Reading Graphically: Two by Tillie Walden

Posted on January 9, 2020 by Daniel (@MKNN)

I mentioned two short works by Tillie Walden in a Reading Graphically post. Her two longer graphic novels deserve some attention, too.

First, there is Spinning (2017), which tells of her time as a competitive youth figure skater, first in New Jersey, and then in Austin, Texas. Then, there is On A Sunbeam (2018), a space opera of sorts, complete with spaceships that look for all the world like Siamese fighting fish.

Both books, at their core, focus on two themes: first, a deeply human look at young women coming out as lesbians and, second, the importance of finding a community to belong to.

I find Walden’s work incredibly direct emotionally: it never fails to move me, whether it is looking at the highly mundane moments associated with ice skating (waking up early, going to practice, never getting enough sleep, the long boredom of meets, etc) or a galaxy-spanning yarn focused on a group of intergalactic building renovators doing what they can to keep the crew together.

Seriously.

If you enjoy graphic novels that are aimed at human relations and emotional directness, these are for you. And Walden remains one of the brightest young lights in the field.

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Reading Well: Elizabeth Costello by J.M. Coetzee

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Daniel (@MKNN)

I usually really react well to J.M. Coetzee’s work (see Disgrace). Elizabeth Costello (2003) is a very strange novel.

There are two dominant modes in the book: one is a series of lectures given by the eponymous lead character; the other is more traditionally fictive, covering her travels and reflections towards the end of her life.

The fictional Costello wrote a single great work, a retelling of Ulysses from the perspective of Molly Bloom, and the core of the novel are her attempts to come to grips with the gap between that single achievement and the rest of her intellectual life (which is much deeper and wide-ranging). It closes with two reconciliations: one with a sister she has not seen in decades; the other with a jury to whom Costello must prove her worthiness of passing through “the gate.”

Neither goes quite as hoped. The former provides the most striking moments in the writing; the latter is an intellectual exploration of the nature of truth and change, and whether either is actually required or possible.

It is an interesting book, but a minor one, more slow and thought-provoking than gripping or deeply engaging.

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Reading Graphically: 5 Graphic Novels

Posted on December 23, 2019 by Daniel (@MKNN)

{so, yeah … many months have passed. We’ll be catching up over the next few weeks.}

Another interlude …

Pierre Paquet and Tony Sandoval‘s A Glance Backward (2015) is a translation of Paquet’s original work in French, telling a fantastical story of a young boy’s journey through grief. It’s not terribly original material in this format, but the artwork is surreal and endearing, and there are some truly creative and touching moments.

Roz Chast‘s Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant (2014) is a brutally honest telling of the final decades of her parents’ lives. Chast is an experienced and established artist, and her skill never wavers here, including a level of critical self-presentation that is striking. At the same time, there is such a level of emotional incompetence in her family that the story serves best as a dramatic and forceful warning: if you have parents and you haven’t begun to talk with them about death and end of life care and how all that should happen, you need to do so. Now. No matter how difficult those conversations are.

Gale Bertrand‘s A Land Called Tarot (2017) is gorgeous and wordless, which really is a sub-genre of graphic novels all its own. It rewards a slow consumption due to the quality of the art, and the narrative that emerges maintains its own coherence, even without language.

Blutch has been producing cartoons for jazz magazines (predominantly in Europe) for decades; Total Jazz (2017) collects a series of these. The more of an aficionado of the music you are, the more amusing the pages will be, as they both pay tribute to artists and the art form and effectively skewer some of the cliches of the relationships between audience and artist.

My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies (2018) by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips is a great one-shot: a tightly paced noir tale with enough of a twist to make the payoff worthwhile. As you may guess from the title, it’s not the most optimistic and happy of tales, but still excellent.

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Reading Well: My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Posted on August 30, 2019 by Daniel (@MKNN)

Oyinkan Braithwaite‘s debut novel, My Sister, The Serial Killer (2018) is a rollicking ride, the arc of which is described quite well by its title. Set in contemporary Lagos, the strength of the novel is the relationship between the two sisters in question.

One–the protagonist–is intelligent, practical, and professionally accomplished; the other is gorgeous, flighty, and, yes, a serial killer. Both sisters, but especially the protagonist, are well drawn and will remain with the reader well past the end of the book.

