I’m taking a non-fiction elective this semester, and one of our required readings is “A Life’s Work: On Becoming a Mother.” I knew nothing about it before opening it, and as a person who’s already a little bit terrified at the idea of someday being responsible for the survival of another human being, this book hit me hard. The prose is absolutely beautiful. Cusk’s words flow out naturally and accessibly even as she’s unpacking serious emotion, and I blew through this book in about two […]
Are YOU ready to join the Dwight Army of Champions?
I watched the British version of The Office when it was released to DVD, and I enjoyed it. Then, I grew to love its American counterpart once it had grown into itself a bit (Season 3 was my entrance to the show). While I was never a huge Dwight fan, I appreciate the complexity and nuance with which Rainn Wilson imbued the character. So I was delighted to see the audiobook version of his memoir The Bassoon King at my local library last month. The […]
Take A Walk on the Wild Side
“So what’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen?” After a decade spent as a paramedic, it’s a question Kevin Hazzard loves to hate. Which stories should he tell? Should he talk about the gunshots, the cardiac arrests, the overdoses, the man swarming with maggots? Or should he lighten the mood and talk about the fake suicide attempts and the surprising amount of nudity? Either way, he knows that people will be listening. Because the dirty secret is we’re all rubberneckers, slowing down to stare at […]
A memoir about language
When I was a child, my mom took my sister and me to Spanish lessons each week for something like a year or two (I honestly don’t remember). She was determined that we would grow up to be bilingual. Well, after Spanish lessons as a child, Spanish 1 and 2 in high school, and Intermediate Spanish in College, I’m still not bilingual. I’ve had trouble explaining to my mom why that is, especially since I spent a summer with my best friend’s family, who is […]