06.25 recap

june took place in fort wayne, brooklyn, tehran, oakland, alcatraz, oklahoma, and a nameless italian village

Sometimes you’ll read a book so good that it leaves you in a slump. Characterized by picking up a million different books, reading two pages, and putting them down — unable to immerse yourself into a new story for fear of leaving the other one behind. It doesn’t happen to me often, but when it does, it usually means I’ve fallen down a rabbit hole and am having a hard time finding my way back home. This time around, it was Martyr! and There, There.

Books

1. There, There by Tommy Orange

   Historical Fiction, Urban fiction, Political fiction

   Twelve intermingled stories about Native Americans on their way to the Big Oakland Powwow who are dealing with the continued effects of colonization and displacement at different points in their lives. A bleak insight into addiction, forced assimilation, and the incessant fight for recognition, dignity, and respect. An important story that I wished had less characters so we could dive a little deeper into some stories.

   “We stayed because the city sounds like a war, and you can’t leave a war once you’ve been, you can only keep it at bay”
   ― Tommy Orange, There There

   Rabbit holes explored: 1969 Alcatraz Occupation, 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, termination policies.

2. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

   Urban fiction, Psychological Fiction, LGBT literature

   If you could condense the human experience into one unrelenting and chaotic book, I’d say Akbar has managed to do it here. Every sentence was a gift, poetic and raw in equal measure. It tells the story of Cyrus, a recently sober, struggling Iranian-American poet who’s desperate to understand the complexities and perceived contradictions of his identity and heritage while living a life — or dying a death — worth remembering.

   “Living happened until it didn't. There was no choice in it. To say no to a new day would be unthinkable. So each morning you said yes, then stepped into the consequence.”
   ― Kaveh Akbar, Martyr!

   Rabbit holes explored: Iran-Iraq War, Iran Air Flight 655, Ferdowsi, Malak al-Maut/Azrael

3. The Road to the City by Natalia Ginzburg

   Literary Fiction

   This is the story of a poor, directionless Italian girl who becomes the centre of small town gossip as the victim, and then perpetrator, of romantic betrayals. It’s a short read that packs a bleak punch in Ginzburg’s usual understated style. It reminded me of Parthenope, the Paolo Sorrentino movie, except I didn’t need therapy afterwards.

   “You have to take a strong hand with the men because if you show any signs of weakness they’ll strip the shirt off your back.”

   -Natalia Ginzburg, The Road to the City

Movies

1. P•U•L•S•E dir. David Mallet

   This is a concert video of Pink Floyd’s performance in London during their 1994 ‘The Division Bell Tour’. It’s an iconic piece of rock history and 145 minutes of the very best of Pink Floyd (barring Roger Waters, who I do have a soft spot for).

2. Big Fish dir. Tim Burton

   This is one of my favourite movies in the entire world and a source of comfort for me. I watch it every few months. There is literally nothing wrong with it.

3. National Treasure dir. Jon Turteltaub

   Sometimes you just have to watch Nicholas Cage steal the Declaration of Independence.

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