Creative partners
It’s a special relationship.
You voted for themes last week, so themes you shall have!
Also, a couple of you have asked how I read so much. I do read a lot—here’s some of my advice for how to read more—but I don’t read all of these books in one week.1 When would I have time for the bad ones that don’t make this list!
🔨 Now Is Not the Time to Panic
Kevin Wilson, 2022
If you haven’t read Kevin Wilson’s Nothing to See Here, I want you to stop reading this, march to your local bookstore, and buy it.
Welcome back from your mandatory errand! The two hapless teens in Now Is Not the Time to Panic live in a very small Tennessee town, and are bored during a ‘90s summer. As misfit teen toys tend to do (in books and movies anyway), they embark on an art project that no one but them will understand. Actually, they don’t understand it much themselves.
Honestly, I think Kevin Wilson could write anything and I’d like it. His protagonists manage to have a unique tone that is funny and weird and charming, while also being a source of some deep truth.
Recommended to: Those who are comfortable with being unable to articulate exactly why a story is so powerful, but knowing it is powerful, and enjoying the ride (of a lifetime).
👢 The Animators
Kayla Rae Whitaker, 2017
I don’t know what’s going on with Kayla Rae Whitaker—she hasn’t followed up since this glorious debut novel, which (you guessed it!) involves an intense creative partnership, also told from the perspective of one of those partners. They also live in the Appalachian south, and they also aren’t prepared for the force of their ideas.
OK now this seems like I’m just telling you to read two identical books, but I’m not, I promise. When I read this in 2017, I felt inspired, weepy, in love, enraged, and extremely, extremely motivated to yell at literally everybody I’ve ever met to read it immediately. Perhaps they marched to their favorite bookshops!
Recommended to: Those who have the fortitude to plumb the depths of that most intense bond—the female friendship. And those who like animation. And everyone. It’s good.
Note for Kayla Rae: I do not pretend to know your personal circumstances, but I bet you’ve got another book in there and I bet I would like to read it.
🌷 Oryx and Crake
Margaret Atwood, 2003
The first installment in the MaddAddam trilogy is The One About the Creative Partnership and hence, why I have included it here. But really I want you to read the whole series, because I think the second two are better.
I finished the trilogy while traveling with my friend Anna, and was like “I’m sorry, but I need you to sit right down on that hotel bed while I tell you the entire plot of this dystopian series.” She patiently allowed me to get it out of my system. Clearly, it never worked its way entirely out—I think about it a lot. But thanks, Anna!
Anyway, this particular creative partnership is another intense one, but, well, I guess it’s no spoiler to say it gets way, way more out of hand than any of the above examples do.
Recommended to: Those who like post-apocalyptic novels in which man is absolutely the real monster and who wonder whether we could do this whole thing better, given the chance.
Apologies in advance, but…
🧥 The Beatles: Get Back — dir. Peter Jackson, 2021
The groans you hear are from everyone who has had to listen to me go on about this very long documentary series ad nauseam. If, for reasons I do not care to hear, you are not a Beatles fan, there’s a good chance you’ll still find yourself transfixed by how actual real-life genius creative partnerships work.
And now, let us be creative partners!
This is a photo of the stack of books on my nightstand. It’s particularly dusty because I have another (not pictured) stack (or, OK, two stacks) (and a shelf) (several shelves) of books I have yet to read.
My friend Jeff gave me the idea that maybe we could help each other out. Tell me what I can cull, and what I should escalate in the queue. If you’re reading this via email you can just hit reply! If you’re online, leave a comment.
THEN, I want your dusty stack pictures, and we shall crowdsource you the help you so richly deserve.
That was the sixth EELS! I really hope you like it! Send any and all questions, feedback, and shouted book recommendations to me by hitting reply!
– Susan
Oryx and Crake - that whole trilogy really - is superb, not just the story and the telling of it but the seeming prescience.
I cleared my stack before I went on holiday by the simple expedient of giving the books back to the library! Another will grow when I get back though, so I’ll be sure to take a photo.