From Matt
Over the Christmas break, I read The Geography of Risk by Gilbert Gaul, which tackles the sticky subject of sea level rise and our ineffective and often dangerous solutions to rebuilding along the shore. Gaul points out that while sea level rise is connected with Climate Change, there is no denying that the seas are rising, as we have been measuring them for over a century. The U.S. military even recognizes this, having raised the docks in Norfolk because of it--but weren't allowed to cite "Sea Level Rise" due to the current climate of politics. Additionally he investigates that just the hurricanes that have landed on U.S. soil and territory since the year 2000 have caused over $740 billion dollars in damage (more than every other natural disaster combined) and yet these coastal landowners--largely vacation homes and rentals that have pushed locals out and effectively neutered beach town economies--are insured by federal flood insurance. This insurance is provided by taxpayers across the country, including those landlocked states in the midwest and Great Plains, and collected from people who may or may not make enough money to vacation in the places they are forced to insure.
Taken with interviews and raw data from the Army Corps of Engineers, Gaul pulls the curtain on an infuriating and exploitative practice in coastal management, that caters specifically to the wealthy and to real estate lobbyists at the cost of the working class. A great read for any coastal resident or ocean lover.
From Mel
Over break, I finally finished The Bridge of Clay by Mark Zuzak, author of the renowned The Book Thief. The story revolves around the Dunbar brothers, a group of rag tag brothers in Australia, bringing up themselves after their mother passes away and the father walks out on them.
Told with humor and boyish vigor, the narrative encompasses the unspoken tenderness between young boys and men. Zuzak's cast of characters and scenes are painted vibrantly without overstatement and the masterful syntax forces the reader to slow down and take in each painfully beautiful moment. Like magic, I felt like I stood with brothers, cheering them on at the horse track or could feel my own heart breaking with each silent exchange over their kitchen table.
It took me an entire year to finish reading The Bridge of Clay. I could only read a few chapters at time, because each intimate scene demanded me digest them--slowly and with introspection.
From Brian
Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger (volume 2, Breach of Faith) features some of DC's finest alternative superheroes, including John Constantine, Deadman, Zatanna, and several others to support the titular protagonist that the most studied fans of graphic novels will appreciate. These beautifully rendered pages, however, also include Batman for those looking for a more casual point of access.
Because many of these alternative characters dealing with magic, the occult, and spirituality/religion were created and initially explored over fifty years ago, this continuation of Trinity of Sin provides a refreshing, modern take on characters that have compelling backgrounds but haven’t historically received the attention on the page.
The explorations of Heaven and Hell, true and false identities, and betrayal were curiously enlightening, especially with the occasional dynamic of human characters interacting with angels and demons. The cherry on top is the demon shepherd's rhyming couplets in Hell.
Wilmington, NC locals should check out Memory Lane Comics downtown and Fanboy Comics in midtown near the university to pick up a copy of their own! Additionally, both of those fine establishments can be considered online: