While attending the 2024 Texas Book Festival, I learned that only about 3% of books published in the US are works in translation. We really cheat ourselves of excellent literature and fresh experiences by limiting the market for translated works. The largest publisher of translated literature in the US is a small press/bookshop in Dallas called Deep Vellum. They were tabling enthusiastically at the festival. I am not associated with this press, but I admire the work they do. Even if you aren't in Texas, you can order from their online Bookshop or directly from their inventory at https://store.deepvellum.org/collections/all-inventory
You might want to consider a membership - it's $15/monthly, and they send you every book they publish. More than pays for itself; I've had one for the past two years.
so grateful to have sparked your curiosity for writing again. that alone makes me feel full and so humbled. know that every writer starts somewhere; it'll take time for your work to sound the way you want it to, but trust yourself. rooting for you and all the beautiful art you are sure to create x
Ayan, thank you so much for your incredible writing. I have been screaming for months "It's not cool to be stupid!" and now I have your newsletter that is less insulting and well articulated that I will be pulling out any time someone tries to promote anti-intellectualism.
I read this beautiful article today with so many gems and think people can take different things they like from it. Rachel Tashjian is also one of my favorite writers, maybe I'm biased on how good an article about her is. http://passerbymagazine.com/profiles/rachel-seville-tashjian
thank you my love 🥹 i feel like i've been having some version of this conversation with my girlfriends over the past few months like you. this was just the result of that frustration. the article you recommended looks so interesting; best believe i'm digging in the moment i get a chance 🙂↕️🤌🏿
Oh I love this. Please call us all out. I've been having this feeling deep within me for the past couple years and it has been growing worse all through out 2024. I feel as if I have barely read a single thing. That my learning has faltered and possibly stopped. That I continue to consume but not gain.... and it feels OFF. As someone as in love with biology and psychology as I am, I used to fall deep into research and forums and the latest studies. I would know so many random things just because. But now when I think about it I realize I know no new thing. I don't even have anything to share here to expand others wealth in knowledge.
Speaking to people (familiar or not) during COVID-19 whether about the virus, disease process, or vaccines had me wanting to rip my hair out of my scalp. I couldn't keep doing it. And I couldn't keep reading....I don't think it started there but it's the most recent block I can think of. I feel dull. I am reading significantly less. And I want to read more.
It's why I have substacks, NYT, and others. But I find myself still wasting time on mindless apps. I don't like this but I honestly miss the time of paper. When you got your article subscription and could physically read and write on it. And smell it lol. But I hope I come back here next year having read more and mindlessly screen less. I hope to be pretentious.
I miss learning so much. I know it's up to me to just do it.
i understand this struggle so well and think lots of us recognise we are being pushed further and further away from our curiosity.(i feel like that's why so many people are resonating with this essay in particular). you aren't alone so don't feel dejected or ashamed; even you spending the time to read a long form essay with thousands of words is proof that you are capable of seeking out more than bitesized content. like everyone you, i go through seasons of not learning. the important thing is to always come back home.
rooting for you and for every faltering thinker 🫶🏿🫶🏿 thank you, for both your time and your vulnerability.
thank you for this. you’re so right - anti-intellectualism and prescribed uniqueness really does just lead to no uniqueness at all, and it sucks!! it sucks so bad!!!
it makes me sad that people are less concerned with the consumption of art and literature now that there are other things that are relatively more ‘career-advancing’ (but not necessarily talent-advancing). it’s nice (understatement of the year) to see here how others refuse to let such things overtake learning.
Great read, I've been dissatisfied with how little global cinema I'm familiar with, especially as a film critic early in my career, and I really loved how you call out these cinematic silos we play our part in
the fact that you recognise that you might have blind spots as a critic speaks to you having a self-awareness many in our profession do not. the erasure of global cinema (particularly when it comes time for awards) makes me want to scream but hopefully we can turn this thing around one substack essay at a time.
two pieces of art i’ve been into recently: 1) Aya of Yop City comic series that follows Aya and a colourful cast of characters living in a neighborhood in Abidjan and 2) summer school radio by Lovie presented on The Lot Radio, a radio show that introduced you to so much great, affirmative music. this most recent episode is especially affirmative for the New Year!
A kindred spirit. So glad to have discovered your writing. Keep dropping truth bombs… “nobody understands the value of knowing things more than a working class kid.”
Ayan, this was such a wonderful piece. You touched on so many things I have been feeling, and you truly have such a special and unique way of writing. May we see the death of anti-intellectualism very soon, inshallah.
