Recommendation Friday

Another music recommendation - this time, it's a new-ish album by The Sea and Cake called Runner. It is an excellent album, meticulously crafted and streamed together seamlessly. I feel that this is a good sound for someone who likes the music that hipsters like, but doesn't like hipsters. Hipsters will also like The Sea and Cake, or they would, if the band was less liked by those in my age demographic. Below is a video for a song called "Harps", which is a great song, but not the best on the album. Enjoy! 

And for good measure, read this article from the New York Times on how to live an unironic life.

A New Nigerian History Book

Will Ferguson's 419 is grabbing attention these days after its Scotiabank Giller Prize win earlier this week. 419 focuses on the anti-fraud laws in Nigeria, specifically the internet scams that are infamous around the world. Ferguson's protagonist tracks down the scammer that devastated her family. But Ferguson also provides several subplots, specifically about the citizens of contemporary Nigeria, and about the trials that face them each day. Modern Nigeria is a complex place, surrounded on all sides by corruption, warlords, economic exploitation, and poverty.

A new book by Chinua Achebe expands this new history by documenting lost history: There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra is a memoir of a people, the losers in a civil war that lasted 3 years between 1967 and 1970. Achebe's new book is history written not by the victors, but by the losers. The Millions posted an article last week by Daniel Tseghay, reviewing the book. Tseghay writes, "[Achebe]’s written a segment of history still avoided by many official Nigerian texts. It’s a personal history which seems to recognize that the stories we often hear of the past are shaped by those in power. It recognizes that we will need to hear the stories of the powerless – of the defeated – if we would like a fuller picture of reality." As well, this week The New York Times Sunday Book Review has posted a review. Adam Nossiter writes that Achebe's "memoir of the moment describes when the country, yoked together artificially by British colonizers, split apart at a cost of more than a million lives."

Both articles are informative and inspire further research. Achebe's early novels Things Fall Apart and A Man of the People confront these issues head on, and The Millions article also provides several other literary examples of Nigerian history. Even though independence and war took place over 40 years ago, the people of Nigeria are still wrestling with the issues that divided the nation.

"Funny" Book Club Analysis at NY Times

Joanne Kaufman at the New York Times writes an interesting article about book clubs called "Fought Over Any Good Books Lately?" She talks to book club members, both satisfied and disgruntled, about the tricky nature of a good book club. There's drama, squabbles, personal therapy, high-minded politics, etc. What was most interesting to me, though, was the existence of a professional book club facilitator. That's right, a professional book club facilitator. First of all, I didn't realize that you could get paid for this, and secondly, who is that serious about a book club? It seems a lot like school when you hire a teacher to instruct the class. Why a professional?
"“It’s because there’s an ayatollah,” said Esther Bushell, a professional book-group facilitator who leads a dozen suburban New York groups and charges $250 to $300 a member annually for her services. “This person expects to choose all the books and to take over all the discussions. And when I come on board, the ayatollah is threatened and doesn’t say anything.” Like other facilitators, she is hired for the express purpose of bringing long-winded types in line."
Again, I have two issues. First of all, $250-$300? Who are these people that are paying this woman? And second, why not kick out the "ayatollah"? Why the hell do they put up with someone they so obviously dislike? It is baffling, to say the least.
There is a brief comment about online book clubs: "Lately there have emerged plenty of online-only book groups too, though — given the difficulty of flinging a drink in the face of a member who suggests reading Trollope — those are clearly a different animal." Yes, it's forcing members to play nice, but it also keeps the focus on the book. No drama, no outside discussion. Only books.
The thing I like best about the online book club is the ability to contribute to the discussion at any point - the conversation will continue whether the books are read or not. If you don't have time to read the book, or just don't like the selection, you don't have to contribute. There's no pressure here - no obligation. Just enjoy the books and the subsequent discussion. Me? I enjoy facilitating. Which reminds me: I'll need $250 from everyone.