Book Review - Listening in the Dark: Women Reclaiming the Power of Intuition

Thank you to Libro FM for an audio arc of the essay collection, Listening in the Dark: Women Reclaiming the Power of Intuition, edited by Amber Tamblyn.

Writer and actress Amber Tamblyn edited this collection of essays from female contributors centered around the idea of women following their intuition. The contributors are from a wide variety of backgrounds and many narrated their own stories on the audio version of the book.

As with many essay collections, Listening in the Dark was a bit hit or miss. I was impressed by some of the contributors, especially our current Poet Laureate, Ada Limon, who just has a magical way with words. I love her writing.

A common thread is the historic distrust of women who follow their intuition or speak out. For example, women labeled as witches for talking about their intuition and it being considered magic and not verifiable. We may no longer kill women for witchcraft, but the essays in Listening in the Dark, reveal how society diminishes women’s voices and perspectives. Personally, I believe in the power of intuition and have found that following my own has served me well in life, or alternately, done me harm when I haven’t followed it. I’m not sure that women have a unique form of intuition, however, I can agree that women are often suppressed or silenced, even in seemingly progressive societies.

I enjoyed enough of the contributions to recommend this thought provoking collection.

Book Review- Zosia Mamet's My First Popsicle

Thank you to LibroFM for an audio arc of the essay collection, My First Popsicle: An Anthology of Food and Feelings, edited by Zosia Mamet.

Actress and writer Zosia Mamet ( daughter of famed playwright David Mamet) had an idea to curate a collection of essays regarding food and our emotions surrounding food. Mamet contributes her own essay, but also calls upon famous friends, such as Kaley Cuoco, her costar on The Flight Attendant, to contribute to the anthology. I listed to the audio version and many of the essays are read by the writers themselves, adding to the charm and intimacy of the stories.

As with many anthologies, the content was uneven in how I connect with the stories. Regarding this collection particularly, the writing talent was uneven, likely due to the abundance of celebrity contributors. I’m not implying that celebrities can’t also write, just that it was uneven and some contributions felt less polished or poignant than others. That said, I applaud the concept and generally delighted in several of the contributions.

Although we may connect with food in different ways, the idea of having emotional attachment to taste and the power of that particular sense is universal. I think most readers will find a connection with some of the essays, enough to make this collection recommendable.

Book Review- Rachel Kushner's The Hard Crowd: Essays 2000-2020

Thank you to LibroFM and Simon & Schuster Audio for a copy of Rachel Kushner’s The Hard Crowd: Essays 2000-2020.

Last summer, I was at a bookstore in Los Angeles, where the cover of Kushner’s novel, The Mars Room, caught my eye. The Mars Room is a women’s prison story, a bit akin to following a character from Orange is the New Black. A fantastic read that I raced through in a single afternoon. I had been looking forward to reading more Kushner, but as with most book lovers, I got distracted by my enormous TBR bookcase. Yes, a bookcase, not just a pile. I was happy to see The Hard Crowd as an option for an audio book arc, reminding me of Kushner.

The Hard Crowd is difficult to explain. Kusher’s essays cover a range of topics, from her participation in a risky, yet thrilling motorcycle race in Mexico to critiques of foreign films and literature. I have to confess that many of Kusher’s topics were unfamiliar to me, however, even without previous knowledge, Kushner deftly sets the stage for readers of all backgrounds to engage with her thoughts. Some of her topics seemed esoteric, yet, I was always intrigued and I finished the collection thinking about new ideas and subjects.

Kushner is a fabulous writer. She kept this reader engaged and curious, even when the topic was unfamiliar or something that wouldn't normal interest me. For example, motorcycles. I have zero interest in motorcycles, but Kushner’s riviting description of the Baja race extended my interest beyond her essay and into a deep dive internet search.

If you’re looking for something a bit different and off-beat, I recommend The Hard Crowd.