I recently (finally) read Isabella Hammad's Recognizing the Stranger, and genuinely cannot recommend it enough. I have been pondering the value of bearing witness and whether empathy actually leads to concrete action and Hammad's essay touched on that and explored it so well. 10/10, no notes! To you and Hammad :)
maryam my love thank you 🥹🫰🏿i've heard so much about isabella hammad's work and now i have just the excuse to dive into all her writing. delighted as ever to hear your thoughts on a piece x
Beautiful read in so many ways. Latest piece of art I’ve read, that profoundly stayed with me, was Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. Wish this was a mandatory reading in every high school.
fearless, Ayan! I just love that your pen is always on fire!!
my suggestion is a music album from a Brazilian singer named Liniker. her album’s name is “Caju”. i hope you enjoy if you get the chance to listen it <3
This piece feels validating. I can’t even put into words how astonished I am at your writing prowess. I do worry a lot for this country for a number of reasons, but chief among them is the wave of anti-intellectualism that seems to have touched every aspect of our lives. I am desperately hoping that more people recognize the joy inherent in the pursuit of knowledge for its own the sake.
A recent piece of art that I thoroughly enjoyed was Ann Rice’s Prince Lestat which I finished reading over the holiday break.
So real. Entering college is realizing that people are not really what you expected. Rather than working class, I am literally poor. So I understand the effort. And I'm going to be a snob about it. I'm not going to be falsely humble if peole with all their privileges, have never read anything.
I'll be honest and put my hand up and say I didn't know who that man was in the photo until I image searched him - how have I never seen August Wilson's face before? I've read him, watched his adaptations, wanted to see his plays on stage - but I've never seen his face? Embarrassing for me - but maybe also a comment on how little we get to see the geniuses behind our best media, just because they're not White.
Beautiful idea to make the comments a classroom: I recently watched a 1971 Bollywood film Tere Mere Sapne, and there was an incredibly rich history of pharmacies and medicinal outreach in South Asian communities, misunderstandings of pregnancy and a challenging of the obedient female stereotype: none of which I would have expected. A long watch, but insightful to see how little we sometimes expect of older films, yet they still hold some great surprises.
It’s funny to me that reading is considered higher class when it’s literally the cheapest hobby if you have a smartphone, access to a library, or a computer. The majority of people in the US have access to at least one of these. And a lot of Americans have access to all three.
I had to stop myself from quoting every line! this was brilliant I am in AWE of your mind. I still can't believe there are really people out there saying they're stupid out loud but I'm glad there are people like you willing to call it out. also I love the bit where you said your life experiences are tethered to the art you've consumed over the years, that's a really beautiful way to live
While attending the 2024 Texas Book Festival, I learned that only about 3% of books published in the US are works in translation. We really cheat ourselves of excellent literature and fresh experiences by limiting the market for translated works. The largest publisher of translated literature in the US is a small press/bookshop in Dallas called Deep Vellum. They were tabling enthusiastically at the festival. I am not associated with this press, but I admire the work they do. Even if you aren't in Texas, you can order from their online Bookshop or directly from their inventory at https://store.deepvellum.org/collections/all-inventory
I often buy from Archipelago. Same Mission, but they spearhead the translations themselves, and are a non profit
Great rec. I'm going to check out their catalog
You might want to consider a membership - it's $15/monthly, and they send you every book they publish. More than pays for itself; I've had one for the past two years.
so grateful to have sparked your curiosity for writing again. that alone makes me feel full and so humbled. know that every writer starts somewhere; it'll take time for your work to sound the way you want it to, but trust yourself. rooting for you and all the beautiful art you are sure to create x
Ayan, thank you so much for your incredible writing. I have been screaming for months "It's not cool to be stupid!" and now I have your newsletter that is less insulting and well articulated that I will be pulling out any time someone tries to promote anti-intellectualism.
I read this beautiful article today with so many gems and think people can take different things they like from it. Rachel Tashjian is also one of my favorite writers, maybe I'm biased on how good an article about her is. http://passerbymagazine.com/profiles/rachel-seville-tashjian
thank you my love 🥹 i feel like i've been having some version of this conversation with my girlfriends over the past few months like you. this was just the result of that frustration. the article you recommended looks so interesting; best believe i'm digging in the moment i get a chance 🙂↕️🤌🏿
Oh I love this. Please call us all out. I've been having this feeling deep within me for the past couple years and it has been growing worse all through out 2024. I feel as if I have barely read a single thing. That my learning has faltered and possibly stopped. That I continue to consume but not gain.... and it feels OFF. As someone as in love with biology and psychology as I am, I used to fall deep into research and forums and the latest studies. I would know so many random things just because. But now when I think about it I realize I know no new thing. I don't even have anything to share here to expand others wealth in knowledge.
Speaking to people (familiar or not) during COVID-19 whether about the virus, disease process, or vaccines had me wanting to rip my hair out of my scalp. I couldn't keep doing it. And I couldn't keep reading....I don't think it started there but it's the most recent block I can think of. I feel dull. I am reading significantly less. And I want to read more.
It's why I have substacks, NYT, and others. But I find myself still wasting time on mindless apps. I don't like this but I honestly miss the time of paper. When you got your article subscription and could physically read and write on it. And smell it lol. But I hope I come back here next year having read more and mindlessly screen less. I hope to be pretentious.
I miss learning so much. I know it's up to me to just do it.
