Chasing Better Schools in the Hope for a Better Life

 Disillusioned: Five Families and the Unraveling of America's Suburbs 

by Benjamin Herold

South Philly High Nick-philly, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Suburban School by La Citta Vita, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

I was excited and surprised to find this book. While I don’t personally know Benjamin Herold, I was a frequent reader of his articles from The Notebook when I taught in Philadelphia. His articles were something I looked forward to one a weekly basis. They provided useful insight into what was happening in other schools across the district and shared some concerns about issues related to equity and access to education that many students, teachers and families faced. Likewise, I really enjoyed his work for Education Week and his focus on how technology is used further (or in some cases limit) learning. Additionally, many people talked about Ben’s writing in other places I worked, whether it was the Philadelphia Writing Project or Temple; his work was always held in high regard since he frequently chronicled the reality of what teachers, students and families experienced in Philadelphia schools. Thus, his new and important book Disillusioned shouldn’t come as a surprise, except I wasn’t aware that this book was in progress until it popped up on a recommendation. I had to double check the author’s bio because Benjamin Herold sounded familiar, and sure enough, it was the same Ben Herold who wrote about education in Philadelphia. This book not only follows some of the same interests that Ben’s journalism also tracked—issues of access, equity, technology, but also seeks to examine these issues on a broader scale across various areas and communities in America. By doing this, his work sews together a narrative of the different hopes and expectations that people place in schools, and how the limited contributions over time (if any at all) have come due. Schools are something that we all experience in different ways, and as a teacher and a parent, I really appreciated how Herold presents the various schools across America (Dallas, Atlanta, Pittsburg, Evansville, and Compton). Herold’s portrayal of the families and the challenges they face help to show the various struggles and expectations that they all have for schools, as well as to illuminate the kind of opportunity hoarding (I appreciate learning this new term) that has somewhat decimated some public schools. Interestingly, Herold also sets up this narrative with some useful history tracking the development of suburbia and white flight from urban areas. More importantly, his analysis also examines how this movement and the opportunity hoarding that frequently occurs with newly developed areas leads to the system being tapped and sometimes left empty, allowing new communities to move in, but ultimately left to manage the problems and not experience the same kinds of benefits. This was told most importantly through the experiences and epilogue of Bethany Smith, the mother of Jackson from Penn Hills, where Herold is originally from. I really appreciated her epilogue and how she was able to find her voice and teach Herold about his privilege. Herold’s book is an important entry into a field of books that examine how social events are both reflected in and transformed by schools. As I was reading, I was thinking a lot about the book Home Advantage by Annette Lareau. While it is not exactly the same, it was interesting to read about the different expectations and experiences of these different families, and to see how they had different advantages and opportunities based on where they lived. Notably, Herold shares how the students who were upwardly mobile often still experienced barriers in schools, whether it was through the kind of surveillance of their behavior, a disengaging curriculum, or backlash towards diversity. Furthermore, the book also takes place at the start of the pandemic, and reading these sections took me back to a fraught time with my own children’s schooling. I really appreciated Herold’s ability to share these experiences of different families and learn more about the challenges that they faced of whether to keep their kids at home or send them to school with a virulent virus all around. While I can imagine that there are many parents and families who won’t want to read about the issues that schools face, I think that this book is so important for many people to read—whether they work in education or have their children in schools. It helps to remind us that public education is a right, but that it is also dependent on contributions from the community, not only financial contributions from taxes, but also a willingness to engage and challenge the kinds of systems that set up barriers for many families. It also reminds me that I need to check my own privileges and recognize that my experiences are not the same as everyone else, and that I should be willing to advocate for others who want change or to improve their experiences. I highly recommend this book to many people since public education is something that we all come into contact with, even if our children are not enrolled in public schools. 

