Book Review: Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant-A Memoir by Curtis Chin

Detroit, the Motor City, has a rich history. Detroit gave us the automobile industry and a roster of musical greats from Motown Records. And if you read my review of Amy Elliott Bragg’s excellent book, The Hidden History of Detroit, you know this city has a colorful past that goes beyond making cars and giving icons like Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye. Once upon a time, Detroit was even called “The Little Paris of the Midwest.”

But to be honest, my first memories of Detroit weren’t always favorable. Detroit’s automobile industry began to flail in the 1970s with the launch of foreign cars, especially those made in Japan. And Motown Records left chilly Detroit for sunnier and warmer climes in Los Angeles. Detroit experienced riots, racial strife, violence, and urban decay. But what was it like to come of age in that Detroit? Writer Curtis Chin knows. And he writes about this in his memoir Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant.

Conceived in the summer of 1967 during the Detroit riots and born in 1968, Chin was one of six children of a large, extended Chinese-American family. His family restaurant, Chungs had been a mainstay of Detroit’s Cass Corridor, part of the second Chinatown. Chung’s had been in business since the 1940s and shuttered its doors in 2000. And it truly shaped Chin in so many ways.

By the time Chin was in grade school back in the 1970s, Detroit had seen better days. But it was all Chin knew at the time, and Chung’s was a bit of a sanctuary of the strife that plagued the city. After school and on the weekends, Chin spent a lot of time at his family’s restaurant, sometimes in a booth and sometimes helping out. It didn’t matter that he and his siblings were young children; everyone had to pitch in to make sure Chung’s runs smoothly.

Chung’s attracted an eclectic clientele. Politicians dined there including Coleman Young, the first black mayor of Detroit. The Jewish community liked to eat at Chung’s on Christmas day when most eateries were closed for the holiday. Chung’s attracted blue collar and white collar workers. It attracted drug dealers and drag queens. Chung’s pretty much attracted diners from all walks of life who shared one thing, a massive love of Chinese food.

One thing Chin’s parents did was have their children ask the patrons of Chung’s about their lives and backgrounds. This was great training for a budding writer like Chin and it has served him well. It gave him an education beyond the confinements of a classroom. It didn’t matter if you were a politician or a prostitute (like there’s a difference between the two). You got fed a delicious meal at Chung’s and your story mattered to the Chin family.

As the 1970s morphed into the 1980s, and Chin became a teenager, he became more aware of what was going on, not just in Detroit but throughout the country and the world at large. Race relations were always fraught, economic woes plagued the nation, and AIDS had become a real threat to the gay community. And it was the 1980s, when Chin also came to grips with his own sexual orientation as a young gay man. However, being a gay man in the still very homophobic 1980s didn’t stop Chin from being a young Republican. But don’t worry. Young Chin was more Alex P. Keaton from the 1980s sitcom “Family Ties,” than a member of the MAGA cult.

It was in high school and later at the University of Michigan, where Chin began his passion for writing and learned to hone is literary voice. It was also when he started to face the truth about his sexuality (along with some interesting dating stories), and seeing the true humanity of his Chinese-American family, all their triumphs, their setbacks, their strength, and their frailties. And just in case you’re wondering, Chin pretty much left the Republican party behind.

Chin isn’t shy about telling about the horrible things that happened within the Asian-American community of Detroit. He tells the story of one Vincent Chin (no relation), a Chinese-American man who was brutally beaten and later succumbed to his injuries the day before his wedding. At the time in 1982 there was a lot of anti-Japanese racism broiling, and Chin was assumed to be Chinese by his white assailants. The idea of a hate crime wasn’t really part of the vernacular back then but it was obvious Chin was beaten due to his race. This incident truly horrified Curtis Chin, and he really had to face the racism that could he would have to deal with himself.

Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant is beautifully and honestly written. I truly felt I was there in Detroit during that particular time, and the descriptions of Chung’s food made my mouth water. Plus, I thought Chin using letters and numbers often found on a Chinese menu to note the different chapters wise quite clever (though it took a me a while to figure this out-oops). Chin’s story of coming of age, accepting himself, and the legacy of his family, all their faults and their legacy in Detroit truly interesting, and the pop culture references of Generation X truly resonated with me. Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant is one to enjoy and learn from, and will probably make you crave some Chinese food.

