The Futilitarians: Our Year of Thinking, Drinking, Grieving, and Reading
Autor Anne Gislesonen Limba Engleză Paperback – 30 iul 2018
Recommended
Summer
Reading
--Louise
Erdrich,New
York
Times
"Gisleson
writes
with
wit,
warmth,
and
a
spiritual
devotion
to
books...Her
search
for
purpose
and
connection
amid
chaos
and
loss
permeates
even
the
most
heart-wrenching
moments
ofThe
Futilitarians--and
it's
what
turns
the
book
from
a
meditation
on
reading
to
a
celebration
of
being."
--Jason
Heller,
NPR
Anne Gisleson had lost her twin sisters, been forced to flee her home during Hurricane Katrina, and watched cancer take the life of her beloved father. Before she met her husband, Brad, he had suffered his own trauma, losing his partner and the mother of his son to cancer in her early thirties. "How do we keep moving forward," Anne asks, "amid all this loss and threat?" The answer: "We do it together."
While forging their happiness, Anne and Brad found that their friends had been suffering their own crises: loved ones gone, rocky marriages, jobs lost or gained. Together they formed what they called the Existential Crisis Reading Group, jokingly dubbed "the Futilitarians." From Epicurus to Tolstoy, from Cheever to Amis, they read and talked about the questions that dogged them most. In the year after her father's death, these living-room gatherings in post-Katrina New Orleans helped Anne blaze a trail out of her well-worn grief and finally share the untold story of her family.
Anne Gisleson had lost her twin sisters, been forced to flee her home during Hurricane Katrina, and watched cancer take the life of her beloved father. Before she met her husband, Brad, he had suffered his own trauma, losing his partner and the mother of his son to cancer in her early thirties. "How do we keep moving forward," Anne asks, "amid all this loss and threat?" The answer: "We do it together."
While forging their happiness, Anne and Brad found that their friends had been suffering their own crises: loved ones gone, rocky marriages, jobs lost or gained. Together they formed what they called the Existential Crisis Reading Group, jokingly dubbed "the Futilitarians." From Epicurus to Tolstoy, from Cheever to Amis, they read and talked about the questions that dogged them most. In the year after her father's death, these living-room gatherings in post-Katrina New Orleans helped Anne blaze a trail out of her well-worn grief and finally share the untold story of her family.
Written
with
wisdom,
soul,
and
a
playful
sense
of
humor,The
Futilitariansis
a
guide
to
living
curiously
and
fully.
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Specificații
ISBN-13: 9780316393928
ISBN-10: 0316393924
Pagini: 272
Dimensiuni: 143 x 213 x 22 mm
Greutate: 0.23 kg
Editura: Little, Brown and Company
Colecția Back Bay Books
ISBN-10: 0316393924
Pagini: 272
Dimensiuni: 143 x 213 x 22 mm
Greutate: 0.23 kg
Editura: Little, Brown and Company
Colecția Back Bay Books
Notă biografică
Anne
Gisleson's
work
has
appeared
inThe
Atlantic,
The
Oxford
American,
The
Believer,and
theLos
Angeles
Times,
among
other
publications,
and
has
been
selected
for
inclusion
in
several
anthologies,
includingBest
American
Nonrequired
Reading.Gisleson
teaches
at
the
New
Orleans
Center
for
Creative
Arts
and
lives
in
New
Orleans
with
her
husband
and
their
two
sons.
Recenzii
"Moving
and
complete
and
very
much
worth
reading.
.
.
Post-Katrina
New
Orleans
itself
is
an
essential
component
of
this
world;it
lives
on
the
page
in
pungent
detail,
with
all
its
disastrous
losses
andfragile
hopes
.
.
