Author: George Packer
This book traces the last thirty-five years of life in the United States through an eclectic mix of biographical and geographical profiles. Packer paints arresting, astute portraits of familiar figures like Colin Powell, Elizabeth Warren, Raymond Carver, Jay Z, Robert Rubin, and Oprah, and then takes more in-depth inventory of anonymous American lives. These include a factory worker-turned-activist, an erstwhile company man who became a struggling entrepreneur, a formerly apolitical engineer who transformed into a Tea Party organizer, and the city of Tampa—which went from “America’s Next Great City” in 1985 to the epicenter of foreclosures in 2008.
Perhaps the most entertaining section covers the trajectory of Jeff Connaughton, a longtime Biden staffer who later cashed out as lobbyist, then wrote a damning exposé of the Capitol Hill-K Street-Wall Street alliance. (See also: “Biting the hand that feeds you.”) It’s an intriguing psychological study of an underling who initially hopes that proximity will equal power, settles for respect, gets neither, then gets greedy. And let’s just say that Biden is more Joe Pesci in Goodfellas than Crazy Uncle Joe here.
What could have been a diffuse, messy exercise is held together by Packer’s artistry and easy command of the material’s complexity. Plus, his writing is simply outstanding: simultaneously humane and dispassionate, diplomatic yet acerbic. This is excellent stuff.
Author: Patricia Highsmith
I’ve been enjoying the twists and turns of The Talented Mr. Ripley. Tom Ripley, a man of humble stock, grand ambitions, and one seriously discombobulated moral compass, insinuates himself into the graces of the Greenleafs, a wealthy New York family. They enlist Tom to persuade their son Dickie—lolling dissolutely as an aspiring artist in Italy—to return home in order to live as a proper scion. What happens when Tom’s greed, fragile ego, and gaggle of personality disorders meet Dickie’s haughty carelessness? Go to Acorn’s shelves to find out!
Author: Tim Wise
Reviewer: Acorn Patrons
Do white Americans benefit from white privilege? Recently I was in group that was asked that question. Amazingly, or maybe not, one participant said that she has never so benefited. This book is for her and others like her.
As Jim Wallis of Sojourners recently emailed me, America has been built by enslaving one race and ethnically cleansing another.
Tim Wise points out that whites have pretty much been able to go to school where ever each chooses, buy a house in most neighborhoods, get a mortgage at a somewhat reasonable rate, or go to another source to get a better rate, enroll in any college for which one has the funds and the test scores, and some even have the connections to get a good job with great benefits, when one has only mediocre abilities.
Regarding immigration, consider that our government passed NAFTA in 1993, for the benefit of multinational corporations. “Since then, U.S. companies have flooded Mexico with agricultural goods (to the benefit of the U.S. farmer), which have driven down prices in Mexico, such that Mexican farmers cannot compete. This causes Mexican farmers to leave rural areas for cities, but finding the labor market there glutted, they move farther North to support their families—as any of us would do, were we in their shoes. In other words, to whatever extent migrants are crossing the border and thereby (ostensibly) taking other people’s jobs, it is only because the economy of Mexico has been considerably undermined by the policies of our country.” (Page 95).
I encourage all to read this letter and to become informed of the simmering racism that pervades the United States.
Author: Edward Burns
The cover may seem schmaltzy, and the the title might scream Hallmark Channel, but you must believe me when I tell you that Fitzgerald Family Christmas is an incisive, witty little film about the ways in which parents and siblings inform our lives. Edward Burns (who also wrote and directed) stars as Gerry, the eldest son who became the grounded, acerbic patriarch when his father deserted the family two decades ago. His six siblings are in various states of disarray. For starters, Manhattan slickster Quinn (Michael McGlone) is plotting an ill-conceived proposal to his 22-year-old girlfriend, pampered Erin (Heather Burns) suffers from chronic unpleasantness, and baby-faced ruffian Cyril (Tom Guiry) has just completed a stint in rehab. The odds that this unbiddable clan will enjoy serene Yuletide blessings are further diminished when their father announces his intention of joining them for the festivities.
The spirited ensemble cast is superb, and somehow each character has emerged with a discrete, compelling personality. Burns has a gently trenchant way with dialogue and plotting that yields unforced epiphanies and satisfying transformations. I also highly recommend Newlyweds, another recent Burns effort.
Reviewer: Danielle
Twas the night of Thanksgiving and all through the house,
Relatives were screaming cuz Grandma saw a mouse,
That’s not a mouse, you crazy ol’ bat…
That’s Hannah and Her Sisters’ scrawny ol’ cat!
I can’t believe we’ve got to stay here for another two days,
Screw you and your “Ooh, let’s go Home for the Holidays!”
Now, honey, please calm down, let’s see What’s Cooking,
Oh, good lord, why is there fuzz on Aunt Polly’s plum pudding?
Cuz they’re trying to kill us! They’re nuts! I told you last year,
But, nooooo, you said, “That’s just crazy talk, dear.”
Now, go check the computer, there have to be some travel deals,
Please, I’ll take anything…Planes? Trains? Automobiles?
Honey, here, sit down, let me get you a drink,
They’re really not so bad, well, not as bad as you think,
You just need to give them a chance, you’ve got to be willing…
Willing? Me? Willing? Come here, sweetie, it’s time…
…for a little Thankskilling!