Reading to Reels: The Commitments

Back in 1991, charming Irish film was released. It was called The Commitments. Based on the 1987 novel of the same name by Roddy Doyle, The Commitments was about a band trying to make it the gritty and struggling city of Dublin, Ireland.

Meet Jimmy Rabbitte (Robert Arkins). Jimmy is on the dole and lives with his parents on the northside of Dublin. But that doesn’t mean he’s a total slacker who lacks ambition. He wants to manage a band, an no, this band won’t follow in the footsteps of their fellow Irish citizens like U2 or Sinead O’Connor (RIP). Instead, Jimmy wants the band to follow the 1960s’ soulful musical stylings of Black American singers and musicians.

At first, Jimmy puts an ad in the local newspaper asking for aspiring singers and musicians. He holds auditions in his parents’ parlor. Unfortunately, these auditions are not fruitful. Nobody can fill Jimmy’s soulful aspirations. Jimmy then looks to his friends to make the band, which includes lead singer Deco Cuffe (Andrew Strong), keyboardist Steven Clifford (Michael Aherne), bassist Derek Scully (Kenneth McCluskey), lead guitarist Outspan Foster (Glen Hansard), sax player Dean Fay (Felim Gormley), and drummer Billy Mooney (Dick Massey). Three local girls, Bernie McGloughlin (Bronagh Gallagher), Natalie Murphy (Maria Doyle), and Imelda Quirke (Angeline Ball) are brought onboard to be back-up singers. Jimmy soon meets an older man by the name of Joey “The Lips” Fagan (Johnny Murphy). Johnny has been playing music for decades and boasts about meeting many musical legends.

It is Jay who comes up with the band’s name The Commitments. But it is a long road before hit records and sold-out shows at famous arenas through out the world. The Commitments have a lot of work to do to reach musical greatness.

First the band has to procure musical instruments. Steven’s grandmother sells them a drum kit and a piano. And Duffy procures the rest of the instruments through some rather dodgy maneuvers. The Commitments find a rehearsal place to hone their musical stylings. The Commitments get their first gig at a local church’s community center. The band claims its a benefit to combat drug addiction (heroin was a huge problem in 1980s Ireland).

The Commitments draw a sizable crowd, but the gig doesn’t quite go as well as planned. Equipment malfunctions causing a power outage. And it doesn’t exactly help matters when Deco accidentally beams Derek with his microphone stand. Oops.

Though the Commitments are tight on stage, things aren’t exactly harmonious behind the scenes. Deco becomes an out-of-control diva. After one brawl between Deco and Billy, Mickah Wallace (Dave Finnegan), who had been acting as security for the band, takes over on the drums. Billy has had enough. And then there is also a scuffle when Jimmy is confronted about paying for the instruments he procured for the band. Mickah beats up Duffy, who is then escorted out of the gig. Meanwhile, Joey manages to woo and bed Bernie, Natalie, and Imelda. No, not at the same time. It’s not that kind of movie. But how do you think Joey “The Lips” Fagan got his nickname? Wink, wink.

However, despite all the backstage chaos and romantic shenanigans, The Commitments are gaining a considerable following and more and more gigs. They are local musical heroes. Then Joey tells them some interesting news when the band gets yet another gig. Joey tells his bandmates that the Wilson Pickett will be in Dublin for a concert, and because he and Joey are tight, Wilson can join The Commitments for a performance. Jimmy is so excited, he tells some local journalists this juicy tidbit and convinces them to come to this gig. It will be major. Will Wilson show up? Things do look doubtful, and Deco and Jimmy get into a row. And this also causes quite a bit of of protest amongst the audience, but they are placated once the band plays the Wilson Pickett classic, “In the Midnight Hour.” Things don’t go very well for the band after the gig. Big fights break out and thus, it looks like The Commitments are over when they are just beginning.

In the end, The Commitments don’t reach the musical heights they had hoped for, and the film ends with a montage narrated by Jimmy of where the band members are post-The Commitments. Imelda gets married and is forbidden to sing by her husband, but Natalie becomes a successful solo singer and Bernie is in a country band. Steven is now doctor. Outspan and Derek are street buskers. Dean formed a jazz band. Joey claims on a postcard to his mother that he’s touring with Joe Tex. Too bad Joe Tex is dead. Mickah is the singer of a punk band. And as for Deco, well, he got a record deal and is still a diva and a royal pain in the arse.

