Joyce Vance— no relation to Vice President Couch F**ker— has been a positive presence in the legal community for years. As a former U.S. attorney, she uses her experience to carry the flag of civil discourse.

This book is clearly intended for her Substack audience, it breaks no new ground, but it might be the first published document to hold this Regime to account, which I think will make this much more valuable to a future audience.

Barkan‘s book, while not sold as a series of essays, is just that. He tackles some major themes of the day: Palestine & Israel, Trump & Biden, culture wars. There are times where I fully agree with his view and other times where I am like, ‘What in the actual F are you talking about?‘ That gives this book some credibility, but these essays are too surface-level to read like a thorough analysis, which earns it a So-So

Sze‘s poetry tends to focus on the natural world around us and our brief reactions to it. His style is evocative but it often seems to eschew contemplation. This makes the collection a little one note on a whole.

I think this is a good time for someone like Sze to be Laureate. From the constant bombardment of the news cycle to the decimating of our planet, Sze‘s pastoral predilections may remind people to take a breath every once in a while.

Well, Litsy community, I‘ve been sorta AWOL, but I haven‘t been slacking on my reading. It‘s just that I haven‘t had a whole lot of time for personal reading since I went back to school this fall.

Still… got some Plato & Aristotle in there, a fairly readable, if outdated, textbook on Immigration, other good things. There‘s been a few small books in the mix and I‘ll try and get those updated soon.

Stay safe, friends.

Congratulations to Arthur Sze for becoming America‘s 25th Poet Laureate!

I was worried the position would go unfilled given all the federal cuts to the arts.

“The truth is that our wealthy, aging and highly educated societies have developed a built-in structural demand for migrant workers that is impossible to eliminate as long as economies keep growing. From that perspective, the most effective way to bring down immigration is to wreck the economy.”

Just gonna leave this quote right here.

Robert Reich is probably the best grandpa in the world! Now, I don‘t know if he has grandchildren; I‘m assuming. Regardless, that is the vibe Prof. Reich always gives. Cheerful, compassionate, curious, comedic. When I see or hear him speak, his energy is contagious.

I can‘t help but think: this guy, 4 feet 11 inches at his tallest, who has spent his whole life calling out bullies twice his size, is the type of person We should be looking up to.

😂 Man, I‘m almost half the age of Prof. Reich & already feeling this way 😂

I‘m going to venture that this is one of the most important books on Gaza to be published since 7 Oct. 2023. Mishra grew up in India where Israel was highly influential at the time. He grew up idolizing Israeli war heroes. Until he was old enough to see the situation for himself.

I applaud Mishra for his directness: this book doesn‘t end on a false hope. He lays out succinctly the past, present, & well… what future is there after Gaza?

Essentially the polar opposite of the last poetry book I posted about (Rifqa).

Ekho itself is an echo. A single poem in 3 parts, each part reflecting the last, traveling from the world of Greek gods to the world of Broligarchy.

A mountain converses with Amazon‘s Alexa. It culminates like a Greek tragedy: Ancient & Modern trading poetic quips like a rap battle.

Orlando‘s poems within the grand scheme are tight constructions of sound and fury.

Not surprisingly, war is everywhere in Palestinian poetry. Even when it‘s not the topic, its presence is palpable. El-Kurd‘s poetry is no different in that regard, but the collection is bound by his grandmother, Rifqa, known to many as Palestine‘s Jasmine, who lived to be 103.

It‘s a tribute to a woman whom El-Kurd has rendered so lovingly, I feel like I know her well enough to say she reminds me of my 95 year-old-grandmother.

Power of poetry.

Read & listened to this simultaneously because I knew it was gonna take some effort. (Doing the same thing with the Anti-federalists too 😅.)

In America, there has always been this push & pull about what the Founders intended. Now, I can‘t say this book makes it obvious, partly because I believe Hamilton was insincere, but I feel most people can walk away from this wondering why in the hell the Supreme Court has such a problem understanding.

I started this about 9 months ago; been reading through it slowly. It‘s not a work to consume so much as something to snack on. On a day when you‘re feeling the need for something less hollow than a positive affirmation, this is a good one to pick up. It‘s clear that Aurelius was an introspective man, & his insights into himself has helped me many a day when I have found myself questioning my actions & purpose.

Also really love this edition.

With the deep dive I‘ve made into politics this year I have found the Supreme Court interests me the most. Considered & designed to be the weakest of the branches, Litman carves a narrative that shows how the Court is usurping power for itself. The implications are more terrifying than one might think.

I discovered Litman‘s book through her Strict Scrutiny Podcast.(https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strict-scrutiny/id1469168641) Check it out!

A lot of Americans need this anthology right now.

The guiding premise of The Serpent and the Fire is to show us that the real border is language. There is no North America or South America. There is only a mass of land with many languages & cultures, & unlike massive superfluous walls or militarized imaginary lines, language is a border designed to be crossed. Not to segregate but to integrate.

This book reveals the truth of that integration.

