World Wide Work: Books, Films, Music You May Have Missed

The way holidays like Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are celebrated in the U.S. became an issue in the recent Democratic primary for governor of Wisconsin.

Both the Republican and Democratic establishment made much of old tweets on that subject by candidate Francesca Hong, who lost by fewer than 4,000 votes out of more than 750,000 cast.

The New York Times accused Hong of making holidays “political.”

As this review points out, the new book, “Make Holidays Your Own,” makes clear that holidays have always been political.

Each holiday comes with a story that reinforces a certain way of looking at our society, and that passes on certain values to the next generation. Some of those stories are out of date, incomplete, or inaccurate. They leave out many people in our communities. They distort or paper over uncomfortable aspects of our common history. And for many holidays, much of the original meaning or focus has been lost.

That’s why Make Holidays Your Own suggests ways to celebrate that are more meaningful, inclusive, historically accurate, and fun.

BOOKS

Avalon, Rise by Madeline ffitch (FSG). This novelist (who really does spell her last name that way) has an uncommon way with words and writes about unusual characters. In this book, she introduces us to food activists, anarchists, white nationalists, small-town librarians, social workers, and more.

Whistler by Ann Patchett (Harper). A woman in her fifties has had three fathers or stepfathers. One of them, who was divorced because he was gay, comes back into her life unexpectedly, forming a bond filled with kindness.

Drayton and Mackenzie by Alexander Starritt (Atlantic Monthly). A rambling novel tells the story of the friendship between two men. They start out working for the world’s largest consulting firm as it advises other companies on how to lay off employees. Then they start their own business that hopes to make a big dent in the world’s climate crisis.

Of Loss and Lavender by Sinan Antoon (Other Press). A novel by an Iraqi writer focuses on the lives of two refugees in the U.S. – one a retired doctor with Alzheimer’s and the other a deserter from the Iraqi army.

Tehran Diaries by Raha Nik-Andish (OR Books). Using a pseudonym for their own safety, an Iranian writer paints a picture of the people of Iran caught between three corrupt and violent regimes – the governments of the U.S., Israel, and Iran itself.

The Golden Fortress by Bill Lascher (Chicago Review). This fascinating history about the use of police against immigrants focuses on the 1930s when cops were deployed at checkpoints where other states bordered California. Their mission was to try to stop dust bowl refugees from the Midwest and South from entering the state. Anti-immigrant sentiment was whipped up by public officials and the news media by claiming that these refugees were mostly criminals rather than working people looking for a way to support their families. In some cases, the power structure in rural counties opposed the anti-immigrant campaign because ranchers and other wealthy interests depended on migrant labor.

Courage or Complicity by Steve Early and Suzanne Gordon (PM). Military veterans are often used as political props even as corporate profiteers push for privatization of the VA, increased spending for military contracts, and war and genocide abroad. This highly informative book shines a light on how veterans are treated and what many of them are doing to fight for justice for themselves and all working people.

Search Work edited by Rachel Meade Smith (OR Books). As corporate greed has reshaped the economy, looking for work has become a job in itself for more unemployed people, often with profound impacts on mental health and personal relationships. Many are unable to find jobs in the fields or at the levels for which they are trained. This anthology brings this phenomenon into the open, using personal testimonies, examples of job ads, and more.

Keep Going by Ellen David Friedman ((PM). A lifelong organizer provides insightful, readable advice, with stories that illustrate the points she makes. While the book is primarily about workplace organizing, much of it would be helpful to organizers on other issues as well.

Movements That Win by Aric McBay (Seven Stories). An experienced organizer shares stories about grassroots movements on issues like fossil fuel pipelines, Walmart’s impact on workers and communities, nuclear waste, and many more. A recurring theme is the importance of balancing the need to celebrate victories with the need to learn from each campaign and organize for the long haul.

The Anti-Defamation League and the Racial State by Emmaia Gelman (University of California). The ADL has long portrayed itself as the Jewish civil rights organization and the leader in the fight against antisemitism. This scholarly history documents the ADL’s role in helping the establishment to suppress Left movements that challenge capitalism, colonialism, military and police power, and genocide.

Three Roads by Joe Uehlein (PM). In this plain-talk memoir, Uehlein describes his evolution from labor leader to climate activist. He grew up in a union family in Ohio and got industrial and construction jobs, including helping to build the Three Mile Island nuclear plant. Later, he became a union organizer in the South and then a strategist taking on some of the world’s richest corporate magnates. As he became more aware of the climate crisis, he founded the Labor Network for Sustainability that tries to bring unions and environmentalists together.

Alaska Literary Field Guide edited by Marybeth Holleman, Nancy Lord, and Shaelene Grace Moler (Skipstone). You don’t have to be Alaskan to appreciate this homage to more than 90 species of animals, birds, trees, plants, and other beings as well as natural phenomena like the aurora borealis. The book skillfully combines scientific natural histories, artwork, and poetry.

FILMS

Madam President. A four-part PBS series from Iceland shows the lived experience that led Vigdís Finnbogadóttir in 1980 to successfully become the first woman democratically elected president of any country.

Lilith Fair. In 1997, singer Sarah McLachlan organized a series of concerts featuring women performers – a radical idea at the time that was met with great skepticism by those who ran the music industry. The tour, featuring such stars as the Indigo Girls, Tracy Chapman, Bonnie Raiit, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, Fiona Apple, and many more, was a rousing success and raised more than $10 million for community nonprofits.

Charliebird. In this exceptionally well crafted and sad feature film, a woman in her early 30s works as a music therapist for children who may have terminal illnesses. When she is assigned to help a 17-year-old girl, each of them helps the other one grow.

Tailless. A Chilean wildlife photographer follows a Patagonian mountain lion born without a tail. The 24-minute documentary shows the human threats these animals face and how they can be protected through ranchers’ use of guard dogs.

Watchtower. A Turkish woman who has been left without good options by traumatic events not of her own making encounters a man who is working at a remote fire tower in an attempt to leave behind a tragedy of his own.

Peacock. In this German film, a man works for a business called MyCompanion that sends him out to pretend to be whatever the client wants, from a loyal son to a cultured boyfriend to the father a child never had. But eventually he begins to lose track of his own identity.

MUSIC

Devil Hills by Mary Hott. A 7th generation West Virginian sings about coal communities and the struggles they’ve been through.

Southern Man by RJ Chesney. Surprising poetry comes from a singer from the Deep South who says: “You don’t get to tell me how to protest, you don’t get to tell me when to kneel or when to stand. You don’t get to tell me who to love, and you don’t get to tell me how to be a southern man.”