2020 #12 A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal (Macintyre)

 

A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal by Ben Macintyre
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you aren't a lover of tales of espionage (fictional or not), or if you don't have a vested interest in the historical figure of Kim Philby, this might be a slow read. I wound up with a copy of this book as a duplicate Christmas gift for someone else, and I decided to give it a go. It definitely picks up speed, but the first half of the book takes a (very) deep look at the intricate "good-ol-boy" networks of Great Britain's intelligence agencies and introduces us to the suave and sneaky Kim Philby and the very intelligent, but eventually-duped Nicholas Elliott. The book toggles between a story about relationships and a run-down of espionage systems and tactics.

If it weren't for the extensive notes at the end of the book it would be hard to believe that it is all true. Ben Macintyre's narrative is detailed, well-researched, and compelling. It becomes increasingly hard to believe that Philby was allowed to betray his country for so long, but more to the point--he had so many people charmed by his je ne sais quoi that they conveniently overlooked not just his espionage, but his abhorrent behavior as a human being.

It is a cautionary tale now -- networks such as these are not a thing of the past. Politics and intelligence agencies still run on nepotism. It is all to easy to characterize these as "Cold War" stories and fail to see the resonance in our present time. The suspense aspect grows exponentially as the book comes to a close, and it is an artful exploration of psychological manipulation and human frailty.

2020 #11: The Underground Railroad (Colson Whitehead)

 

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am really glad I read literally NOTHING about this book beforehand--no summaries, no reviews. As a friend said in her review, there are reminiscences of Gabriel García Márquez. In the event that someone doesn't know the main fictional point of the book, I won't post a "spoiler" here, but suffice it to say---I found it a tremendously effective device.

Now that I've read several reviews, I'm astonished at the amount of "I couldn't relate to the protagonist" comments and the like. I can't "relate" to the protagonist either--that's because I'm white. That doesn't mean I can't engage with her. I found that Cora's relative stoic demeanor helped ground the realism of the novel---when your life is a series of traumas (on a repeated loop, it would seem), you redefine "normal" so as to cope.

There are so many layers of tragedy in this book, but the one that Whitehead reveals near the end was personally very gut-wrenching. It tells us that a loss of faith (broadly interpreted) can shape our existence and understanding forever. This is a book full of lessons -- both historical and modern. If you read it just as a "story", I'd suggest that you are missing out.

2020 #10: Saha: A Chef's Journey through Lebanon and Syria (Greg & Lucy Malouf)

 

Saha: A Chef's Journey Through Lebanon and Syria [Middle Eastern Cookbook, 150 Recipes] by Greg Malouf
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Part coffee table book, part travel journal, part cookbook, Saha: A Chef's Journey Through Lebanon and Syria Middle Eastern Cookbook, 150 Recipes is truly a wonderful volume to own. Matt Harvey's photography transports us to Syria and Lebanon, something valued even more so in this travel-restricted time. The rich prose that accompanies the recipes is by Lucy--she recounts their meetings with Arak makers, pine nut growers, peasant bread-bakers, ice cream makers, and more. All of this against a backdrop of smells, images, and sounds that she describes with great beauty, but not romanticized hyperbole. There are good days and then there are the harder days--tales with which anyone who has traveled for an extended period of time will empathize. There are a few slight editorial issues--a misspelling here or there, a word defined after it has already appeared several times--but these are minor. The book is a compelling journey---not just of a "a chef" as the subtitle implies--but also of Lucy. We experience much of it through her eyes, ears, and taste.

Then there are the recipes. I tried the "Swiss Chard with Crisp Fried Onion and Tahini Sauce", "Zucchini and Mint Fritters", "Lebanese Nut Rice" and "Monk's Salad with Garlicky Dressing." Tomorrow I step up my game and make my first kibbeh! And not just any kibbeh: "Zghorta-style kibbeh patties stuffed with cinnamon and pine nut butter." I'm slightly terrified, which is why I am writing this review NOW. At the end of the day, I figure I love all the ingredients in the recipe so if my kibbeh lacks a certain je ne sais quoi, hopefully it will still taste good.