Author: Scott McGehee and David Siegel
What Maisie Knew stars newcomer Onata Aprile, who plays the title role told through the eyes of a six-year-old as she tries to find equilibrium as her parents go through a bitter custody battle. The film focuses on her face and eyes that create several layers of emotion and struggle. This is one of those films where you want to shake the parents’ foundation to make them aware of the damage being done. Segments of childhood are slipped in where they can, Maisie adjusting to situations as they come with grace and maturity. Dysfunctional is the key word throughout, however. Leave it to Maisie to show us the intense awareness, but we are left wondering what she really knows and understands. The film also stars Julianne Moore, Steve Coogan, Joanna Vanderham, and Alexander Skarsgard this film is available from SWAN.
Author: HAIM
HAIM, a trio of L.A.-based sisters, recently released this assured, alarmingly catchy debut album. They’ve mined all the ’70s and ’80s radio staples you hadn’t realized you missed, then added inventively tiered synthesizers to create something refreshing, resonant, and just plain fun. If you’re wondering what the futuristic lovechild of “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” and “Rhiannon” sounds like, this one’s for you. Days Are Gone can be requested from SWAN.
Author: Louis Leterrier
The film Now You See Me boasts a well-known cast of characters such as Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, Zombieland), Woody Harrelson (Seven Pounds, Zombieland), Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers, Shutter Island), and Morgan Freeman (who needs no introduction). In this movie, a group of magicians known as the Four Horsemen combine their individual talents to pull off a magic trick never before seen–a series of bank heists. They then reward their audiences with the money that they have successfully stolen. Mark Ruffalo, a doubtful FBI agent, attempts to solve the mystery of these bank heists with the help of an enigmatic Interpol detective. While the ending is slightly lackluster, the rest of the film makes up for it with its witty cast and clever plot.
Author: Paul Feig
Reviewer: Danielle
Hahahahahahahahahaha…*breathe*…hahahahahahahaha…*wipe away tears of laughter*…hahahahahahahaha…*snort*
That was me for almost the entirety of this Sandra Bullock/Melissa McCarthy buddy cop comedy extraordinaire. I’m a big fan of Bullock and almost everything she does (I refuse to believe that was her in Speed 2!). On the other hand, I wasn’t a big fan of Bridesmaids, which introduced many of us to McCarthy. I enjoyed Identity Thief where McCarthy played opposite the delightfully puddish Jason Bateman with hit-or-miss results, many of which involved literal hitting. In The Heat (soon to be available at Acorn), however, there is a great balance struck between the rather priggish and starchy Sarah Ashburn (Bullock) and the, shall we say, rough and tumble Shannon Mullins (McCarthy). Add in the rest of the Mullins clan and their assorted consorts along with a cast of characters that would make any season of COPS proud and you get a movie that has me remembering scenes and laughing again days after viewing.
The movie is filled to the brim with wonderfully timed crudeness that never veers to the scatological, sexploitative or grimace-inducing extremes of many of the other ‘edgy’ comedies offered up over the last few years (Hangover 1-3, I’m looking at you…but only askance so as to not have to actually see too much of you). The crudeness here is wonderfully balanced by an underlying sweetness epitomized in a couple of scenes toward the end of the movie, one involving a ‘found’ cat and one a yearbook inscription, the latter of which, in all honesty, put a little lump in my throat. The relationship and chemistry between the two leads is the focus around which everything else in the movie orbits and it is fantastic. Whatever the female equivalent of bromance is (and, no, to the English language’s shame, there isn’t a good word for it), these two have it and I eagerly await joining them on their next comedic misadventure.
Author: Allie Brosh
Reviewer: Jennifer
This hilarious book has ruined me on reading other humorous titles for a while! I was only tangentially familiar with Brosh’s blog by the same name, but I was immediately familiar with the author’s cover art as it has found its way into many Internet memes, probably the most familiar being CLEAN ALL THE THINGS. Most of the stories are comical, and feature intentionally simplistically crude artwork to fully illustrate the emotion and tone of the story. While most illustrations provide a tremendous amount of comic effect, it is the chapters on depression that the artwork captures the perfect tone to accurately convey the mental state of Brosh while she suffered through the worst of this debilitating and seemingly endless condition. I cannot choose any one story as a favorite, and after finishing the book, I read Brosh’s entire blog the following weekend. Brosh is currently on a promotional tour for the book, and was interviewed by NPR’s Terry Gross for Fresh Air earlier this week—it’s a must listen! I am looking forward to seeing what Brosh’s next project might be.
Author: Lady Antebellum
The fourth album released by country group Lady Antebellum, Golden is an excellent mix of fun, upbeat songs as well as some slower ballads, all of which are great to sing along to. Even though the album has been out since May of this year, there are quite a few hits on the CD that have yet to be played on the radio. “It Ain’t Pretty” is my new personal favorite, but others such as “Better Off Now (That You’re Gone)” and “Can’t Stand the Rain” are quite catchy. I highly recommend checking out this CD, even for those who aren’t big country music fans. It’s available at Acorn and through SWAN.
Author: Carey Neesley
When Carey Neesley’s younger brother, Peter, enlists in the Army, she is devastated yet proud of him. Her brother is her best friend and a father figure to her little boy, Patrick. However, in December of 2007, Carey’s world is turned upside down when she receives news of her brother’s passing while he is stationed in Iraq. Carey works hard to keep her brother’s memory alive and to help bring home the two stray dogs he befriended while overseas. The story is heartbreaking, but at the same time it showcases how different people and organizations came together to honor Peter by getting the dogs he loved to the United States. This is a quick read that I found difficult to put down. The book is available through SWAN.