Directed by Alan Parker (who also directed the original Fame movie released in 1980), The Commitments wasn’t necessarily a huge hit when it was initially released in 1991. But since then, has become a beloved cult classic. The movie spawned two soundtracks that were big hits and introduced iconic soulful songs and sounds to a new generation. And the cast is still involved in acting and/or music. Glen Hansard is probably the best known. He was in another Irish charmer, Once, and one an Oscar for the song “Falling Slowly.”

I loved The Commitments. The cast has incredible chemistry, the music is fabulous, and Parker truly captures the grittiness of Dublin back in the day. The Colm Meaney nearly steals the show as Jimmy’s Elvis-loving father. The Commitments is a delight!

Book Review: Leslie F*cking Jones-A Memoir by Leslie Jones

With her star-making turn as a cast member of the iconic late night television comedy sketch show “Saturday Night Live,” and her recent hilarious stint as a guest host of “The Daily Show,” Leslie Jones a comedic force of nature. It seems like she came out of nowhere, and was an overnight success. But this overnight success of Ms. Jones was decades in the making. And Jones discusses everything from her childhood, to getting into comedy as a college student, to her success today in her honest and funny memoir, Leslie “F*cking Jones.

After a brief foreward by Jones’ fellow stand up comic and friend, Chris Rock. Jones gets down to business by first going down memory lane, and talking about her childhood. Leslies Jones was born Annette Leslie Jones in 1967. It wasn’t long before she abandoned her given first name and decided to go by her middle name, Leslie. She was a military brat, who along with her parents, and her younger brother, moved around the country.

Growing up wasn’t exactly a day in the park for the young Jones. She was picked on for being black, tall, and often, the new kid in town. She often dealt with abuse at home. She recalls kicking a puppy outside of a trailer when she was a little girl, and in hindsight, Jones believes this vicious act (which now horrifies her) was in reaction to feeling powerless. She had to dominate something, so she dominated this puppy in a brutal way.

But Jones did have something going for her. She excelled at basketball (it helps she’s six feet tall). This got her a college scholarship, but basketball and getting involved with a much older man was more important than going to class and acing her exams. However, it was in college, where Jones discovered comedy. She always had the ability to make people laugh, and being on stage was electrifying. It was from that moment, Jones knew she wanted to make comedy her career.

Of course, this comedy career didn’t exactly take off right away, and Jones dealt with a lot of struggles. She had to hold a regular job (not exactly easy or fun) while trying to get comedy gigs. Audiences could be welcoming or they could be brutal. She dealt with a lot of crooked managers, and didn’t always get paid properly for her performances. There is also a lot of animosity from some comics, but Jones also came close to some of them who showed her a lot of support and encouraged her to keep developing her comedy style and performance.

Jones also had to deal with family strife. Her parents had a less than happy marriage, and both suffered from severe health issues. Her mother was in a hospital from the time, Jones was a teenager. And both of them died when Jones was a barely an adult. It must have shaken Jones to lose parents when she was still so young. And her younger brother got seriously messed up and was dealing drugs. This lifestyle caught up to him and he died in 2009. Jones also dealt with shitty jobs, money woes, bad roommates, and even worse boyfriends. She also had a run in with the law.

It seemed to take forever, but Jones finally grabbed the gold ring of comedic success when she was hired by Saturday Night Live. She first started out as a writer, but was later made a cast member. She was funny and loud, and brought a new voice to the show. She also was cast in the all-female remake of Ghostbusters, and she is brutally honest about the horrific sexism the cast faced, and all the racism that was thrown at her.

Leslie F*cking Jones is raw and deeply candid. Jones never shies away from the rough stuff of growing up, being a black woman in comedy, and the ups and downs of her career. She’s made a name for herself in a business that is extremely tough. And love how much she appreciates all the people who have helped her along the way, and the friendships she still holds dear (her and Kate McKinnon are total besties.

Whether you’re a fan of Leslie Jones, or just want to know what it’s like to be a woman of color in comedy and show business, you can’t go wrong with reading Leslie F*cking Jones.

