Moments of Joy 003 - George Takei and the Amsterdam Queer Bookclub

We had a really good discussion of George Takei autobiography in graphic novel format. Unfortunately, he didn't elaborate on this LGBTQIA+ activism, but it was still a really good discussion plus we were introduced briefly to George Takei husband, which was a fun and light-hearted moment in the book.

We were not convinced that America is such a "role model of modern democracy", every country has its problems and challenges and American exceptionalism can be a bit grating at times? I had assumed that the book was written pre-Trump. George Takei has a very popular TED talk made in 2014, although this book does touch on Trump and the resurgence/re-usage of refugee camps on US soil. Quite heartbreaking for George Takei who grew up in a camp in an internment camp in Rohwer, Arkansas.

Personally, I don't believe either democracy is dead in either America or UK but the last few years have seen very worrying trends, especially the Cambridge Analytical scandals which eventually cost Facebook $6 billion dollars i.e. US government fine and another $0.005 billion dollars to the UK government  

In response, Facebook apologized for their role in the data harvesting and their CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in front of Congress.[7] In July 2019, it was announced that Facebook was to be fined $5 billion by the Federal Trade Commission due to its privacy violations.[8] In October 2019, Facebook agreed to pay a £500,000 fine to the UK Information Commissioner's Office for exposing the data of its users to a "serious risk of harm".[9] In May 2018, Cambridge Analytica filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.[10]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook%E2%80%93Cambridge_Analytica_data_scandal 

On the topic of graphic novels we also discussed these books:

* Fun Home (by Alison Bechdel i.e. of the Bechdel film test fame*)

* Our Dreams At Dusk

* My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness

* I Think Our Son Is Gay (I need more humour)

We also discussed reading some of Sarah Waters' Historical Fiction, especially her first three novels seen in Victorian London

* Tipping the Velvet (1998)

* Affinity (1999)

* Fingersmith (2002)

* The Night Watch (2006)

* The Little Stranger (2009)

* The Paying Guests (2014)

I am a huge Sarah Waters fan and would love to re-read them all! I see that last year I was musing on these books attending English Classis status in the future:

Sarah Waters - one of my favourite writers and IMO going to become a classic

https://davetravelogue.blogspot.com/2021/07/queer-literary-classics.html

NB I've also been watch Star Trek (mixed with Black Mirror) during lockdown, not especially for background for this book but rather as seminal SciFi Television works and programs often referenced at the SciFi bookclub. A nice moment of synchronicity.

NB2 The Bechdel test for a film: * At least two women * The women need to talk to each other * They need to talk to each other about something other than a man