The success of the novel is in their relationship, and specifically in how it navigates the question of just how much thicker blood is than … well, blood. It’s not just the two sisters, though: their father looms over the book like a dark shadow, and there is a central love interest that–at least at first–is a sympathetic, compelling character. The way a reader responds to the choices made by that character will dictate a lot of how the book ultimately lands for the reader.

For me, the novel ends up being simultaneously heartfelt (how far would you go for a sibling?) and ridiculous (like any non-horror story involving serial killers), a mixture that keeps the pages turning to the very end.

#WhatIWishICouldDo

Braithwaite does a marvelous job of writing about family loyalty in an oblique way that provides a constant backdrop to the plot. It’s very technical and very subtle, and it makes the book far better that it otherwise could be.

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Reading Well: The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin

Posted on August 12, 2019 by Daniel (@MKNN)

This massive collection encompasses The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (2010), The Broken Kingdom (2011), and The Kingdom of Gods (2014). A shorter novella, The Awakened Kingdom (2014) is tossed in for good effect. Having been really pleasantly surprised by N.K. Jemisin’s The Broken Earth trilogy, I went into this with fairly high expectations.

It delivered nicely.

This is fantasy writing, an escape and a page-turner, as opposed to some of the other things I’ve read more recently. But it’s creative fantasy, and the world-building is thick and compelling.

I started The Broken Kingdom–the second book–assuming it would proceed with some of the characters from The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. Instead, each book focuses on a deity. This creative approach frees Jemisin in some ways, allowing each book to contain a mixture of human agents and supernatural concerns, all set against a tapestry exploring the changes occurring to a society over several thousand years of different kinds of upheaval, some of human origin and some of divine.

There are at least a few characters in each book that will stick with you, and the portrayal of the interactions between the divine and the human are nicely nuanced, without losing sight of their core incompatibilities. It’s engrossing at times, compelling at others, and continually engaging.

Jemisin has moved into the category of authors where I will give anything she writes a chance, hoping it provides as solid and enjoyable an escape as this.

#WhatIWishICouldDo

There is a tightness of structure to this trilogy that is quite enviable. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms focuses on the creation of a new God; The Broken Kingdom on the punishment of an old; and The Kingdom of Gods on the transition of a deity into something else entirely. Each book manages to feel consistent, yet each mines different territory.

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WWC2019: The Final

Posted on July 6, 2019 by Daniel (@MKNN)

I’ve been oddly reticent about writing up a preview of this one.

I suspect it’s because I will be rooting for the Orange, without thinking they have much of a chance at all against the USA.

Soccer analytics still feels like they are in their infancy–what should be counted, how it should be counted, basic things like that are still being worked out. But there are some useful notions that are emerging that may help in watching the final tomorrow. One of which is paying attention to passes that start outside the 18 yard box and are successfully completed inside of it.

For the Netherlands to have much of a chance, they need to be able to successfully string together passes like that with Vivianne Miedema on the end of them. Miedema is unlikely to beat the American back line for pace, but she is a terror with the ball at her feet, and if she can receive the ball in deep positions, if she can receive it while moving towards goal, then maybe, just maybe, she can slip in a goal or 2.

The problem is it’s not likely to be enough: I have been impressed by the Dutch defense, but they’ve not faced an attack like the American front line. Even if Megan Rapinoe continues to be sidelined, the ability of the Americans to attack in waves remains spectacularly impressive. Tobin Heath driving to the endline, the other forwards flowing in behind them, with Alex Morgan still being incredibly dangerous if she finds space, and a trio of midfielders arriving at the edge of the box in support … it’s a lot, and no matter how good Sari van Veenendaal has looked in a few games here, she’s unlikely to keep them at bay for 90 minutes. Or even 45.

The X-Factor, if there is one, is the Dutch attack on the right. Both Lineth Beerensteyn and Shanice van de Sanden have the ability to get behind any back line in the world. But they also have a tendency to lose the ball with hard first touches, and both Crystal Dunn and Kelley O’Hara have the speed to contain them and the quickness to pounce on the missed touches.

