Creatures, what ho! It\u2019s been a quiet year here in Lake Woebegone\u2026. Some thoughts, below, on the highlights of my reading, watching, and writing. All lists are roughly from least-best to best-best i.e. the last one is the best. Previous years\u2019 lists here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Books (nonfiction)<\/strong>: This was a stronger year for nonfiction than for fiction, for me (at least when it came to books I\u2019d never read before\u2014revisits are below). I read a lot of good books, but the top two books on this list are the ones I\u2019d most confidently call great.<\/p>\n Natan M. Meir, Stepchildren of the Shtetl: The Destitute, Disabled, and Mad of Jewish Eastern Europe, 1800 \u2013 1939<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Rick McIntyre, The Reign of Wolf 21<\/em><\/a>\u2014I\u2019d start here, but the other two books in this series are also a delight<\/p>\n Meg Hnter-Kilmer, Pray for Us: 75 Saints Who Sinned, Suffered, and Struggled on Their Way to Holiness<\/em>\u2014an international, thoughtful compendium for those who have wondered if a saint could truly understand their experience<\/p>\n Jared Farmer, Trees in Paradise: The Botanical Conquest of California<\/em><\/a>\u2014you think you don\u2019t want to read five hundred pages about trees, but I promise that you do<\/p>\n Carmen Maria Machado, In the Dream House<\/em><\/a>\u2014formal and wrenching<\/p>\n Also notable<\/strong>, in chronological order: Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America<\/em><\/a>; The Bloody Flag: Mutiny in the Age of Atlantic Revolution<\/em>; Strangers: Homosexual Love in the 19th<\/sup> Century<\/em><\/a>; Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping<\/em><\/a>; Hidden Mercy: AIDS, Catholics, and the Untold Stories of Compassion in the Face of Fear<\/em><\/a>; Stigmata: A Medieval Mystery in Modern Times<\/em><\/a>; The Life of St Macrina<\/em>; The Symposium: A Treatise on Chastity<\/em><\/a>; Our Lady of Hot Messes: Getting Real with God in Dive Bars and Confessionals<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n I also read Joseph Ratzinger\/the Pope Emeritus\u2019s Jesus of Nazareth trilogy. Highly recommended; it offered insight into several aspects of the New Testament which had puzzled or intrigued or troubled me for decades, from the role of Temple sacrifice to the \u201cnew wineskins\u201d to the question of what actually changed<\/i> when Jesus came. <\/i>Perhaps the most striking aspect of the trilogy is its intense and respectful engagement with contemporary Judaism. Present-day Jewish belief is a live possibility in these books, despite\/because Ratzinger emphasizes the astonishing claims our faith makes about the person Jesus. \u2026Also it\u2019s just very endearing to have this German academic be like, \u201cI haff read all ze historiography about vhere zis story comes from, und my conclusion is: Mary told them.\u201d<\/p>\n Books (real books)<\/strong>:<\/p>\n Roddy Doyle, Love<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Yoko Tawada, Scattered All Over the Earth<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Andrew Holleran, Dancer from the Dance<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Madeleine Thien, Do Not Say We Have Nothing<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Ella Baxter, New Animal<\/em><\/a>. Lol Do Not Say<\/em> is unquestionably a better book, but New Animal<\/em> punched above its weight for me, and in general I just think this is the right list for this year.