It is worth noting that reading through the recipes will likely make your mouth water. The combinations of flavors seem to bring Lucy's prose to life and you feel lucky to have this touchstone to their travels. Now, if you don't have access to good spice stores, you might feel a bit frustrated. It would seem Chef Malouf is not a fan of substitutes---that's not to say he's dogmatic in his recipes, but what is missing is a "resources" section. You aren't likely to find "pistachio halawa" (for example) or even orange blossom water in your standard American supermarket. Sometimes the harder-to-find (in the US) ingredients are marked "optional" so you can feel ok about making your Lebanese Lemonade Sorbet without Turkish apple tea. But I honestly don't know where to find katalfi pastry or even ground sumac -- that is not to say I won't try! There are also several recipes where you have to make a recipe on another page FIRST. There are times where this is appropriate, but others where if you haven't planned ahead, you will find you do not have time to make two recipes for the price of one.

Overall, however, this is definitely not a cookbook you would ever want in a "Kindle" version. It is a package: the sights and sounds of the the restaurants, shops, landscapes are nestled in between the beautiful recipes. The pages provide beautifully designed backdrops that recall the gorgeous Islamic mosaics and designs that graced their travels. It is an experience. Lucy leaves the reader with the image that helps us understand what is truly important about reading and sharing in this book and its food:

"One by one, people got to their feet and I saw a young man behind me brush a tear from his eye as, old and young, men and women, Muslim and Christian, they started to sing Lebanon's national anthem. And for a few precious moments it was as if the whole of Lebanon was united in one voice."

2020 #9: So You Want To Talk About Race (Ijeoma Oluo)

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Because if you believe in justice and equality you believe in it all the time, for all people. You believe in it for newborn babies, you believe it in for single mothers, you believe in it for kids on the street, you believe in justice and equality for people you like and people you don't. You believe in it for people who don't say please. (204)

This is just one of many "mic drop" moments from Ijeoma Oluo in a book that is a terrific "primer" on racial dialogue (or sometimes, monologue--therein lies part of the problem). Oluo tackles the most common complaints and the stickiest topics: privilege, intersectionality, police brutality, affirmative action, school-to-prison pipeline, the "N" word, cultural appropriation, microaggressions, and more. If you know that person who says they aren't racist but also feels fragile when it comes to confronting these issues, this is probably a great book for them to read.

Oluo remains accessible, but not neutral. She speaks truth to power with patience. It takes courage to look at so many injustices and try to invoke them as "teachable moments" in the hope of creating understanding and action. To be sure, this isn't just about how to talk to that difficult relative or neighbor, but it is an important look at some of our most common failings that drive and create injustices--in our schools, in our communities, and in our homes.

But this isn't just a prescriptive book for white people. It is for everyone. Her chapter on the model minority myth does a really good job of explaining racism against Asian Americans, including (but not limited to), rendering a good chunk of "Asian" peoples as invisible (e.g. Pacific Islanders, Southeast Asians):

While every racial minority in the US in subject to harmful stereotyping, the model minority myth becomes hard to combat when it is not seen as harmful because the people most harmed by it are also made invisible by it. (194)

Occasionally Ijeoma peppers her prose with little bits of humor. When she writes about her mother and says "I am forever a bratty teenager in her presence" that reaches across to many adult daughters and their mothers. But for the most part, the talk is direct and very clear. She uses metaphors for understanding, but never lets them veer off topic. For white people---she lets us know we are racist. Full stop. Men in a patriarchy are sexist. Able-bodied people are ableist. "You can sometimes be all of these things at once," she reminds us. (217).

Oluo calls us to examine all our identities and ALL our moments: "...in reality we are both the culmination of those countless moments, and each moment individually in time." (217). If you find yourself reading this review and thinking "but, but, but" or rolling your eyes, please DO read this book. I think it will help you talk to yourself about race--and that is the first conversation that needs to happen before any others.

