2021年6月18日 星期五

"Nomadland" by Jessica Bruder (2017)


"For purposes of stealth - to avoid getting harassed by passerby or, worse, rousted and maybe ticketed by police - readers were advised to hide their solar panels between the bars of a luggage carrier or ladder rack."

Jessica Bruder is a journalist who writes about (American) subcultures.  She also teaches narrative writing at Columbia University.  She started out reporting for The New York Times, and her only other book is Burning Book: A Visual History of Burning Man.

Nomadland was a smashing success for the author, and inspired an Academy Award-winning movie starring Frances McDormand.  I haven't seen the movie yet, though my wife tells me it's great.  If you've been following the movie entries in this blog, you'll know that I'm presently watching films from 2009, so it's going to take me a while to work my way up to Nomandland, which was released in 2020.

It may surprise some people to know that Nomadland (the book) is a work of non-fiction.  In it the author follows several "nomads" around the United States, detailing the various ways in which they make their vehicles livable, how they make money, and where they gather in the winter months.  The city of Quartzsite Arizona looms large within the book, as does Amazon, the company which hires many of these nomads during the Christmas season.  

In terms of people, Linda May's story is at the center of the narrative, with fellow nomads "Swankie Wheels" and Bob Wells organizing various nomadic communities from behind the scenes.  It's worth noting that all three of these people also appear in the film.  

Is the book worth reading?  I'd say yes, but I think the author was a bit too close to her subjects.  She often seems to be handling these people with kid gloves, and never really delves into their personal struggles on any meaningful level.  There's also the question of the larger economic context behind their lifestyle, which could have been explored in more depth.  As it is Nomadland is definitely light reading, and after finishing it I felt a bit disappointed.  I wanted to see the darker side of this lifestyle, and I wanted to know how some of the nomads dealt with troubles beyond the economy.

But yeah, it's good.  I have the feeling that reading it will also enhance your appreciation of the movie.  I can't see myself living in an RV anytime soon, but I respect the people in this book for their choices.  Between the online economy, the decline of unions, lack of governmental oversight and the export of manufacturing industries to China it's not an easy time to make a living.

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