It’s About Inequality
By Staff of Nevada Humanities
A committee made up of writers, scholars, book sellers, and community members throughout the state met in late 2019 to select one fiction book and one non-fiction book as part of our statewide reading club, Nevada Reads. Two books were chosen, Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder, and Severance by Ling Ma. This pairing was chosen because of the corresponding theme of displacement and transience found in both books.
As 2020 has unfolded, we see so many more themes in these books that are prescient to these times.
Nomadland is the true story about an emerging group of itinerant workers, mostly seniors, who have fallen out of the middle class and are traveling across the country in RVs and motorhomes, working exploitative, low-paying, temporary jobs. Amazon factories feature prominently throughout the story. Nomadland is an indictment of a broken economic system and its disappearing social safety net. It is also a story of American resilience, but seems to ask, how much more can one bear?
Severance also grapples with capitalism and transience, but through the eyes of first generation Chinese American and millennial Candace Chen. Weaving together narrative family flashbacks with questions of how to navigate a new post-apocalyptic world, Severance offers a boundary-pushing and satirical look at worker alienation amongst a younger generation. The book features a fever illness that sweeps the world. Severance is a heavy book, but it’s also pretty funny. Despite living on the tail of a global pandemic, the main character goes into detail about her skincare routine. Have you ever considered what store you would hole up in, if you were stuck living in a mall? Candance chooses L’Occitane.
Both Severance and Nomadland describe worlds we can barely fathom, yet remain stories so incredibly close to current experiences. How do we survive, and what do we owe one another? Will you join us this year as we delve deeper into these questions? We have Nevada Reads 2020 reading guides, and a 2020 book club toolkit, which include additional reading recommendations, too. As we continue to stay home, keep an eye on this space, as we will be announcing more programming around these two books soon.
And please be in touch. Reach out on social media or email at info@nevadahumanities.org to let us know what you think about Severance and Nomadland.
Nevada Reads on Overdrive
Nevada County libraries have stocked up on copies of both books on their Overdrive service, so a contactless pickup with no wait has never been simpler.
Nomadland is available on Overdrive June 1 - July 31, 2020 from participating county libraries in Nevada and the Nevada State Library at https://silverstarcoop.overdrive.com/. Nomadland is also available through the Clark County Library at: https://lasvegas.overdrive.com/ and at the White Pine County Library at https://www.whitepinecounty.net/459/E-Books
Severance will be available statewide on Overdrive August 1 - October 31, 2020. Keep an eye on our website for more details on accessing Severance.
Nevada Reads on the Radio
If you are short on time to read the books, we will be offering Nevada Reads on the Radio starting in July. A new 14-episode radio program, produced in collaboration with Black Mountain Institute, will air between July and October on radio stations across the state. The show will feature a complete reading of Ling Ma’s Severance, along with conversations with authors, thinkers, and critics.
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