The Peter White Public Library in Marquette is shown. (Journal file photo)

“Center Center: A Funny, Sexy, Sad Almost Memoir of a Boy in Ballet” by James Whiteside: I was pleasantly surprised by James Whiteside’s approach to writing about his career as a dancer. There is so much more to this book then just ballet, which makes it more inclusive to folks who don’t know much about the world of professional dancing. Whiteside documents his tumultuous childhood, his wildly imaginative mother Nancy, growing up gay in east coast cities and how he found acceptance and danger of being out. A main focus of the book is about James’ identity as a gay man and his lived experiences. My favorite part is the essay about his free-spirited mother, Nancy, who encouraged her five children to live authentically, even though she herself struggled with her son’s sexuality. She was a complicated character in the essay- at times hard to love with her poor decision making and struggles with addiction. However, it is obvious how much love she had for all of her children and how hard she fought for all of them. After reading, I loved Nancy and mourned her passing. These essays make you feel like you are having a conversation with your best friend late into the night.

“Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement” by Tarana Burke: At this point I think we’ve all heard of the hashtag #metoo that circulated around the internet in 2019. The phrase “me too” in regards to supporting sexual assault survivors has been around much longer than that. The book document’s Tarana Burke’s autobiographical account of how she coined “me too,” sheds light into her own experiences with sexual violence and how she chose to advocate for other Black girls that went through the same thing. Burke’s story is very difficult to read. Not because she is a poor writer (far from it, I enjoyed her conversational tone throughout the book) but the pervasiveness of abuse and assault in the communities she was serving. Her story is incredibly motivating. She channels her pain and anger towards organizing and advocacy, and reading about her experiences doing “the work” will make other readers want to do the same. Unbound credits the creator of the phrase that has become so emblematic of the current state of justice and gender relations. It is so important to learn about the origins of phrases that shape our world, and Tarana Burke does a good job of it.

“What Happened to Paula: On the Death of an American Girl” by Katherine Dykstra We’ve all heard a version of this story before. At the height of the 70’s, a pretty young woman from a boring Midwestern town shows up dead in a culvert. Who put her there? Why? Katherine Dykstra became involved with Paula Oberbroeckling’s case when her mother-in-law recruited her in making a documentary about the case. The mother-in-law is from the same town as Paula (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) and only missed her by a few years in school. The close proximity between Katherine and Paula comes from familial ties to the area, a connection that only grows as Katherine learns more about Paula’s life, personality, and the cultural norms of that time. The book covers a lot of ground concerning the passing of Roe v. Wade, as it is suspected that Paula died from a failed home abortion. Dysktra does an excellent job contextualizing Paula’s life and circumstances within that time in American history. Race relations, the sexual revolution, societal expectations of women’s bodies and lives all melt together to paint a picture of why Paula had been murdered. Her death remains unsolved to this day, but as the author puts it, “If no one is guilty, then everyone’s to blame.” It’s a great book for fans of “The Third Rainbow Girl” by Emma Copley Eisenberg.

“Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism” by Amanda Montell: It seems like cults are having another moment in the media spotlight. From podcasts to books to television, cults are something that has deep roots in American pop culture. Montell takes a broad look at cult leaders or cultish groups use of language to intrigue their members and keep them on the inside. Cultish is written with the flair of a trendy magazine article which makes it a fun read despite how dark the topic can get. Amanda Montell casts a wide net as to what and who she considers cultish. Examples can extend to Jonestown to Crossfit in the span of a couple paragraphs (she doesn’t say that all exercise clubs are cults, but the similarities between diction used by both are … striking). The book is a deep dive about what moves us and bonds us together in an increasingly lonely world. I enjoyed Montell’s own testimony of breaking into tears while doing a mantra filled kickboxing class. The writing style is fresh and accessible without sacrificing its heavily researched content. I think anyone interested in fringe topics like cults and mysticism would enjoy this book.

By Madeline Bitter

Reference Department

Peter White

Public Library