65

Or, Jilting Squalor

Reader,

The original title was “Rejecting Heterosexual Squalor” but I didn’t want to alienate my straight readers. Jokes aside; this was prompted, in Valentine’s week, by watching a YouTuber and her friends’ faces fall when they talked about their friend’s upcoming marriage. 

In the month of love, seeing young women not expect being in a romantic (!) relationship to be a good-to-great experience was something.

In the spirit of love, or being open to it, I went out for Valentine’s Day dinner with a new friend and strangers. As with a lot of Nairobi restaurants, the food wasn’t award-winning but there’s nothing good company won’t make tasty. It was a joy (hey 64 Mike, joy!) being with such smart, warm people, and I look forward to getting to know them. All this to say, I hope you had a good Valentine’s Day and, if you’re in the throes of reclaiming yourself after a love affair, here’s something.

Someone on Instagram spoke about how books are always a tricky gift for her because she has such catholic tastes and I felt that. It’s a big part of the reason I need to update my book wishlist (really a Goodreads shelf, physical copies always preferred); the site of the pleasure of receiving Pleasantview by Celeste Mohammed from a friend on Saturday. Shout out to the wonderful folks at Half Priced Books for delivering the book and the inimitable Angie, Sharon & YB for making the trip to their town branch with me.

Saturday also saw me get some mail (it’s been a while! Write me, I write back - PO Box 104169, Jamia Posta 00101, Nairobi, Kenya) including a copy of the UK edition of If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery. I was already in love with awe of Escoffery (I mean, just watch this conversation he had with the amazing Nicole Dennis-Benn) but the material sparked a particular joy.

Brief bookish news:

• On Friday, I paid for the first half of my KNLS book donation. I’m hoping to make a little party of the handover (maybe with a short story reading?) so I’ll keep you posted. Reply if you’d like to come party (read: eat cake, maybe donate books) with me!

• This Leena Norms video led me to Dracula Daily, which I immediately signed up for because

a) I’ve never read Dracula

b) I didn’t know it’s an epistolary novel (I love that format so this is definitely up my alley)

• My official reason for learning languages is reading books yet I’m making little progress. Meanwhile, folks are getting hitched. You’re in her DMs, I’m in her Duo &c &c

• Over 180 New York Times contributors have signed an open letter calling on the paper to face its anti-trans editorial bias. This bias has material consequences for the most vulnerable among us, and this stretches to the literary world. 

I have finished two books since I last wrote, reviews forthcoming - The Furrows by Namwali Serpell (narrated by Kristen Ariza, Ryan Vincent Anderson & Dion Graham) and 16 & Pregnant by LaLa Thomas. Here’s hoping I’m back on YouTube soon to talk about them!

As ever, please write back to me and tell me what books you’re reading or looking forward to reading this week — it’s always a great time talking about books.

Enjoy the rest of the week and have a lovely time reading. Talk to you soon!