.An
estimable
book."—Emily
Fox
Gordon,New
York
Times
Book
Review
"Gisleson brings New Orleans itself into sharp focus,lingering lovingly on its places, its people, and its history . . . but she [also]goes universal in her debut . . .TheFutilitarianstackles hopelessness, but it never succumbs to it. Gislesonwrites with wit, warmth, and a spiritual devotion to books that never comesacross as preachy . . . This search for purpose and connection amid chaosand loss permeates even the most heart-wrenching moments ofThe Futilitarians--and it'swhat turns the book from a meditation on reading to a celebration of being."—Jason Heller,NPR
"Truly great writing. . . Never does Gislesondip a toe into the clichéd or the saccharine. Employing a Dave Eggers-esque eyefor specificity and the absurd, she conjures the strange beauty of her world .. . An affecting memoir."—Keziah Weir,ELLE
"A healing memoir. . . Reeling from deaths,crises, and trauma, Gisleson and a group of friends formed the ExistentialCrisis Reading Group. InThe Futilitarians, Gisleson movingly recountshow they found comfort in the words of Tolstoy, Kafka, and other greats."—Real Simple
"The meetings themselves are absorbing enough to makeyou crave an invitation, thanks to Gisleson's slyly gorgeous writing.But she also uses them to profound effect as a kind of scaffolding, linearpoles through which to loop her personal story . . . New Orleans has a visceralpresence in these pages, a malleable face, at times a defiant gaiety . . .Refreshingly, Gisleson doesn't offer answers so much as ask good questions . .Her story isn't an easy, read-in-a-couple-of-gulps proposition . . . Yet itoffers a generous companionship, the solace of being seen."—Dawn Raffel,San Francisco Chronicle
"Vivid . . . moving . . . This haunting and personal look at the real New Orleans, a city of light and shadows, is an unflinching meditation on public grief and honest intimacy."—Lauren LeBlanc,St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"This is a shattering and very important book-and will, if there is justice (and there must be justice), be considered one of the best books of this year. There is an ocean of hurt here, but Gisleson manages to sail through it and show us everything that's beautiful about this sea of pain. If you love existential literature, or New Orleans, or your family, or are curious about the meaning of life, then you will findThe Futilitariansto be an essential book."—Dave Eggers,New York Times bestselling author of The Circle and What is the What
"TheFutilitarianssets out a search for meaning in grand terms and solves thesearch in the beauty of loving detail. From suicide to set painting, lunch piesto Death Row, from decayed eternity to the complex rebirth of New Orleans, thisbook never loses the treasure of abiding doubt. Plus, spoiler, it ends infireworks and a reading list you do not want to miss."—Louise Erdrich
"After Katrina, New Orleanians became experts in resilience. Anne Gisleson has captured that spirit poignantly inThe Futilitarians, which explores how we can find meaning in our lives by struggling back from tragedies. Whether as communities or as individuals, she shows, we do it by holding hands and moving forward together."—Walter Isaacson,president of the Aspen Institute and New York Times bestselling author of Steve Jobs and Einstein: His Life and Universe
"This is a beautiful book about the things that matter--love, death, grief, anger, regret, renewal, the life of the mind, the life of the heart, and the life of the world around you. Anne Gisleson is a brave and gifted writer, with the wisdom to embrace empathy and connection, not to mention intellectual curiosity, in an existence that can only ever be filled with uncertainty. I just wish I could join her reading club."
—Sam Lipsyte,New York Times bestselling author of The Ask
"Boozy, brilliant, beautiful, tragic, and deeply affecting,The Futilitariansis my favorite memoir of the year."
—Jami Attenberg,New York Times bestselling author of The Middlesteins
"A wonderful and profoundly moving personal memoir of loss and resilience, and an unforgettable tribute to the great good that comes from reading great books (and talking about them!) Through long evenings of conversation fueled by food, wine, and more wine, the Existential Crisis Reading Group finds sustaining joy in literature, art, community, and yes, family. This book will move you to tears, to laughter, and to joy--and will leave you with a renewed awe for all the unexpected gifts that being alive allows, including the special joy of finding a great book likeThe Futilitarians."
—Nina Sankovitch,author of Tolstoy and the Purple Chair
"Gisleson's memoir is a compassionate journey through personal grief, as well as a smart compendium of literature . . . What ensues is dynamic examination of human suffering and human joy . . . Most moving is her hard look at her twin sisters' lives . . . Her narrative is a wonderful look at friendship and grief, as well as an enlightening personal journey."—Publishers Weekly
"An engrossing memoir chronicling a search for spiritual healing . . . A graceful narrative that seamlessly interweaves philosophical reflections and intimate revelations."—Kirkus Reviews
"With beautiful writing, Gisleson effortlessly weavesexistentialism around narrative, challenging and engaging readers with aseamless blend of theory and memoir. Writer and educator Gisleson's first book-lengthwork weighs heavy with life's toughest questions and then instantaneouslyelevates the soul with hope, making for a charming, captivating, and incrediblysmart must-read."—Melissa Norstedt,Booklist
"[The Futilitarians] seamlessly melds together Gisleson's story, NewOrleans' ongoing recovery, and existential discovery."—Carla Jean Whitley, BookPage
"Readersinterested in expanding their reading lists, as well as those fascinated by NewOrleans, will find this a meaty work."—Rachael Dreyer, Library Journal
"Gisleson brings New Orleans itself into sharp focus,lingering lovingly on its places, its people, and its history . . . but she [also]goes universal in her debut . . .TheFutilitarianstackles hopelessness, but it never succumbs to it. Gislesonwrites with wit, warmth, and a spiritual devotion to books that never comesacross as preachy . . . This search for purpose and connection amid chaosand loss permeates even the most heart-wrenching moments ofThe Futilitarians--and it'swhat turns the book from a meditation on reading to a celebration of being."—Jason Heller,NPR
"Truly great writing. . . Never does Gislesondip a toe into the clichéd or the saccharine. Employing a Dave Eggers-esque eyefor specificity and the absurd, she conjures the strange beauty of her world .. . An affecting memoir."—Keziah Weir,ELLE
"A healing memoir. . . Reeling from deaths,crises, and trauma, Gisleson and a group of friends formed the ExistentialCrisis Reading Group. InThe Futilitarians, Gisleson movingly recountshow they found comfort in the words of Tolstoy, Kafka, and other greats."—Real Simple
"The meetings themselves are absorbing enough to makeyou crave an invitation, thanks to Gisleson's slyly gorgeous writing.But she also uses them to profound effect as a kind of scaffolding, linearpoles through which to loop her personal story . . . New Orleans has a visceralpresence in these pages, a malleable face, at times a defiant gaiety . . .Refreshingly, Gisleson doesn't offer answers so much as ask good questions . .Her story isn't an easy, read-in-a-couple-of-gulps proposition . . . Yet itoffers a generous companionship, the solace of being seen."—Dawn Raffel,San Francisco Chronicle
"Gisleson
gives
us
a
layered
portrait
of
not
just
one
woman's
rich
and
complicated
life,
but
so
much
more:
a
family
suffering
unspeakable
tragedy,
a
city
struggling,
a
group
of
friends
brought
together
to
make
common
cause
in
making
sense
of
life
.
