Latest news with #Jamison
Atlantic
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Atlantic
How a Book Can Change a Graduate's Life
This is an edition of the Books Briefing, our editors' weekly guide to the best in books. Sign up for it here. For many people in their early 20s, graduating from college is both a significant milestone—perhaps the most important of their young life—and a rupture that leaves them utterly unmoored. (It has been this way for a long time; just ask Dustin Hoffman on that pool float.) A week ago, as the class of 2025 began heading into the world, my colleague Xochitl Gonzalez wrote about times we find ourselves without direction, and the books that can help guide us out of the wilderness. She names seven that helped her through upheavals in her own life, and specifically calls out transitional moments such as weddings (or breakups), job changes, and, of course, graduations. First, here are five new stories from The Atlantic 's books section: A provocative argument about what creates serial killers Yes I will read Ulysses yes ' A Father's Prayer,' a poem by Gioncarlo Valentine Fathers don't just protect—they prepare ' Weepers,' a short story by Peter Mendelsund My own college commencement ceremony took place some years ago this week. On paper, it was the perfect celebration: I donned my cap and gown, posed for my mother's Facebook pictures, and took an exciting phone call about a full-time job. But in reality, I wasn't even graduating that day: I'd been mailed my diploma the previous December and had spent the intervening six months underemployed and sick, subsisting on meals I was still learning how to cook and bottles of Two-Buck Chuck. Perhaps because my final college years coincided with the height of the #MeToo movement, I'd been reading a lot of work by female essayists and memoirists. I was looking for someone to distill and clarify what I was experiencing as a young woman, to help me move firmly into the category of 'adult' while taking stock of all the baggage I was still carrying from my teens. I bought Maggie Nelson's The Argonauts from a feminist bookstore in Atlanta. I got Mary Karr's Lit from a books-by-the-pound store in my college town, and devoured it. I read Eula Biss, Roxane Gay, Rebecca Solnit, Margo Jefferson, and Joan Didion. But the book that most defined those months and years was Leslie Jamison's The Empathy Exams. Jamison's essay collection alternates between measured analysis and naked emotion. Across chapters, the author takes on different roles: a medical actor, a journalist investigating a dubious diagnosis, a tourist in Nicaragua, a theorist of female suffering. In self-aware prose, she deftly avoids the labels that too often entrap women who write about their life and their feelings—self-obsessed, hysterical, histrionic. But Jamison also understands how good it feels to be melodramatic, and how warranted it can be. There's a big, bloody heart inside her sentences, and its insistent beat won my allegiance immediately and forever. At the time, I felt fragile, like my shell might crack at any moment, and between Jamison's covers I found a writer who understood that sensation. The margins of my copy, I see now, are crammed with annotations marking moments of reflection and identification. They're also full of craft notes, breaking down how Jamison deploys a phrase or a pronoun, charting allusions and noting connections between her ideas and the ones I'd encountered while earning my degree. Her book was a guiding star, not just emotionally but also professionally: It reminded me why I wanted to write and edit, and why I cared about great prose in the first place. It encouraged me to make room for my many overwhelming feelings—and then to keep moving toward the life I have today. By Xochitl Gonzalez These titles are great tools for anyone trying to navigate new opportunities, new places, or new phases of life. What to Read Drinking: A Love Story, by Caroline Knapp Knapp's memoir of sobriety is just one entry in a robust genre, standing among books such as Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, by Thomas De Quincey; The Night of the Gun, by David Carr; The Recovering, by Leslie Jamison; Lit, by Mary Karr; and The Basketball Diaries, by Jim Carroll. But Drinking: A Love Story was pivotal for me; I borrowed it from a sober person when I first started trying to stop. Knapp's depiction of addiction as a doomed love affair struck home. 'For a long time,' she writes, 'when it's working, the drink feels like a path to a kind of self-enlightenment, something that turns us into the person we wish to be, or the person we think we really are.' Every book about abstinence is also, inevitably, a book about indulgence—and what lies at its bottom, eventually demanding that we go without. As Knapp puts it, 'In some ways the dynamic is this simple: alcohol makes everything better until it makes everything worse.' Her book details the glory and devastation that precede the liberation of quitting, including the way that our excesses can subtly (or violently) affect our intimate relationships. Knapp's lushly written story illustrates the insidious way that romanticizing a dependency of any kind distorts its true impact on our lives. — Melissa Febos Out Next Week 📚 Room on the Sea: Three Novellas, by André Aciman 📚 The Girls Who Grew Big, by Leila Mottley 📚 , by Rebecca Grant Your Weekend Read The Entire Internet Is Reverting to Beta By Matteo Wong Reorienting the internet and society around imperfect and relatively untested products is not the inevitable result of scientific and technological progress—it is an active choice Silicon Valley is making, every day. That future web is one in which most people and organizations depend on AI for most tasks. This would mean an internet in which every search, set of directions, dinner recommendation, event synopsis, voicemail summary, and email is a tiny bit suspect; in which digital services that essentially worked in the 2010s are just a little bit unreliable. And while minor inconveniences for individual users may be fine, even amusing, an AI bot taking incorrect notes during a doctor visit, or generating an incorrect treatment plan, is not.
