Book review: West Winging It, by Pat Cunnane (Amazon / Book Depository) This year and last have seen a wave of newly published memoirs from former Obama staffers. I read speechwriter David Litt's wonderful, charming Thanks, Obama last year, so after that I was on board with the genre. West Winging It begins with a similar premise - young... Continue Reading →
The Art of Losing It All
Book review: The Rules Do Not Apply, by Ariel Levy (Amazon / Book Depository) Until recently, I lived in a world where lost things could always be replaced. But it has been made overwhelmingly clear to me now that anything you think is yours by right can vanish, and what you can do about that... Continue Reading →
An Obama Speechwriter On Work, Country, and Getting Things Done in the White House
Book review: Thanks, Obama by David Litt (Amazon / Book Depository) Few activities offer less upside than a staring contest with the president. But now, having started one, I didn’t know how to stop. I considered averting my gaze, like a shy maiden in a Jane Austen novel, but that would only make things more awkward.... Continue Reading →
Roxane Gay on Hunger in Its Many Forms
Book review: Hunger, by Roxane Gay (Amazon / Book Depository) The story of my body is not a story of triumph. This is not a weight-loss memoir. There will be no picture of a thin version of me, my slender body emblazoned across this book's cover, with me standing in one leg of my former,... Continue Reading →
Real Life Essays with a Little Raunch
Book review: We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, by Samantha Irby (Amazon/ Book Depository) Samantha Irby is the Chicago-based blogger behind the popular, ultra-honest, hilariously confessional blog Bitches Gotta Eat. She opens her personal essay collection with a piece about how she'd fill out an application to be a Bachelorette contestant. It's a pretty wonderful, hilarious introduction,... Continue Reading →