.
.In
her
hands,
the
search
is
beautiful
indeed,
sparkling
with
fierce
intelligence
and
sharp
wit
and
unsparing
honesty.
.
.
Lovers
of
New
Orleans
stories
will
find
much
to
admire
here,
with
Gisleson's
vast
knowledge
and
experience
of
the
city
.
.
.
Her
observations
are
spot-on
.
.
.An
exquisite
memoir."
—Susan
Larson,New
Orleans
Advocate"Vivid . . . moving . . . This haunting and personal look at the real New Orleans, a city of light and shadows, is an unflinching meditation on public grief and honest intimacy."—Lauren LeBlanc,St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"This is a shattering and very important book-and will, if there is justice (and there must be justice), be considered one of the best books of this year. There is an ocean of hurt here, but Gisleson manages to sail through it and show us everything that's beautiful about this sea of pain. If you love existential literature, or New Orleans, or your family, or are curious about the meaning of life, then you will findThe Futilitariansto be an essential book."—Dave Eggers,New York Times bestselling author of The Circle and What is the What
"TheFutilitarianssets out a search for meaning in grand terms and solves thesearch in the beauty of loving detail. From suicide to set painting, lunch piesto Death Row, from decayed eternity to the complex rebirth of New Orleans, thisbook never loses the treasure of abiding doubt. Plus, spoiler, it ends infireworks and a reading list you do not want to miss."—Louise Erdrich
"After Katrina, New Orleanians became experts in resilience. Anne Gisleson has captured that spirit poignantly inThe Futilitarians, which explores how we can find meaning in our lives by struggling back from tragedies. Whether as communities or as individuals, she shows, we do it by holding hands and moving forward together."—Walter Isaacson,president of the Aspen Institute and New York Times bestselling author of Steve Jobs and Einstein: His Life and Universe
"This is a beautiful book about the things that matter--love, death, grief, anger, regret, renewal, the life of the mind, the life of the heart, and the life of the world around you. Anne Gisleson is a brave and gifted writer, with the wisdom to embrace empathy and connection, not to mention intellectual curiosity, in an existence that can only ever be filled with uncertainty. I just wish I could join her reading club."
—Sam Lipsyte,New York Times bestselling author of The Ask
"Boozy, brilliant, beautiful, tragic, and deeply affecting,The Futilitariansis my favorite memoir of the year."
—Jami Attenberg,New York Times bestselling author of The Middlesteins
"A wonderful and profoundly moving personal memoir of loss and resilience, and an unforgettable tribute to the great good that comes from reading great books (and talking about them!) Through long evenings of conversation fueled by food, wine, and more wine, the Existential Crisis Reading Group finds sustaining joy in literature, art, community, and yes, family. This book will move you to tears, to laughter, and to joy--and will leave you with a renewed awe for all the unexpected gifts that being alive allows, including the special joy of finding a great book likeThe Futilitarians."
—Nina Sankovitch,author of Tolstoy and the Purple Chair
"Gisleson's memoir is a compassionate journey through personal grief, as well as a smart compendium of literature . . . What ensues is dynamic examination of human suffering and human joy . . . Most moving is her hard look at her twin sisters' lives . . . Her narrative is a wonderful look at friendship and grief, as well as an enlightening personal journey."—Publishers Weekly
"An engrossing memoir chronicling a search for spiritual healing . . . A graceful narrative that seamlessly interweaves philosophical reflections and intimate revelations."—Kirkus Reviews
"With beautiful writing, Gisleson effortlessly weavesexistentialism around narrative, challenging and engaging readers with aseamless blend of theory and memoir. Writer and educator Gisleson's first book-lengthwork weighs heavy with life's toughest questions and then instantaneouslyelevates the soul with hope, making for a charming, captivating, and incrediblysmart must-read."—Melissa Norstedt,Booklist
"[The Futilitarians] seamlessly melds together Gisleson's story, NewOrleans' ongoing recovery, and existential discovery."—Carla Jean Whitley, BookPage
"Readersinterested in expanding their reading lists, as well as those fascinated by NewOrleans, will find this a meaty work."—Rachael Dreyer, Library Journal