I don't really read The Onion. I'm not sure why, because I really like The Onion, but generally just scanning the headlines is enough so satisfy my itch for satirical news*. However, I read The A.V. Club pretty religiously. It is one of my favourite places on the whole internet for pop culture writing (and I say that as someone who spends a lot of time reading about pop culture on the internet). The Big Rewind is the memoir of Nathan Rabin, The A.V. Club's head writer. Imagine, if you will, what the life story of such a person might have been like... Nathan Rabin's life has been nothing like what you just pictured. Nathan Rabin's life has been crazy.
He was kidnapped by his mother.
He attempted suicide by taking a bottle of caffeine pills.
He spends most of his teenage years in a group home for emotionally disturbed boys.
The group home chapters are my favourite part of the book. Rabin's descriptions of his time there, and especially of the other boys in the home, are really funny and touching and strange: "Now, I don't want to suggest that the people I grew up with were feral subliterates. But the people I grew up with were feral subliterates".
The rest of the book, while still enjoyable, is less compelling. I can't really figure out why though. It is hard to top the antics of emotionally disturbed boys, I guess. It's not as if Rabin goes to college and all of a sudden stops getting caught up in bizarre situations. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that, after a while, all the weirdness that goes on can't be blamed on unfortunate circumstances anymore. Most of the time if you are an adult and your life is crazy it is because you are making your life crazy. No one forced you into getting sad, $200 dollar handjobs, or into taking mushrooms before going the Ann Frank Museum, Rabin. You did that yourself.
Although, he ended up with pretty much the coolest job on the planet so maybe his judgment is not as bad as he makes it out to be.
I am getting a little bit behind on my reading! I am about 2/3 of the way through book ten right now. I would love to just sit down and power through it, but school has been getting in the way this week, and will continue to do so for the next couple of days. After this midterm is over and this paper is finished I am going to have to read like a madwoman to catch up.
Page count: 368
Up next: My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme
*This is the best one I've seen lately.
2 comments:
Look at us both falling behind at exactly the same time. I'm going to catch up though! I fear if I fall too far behind I'll NEVER catch up!
I have the same fear, but I have faith. I CAN catch up, I WILL catch up. I am glad we are doing this together so we can keep each other on track.
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