The Battle for the Truth of a Shipwreck

 The Wager by David Gran

David Gran by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Samuel Scott, The Wager's Action off Cartagena, 28 May 1708 Public Domain

The Wreck of the HMS Wager (1809) Public Domain

I never realized how interesting books about shipwrecks could be. I always enjoyed Moby Dick—the weird characters and the odd obsession with hunting the whale somehow always stuck with me. A few years ago, I read In the Kingdom of Ice from Hampton Sides, and was fascinated. This led to some other interest in shipwrecks like the Terror. Along similar lines, The Wager, which takes place in the 1700s and near the Strait of Magellan, details men exploring an inhospitable and rarely explored area of the world.

Although the events took place in the 170ss, it was interesting to see how timely and relevant this book was to some of today’s issues, especially around the ideas of media and narratives, and how the rush to get to a story can really influence the public perspective about what happened. Furthermore in the case of the wreck of the Wager, some of the survivors’ lives depended on how the public and the Royal Navy would interpret the events of the shipwreck.

Gran’s ability to synthesize historical documents and create compelling characters and a propulsive narrative are what truly drive this book and make it so amazing. I could imagine that some books about shipwrecks might become so depressing or doomed, yet I found myself continuing to read to find out what would happen next—how the men survived with little to no food, and how they would manage to wrest control from the restrictive and traditional structures of Naval command. It was amazing to learn about how these men persisted in the face of such limited circumstances, and how they continued to fight for their survival and eventual return to England. While most of the men died, it was incredible to read about the things they did to survive and the difficult decisions they made to join factions and find the peer support they needed to come out alive. 

Detective Tale of Horrible Academics

 Holly by Stephen King

Beef Sirloins from the book, The Grocer’s Encyclopedia (1911) By Public Domain

Stephanie Lawton, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Surprisingly, this was the 2^nd book featuring cannibalism that I’ve read already this year. While it’s not King’s best book, this was a quick and engaging read with one of his favorite characters: Holly Gibney. I can see why he likes Holly—she’s incredibly intelligent, analytical, persistent, and idiosyncratic. She’s probably a bit like King himself, and I do enjoy the novels and stories I’ve read that feature her. This book also has some other interesting and engaging side characters as well. Readers of King’s supernatural stories might not really enjoy this one as much, but I think that as King continues to crank stories out, his ability to create entertaining and enthralling thrillers and mysteries has improved. Furthermore, it was interesting to read a novel that was so timely, taking place during the Delta variant’s rise in COVID during the summer of 2021. At times, the talk of vaccines and masks got a little old, but COVID and germs do play a part in the narrative (as King mentions in the author’s note at the end of the novel). The one thing I didn’t enjoy as much was the Harrises—the villains of the story. Maybe that was the point, but I kind of found them to be a bit more of a caricature than characters (Especially Rodney, despite his great nickname as Mr. Meat). Nevertheless, they were pretty mean and horrible, just more overtly so. Overall though, I was glad to read this book. It was a really entertaining mystery, and it was difficult to put down at times. I found myself continuing to read to find out more about what was going to happen in the story’s arc.

Why We Obsess Over the Unexplained

 The Unidentified: Mythical Monsters, Alien Encounters, and Our Obsession with the Unexplained by Colin Dickey

Cryptids by V-L-A-D-I-M-I-R Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives Works 3.0 License

While initially I thought I might be reading a book about cryptids, UFOs and other unexplained phenomena, Dickey’s book proved to be so much more with emphasis on why we are obsessed with these unexplained events. This was a rewarding aspect of the book since it really examined not only the history of these events and the conspiracy theories, but also provides some insight into how our current society may be easily influenced to believe claims and events without much evidence or valid facts. While not explicitly stated, it seemed like part of the analysis of these past events, conspiracies and other ways of thinking are largely related to recent claims about stolen elections and other conspiracies related to power and privilege.

