February 21, 2014 The Battle of the Books

The Battle of the Books

Tom Maltman, moderator, and, in order of books below, Kim Socha, Amy Fladeboe, and Kris Bigalk (all English faculty) will present the candidates for the Normandale Common book for 2014-2015.  They will argue the merits of each, and will give information helpful in the selection process.

 

            Jonathan Safran Foer, Eating Animals
Upon the birth of his first child, novelist Jonathan Safran Foer decided to research, up close and personal, the production of the food his son would be expected to eat as part of the Standard American Diet. Eating Animals documents those experiences in profound and moving ways that will enlighten readers as they learn the truth about food production in the United States and what goes on behind the scenes to get nonhumans from farm to table.

 

            Matt Rusmussen, Black Aperture

Winner of the Walt Whitman Award and finalist for The National Book Award, Black Aperture is Matt Rasmussen's debut collection of poetry. With poems rooted in Northern Minnesota, Rasmussen reflects on the real tragedy of his brother's suicide. Through speculation, facts, dreams, and jokes, the collection explores the complicated process of mourning in a way that somehow balances pain and relief. 

 

            Cheryl Strayed, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
A memoir about a young woman’s journey through the grief of her mother’s death, and self-destructive behaviors—including heroin addiction.  She decides to hike from the Mojave Desert, through California and Oregon, to Washington state, in hopes of finding peace with herself.  Along the way, she discovers that she knows nothing about hiking, gets into some dicey situations, but learns how to rely on herself, trust others, and become the writer she always wanted to be.  The book has been made into a movie starring Reese Witherspoon and is scheduled for release in 2014.