Reflections on American Identity & Books for 2024
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ส.ค. 2024
- 👋🏾 Hey Everyone. For today's video, I'm sharing a few reflections I've had over the past few weeks and some books I plan on reading in the coming weeks/months. Thank you for watching!
00:00 - Intro
00:23 - Reflections on American Identity
05:35 - Book 1, These Truths by Jill Lepore
06:45 - Book 2, Recoding America by Jennifer Pahlka
09:16 - Book 3, James Baldwin
10:39 - Book 4, How to Hide an Empire by Daniel Immerwahr
11:15 - Closing Thoughts and Community Building!
I had to pause for a minute at “power is the ability to afford not to learn” - well put quote
Right! So glad I came across it
I love Baldwin. Giovanni’s Room is a good place to start. Also, I think (hope) many of us (Americans) are consciously taking an introspective look at ourselves more and more lately. I find it difficult not to, particularly a feeling of self loathing. Doing my best to put more good out into the world.
Yes! Giovanni's room is my favorite book of all time. If Beale Street Could Talk was good too.
Look at who gives the most when there is an earthquake somewhere on the planet?
I'm so excited that you're reading Baldwin, as a franco-algerian, he wrote a lot about our immigration before anyone in France ever did. He's such a brilliant, incisive, trailblazing and insightful author, I hope you resonate with his work. Also, as an European who spends a lot of time with Americans, it's refreshing to see someone who wants to know more about how American politics shape the world, and I can't wait to follow your journey.
Just added 'These Truths' to my reading list! I already have everything my James Baldwin added and haven't gotten to any of them yet. Hoping to get at least one in before the Spring semester starts. Love your videos!
Thank you for this video, I am too at the learning curve of my identity and grappling with the idea of what my country does on the external political fields. Don’t really have much privilege though which goes with my identity, what a bummer (I am Russian). But learning, reading and talking to people really saved my mental health I think. Reading Octavia Butler now for the first time, what an amazing read so far (I chose parable of the sower to start with).
hey! loved this video. i'm british not american, but i really resonate with a lot of what you said - i also had the experience of going abroad for a long period a few years back and found myself grappling with my british identity, while also realising how much it's a privilege not to have reflected on it that much before (especially as a white brit). I think i'd been so focused on the fact that i'm not PROUD of being british (for many and obvious reasons) that i hadn't really let that coexist with the fact that i still am, inescapably, british, and that i need to understand that to properly situate my perspective on the world. "Power is the ability to afford not to learn" - that is such a good line. thank you for this thoughtful video!
right. it's so difficult to understand ourselves as citizens of complex histories, with good and bad! thank you for your comment!
i totally feel you on american identity, especially someone who is american but an immigrant from india. it's hard to grapple with living in a settler-colonial nation, when colonialism has destroyed my home country of india and so many other nations in the global south that are still feeling the effects and suffering
@bonitaw7658, thank you for your comment, and sharing
For book discussion, I have enjoyed The StoryGraph's new readalong feature, since you can dedicate comment thread to specific chapters of the book (not that nonfiction is sensitive to spoilers). Recoding America sounds interested and added to TBR. Thanks!
I second storygraph!
Giovanni’s Room is incredible, and a great place to start. :)
Thanks for the video! I’ll keep my eye out for whatever you decide on for discussion. Would love to join. I’ve been meaning to read more Baldwin too. “Giovanni’s Room” is top on my list. Happy New Year:)
Giovanni's Room, decades after reading it, remains one of my favorite novels of all time. Such a brilliant book.
Within the first couple moments of this video I was thinking how I’d love to join your bookclub or bookclub discord if you ever had one 😂 so yes, please and thank you, I’d be there! Baldwin’s work is so important and beautiful, I love listening to his recorded interviews as well.
These Truths has been on my TBR for too long. You've inspired me to pick it up :)
I just came across your channel through your Newbie Tag and I'm really loving the mindfulness and thoughtfulness you bring and the discussion and thoughts you're willing to share with us.
‘The Fire Next Time’ is also a great place to start with Baldwin!!!
Brill vid. Love this introspective attitude (both on a personal and nationality-related level), very inspiring, thank you for sharing your thoughts 🌟💪 And James Baldwin is defo an author worth reading, and such a good idea to do both non-fic and fiction. Hope you enjoy this deep dive, I wish you all the best!! 🤗
have been meaning to read giovanni’s room-would love a planned buddy read on the channel some month in 2024. would be cool to have that community and exchange feedback as we all read
These Truths is a great book! I listened to it on audiobook earlier this year with my husband and we both got a lot out of it. It’s definitely something I would come back to over time. I have only read nonfiction by Baldwin so far and I loved The Fire Next Time. Good luck with your reading 📖
I think the three books you mentioned are great starting places to get familiar with Baldwin's work.
Giovani's Room is one of my all time favorites, a brilliant book romance which Badlwin flexes his beautiful writing style.
Go Tell It On The Mountain (GTIOTM)- Another brilliant piece of work. The semi-autographical nature of this book gives you a keen insight to Baldwin's tough religious upbringing.
