Finnegan's Wake Archives

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The Weekly Wrap: September 14-20

Reading as Resistance

In the past, I’ve been skeptical about Banned Books Weeks. At one time. relatively small numbers of books were being challenged and it almost felt like a ploy for booksellers to sell more books. I’ve always opposed book banning. It is contrary to the American spirit embodied in our first freedoms. But I’ve never opposed parents curating their own children’s book choices. However, it is wrong for a small number to prohibit the circulation of a book for everyone.

In recent years, the number of challenges and bans, and the number of books banned has shot up dramatically. And not only are we speaking of children’s books. We’re talking about books in service academy libraries, books secondary school students would read as well as adults. Many are books by people of color. They reveal the instances when our nation has failed to live up to its professed ideals. Some dissent from current political orthodoxy.

Publishers and authors, regardless of political affiliation are facing threats. Moreover, authors are thinking twice about book tours and other appearances.

Many of us observe encroachments on speech and press freedoms and wonder what we can do. Beyond engaging our elected representatives, may I suggest reading as an act of resistance. Any book can be dangerous, especially in a culture whose siren songs of streaming and digital media lure us from books But I’m particularly thinking of the books “they” don’t want us to read.

Why not find books people have opposed and read them as an act of resistance. Some in my personal library that I’ve not read include Howard Zinn’s People’s History of the United States, Anthony Fauci’s memoir, one of fellow Ohioan Toni Morrison’s books, and several books on climate change. And maybe it’s time to re-read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

Buying and reading the books people don’t want read communicates to publishers and authors support for their work. It asserts a freedom not often discussed, the freedom of conscience. And who knows how long we will be able to obtain these books? To even raise the possibility tells us how far things have come. So, something to keep in mind the next time you visit the bookstore.

Five Articles Worth Reading

In a similar vein, Judith Butler writes of “Kafka-land at UC Berk e ley.” Specifically, 160 faculty from Berkeley learned that allegations against them have been forwarded to the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. They were not informed of the nature of those allegations. The Trial is sounding less and less like fiction.

Phil Christman grew up in a fundamentalist home in Michigan. In “Hope External: Phil Christman’s Prophetic Ambivalence,” reviewer Todd Shy traces the development of Christman’s convictions as he reviews Christman’s new book, Why Christians Should Be Leftists. Whatever you think about the contention in the title, I found Christman’s wrestling with the teaching of Jesus of great interest.

I still have my Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 7th Edition from college. However, Stefan Fatsis asks of our present time: “Is This the End of the Dictionary?” Find out what’s happening to dictionaries.

Then Patricia Lockwood talks books and her longing for an easier way to eat (or be fed) while reading in “Patricia Lockwood Craves an Easier Way to Eat While Reading.” This is the latest installment in the NYT’s “By the Book” series.

Finally, imagine if John Cage set Finnegan’s Wake to music. Actually, he did set a portion to music and you can “Hear Joey Ramone Sing a Piece by John Cage Adapted from James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake.”

Quote of the Week

Queen of Crime Agatha Christie was born on September 15, 1890. We all would do well to follow her pithy advice about money:

“Where large sums of money are concerned, it is advisable to trust nobody.”

Miscellaneous Musings

The squirrels around our house are busy gathering acorns from my oak tree. Likewise, my TBR pile grew this week with a posthumous work by David McCullough and a new history of the Edmund Fitzgerald..

Meanwhile, our “sell back” pile is also growing to the point that it’s time for another trip to Half Price Books. Not only do we usually walk out with cash in our pockets but we go on Tuesdays, which is “Golden Buckeye” day, worth an extra 10% off what we buy. In other words–senior savvy!

Lastly, I’m reminded of the gift of good translations. Isaiah 52:13-53:12 is one of my favorite biblical texts. Robert White has recently translated seven sermons of John Calvin on this passage from the French and they read like contemporary preaching–or better.