Well Read - The Rhythm Issue

We asked some friends and contributors to share a book they enjoy – a read that stayed with them long after they turned the last page. If you’re looking for a great recommendation for what to read next, see why these titles were chosen.

Adam Grigsby’s Pick
The Overstory
by Richard Powers

Bonjwing Lee’s Pick
Wars of the Roses
by John Gillingham

"Despite grim and gruesome portrayals of the struggle for the English crown in the latter half of the 15th century, this book offers a markedly different analysis of the Wars of the Roses. The long-embraced villainous archetypes and epic heroes in Shakespeare’s dramatic retelling (reinforced by countless historians since) soften through the lens of Gillingham’s insightful analysis, rich with empirical data and historical context. This book is an authoritative, believable, and - far from a dry textbook - engaging reconsideration of England’s very real game of thrones."

Editor’s Picks
The Dead Romantics
by Ashley Poston

Gemma Ingall’s Pick
Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver
by Mary Oliver

"This is one of my favorite collection of her poems that can be picked up any time to reconnect to the rhythm of nature, the human spirit and the beauty of poetry as a language of both."

Holly Gleason’s Pick
Lark Ascending
by Silas House

"Acclaimed Appalachian author/activist Silas House offers his most nuanced and far-reaching work as he considers the implosion of personal freedoms, literal and found family, self definition and courage.
With America literally on-fire and nationalism razing personal freedom, Lark* and his family attempt to escape to Ireland and potential safe harbor. Only Lark survives the journey, and his need to find refuge in Glendalough offers a narrative of adventure, social conscience, survival and ultimately hope."

Isabel Burton’s Pick
Our Country Friends
by Gary Shteyngart

"Six friends and one narcissistic, shallow outlier gather at the Hudson Valley estate of flailing writer, Sasha Senderovsky, to ride out what they assume will be a short pause (the not-short pandemic) in their regular busy urban lives. The newly formed country posse live surrounded by sheep farms and forest, as well as less-bucolic menacing town folk. Life on this manufactured wanna-be utopia slows to what the writer describes as a 19thcentury pace, but the inhabitants’ self-obsessed motives, unchecked emotions, and laden interactions occur at a very modern clip. There’s power, flirting, sex, betrayal….the book is hilarious. It’s also warm, at times bitter, and a sharp look at current culture. Shteyngart reminds us of the absurdity of human nature, but also of the ability to love, and lovableness, of people, with their good intentions and their royal screwups."

Kate Donnelly’s Pick
Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom
by Peter Guralnick

"Music is about rhythm. A deep historical dive into R&B pioneers like Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding and Al Green (among others), this intriguing book also touches on soul music, gospel and the legendary Memphis-based Stax Records."

Mary Celeste’s Pick
Embroidery: Threads and Stories from Alabama Chanin and the School of Making
by Natalie Chanin

Sarah Steffan’s Pick
Cloud Cuckoo Land
by Anthony Doerr

"A quick summary of this book is that it's about five people spanning centuries that are bound by the love of one book and how their choices and actions have a rippling effect on future generations, their environment and the planet. It was the first story that came to mind when thinking about a narrative that relates to rhythm."

Don’t have time to turn pages? Enjoy these quick podcast listens on your commute.
BirdNote
Ruthie’s Table 4