#aviva chomsky

First, "The Light Fantastic" by Terry Prachett for "sequel"

I jumped right into this book after I finished the first Discworld book. Another fun book! I read the whole thing in four days. This series might be one of my new go-tos when I need some lighthearted fun.

Next I read "How Immigration Became Illegal" by Aviva Chomsky.

Definitely outdated now being over a decade old, but a great look into the history of immigration in the US. I've always seen and vaguely agreed with the sentiment "no human being is illegal," but I didn't have a deep understanding of the idea. I knew the state of immigration was messed up, but I was appalled to see how this has been such a long time in the making. This book might be very elementary to anyone outside the US but they either don't teach this stuff in our schools or maybe I missed it because I was a dumb teen who thought history class was lame.

Mostly the book focuses on the history of immigration between Mexico and Central America and the US, looking at how we've been changing their legal status while continuing to rely on their labor. It also goes into the gross history of ICE and border enforcement and digs into the Obama administration's hypocrisy in it's handling of immigrant rights. This book really showcases how much of a tailspin the treatment of immigrants has been, and knowing this book was published pre-Trump is horrifying because it is so much worse now.

Probably one of the most important books I've read in my adult life.

On a (somewhat) lighter note, I've got "The (Uncensored) Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde for "published before 1950"

I know, I know, the uncensored version wasn't released until 2011, but it was the version Wilde had sent to Lippincott's Magazine and was the version that was intended to be published so I'm counting it.

Honestly when I read the description of this book and saw that they restored the "graphic homosexual content," I was expecting something a bit different. I would love to give Lippincott's editors even 100 words of some modern gay smut writer's AOL fic and watch them probably have a heart attack on the spot from shock.

BUT! This was a really beautiful book. It's been sitting on my shelf for a while but after reading this comic I felt extremely drawn to it and read it in an almost obsessive fever. The introduction gives context into Oscar Wilde's life (greatly appreciated since I knew the name, but I don't know much about his life or read any of his work) and the culture and legal atmosphere at the time, and shines some light on some of the old British queer innuendos that completely went over my head. I've always had a hard time appreciating older books, but I adored this one. It's a classic for a reason. Just like quote about his grave in the comic, I so so wish I could pluck Wilde out of the 19th century and show him how beloved and treasured his works are and how embraced and valued his queerness has been by millions. I picked up a copy of Wilde's prison writings and will undoubtedly be devouring that book next.