BIT of LIT
How to Be Both, Ali Smith: Ali Smith’s “How to Be Both” is the choose-yourown-adventure story of Italian artist Francesco del Cossa. Written in two parts, the book is told from the perspective of del Cossa and a precocious 16-year-old named George. Here’s where the choose your own adventure comes into play: Not all copies of the book are in the same order. The story sequence is dependent upon which copy you happen to pick up. One version begins with the story of George, who wanders a London
museum while dealing with the sudden death of her mother. The other begins with the ghost of Francesco del Cossa, observing George as she looks at his work. George becomes obsessed with sharing del Cossa’s story with the world—much to the surprise of the ghost. Winner of the 2014 Goldsmith’s Prize, “How to Be Both” is unpredictable and blurs the lines between gender, genre, the past, and the present. Pulp, Charles Bukowski: A dedication page honoring “bad writing” comes as no surprise from the cynical yet charmingly sarcastic author Charles Bukowski. “Pulp,” his last book before his death, features lowlife private investigator Nicky Belane, who finds himself in strange, inescapable situations. Belane thought his work had dried up until he’s hired to work three strange cases by three equally as strange people: a femme fatale named Lady Death, a flakey mortician, and a man who won’t reveal his identity. “Pulp” is the
ideal book to pick up on a bad day and escape into Bukowski’s eccentric Los Angeles, where your pessimistic attitude is perfectly acceptable. A Freewheelin’ Time: A Memoir of Greenwich Village, Suze Rotolo: Dating one of the most influential artists in rock ‘n’ roll history seems like it would be a one-way ticket out of a boring life. But for author Suze Rotolo, life with a musician skyrocketing to fame was anything but enjoyable. In the early 1960s, she was the girlfriend of iconic artist Bob Dylan. He called her his muse and first love. She tells a different story. Years after her split with Dylan, she transcribes her less-than-fairytale romance with a chronically unfaithful, unsupportive man who only cared for her when it was convenient. “A Freewheelin’ Time” is a lesson on 1960s politics and an unflattering memoir detailing the destructive powers of fame. Make a playlist of Dylan, The Beatles, and The Byrds, and travel back in time to 1963 Greenwich Village, New York.
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Head to drakemagazine. com/bitoflit for more DrakeMag Book Club picks.
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