Citizen Scientists vs Government

Last year I was feeling a bit meh about the books on my shelves so I thought I'd give a book subscription service a shot to see if that could jumpstart my reading. The one that I chose is Coloring and Classics (this post isn't sponsored but I'd be thrilled if it was) which sends a hardcover bestseller (nonfiction in my case), a coloring book, and an activity book each month. [A/N: I haven't been disappointed with my choice so if you're in a reading slump maybe give it a try.] If you're wondering what kind of nonfiction books they send then wonder no more because today's book, The Poisoned City, came in my February box. Spoiler alert: It was BRILLIANT. Anna Clark gives readers an in-depth look at the water crisis in Flint, Michigan that resulted from a breakdown in infrastructure as well as many years of disinvestment from the rest of the state (one could argue the country). I appreciated how much history Clark gave on the creation of the town from a trading post to an industrial powerhouse (General Motors was a big deal there). She also explained how the infrastructure of pipelines across the country has severe flaws like being lead lined and poorly documented so that if they were to be replaced it would be nearly impossible to locate them. However, the biggest impediment to upgrades is the cost and time it would take to make these large-scale changes. Towns like Flint (which was already under emergency management due to debt) found themselves facing a public threat for which they seemingly had no recourse. Of course, the most infuriating and heartbreaking thing about Flint's case is that the townspeople were being thwarted at every turn by the very people that were tasked with their welfare and safety. When the water coming out of their taps was brown, oily, and smelly they complained. When people started to develop rashes and their hair started falling out they complained. But the government agencies tasked with monitoring environmental issues (in this case an absolute emergency) insisted that the water was safe for drinking, cooking, and bathing. When some of the residents had independent water tests conducted at their own expense they were pooh-poohed. This went on for over a year.

I cannot begin to express the outrage that I felt while reading this book. I had of course heard about the Flint Water Crisis but I wasn't fully aware of the duplicitousness of the local and state authorities or of the steady decline and disinvestment of the city. (And learning about water infrastructure is a lot more interesting than I'm probably making it sound. Trust me, it's fascinating.) Learning about how certain laws, statues, and ordinances have been finagled so that decisions that have far-reaching ramifications and consequences get made and justified...y'all it had me livid. But it serves as a powerful reminder that citizen scientists like the ones in Flint (who got almost no credit) are willing and perfectly able to advocate for their town. So this book serves as a warning and a testament to the strength of Flint's people. I'll never take my water for granted again. 10/10

Source: Amazon

What I'm currently reading: Amity and Prosperity by Eliza Griswold

**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click here. This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

So much hidden meaning

The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead is included in the list of 100 titles chosen by American citizens for The Great American Read hosted by PBS. (More info on the books on the list and how you can vote for America's favorite novel can be found here.) In an effort to read more diversely (and to have the ability to recommend books for the adults in my branch) I started with this book as I had never heard of it despite it being listed as a 'classic'. The story follows Lila Mae Watson who is the first female person of color to be an Elevator Inspector. In the world created by Whitehead elevators are the height (ha!) of technology and the majority of the population see them as somewhat mystical and beyond the realm of ordinary comprehension. (There are even guilds which seek to elevate the status of Elevator Inspectors in society to those in political office.) Even more confusing to discern are the two distinct sects of theory as to the maintenance and future of these machines. One school of thought is firmly rooted in the reality of the technology while the other views them as metaphysical creations that can be 'sensed'. Lila Mae belongs to the second school of thought which further compounds the problems that she faces among her coworkers and the public that she encounters on her daily rotations. This sci-fi novel is rooted in the reality of race. What drives the story are the veiled discussions of race but it is told through the lens of technology innovations. It is ultimately a story of hope for a better world where we are 'elevated' from the weaknesses and barbarisms of our current reality. Whitehead challenges our perceptions of our accepted reality as he argues that established views are not solely based on what we see with our eyes. This is a book with a seemingly simple premise about elevator manufacture and maintenance in a world so very similar (and familiar) to our own but instead what we get is a complex discussion of race and how we can (hopefully) rise above. 9/10

Source: Amazon

What's Up Next: The Read-Aloud Handbook (7th Edition) by Jim Trelease

What I'm Currently Reading: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

**If you're interested in buying this book or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

Starting National Poetry Month with a bang

I'm cognizant of the fact that I don't read enough books by women of color and that I read very few works of poetry. I decided to kill two birds with one stone by reading Claudia Rankine's Citizen: An American Lyric. (Also, it's National Poetry Month so it was a no-brainer.) This book is especially relevant right now with the state of our world being what it is: a shambles. Citizen is essentially Claudia's exploration of what it is to be a black woman living in America as told through poetic verse. It is beautiful, tender, terrible, tragic, and real. She doesn't shy away from such topics as police brutality or the prevalence of feeling like an outsider. This book is a personal revelation and a public admonishment all rolled into one neat package Coupled with her verses are historical quotes and pencil drawn (I think?) artwork. What better way to begin your foray into poetry than by reading a book that challenges the status quo and speaks from the heart? If you'd like to maybe see the world through a different set of eyes Citizen is your golden ticket with many stops along the way. 9/10

I made a note of this quote on page 89 to give you an idea of just how powerful her words are:

Those years of and before me and my brothers, the years of passage, plantation, migration, of Jim Crow segregation, of poverty, inner cities, profiling, of one in three, two jobs, boy, hey boy, each a felony, accumulate into the hours inside our lives where we are all caught hanging, the rope inside us, the tree inside us, its roots our limbs, a throat sliced through and where we open our mouth to speak, blossoms, o blossoms, no place coming out, brother, dear brother, that kind of blue.

Source: Amazon

What's Up Next: From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty

What I'm Currently Reading: The American Way of Death Revisited by Jessica Mitford

**If you're interested in buying this book or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **