Vanishing Fleece by Clara Parkes

Clara Parkes buys a 676-pound bale of raw wool and sees it through to the finished yarn stage, by means of several differing mills and dye shops. Kind of the Michael Pollan of yarn. Basically, this book should have been titled, “Hey, Chris, Over Here”.

Clara buys her wool on shearing day from a farm in New York state. She sends some of it to Bartlett Yarn in Maine, some to Blackberry Ridge in Wisconsin, some to a big mill called S&D, some to a precious-sounding two-person natural dye studio in California, some to a big chemical dye company in Biddeford, Maine. It’s FUN!

The mills and shops are all wildly different, and give her wildly different results, almost all of them wonderful. Bartlett gives her a pleasing yarn she describes as being like “oatmeal,” in contrast to the lovely yarn Blackberry gives her, which she compares to “jasmine rice.” I thought those were knockout descriptions.

Clara’s excitement is palpable. On the floor of one vast spinning mill, she says she feels like she’s been shrunk to miniature size and let loose inside her Mom’s Singer sewing machine. Another great description!

I liked that Clara is based in Maine and visits places I’m familiar with, like the dyeing company in Biddeford – haven’t visited them per se, but I do think I was in a brewery next door last summer.

I may try more of her books – she seems like a super-fun fellow-wool-traveler! ( )

Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston

In 1927, an 86-year-old ex-slave living near Mobile AL tells his life story to interviewer Zora Neale Hurston. His words are recorded as heard, in local southern dialect. Cudjo Lewis was born Kossula in West Africa; captured and sold into slavery, and transported across the ocean in the famous ship Clotilde. Yes, America had abolished the slave trade decades before; this was all done hush-hush. Kossula lived over 5 years as a slave; then freed by the Civil War he built a house, and lived with a beloved wife and six children – all of whom predeceased him, each parting more tragic than the last. While this is undeniably a painful tale to read, the fascination of hearing first-hand the experiences of a black American of that time period who was African-born and can remember and relate his childhood experiences, his capture, his transport, his time enslaved, and his experiences since, makes the read a powerful and moving experience and more than just a sad slog. ( )

Cosy by Laura Weir

A cosy [sic] little book of all things comforting – British style. This is not to be confused with hygge, which is Danish style, and way too concerned with interior decorating. I like Weir’s definition of cosy – how you live when nobody is looking. A celebration of grilled cheese, warm jumpers, hot tea, a crackling fire, and a fabulous little read like this to curl up with before winter disappears. ( )

Hate, Inc. by Matt Taibbi

This is one of those rare books that changes my thinking, and for more than just the length of time it takes to read.

The title and the cover are unfortunate, and not because Rachel Maddow is shown (Taibbi feels he needs an entire appendix to justify why). “HATE, INC.” and a picture of two political talk show hosts, angry mouths agape, makes it sound like one of those “why we’re polarized” books. But it’s not about why we’re polarized, although some theories are obvious by book’s end; it’s about the media.

The main point is this, caps his: THE NEWS IS A CONSUMER PRODUCT.

Other important points:
YOU DON’T NEED TO WATCH THAT MUCH NEWS.

And:
[THE MEDIA] ARE NOT INFORMING YOU. [THEY] CAN’T, ACTUALLY because the world is COMPLEX, and the news by definition is, like, everything in the world.

Highly recommended.  ( )

My Misspent Youth by Meghan Daum

If you read a favorite author deeply enough, and if she’s written enough books, you will eventually hit a dud. These are dated essays which don’t hang together well. I already know about what Daum is trying to share here, through her other, better books and essay collections. ( )