The 42
4 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
'The show is on the road' - Farrell calls for Lions to hit the ground running against Pumas
ANDY FARRELL HAS warned his Lions squad to hit the ground running after naming his team for Friday night's clash with Argentina in Dublin. Some of the group have been together since last week, while others have only joined in recent days after finishing club commitments over the weekend. Yet Farrell has still be able to name a strong team for the Pumas game, as the 2025 Lions look to make a strong start to their campaign. 'Naming the squad yesterday was great,' said Farrell, speaking at the Aviva Stadium. 'You feel like the show is on the road, the journey is about to begin properly so it was exciting to name that and allow the boys to realise that they'll be the first to represent this group.' Advertisement Those lucky few might get a head start in the selection race but the chasing pack won't be too far behind. The players involved in URC and Premiership finals joined the squad earlier this week, and the Lions boss said any injured players are close to returning to fitness. 'They're all a week or so away from being fit. We didn't quite know until Jamison (Gibson-Park) got another scan Monday night, I think that was pretty positive so Jack (van Poortvliet) comes over for cover for this game. Jamison should be up and running for the week after. 'Huw Jones has trained with us this week, he's been back into full training so that was great. Hugo Keenan ran for the first time a couple of days ago. Everything is going pretty well as far as that's concerned. There's always one or two bumps and bruises that you're trying to nurse. That's the nature of rugby.' Ireland prop Tadhg Furlong has been passed fit to feature, with Farrell naming the tighthead on the bench. Furlong has played just eight games this season (seven with Leinster, one for Ireland) across an injury-disrupted campaign. 'Well, he's fit, and ready to go and train well,' Farrell confirmed. 'And he's as keen as everyone else to get the show on the road. Farrell was then asked how many minutes he hopes to give Furlong on Friday night. 'It is what it is. You have all the best plans for a game of rugby. You've got to be ready from minute one or you roll with the punches. You may want to get someone on after 50 or 55 minutes but that might not come to fruition and they might only get five minutes at the end. It is what it is. Everyone understands that.' Farrell's matchday squad for Friday includes a total of 14-first time Lions, including Ireland players Finlay Bealham, Rónan Kelleher and Mack Hansen. 'It's what they dream of, there's no doubt about that, you can just tell with the buzz in the group and what it means to them, the excitement around the place,' Farrell added. 'We've seen it in the preparation, how diligent they've been, how quickly they've come together as a group and the bond that they've got already in such a short space of time, is great to see but best foot forward and all that, it's all about the performance on Friday night, isn't it? 'That's where we're all going to get judged, we want to do the shirt proud and represent the group properly on Friday night.'
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
'Good news' - Andy Farrell eases Jamison Gibson-Park injury worries
Andy Farrell has allayed fears over the fitness of Jamison Gibson-Park ahead of the British and Irish Lions' opening game against Argentina on Friday night. The Ireland scrum-half missed Leinster's BKT United Rugby Championship final against the Bulls last week with a glute injury, and fears grew over his fitness when England's Jack van Poortvliet was called in as cover for Friday's game at the Aviva. However, Farrell insists that he expects all of his traveling party to be ready to go within a week of arriving in Australia at the weekend. "Good news on most of the injuries, they are all a week or so away from being fit," Farrell said, after naming his side for Friday night's game in Dublin. "We didn't quite know until Jamison got another scan on Monday night which was pretty positive. Jack [Van Poortvliet] comes over as cover for this game, Jamison should be up and running for the week after. "Huw Jones has trained with us this week, and he's been back into full training, so that's great. "Hugo Keenan ran for the first time a couple of days ago. Everything's going pretty well as far as that's concerned. And there's always one or two bumps and bruises that you're you're trying to nurse but the nature of rugby within itself. So, we're in good shape." There was good news for Tadhg Furlong (below), who is fit to play this week after a calf injury. The tighthead prop hadn't featured for his province since their Investec Champions Cup semi-final defeat against Northampton Saints in early May, but is named among the replacements, with his Ireland team-mate Finlay Bealham starting. And despite Furlong's lack of gametime, he believes the prop is able for whatever minutes are required on Friday. "Well, he's fit, he's fit, and ready to go and trained well. And he's as keen as everyone else to get the show on the road. "It is what it is. You have all the best plans for a game of rugby. You've got to be ready from minute one or you roll with the punches. "You may want to get someone on after 50 or 55 minutes but that might not come to fruition and they might only get five minutes at the end. It is what it is. Everyone understands that." While no Test caps will be handed out on Friday, Farrell has included 14 players in his matchday squad who are set to make their first appearances in a Lions shirt, including Ireland internationals Bealham, Rónan Kelleher and Mack Hansen, while Furlong, Bundee Aki and Tadhg Beirne have featured on previous tours. "Naming the squad yesterday was great, you feel like the show is on the road and the journey is about to begin properly. It was exciting to name that and allow the boys to realise they will be the first to represent