Book Review: The Nineties-A Book by Chuck Klosterman

Between the falling of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the falling of the World Trade Center in 2001 was a decade called the 1990s. The nineties gave the United States its first Baby Boomer President, Bill Clinton, and we saw the rise of the internet. Generation X was finally noticed (the oldest already in their twenties) with the advent of Grunge and a little sitcom called “Friends.” Princess Diana died in a horrific car crash in a Paris tunnel, and OJ Simpson went from football hero to a accused murderous villain. We gossiped about Kato Kaelin, Lorena Bobbit, and Monica Lewinsky. We began the nineties completely unaware of email and ended it checking our AOL email accounts for messages from our families and friends.

The nineties seem so long ago, and at the same time, it seems so recent. Has it really been nearly thirty years since Kurt Cobain left this mortal coil? I feel like I just heard the news of his suicide. Apparently, I’m not the only one who feels like this. Writer Chuck Klosterman also has thoughts about the nineties. And he discusses this decade in his book The Nineties.

In essays both short and long, Klosterman examines the politics, media, sports, and pop culture that shaped the nineties. He examines the scientific developments that gave us the aforementioned internet to the cloning, including Dolly the sheep. He examines major political events like Clarence Thomas Supreme Court hearings and Anita Hill, Bill Clinton’s election ,and a certain political disrupter named Ross Perot, and South Africa electing Nelson Mandela after he had been a political prisoner.

Klosterman speaks of tragedies like the Oklahoma City bombing of the Murrah Federal Building and the Columbine High School shooting in Colorado, which we are still talking about today. But he also writes about things that I had forgotten like the cult Heaven’s Gate mass suicide and the simulated Earth Biosphere 2.

Being a Generation X-er himself, Klosterman (born in 1972), can’t help but write about the insurgence of Generation X. Caught between the more attention grabbing Baby Boomers and the Millennials, Generation X had a brief moment in the spotlight. Douglas Coupland’s novel Generation X was a best-seller. Grunge music and the Seattle scene took over music. Countless movies like “Reality Bites” and “Singles” examined the ennui and struggles of the MTV generation, And speaking of MTV, it was still showing music videos, but reality TV had taken hold with a new show called “The Real World.” Now, thirty years later MTV shows nothing but reality television shows. My younger self would have been so pissed if MTV was broadcasting “Teen Mom” back in 1990.

Where was I? Yes, Generation X and pop culture. We made Thursdays “must-see TV” on NBC with shows like “Friends” and “Seinfeld.” Streaming was more than a decade away, and cable was just starting to make quality television programs (“The Sopranos” and “Sex and the City”), so network television still ruled our viewing habits. Today, “Friends” and “Seinfeld” would be streamed on Netflix or Max, and nudity and cursing would be involved. So instead of Ross from “Friends” saying to Rachel, “We were on a break!” he’d probably say, “We were on a fucking break!” and Rachel would probably be topless.

I really enjoyed reading The Nineties. Klosterman covered so many topics (his take on the Billy Ray Cyrus cheeseball hit “Achy Breaky Heart” cracked me up, and remember a clear cola called Crystal Pepsi?), and he must of had fun walking down memory lane and researching all the people, places, and things that made the nineties the nineties. Those of us who remember this decade will read this book with a sense of both happy and sad nostalgia. And younger generations will get primer on what old people are talking about when they talk about the nineties.

Book Review: Uneducated-a Memoir of Flunking Out, Falling Apart, and Finding My Worth by Christopher Zara

From where journalist Christopher Zara started out, he probably shouldn’t have ended up in the exact place he is-a respected writer and happily married man. Zara grew up in Trenton, New Jersey in a time when Trenton was falling apart as was his family. A screw up as a student, Zara was kicked out of high school for behavioral issues. He also got involved in the local punk rock scene, hanging out with some less than savory people, and once battled a seriously frightening heroin habit. And how Zara overcame these insurmountable obstacles is wonderfully told in his memoir Uneducated: Flunking Out, Falling Apart, and Finding My Worth.

Born in 1970, Zara faced a childhood familiar to many Generation X-ers. His parents’ marriage was rocky and they later divorced. He came of age in Trenton, New Jersey as it was falling apart. He got involved in punk music, which was a refuge from his home life. Though incredibly bright, school was not the place for him and he often got in trouble for misbehaving. He later dropped out but did manage to get a GED. Zara also developed a heroin habit, which he fortunately was able to kick and has lived for years drug free.