2020 #8: Tutoring Second Language Writers (eds. Bruce/Rafoth)

Tutoring Second Language Writers by Shanti Bruce
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This anthology, edited by the same team as ESL Writers: A Guide for Writing Center Tutors is an excellent collection of essays--all of which have use for anyone who teaches L2 learners. There is a strong leaning toward incorporation of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles in various essays that consider the complexity of "competency", multiple frameworks, and "accommodationist" principles (Carol Severino, 2006). Some of the offerings are short, but potent, such as Jose L. Reyes Medina's "Some Things I Did to Help Myself Learn to Write." Others, like Rebecca Babcock's "Examining Practice: Designing a Research Study" and case studies in Puerto Rico, as well as working with specific identities (such as Jocelyn Amevuvor's "Building A Cultural Bridge Between Ghana and the United States in the Writing Center") have more striking relevance in the writing center context. Those who are new to the concept of multi-faceted identity and how that informs a student's experience will appreciate Ben Rafoth's "Second Language Writers, Writing Centers, and Reflection," which, taking its cue from Harris and Silva (1993), recognizes the "diversity of concerns" of the L2 student. Likewise, Michelle Cox outlines the different facets of identity: those which we are born with, those we inherit, those we create, and those constructed for us as key to understanding how to address the multiple challenges of teaching a non-monolithic group of students who are nevertheless categorized as "ESL" (see her essay "Identity Construction, Second Language Writers, and the Writing Center."

As a teacher, the set of the essays that make up the fourth part ("Academic Expectations") was most useful. Valerie Balester reinforces the idea that understanding multiple identities is key to providing an equitable and inclusive experience for L2 students: "In truth, no single approach works, and applying a single approach to all L2 writers/speakers regardless of their needs, desires, or learning preferences, simply because we assume learning English grammar means learning English rhetoric, would constitute Othering." (200-- See Balester, "Tutoring Against Othering: Reading and Writing Critically"). Beyond philosophical considerations, Balester also provides helpful and concrete ways to use meaning to discuss local (lower-order) concerns in a student's writing. While Jennifer Craig's essay "Unfamiliar Territory: Tutors Working with Second Language Writers on Disciplinary Writing" addresses working with students outside one's own discipline, it is very helpful in understanding the challenges of building a general language proficiency and a disciplinary lexicon at the same time--not to mention writing conventions, tone, and style. Primyupa W. Praphan and Guiboke Seong's "Helping Second Language Writers Become Self-Editors" reconsiders "error correction" and its role in the tutoring experience. The authors also help clarify distinctions such as pragmatic errors vs. grammatical errors and recommend a set of strategies for before, during, and after a tutoring session. These principles are easily applied (and should be) to anyone who is assessing/reading L2 learners' writing. This last essay is particularly important as there are several alarming examples (throughout the book) of instructor/professor commentary on student papers that is ego-maniacal, counter-productive, and glaringly unhelpful in its Othering or complete cultural incompetency. In the context of the book the authors see the Writing Center as a place that mitigates this ignorance/bias on the part of the instructors, but teachers would do well to curb these practices at the outset.


Cross-posted at Musical Miscellaneous Mayhem

2020 #7: Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking

Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking: A Cookbook by Toni Tipton-Martin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

To categorize this solely as a cookbook would not even come close to capturing this work of art. It is an exquisitely-written history that intertwines a wealth of research, nostalgia (in the best way), and a "larger vision of African American culinary history" (311) that both embraces and expands beyond soul food and the standard narrative. Toni Tipton-Martin says:

And I have tried to end dependency on the labels "Southern" and "soul," and on the assumptions that limit my ancestors' contributions to mindlessly working the fields where the food was grown, stirring the pot where the food was cooked, and passively serving food in the homes of the master class. (13)