Not only was the analysis of events excellent and timely, but I also really appreciated Dickey’s reporting—visiting sites, attending conferences, and exploring the world of these mysterious events to find that the reality is mundane. What was fascinating was Dickey’s ability to take different analytical frames—whether it’s sociology, economics, psychology, history, or religion, and use these lenses to explain how and why people seek out a belief in these events. I loved reading about these kinds of things as a kid—I remember having a Time Life book of the unexplained and it was like one of my all-time favorite books. It was filled with random mysterious events and happenings. One of Dickey’s points is that many people sought out a belief in these events because they can invoke a sense of wonder. We enjoy a belief in things that we cannot explain, even when we typically try to make sense of things. This was especially true during the westward expansion. Further explanations focused on how the borderlands of society and wilderness helped to further some of these stories (like the Jersey Devil) as something of a warning to people to keep close and not venture beyond these barriers. Interestingly as well, Dickey traces how several stories, like the Jersey Devil, Sasquatch and the Yeti, have been coopted by white settlers from Indigenous cultures, and used as a means to further their colonization. He also frequently cites rapid change and turmoil in society as a way to explain further beliefs in these kinds of conspiracies (think JFK’s assassination, although not really a topic discussed). One of the more interesting ideas as well is his repeated mention of more recent historical events (Watergate, the fall of Saigon, the AIDS epidemic) as events that stirred up a distrust in social and government institutions. This book is a great read and highly important. It provides some interesting perspectives into the paranoid/conspiratorial mindset that is currently abound on the internet and in our popular media. I really enjoyed seeing how this kind of mindset moves from the fringes to more mainstream platforms and becomes more readily accepted.

 

Tracing the History of Surf Rock and Its Influence on Modern Rock

 Surfbeat: Rock and Roll's Forgotten Revolution by Kent Crowley

The Chantays Pipeline by Johan Ooman CC BY-SA 2.0

Surfer's Choice by H. Michael Karshis CC BY 2.0

I really enjoyed Crowley’s history of Surf Rock. The book traces the history and some of the key players in this musical genre. While I enjoy surf rock, I didn’t know much about the history, and Crowley’s book helps to shed light on how some popular songs helped to further this genre of music. He also explores the cultural impact of surf rock on today’s music and its lasting impact. One of the best parts of the book is Crowley’s exploration of little known bands who helped to create some of the more popular songs that were later recorded by other bands. I also didn’t know that some bands in the Midwest, particularly in Minnesota, also played surf rock. I always assumed that Surf Rock was primarily from Southern California. As one of the only texts about surf rock, I found this book to be enjoyable and insightful. It also made me want to find some of the bands and singles mentioned in the text.

Man Machine Music

 Kraftwerk's Computer World by 

Steven Tupai Francis

Ueli Frey, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

                                                                                                                                                                            By Joel Solomon CC BY 2.0

By HoKoSto Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives Works 3.0 License

I really enjoyed Francis’s entry into the 33 1/3 book series on Kraftwerk. This was one of the stronger entries, not only focused on the technical aspects of the album, but also on the cultural significance of the album as well. Francis not only explores the history of the album and how it came about, but also examines the legacy of Kraftwerk and how influential they have been in other genres of music as well, whether it is techno, hip-hop, disco, funk, etc. Most enjoyable for me was Francis’s exploration of the different equipment Kraftwerk used to create their albums. He helped to show how they shifted ideas about art and music, and like Dadaists in visual art earlier, helped to emphasize how readymade objects and everyday devices can be repurposed for art and expression. I really appreciated how revolutionary Kraftwerk were and hadn’t necessarily thought about this. Nevertheless, it was fascinating to learn more about the ways they explored technology and its uses in our lives, and how they attempted to interrogate that kind of merging of man and machine that has been growing steadily closer as we move towards a knowledge economy. Although recorded over 40 years ago Computer World remains relevant because Kraftwerk were so visionary and experimental. This book provides not only an enjoyable overview of the album, but also looks at the cultural factors that helped to create the album as well as the legacy and influence of the album and the band.