For a long time, Zara kind of sleep walked through life. He moved from place to place, and worked a lot of dead end jobs. He figured this type of life was his destiny. After all, his educational history was less than impressive. He had only a GED and no college experience, let alone an actual degree.

But what Zara did have was a lot of writing talent, and a willing to work hard and prove himself. In his mid thirties, Zara managed to get an internship at Show Business Weekly magazine, a magazine aimed at those working in the performing arts. Zara was older than most other interns and wasn’t a college student. He considered himself lucky to procure this internship. Like a lot of internships, this one was unpaid, so Zara had to work at a frame shop to make some money to help support himself.

While at Show Business Weekly, Zara was involved in so much more than writing and editing articles, and he and his cohorts tried desperately to keep a print magazine afloat at a time where websites and digital media were taking over.

Once his tenure with Show Business Weekly ended, Zara got a job with the International Business Times, which had some rather sketchy ownership, and Zara goes into great lengths to explain it in Uneducated. While at International Business Times, Zara got an education on how the internet was truly changing the world of media, where SEOs, going viral, the importance of social media, and clickbait are often of utmost importance. One could write an amazing article, but it meant bupkis if it didn’t grab enough eyeballs on the World Wide Web.

Though Zara gained strength as a writer and became more successful as a writer, he still felt less than those with college degrees, often feeling like an imposter of people he felt were more qualified just because they had a sheepskin. But most of his colleagues truly accepted him, not giving a shit if he didn’t have a college degree. Zara’s talent, skill, and work ethic was good enough.

But this book isn’t just about making a career in media. Uneducated is a also a love story, with Zara telling the tale of meeting his beloved wife, Christina, their courtship and ultimate marriage. In fact, I kind of want Christina to write her own memoir.

Whether your education consisted of the Ivy League or the School of Hard Knocks, Uneducated is story for all of us. It really makes you think about the importance of education, both formal and non-formal, and how much our society measures us by our credentials and degrees. But what I also like, is how Zara never looks down at anyone who does have a college degree; there is no reverse snobbery in Uneducated. Zara doesn’t look down on anyone who did go to college and obtain a degree. He realizes there are various paths we take.

Uneducated is a wonderful tale of overcoming some pretty bad odds and making a success of one’s life. I highly recommend it for the tale it tells and the amazing way it’s written.

Retro Review: 13th Gen-Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail? by Neil Howe and William Strauss with Ian Williams

As I mentioned in my review of Liz Prato’s book Kids in America, Generation X captured some attention in the 1990s. I remember there were quite a few books trying to figure Generation X out. Ha, as if we’d let them.

However, in the early 1990s, I read Neil and William Strauss’s book 13th Gen: Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail?. And at the time, I found it to be interesting and quite infuriating. It just seemed as if the Gen X lifespan was filled with so much doom and gloom.

But why did Howe and Strauss label Generation X the 13th generation? Well, it’s because they were the 13th generation to know the United States since its inception. Also, unlike other demographers, Howe and Strauss did not consider 1965-1980 to be Gen X birth years. Instead, they considered Gen X birth years to be from 1961-1981. Twenty years!

Another reason why they used the number 13 is due to the idea that it’s unlucky (Friday the 13th, anyone?). And many Gen X-ers have dealt with a string of bad luck, especially as they came of age-family breakdown, crumbling schools, gang violence and the crack epidemic, AIDS, political malfeasance, the high cost of higher education, workplace woes, and several recessions. It’s as if Gen X was dealt a bad hand.

13th Gen is divided into three sections. Part One looks at how the generations preceding Gen X shaped and molded them and how we also compared to them, mainly the Greatest Generation, the Silent Generation, and yep, the Baby Boomers. It also takes a look at the historical experiences that affected Gen X from Watergate, Vietnam, gas shortages, the Jonestown mass suicide, Three Mile Island, the Iranian hostage crisis, the election of Reagan, AIDS, and the Challenger space shuttle explosion in 1986.

Part Two is named “The American Dream Has No 13th Floor.” This section takes a look at how various issues like race, sex, money, education, the workplace, and politics affects 13ers and 13ers stake and influence when it comes to these issues.

And in the third part, Howe and Strauss examine the 13er generation’s impact on America, especially when it comes to pop culture. Remember, this book came out in the early 1990s as grunge and hip hop were becoming popular. Howe and Strauss also peer into their crystal balls and predict where the 13th generation will be as they head into middle age in the 21st century.

