#oliveinfluencer

[thisismyarspoetica]

     Hello, everyone! I’m excited to share another post about a book sent to me by Harper Perennial (@harperperennial). Rainesford Stauffer’s essay collection An Ordinary Age discusses themes such as work culture, dating and what it means to belong, all of which influence how the digital generation contemplate and plan their lives. 

     The book places a variety of voices that represent the digital generation at the center of the conversation, as Stauffer examines the age group that has determined the outward appearance of success based upon limited, and frequently unrealistic expectations. The required internships that result in an ideal job, network of friends, and photographs on social media accounts are evidence of a life well lived. The reality is that the world is insisting upon more from the digital generation than ever before, and feelings of isolation and thoughts of failure are all too common. The digital generation is not being given the space and time to ask the larger questions as to who they want to be and what makes their lives feel meaningful. 

     What I appreciated most about this book was the reminder to be more mindful of the moments in time that are often overlooked, seeking out and supporting genuine human beings, practicing self-care, and owning one’s place in the world regardless of things such as job titles and filters on photographs.   

[thisismyarspoetica]

     Hello again, everyone! I’m thrilled to share yet another post about a book sent to me by Harper Perennial (@harperperennial). Co-authors and partners Joseph Fink and Meg Bashwiner’s memoir The First Ten Years reflects upon their first ten years as a couple, each narrating their perspective without having discussed it with the other. 

     The year was 2009, and Fink had recently moved to New York City, where he was working odd jobs to pay rent and volunteering for a theatre company in the East Village just to receive free tickets to their shows. Quite the opposite, Bashwiner was living with her parents in New Jersey, working a predictable desk job, and commuting to an internship at the same East Village theatre company. The twenty-two year olds crossed paths while selling tickets in the small box office. Readers will learn about everything from their first kiss to their hopes for the future, as well as their experiences with fame, touring, mental illness, and death in the family.

     What I appreciated most about this book was the comical, realistic, and distinct perspectives of two different human beings navigating their way to adulthood while learning what it means to be in a relationship.

[thisismyarspoetica]

     Hello, everyone! The month of March is well underway, and I’m delighted to share another post about a book sent to me by Harper Perennial (@harperperennial). Co-written with The New Yorker’s Ariel Levy, actress Demi Moore published the memoir Inside Out that details the challenging relationship she had with her mother, Ginny, three marriages, a successful career in film, raising a dynamic family, and the continual practice of communicating with an open heart.      While becoming a well-known actress in Hollywood, Moore was also attempting to transcend her unsettling past—addiction, body image issues, and family trauma—for many years. The prologue of the memoir poses the personal yet relatable question: How did I get here? She also questioned whether or not she belonged in the limelight, if she had the qualities of a good mother and actress, and if she was simply good enough at all. Of course, professional and personal struggles always lead to a variety of epiphanies. The epilogue asserts that she learned to surrender and own her story, with the awareness that all human beings struggle, triumph, and choose how we hold or release the experience of fully being in the world.      What I appreciated most about this book was being reminded about the importance of not only owning our stories, but that we really are interconnected. 

[thisismyarspoetica]

     Hello, everyone! I’m returning to social media to share another post about a book sent to me by Harper Perennial (@harperperennial). Pop culture journalist and author of American Cheese: An Indulgent Odyssey Through the Artisan Cheese World, Joe Berkowitz knew very little about cheese, other than that he usually indulged in too much pepper jack. After participating in an artisanal tasting at an upscale cheese shop in New York, he had an appetite for more.

     It was that moment that served as his first glimpse into Dairy Narnia—a subculture of elite cheesemakers, competitive sellers, cave-dwelling affineurs, dairy scientists, and mixologists. Unbeknownst to many, this lively cheese scene had been active in the United States of America too, the country known around the world for producing generic yellow singles. Inspired, he set forth on the food adventure of a lifetime, and spent one year exploring the artisan cheese world.

     His advancement from amateur to connoisseur parallels that of American cheese on the world stage. He followed along with Team USA at an international cheesemonger competition, made cheeses in experimental vats at the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, viewed the Cheeselandia exhibit at the 2019 SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, met a maker who was ready to represent the United States of America at the World Cheese Awards, and so much more. An unexpected culture of passionate cheesemakers was discovered, along with the extraordinary impact of the delicious dairy product.

