Books of 2022

 

Better late than never, I'm finally starting my annual look at the cultural artifacts that have sustained me over the last year. As tradition dictates, I'll start with books. It was a funny year of reading for me as I binged during my spring sabbatical and then had very little time for pleasure reading after the twins arrived in our lives in May. So, my list is heavier than usual on non-fiction as a consequence. Here are the books I most enjoyed this year: 

1. Michael Berube and Jennifer Ruth - It's Not Free Speech: This timely response to the discourse surrounding supposed "cancel culture" was the most essential book of the year for me. I've been enjoying Berube's work on academic freedom the flap over "political correctness" in the early 90s, and this deep dive into contemporary cases didn't. Berube and Ruth make a compelling argument that white supremacist views represent a dereliction of one's intellectual duties and, thus, while they can be protected by the First Amendment, cannot be defended by the principles of academic freedom.

2. Paul Theroux - Under the Waves of Waimea: I haven't read a Paul Theroux novel since The Mosquito Coast in the mid 80s, so Steve's birthday gift gave me the perfect opportunity to return to his work. Theroux's travel writing informs his fiction again as this story of an aging surfer dude and his long-suffering British nurse girlfriend rests heavily on the lush setting in Hawaii.

3. Questlove - Music is History: Roots drummer and Tonight Show bandleader Questlove is a national treasure. As a follow-up to his Oscar-winning documentary The Summer of Soul, Questlove continued his series of entertaining books about music history with this volume, which weaves a fascinating narrative of popular music and the history of the past 50 years, with one song representing each year from 1972 onward. I made a playlist from his suggestions, which has become a firm favorite.

4. Lucy Foley - The Paris Apartment: A young British woman attempting to get over a bad break-up contacts her brother who is living in Paris to see if she can stay with him for a few weeks. He reluctantly agrees to put her up, but when she arrives at his apartment, he's nowhere to be found. This is the intriguing premise for Lucy Foley delicious mystery novel, in which the apartment building is a key character itself. 

5. Chris Stokel-Walker - YouTubers: I've become a big fan of the YouTube channels of several ardent Leeds United fans. These short videos give me a first-person account of the experience of season ticket holders who show up at Elland Road week after week. So, I was really interested Stokel-Walker's history of YouTube. It gave me a better sense of the business-end of YouTubers and the all-important algorithmic decisions that they make. 

6. Leo August, Jr. - The Receivership: During my spring sabbatical, I had the opportunity to interview prolific local author Leo August, Jr. about this intriguing novel about the life of a Buffalo, NY middle/high school that is threatened with receivership. It was clear from August that several of the lead characters, and especially principal Howard Sales, are composites of the author. August definitely has his heart in the right place and it was a pleasure speaking with him.

7. Armin Brott - The New Father: For obvious reasons, I spent a lot of time reading parenting books this year. This one was my favorite, as Brott - a father of twins - focused on creating a balance in one's life. Obviously, I've got a lot to learn about parenting, but every day is a revelation and books like Brott's are a useful companion to my lived experiences.

8. Chiara de Santi - The Journeyl: I returned from a holiday trip to Virginia to find a copy of this lovely little book written by my friend and former colleague Chiara de Santi. It encourages all of us to organize our lives both working and personal, so I took inspiration by using it to organize my sabbatical efforts. 

9. Christopher Evans - Don Revie: An Autobiography: I saved this Christmas gift from Steve last year until the summer months in order to get excited about the upcoming 2021/2022 Premier League season. It's still unclear whether Jesse Marsch's American Revolution will come off at Elland Road this season, which has seen uneven form with thrilling wins against Chelsea and Liverpool and dismal defeats against Leicester and Brighton. But one thing is clear - he has some doing to equal the highs of legendary Leeds manager Don Revie who took the club from Second Division obscurity to the European Cup final. 

10. Wayne Journell - Post-Pandemic Social Studies: During my spring sabbatical, I previewed several texts for possible adoption for my Fall 2022 social studies methods course. Wayne Journell's new edited volume was the one that I chose. Thanks, Wayne!

Notable Others:

* Lisa Delpit - Teaching when the World is on Fire

* Natalie Diaz - What to Do When You're Having Twins: 

* William Hart - Never Fade Away

* Arlie Hochschild - Strangers in their Own Land

* Georgia Hunter - We Were the Lucky Ones

* Heidi Murkoff - What to Expect: The First Year

* George Packer - Last Best Chance

* Rodriguez and Swalwell - Anti-Oppressive Social Studies

* Robert Wuthnow - The Left Behind

* Zimmerman and Robertson - The Case for Contention

Disappointment: 

* Lukianoff and Haidt - The Coddling of America: If Berube and Ruth's book mentioned above was the best take on the thorny issue of "cancel culture," this one was the worst. Lukianoff, a clinical psychologist, and Haidt, a First Amendment, combine to present a flabby argument that we as a society are coddling our young by trying to protect them from bullying and abuse. Let's hope that neither ever has a kid in peril.