Alright, this is quite a reach, but here’s the true wildcard: it is possible that Dutch head coach Sarina Wiegman comes up with a tactical surprise against the USA. An overloaded midfield, playing 3 at the back, sliding Lieke Martens up to a false 9. Something that would require Jill Ellis to respond. She’s not terribly at responding to tactical surprises, but the team has such depth and talent, it can usually cover for her. And, or course, anything Wiegman does will also expose a weak spot the Americans could take advantage of, regardless of what Ellis does or doesn’t do.

So, yeah. That’s not much.

Now, from the other perspective, it’s just a triumphant confirmation. And it’s true: the USA remains the best team in the world, and the game tomorrow should put an exclamation point on this generation of players.

And I’m happy for them: Alex Morgan was devastating for many, many years; Megan Rapinoe and Tobin Heath are nearly unique players in the American game; and Becky Sauerbrunn may be the most underrated player with 150+ caps.

It is, though, unlikely to be this easy in 4 years time. We should all hope that is the case, by the way: the best thing possible for the game is for the gap between the champions and the rest to narrow.

USA, 3-1.

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WWC2019: The Semifinals (for real this time)!

Posted on July 1, 2019 by Daniel (@MKNN)

Four games remaining …

How We Did

Meh. No exact scores, got Germany – Sweden wrong (along with everyone else), and had basically refused to pick the USA – France match.

England – USA

Jill Ellis‘ highly conservative style, demonstrated from her reluctance to promote youth to her going to a 5 women back line in the game against France, is not my cup of tea. But … it gets things done.

With all of the attention on Megan Rapinoe–and, come on, Queen, as the kids these days say–too little has been paid to Julie Ertz. Ellis’ move to a back 5 is basically telling the fullbacks to stay flat on defense and telling Ertz to slide between the CBs. And it makes the American defense massively challenging to break down: if you try to cross the ball in, Ertz is an extra body to head it away; if you try to push down the wings, the other CBs can safely help the fullbacks, knowing she’s behind them.

And in this upcoming match, she will again be the key player, as the battle between Ertz and Ellen White will go a long way to determining this one. White’s pressing should be less effective against the USA, and England will need more out of both Fran Kirby and Keira Walsh in the midfield offensively.

If you’re rooting for England, your hope rests on the job Kirby and Walsh did on the other side of the ball, effectively controlling Caroline Graham Hansen, which is no mean feat. That, and the fact that Alex Morgan really does seem to have lost a half step, without which she struggles to gain separation from upper tier defenders (sorry about those 5 goals, Thailand). She and Rapinoe and Tobin Heath will be a handful for Steph Houghton and Millie Bright, but I suspect the real threat for the USA will be down the wings, if they can get Crystal Dunn or Mallory Pugh (as a sub, of course) into space.

England’s choice between Alex Greenwood and Demi Stokes will be informative, as Stokes is far better tracking back defensively, while Greenwood offers more going forward. I would start Stokes, and essentially keep 3 back at most times while Lucy Bronze does her thing on the right side. Bronze against Dunn will be a key battle as well.

England’s dominance over Norway was, at least in part, due to a horrible day by the Norwegian captain, Maren Mjelde, usually a stoutly capable defender. Here, sadly, she bears much responsibility for eahc of England’s first 2 goals (on the first especially, as she and Ingrid Moe Wold inexplicably sprinted back to the 6 yard box, despite the English attackers pulling off their runs around the penalty spot).

It is highly unlikely that Becky Sauerbrunn or Abby Dahlkemper make those kind of mistakes. As such, for England to have a chance, someone—Jill Scott, Nikki Parris, Beth Mead–needs to make some magic happen. It’s possible, I just don’t see it happening unless the USA just has a horrid game.

I think England has had a great tournament, and I expect this to be a tough, physical game. But I expect the USA to win, and perhaps win comfortably. Let’s call it 3-2 USA.

Netherlands – Sweden

Well, that was interesting. Germany looked vulnerable all tournament, but they also seemed to be coming into form at the right time, and when Lina Magull was able to strike a great volley home, it looked like all was right with their world.

But Sweden refused to roll over, took advantage of their chances, and held on for dear life at the end to get through. It was impressive, and Sofia Jakobsson picked a great day to have a great game.