I'd recommend reading Notes of a Native Son after GTIOTM. One of the most impactful essays in this book was the one Baldwin wrote on his relationship with his father. I think after reading GTIOTM you get a deep understanding and backstory of Baldwin and his father that makes the essay hit even deeper.
Regardless of where you start, I think you'll be in for a treat, looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
I think ur reflection on your identity is very important! A lot of people don’t try to find out about their roots etc. which leads to a lot of open questions. I really enjoy your videos! Keep going!❤
Really wonderful to watch someone so thoughtful here on Booktube. I have spent time thinking similarly about my indenting being from the UK and our involvement in the world, particularly as the child of Irish immigrants here. I know you said you don’t use much other social media in your booktube newbie video, but I would like to invite you to be a cohost for my book club next year as you are looking for community. Let me know if you are interested!
Hey. Have you heard of historathon? It's a year-long reading event where people read at least one nonfiction history book per quarter. The history of the world is divided by period into four quarters prehistory to 500 CE I think, 500-1500, 1500-1820, and 1820-present. You might not want to do all the quarters but maybe you'd like to do the last two next year.
I really enjoyed this video. It provided a lot of food for thought and I love when I come away with wanting to learn more. Great book selections. I don't think you can go wrong with wherever you start with Baldwin. How to Hide an Empire sounds really interesting and one I'm going to check out. Discord can be a great place for book discussions.
James Baldwin is a genius, I can't wait to hear your thoughts. I started with Giovanni's Room but it wasn't until Beale Street that I really appreciated what he can do.
I think a collection of Baldwin’s essays might be the best place to start based on what you said. Giovanni’s room is great, but I don’t think it fits as well with your theme. Maybe If Beale Street Could Talk, Another Country, or Go Tell It.
For Baldwin, start with "The Fire Next Time" if you haven't already read it. Then yeah, Giovanni's Room or GTIOTM.
Immerwahr's "How to Hide an Empire" is magnificent.
Brilliant video. I’m thinking of picking up Baldwin myself next year.
I like this conversation on American identity. I also struggle with it and have come to the realization that I’ve been pressured into a patriotism that I don’t really understand or necessarily prescribe to fully. Thanks for this!
America is not the greatest country of all time, but it has lots of good things like Liberty, Freedom, Democracy, Rule of Law. It doesn't have cricket sure, but no one is perfect including the British.
Yes, love Baldwin! Hope you enjoy, loved Giovanni's Room and recently bought a book of collected poems of his.
Really love you sharing your headspace with grappling with your American identity - wish you good luck there, as it's a lot to process, regardless of which personal lens is used to examine it!
I started reading James Baldwin’s work only this year without knowing much about him (I’m from Turkey). I read Giovanni’s Room first as I’ve seen many people recommend it. And I just loved it so much that I finished it in one sitting. The writing is just so so beautiful although the story is tragic. I read The Fire Next Time a few weeks ago and found writing just as beautiful and captivating despite it being an essay. I plan to read more of his work in 2024 and you should too!
Giovanni's Room >>>
Seeing a lot of Giovanni’s Room fans in this comment section! Highly recommend giving “Swimming in the Dark” a read - I picked it up while in Poland (it’s mostly set in Warsaw) and it has a lot of GR references. Really excellent read and beautiful prose!
I highly recommend Howard Zinn and David Graeber if you are interested to explore the systemic issues of the US.
Thank you
That quote went straight into my quote book.
As a Brit, I share and echo your sentiments. There's much I love about the UK but our past (and present) actions are devastating, with so much to be ashamed of. More than we can comprehend.
I think the books sound very interesting - keep us posted about any discussion forum that you decide to set up!
I can tell you you are wrong, have been told wrong about England. I know you don't want to hear such things - you don't like being told something negative about yourself. But there is simply not "so much to be ashamed of". I'd like to at least challenge your understanding? Whatever we have done wrong is not more than we can comprehend in my understanding. Apart from slavery, that we ended, and then lost lives and treasure trying top persuade others to also end it, what has England - a government or culture - been to have committed such incomprehensible shameless things?
Brian at Bookish @BookishTexan has a series now exploding some foundational American Myths that I’m finding worthwhile. I look forward to hearing what you have to say on this journey.
My feeling on Baldwin is that _The Fire Next Time_ is indispensable.
I always do a silly lil silent protest and refuse to identify as a united statesian (whenever im traveling, I always say Im a New Yorker😂) because of a lof of the reasons you mention. Though that does not absolve, I just have trouble stomaching that label, I think especially as a hyphen-american, too. And omgosh, if you're going to do a Jimmy Baldwin deep-dive, pull Eddie Glaude into your rotation too! Begin Again is a phenomenallllll companion piece. He makes sense of America through Jimmy's work. Its an all-time fav! Always appreciate your vids, Dolapo!
I wonder if you'll like Evicted by Matthew Desmond.
great video!!!! Super eloquent, i appreciate your thoughts on American identity after traveling. If you end up starting a book club type thing, i’ll be first in line.
If youre thinking of reading Baldwin on discord together or some other platform, id love to join in