Anyways, thank you. Great read :)
i understand this struggle so well and think lots of us recognise we are being pushed further and further away from our curiosity.(i feel like that's why so many people are resonating with this essay in particular). you aren't alone so don't feel dejected or ashamed; even you spending the time to read a long form essay with thousands of words is proof that you are capable of seeking out more than bitesized content. like everyone you, i go through seasons of not learning. the important thing is to always come back home.
rooting for you and for every faltering thinker 🫶🏿🫶🏿 thank you, for both your time and your vulnerability.
thank you for this. you’re so right - anti-intellectualism and prescribed uniqueness really does just lead to no uniqueness at all, and it sucks!! it sucks so bad!!!
it makes me sad that people are less concerned with the consumption of art and literature now that there are other things that are relatively more ‘career-advancing’ (but not necessarily talent-advancing). it’s nice (understatement of the year) to see here how others refuse to let such things overtake learning.
‘prescribed uniqueness’ is the PERFECT phrase for this crisis of personality we are seeing. thank you for reading 🫶🏿
Great read, I've been dissatisfied with how little global cinema I'm familiar with, especially as a film critic early in my career, and I really loved how you call out these cinematic silos we play our part in
the fact that you recognise that you might have blind spots as a critic speaks to you having a self-awareness many in our profession do not. the erasure of global cinema (particularly when it comes time for awards) makes me want to scream but hopefully we can turn this thing around one substack essay at a time.
thank you so much for reading 🫶🏿
two pieces of art i’ve been into recently: 1) Aya of Yop City comic series that follows Aya and a colourful cast of characters living in a neighborhood in Abidjan and 2) summer school radio by Lovie presented on The Lot Radio, a radio show that introduced you to so much great, affirmative music. this most recent episode is especially affirmative for the New Year!
both going on my list!! thank you for your recommendations and for taking the time to read 🫶🏿🫶🏿
A kindred spirit. So glad to have discovered your writing. Keep dropping truth bombs… “nobody understands the value of knowing things more than a working class kid.”
🫶🏿🫶🏿🫶🏿
Ayan, this was such a wonderful piece. You touched on so many things I have been feeling, and you truly have such a special and unique way of writing. May we see the death of anti-intellectualism very soon, inshallah.
I recently (finally) read Isabella Hammad's Recognizing the Stranger, and genuinely cannot recommend it enough. I have been pondering the value of bearing witness and whether empathy actually leads to concrete action and Hammad's essay touched on that and explored it so well. 10/10, no notes! To you and Hammad :)
maryam my love thank you 🥹🫰🏿i've heard so much about isabella hammad's work and now i have just the excuse to dive into all her writing. delighted as ever to hear your thoughts on a piece x
Beautiful read in so many ways. Latest piece of art I’ve read, that profoundly stayed with me, was Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. Wish this was a mandatory reading in every high school.
thank you so much 🫶🏿 also, homegoing is one of the most brilliant novels i've ever read. i think i own life three copies.
fearless, Ayan! I just love that your pen is always on fire!!
my suggestion is a music album from a Brazilian singer named Liniker. her album’s name is “Caju”. i hope you enjoy if you get the chance to listen it <3
thank you julia!! will absolutely be checking out caju; cannot wait xx
This piece feels validating. I can’t even put into words how astonished I am at your writing prowess. I do worry a lot for this country for a number of reasons, but chief among them is the wave of anti-intellectualism that seems to have touched every aspect of our lives. I am desperately hoping that more people recognize the joy inherent in the pursuit of knowledge for its own the sake.
A recent piece of art that I thoroughly enjoyed was Ann Rice’s Prince Lestat which I finished reading over the holiday break.
So real. Entering college is realizing that people are not really what you expected. Rather than working class, I am literally poor. So I understand the effort. And I'm going to be a snob about it. I'm not going to be falsely humble if peole with all their privileges, have never read anything.
"three Luca Guadagino films" so so true 😭 l
I'll be honest and put my hand up and say I didn't know who that man was in the photo until I image searched him - how have I never seen August Wilson's face before? I've read him, watched his adaptations, wanted to see his plays on stage - but I've never seen his face? Embarrassing for me - but maybe also a comment on how little we get to see the geniuses behind our best media, just because they're not White.
Beautiful idea to make the comments a classroom: I recently watched a 1971 Bollywood film Tere Mere Sapne, and there was an incredibly rich history of pharmacies and medicinal outreach in South Asian communities, misunderstandings of pregnancy and a challenging of the obedient female stereotype: none of which I would have expected. A long watch, but insightful to see how little we sometimes expect of older films, yet they still hold some great surprises.
It’s funny to me that reading is considered higher class when it’s literally the cheapest hobby if you have a smartphone, access to a library, or a computer. The majority of people in the US have access to at least one of these. And a lot of Americans have access to all three.
I had to stop myself from quoting every line! this was brilliant I am in AWE of your mind. I still can't believe there are really people out there saying they're stupid out loud but I'm glad there are people like you willing to call it out. also I love the bit where you said your life experiences are tethered to the art you've consumed over the years, that's a really beautiful way to live
candice thank you for taking the time to read and for your kind, kind words 🥹❤️ currently kicking my feet and twirling my headscarf.