And now they face a Dutch team that still looks to be caught in a low gear. So, which way does this go? Either the Netherlands put it all together and–much as I expected them to do against Italy–Vivianne Miedema and Lieke Martens both have strong games on the same day, and the orange wave crests towards the final; or they continue to struggle for dozens of minutes at a time, opening the door for this Swedish side to pull another upset.

As much as I like Stina Blackstenius, as much as the Swedish defense impressed against Germany, I just don’t see it happening for them.

With an eye towards both this game and Germany’s exit, one reason I favor the Netherlands here–and this is something nobody would have said before the tournament–is that I think this Dutch back line is playing better than Germany’s was. I’m just not sold on Marina Hegering and Sara Doorsoun, and while I love Giulia Gwinn, I love her for what she does in the attacking third more than her ability as a fullback. Dominique Bloodworth has been something of a revelation, and Stefanie Van Der Gragt more than solid as her CB partner, and neither Desiree Van Lunteren nor Merel Van Dongen have been particularly exposed down the flanks.

That foursome, protected by the still pretty marvelous Danielle Van De Donk will, I think, stifle Sweden in this game.

Netherlands, 2-1.

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Reading Well: Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

Posted on June 28, 2019 by Daniel (@MKNN)

I have very high expectations each time I start a book by Barbara Kingsolver. Most of the time, she exceeds them.

Unsheltered (2018) is a good book, but not among her best. The premise/structure is pretty lovely: the novel alternates between a family in the middle of the 2010s that has found themselves–despite doing “all the right things”–struggling in the current economy in a small town in Pennsylvania and a family in the same town in the second half of the nineteenth century. The storylines are connected by dilapidated houses, familial relationships, and the final words of each chapter forming the title of the next.

As always, Kingsolver’s families, and especially her female characters, ring deeply and emotionally true. This is especially true for the contemporary storyline, where a formerly fully employed journalist is struggling to hold her family together, a unit that includes an obscene and infirm father-in-law; a husband who, failing in the pursuit of tenure, is reduced to the struggles of adjunct jobs in academia; a son whose partner commits suicide shortly after the birth of a grandchild; and a prodigal daughter.

Unsheltered is unapologetically political, focused on moments when an older way of looking at the world must give way to new knowledge, and the often-violent resistance to such upheaval, especially for those in power. In the earlier century, this is the rise of Darwinism; in the present time, it is the looming implications of climate change, set against the backdrop of a Trump candidacy.

There are some lovely moments in the book, and her exploration of a historically under-publicized female biologist is a nice addition to general knowledge.

#WhatIWishICouldDo

I mean … in some ways I wish I could be Barbara Kingsolver, right? But in terms of craft, her ability to evoke emotional connections between her characters in a way that also implicates the reader as a 3rd party remains stellar.

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WWC2019: The Quarterfinals!

Posted on June 26, 2019 by Daniel (@MKNN)

{ Got ahead of myself and originally published this as the Semis. Whoops. }

How We Did

Not bad. Not great, but not bad. Evidently, I don’t respect Scandinavia as much as I should, as both Norway and Sweden surprised. The rest went pretty much as expected, although I only got a single game exactly right in the scoreline (Italy over China, 2-0). I did have France over Brazil 2-1, but not in extra time.

So, not bad. It gets tougher from here on out.

NORWAY – ENGLAND

Norway was stronger defensively than I thought they would be, and England is always capable of a toothless offensive performance. But I think England is just too deep up front right now, and I expect them to find some space in the attacking third.

The play of Fran Kirby and Keira Walsh (assuming the lineup stays static) will be key: how England moves through the middle of the park and how they shield their back line are likely to determine the game. The former will dictate whether Lucy Bronze and Nikita Parris can be sprung into space down the right side and will impact how deep Ellen White has to come for the ball (White staying in the attacking third is good for England). The latter will be key to negating Norway’s counter-attacks and, more importantly, whether England can do anything to slow Caroline Graham Hansen.

That’s key, as Graham Hansen will be the best player on the field, always capable of turning the game herself.

England 2-1.

FRANCE – USA

As much hype as this game will get, it can probably not be overdone. This matchup would be, in my opinion, a worthy final game, and the winner has to be the favorite to lift the trophy at the end.