this group. "It is what they dream of. You can tell with the buzz in the group, what it means to them and the excitement around the place, it just shows what it means," he added. "We have seen it in the preparation, how diligent they have been, how quickly they have come together as a group and the bond they have got already in a short space of time. "Best foot forward and all that, it is all about the performance on Friday night. That is how we are going to get judged, how we want to do the shirt proud and represent the group properly on Friday night." There is familiarity in a side that has nine England internationals in the starting team, but history has shown that the opening game of a Lions campaign can often be littered with errors with so many players coming together after just a couple of weeks together in camp. But Farrell says that will be no excuse, as they look to to board their plane to Australia on Saturday with a win in the bag. "Cohesion, connection," were the traits he stressed for Friday. "An ability to attack the game from the off and be the best version of themselves individually and collectively. You can give yourself any excuse in terms of time together. But we've had good preparation. "If you want to be a good Lions player, you have to hit your straps straight from the off. We want to see these players compete. "They [Argentina] are a well-drilled, well organised team that's been playing some fantastic rugby – certainly over the last 18 months. Fifth in the world and beating everyone in their path shows where they're at. "We realise as well just how special this is for them and what a privilege it is to be here at the Aviva with the Lions playing their first game in Ireland. It's a special occasion and it's great they're coming to the party."
Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ireland star poised to travel to Oz with British & Irish Lions after scan result
Jamison Gibson-Park will be available for Lions action from next week after missing Leinster's URC final victory over the Bulls. The Ireland scrum-half missed out that success with what the Lions have described as a 'minor glute injury' but after a scan on Monday night, he will travel to Australia with the Lions after Friday night's opening tour game against Argentina at the Aviva Stadium. "Good news on most of the injuries, actually, they're all a week or so away from being fit," said Andy Farrell this afternoon. "We didn't quite know until Jamison got another scan Monday night, I think. That was pretty positive as well. "So Jack (van Poortvliet) comes over as cover for this game. Jamison should be up and running for the week after." Hugo Keenan is also back on the training field after a calf issue also forced him to miss the URC final. "Huw Jones has trained with us this week, and he's been back into full training, so that's great," said Farrell. "Hugo Keenan ran for the first time a couple of days ago. Everything's going pretty well as far as that's concerned. "And there's always one or two bumps and bruises that you're trying to nurse but that's the nature of rugby within itself. So, we're in good shape." Tadhg Furlong has missed the last month of action, also with a calf injury, but he has been named on the Lions bench to face the Pumas. "Well, he's fit," said Farrell. "He's fit and ready to go and is training well. And he's as keen as everyone else to get the show on the road." One of the exciting combinations selected by Farrell for the game on Lansdowne Road is the pairing of Bundee Aki with Sione Tuipulotu at centre. Asked what he was expecting from the duo, the head coach said: "Probably the same as what you're hoping to see. A dominant partnership, but we know that we're coming up against a side who are pretty good in those type of positions as well. "So they've (Aki and Tuipulotu) been great. Getting on the same page, sharing each other's strengths and weaknesses and trying to get across what is a new system to everyone. So very diligent and excited to see that partnership, along with a few others." Farrell wants to see "cohesion and connection" from his players, and an ability to attack the game from the kick-off. He added: "For them to be the best version of themselves individually and collectively - you can give yourself any excuse in terms of time together, but we've had good preparation. If you want to be a good Lions player, you have to hit your straps straight from the off. We want to see these players compete." And, back in Ireland after spending time in the Algarve with those members of the squad who weren't involved in the URC and Premiership finals, Farrell can't wait to get going. "It's great, especially with all the sun around Dublin - it's been great hasn't it," he said. "We've come back from Portugal and kept the tan going. "I've seen the buzz around the place over the last 18 months. The whole country is unbelievably excited, as are all the other countries. People are going to be travelling from everywhere. Dublin is going to be the place to be this weekend."
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Leslie Jamison wins Writers' Trust award for international non-fiction author
American author and essayist Leslie Jamison has won this year's $75,000 Weston International Award. The prize, presented by the Writers' Trust of Canada, recognizes the career achievement of a non-fiction writer from outside of Canada. Jurors praise Jamison's 'mastery of language' and say she brings rigorous scholarship to writing about her most intimate thoughts. Jamison's non-fiction work includes the essay collections 'The Empathy Exams' and 'Make It Scream, Make It Burn' and the memoirs 'The Recovering' and 'Splinters.' She also teaches at Columbia University, where she directs the non-fiction Masters of Fine Arts program. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. The Writers' Trust plans to host an on-stage interview with Jamison at the Royal Ontario Museum in September. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2025.