Howe and Strauss aren’t alone in it’s examination of 13ers. Actual 13ers, most notably Ian Williams, crash into Howe and Strauss’s digital conversation (this is when the internet was in it’s infancy) to give their two cents. Or should I say their 13 cents? The crashers waste no time telling Howe and Strauss what it is like to be a 13er, the good, the bad, and the ugly. And Ian has fun sharing his favorites when it comes to pop culture.

13th Gen is filled with fun illustrations by Robert John Matson, various factoids and lists, and compares 13ers with other generations who were stuck with a bad reputation, but turned out to be pretty awesome in the end.

For the most part, I enjoyed reading 13th Gen when I first came across it in the 1990s. I got the vibe that Howe and Strauss truly wanted to understand my generation. And I appreciated their lack of stereotypical Boomer condescension. And I really liked the crashers adding their unique voices, especially Ian Williams, who used to have a blog I read.

But reading 13th Gen decades later is also enlightening. And it’s interesting how the prediction for my generation played out now that we are in our 40s and 50s. Did Howe and Strauss’s predictions turn out to be true? Well, to me, I think my fellow 13ers need to read this book and make up their minds.

And as for the term 13er? Well, I used it for a brief time, but you can’t go wrong with a classic like Generation X.

Book Review: How to Be Famous by Caitlin Moran

In the book How to Be a Girl (which I reviewed a few years ago) we met one singular character, Johanna Morrigan who prefers to go by her pen name, Dolly Wilde. Dolly has a really great gig writing for the British music publication Disc and Music Echo (D and ME), which is a feather in her teenage chapeau. She’s still living with her family yet desires to move to London where everything is happening. She also has a mad crush on John Kite, a musician on the verge of fame.

Now Dolly is back in Caitlin Moran’s sequel How to Be Famous. Dolly has moved out and is living in a flat in London. She’s still writing for Disc and Music Echo and is having a made flirtation with John Kite. Kite has hit the big time. His songs are climbing the charts and he’s playing sold out concerts. Dolly is young and despite her success she’s still trying to figure things out. But of course, she’s 19. This is understandable.

Now de-virginized, Dolly sees herself as a bit of bon vivant and a “Lady Sex Adventurer,” proud of being a sexual being and ready for anything. Anything, unfortunately, turns out to be a night of nookie with a stand up comic named Jerry Sharpe. Dolly should feel honored to hook up with Jerry. Comics are the rock stars of the 1990s don’t you know. Unfortunately, Jerry is less than gentlemanly, and he video tapes their shagging session.

Other than sex, Dolly is fully immersed in the local music scene. Her friend Zee has a fledgling music label and Dolly gets to know one of his label’s new bands The Branks. At the helm of The Branks is the brash and over the top lead singer, Suzanne Banks who comes across like a British Courtney Love. And when it comes to her family, her father is trying to take up permanent residence in her flat. Dolly is not pleased with this.

When it comes to her writing, Dolly gets a really a job writing for The Face, one of Britain’s premier magazines. Dolly is thrilled with this opportunity and loves being in the world of famous people, but often feels like a total outsider.

And then things get quite complicated for Dolly. The little sex tape that comic Jerry Sharped filmed gets out there and is seen by far too many people. Even though this is in the mid 1990s in a time before everyone was on the internet. Things like sex tapes didn’t exactly go viral but they did get released. Remember the infamous sex tape of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee?

Dolly is absolutely mortified about this is turn of events. Sure, Jerry Sharpe is a massive sleaze and douchebag, but she’s the disgraced fallen woman. Will her amazing life in London end just as it’s beginning? And what about her budding romance with John Kite?

Through the support of her new friend Suzanne, Dolly is able to stand up for herself and hold her head high during one highlight during the book. Dolly may be down, but no way is she out. And before she knows it, things heat up with John Kite, and she travels with him on his tour of America.

Though I did think How to Be Famous had it’s high points, I still felt like something was missing. Dolly is a fun and interesting character. I admire her gumption and willing to give everything whether her love life or her career, her all. Yet, some aspects veered to close to the #MeToo movement 20 years too soon, and her relationship with John Kite seemed a bit too unbelievable. Still, How to Be Famous is an entertaining read with lots of 1990s references certainly to make readers misty-eyed with memories. Apparently, How to Be Famous is second in the series. I think it will be quite a ride once Dolly gets older and faces new adventures and challenges as she approaches the 21st century.

