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Awkward and Definition: The High School Comic Chronicles of Ariel Schrag

Review by Jasmine (Jammys) Chang

In the first two installments of Ariel Schrag’s comic trilogy, “Awkward” and “Definition”, Ariel chronicles her freshman and sophomore years of high school. Created the summer after the fact, Ariel depicts her life and the people in it with fascinating honesty and detail, so that the reader lives each year along with her. In other words, if you’ve never been a high school girl, then reading this book is the opportunity for you to have that experience. However, if you’re in high school now, this book likely will be super relevant and familiar. To start off, let me just say that as a dykey teen, it’s super relieving and validating to find literature (or any type of media really) written by other dykey teens about their experiences. I can’t say this happens too often; most of the “LGBT” crap you find in the teen sections of bookstores and libraries is overdone, sappy novels written by adults. They’ll reiterate the standard coming out story, mix in some unrealistically convenient love interest, and perhaps touch upon issues like coming to terms with one’s sexuality, family rejection, and homophobic bullies. However, everything miraculously falls perfectly into place in the end; the homophobic mom comes around, the bullies disappear, the boyfriend agrees to stop hiding and proudly walk down the halls holding hands and the protagonist soars across a magnificent gay rainbow on the back of a unicorn. After all, once you’ve successfully jumped over the hurdles of finding self-acceptance and coming out to your loved ones, “It Gets Better™”, right? Thing is, this is just not realistic, nor is it too fun for queer youth to read over and over again. We know the story, but we can’t really relate to it. The characters are too shallow and the plot overall just isn’t thought out well. On the other hand, “Awkward” and “Definition” depict a reality we can connect with. Not that my life is identical to Ariel Schrag’s, but her stories hit home with me. The friendships, inside jokes, confusion, teen melodrama, etc. are so familiar, it’s almost creepy. There’s something really extraordinary about reading a book that seems like it was meant for you since you can relate so much. I knew before diving into the book that at some point Ariel was going to start “experimenting” with sexuality; however, it takes her quite a while. You get a few hints that she’s heading queerwards (such as her obsession with L7), but if you’re looking for instant gratifigaytion, the pace might be kinda frustrating. Again, this sets “Awkward” and “Definition” apart from other queer books. Ariel’s comics aren’t solely about gayness; they actually have a substantial plot. For some queer lit readers, this is a big relief: books with queer characters that aren’t completely centered on how gay they are? Who would’ve thought? “Awkward” and “Definition” definitely have a 90’s feel, especially emphasized by references to Marilyn Manson, No Doubt and Nine Inch Nails. I’m not a 90’s kid, but Ariel Schrag obviously is and I know there’s a plethora of you out there who will love the 90’s pop culture that’s infused into the comics. Similarly, if you enjoyed My So-Called Life, Ariel’s series certainly has a similar vibe to it. So whether you’re nostalgic for the glory days of high school hell or you’re living in it right now, Ariel Schrag’s high school chronicles are candy reads you’ll probably finish in one sitting. I honestly can’t wait to read her 3rd installment, “Potential”; I need something to distract me from my textbooks.

Expect Resistance: A Field Manual

Review by Zach Sylvester

As a poetic piece its a pretty good read but there are several flaws when it comes to the authors conveying their thoughts. If you haven't read Crimethinc its at least worth a flip-through.

Academic Repression: Reflections from the Academic Industrial Complex

Review by Zach Sylvester

This has several worthwhile essays in it but the 500 pages is a waste of paper for this book. It could've been much more concise in delivering its messages and anecdotes. It also often stands in the left-right paradigm. Scan the table of contents and you'll probably come away with 3-10 essays that intrigue you.

The Dhammapada

Review by Alex Crawford

Best book I have EVER read. For those unaware, the Dhammapada is a collection of verses taken from the Buddha's teachings and intended for the lay-practitioner. The verses are sorted thematically, and each chapter (or pair of them) is given an introduction to give context to the verses. Combined with the long introduction by Easwaran, this book can easily serve to bolster anyone's spirituality, regardless of their tradition.

Pax Romana

Review by Zach Sylvester

Reading Transhuman before picking up Pax Romana helped me persevere through what in my opinion was a slow start to this story but if you make it to the middle you'll be at the end before you know it.

Dumbing Us Down

Review by Zach Sylvester

Its not really necessary to read the entire book, the second half starts to become redundant. The first few essays will give you plenty of meat in which to analyze our education system.

A Red Mass For Mars

Review by Zach Sylvester

Not nearly as good as The Nightly News or Transhuman in my opinion.

Naked

Review by Zach Sylvester

This was the first Sedaris novel for me. As a memoir it was fantastic. Sometimes I found myself drifting into daydream while reading it but nevertheless I recommend this for those who look to laugh while reading.

Transhuman

Review by Zach Sylvester

Excellent voice and good humor sprinkled in as well.

Zeitoun

Review by Zach Sylvester

Outrageously good.

The Eden Express

Review by Kathleen Cross

This is a really interesting read. Mark is the oldest child of Vonnegut's, so he remembers back to before Vonnegut got famous and was still poor and raising like twelve kids. In his twenties, Mark become schizophrenic- he struggles for a long time in this crazy medical system. He gets better, and then ends up BECOMING A DOCTOR. Can you imagine how hard that would be? This is very well written, and has interesting insight into fame, mental illness and the medical establishment.

Chariots of the Gods?: Unsolved Mysteries of the Past

Review by David Czuba

I cannot believe this book hasn't been reviewed yet. Daniken follows the blood, bone, and stone trail of human origins, and has the guts to inquire beyond the "accepted" theories, which are purportedly supported by evidence and triangulation. If the partly debunked biblical account of human origins holds sway over a huge segment of the population, then Chariots of the Gods deserves just as much airplay on the treatment of human origins. At any rate, this book is a cultural classic needing serious reading and contemplation. If we are a society that can consider space exploration beyond the moon, as well as science fiction that stretches our ideas of how to survive in the universe, then Chariots of the Gods serves as required reading.

Mind: Evolution or Revolution? The Emergence of Holistic Education

Review by David Czuba

These conference proceedings by the Holistic Education Network (http://www.hent.org/) start the conversation on education as a humanistic continuing construct, instead of a periodic, interrupted system that compartmentalizes learning. The writers here are founders of a movement: Jack Canfield, Theodore Roszak, Howard Kisrschenbaum, etc. It is interesting to read their insights before the Web age, since they predict the kind of collaborative, interwoven learning necessary for a society to thrive. Today, instead, we still have dinosaur education, modeled to fit industrial molds, supported by the state more than how individuals really learn. Reading this work should move us to get involved in groups like Whatcom Folk School and FourthCornerExchange on a local level, and Kahn Academy or Udacity on a global level.