We resume our countdown toward The Most Irrelevant Prize in World Literature with a look at four of the books on the shortlist.
Daddy Was a Number Runner by Louise Meriwether (May)
TOA Review: not started (likely mid-2022)
Notes: Given how much I read, it's unusual for me to encounter a book that I suspect might live on the shelves of the "one of a kind" section down at the library, but this may be an appropriate description of Meriwether's story about Francie, a young girl in 1934 Harlem. Perhaps "first of its kind" is a closer fit, given that at the time of its release in 1970 a book centered around a Black girl's experience probably wasn't very common. It struck me while thinking about Daddy Was a Number Runner that there is definitely a discrepancy within my own reading list in terms of books about Black young men and boys having far greater representation than those about Black young women and girls, but I don't have much to say on this observation at the moment other than sharing my resolve to find some more reading to bring a sense of balance to my list.
I want to credit this post about the book by Deesha Philyaw, whose writing helped me think through some of the points I mentioned above. In addition to noting her collection as a future read, I also recognized that I would likely reread this book again at some point in the future. Quite frankly, to write such a review of any book is an unstated aim of mine, and in this example Philyaw accomplishes the main objective in my mind of such a piece - to make a reader want to pick up the book.
Parting thought: There is a certain injustice when relief workers insist on deducting additional earnings from the original relief check.
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders (August)
TOA Review: not started (likely mid-2022)
Notes: This book is presented in seven sections, each with two components - a short story (not written by Saunders) followed by an analysis (written by Saunders). The short stories are excellent, but this book made my shortlist due to Saunders's examinations of each, detailing the works from the perspective of how structure, technique, and style contribute to the storytelling. This book finished in my top-three for 2021, so that's all for now - we'll hear more about it in the finals.
Parting thought: A strong structure works as a Q-and-A, where the author must respond to the questions that arise in the reader. A good writer, then, is one who is keenly aware of the questions a reader will have as the story flows forward; a good story knows how to respond to itself.
Parting thought #2: Good revision means constantly revising toward specificity, then allowing specificity to drive the story forward.
Parting thought #3: In a highly organized story, each event is precisely selected to escalate through causality.
Race After Technology by Ruha Benjamin (September)
TOA Review: not started (likely mid-2022)
Other notable TOA appearances: in October, I mused on some of the challenges with data collection, including the problem of data collection for the sake of data collection.
Notes: Benjamin explores the role of (recent) digital technology in reinforcing or perpetuating racism. Like with A Swim in the Pond in the Rain, this was a top-three read for me in 2021, so we'll return to this one in the finalist post.
Parting thought: People tend to behave in ways that contradict their stated beliefs - for example, by supporting single-payer healthcare, but resisting all attempts made to enforce higher taxes. The same goes for the tech industry, which claims to support regulation while resisting all attempts made to regulate its own activity. In these examples, political values are revealed more so in the action than in the statement.
Parting thought #2: Algorithms can code inequity, seen in examples such as higher paying jobs being shown to men or real estate ads being hidden from minorities.
Parting thought #3: Much as we use nutrition labels, perhaps regulators could find a way to demonstrate how certain tools or algorithms were created, with the information helping consumers understand the extent to which they may be reinforcing existing bias.
Tenth of December by George Saunders (December)
TOA Review: February 2022
Other notable TOA appearances: in the above review, there are additional links to three prior TOA appearances.
Notes: Wow, two books on the shortlist! I'm sure George Saunders considers this the pinnacle of his writing career (though he may be dismayed that this one does not advance to the top-three).
I think I've written enough about Tenth of December over the years that you might think I have nothing left to say about it. True! But I can steal from others, in this case a friend who pointed out that this was a tough book to read - not in the sense of an emotional challenge, but more so that Saunders uses a style which requires a bit of extra effort from the reader. Fair enough, but I think this is a lot like the situation of buying ramen - you can deal with the $1 Cup Noodles, or you can go someplace where the chef proves that extra effort is usually worth the price (TOA officially recommends Sapporo Ramen in Porter Square). So concludes the first and last paragraph in the history of this language that will mention both Tenth of December and Sapporo Ramen, the writing of which is perhaps the pinnacle of my writing career.
Parting thought: People will sometimes repeat the things they are doing, over and over, even if those things are rotten or evil, until they can convince themselves through repetition that it is normal.