I would watch 3 things in this game:

  • The flanks. Megan Rapinoe and Tobin Heath have been fantastic, but Spain was largely able to limit their influence, partially by pinning them a bit further upfield and making them carry a larger defensive load. Look for France to attempt the same, especially through Kadidiatou Diani and Delphine Cascarino off the bench. The fullbacks for the USA–Kelley O’Hara and Crystal Dunn–both have the pace to keep up with the French attackers (a situation with which they are largely unfamiliar), but both also are used to rampaging upfield as part of the attack, something that will carry far more risk in this game.
  • Alyssa Naeher. Naeher is quite good, but this is the 1st time in decades the USA has not has a truly world-class GK between the sticks. Amadine Henry and Eugénie Le Sommer love to hit the ball from distance, and either could cause Naeher some problems.
  • Julie Ertz. There isn’t a better DM in the women’s game, especially when you consider Ertz’ ability to score off set pieces. Ertz’ ability to provide cover defensively is absolutely critical. The more you see her pulled to the side to help defend Amel Majri on an overlapping run or Diani or Viviane Asseyi, the more problematic life will be for the USA. However, if Ertz is able to stay in the middle of the field, the triangle of her, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Abby Dahlkemper could be very hard for the French to solve.

I dunno. I just wanna’ fanboy this one. 1-1, France on PKs.

ITALY – NETHERLANDS

I’ve enjoyed Italy, too, but it ends here.

Sari Van Veenendaal isn’t mentioned often in the discussion of the best GK’s in the world, but that performance against Japan may change that. That said, if Italy is to have a chance, it’s going to be in play similar to what preceded Yui Hasegawa‘s goal for Japan: quick movement, a moment of miscommunication, and a player through in space against Van Veenendaal.

The Dutch ducked a bullet against Japan, but Lieke Martens and Vivianne Miedema have yet to click in the same game. I think they do here, we get to see a couple Miedema somersaults, and Italy is left in the wake.

Netherlands, 3-0.

GERMANY – SWEDEN

Could Sweden do it again? Sure! But it’s not likely. Germany had their best performance of the tournament against Nigeria, and I think they roll on.

Still, I didn’t think the Swedish CB combo of Nilla Fischer and Linda Sembrant could contain Canada’s attack, but they and especially Hanna Glas on the right flank, did quite well.

I will stick with the same binary from Sweden’s prior match: this is either an easy game for Germany, or it is an absolute nail-biter, destined to be determined by a single kick or PKs. I’ll root for the latter, but if I had to pick, I’d go with Germany, 3-0.

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WWC2019: The Round of 16

Posted on June 22, 2019 by Daniel (@MKNN)

{ I’m writing this immediately after the Germany-Nigeria game–travel and work got in the way of getting it done before that. }

Nothing too surprising coming out of the groups–sure, exactly how Scotland/ Argentina/ Nigeria/ Chile/ China would end up was a jumble, but there was always going to be some churn in the final slots.

OVERALL NOTES

More and more, this seems to be a World Cup of transition. That makes the media information especially misleading: traditionally strong teams (China, Japan, Brazil, Sweden) just aren’t all that great right now, but you’ll hear them talked about as if they are.

It’s simply lazy, but, sadly, it’s to be expected.

There is also some transition at the top: Canada and Australia especially can make an argument to be included in the elite teams.

GERMANY – NIGERA

Already played, so no prediction, and more analysis than on the other games.

This Nigeria team was a disappointment for me–not in losing to Germany, which was clearly expected, but in their overall performance. It was nice to Rasheedat Ajibade get a few minutes, and I would think we will hear from her at the 2023 version of this extravaganza.

I don’t know what to make of Germany right now. In Sara Däbritz, Lina Magull, and Melanie Leupolz there is a great young trio of talent, and Giulia Gwinn seems (surprisingly to me) to have totally adapted to a fullback/wingback type role. In doing so, she’s keeping one of the most impressive attacking fullbacks in 2015, Leonie Maier, on the bench. Add in the possible return of Dzsenifer Marozsán and the overrated-but-still-quite-good Alexandra Popp, and this team is loaded. But, but, but … I just remain unconvinced.