<\/p>\n Also notable<\/strong>: Christ Stopped at Eboli<\/em><\/a>; Bright Lights, Big City<\/em><\/a>; The Conjure-Man Dies: A Mystery of Dark Harlem<\/em><\/a>; The Overcoat and Other Tales of Good and Evil<\/em><\/p>\n Films<\/strong> (seen for the first time):<\/p>\n Spirited Away<\/a><\/p>\n Chameleon Street<\/a><\/p>\n The Fly<\/a> (1986)<\/p>\n Times Square<\/a><\/p>\n Elvis<\/a><\/p>\n T\u00e1<\/span>r<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Also notable<\/strong>: The Tragedy of Macbeth<\/em><\/a>; Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliche <\/em>(see below); As Good As It Gets<\/em>; The Rider Named Death<\/em>; The Last of Sheila<\/em><\/a>; A Nightmare on Elm Street III: The Dream Warriors<\/em><\/a>; Francesco<\/em>; Brother Sun, Sister Moon<\/em><\/a>; Repo Man<\/em>; Neptune Frost<\/em>; Addams Family Values<\/em><\/a>; The Age of Innocence<\/em>; La Llorona<\/em> (1930s); A Midwinter\u2019s Tale<\/em><\/a>; Benediction<\/em>; The Woodsman<\/em>; Monsieur Vincent<\/em><\/a>; Nope<\/em>; <\/span>My Neighbor Totoro<\/span><\/em>; Bent<\/em> Notable things I revisited<\/strong>: A Canticle for Leibowitz<\/em>, The Breast<\/em><\/a>, \u201cArachnophobia<\/a>,\u201d \u201cPhone Booth<\/a>,\u201d Sula <\/em>and Housekeeping<\/em><\/a>, \u201cThe Flowers of St Francis,\u201d \u201cHawks and Sparrows,\u201d<\/a> Against Memoir: Complaints, Confessions, and Criticisms<\/em><\/a>; Foxfire: Confessions of a Girl Gang<\/em><\/a>; The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n TV<\/strong>: No idea what the next season will bring, and HBO is certainly giving little reason for confidence, but I tell you what, Succession<\/i><\/a> has felt like a near-perfect show so far. Gentleman Jack<\/i><\/a> was imperfect, but raw and real. Its 1830s is simultaneously a truly, sometimes shockingly different world, and a doorway into the world we inhabit.<\/p>\n Others\u2019 essays<\/strong>: My own reading has become too scattershot\u2013I don\u2019t think I have a coherent list here. Three voices I\u2019ve appreciated greatly are In Spirit and Truth<\/a> (a newsletter lifting up the voices, needs, and spiritual journeys of survivors of Catholic clergy sexual abuse), Nate Tinner-Williams and the Black Catholic Messenger<\/em><\/a>, and Jerusalem Demsas<\/a> on housing policy.<\/p>\n My published writing<\/strong>:<\/p>\n On urban planning for friendship<\/a>. I hated this piece when I turned it in, and I still think it bites off much more than it can chew, but on reflection I think it does some important things I haven\u2019t seen put together elsewhere.<\/p>\n On wolves<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery Child a Wanted Child<\/a>\u201d: An essay about The Meaning of Birth<\/i>.<\/p>\n On The Last Unicorn<\/i><\/a>. I\u2019ve tried to write this piece many times in the past and it never quite came off. This time, I think I said what I can say about this slice of children\u2019s sublime.<\/p>\n On alcoholism and promise-making<\/a>. Lol getting off my leash here a little.<\/p>\n I also enjoyed getting to compare Poly Styrene<\/a> and L. Brent Bozell, Jr for We Are the Mutants. (Still the best name of any publication I write for. Be the mutants you wish to see in the world!) And I contributed to a Commonweal<\/i> symposium on abortion after the Dobbs<\/i> ruling<\/a>. Trying to speak from within my very limited authority, and to convey what I believe to be important to people who may disagree.<\/p>\n My blogging and Substack<\/strong>: I didn\u2019t write much on the blog this year, and I don\u2019t know that I did a lot of essayistic work over at the pastry-filled Dragon<\/a>. These are some things I liked:<\/p>\n This is very service-journalism, but \u201cThe Precondition for Catholic Theologies of Trans Experience<\/a>\u201d (scroll down) strikes me as important enough to list here.<\/p>\n The virgin woman as Socrates-figure in early Christian thought (aka \u201cWhat if it was a Socra-she<\/i>s and it was just for the ladies?<\/a>\u201d)<\/p>\n Five Gay Catholic Observations for 2022<\/a><\/p>\n Ecstasy the foundation of reason<\/a><\/p>\n And who would I be if I didn\u2019t link to this roundup of my very favorite Star Trek<\/i> tie-in novels<\/a>?<\/p>\n Other professional work<\/strong>: I was very pleased by how my presentation on \u201cOrder in Same-Sex Love\u201d was received at the De Nicola Center\u2019s conference<\/a> this year. The presentation notes are here<\/a> and a brief reflection on what I was trying to do here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/p>\n