Let’s discuss “A Tale of Paradise, Parking Lots, and My Mother’s Berkeley Backyard, by Daniel Duane”
Happy almost-September, loyal readers. I’m happy to announce that this month, we’ll be reading and discussing “A Tale of Paradise, Parking Lots, and My Mother’s Berkeley Backyard” by Daniel Duane. Originally published in The New York Times Magazine back in May, the article is a poignant, nuanced look at the housing crisis in the Bay Area. I hope you’ll join us.
I grew up in the Bay Area, and went to college in Berkeley, so I know firsthand (as do many of you) that white progressives here really want social justice — as long as it doesn’t inconvenience us and everything remains the same.
In this piece, Mr. Duane recounts his idyllic childhood growing up in Berkeley in the 1970s, when fighting for a better world meant preserving People’s Park and protecting natural resources against capitalist intruders. But times have changed, Mr. Duane argues, and his mother, who still lives in his childhood home, has not. “Where are all the birds supposed to go?” she asks, when her younger neighbors call for new housing. “Are we just going to turn everything into Manhattan?”
Mr. Duane writes:
It was hard not to wonder if we all reach a point in our lives at which personal convenience and a fear of change become imperceptibly commingled with our sense of the common good.
What I like most about this piece is how Mr. Duane is able to criticize his mother and other Berkeley NIMBYs, but at the same time explain their perspective and practice empathy for their lived experiences. But there’s a difference between having empathy and allowing privileged people to maintain their comfort at the expense of others.
Do you need to be from the Bay Area to appreciate this article? No, not at all. The housing crisis is everywhere. Also, there’s so much more to this piece — nostalgia, fear of change, and the acknowledgment that we’re all getting older.
I’d love it if you read the article and joined our discussion on September 24. If you’re interested, this is how things will go:
This week, we’ll read the article
Next week, we’ll annotate the article as a group and share our first impressions
The following week, we’ll hear from Mr. Duane in a podcast interview
On Sunday, September 24, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT, we’ll discuss the article on Zoom
Sign up for the discussion on Sept. 24
If this will be your first time participating in Article Club, I’m 100% sure you’ll find that you’ll feel welcome. We’re a kind, thoughtful reading community. Feel free to reach out with all of your questions.
Also exciting, as with all Article Club monthly selections, the author will be participating in the festivities, recording a podcast episode for your listening pleasure. The author of two novels and four books of non-fiction, Mr. Duane has written journalism about everything from politics and food to rock climbing and social justice, and for publications ranging from The New York Times Magazine to Wired, GQ, Esquire, and Outside. Mr. Duane won a 2012 National Magazine Award for an article about cooking with Chef Thomas Keller and has twice been a finalist for a James Beard Award. Duane has taught writing for the Bread Loaf Environmental Writers’ Conference and the MFA program at San Francisco State University. He lives in San Francisco with his wife, the writer Elizabeth Weil, and their two daughters.
So what do you think? Interested in reading the article and joining our discussion this month? If you’re still a maybe, here are a few questions for you. If you’re a yes to one or more of them, you‘re a great candidate.
Are you paying too much for your housing, in a way that’s not sustainable?
Are you concerned about the state of housing in your community?
Do you feel nostalgic about your childhood home and neighborhood?
Do you want there to be more justice but are sometimes fearful of change?
Do you like reading and hanging out with other kind, thoughtful people?
Longtime newsletter enthusiast Charli, who belongs to loyal reader Eva, doesn’t like change and will always refer to Article Club as The Highlighter. Nominate your pet to appear here! hltr.co/pets
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