Good Reads for Good Readers

Hello Readers!  Today I'll be highlighting some of the best books I've read in grad school so far.   First, we'll start with the contemporary novel, Native Son by one of the pioneers of African-American Literature, Richard Wright.  (Yes, this is also the name of the man who breaks Samantha's heart in Sex and the City.  So let's allow that to distract us for just a moment... mm-hmm....and then turn our attention back to this important writer.)

Native Son is set in volatile 1930's Chicago , and tells the story of Bigger Thomas, an African-American man who struggles desperately under the weight of poverty, untempered racial aggressions, and his own explosive and unpredictable anger -- and as a result, makes a mistake that changes the course of his life.  (Sounds like a downer, I know.)  But I'll make the following promises to you.

1.) The book is fair and even-handed, meaning, it's not a book that just says "White people were bad and black people suffered as a result." The conflict and the characters are rich and complex -- and at times, you won't even be able to tell where the writer himself stands on the issues that are posed.  He just tells the story like it is.  How refreshing!

2.) Native Son is accessible.  I wouldn't make a blanket recommendation on The Nan Stop if this book was high-brow or difficult to get through.  It's a literary gem that not only tells an important story of multi-ethnic violence in brisk and beautiful writing -- but it's also written in simple language and is a real page-turner. If you start it, you WILL read to the end.

3.) You can get it for cheap on Amazon.  :)  So there you go.  Let's make Native Son happen.

The next book is actually non-fiction, which I rarely recommend to people because sometimes it's hard for me to get through it.  And it's probably not a good idea to recommend a book if you fell asleep with it on the couch.... with a turkey sandwich in your hand. (I appreciate a good, creative story -- and some non-fiction can be a bit dry in my opinion.)   This book, instead, is another readable page-turner... this time, for history buffs.  Ends of Empire by Jodi Kim (who I met the other night in my Asian American Cultural Studies class and was super fashionable and cool!) discusses American's Cold War and how it impacted Asian-American culture, literature, and art.  I know, I know -- some of you are snoozing already -- mainly because I don't really know how to do this book justice.  So I'm going to give two interesting and eye-opening tidbits I learned myself!

First.  I learned about Operation Babylift, which sent over two-thousand children orphaned by the Vietnam war to the U.S. for adoption.  Sounds like a great humanitarian act on the part of Americans... but it turns out that it was actually a political strategy by President Ford to raise interest, sympathy and money for the war.  (Yes, this is now documented and proven.)  The most horrifying part?  Many of the children were not even orphans... and were forcibly removed from their homes, oftentimes from two LIVING and capable parents, to improve Operation Babylift's impact -- more children equals more media attention, and boom -- more money for the war.  

Secondly, I learned about the development of napalm -- the U.S.'s method of airborne terrorism which was introduced during the Korean War.  Initially, it was deployed in order to control the aggressive North Korean military, but basically, in an act of Imperial Muscle-Flexing, the U.S. ended up covering both North and South Korean in napalm -- killing over 3 million civilians.  THREE MILLION Korean civilians -- and driving the remaining citizens into underground caves in a terrifying and desperate attempt for survival.
Anyway.... Jodi Kim is super-smart and awesome, without being overly impassioned or emotional.  Once again, a writer who tries to be as fair and even-handed as possible... (See her author's siggy in my book above!)  If you're interested in Imperialism, its influence on Asian Art and artists, or just good old history.... you'll learn a lot.  

Finally.... I will showcase two books that I have not read, but that peaked my interest.  The first is "Rage Against the Meshugenah."  I have no idea what this book is about, but I saw it in the bargain bin at Borders.... and the title reminded me of Rookie Holcman's pet monkey... Meshugenah.  (If you don't remember, Rookie Holcman is the round-faced pooch of Dana Holcman.)  I made sure to alert both Dana and Rookie of its existence... just in case it's some kind of veiled plot against their monkey.

And finally, a cookbook that I discovered in my fiance's apartment..... A Man, A Can, A Plan.  It's smart, efficient, and no-nonsense.... just like my man.  And's the pages are made of heavy cardstock, much like a preschooler's first book.  So there is nothing intimidating about the presentation.  No fancy stuff, just good, sodium-filled cooking.

Enjoy your Wednesdays....
-NL

P.S.  Tomorrow I will announce the next Tinger's Corner Contest!!  So keep your eyes open!   This contest will involve a camera and some creativity.... and the winner will be selected BY VOTERS' RESPONSES!