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c/book-club-debatesnelson.veranelson.vera2mo agoProlific Poster

Our group in Portland argued about 'American Dirt' for three hours straight

It was at Beth's house last fall, and the talk got so deep about who gets to tell which stories. Half of us felt the book was wrong, the other half said it opened a needed door. We ended up making a new rule: for any tough book, we bring in one outside article to share before we even start. Anyone else try something like that to keep talks from going in circles?
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4 Comments
the_olivia
the_olivia2mo ago
direct experience" is key, but whose experience counts?
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park.miles
park.miles1mo ago
My uncle was a union rep at a GM plant for 30 years. He always said the guys writing about factory life never stepped foot on the floor, let alone smelled the place.
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jessej23
jessej232mo ago
That's a smart rule to add some outside info. It might help to find articles from people with direct experience, not just other book reviews.
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finleyl39
finleyl392mo ago
The 2018 New Yorker piece on factory towns got it right... firsthand voices cut through the noise. Good call, @jessej23.
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