The lasting legacy of an American classic

Plus poetry collections and (more) best books of the 21st centuries

This week I started writing book descriptions for the Paperback Summer Reading Guide, and I managed to power through twelve in one day! These are always a bit difficult for me because I am looking for books that fit into specific categories, which means they can start to sound rather similar. And because all of the blurbs are compiled together (not dispersed through many weeks like this newsletter) any repetitive wording is quite noticeable. I’m sure this draft needs a heap of editing, but it feels incredible to have some drafting done. The best part is that now I can relax into the reading process a bit more. I have been furiously reading for specific categories, but now I can pick up whatever books are calling to me. If they fit into the guide, great! If not, I have time to find other options.

On the book buying front this week, Blackwell’s—the former indie bookstore and Oxford institution—briefly paused sales to the U.S. because of Trump’s tariffs. I must admit, I was devastated. I place many orders from Blackwell’s each year when prize lists are announced or when looking for books off the beaten path (I love browsing the Penguin Modern Classics and Virago editions). They were able to restore access for U.S. customers quickly, which is wonderful, but it was a wake up call about how these stupid and vindictive tariffs will impact not just the economic order but the way it feels to be an American in the global arena. Who knows what else is coming, but now is a good time to get in your Blackwell’s orders while you can.

This week in books.

This week I read…

The Wrath to Come: Gone With the Wind and the Lies America Tells by Sarah Churchwell. From the opening scene of Margaret Mitchell’s novel Gone With the Wind, I had the feeling that this near-century-old book was eerily…timely. The novel begins with Scarlet O’Hara sitting on the porch of Tara, her family’s plantation, talking to two of her (many) suitors, Brent and Stuart Tarleton. They’re discussing many things, including the possibility of war, but the conversation keeps circling is the question of what it means to be a good Southern gentleman. I started the book in the run-up to the 2024 election when conversations about masculinity were overwhelming the discourse, and I couldn’t help but connect the book’s theme of yearning for an idealized (but nonexistent) past with the political moment. These were just the opening pages and by the time I finished I had long lost count of how many times I thought while reading, wow, we’ve been here before…

When I mentioned this to my friend and GWTW super fan

Traci Thomas

she told me I had to read Sarah Churchwell’s book The Wrath to Come, and this week I finally did. This excellent piece of social commentary and literary criticism looks at the book, film, and legacy of GWTW and how it mirrors, predicts, and informs our current reality. My favorite thing about the book is the overall framing. Churchwell is exploring the way GWTW has created and perpetuated pervasive American mythologies—the stories, in other words, we tell ourselves about what it means to be American. When I taught American Literature, this was one of the frameworks of my class; we looked at the ways classic American novels alchemized and calcified various definitions of America and American. An entire book devoted to applying that lens to a wildly popular work of fiction was catnip to me, and I think Churchwell did a great job of examining what GWTW meant at the time and how it is still impacting us today. To make her points she uses ample historical evidence, digs into Margaret Mitchell’s life, considers the filming and promotion of the film, and close reads passages from the text. I’m really glad I read this while both the novel and the film were so fresh in my mind as it helped me make sense of Churchwell’s claims but also meant I still had my own interpretations of the book easily accessible mentally. There were some topics—like the idea of masculinity that first caught my attention while reading—that I wish she’d explored more, but there were a daunting number of comparisons to investigate and I think she chose the right ones to achieve her aims.

The one issue I had with this book was the organization. The book is made up of 39 chapters, most of which are around 10 pages. Personally, I would have preferred fewer, longer essays. It’s not that the book felt surface-level by any means, but longer essays would have added more intricacy and connectivity to her observations. Siloing her claims just made some of the arguments feel a little stunted and think this might have achieved true brilliance of the writing had woven some of the topics together into more cohesive explorations. The plus side of shorter essays is that this book is extremely readable (even for those who haven’t read much literary criticism) and also allows for some skipping around if you’re not interested in reading the entire book. Bookshop | Libro.fm

Now I’m reading…

I’m still deep in Paradise Lost.

I am in a very good place with the Paperback Summer Reading Guide so now I’m just reading whatever strikes my fancy and filling in the rest of the spots when I find something wonderful. This also means I can start adding in some new release titles as well and I think my next pick will be this one.

New on my TBR…

Nothing! I have been actively avoiding my recommendation sources, because at this moment I can’t add one more book to my TBR or it will crush me. Right now it’s time to cull the stacks.

Links I love.

Kirkus Reviews released their own Best Books of the 21st Century list. I wish that the books were ranked and that we were given some intel on the methodology, but, at the end of the day, a list of good books is a list of good books. (Kirkus)

After revisiting Parul Sehgal’s “Case Against the Trauma Plot” recently, it was interesting to read this review of Jamie Hood’s new memoir Trauma Plot. (Atlantic, gift link).

10 books we’re looking forward to this spring. (NPR)

8 debut poetry collections by poets over 40. (Electric Lit)

I like this poem. (Lit Hub)

I was completely surprised and absolutely delighted to learn which novel won the March Gradness bracket. (Electric Lit)

The best American poetry of the 21st century (so far). (Atlantic, gift link)

End Notes.

What I’m watching, listening to, making, and loving this week.

• I watched Beauty and the Beast with my daughter and it was very special. We also went to Disney on Ice which was madness and so much fun.

• I’ve been printing tons of coloring pages for the little one lately. Lou is mostly into Belle and Moana right now, but there are so many free printables online, it’s an incredible resource cold weather activity.

• I got my Little Free Library! I still need to paint and install it but I am so excited to have one of my very own and to have a convenient way to pass along books. My piles are out of control.

• Last week I went ice skating by myself for fun and exercise for the first time in probably seven years. I’ve been taking Louise and also watching a lot more competitions and I’ve been missing the feeling of flying around the ice. It was fantastic but I forgot that the hardest part about getting back into it is breaking my feet back in. After just 20 minutes on the ice my feet were throbbing and I only made it another 10 minute before I had to call it quits. But I’m going to try to go regularly—maybe once a week??—because nothing beats the speed and the freedom of skating.

---

For questions, comments, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out by emailing fictionmattersbooks@gmail.com or responding directly to this newsletter. I love hearing from you!

This email may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links above, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

If you enjoyed today’s newsletter, please forward it to a book-loving friend. That’s a great way to spread bookish cheer and support the newsletter!

Happy reading!

Sara