The Literary Memoir of One of America's Greatest Writers-- Viet Thanh Nguyen

 

A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, A History, A Memorial by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Fourandsixty, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Press for providing me with an advanced copy of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s incredibly entertaining and stimulating memoir A Man of Two Faces. Much like The Sympathizer and Ellison’s Invisible Man, Thanh uses this kind of duality of identity to explore what it means to be Vietnamese American. I absolutely loved this book. I’m a huge fan of Nguyen’s other books and have attended talks by Nguyen, so when I found our about his memoir, I was doubly excited to not only read a new book of his, but also learn more about his life, how he came to writing, and more in general about one of America’s most important writers and thinkers. Like The Sympathizer and other works, Nguyen plays with styles and genres ultimately adapting them to not so much tell his story as immerse readers in his world. At first, I found his narrative a little strange, but ultimately appreciated how he used first person to engage readers and share his perspective. It further highlights how he is not only concerned with sharing his experiences, but also making them more relevant to his audience. While my family experience was very different from Nguyen’s, I could relate to the video store as our pre-internet source of knowledge and information. Nevertheless, Nguyen’s examination of how Vietnam is remembered (or maybe misremembered) in the 80s in not just films but also books and memoirs enabled me to better examine how popular culture not only shapes our understanding of the current world, but also past events and history. I also realized this from The Sympathizer’s scenes with the auteur and consulting about the war movie. What’s most enjoyable about his writing is not just the engaging use of narrative techniques, but Nguyen’s combination of keen social analysis with irony and humor. Not many writers can incorporate this kind of analysis and entertainment, but Nguyen is one of the most entertaining social critics and writers. In addition to being an insightful critique, A Man of Two Faces is also a great story about family and culture, and how, in particular, Nguyen’s parents provided so much for him. Too often, we don’t always realize what our parents have done for us until we are older and have gained some perspective. While it didn’t seem that Nguyen was ungrateful as an adolescent, he does this memoir to provide some thanks to his parents for their amazing journey to America and the sacrifices they made as shop owners. I really enjoyed this memoir on so many different levels- from Nguyen’s family story, to his care for his mother in her later years, and seeing how these experiences inspired his writing. What was most enjoyable, though, was learning how he became a writer, and how he battled doubt to eventually write The Sympathizer, The Refugees, and The Committed. I loved reading about his experiences in seminars and how challenging it was to gather his experiences and ideas into writing. This memoir provided great insights into the creative process, as well as sharing the experiences of an immigrant family in America. Furthermore, Nguyen retells his story in such a unique and critical voice—one that is not condescending or grating, but rather compassionate and grateful. I have been recommending this book to friends and others and am looking forward to reading this again.

Raising Questions about a Failed Education Program

 Dare to Say No: Policing and the War on Drugs in Schools by Max Felker-Kantor

1927 antidrug cartoon. Image: New York Academy of Medicine

Raymond Wambsgans from Akron Ohio, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The Provost Marshal Office’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education Lion, Daren, interacts with community members during the Joshua Tree Community

Days Summer Splash at the Joshua Tree Community Center in Joshua Tree, Calif., June 18, 2016. (Official Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Levi

Schultz/Released)

