Feldman's Faves: September 26, 2022

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE

I wanted to wish anyone who is celebrating the Jewish Holidays, a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year. In fact, I wish this to all of you. It has been a rough few years for all of us but seeing people last week for Bagel Breakfast and then for lunch (back to our “Goodmans food roots”) was restorative and life affirming to me in so many ways. I love the people in our section and in our firm, which is the reason (paraphrasing David Matlow), that we are “the greatest law firm this world has ever known.” I hope we can start to see each other more often and do more fun things together (assuming of course it involves eating).

For those of you who are sports fans there is so much happening right now it just fantastic but I want to single out and acknowledge the excellence and longevity of Albert Pujols who at 42 years old joined the 700 home run club this weekend. Pujols has been a superstar for his entire career while being one of the kindest and most generous people in professional sports. He deserves all of his success and is an inspiration and an example to professionals in every walk of life.

No theme this week – just topics of interest.

THE BOYS By: Katie Hafner – This book is one of the most unusual novels I have read in a long time. It tells the story of a couple, Ethan and Barb that met at work, fell in love, had kids (Tommy and Sam) and then struggled to get through the simultaneous intensity and isolations of the dark days of the Covid pandemic. It also describes the great beauty of Italy and how great it is to travel there (seems like a red herring, but it is not because they go there on bike trips when they can travel). The story appears to be so basic that you wonder while reading it how the author thought it could be interesting. Sure, you learn about the backgrounds of each person, including some tragedies from their youths. You get a snapshot of history when people were freaking out at grocery stores at the beginning of the pandemic. And, you see how the isolation of Covid impacted different types of people in very different ways. So I thought this would be a good book to have as a snapshot for historical purposes for my future grandchildren. It also deals with issues of mental health, childhood trauma and the importance of empathy. And then it gets REALLY STRANGE. I won’t ruin the story for those of you who want to read the book, but I will say we learn that the protagonist (Ethan, the dad/father) who goes on two bike trips to Italy in this novel is banned from future bike trips with that company; a fate that is only bestowed on the most difficult of guests. As the story of The Boys unfolds you learn how and why he was so difficult, which is the crazy part of this book and which some people love about the book and others think it is a cheap and weak plot twist. Either way, it is unexpected…..As one reviewer notes, “When introverted Ethan Fawcett marries Barb, he has every reason to believe he will be delivered from a lifetime of solitude. One day Barb brings home two young brothers, Tommy and Sam, for them to foster, and when the pandemic hits, Ethan becomes obsessed with providing a perfect life for the boys. Instead of bringing Barb and Ethan closer together, though, the boys become a wedge in their relationship, as Ethan is unable to share with Barb a secret that has been haunting him since childhood. Then Ethan takes Tommy and Sam on a biking trip in Italy, and it becomes clear just how unusual Ethan and his children are—and what it will take for Ethan to repair his marriage. This hauntingly beautiful debut novel—a bold and original high-wire feat—is filled with humor and surprise. The Boys is one of those books that’s going to stick in my head for a long time. It’s also a book that I’m going to be recommending to my friends and family! In fact, my mother-in-law already read it, couldn’t put it down, and loved it…. I can’t tell you anything about what changes, because that would spoil the story and you absolutely can’t know what that surprise is until you read it for yourself. That makes the rest of the book a little hard to review, but I’ll do my best”. Trust me, this one is worth considering for your book list. Here’s a good review from the NYT - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/26/books/review/the-boys-katie-hafner.html

Meditative Story - My battle as a beginner opens up a world of wonder, by Nataly Dawn – Every few years I try something completely new; a language, a craft or a sport. I can tell you it is both exciting and humbling – think golf swing - but something that for me keeps life interesting. Last week I finally tried IMPROV at Second City, which as expected was humbling. The story that Nataly Dawn tells about her various experiences as a newbie during different stages in her life is very inspiring and resonates very strongly as I have often entered unknown situations and struggled to survive while seeking to thrive with differing levels of success, but In every case, happy I tried. Here is an excerpt from the PODCAST itself: “When Nataly Dawn’s family moves from the U.S. to a tiny town in the middle of France, she finds herself unable to speak, read, or even play the way the other kids do. It’s embarrassing, being a rock-bottom beginner in 5th grade — but as she slowly learns the language, she finds a new kind of joy in the process of discovery. The singer-songwriter who is one-half of the band Pomplamoose shares how a beginner’s mindset — even if it’s uncomfortable at first — can be a doorway to connection and joy.” https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/meditative-story/id1472106563?i=1000577420439

Thank you for your ongoing engagement and participation.

And remember to stay safe, stay healthy and to docket daily.

Jon