Joe Lawrence > Recent Status Updates

Reminds me of Balzac and Alexie

Laura Glen Louis's "Man Crossing on an Ice Field is powerful

great

"THESE GUYS ARE GOING TO HELL!" -- Las Casas, (probably)

I despise her question/answer format where she (wrongly) assumes who the reader is, poses a hypthetical question, then answers it.

Feels like she's saying: "Everyone knows the #1 problem right now is shame. Are you extremely ashamed? I thought so. And that's the source of your arrogance disorder. Now if you're nodding right now, that's how I know I'm correct."

Brown's basically saying, "No listen up. Y'all are some miscreant-type narcisists and I am an all knowing person. I come from 5 generations of self-obsessed bigots so I should know one when I see one. And that's why y'all should shut up and listen to me when I say there's so many narcisists that you can't swing a cat around without hittin' one. And I should know!"

Some ideas common sense. Some eye opening. Others seem kind of just invented by her and would only work her locale.

Feels like I'm finally kind of adapted to the writing style.

Here's some vernacular in "Greif Salute" within one paragraph:
"shitty look", "the culture", "enforcement of norms" "lop his finger off" and "tore his achilles".

It's such a conversational style laced with profanity and violence.

I'm now fairly adjusted to Ross Gay's provocateur-type writing. I think of him now as more Eddie Murphy than Joan Didion.

"fruit for all" might be his best chapter overall. Making a garden does bring joy. It builds community.

I share his feeling that "thousands of birds take flight in my chest" when I make something new.

Just opened up and already multiple hot takes. He's even apologizing and admitting he's losing us.

Came back to this one to try and finish it for book club. I'm trying to ignore his radical opinions. He says some truly bananas stuff.

I adore the section after the camping trip. It felt very religious and familiar.

I like the gardening bits

Already inspired me to spend more time outdoors. How did I forget how good it makes me feel?

Baldwin said being political reduced the power of writing. He evaded it. Yet the former generation came to diminish him. He resisted. He wanted to make ART!

This genre is my jam. Jennifer Wallace really understands something essential that I've been yearning to hear.

I love the calm, historic feeling of this. People: Painters, authors, pastors. Places: the church, the home, the school. It's brick and ideas, steeple and canvas.

Every book I read about him makes me want to know more.

Noticed humor, romance and vile judgement this time around. I remember it feeling atmospheric, bittersweet and poignant. Age brings out other notes.

I think I'm all set on true crime for the rest of my life after this.

Can't look, can't look away.

How are humans capable of this.

"Fraser's up. Easy out."

She still remember's that. Now she's naming names. It's not justice but it's still comeuppance.

Caroline Fraser is merciless and vengeful. It's a literary chokehold.

Good book if you want to learn random stuff like the fact that AI doesn't know why humans prefer ice cream to melted ice cream.