Book Review: American Woman-The Poll Dance: Women and Voting by Kimberley A. Johnson

It’s a week away from the midterm elections, and a lot of things are at stake. Even though we think Presidential elections are very important, so are the midterms. And it’s especially important for women in this day and age. Just as we think we’ve come so far, some nefarious forces are trying to push us back into the 19th century. We need to fight against these forces. And one of he best way to do it is by voting.

Author, actress, and activist Kimberley A. Johnson shares this sentiment, and she states her case in her fabulous book American Woman-The Poll Dance: Women and Voting.

I first became aware of Johnson when I found her on Facebook. She discussed a host of issues, especially how they affected women, and proudly called herself a feminist. I felt like I found a kindred spirit and continue to follow her on social media to this day.

Johnson covers so many topics and how a woman’s right to vote is so important. These issues include the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), rape and sexual assault, abortion, birth control and body autonomy, unions and the workplace, equal pay for equal work, and sexual harassment on the job.

And because the personal is political, Johnson shares personal stories from her childhood to her work as an actress and salesperson. Johnson is quite honest, telling us the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Johnson also shares the stories of women of all ages and isn’t afraid to rake anti-feminists over the coals.

American Woman is written in a very down to earth style that is never dry and boring. Plus, it is obvious Johnson has done her research and homework.

A lot has happened since American Woman was published in 2014. Donald Trump was elected to the highest office in the United States and his MAGA followers make the Tea Party look like, well, a tea party The Trump presidency was pretty much a shit show, and Trump lost in 2020 to Joe Biden. However, far too many didn’t accept the results of the election and stormed the US capitol on January 6th, 2021.

We also dealt with the global Covid-19 pandemic, the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, the restriction of voting rights, school and mass shootings, and environmental degradation. The late Ruth Bader Ginsburg was replaced by the odious Amy Coney Barrett. And women lost their reproductive rights with the overturn of Roe V. Wade this past June.

All of this is enough to make you want to hide under the covers. But I try to remain hopeful. A lot of people are really pissed off and want a better country and society for all of us. I’ve noticed a great deal of activism among Generation Z who are just starting out their young lives and realize things are messed up. As a member of Generation X, I support them.

So much is at stake. Not only is our vote a right, our lives depend on it!

The Problem with Everything-My Journey Through the New Culture Wars by Meghan Daum

In her 2019 book, The Problem with Everything: My Journey Through the New Culture Wars, author Meghan Daum takes on a host of topics. These topics include the Trump presidency, feminism in the modern day, cancel culture, and the differences between Gen X and Millennials.

In The Problem With Everything, Daum writes about being a kid in the 1970s, a time of of the TV show Zoom and when girls weren’t forced into the color pink. Things were a bit more unisex back then. She writes about the 1980s, when women were climbing the corporate ladder, yet were admonished as selfish careerists in a time of latchkey kids. And she also covers the 1990s, when she was in college and an intern in New York City. She looks back at these decades and compares them to the modern day. How have things changed? How have things not changed?

One things Daum talks about is the cancellation of people who may have a difference of opinion. She wonders where is the nuance and critical thinking when it comes to various issues. Perhaps, in the day of social media, where one tweet can be misconstrued, this may no longer be the case. Everything is so black and white. Will we ever embrace the gray in-between? Will conservatives and liberals offer each other an olive branch?

When it comes to feminism, Daum thinks it has accomplished most things. And yes, many women are better off than their grandmothers. But we still have a long way to go. She also questions the feminism of Millennials, which can come across as both celebrating victimization and calling oneself a “badass.” We’ve gone from Riot Grrrl to #Girlboss, but what does it mean? I know one, thing. Gen X feminists were also looked down upon back in the 1990s.

Daum also discusses the dissolution of her marriage, the state of the college campus then and now, and how people are afraid of the most mildest of criticism, worried they will be brandished a racist, homophobe, or misogynist. There’s really a lot to unpack these days.

I found Daum’s writing to be enlightening and interesting even though I didn’t agree with her on everything. But she does bring up some very compelling ideas that should provoke debate and discussion. And I wonder what Daum’s take on the issues she she could write about in 2022 in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the January 6th insurrection, and the overturn of Roe V. Wade. Perhaps Daum will cover these things in her next book. I know if she does, I will definitely read it.

