Don’t let the chauvinistic-, sentimental-sounding title dissuade you; Maggie Nelson’s latest work of nonfiction isn’t Red, White, And . To the contrary, in On Freedom, the Argonauts author attempts to reclaim the word that conservatives have used as a “jingoistic, even menacing rallying cry” for decades. In exploring weighty issues related to art, sex, drugs, and climate change, Nelson offers her own ideas around what real freedom might look like. Many of the hallmarks of her style are on display here—she’s steeped in theory, which can sometimes result in a circuitousness in the writing—but she gets pointed as well, especially when unpacking timely topics like cancel culture and consent.
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What’s the second Colson Whitehead one should read, having only read The Intuitionist?
Underground Railroad is really good, lush fantasy. Nickel Boys is lean, grim, and very worth your time. So that’s the second and third.
Nickel Boys is sooooo good.
Argh, now the book posts are done as slideshows?
I couldn’t do it with Normal People (I set it aside the fourth or fifth time one broke off the relationship without telling the other why) but am willing to try to vibe with the Sally Rooney hype train one more time.
Excited for the new Colson Whitehead, Richard Powers, and Joshua Ferris. THE TREES and HARROW also sound interesting.