Hi folks, thought I'd take some time to check in.
I am still at home and doing the "shelter-in-place/stay-at-home" thing, and I have to be honest with you, I am in no hurry to get back to "normal" (whatever that even IS anymore). It's not that I don't want coronavirus to end (of course I do), but with over 100,000 Americans dead--and the rate of infection only slowing slightly--I am still not quite chomping at the bit to return to my physical work space.
The news is almost constantly depressing, but even more so lately with yet more black people being murdered by cops, our idiot president acting like, well, an idiot every single day (and offering no leadership during this pandemic). When the news isn't about the ever increasing death toll and unemployment tally, it is racist bullshit occurring and our "president" behaving like a racist asshole. It is exasperating, exhausting, and nerve-wracking, but I at least feel that I am in a somewhat protective cocoon working in my house and going out only occasionally to walk/run in the neighborhood or pick up takeout from local restaurants.
Okay, enough of our current clusterfuck.
In other news, I actually did something I rarely do: I finished reading two books on exactly the same day. And more amazingly, in the time that I was simultaneously reading them, I gave them equal time. Usually when I try to read two books at the same time, one of them gets way more attention than the other. The books were David Bowie: The Oral History by Dylan Jones and The Narcissism of Small Differences by Michael Zadoorian. The Bowie biography was equally dishy and intelligent. The multitude of interviewees manage to weave together a full image of David Jones (the actually reserved middle class kid from Bromley) and his public persona, David Bowie. At 500+ pages, it may be more Bowie than most need, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I am so thankful that Michael Zadoorian published a book when I most need some escapism. The Narcissism of Small Differences is another of his novels focused on residents of greater Detroit. Under the shadow of the 2009 recession. Joe and Ana are aging Ferndale hipsters trying to negotiate adulthood and figure out what they want from life. Like most of Zadoorian's books, the journey is as important as the destination. The small moments in these characters' lives are lovingly detailed, and the book is full of crackling dialogue. Minor characters like the pot-smoking, philosophizing urban explorer Brendan and the wiseass screenwriter Chick are as enjoyable as the main characters. (If Michael Z. decides to write spin-off books or stories based on these dudes, I'm on board). I also love all the references to locations, products, personalities, and bands from Detroit and Michigan. Another stellar offering from Mr. Zadoorian.
Next up: finish reading David Maraniss' Once In a Great City (another book about Detroit) and finally get started on Margaret Atwood's The Testaments. We'll see how that goes.
Well, I have worked on this blog post for about two days, now I'll put it to bed and publish it.
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