Ed. note: This is Melissa's Footnote, as delivered on today's show and seen below. We've added links to the books she describes. Happy reading, #nerdland.
Summer is the season of books. Life slows down just enough to make room for us to read something more than our Twitter feed.
So for today's Footnote, this is my Summer Reading List, based on some of the topics we've covered during 2012.
This election is all about the economy, but our conventional wisdom about economic downturns just might be wrong. Alexander Fields' "A Great Leap Forward: 1930s Depression and U.S. Economic Growth" offers a surprising argument that American productive capacity actually grew during the depression and laid the foundation for post war expansion.
In #nerdland, we talk a lot about fairness and equality. Catch up on the long history of progressive political action with Michael Kazin's "American Dreamers: How the Left Changed a Nation."
Let's be fair, there are some great conservative reads out there right now. My favorite at the moment is David Gelernter's "America-Lite: How Imperial Academia Dismantled Our Culture (and Ushered in the Obamacrats)." That title just kind of says it all doesn't it? Speaking of conservatives, at the end of the summer Mitt Romney is going to choose a running mate. If you think V.P. picks aren't interesting, just read "The 18-Day Running Mate: McGovern, Eagleton and a Campaign in Crisis." This is the story of an epic political fail, and it is fascinating.
Did you love our black-hair segment and want to read more? We recommend "Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America." Remember our discussion of First Ladies? Read about the most beloved in Hazel Rowley's "Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage."
#nerdland producers had some favorite picks: Kevin Smith's "Tough Sh*t: Life Advice for a Fat, Lazy, Slob who did Good" is a surprisingly fun, motivational and entreprenurial read.
Need more inspiration? Especially in this sporting summer? Read "Road To Valor," the story of cyclist and Tour de France winner Gino Bartali, and how he secretly aided the Italian resistance to save Jews during World War II.
Baratunde Thurston's "How to Be Black" has caused plenty of hilarity here in #nerdland while Isabel Wilkerson's "The Warmth of Other Suns" and Tayari Jones' "Leaving Atlanta" have evoked many tears.
And just for fun we are reading Sadie Jones’ "Uninvited Guests." And I’m not going to tell you which us is addicted to the young-adult Delirium series. But after all when Maurice Sendak passed away, we made an argument for the importance of children's fiction.
"Zeke Pippin," the young pig with a magical harmonica. The dragon-slaying "Paper Bag Princess" and the life-affirming "It's Okay to be Different" are #nerdland faves. And then there is Lloyd Alexander's "The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha," a book that one #nerdland producer remarked:
"It made me believe storytelling is the world's greatest profession."
Books change lives. Read one today.
Footnote: Host Melissa Harris-Perry shares her list of suggested reads for the summer.
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Currently, I am reading a book by a French sociologist, Michel Wieviorka, "Evil." It examines the role of social sciences in the terms of viewing Evil on a social level. Wieviorka takes this viewing from a non-theological level and compels the reader to look at the social mores of violence, terrorism, and racism through the eyes of evil on a social contemporary level.
Might I suggest another fantastic summer reading choice? Executive Severance is a laugh-out-loud parody of mystery novels originally posted in real time tweets on Twitter that is compelling, entertaining, and shows off what can be done in the 140-character form with style and mastery. With send-ups of the mystery genre, social media conventions and cell phone behavior, Executive Severance is a cornucopia of word play and comic misdirection stuffed with punny dialogue, clever character conditions, and a total lack of adherence to the old "rules" of storytelling. A delight in the language shows in every tweet - that is to say, every thread of the story.
More details concerning Executive Severance can be found at Whale Fire a companion blog:
and at the Executive Severance Amazon books:
Loved the show today and love Todd Parr as a Nerdland pic for kids. If Nerdlanders want to add a little more diversity to kids' summer reads, check out some of our faves at www.kidslikeus.org.
I'm reading
The History of White People by Nell Irvin Painter
Family of Secrets by Russ Baker
Worse Than WaterGate. The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush by John W. Dean
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I would suggest MHP read the Ohio Governers report on the Bush v. Kerry election issues in Ohio. She should read the reporting by Greg Palast and Amy Goodman. Because it seems like Ken Blackwell did a Jedi mind trick on MHP regarding his role and the problems in the Ohio election.
Melissa, it's sad how you keep contributing to the racial divide in this country. Your black. I'm black. What makes me any different than my Indian and Asian neighbors? If anything, I am less different than they are because I am a born and raised American, where as they have actually migrated from other countries. Wouldn't they feel more "different" than I would? To call myself an American instead of African-American doesn't make me any less "black" or more white. I've never been to Africa, nor do I have a single family member in Africa. It's 2012, not 1712. Why don't you get past your anger and hatred and start enjoying the freedoms that we all share today?
The only thing I have to say is that the term NERD and others like it are ones used by the bullies. I thought we were trying to stop that kind of behavior? why promote it?? its like the N word, stop using it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! even if your black, especially if your black!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it's offensive and degrading
This was a great group of discussants- loved hearing from everyone at the table, especially Congresswoman Barbara Lee.
I'd like to recommend D. Soyini Madison's Acts of Activism: Human Rights as Radical Performance, a testament to what MHP might call "foot soldiers" in South Saharan Africa who use performance in service of social justice, particularly as relates to women. I would love to hear MHP cover the fight for access to clean, public water as a basic human right.