Naturally, Snyder‘s 20 rules on tyranny are pertinent & should be read & absorbed by everyone. But I am so grateful I was able to listen to this expanded edition. Snyder goes deep into the Ukraine/Russian War and how central Ukraine has been to history.

I learned so much & I cannot recommend this version enough.

I wanted to read this after Schiff‘s ‘Midnight in Washington;‘ Raskin‘s book could be the sequel. Both focus on the impeachment of Trump. Both written by men educated in law.

Raskin‘s story is a tougher one, though: On Dec 31 2020, Raskin lost his young adult son to su***de. Jan 6, 2021 was his first day back to work after that. Having to deal with those two events in conjunction… 🤯

Both books end on notes of hope. If only they had known…

As I was leaving to return this collection to the library, I was telling my wife about Sister Juana. Without really thinking I said, “You know, it‘s pretty amazing that the poetry of a Spanish nun from the 17th century could reach through time to affect someone like me.” I sorta stunned myself.

Power of Poetry.

A favorite sonnet from the collection. The epitaph got cut off though. It says:

“On the death of the most excellent Señora Marquesa de Mancera”

Ok. I had a tough time figuring how to get both these in the same shot; this ⬆️ was the best I could do. The top is Edith Grossman‘s translation in the tagged book. The bottom I posted a few weeks ago from an anthology called The Serpent & the Fire; that translation is by John Campion. Notice where they differ & where they align? Do you prefer one over the other? I think I like Campion‘s best but Grossman‘s is probably closer to the original.

This is from Jose Marti from ‘Our America.‘ Found on page 126 of this anthology. It was written & published in 1891.

Powerful and pertinent

I‘ve been Anti Facebook since day one. My original excuse was I was too old (still am). But I did cave about the time I came here 3 years ago. All for the sake of connecting w/ author communities. Well that didn‘t work out & when I saw that Fuckerberg donated to DJT, I deleted my account that same day. No regrets. I‘m totally not surprised that all the upper management are POS.

Ultimately, this is a not so uncommon tale about how we all fail.

this book gets me

After a tiring day, finally at rest on the couch, I picked up this book, which I have been working through slowly & steadily. Thick in a haze, my eyes heavy, I began to read Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz‘s “First Dream.” It‘s a long poem with only an excerpt in this anthology & I wasn‘t paying much attention until I reached the verse pictured above. Instantly awakened I was like ‘what is this magic before me?‘

Anyway, look her up. Fascinating woman.

Harkin‘s debut novel, Tell Me an Ending, was one of my top books of 2022. A quiet, dystopian-lite sci-fi. With The Pretender she‘s going back in time to the Tudor era. I‘ve had this book on hold since it was announced last year.

Alas! I am so overwhelmed with my reading lately—library due dates stress me out!—that I have made the tough decision to return it w/o a read.

I want it to be on people‘s radar though because Harkin has serious talent

A seminal & important work. So important I had to check it out from the library to read & listen to it simultaneously after having already listened to it once. I‘ve gone & purchased a hard copy too.

I‘m not looking for a gold star; I‘m looking to mine all the gold I can from Freire because American‘s are under exigent circumstances.

This is not a test! Education is under attack. The oppressive regime is here. Read. Educate yourself. Prepare.

If anyone has seen or heard Senator Schiff speak, it‘s clear that he‘s not a deranged toddler. Now, it‘s hard not to be wary of books by politicians, but Schiff seems genuine. (A few fastuous whiffs here & there). I didn‘t know who he was until I came across him at schiffnotes.substack.com where he has been explaining the American fun.

This book is about his time as the head prosecutor of the first Trump impeachment. Well written & succinct.

A fantastic collection of poetry by Palestinian poet Najwan Darwish. Not quite sure the collection is chronological. There are some dates when/if the poems were published, but that doesn‘t necessarily mean they were written at that time.

Anyway, the first selection didn‘t grab me as much as the subsequent ones; it felt like it was written by a younger poet. Still, there are some powerful poems throughout & I recommend this to any poetry lover.

I think Gouverneur Morris is one of the most interesting and unique of all the Founders. He had a wooden leg and was recognized for his eloquent speech & writing. As part of the Committee of Style, Morris helped create one of our most iconic phrases: We the People. Plus, who can say his name w/o a cockney accent?!

The book itself is sparse, no doubt due to a lack of sources, but is a fine, if unexciting, biography of a lesser known Founder.

Welp… I‘m not surprised that the first congress was as chaotic as the 119th congress is.

Despite the chaos of the first, almost everyone there (& I fully believe this) was genuine in their concern about building a great country; while our 119th congress…

One thing that really struck me was how prevalent tensions between North & South already were, & how critically the North‘s assent to the South in this time has shaped history up to this day.

Well… I finally did it. ☝️ I canceled my Audible membership. Sucks, because I took full advantage of premium status; the Great Courses lectures were one of the best things I had ever come across. But the amount of ‘included-with-membership‘ books made it possible for me to save a huge chunk of titles purchased with credits. Which will give me some time before I (most likely) move to LibroFM.

A random find at the library, this book is an absolute gem. I picked it up as an aide in my poetry. Jessica Roux‘s artwork is simple yet engaging, & the accompanying info on the symbolism was the help I needed for my poems.

