AWM Staff Picks: October 2024

The Anthropologists by Ayşegül Savaş

From the publisher: “Asya and Manu are looking at apartments, envisioning their future in a foreign city…As the young couple dreams about the possibilities of each new listing, Asya, a documentarian, gathers footage from the neighborhood like an anthropologist observing local customs…Back in their home countries parents age, grandparents get sick, nieces and nephews grow up—all just slightly out of reach. But Asya and Manu’s new world is growing, too, they hope. As they open the horizons of their lives, what and whom will they hold onto, and what will they need to release? Unfolding over a series of apartment viewings, late-night conversations, last rounds of drinks and lazy breakfasts, The Anthropologists is a soulful examination of homebuilding and modern love, written with Aysegül Savas’ distinctive elegance, warmth, and humor.”

—Deanna, Storyteller

The Anzaldúan Theory Handbook by AnaLouise Keating

From the publisher: “In The Anzaldúan Theory Handbook AnaLouise Keating provides a comprehensive investigation of the foundational theories, methods, and philosophies of Gloria E. Anzaldúa. Through archival research and close readings of Anzaldúa’s unpublished and published writings, Keating offers a biographical-intellectual sketch of Anzaldúa, investigates her writing process and theory-making methods, and excavates her archival manuscripts.”

I had the pleasure of interviewing Keating, along with ire’ne lara silva (see below), for a recent episode of the Nation of Writers podcast about Gloria E. Anzaldúa. You can listen to that episode here.

—Nate, Digital Content Associate

blu by Virginia Grise

From the publisher: “Memory, history, and culture collide with the starlit rooftop dreams of a myth-inspired character as Soledad and her partner, Hailstorm, redefine family on their own terms after the death of their eldest son in Iraq. blu, steeped in poetic realism and contemporary politics, challenges us to try to imagine a time before war. Selected as the winner of the 2010 Yale Drama competition from more than 950 submissions, Virginia Grise’s play blu takes place in the present but looks back on the not too distant past through a series of prayers, rituals, and dreams.”

—Isabel, Storyteller

Case Study by Graeme Macrae Burnet

From the publisher: “London, 1965. ‘I have decided to write down everything that happens, because I feel, I suppose, I may be putting myself in danger,’ writes an anonymous patient, a young woman investigating her sister’s suicide. In the guise of a dynamic and troubled alter-ego named Rebecca Smyth, she makes an appointment with the notorious and roughly charismatic psychotherapist Collins Braithwaite, whom she believes is responsible for her sister’s death. But in this world of beguilement and bamboozlement, neither she nor we can be certain of anything. Case Study is a novel as slippery as it is riveting, as playful as it is sinister, a meditation on truth, sanity, and the instability of identity by one of the most inventive novelists of our time.”

—Maya, Marketing & Creative Associate

The Crucible: An Autobiography by Colonel Yay, Filipina American Guerrilla by Yay Panlilio, edited by Denise Cruz

From the publisher: “In this 1950 memoir, Panlilio narrates her experience as a journalist, triple agent, leader in the Philippine resistance against the Japanese, and lover of the guerrilla general Marcos V. Augustin. From the war-torn streets of Japanese-occupied Manila, to battlegrounds in the countryside, and the rural farmlands of central California, Panlilio blends wry commentary, rigorous journalistic detail, and popular romance.”

We cover the life and legacy of Yay Panlilio on the latest episode of Nation of Writers. It was fascinating for me to learn about Panlilio, who is often overlooked yet incredibly impactful. It was also fascinating to talk to author Jen Soriano (see below) about Panlilio and how she found courage in Panlilio’s writing. You can listen to that episode here.

—Nate, Digital Content Associate

Darkon directed by Luke Meyer and Andrew Neel, edited by Brad Turner

From the film description: “Darkon covers an epic war raging through the realm of Darkon (an American LARP based outside of Baltimore)…The documentary investigates the LARPers’ lives in the game and out of the game, offering insight into the players’ complex relationship with fantasy and reality. The film is set to the backdrop of the real war then taking place in Iraq, highlighting the American cultural disconnect prevalent during the Bush-era wars. Darkon, beloved for its light-hearted romp in the quirky imaginations of suburban Americans, has also been a point of reference as an ethnographic study of our relationship with escapism, war and fantasy.”

