The backlist: Of cancer journals and checklist manifestos
While it might seem odd to say that Lorde and Gawande are in conversation with each other, Lorde‘s and Gawande’s approaches to the system they critique offer parallel and sometimes intersecting perspectives. Furthermore, Lorde has something to offer Gawande. Whereas Lorde’s focus is more on the emotional journey of a patient in treatment, Gawande’s approach is far more focused on the technical aspects. I would’ve liked to have seen a little bit more emotion penetrate the clinical nature of his approach.
Book review: Imagination
Every year, rather than making resolutions that I won’t keep, I set my intention for the year by choosing a word. This year‘s word is imagination. That’s why I chose Professor Ruha Benjamin’s Imagination as my bridge book for the year—the book I started in 2024 and finished in 2025. Just over 4 hours and under 200 pages, Imagination is a thoughtful exploration of not only our own imaginations, but how our society creates collective imaginaries.
Book review: From a certain point of view: Confirmation bias, narrative, and reader reception in the Gujarat Files
Rana Ayyub seems truly interested in discovering the truth of what happened during the 2002 Gujarat riots and in the encounters that followed. But the question remains: whose truth are we talking about here? That’s where Ayyub’s confirmation bias comes in.