how to read an antiracist

I took my seat for the train trip home from New York and immediately noticed a passenger on the other side of the aisle - on her lap was How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, a book I thought so highly of that I recently put it on my shortlist for TOA Book of the Year. I hope this doesn't give the wrong impression. I tend to notice the books other people are reading in public, and when I see a book I've read myself it usually counts as a Notable Moment (what an exciting life I lead these days). In other words, spoiler alert - I didn't ask her opinion of the book.

I mean, how could I? The prior paragraph gives the wrong impression in another sense. The train was not a minute out of New York before the book moved from lap to the floor, where for the next four hours it fulfilled a dual function of glossy placemat and occasional footrest. I'd like to think I missed something while absorbed in my own reading. I suppose it's possible that while I walked to the other end of the car my fellow passenger scooped up the book and took in a few of Dr. Kendi's words, but as far as I observed the book remained closed for the duration of the trip.

I'm tempted to read too much into this, to expand an irrelevant anecdote into some broader analysis of how it represents the root of certain important issues, but I think it's better to stop here. Why bother making a point like "there are a million ways to not read, just as there are a million ways to not be antiracist"? I think we all know that we should do certain things, the importance of doing these things requiring no additional explanation from me, and every day we choose to either do these things or not do them.

toa books of the year (2021, part five)

At long last, we wrap up the 2021 TOA Book of the Year shortlist. We'll be back in a few weeks with the finals because, like, why do anything on time?

Speaking of a few weeks - yes, as suggested at the top of the month, we're into off-season mode here on TOA. Expect mostly mid-week filler for a month or two before we return to the usual Sunday-centric pattern. Thanks for reading!

The Factory by Hiroko Oyamada (November)

TOA Review: December 2021

Notes: I called it "an odd little novel" a few months ago, though perhaps in hindsight I should have just gone for the gold and said it was weird. I think The Factory has something it wants to say about the condition of modern working life but, knowing it never matters, opts instead to immerse the reader in its many disorienting moments. I guess it just means we readers are left to form our own conclusions (or perhaps reinforce an existing perception). It was a choice that worked for me, however, it may be less accessible to readers without similar workplace experiences to mine.

Parting thought: The issue is finding a place in the world when we have the sense that the world is ready to move on without us.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed (December)

TOA Review: January 2022

Other notable TOA appearances: if you want to get a sense of what TOA was like in the good old days, then set aside approximately two and a half hours to take it all in. Honestly, sometimes I look back and wonder why I wasn't kicked off the internet. Or maybe, I was kicked out to the internet. Anyway, to the point of writing about Wild I suppose it might have been faster to just keep all the footwear revelations to myself, but that really wasn't the point of writing about it.

Notes: Like with the prior entry, I've written enough (at least recently) about Wild that I don't have much left to add today. I do want to point out that I generally do not subscribe to the idea that a single event (or journey) can serve as an overarching metaphor for a particular emotional, spiritual, or intellectual journey in one's life, but I suppose Wild (or even certain "Tales of Two Cities" posts) makes a strong argument against my position.

Parting thought: People have moments on journeys - you can go back to where you came from, or you can move forward to where you are trying to go. In a strange way, sometimes they are basically the same option.

How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi (December)

TOA Review: not started (likely late 2022)

Notes: Kendi corrects the misconception that "not racist" is the opposite of racist, outlining his perspective of antiracism in this 2019 book. It was a top-three read for me in the past year, so more to come regarding its content in the upcoming finals. One thing to highlight for today is that this is an excellent book, technically speaking - it's precise, it's direct, it's personal, and the way Kendi brings it all together is a blueprint for anyone seeking to write an accessible book on any deeply complicated topic.

Parting thought: The problem with being “not racist” is when it frames itself as opposite of racist; the opposite is antiracist. If you settle for doing no harm, you are simply in the middle ground between racist and antiracist.

TOA 2021 Book of the Year - Finalists

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders

Race After Technology by Ruha Benjamin

How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi