What Caught My Eye Online #16
A book scolds us, bookish reads, a Sedaris interview, and more
While burning candles so closely to a book would make me nervous, I still admire the picture above for its attempt to reflect tranquility. I love tranquility. Out of all the quilities, that one is my favorite. Being surrounded by books, candles, a blanket, and peonies sounds like a delightful way to spend a day.
Speaking of delight, I have some great links to share this week. I hope you find something interesting below. Enjoy!
This funny post is a letter to readers from the book that’s been on our nightstand for two years. Guilty!
“I figured I’d get picked up in a day or two. But then you put that Sally Rooney novel on top of me and I was like, hmmm. Okay. You’re reading other people. That’s cool.”
I think the most bookish of readers can’t help but love books about books, especially when booksellers are the stars of the narratives. Last week, I talked to a bookseller I know about how she got to fulfill a book order from interior designers who had a sky-high budget. She got to pick out beautiful art books for their new office space. I love my job, but I was very jealous of hers at that moment.
Publishers Weekly interviewed David Sedaris about his upcoming picture book. When asked if Sedaris enjoys creeping out his readers, he hilariously responded:
“I mean, I love it. I was just on the elevator with somebody, and he had some kind of... I don’t know, it was just a monstrosity, like eyes were bulging out of its head. I don’t know if it was a French Bull Terrier or something like that. And I said to him, ‘I know someone whose dog is so inbred that it’s allergic to its own teeth.’ And then I remembered as I said it that it was actually a cat. The person was just horrified.’”
The Guardian talks to poet Nikki Giovanni about her upcoming memoir, the release of a new edition of her poetry, and racism. She says:
“I tell young people, ‘You have to do your job. Don’t sit around whining about what wasn’t done.’ My generation in America, we could fight segregation because we could beat segregation, and we did. We cannot beat racism. And so, somebody else is going to have to fight the battle of racism, because it’s not our battle. We got rid of segregation. We cleared it. We cleaned that window. You can look out now.”
Axios shares a look at the current state of public libraries and what’s being asked of the institutions and their staff.
Here are a few nonfiction titles and memoirs coming out this spring. There are so many exciting books coming out soon!
Electric Lit recommends 12 short stories by Black authors you can read for free online.
One of my favorite nonfiction writers, Leslie Jamison, takes the Lit Hub Questionnaire.
SheReads shares some of the most anticipated short stories and poetry of spring 2024. I can’t wait to get my hands on that Wendy Cope collection. Peacocks of Instagram sounds great, too.
This article from NPR is a heartbreaking and eye-opening look at the struggle of an 18-year-old quadriplegic woman who’s fighting for her rights to care and housing.
I experienced a significant style evolution in my twenties and again when I entered my thirties. Then the pandemic happened, and the only thing that mattered about my clothes was their comfort. When the world started opening up again, I experienced a style challenge where I didn’t know what my style was any more or how to feel my best in the clothes I chose. I feel more secure now in my style than I did even a year ago, but I’m still a work in progress. Over the weekend, I listened to an episode of the 10 Things to Tell You podcast hosted by Laura Tremaine, in which she interviewed stylist Alison Lumbatis. The episode is called 10 Tips to Build Your Best Wardrobe, and it’s incredibly helpful. Sometimes, women are made to feel as if caring about their clothes is vain or silly, so I find it empowering to reject that patriarchal narrative and thoughtfully consider what is a valid and exciting form of creative self-expression.
What caught your eye this week?