May Discussion: Take the Cannoli
Sometimes people ask us how we choose titles for genre X discussions. It’s a fairly complicated model involving discussion moderators holing up in an office or meeting room with a shared Google Doc and individual lists of ideas. Generally, we each bring some titles or authors to the table that we think might make for interesting discussion, then run through our lists vetoing and up-voting and making counter suggestions.
It was by way of these not-so-complicated cogs that Sarah Vowell ended up on our reading list. I suggested we read one of her books–I don’t remember which. Jennifer and I pulled up a list of her work, and we ran through the list, not necessarily trying to decide which work was “best,” but instead, trying to figure out which title would promote the most interesting discussion.
Take the Cannoli won out because of Vowell’s focus on her interactions with popular culture. Joshua Klein’s 2002 review on the AV Club concludes:
Vowell’s stint on NPR also seems to have cleared som cobwebs and cut out some bullshit: Her voice as a writer is simple, funny, and, most importantly, real. From her gun-making father to her obsession with The Godfather, Disney World, The Chelsea Hotel, and Goths, Take The Cannoli is full of personal anecdotes that rarely try to insert themselves into the pop-culture continuum. Instead, they’re part of the pop-culture continuum, like mental snapshots taken on a tour of the country.
Do you agree with Klein’s take on Take the Cannoli? Join us on Tuesday, May 28th, 8 PM, at Molly Malone’s in Forest Park and let us know what you think. Can’t make it? Share your thoughts on Goodreads.
