I am not a biography person so I was busy congratulating
myself on reading my annual biography, autobiography or memoir. I had finished Notorious RBG: the Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, before I realized that it is cataloged in 347.7326 (Law, Supreme Court),
not BIO GIN. That is the charm of
selecting downloadable books from OverDrive or Hoopla – I look at what is new
and available and don’t consider any classification system. Now, in keeping with my self-inflicted reading
requirements, I still owe myself a biography.
Reading Notorious RBG is
an adventure. The authors, Irin Carmon
and Shana Knizhnik, mix and match narrative, photographs, documents, cartoons
and fan art. The book has something for
everyone, including a shout out to opera buffs.
The court decisions and legal briefs are described with enough detail to
inform without overwhelming. One
particular decision involving voting rights, Shelby County v. Holder, has been mentioned almost daily on news
programs during this election cycle so I was pleased to learn more about the
background. Perhaps the biggest surprise
is the love story between RBG and her husband.
His final letter to her is
heartbreaking. Notorious RGB is a wonderful combination, mixing details about her
ground-breaking legal career with enough personal information to make the woman
in the formidable black robes more human.
Before the end of 2016 I must choose a biography or
autobiography to read. Books about the
Kennedy family are still being published at a rapid rate, with the Roosevelts
running a close second. Alexander
Hamilton is trendy and interest in Lincoln never fades. I tend to avoid movie stars and anything too
sensational – serial killers are definitely not an option. Please send any recommendations through
comments.
- S. Bakos
Related sources:
New York Times review of Notorious RBG, the life and times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmen and Shana Knizhnik (2015)
- S. Bakos
Related sources:
New York Times review of Notorious RBG, the life and times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmen and Shana Knizhnik (2015)
Vogue review of Notorious RBG, '15 Things I Learned About Ruth Bader Ginsburg From Notorious RBG'
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