There are 2 narratives competing here: one is they did just enough to win against China and Spain and are now rounding into form; the other is that they were pushed to the limit against the better teams they have played, making the wins against South Africa and Nigeria less impressive.

Their next game–against Sweden or Canada–should be excellent.

NORWAY – AUSTRALIA

I think this is potentially the best game of the Round of 16, and I think there will be goals. Neither team has impressed terribly on defense, and each has a world class attacker in Norway’s Caroline Graham Hansen and Australia’s Sam Kerr.

I do think that, in the end, Norway misses Ada Hegerberg, so I’ll go with Australia, 3-2, with Kerr taking over the Golden Boot race from Alex Morgan.

ENGLAND – CAMEROON

They aren’t called indomitable for nothing … that said, Cameroon has been less impressive this time around. They’ve done just enough, and in Ajara Nchout Njoya seem to have found a capable complement to Gabrielle Onguéné and Gaëlle Enganamouit (who has yet to really make her mark here in 2019).

I still think Raissa Feudjio is a great talent, although she seems to be being called upon to play more of a wide role, which I don’t think is her strength.

All that said, this England squad is loaded, and should get through Cameroon’s somewhat suspect back line often enough to cause a lot of trouble. Ellen White has been especially impressive, and is probably the key player for their high press to be effective, and the squad is a bit spoiled for choice (the proof of this is that a player like Rachel Daly can’t crack the starting lineup, and understandably so), with both Bethany Mead and Georgia Stanway pushing for more time despite both being under 25.

England, 3-1.

FRANCE – BRAZIL

France remains one of the class sides of the field for me, especially if you figure Wendie Renard is unlikely to continue to be their opponent’s leading scorer. They’re simply more talented than Brazil, end to end, and while it’s not clear she’ll get time on the wing, I do think Delphine Cascarino could have a breakout game here: I don’t see any part of Brazil’s back line that is set to cope with her pace on the ball.

Even if Cascarino doesn’t play, I would look for Amadine Henry and Eugénie Le Sommer to dominate play (and get kicked in the ankles an awful lot–this one could be quite chippy).

France 2-1.

SPAIN – USA

I do love me this Spain team, but I think it’s just too soon for them. For all the jingoism that surrounds the USA team, the truth is they are pretty magnificent. Four years ago, there were doubts that either Tobin Heath or Megan Rapinoe would make this team; watching them crown their careers by performing at the top of their game is pretty sweet.

Jennifer Hermoso is getting a lot of attention for Spain, but for me their most dangerous attacker has been 20 year old Lucía García.

I’m going to let my heart dominate the prediction: 1-1 with the USA proceeding on PK’s.

SWEDEN – CANADA

I just remain entirely unconvinced by Sweden. And this Canada team is knocking on the door of the top rank. As Jessie Fleming has grown, she seems really comfortable playing further up the pitch, and Christine Sinclair is still great in spots. Canada’s defensive line rivals France in their ability to both defend and attack–perhaps no team can match Canada’s options at fullback, with Allysha Chapman, Jayde Riviere, and Ashley Lawrence all providing excellent options.

Nichelle Prince has looked very dangerous all tournament–and I don’t think that’s just the Houston Dash fan in me speaking up.

Sweden just looks very … staid and unremarkable. So I think this goes one of two ways. Either Canada in a rout, 4-1, or 0-0 with Sweden getting through on PKs. I’ll be rooting for the former.

ITALY – CHINA

How did we get here?

Italy has been the surprise of the tournament, and are really hard to judge: their victories have been opportunistic, and tactically very smart. The latter will remain present, but the former has lot of luck involved.

Still, their ability to get goals from a variety of sources is clearly impressive, and that defense has been pretty stout.

Given that China has been pretty miserable, I think the Italians success lasts one more game.

Italy, 2-0.

NETHERLANDS – JAPAN

This Dutch squad is going to be hard to beat. The key to how far they’ll go, I think, is whether they can find a way for Lieke Martens to get going. I am a huge Vivianne Miedema fan, and the attack on the wing with Shanice van de Sanden for most of the game, replaced by Lineth Beerensteyn at the end has been fantastically effective.

Combine that with a strong defense and with Japan’s general ineffectiveness, and this should swing solidly towards the team in orange.

Netherlands, 3-0.

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