Jordan Mattox

1. The Mercy Philip Levine

I am making my way methodically through the work of Levine. The more I read him and the older I get, the more I can see the beauty in his descriptions of factories and small town life. Most of all, what comes through is his empathy. He has tremendous empathy for people and places that are often overlooked.  I also really enjoyed some of the jazz themed poems in this collection.

 2. Waiting for the Last Bus Richard Holloway 

I am just discovering Holloway and have already started another book by him as I finished this one. This may be the best book that I’ve read on death. Most books on death focus on grief, written to people dealing with loss. This book is for the living to help us think about and conceptualize death, something that we probably don’t do enough of.  While Holloway is religious, he’s the best kind: not pushy and honest about what he doesn’t know. 

3. The Purpose of Power Alicia Garza 

Garza is one of the founders of the Black Lives Matter organization and an experienced community organizer. This book is part political treatise and part memoir. The story is a fascinating and insightful case study for thinking about how to organize in the 21st century. She offers some wisdom about the role and limitations of social media in political organizing. The most successful parts of this book are the memoir sections. 

4. Northanger Abbey Jane Austen 

I’ve read a few of Austen’s works (Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma), but hadn’t read this one. It’s a story that involves a romantic young woman, marriage manuevaring, a gothic abbey, and even a potential murder. Not my favorite of Austen’s novels, but it has its moments. I am rereading Sense and Sensibility next. In preparation for my first trip to the homeland (UK next summer), I am reading a lot of British and Victorian fiction.

5. Robinson Jeffers: Poet of California James Karman 

Jeffers is a giant in California poetry and someone that is perpetually misunderstood. I’ve read some of his poetry and, like many people, have had a hard time getting into it, particularly his longer stuff. In addition to the length, the content of his poetry can also be a turn off for people: his poetry can be graphic and violent. This biography is the type of book that I wish there were more of in the world: sub 200 page biographies that are tightly written and do not get bogged down in the details. For some people, 200 pages is enough. Some people do require long biographies and I might be open to a longer biography of Jeffers. But it’s nice to have the choice.