The Man Who Sold America: Trump and the Unraveling of the American Story Book Review

For over 200 years, America, despite her flaws, has stood out as a beacon of democracy and liberty. These days, some question if the image of America is just that, especially given who is in the White House.

In the new book, The Man Who Sold America: Trump and the Unraveling of the American Story, radio and television journalist Joy-Ann Reid explores how you know who has forever altered this country.

She starts the book comparing New York City to it’s fictional comic counterpart, Gotham City and you know who to one of the many villains who take pleasure in antagonizing Batman. She then goes on to explore how you know who’s Presidency has forever changed America and questions what may change when he leaves office.

This book is an interesting one. Among the many books that have been published over the last couple of years about you know who and his administration, Ms. Reid writes about an angle of the story that I don’t think has been explored before. If nothing else, I think this book is the nudge that America needs to get involved in the future of our country before it is too late.

I recommend it.

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Blinded by the Light Movie Review

When one thinks of the bedroom of the average teenager, they think of a room covered with posters of a favorite performer. In the late 1980’s, Sarfraz Manzoor (the author of the memoir Greetings from Bury Park) was like any other teenager with one exception: his love of Bruce Springsteen‘s music was more of an obsession than the typical teenage fan.

His story is told in the new movie, Blinded by the Light. The late 1980’s was not an easy time to live in the UK. Economic and social unrest was the news of the day. The late Margaret Thatcher was running for another term as Prime Minister. In Luton, 16 year old Javed (Viveik Kalra) is your average teenage boy. He wants to write, but his strict Pakistani immigrant father, Malik (Kulvinder Ghir) has other ideas about his son’s future.

Then Javed is introduced to the music of Bruce Springsteen and his world changed forever. But he is caught between the expectations of his family and his own idea of what his future will look like. It takes his teacher, Ms. Clay (Hayley Atwell) to convince Javed to go for his dream, but at what cost?

I really love this film. I love that it speaks to all of us, regardless of age. The expectation of what everyone else expects of you vs following your own heart is a story that has been told time and again. But in the context of this film, this basic narrative with added layers of race, relationships and music, it becomes a story that is both personal and universal.

I absolutely recommend it.

Blinded by the Light is presently in theaters.

Flashback Friday: America: The Story of Us (2010)

History has always been a fascinating topic. But sometimes, it must be couched or presented in a way that is exciting.

America: The Story of Us premiered in 2010 on the History Channel. Airing every 4th of July, this 12 part, 9 hour long documentary tells the story of 400 years of American history. Combining interviews, computer recreations and dramatic re-tellings of the events that shaped America’s history, this show is an academic history book brought to life.

As a history nerd, I find this program fascinating, even after multiple viewings. The history of our country comes alive, as if the viewer is experiencing it first hand. I especially appreciate how the changing technology is woven into the narrative, used an example of the American ideal of thinking out of the box to achieve our goals.

I recommend it.