Thank you to NetGalley and the University of North Carolina Press for providing a preview copy of this excellent and important book. Like many kids from the 80s and 90s, I too had experiences with the “Just Say No!” brand of drug deterrence. Along with the messages in popular school publications and on sitcoms, my school also participated in some kind of DARE program. I can’t remember if it was an actual DARE program since I don’t remember on going lessons. However, as other PA kids may remember, we were frequently visited by Trooper Ash (who showed up surprisingly in Alex Winter’s awesome Zappa documentary). However, all digressions aside, I bring this up because Max Felker-Kantor has written a book that importantly interrogates these kinds of programs in schools to ultimately conclude that their purpose was more about a PR program for police rather than any kind of drug deterrence. Much like Felker-Kantor’s conclusions about the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of DARE, I too recall learning and becoming more interested in drugs as a result of the officer’s visit. I still recall the briefcase full of paraphernalia and can easily remember the feather roach clip, proudly returning home from school to tell my mom I learned what a roach clip was. Nevertheless, Felker-Kantor’s meticulous research into the history, program evaluations, and popular perceptions of DARE help to clarify what its ultimate goal was: to humanize police, while also establishing a continued surveillance system in American schools. I honestly hadn’t thought much about that. I’ve worked in education for nearly 25 years and since Columbine, have sadly come to accept that school resource officers (SROs) have become a part of education. However, this book brings about a better understanding of how these officers have arrived and how DARE tried to tie 9/11 to a need for more police presence in schools. I found this book to be not only insightful, but also necessary for today as more and more ideologies continue to push into schools under the false pretense of protecting children. While not directly stated, Felker-Kantor’s research and analysis presents some important lessons in considering how using children and education can pressure politicians, policy makers and public support into giving up their freedoms or easily accepting increased police presence in our lives. Additionally, I appreciated this book’s analysis of how the presence of police can vary for different groups. Until recently, I didn’t realize that DARE also pressured children to snitch on their parents’ drug and alcohol use. Bettina Love’s amazing book Punished for Dreaming also shared how programs like DARE impact students of color and ultimately cause more harm than good. I highly recommend this book for educators and others working with students and schools to better understand how programs with good intentions might ultimately have harmful outcomes for students. Furthermore, it's important to read to understand how political pressure can often influence learning and pressure schools to accept a greater police presence. There were so many great ideas in this book, and it applies to all of society, not just teachers and schools.  

Dystopian Horror Predictive of our Modern World

                          The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

Nikolas Coukouma, CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons

 This book was a choice for my book club. The book club randomly selected dystopia as its theme. I tend to shy away from dystopian novels, and although I know that her novel Kindred was very popular at a school where I taught, I never read any of her books. Interestingly, just as I started reading this book, there was a story on NPR about Butler mostly focusing on Parable of the Sower. It ended up being an excerpt from a show called Throughline that had a longer story on Butler’s life and influence on the new wave of Afro Futurist writers. After listening to the story and learning more about Octavia Butler’s life, I ended up enjoying this book much more than I thought I would. This was not a typical dystopian novel, although there are some brutal parts. In our book club, we talked about how in the beginning of the novel, within the first 100 pages or so, it starts to get rather bleak. One of the things, though, that balances this despair is Lauren’s Earth Seed philosophy. There’s also some kind of connection with space exploration that isn’t completely covered in this first book, but overall, I really enjoyed how she outlines and charts the evolution of the Earth Seed movement. It seems to be one of the main things that keeps her going and gradually attracts others along the way. Although some of the secondary characters are not well developed, this was an interesting quest/journey novel. I also appreciated the social commentary that Butler provides with painting such a dire portrait of what would happen if economic, job, race, and environmental concerns are not addressed. As I was reading the book, I couldn’t help but think about the influence of the LA Riots and the craziness of the early 90s. I actually thought the book was written much earlier, but it makes sense that it was published a year or so after the riots. Her description of the Freeway and Los Angeles in general sounded like what happened after the earthquake in the late 80s and the riots. It was also interesting to see some possible connections between Pyro, a synthetic and destructive drug that compels users to set fires, and the crack epidemic that plagued the US in the late 80s and early 90s. Although I was apprehensive to read a dystopian book like this, I really enjoyed it and felt that there were some amazing messages in the events in the novel.