     What I appreciated most about this book was not only learning more about cheese, but that culture exists in many forms. Maybe it is time to carpe caseus (seize the cheese)! 

[thisismyarspoetica]

     The summer solstice is well underway, and the days are oddly similar. However, I do feel especially grateful to share another post about a book sent to me by Harper Perennial (@harperperennial). Nearly a decade after the publication of How to Be a Woman, Caitlin Moran’s follow-up book More Than a Woman (coming September 2020) is an updated manifesto for change that continues to address critical issues such as feminism, marriage, motherhood, friendship, aging, and everyday life.

     Since the publication of How to Be a Woman, women everywhere are speaking up about the importance of gender equality by way of voting, upholding political offices, and facilitating large and small businesses. More women are openly discussing their reproductive rights, sexuality, making art, earning money, and have an education. The progress is encouraging yet limited, as women around the world are still encountering oppression and discrimination on a daily basis.

     What I appreciated most about this book was the personal perspective of a middle-aged modern woman, which was often direct, honest, comical, and necessary as a way of encouraging change.

[thisismyarspoetica]

     Approaching the middle of June, not to mention the official start of the summer solstice, with another post about a book sent to me by Harper Perennial (@harperperennial). A retired professor of English at the University of Michigan, Flint, Thomas C. Foster’s book How to Read Nonfiction Like a Professor offers suggestions for developing a more attentive, open-minded reading practice. ⠀ ⠀      We live in an age of overwhelming information, and it is difficult to decide what source(s) to trust. Fake news is rife on social media, and often supported by powerful forces hoping to dismantle a democratic society. In addition to general principles of reading nonfiction, Foster offers specific reading strategies in various genres including history and biography, science and technology, and social media. There is also an emphasis on understanding writers’ biases, thoroughly questioning claims, analyzing arguments, recognizing broad assertions and easy answers, and thinking critically about the written and spoken content that we encounter. ⠀ ⠀      What I appreciated most about the book was the timely reminder to continue developing my reading practice. Reading is one of many practices that supports learning, personal development, and meaningful conversations with fellow human beings. 

[thisismyarspoetica]

     It’s probably a good time to share that I’ve recently taken up the role of Book Influencer with Harper Perennial (@harperperennial). From time to time, I’ll be posting photographs and details about the writing in various books sent to me by the publisher. The first book, When You Read This, by Mary Adkins (@adkinsmary), was a fantastic read. The writing itself is an updated version of an epistolary novel (emails, blog posts, online therapy sessions, text messages, legal correspondence, home-rental bookings, etc. instead of standard letters) with ekphrastic elements (images). Best wishes to you, Mary, on your journey as a writer. I’m already looking forward to reading more of your writing in the future! 

[amysbooketlist]

Qotd: what have you worked hardest for? . AOTD: for me, it was being a mother. Took years and a lot of pain and loss to finally have my rainbow babies. . In 1900 Sardinia, a young woman’s remarkable talent with a needle earns her a position as a seamstress with a wealthy family. Inside this privileged world far different from her own humble beginnings, the skilled sewer quietly takes measurements, sketches designs, mends hems—and in the silence, hears whispered secrets and stories of all those around her. Through the watchful young seamstress’s eyes, this small Italian city and its residents emerge in all their vitality, vanity, and fragility—flawed yet congenial people who are not quite what they pretend to be. "This feminist fairy tale is sure to be a book-club favorite and will appeal to fans of Laura Esquivel, Adriana Trigiani, and Elena Ferrante." — Booklist . Written in what I like to think of as narrative stream of consciousness, #theseamstressofsardinia is a stark but beautiful story of female strength. . #oliveinfluencer thanks @harperperennial for my copy! #bookstagram #italy #bookreview #booklover #booklovers #instabook #bookrecommendations #booknerd #bookworm #bookwormlife #bookphotography #bookpics #bookish #bookaddict #bibliophile #booklife #novel #bookaddict #booklove #bookstagrammer #prettybooks #instabookstagram #booksaremylife #harperperennial #booksbooksbooks #bookaholic #bookgram #bookphoto #bookclub (at Columbus, Ohio) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnkkBeUvcDn/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=