Welcome to Litsy!

... there has developed among those who do it [presidential campaign reporting] so arresting an enthusiasm for overlooking the contradictions inherent in reporting that which occurs only in order to be reported. They are willing, in exchange for “access“, to transmit the images their sources wish transmitted. They are even willing... to present these images not as a story the campaign wants told, but as fact.

“You can't imagine how it is when everyone you know is gone,“ someone I knew who was old would say to me, and I would nod, uncomprehending, yes I can, I can imagine, would even think, God forgive me, that there must be a certain peace in outliving all debts and claims, in being known to no one, floating free. I believed that days would be too full forever, too crowded with friends there was no time to see.

Another win for me from Levy. These essays are concise and sharp, on topics ranging from writers and visual artists, to shoes and driving. Listening sent me on a few searches for other books she mentioned. I loved all of these essays, and loved getting a glimpse into this brilliant mind. The audio is also spectacular.

#ARichLife Day 25: #Leaves

Ross Gay took a year to chronicle the small joys in his life, and it is, well, delightful. While he doesn‘t shy away from those things in this world that are definitely not good, among those he finds countless delights that made me smile and laugh and look for the good around me. He narrates the audio, and his narration makes it even better.

I was worried about this short story/essay collection after Go Set A Watchman, but I actually quite liked it. Some of these have previously been published, but they were all new to me. My favorite was Lee‘s recollection of the time when her friends gave her a year‘s salary so she could take the year off to write.

There is no keeping politics out of criticism. There is only regulating the flow of traffic.

Was unsure of where to start for this month‘s #AuthorAMonth and this was available on Spotify so I started today. Pleasantly surprised to find this essay collection is narrated by actor Maya Hawke, as we‘re in rewatch prep mode for the new season of Stranger Things. 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

This essay collection leaves me feeling seen. Like the authors here, I have loved horror from a young age, and in their essays I see many of the things that keep me returning to the genre. They also give me a sense of community as a horror lover, or at least the kind of connection that my father-in-law has with other Corvette drivers---a little secret wave that indicates our shared idiosyncrasy (or weirdness. I'm cool with being seen as weird).

A soft pick. I picked this up because the essay about Tolentino‘s reality TV stint was referenced in “You Wanna Be on Top?” by Sara Hartshorne. Generally I found the collection to be interesting and smart, but maybe it‘s my attention span, the essays were all too long for me - about 30 pages each. I thought a lot about what I‘d have asked her to cut were I her editor. That said, essays aren‘t my usual fare.

#37by37 (only two more books to go!).