Excellent Collection of Essays by a Contemporary Poet and Social Excavator

They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib

Hanif Abduraqib by

Mwa410, CC BY-SA 4.0  via Wikimedia Commons

I’ve only read one other book by Hanif Abdurraqib, Go Ahead in the Rain, which explores his personal connection with A Tribe Called Quest. While Hanif is a few years younger than me and had different experiences growing up, I felt such a connection to him the way he connected with Tribe. I absolutely loved that book because he was able to translate the feelings that great music conveys to listeners. In addition, Hanif explores the historical context of the songs, albums and lives of Tribe’s members, mostly focusing on Q-Tip and Phife, while also including his own personal life events and how the music relates to his life, especially his adolescence, which was when I first encountered ATCQ as well. I was really glad that I finally read this collection of essays because Hanif uses similar methods to explore a broad range of musicians, musical styles, songs, and albums. However, he also analyzes social issues, literature, films, and basketball. While I don’t know a lot about emo music, Hanif describes going to shows that reminded me of going to see basement shows of friends’ bands in college. His ability to vividly describe the scene, as well as the journey there and what happens afterward, made his experiences familiar to my own. Although I felt that his essays on music were some of my favorites, his writings about his family and educational experiences were some of the most moving and powerful in this book. His ability to interweave his own personal experiences with the topics of his essays truly shows his deft skills as a writer. It also makes me want to just sit down and hang out with him. It’s been a while since I’ve read a book where I’ve felt such a connection with the writer. I’m looking forward to reading his latest. 

 Purchase Adburraqib's other books here

Exploring the History of Disinformation and the Relationship between the US and Russia

 The Folly and the Glory by Tim Weiner

Tim Weiner

Sławek, CC BY-SA 2.0  via Wikimedia Commons

Although Weiner’s book traces the history of the US’s relations with Russia, focusing mostly on the Cold War, it is a timely book since he ends with an overview of the Russian influence on our elections and social fabric. What is fascinating about this book is how Russia has taken some of the practices from the CIA about election interference, working to destabilize countries and use the press to spread disinformation and perfected them to attain their ends. I’m not sure if that speaks to the increasing need for information literacy in schools, to make sure that the future generations are savvy enough to understand propaganda and make informed decisions about the information they encounter online, or whether it really speaks to the downward trend of the US’s intelligence organizations in the world. Nonetheless, this was a well-researched and fascinating history of the Cold War, the intelligence tactics used by both the US and Russia, and where it has led us today. In addition, Weiner not only focuses on the US and Russia, but emphasizes how other countries were used and manipulated by the US and Russian intelligence agencies to gain power and standing during the Cold War. Sadly, we often see how the US and more often its intelligence agencies were on the wrong side of history, whether it was giving up Mandela to South African officials, ordering the murder of Patrice Lumumba in the Congo, or William Barr’s pardons of war criminals like Caspar Weinberger. A few other interesting parts of the book that I knew less about was how the US aided the Solidarity group in Poland, providing them with printing presses to broadcast their message. It was also interesting to learn more about Putin’s own rise to power and how he consolidated power and transformed Russia. It is a timely book that helped me understand more about how and why Russia interfered in the recent election. Like Weiner's other books about the CIA and the FBI, this book explores some of the hidden history of these agencies and the work they have done to affect hearts and minds, not only in the US but in other regions. However, this book also explores the impact of those campaigns to create regime change and shows how Russia ended up perfecting some of these approaches to, in turn, influence our own elections. 

Disinformation

https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

The Artistry and Vision of Prince

 

The Beautiful Ones by Prince

Prince 

“If there’s something out there that u want—Go for it! Nothing comes to sleepers but dreams.” 