Get your LARP on and explore Level Up: Writers & Gamers today!

—Isabel, Storyteller

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves; screenplay by Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, and Michael Gilio; story by Chris McKay and Michael Gilio

From the distributor: “A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people in this hilarious and action-packed adventure.”

Join us for a movie and a chat! On Sunday, October 13, we’ll watch the hit blockbuster at the AWM, followed by a lively conversation. Presented in conjunction with our special exhibit Level Up: Writers & Gamers, we’ll discuss how the themes explored in our exhibit relate to the film, as well as how roleplaying games like D&D connect to modern video games. Register here for this free film screening.

—Nate, Digital Content Associate

the eaters of flowers by ire’ne lara silva

From the publisher: “In the eaters of flowers, her third book of poems for Saddle Road Press, after the much-loved Blood Sugar Canto and Cuicacalli/House of Song, ire’ne lara ailva writes about the loss of her brother, her adopted son. In her unique canto style she sings the stunned, broken months following his death, navigating grief, loss, loneliness, and the remembrance of joy, as she begins to re-assemble her life.”

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing silva, along with AnaLouise Keating (see above) about the impact Gloria E. Anzaldúa has had on their life and writing. You can listen to this episode of Nation of Writers here.

—Nate, Digital Content Associate

The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity by Kristoffer Diaz

From the publisher: “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity follows the life of wrestler Macedonio Guerra. As a lifelong fan, he has followed wrestling only to become a ‘jobber,’ one who is paid to lose to bigger-name stars in the ring. Macedonio meets Vigneshwar Paduar, a young Indian man from Brooklyn, who he wants to team up with. The wrestling execs go for it, but pitch them as “terrorists” in the ring. Macedonio and Vigneshwar find a way to push the personas to the limits and say what needs to be said. Unspoken racism, politics, and courage are all woven into this play that leaves it all on the mat.”

—Matt, Community Engagement Manager

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

From the publisher: “First published in 1959, Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House has been hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror. It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a ‘haunting’; Theodora, his lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.”

Explore more horror writing and spooky stories here!

—Nat, Storyteller

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

From the publisher: “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter is the debut novel by the American author Carson McCullers. It is about a deaf man named John Singer and the people he encounters in a 1930s mill town in the U.S. state of Georgia. The book begins with a focus on the relationship between two close friends, John Singer and Spiros Antonapoulos, deaf-mutes who have lived together for several years. Antonapoulos becomes mentally ill, misbehaves, and, despite attempts at intervention from Singer, is eventually put into an insane asylum away from town. Now alone, Singer moves into a new room. The remainder of the narrative centers on the struggles of four of John Singer’s acquaintances: Mick Kelly, a tomboy who loves music and dreams of buying a piano; Jake Blount, an alcoholic labor agitator; Biff Brannon, the observant owner of a diner; and Dr. Benedict Mady Copeland, an idealistic physician.”

—Linda, Director of Development

Horses by Patti Smith (album)

This album is one of the greatest of all time and really pushed the understanding of what punk music is. The opening track begins with the lyrics, “Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine.” Punk is all about attitude and I defy anyone to listen to the track “Land” and tell me it is not brilliant.

—Christopher, Director of Operations

Jane: A Murder by Maggie Nelson

From the publisher: “Jane tells the spectral story of the life and death of Maggie Nelson’s aunt Jane, who was murdered in 1969 while a first-year law student at the University of Michigan. Though officially unsolved, Jane’s murder was apparently the third in a series of seven brutal rape-murders in the area between 1967 and 1969. Nelson was born a few years after Jane’s death, and the narrative is suffused with the long shadow her murder cast over both the family and her psyche… Equal parts a meditation on violence (serial, sexual violence in particular), and a conversation between the living and the dead, Jane‘s powerful and disturbing subject matter, combined with its innovations in genre, shows its readers what poetry is capable of—what kind of stories it can tell, and how it can tell them.”

