The strangest book-related interaction I ever had happened at a party Boaz and I threw at our apartment in Amsterdam. One of the guests - I don’t know why I’m protecting this person with anonymity but I’ll just say he was there because he was someone’s boss - was admiring our bookshelf.
“What’s this one?” he said, picking up - maybe it was The Interestings, or The History of Love, or Convenience Store Woman, really it could have been anything. It was good, and I told him he could have it.
“Whoa wait” he said, looking at the book closer. “This is written by a woman?”
“Yes?” I said not confidently as I pushed it into his hand. Getting rid of books is one of the main reasons we have parties. If you touch one you have to take it.
“I’ve never read a book written by a woman.” he mused, this man who for some reason I’m keeping nameless. He said it as though I was offering him a pet snake, or suggesting he wear a sweatshirt as pants, or use yogurt as hair gel.
Is this a good time to mention he had come to drink free booze at the apartment of a woman who writes books?
He managed to stomach looking at the book another few seconds before the concept fully grossed him out, and he handed it to me to put it back on the shelf. “Ehh, I don’t know about books by women - it’s interesting.”
Books written by women: not for him.
Later he left, which was awesome.
I wasn’t aware “books by women” was a category until he made it one, but here are two books by women I read last month and loved.
What You Are Looking for is in the Library
This is the most soothing book written by an author of any gender. I’d been looking at it at bookstores and Boaz somehow knew and got it for me for Hanukkah.
I love everything by Roz Chast but DON’T really love hearing people’s dreams, so when Boaz got it for me for Hanukkah (another theme to these books) I had mixed feelings. But I loved it - she manages to describe things that are so what dreams are like, and also hilarious.
Do you also try to get rid of books at parties? Have you read any good books lately? Are you the one person in the world who likes hearing other people’s dreams? I hope you have a good week and read some good books, or at least an interesting grocery list or text.
"Later he left, which was awesome." I cackled.
I went to a memorial and my friend (his partner) put out all of his books and asked everyone to take one. The books fell into three categories: politics (75%), relationships (10%) and bridge (15%). There happened to be one book of poetry, which I took. I loved that.