I love propulsive, reported non-fiction! (My man Patrick Radden Keefe! Empire of Pain 🔥). Recently, partially because of learning from you I've discovered new love for the lyrical creative, like Tiya Miles and her books Night Flyer and All That She Carried. Hanif Abdurraqib is another lyrical, creative author that I've gained new appreciation for. I do think the education system does a better job of teaching how to write reported non-fiction than creative non-fiction. So I think there's more "merely adequate and/or acceptable" reported NF, while creative NF tends to be written well or really poorly, and rarely is it just average.
Thats a really interesting point. I think in general we are not taught about creativity both as a reader and a writer, and in a lot of other spaces. I also think to create something that is exceptional and outside the box is so hard to do.
And yes, I would say Hanif is for sure a lyrical creative writer.
This Nonfiction Files series is just excellent! The matrix was fascinating and I plan to plot my favorite non-fiction reads on it. Though I can say with certainty that I lean heavily toward Q4/propulsive reported because I like to be banged on the head with facts when I read. Tell me things AND be straightforward! I tend to lose my patience with more lyrical non-fiction.
No. I don't think being in the middle means you did too much. I think some books are more of an even mix of things. In my mind "narrative nonfiction" sort of falls in the middle of the y-axis. That is one of my favorite kinds of nonfiction, where an author uses both reporting and some creative flair to tell a story that "reads like a novel" if you will.
Which is to say, I am not using this matrix as a way to evaluate quality of book, more to categorize it and be able to talk about it. Two books might be plotted in the same space one I like, the other I don't but they still end up plotted the same bc of what they are doing. How I feel about that is added on elsewhere. Does that make sense? If not happy to elaborate more.
I replied above, but not, this isn't a matrix to evaluate quality it is to evaluate more that the book is trying to do and how it does that. My own opinions on that is totally separate from that.
I appreciate this so much! I've really fallen off the non-fiction wagon so having some new, vetted titles is going to help me dip my toe back in. And the matrix? I want to do this for all the books I read!
You should 100% start doing the matrix for yourself or create you own with your own axis that speak to your reading life! Glad to get you excited to be back in the nonfiction world.
The axes feel so so right, even though maybe not the first that would have come to mind so I find them even better. Seeing the non fiction books (all recs from the stacks !) that I read, i'm definitely more a propulsive reported reader. Can't wait to find more non fiction via your files !! Re-reading the 1st non-fiction file with those axes in mind for a refresher
I think I would have put genre and style maybe, which I don't think would have been a useful way to think about non-fiction. So thanks !! Enjoy your vacation
This is so interesting! When I looked at the axes - before I even looked at the books themselves - I knew that propulsive reported would be my quadrant.
I love propulsive, reported non-fiction! (My man Patrick Radden Keefe! Empire of Pain 🔥). Recently, partially because of learning from you I've discovered new love for the lyrical creative, like Tiya Miles and her books Night Flyer and All That She Carried. Hanif Abdurraqib is another lyrical, creative author that I've gained new appreciation for. I do think the education system does a better job of teaching how to write reported non-fiction than creative non-fiction. So I think there's more "merely adequate and/or acceptable" reported NF, while creative NF tends to be written well or really poorly, and rarely is it just average.
Thats a really interesting point. I think in general we are not taught about creativity both as a reader and a writer, and in a lot of other spaces. I also think to create something that is exceptional and outside the box is so hard to do.
And yes, I would say Hanif is for sure a lyrical creative writer.
This Nonfiction Files series is just excellent! The matrix was fascinating and I plan to plot my favorite non-fiction reads on it. Though I can say with certainty that I lean heavily toward Q4/propulsive reported because I like to be banged on the head with facts when I read. Tell me things AND be straightforward! I tend to lose my patience with more lyrical non-fiction.
I’m so glad you’re liking the series. I still feel like I’m trying to find my footing so knowing I’m on the right track feels great.
This is so interesting. Curious what you thought about the books clustered towards the middle? Did you think they tried to do too much?
No. I don't think being in the middle means you did too much. I think some books are more of an even mix of things. In my mind "narrative nonfiction" sort of falls in the middle of the y-axis. That is one of my favorite kinds of nonfiction, where an author uses both reporting and some creative flair to tell a story that "reads like a novel" if you will.
Which is to say, I am not using this matrix as a way to evaluate quality of book, more to categorize it and be able to talk about it. Two books might be plotted in the same space one I like, the other I don't but they still end up plotted the same bc of what they are doing. How I feel about that is added on elsewhere. Does that make sense? If not happy to elaborate more.
Makes a lot of sense! Thanks for explaining your thinking
I was thinking about that too. Maybe they weren't trying enough? Too bland?
I replied above, but not, this isn't a matrix to evaluate quality it is to evaluate more that the book is trying to do and how it does that. My own opinions on that is totally separate from that.
I appreciate this so much! I've really fallen off the non-fiction wagon so having some new, vetted titles is going to help me dip my toe back in. And the matrix? I want to do this for all the books I read!
You should 100% start doing the matrix for yourself or create you own with your own axis that speak to your reading life! Glad to get you excited to be back in the nonfiction world.
The axes feel so so right, even though maybe not the first that would have come to mind so I find them even better. Seeing the non fiction books (all recs from the stacks !) that I read, i'm definitely more a propulsive reported reader. Can't wait to find more non fiction via your files !! Re-reading the 1st non-fiction file with those axes in mind for a refresher
What would you have done for your axes? I hope rereading the first NFF is helpful.
I think I would have put genre and style maybe, which I don't think would have been a useful way to think about non-fiction. So thanks !! Enjoy your vacation
I thought about going that direction, but I thought this would be more useful in terms of communicating clearly with others. Glad you liked it.
This is so interesting! When I looked at the axes - before I even looked at the books themselves - I knew that propulsive reported would be my quadrant.
Yes, that’s for sure my sweet spot too. I was surprised how many faves fell in lyrical creative though.
This is very cool.
Ahhhh thank you!!!
I love this!!