Giovanni's Room

 Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin (1956) 192 pages

I listened to the audiobook on Libby narrated by Matt Bomer. It included an Introduction by poet Kevin Young that provided a lot of context. In a not-quite chronological narrative we meet David, a white American, having a "gap year" in Paris. There are conventional expectations back home and he is engaged to a young woman, but she is spending time away from him in Spain. David has a passionate affair with Giovanni, an Italian working in a bar in Paris. The two young men become roommates, but through self-denial and homophobia, David cannot admit that he is gay. When his fiancé joins him some sexist views come to light and a murder adds tension to the situation. The mysteries of the human heart are brilliantly explored by Baldwin.  

Gumption

Gumption: relighting the torch of freedom with America's gutsiest troublemakers / Nick Offerman, 387 pgs.

Offerman's collection of Americans who personify "gumption" is kind of fun.  Some of his subjects are obvious, George Washington, Ben Franklin, Teddy Roosevelt, and some are more personal choices, Carol Burnett, Jeff Tweedy, Conan O'Brien.  We get it that these essays will be unrelentingly positive about the subjects and that these people have made a mark on Offerman's life.  But at times, there is a turn of a phrase or a way of looking at something that is just perfect.  For example when writing about James Madison and his participation in the Constitutional Convention, Offerman writes "Even Thomas Jefferson knew which tiny horse to bet on."  I admit, that line just slayed me.  But I have to agree with Kara who also reviewed this book, Offerman bloviates like few others.  It is good in short spurts but can get tedious.  The author reads the audio version and that is worth while, I think, because the emphasis is in all the right places.

Bunch of Amateurs

Bunch of Amateurs by Jack Hitt 280 pgs.

This is a great book told in a master "storytelling" fashion about various topics that are dominated to some degree by amateurs who are making discoveries, and advancing science. Hitt makes the case for amateurs throughout American history, going back to Benjamin Franklin, and idea that this is part of our character.

One of my favorite chapters is about the rediscovery of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, a bird that was thought to be extinct.  A group of professional ornithologists were touting this "discover" but the amateurs were skeptical.  Turns out the professionals are really not that reliable on the identification of birds.  They spend too much time in their ivory tower doing research and publishing papers...the real experts are the amateurs who spend their time in the field WATCHING birds.

Another great chapter talks about Claude-Anne Kirshen, an innovative scholar and author of several well respected books about the founding fathers despite starting out as a typist/transcriber on a project transcribing the papers of Benjamin Franklin. Her original, very sexist boss didn't acknowledge her publications.

Anyway, lots of great accounts on a variety of topics.  It is easy for me to recommend this book.

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Bad Boy by Walter Dean Myers p. 214

Myers tells his story about being a bad boy. He is shuffled around a bit between homes when he was very young but settles with his father and step-mom. She is the only mother he knows so he calls her Mama. Myers always enjoyed reading and writing and challenging his mind so he excelled in his classes academically, but his behavior was another story. His poor behavior and choices stopped him from attending the gifted high school was attending. He received some advice when he was younger and that was to never stop writing, and he didn't. Lucky for him because he is now a very successful author.