New works wrestle with past and present
Arthur Ashe A Life Raymond Arsenault Simon & Schuster: 784 pp., $37.50
This definitive biography of tennis star Arthur Ashe delivers more than a sports book, artfully making a case for Ashe’s importance as a civil rights icon. With the deep understanding of American history that he so deftly brought to bear in his earlier books on the Freedom Riders and Marian Anderson at the Lincoln Memorial, Arsenault chronicles Ashe’s rise from the segregated tennis courts of his childhood in Richmond, Va., on through the barriers he faced on the amateur circuit, to becoming one of America’s most-admired athletes. Arsenault explains how Ashe, who acquired AIDS from a blood transfusion and died before he turned 50, evolved into an activist for civil rights at home and against apartheid in South Africa, illuminating Ashe’s historical significance in a marvelous work of social history.
Bitwise A Life in Code David Auerbach Pantheon: 304 pp., $27.95
In this engaging memoir and social history, Auerbach describes working as an engineer for Microsoft and Google in their early phases while studying graduate-level literature and philosophy on the side. The experiences enhanced one another, becoming as necessary as food and water, and in “Bitwise” he writes fluidly about how coding shaped him as a person. Auerbach has a charming touch, and he is a patient, encouraging teacher, which is illustrated — among many memorable stories — by his playing “Flight of the Valkyries” as he marveled over his young daughter’s determination to walk, which reminded him of the effort and joy he found in getting a piece of code to work perfectly.
Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters Anne Boyd Rioux W.W. Norton: 288 pp., $27.95
Coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the publication of “Little Women,” Rioux’s book argues that Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel of four sisters coming of age during the Civil War paved the way for a generation of female writers who were inspired by rebellious Jo March, who rejected society’s demands and became a writer. Rioux provides a compelling back story of how the novel’s influence evolved and motivated so many women to challenge convention. She chronicles the novel’s many iterations in popular culture, from the 1933 film starring Katharine Hepburn to its references in TV shows such as “Gilmore Girls” and HBO’s “Girls.” Read Rioux’s engrossing book, then look for the latest incarnation of the film, this one to be directed by Greta Gerwig of “Ladybird” fame.
On the Other Side of Freedom The Case for Hope DeRay Mckesson Viking: 240 pp., $25
writes Mckesson at the start of his powerful memoir and manifesto, recalling a hot day during the 2014 Ferguson, Mo., protests as the activist was stepping into his role of “record[ing] and interpret[ing] as much as possible everywhere we protested so that we could consistently tell the truth to the outside world.” He documented the violence in Ferguson, posted it on social media and gave birth to the Black Lives Matter movement. The former school administrator, now host of the podcast Pod Save the People, writes of his childhood as the son of drug addicts in Baltimore, provides an inside look into Black Lives Matter and activities such as the creation of a national database on people killed by police. Mckesson delivers a powerful book that demonstrates that he is not only an influential activist but an important literary voice for equality in America.