Welcome to Litsy!

In Riot Days we see human side of change-making. I was struck not just by Alyokhina's story but by her storytelling - fragments held together by sub-headings that tell both the same story and one completely different at the same time.

"There is no certainty or predictability. There is no fate. There is a choice. My choice and yours, in each moment that demands it."

In one of my enormous bags I‘m carrying books . At night, in the car, I read poetry . When I read out loud, everyone around me quietens down. goes quiet ‘Parting is more terrible at dawn than at sunset,‘ Boris Ryzhy wrote.
‘Who‘s reading?‘ a convict calls out.
‘Don‘t you know?‘ comes a voice from another compartment. ‘Pussy Riot‘s here!'

(Photo of prison carriage attached to a train)

Brilliant, accessible look at the experience of one of Pussy Riot, jailed for two years following their performance in an Orthodox Church. She manages to find black humour in her experiences. I admired her bravery in mounting a protest in the first place, but her actions for other prisoners' rights go beyond this. So important to have your voice heard on injustice.

And so, Nadya Tolokonnikova, Ekaterina Samutsevich, Maria Alyokhina, and undetermined other persons, at a place and time also undetermined by the investigation, but no later than 17 February 2012, in circumstances undetermined by the investigation, entered into a criminal conspiracy.

Unlikely that I‘ll get another book in for this month so thought I‘d post my stats now.
My favourites this month were
Riot days, thick and her body and other parties.

Riot! The last pussy riot book I read had me respecting these women a lot, this memoir somehow sent my respect levels up higher than I knew they could go.
Imagine having a 4 year old and being told if you admit your guilt then you will most likely get put under house arrest and still be able to be with him. Then imagine that you believe so much in what you stood up against that you say no. Cont in comments

Pussy riot gained notoriety a few years back when they preformed/protested in a cathedral in Russia. Three of the members were caught and charged with hooliganism. They each were sentenced to 2 years. Maria Alyokhina was/is one of those members. This is her account about the performance, being on the lam, getting arrested and her jail time.

Fragmented and not a lot of info but I still loved it. Makes me so curious to know more about this woman.

I had the pleasure of attending a talk Maria Alyokhina gave in Santa Fe NM only a few days after the 2016 election. She spoke of prisoners rights, free press, and gave prescient comparisons of Putin‘s Russia and what would soon be Trump‘s America. Finishing her memoir on the anniversary of his inauguration is appropriate. I recommend it. Such an inspiring tale!

#friyayintro @jesshowbooks
1. Saturday morning cartoons
2. Tagged and currently reading
3. Meat
4. Jury duty

In vignettes based on her diary and courtroom transcripts, peppered with song lyrics, Masha describes Pussy Riot‘s two minute protest at Moscow‘s central cathedral and the prison time that followed.

While in prison, she fought for prisoners‘ basic human rights.

Now more than ever, citizens have the responsibility to pay attention and to speak out. “Freedom doesn‘t exist unless you fight for it every day.”

“Power built on totalitarian principles cannot admit its mistakes. To admit a mistake is to show weakness, to back down. To lose. This power sees conspiracy everywhere behind its back, so it lives with its head turned backwards, checking that no one is following it, that no one is dreaming up a revolution.”

Strong, brave woman and a fascinating story!

A very fast read. Took me the first 16-20 pages to get used to the rythmn and the format- written in short bursts in Maria‘s own voice- seemed disjointed at first but settled in and began hearing her voice in the text. Full of prison hunger strikes, small victories, large indignities and running throughout Maria‘s refusal to apologize or back down. Interesting read about the state of Russian protest.

How weird is this @tjwill ? Here is a quote from Riot Days about the Pussy Riot protests in Russia. Does this sound familiar for The Bone Clocks section 6?
“In 2000, Yeltsin resigned and made Putin president. Putin said, ‘We need stability.‘ Stability was what he called himself. 😲That David Mitchell!!!

Continuing on with #NonFictionNovember this account by Maria Alyokhina of Pussy Riot who took on Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church and were sentenced to 2 years in a penal colony for their performance of “punk prayer”. The story of determined females- yup sounds about right!

Here for the Putin dragging. 🔥