THE GRAPES OF WRATH
John Steinbeck

When has there not been in a time in America that The Grapes of Wrath has been worth revisiting for some much-needed perspective?  When Reagan busted the unions in the early 80s, it resonated. In the greed boom of late 80s Wall Street, it reminded us of the homelessness that also grew during that era. Today, as the country suffers jobless numbers above 10%, those with jobs work twice as long for half as much and the middle class disappears into a widening chasm between rich and poor, the story of Tom Joad and his family seeking new life and opportunity is as important a reflection of the times now as it was upon its first printing.  In 2009, the dust storm that pushed the Joads from Oklahoma is the financial collapse that is leading our neighbors to abandon their homes and confront new lives vastly different from the ones they planned.

Holiday reading? Absolutely. It’s a sad tale in some ways, but if you have the time and luxury to read a book over the holidays, you are way ahead of the curve in having things to be thankful for. The Grapes of Wrath puts the blessings we enjoy in contemporary America in full focus. - EE

WILD SEED
Octavia Butler

The novelist Walter Mosely once wrote of his deep concern that Black people did not traffic enough in fantasy. In his estimation, for too many people, the world was just too strange and unbelievable in real life to dream of galaxies far far away. To the contrary, these times - the economy, the gloom and doom, the lost jobs, the empty homes, the failing industries – provide the best reason to move your mind beyond the now and into dreams that empower, that capture the imagination, that inspire you ultimately to create a new reality. In that regard, Wild Seed is the both escape and medicine for the soul. - EE