I think it would make a fabulous gift for just about anyone interested in nature.

Just wanted to share a small sample of the gorgeous artwork

I included Toha‘s biography in this pic so people realize that when I say these poems are brutal, they get a sense of how brutal I mean.

It seems inappropriate to judge the overall style, or lack thereof, of this collection. These are not meant to simply be poems. They are documents. Rapid fire snapshots of war-torn lives.

These poems don‘t need to prove themselves; they only need to be.

Poem Title:
TRUE OR FALSE: A TEST BY A GAZAN CHILD

I‘m glad I read this after The Hundred Years‘ War on Palestine. Chomsky & Pappe provide the understanding that I felt that Khalidi‘s book did not. However, without reading Khalidi first I would‘ve been lost throughout much of On Palestine.

I now feel that I can justly have an opinion. & while I choose to not voice that here, the one thing I will say is that the United States has exacerbated this war from nearly the beginning & it NEEDS to stop.

(1/2) In school I never cared much about American history. Who cared about a bunch of old dudes who talked funny & wore stupid wigs? Coming into Franklin‘s autobiography I was expecting tough and unrelatable. In fact, I got engaging, &, in a word, stunning. I was struck by how progressive of a thinker Franklin was. He questioned God & religion in a time when it was very unpopular to do so. He felt women deserved more rights & he detested slavery.

The book‘s first section is a simple overview of why volunteering and civic involvement is important. Basic rhetoric that is not exactly necessary unless you are coming to it with no idea.

There is a middle section featuring stories by volunteers; I read a few, but again, not essential.

The last section is the main reason I checked this out: Over 100 pages listing organizations, contact info & specialties. As well as a relevant reading list!

On a recent episode of The Slowdown Podcast, Major Jackson read the poem “Mother‘s Rules” by Yalie Saweda Kamara. It instantly hooked me. And as I often do, in order to not forget, I check if it‘s available at any nearby libraries.

It was. & here I am to tell you about it.

These are intimate poems; little portraits of her family & heritage hidden beneath, or sometimes standing proudly upon, unconventional framing devices.

I know this is a contentious issue so I‘ll keep it simple.

Despite this war having gone on my whole life I was unaware until recent events.

This is a pertinent overview. One-sided, sure, but Khalidi doesn‘t shy away from criticizing the Palestinian‘s actions either.

I‘m not sure if I have a better understanding, but I at least feel I can add to a conversation if need be.

I would like to learn more about the prewar history.

April is National Poetry Month!

What are people doing to participate in this tumultuous 2025? Reading? Writing? Composing short pieces to fit on protest signs? Supporting the Poetry Foundation? Subscribing to Poetry magazine?

Here are three on my nightstand right now (well… not in the pic 😅). Poets that are all new to me.

Why SO-SO? Because Sutton is a judge & he writes like a judge 😂. It seems directed at law students-which I am not, unless you count self-education-instead of laymen, & he glosses over the racism behind forced sterilization.

His basic premise is that often your State Supreme Court may be a more viable option than THE Supreme Court.

Learned a lot, though. Like how Jehovah‘s Witnesses played a huge part in our free speech/expression debates.

This book is DENSE. Prager wasn‘t simply satisfied with distilling a landmark Supreme Court case, he wanted to uncover every stone that led to it, & every window those stones shattered afterward.

It‘s a pretty sad account, not for political biases, but for the constant displays of bad faith by all those involved. What should make Roe a conversation topic isn‘t the ideology but its manipulation.

📸: Norma McCorvey 2011 by Bob Daemmrich

Elie Mystal has a new book out now called Bad Laws, and he‘s been popping up in the media to promote it. I liked him right away: his big white afro, his energy, the way he speaks, his obvious depth of knowledge. Plus he is riotously funny.

And boy does he have a bone to pick with the constitution! & he‘s not afraid to pick it. He clearly knows it better than most, and while often being quite unforgiving, he nails it at least 99% of the time.

A solid read. Cole takes three issues—marriage equality, gun rights, & civil/human rights (particularly after 9/11)—and explores how they were addressed through activism and lobbying. I learned a lot from this; the NRA‘s role in changing the 2nd Amendment‘s interpretation, for example.

Cole maintains a nonpartisan perspective throughout, presenting the facts clearly and giving us a glimpse at what it takes to make change happen.

Uncanny that I checked this out last month and got around to reading it at the exact time the nail has been driven into the coffin…

Cose provides plenty of examples of speech repression in America. Beginning with the first instance in 1798, only 7 years after the Bill of Rights was ratified, with—guess what?—the Alien and Sedition Acts.

His main goal, though, is to get us thinking about the definition of free speech. It really isn‘t so simple.

Quote: From 2017 in reference to Milo Yiannopoulos being protested against at U.C. Berkeley

Pic: Mahmoud Khalil. Arrested. Green card revoked. Facing deportation. For using his right to free expression.

So, no funds for colleges that repress free speech. But also, no funds for colleges that allow free speech.

Hypocritical much?