to do in a job interview

As a library manager, I regularly hire new library workers in entry-level positions -- library assistants who work on a casual, on-call basis. When permanent positions open up, casuals are internal applicants, awarded positions based on seniority. In other words, once someone is a casual, there is no interview process to becoming permanent -- so we need to be very selective about who we hire for casual work.

We get quite a few applicants who crack the threshold for an interview. Most jobs in our region are either strenuous, outdoors, physical labour, or professional work that requires an advanced degree. Our work is neither of those, which makes it attractive to many people. In addition, many people believe a library would make a nice work environment. It does -- but usually not in the ways that they imagine.

There's a lot wrong with the interview process. Does it actually yield the best library employee? Sometimes, but not always. Are we hiring the best potential worker, or the best interviewer? Despite that, this is the system we're stuck with for now.

In my old library system, there was a huge amount of internal movement, and I interviewed almost continuously for two and a half years. I learned that interviewing is a skill that can be studied, practiced, and improved. I also learned that the supposedly objective system, based on numerical scoring, is in reality very subjective.

I wish everyone could learn good interviewing skills. There are resources to help, but you'd have to know that you needed it. However, I can easily draw up a short list of what not to do.

- Don't say negative things about yourself. If this is a habit of yours, learn to keep it in check.

- Don't give one-word answers. 

- Don't say "you know what I mean" instead of explaining something, even if it's difficult to explain.

- Try not to use jargon from another field. 

- Try really, really hard not to babble. Try even harder not to rant. 

- If you are asked, "Why did you apply for this position?", do not say, "Because I needed work," or "Because I couldn't find anything else," and especially not "Because it seems like an easy job." 

- Don't make ageist, racist, or other bigoted comments! Obviously the people who do this don't realize they are doing it. So here's an easier way to think of it: don't bring up the age or ethnic background of anyone in any story. There is no way to do this and come off sounding good. From the interviewer's point of view, we're grateful to hear these comments. The interviewee has now disqualified themself, ensuring that we won't have to deal with their misguided attitudes on the job.

what i'm reading: 2024 wrap-up

My 2023 reading plan turned out to be perfect for me, so I renewed it for 2024, and will keep it for 2025, too.

For more on why I'm now using a reading plan (what most people call a reading challenge), scroll down on this post.  

Here's what I read in 2024. 

At least five current (within three years) nonfiction ✅

I loved all the current nonfictions, and most of the older nonfictions, I read this year.

Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism, Rachel Maddow (review)

Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World, Naomi Klein (review)

How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America, Clint Smith (review)

Ducks, Kate Beaton

I Heard Her Call My Name: A Memoir of Transition, Lucy Sante

Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe, David Maraniss (review)

The Turnaway Study: Ten Years, a Thousand Women, and the Consequences of Having -- or Being Denied -- an Abortion, Diana Greene Foster

At least five older nonfiction from my Books Universe ✅

Operation Paperclip: The Secret Intelligence Program that Brought Nazi Scientists to America (2014), Annie Jacobsen (review)

The Red Parts: Autobiography of a Trial (2007), Maggie Nelson (review)

Bob Dylan: Behind the Shades Revisited (2001), Clinton Heylin

War Against War: The American Fight for Peace 1914-1918 (2017), Michael Kazin

Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West (2017), Nate Blakeslee (review)

Utopia Drive: A Road Trip Through America’s Most Radical Idea (2016), Erik Reece

Illness as Metaphor (1978); AIDS and its Metaphors (1988), Susan Sontag

Vanishing New York: How a Great City Lost Its Soul, Jeremiah Moss
How to Kill a City: Gentrification, Inequality, and the Fight for the Neighborhood, P.E. Moskowitz
Gentrification of the Mind: Witness to a Lost Imagination, Sarah Schulman (combined review)

At least ten fiction ✅, including at least two from authors I have not previously read and have been curious about. This year's new: Ursula Le Guin, Elena Ferrante, Kevin Wilson, James Ellroy. ✅

I don't usually write about fiction, so the absence of a review is not a reflection of my enjoyment of the book. On this list below, there are only two books I didn't enjoy and didn't finish. 

Julia, Sandra Newman (review)

Sing Her Down, Ivy Pochoda

 

The Eden Test, Adam Sternbergh

All The Sinners Bleed, S. A. Cosby

A Tale for the Time Being, Ruth Ozeki

Now Is Not the Time to Panic, Kevin Wilson (enjoyed this enough to read another book by this author)

Nothing to See Here, Kevin Wilson

Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver

Against the Loveless World, Susan Abulhawa

Plan A, Deb Caletti (YA)

King Nyx, Kirsten Bakis (the author of Lives of the Monster Dogs returns at last!)

The Black Dahlia (Book 1 of The L.A. Quartet), James Ellroy (I am planning to read all four.)

The Stolen Coast, Dyer Murphy

James, Percival Everett (retelling of Huckleberry Finn) (review)

My Brilliant Friend (Book 1 of Neapolitan Novels), Elena Ferrante (Amazingly, I will be reading all four of these, too.) 

The Story of a New Name (Book 2, Neapolitan Novels), Elena Ferrante

The Dispossessed, Ursula Le Guin

Advance one long-term goal ✅ 

Down and Out in Paris and London, George Orwell (Goal: read everything Orwell published)

Read one massive book in installments ✅

Visions of Jazz, Gary Giddins (still reading!)

Also read

Several children's graphic novels

A small sampling of legal thrillers and spy thrillers by famous authors, none of which I liked

Reports (or summaries of reports) published by: the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Dying With Dignity Canada, BC Health Coalition, Amnesty International, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, Athena Coalition (Amazon workers), RAVEN (Indigenous environmental action), and SAFE Supporting Abortions for Everyone

A large (digital) pile of feature-length articles and opinion pieces from The Atlantic, The New York Times, Vox, and other more occasional sources, which I save and track through Chrome's Reading List feature