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A review by jonscott9
The Book of (More) Delights: Essays by Ross Gay
4.0
Ross Gay's poetic, punctuation-heavy prose putting pleasantries to paper puts me ... OK, enough. His writing just places one in a decidedly good mood if they're open to such possibilities and not overly cynical. I could see someone south of realism struggling or fading quickly with this book.
Among the heralded and mundane things the Indiana University professor is grateful for, aka "delights," are paper menus, pudgy squirrels, all sorts of flora, observing adult braces, the music of Michael McDonald, a neighborhood lady in a tree/on a porch/etc., the literal meaning of the word "gucci," Snoopy, a medicine called Lyrica (or at least its name), a friend's cat named OREO Speedwagon (brilliant), various dogs, "negreetings," (nods and words of affirmation that Black folks give each other), the perfect notebook/spoon/cup/etc., and a range of things related to garlic.
Having read Gay's previous compendium of such diaristic essays, The Book of Delights, by halfway through this volume I was hoping it would turn into a series for him, with a new installment at least every decade. This would please me. This is how much I enjoyed these entries, candidly more than the first for whatever reason. I found they peaked in the back half, the writing as well as the topical items that resonated in me. Maybe it's my station in life, two weeks sober into a new year. Everything feels elevated and positive right now. (Will this hold? Time will tell.)
As a music maven, I especially relished the chapter, "DeBarge on Tiny Desk." Immediately am going to El DeBarge's episode in that NPR YouTube series, chasing it with the eps from Laufey and The Cranberries (delight like whoa!) that I saw when scanning the channel. (True story: I learned of El DeBarge thanks to RuPaul saying the Drag Race star Crystal Methyd reminded him of EDB. That there serves as another multifaceted delight.)
The real beauty for me in all this was that in said DeBarge chapter, Gay also addresses his loves of Maxwell's falsetto-soaked version of Kate Busy's "This Woman's Work" and Aretha's Amazing Grace live album. As it so happens, I saw Gay speak live at a library in my area in February 2023, and asked him at the signing portion of it what music he was listening to of late. He mentioned those two, and the entry is dated 10 days later in this book. Life's little nuggets are just flat-out fun, something I'll try to remember when next I'm all in my head and feels about something. (There will always come that day.)
Miscellaneous other favorite of Gay's delights here, as he framed them and in no order whatsover:
- Mistranscription
- Gnomes
- Imposter (Syndrome)
- Throwing Children
- Small Fluffy Things (in this case, a pet or two)
- The Minor Cordiality
- Eat Candy! Destroy the State!
- The Courtesy of Truckers
- Hickies, Ostentatiously Blandished
Among the heralded and mundane things the Indiana University professor is grateful for, aka "delights," are paper menus, pudgy squirrels, all sorts of flora, observing adult braces, the music of Michael McDonald, a neighborhood lady in a tree/on a porch/etc., the literal meaning of the word "gucci," Snoopy, a medicine called Lyrica (or at least its name), a friend's cat named OREO Speedwagon (brilliant), various dogs, "negreetings," (nods and words of affirmation that Black folks give each other), the perfect notebook/spoon/cup/etc., and a range of things related to garlic.
Having read Gay's previous compendium of such diaristic essays, The Book of Delights, by halfway through this volume I was hoping it would turn into a series for him, with a new installment at least every decade. This would please me. This is how much I enjoyed these entries, candidly more than the first for whatever reason. I found they peaked in the back half, the writing as well as the topical items that resonated in me. Maybe it's my station in life, two weeks sober into a new year. Everything feels elevated and positive right now. (Will this hold? Time will tell.)
As a music maven, I especially relished the chapter, "DeBarge on Tiny Desk." Immediately am going to El DeBarge's episode in that NPR YouTube series, chasing it with the eps from Laufey and The Cranberries (delight like whoa!) that I saw when scanning the channel. (True story: I learned of El DeBarge thanks to RuPaul saying the Drag Race star Crystal Methyd reminded him of EDB. That there serves as another multifaceted delight.)
The real beauty for me in all this was that in said DeBarge chapter, Gay also addresses his loves of Maxwell's falsetto-soaked version of Kate Busy's "This Woman's Work" and Aretha's Amazing Grace live album. As it so happens, I saw Gay speak live at a library in my area in February 2023, and asked him at the signing portion of it what music he was listening to of late. He mentioned those two, and the entry is dated 10 days later in this book. Life's little nuggets are just flat-out fun, something I'll try to remember when next I'm all in my head and feels about something. (There will always come that day.)
Miscellaneous other favorite of Gay's delights here, as he framed them and in no order whatsover:
- Mistranscription
- Gnomes
- Imposter (Syndrome)
- Throwing Children
- Small Fluffy Things (in this case, a pet or two)
- The Minor Cordiality
- Eat Candy! Destroy the State!
- The Courtesy of Truckers
- Hickies, Ostentatiously Blandished