Retro Review: Summer Sisters by Judy Blume

It’s been years since I’ve written a retro review, and I can’t think of a better retro review than Judy Blume’s 1998 novel, Summer Sisters.

Though Judy Blume is mostly known for writing books for younger audiences, she is has also written for adults. Her books for adults include Wifey, Smart Women, and most recently, In the Unlikely Event. When I came across her book Summer Sisters at one of those Little Free Libraries, I quickly picked it up, and I’m glad I did.

Summer Sisters opens in the early 1990s. Vix is 25, living in New York City, and works in public relations. Out of the blue, she gets a call from Caitlin. Caitlin is getting married and the groom-to-be just happens to be Vix’s old boyfriend Bru. Caitlin asks Vix to be her maid of honor. As Summer Sisters unfolds you learn how Vix and Caitlin have come to this situation.

In Santa Fe, New Mexico Victoria Leonard and Caitlin Somers meet during their 6th grade year. Though they are quite different from each other, they become fast friends. Caitlin is quite privileged and lives with her mother Phoebe. Her father, Lamb (short for Lambert) lives on Martha’s Vineyard. Victoria, who often goes by the name Vix, lives a quite different existence. She’s one of four children (her younger brother, Nathan, has Muscular Dystrophy), her parents are stressed out, and and shoddy finances are a constant worry.

As their school year ends, Caitlin asks Vix to spend the summer with her in Martha’s Vineyard. Vix jumps at the chance and is excited and relieved to be away from the dysfunction of her family home. And year after year, the girls spend their summers together in Martha’s Vineyard.

It’s a cliché that that opposites attract, but sometimes clichés ring true. Vix is down-to-earth and practical. Caitlin is impetuous and wild. Yet, they are drawn to each other as they spend their summers discovering boys, masturbation, and sex, and take on several summer jobs. They both acquire boyfriends during their summers in Martha’s Vineyard. Caitlin starts dating Von, and Vix starts dating Bru.

However, things aren’t always so wonderful. Vix deals with a family tragedy and Caitlin copes with Lamb marrying a lady named Abby. And at a birthday celebration for Vix, Vix deals with something that makes her question her friendship with Caitlin. Yet, somehow the girls are able to patch things up. Vix is drawn into Caitlin’s orbit and does benefit from having Caitlin as her friend. Lamb and Abby think of Vix as another daughter, and Vix gains greatly from their generosity.

After Vix and Caitlin graduate from high school, they go their separate ways. Though originally Caitlin was to attend Wellesley, she has a change of heart and decides to travel all over Europe having a lots of crazy adventures. Vix, on the other hand, goes to Harvard on scholarship. It is there she befriends her roommates Paisley and Maia, and realizes there is a world outside of Caitlin.

After graduation, Vix moves to New York City, rooms with Maia and Paisley, and gets a job with a large public relations firm. Bru asks her to marry him, but she turns him down. And Caitlin gets bored with Europe and ends up in Seattle where she plans to open up a restaurant with two of her gay friends.

Upon finding out about Caitlin’s impending marriage to Bru, Vix decides to go to the wedding. Betrayals are found out and dirty deeds are done, and in the end Vix and Caitlin are in very different places.

Summer Sisters is filled with both the popular culture and social changes and upheavals of the 1970s and 1980s. Chapters are named after hit songs (“Dancing Queen”, “We are the World”) and the AIDS crisis and the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am plane of Lockerbie, Scotland are mentioned. Summer Sisters is mostly told from the point of view of Vix, but other characters also narrate the story.

While reading Summer Sisters, I couldn’t help but compare it to the atrocious Pretty, Little Dirty, which I reviewed over the summer. Both are coming of age novels featuring Gen X girls during the 1970s and 1980s. Yet, Summer Sisters is so much more better written with more dimensional characters and a fascinating tale that draws you in. The main characters in Pretty, Little Dirty just repelled me. And though I found tempestuous and self-absorbed Caitlin way too much to at times, I can understand why the more low-key and relatable Vix was drawn to her. Caitlin is quite charismatic and her upper crust lifestyle is intoxicating.

Summer Sisters is a fabulous read, one I could barely put down. And at the same time, I didn’t want to ever end. Once again, Judy Blume proves why she is such a beloved author. She just writes damn good books.