—Deanna, Storyteller

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

Apparently this computer programmer who wrote Linux manuals got up one day and decided to refresh the worn-out magical-school-for-orphans genre. It’s a multi-layered story about the monsters we make of one another in order to become the things we need to be to survive those monsters, with lots of grisly murders, animal royalty, Black Beauty references, nuclear holocausts (yes, plural) and an ending that is so hopeful and gorgeous it makes you love everything that came before it. Even the grisly murders. It’s Hawkins’ only novel but it makes me want to read his BEA Weblogic Server Administration Kit. That’s how good it is, and I don’t even know what any of those words mean.

—Allison, Program Director

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

From the publisher: “A time travel romance, a spy thriller, a workplace comedy, and an ingenious exploration of the nature of power and the potential for love to change it all: Welcome to The Ministry of Time, the exhilarating debut novel by Kaliane Bradley… By the time the true shape of the Ministry’s project comes to light, the bridge has fallen haphazardly, fervently in love, with consequences she never could have imagined. Forced to confront the choices that brought them together, the bridge must finally reckon with how—and whether she believes—what she does next can change the future. An exquisitely original and feverishly fun fusion of genres and ideas, The Ministry of Time asks: What does it mean to defy history, when history is living in your house? Kaliane Bradley’s answer is a blazing, unforgettable testament to what we owe each other in a changing world.”

—Matt, Community Engagement Manager

Nervous: Essays on Heritage and Healing by Jen Soriano

From the publisher: “In this searing memoir in essays, activist Jen Soriano, the daughter of a neurosurgeon, journeys to understand the origins of her chronic pain and mental health struggles. By the end, she finds both the source and the delta of what bodies impacted by trauma might need to thrive. In fourteen essays connected by theme and experience, Soriano traverses centuries and continents, weaving together memory and history, sociology and personal stories, neuroscience and public health, into a vivid tapestry of what it takes to transform trauma not just body by body, but through the body politic and ecosystems at large.”

In honor of Filipino American Heritage Month in October, I interview Soriano for the latest episode of the Nation of Writers podcast about Yay Panlilio (see above). You can listen to that episode here to hear how Soriano was emboldened to tell her story and share her truths after reading Panilio.

—Nate, Digital Content Associate

The Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton (poem and film)

My October recommendations are the 1982 poem The Nightmare Before Christmas, by Tim Burton and the 1993 animated movie of the same name. He co-wrote the film with Michael McDowell and Caroline Thompson. Burton wrote the poem when he was an animator at Disney.

—Cristina, Development & Membership Associate

Over the Garden Wall created by Patrick McHale

It’s an animated TV special that encapsulates that cozy but eerie feeling of fall. More from the distributor: “Over the Garden Wall is Cartoon Network’s first animated mini-series event that tells the story of two brothers, Wirt and Greg, who find themselves lost in a strange forest. With the help of a bluebird named Beatrice, they must travel across this strange land in hope of finding their way home. Featuring the voices of Elijah Wood, Melanie Lynskey, Chris Isaak, Christopher Lloyd, and John Cleese.”

—Nat, Storyteller

“poem where no one is deported” by José Olivarez

Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month with this powerful poem by José Olivarez!

Olivarez was one of 30+ writers featured in our previous special exhibit My America: Immigrant and Refugee Writers Today, in which leading immigrant and refugee writers discussed themes of home, duality, journey, and finding community in writing. My America is now available to explore in its entirety online at the link above.

—Isabel, Storyteller

Sounds of Crossing: Music, Migration, and the Aural Poetics of Huapango Arribeño by Alex E. Chávez

From the publisher: “Alex E. Chávez explores the contemporary politics of Mexican migrant cultural expression manifest in the sounds and poetics of huapango arribeño, a musical genre originating from north-central Mexico. Following the resonance of huapango’s improvisational performance within the lives of audiences, musicians, and himself, Chávez shows how Mexicans living on both sides of the border use expressive culture to construct meaningful communities amid the United States’ often vitriolic immigration politics…Illuminating how huapango arribeño’s performance refigures the sociopolitical and economic terms of migration through aesthetic means, Chávez adds fresh and compelling insights into the ways transnational music-making is at the center of everyday Mexican migrant life.”