There is no clichéd history here. Instead, Tipton-Martin crafts a story of urban enclaves in Los Angeles, Louisiana kitchens, Civil War plantations, West African villages, "African botanical heritage" (15), segregated black towns in Kansas...all of it, she says, to "help you see some of the ways dishes and styles have evolved over time, spurring your imagination, broadening your perception of the black culinary experience." (17) She picks up the unfinished work of Arthur (Arturo) Schomburg, the Afro-Puerto Rican historian who started an outline that would celebrate "black cooking as an expression of black achievement." (14)

Tipton-Martin sees all the moving parts of history--the shifting narratives, the untold stories, and the hegemonic stereotypes (e.g. Aunt Jemima). I have not yet read her The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks, but that is absolutely going on the list of must reads. Jubilee is fully deserving of its awards on merit of the narrative alone, but then there are the recipes...

For the uninitiated (like myself), there are some surprises in store. Despite two lengthier trips to New Orleans, I learned that "'Barbecue shrimp' is just the name Louisiana Creole cooks assigned to shrimp braised in wine, beer, or a garlic-butter sauce." My Italian grandma would have recognized the recipe as what she called "scampi" with...Worcestershire sauce. There are several wonderful meat recipes I haven't tried yet, but I've dug into some of the veggie ones. The "Braised Summer Squash with Onions" pairs rosemary, bacon drippings, and patience for probably the only summer squash I've ever actually enjoyed. The "Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad with Curried Dressing" might make you rethink your dislike of raw vegetables (do make this one ahead, however, unless you like very sweet mayonnaise--the sugar needs time to dissolve and draw out the flavor from the veggies). There are "classics" too, including an absolutely terrific "Country-Style Potato Salad" that will be my "go-to" recipe henceforth. Split into sections on appetizers, beverages, breads, soups & salads, sides & vegetables, main dishes, and desserts, it is hard not to keep this book on the kitchen counter everyday.

What is also very striking is how Tipton-Martin steps back (unlike so many other cookbook authors), and amplifies ancestral voices, colleagues' voices, and steps back in just to put in her own twist here and there. The photos by Jerrelle Guy and Eric Harrison are stunning. The food and its history take center stage.

And back to the barbecue shrimp-meets-scampi. As with many of the sentences she writes, Tipton-Martin packs in a lot of punch that reminds those of us who are not part of the African diaspora why we need to read the book:

When I tied all these diasporic practices together, I observed a culinary IQ that is both African and American, the very definition of fusion cooking. You might think this intelligence is not all that different when compared to other world cuisines. And you would be right. But the idea that African Americans shared these qualities with the rest of society has been ignored for far too long. (italics mine) (15)

And as much as there are common threads, there is also a "distinct African American canon" (14) that celebrates the creative force of hard truths, ingenious spirit, and culinary artistry that is the tapestry of African American food.

2020 #6 The New Jim Crow (Michelle Alexander)

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It is frustrating, in some sense, that so many people, myself included, are so late to reading and understanding the ramifications of this book, which was first published in 2010, with a revised edition in 2012.

Alexander clearly establishes that the legal system (from arrest to incarceration to post-incarceration) is not just a failure, but has both solidified and intensified a deeply entrenched racial caste system in the U.S. She explains the hows and the whys of the workings of this system with thorough evidence from legislation, court documents, prison studies, and news sources. She calls out the war on drugs, apathy, colorblindness, performativity, black exceptionalism--and this is one of the reasons it is such a valuable read. She ties it all together to show how the three distinct phases of mass incarceration: 1) the roundup, 2) formal control and 3) post-prison "invisible" punishment forms an undercaste of predominantly black and brown people who "because of the drug war, are denied basic rights and privileges of American citizenship and are permanently relegated to inferior status" (187).

The book has moments where a tighter editorial hand would have helped the fluidity of the information, but at the same time, the repetition of information help drives home the fact that Alexander's points are not siloed into "criminal justice reform" but need to be part and parcel of understanding race in America. I know that "essential reading" has become almost a cliché, but I do think this one really stands out because of the way it looks so deeply into how racism is truly institutionalized. This is not the story of one person. It is a story of systems, ideologies, and ultimately a societal mechanism that supports racism as an intrinsic element of this country's existence.