 I recently read The Beautiful Ones, Prince’s autobiography. It’s a pretty amazing book in that it is his story told on his terms, but it was only started a few months before he passed away. It seemed that Prince had ideas about what this book would be like, considering how he was comprised of both his parents—kind of like the lines from When Doves Cry. While some people may not appreciate the co-author’s introduction, I found it really helpful to understand how this book came about and what exactly Dan Piepenbring had to do to make Prince’s wishes come to fruition. When you consider the fact that Prince died so suddenly, it makes the book all the more compelling to read. I can also understand how people may not like the book because it is not really what would be considered a traditional autobiography. However, when did Prince ever consider standards or traditions? Prince has always pushed the boundaries and sought to create art on his own terms, and this book fits nicely with that. In one part, Prince talks about one of his first girlfriends who left him for the star quarterback in his high school. He consoles himself by noting that he is a quarterback of music, blessed with a vision to see how things unfold. When you consider the amazing scope and influence of Prince’s music and career, this quote reflects reality. Prince changed the ways in which we considered music, art, films, fashion, gender, sexuality, privacy, and many other aspects of our lives. I always think about how Purple Rain was like a forbidden movie and soundtrack in my house growing up, but for whatever reason, I felt like the videos and the songs from that movie were always on. They were some of my first and strongest memories of liking music that my parents did not. Prince doesn’t talk too much about other songs he wrote that became popular (Manic Monday, Nothing Compares 2 U), but he does spend some time discussing songwriting and how his experiences with his parents’ music and the music of the late 60s shaped his art. Beyond just hearing Prince talk about music and his vision for songs, some of the most fascinating aspects of this book are the handwritten notes, lyrics, and pictures from Prince’s personal archive. It was so interesting to see how he developed songs, some of them that were an important part of my musical life. I also really enjoyed learning about Prince’s early life, and how his experiences with girls, music, and parents were highly relatable. I’m not sure that there is anyone in my generation who doesn’t appreciate Prince and his music. If they do, they probably are not really fans of music. There were so many interesting quotes and ideas to take from this book, but one of my favorites was from Prince’s father. “If there’s something out there that u want—Go for it! Nothing comes to sleepers but dreams.” Prince talks a lot about always working hard, playing instruments or a show like it is your only opportunity to do so. I really appreciated this level of motivation from him, especially when he could have just sat back and made money from his greatest hits. Prince was about more than money and success. He was an artist who cared deeply about creating and sustaining his art. This book, although too brief, provides some amazing insight into Prince’s creativity, his early life, and did a great job collecting his memories and interviews that focused on different parts of his life.

The Beautiful Ones by Prince

Only the Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

 Review: Only the Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

From the Washington Post

I really enjoyed this book for many different reasons. I read excellent reviews about this book, and it lived up to those expectations. One of the most interesting parts of this book was Jones’s ability to play with genres—like horror stories and Native American folklore and history. I don’t know a whole lot about Native American folklore or history, but I am interested in it. Much like Treuer’s The Heartbreak of Wounded Knee, Graham Jones’s book challenges how Indigenous People’s lives are presented as entertainment and history. He frequently makes references to portrayals of Indigenous People in movies or Cigar Store Indians, and talks about common stereotypes about life on the Rez. Despite these misconceptions, Graham Jones presents a group of guys who share an important hunting experience in their early adulthood. They go on to have lives, are married, have kids, jobs and other responsibilities. And while not all of them had similar outcomes, the unique experience that they shared comes back to eventually haunt them, each in their own unique way.

 

The horror reminded me of Stephen King’s It, although the Elk Headed Woman seems to have more of a purpose and drive to commit her evil than Pennywise. In this way, readers can understand the importance of balance and harmony in life, and how disrupting that balance, going against the rules and laws of tradition seem to upset the balance and have dangerous consequences. In particular, the events and consequences were surprising and thrilling. I was not expecting many of the twists and turns that the book took, and the suspense in the book kept me turning pages. In addition, I enjoyed reading the afterword, especially looking at the books and works that influenced Graham Jones during his writing. I made a note to track down Erdrich’s The Antelope Wife. However, I was instantly reminded of John Landis’s episode of Masters of Horror The Deer Woman when some of the deaths start to occur. Graham Jones confirmed the influence in the afterword.

 

Beyond the horror and the folklore, I really enjoyed how much the characters liked basketball. Graham Jones had some interesting descriptions of basketball, and there is a pivotal game that has some vivid descriptions of shots and moves. The writing was compelling. I also really appreciated his description of the sweat lodge. It was interesting to hear about some of the purposes of a sweat lodge and what the participants sought out. In particular, it was great to see how supportive and communal the reservation can be, especially when some of the members experience trouble.

 

After reading this book, I am looking forward to reading more from Stephen Graham Jones. His creative play on different genres, poetic and detailed descriptions and unexpected humor made this a fun and interesting read.