Radio Segment: Bleak and Bleaker

My latest segment for the CBC focused on memoirs, two in particular. You can listen to it here. Bleaker House by Nell Stevens (which Smokey has read and adored) and You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me by Sherman Alexie. After listening to the recording just now, I’ve realized how depressing these two books may come across. A whiny white girl in the Falkland Islands and a Native American struggling with the memories of abuse from his childhood. Sigh, not exactly light summer reading is it?

It sounds like I’m doing a lot of nervous laughing in this segment, probably due to the fact that it doesn’t dawn on me until I’m on-air how much of an uphill battle these books are presenting themselves to be. I’m all like “I know this sounds terrible, but read it anyway, it will make you grow as a person!”. But believe me, each book definitely has its merits; Bleaker House is perfect for those who want to become a writer or believe themselves to be a writer already. And Sherman Alexie is a masterful artist, everything he writes is worth reading (which is why everything he writes is always published!). So even though I give warnings about both books many people will enjoy them, even if it’s not on their next beach vacation.