—Isabel, Storyteller

The Time Traveler’s Almanac: A Time Travel Anthology edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer

From the publisher: “The Time Traveler’s Almanac is the largest and most definitive collection of time travel stories ever assembled. Gathered into one volume by intrepid chrononauts and world-renowned anthologists Ann and Jeff VanderMeer, this book compiles more than a century’s worth of literary travels into the past and the future that will serve to reacquaint readers with beloved classics of the time travel genre and introduce them to thrilling contemporary innovations… In fact, this book is like a time machine of its very own, covering millions of years of Earth’s history from the age of the dinosaurs through to strange and fascinating futures, spanning the ages from the beginning of time to its very end. The Time Traveler’s Almanac is the ultimate anthology for the time traveler in your life.”

—Isabel, Storyteller

Toni Morrison and the Geopoetics of Place, Race, and Be/longing by Marilyn Sanders Mobley

From the publisher: “Toni Morrison’s readers and critics typically focus more on the ‘what’ than the ‘how’ of her writing. In Toni Morrison and the Geopoetics of Place, Race, and Be/longing, Marilyn Sanders Mobley analyzes Morrison’s expressed narrative intention of providing ‘spaces for the reader’ to help us understand the narrative strategies in her work. Mobley’s approach is as interdisciplinary, intersectional, nuanced, and complex as Morrison’s. She combines textual analysis with a study of Morrison’s cultural politics and narrative poetics and describes how Morrison engages with both history and the present political moment.”

Mobley will visit the American Writers Museum on October 15 for a public program to discuss her book and Toni Morrison’s lasting legacy. You can register to attend in person at the AWM here, or you can sign up to receive the livestream link here.

—Nate, Digital Content Associate

Transformers One; screenplay by Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer, and Gabriel Ferrari; story by Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when my roommate suggested we see Transformers One, but what I got was perhaps the best Transformers film ever made. Fantastic story, great artwork, impactful story. We might be seeing this one again.

—Matt, Community Engagement Manager

Shaun of the Dead by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright

As it is the spooky season, it feels only appropriate to recommend something in the horror vein. It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 bloody years since this masterpiece came out. If you like your horror mostly not-scary with a side of comedy, I must recommend the 2004 film, Shaun of the Dead. Simon Pegg stars as 30-something sad-sack named Shaun who, when zombies begin to take over London, must rise to the occasion and protect his girlfriend Liz, his best friend Ed, and his mother. So find a friend, grab a pint, settle in and wait for this whole thing to blow over.

—Annie

The World and Africa: An Inquiry Into the Part which Africa Has Played in World History by W. E. B. Du Bois

From the publisher: “Against a background of the vast contributions of ancient and modern Africa to world culture, peace and industry, Dr. Du Bois documents the historic injustices of the rape of Africa from the slave trade to its partition by the colonial powers. The articles and essays on the emerging new nations and personalities of Africa, written by Dr. Du Bois from 1955-1961, have been added to the original manuscript.”

—Cassidy, Guest Services Manager

You Were Never in Chicago by Neil Steinberg

From the publisher: “In 1952 the New Yorker published a three-part essay by A. J. Liebling in which he dubbed Chicago the ‘Second City.’ From garbage collection to the skyline, nothing escaped Liebling’s withering gaze. Among the outraged responses from Chicago residents was one that Liebling described as the apotheosis of such criticism: a postcard that read, simply, ‘You were never in Chicago.’ Neil Steinberg has lived in and around Chicago for more than three decades—ever since he left his hometown of Berea, Ohio, to attend Northwestern—yet he remains fascinated by the dynamics captured in Liebling’s anecdote. In You Were Never in Chicago Steinberg weaves the story of his own coming-of-age as a young outsider who made his way into the inner circles and upper levels of Chicago journalism with a nuanced portrait of the city that would surprise even lifelong residents.”

—Carol, Institutional Giving Manager