As Decade Fades: A Book Review

 

People like to walk down the street with their headphones on, music playing in the background of their life like a soundtrack. They post Facebook status updates that are nothing but song lyrics. No matter what people go through, there is always a song that can be applied to that specific moment.

This idea of a soundtrack to life is something Joshua Fields Millburn explores in his first full-length novel, "As Decade Fades." Millburn, a writer for the popular blog The Minimalists, suffered heavy depression in his late twenties, as his mother died, his marriage ended, and he realized that life wasn't giving him satisfaction. That's when he became a minimalist and started his blog. Now, he channels his feelings during that era of his life into "As Decade Fades."

“I’m not Jody Grafton, the novel’s broken and bruised main character," Millburn writes on his blog. “I have, however, felt all the emotions in this book, felt them down to my bone marrow. But I think you have, too.”

"As Decade Fades" is about a musician named Jody Grafton, a one-hit-wonder of sorts who has hit rock bottom in life. The story follows Grafton as he travels to Brooklyn to help his friend with some music, even though Grafton himself has given up on music. Grafton is facing what he calls a mid-mid-life crisis. An explanatory line from the book reads, "He wasn't sure what had happened, but one day he woke up halfway between somewhere and nowhere and he was twenty-something and nearing thirty as the decade faded."

Grafton has multiple flashbacks during his time in Brooklyn, and the story is told partially in the present day, partially through flashbacks to the past, and partially through music reviews and articles about Grafton. This adds an interesting layer of depth to the novel, but sometimes it makes it hard to follow the timeline.

Through it all, Grafton notices the most interesting little details, from the number of ice cubes in the glass of lemonade, to the way that no one in the airplane can figure out how to get the bathroom door open. Sometimes these details are pretty gross. At other times they are beautiful things people normally wouldn't think of. Grafton can be a very crass character at times, and makes some terrible decisions, yet the reader ends up rooting for him, hoping he will get his life together.

Everywhere he goes, song lyrics jump into his mind. Lyrics that he's written in the past, lyrics that someone else has written, and lyrics that he thought of in that moment. It's as though his life is music to him. Even though he tried to give up music, he can't escape it entirely.

The book was written in an emotional melancholy style that will appeal to some and not others. Blogger Nelle Guebara appreciates the style, saying that "Millburn has been able to elicit from his readers the same emotional reactions Grafton is feeling." However Jake McCrary, reviewing the book on goodreads, described it as "crammed too full of metaphor to the point of being distracting."

It's always interesting to see how bloggers make the shift into novel writing. For the most part, Millburn, has handled this shift well. Though some scenes are slightly crass, readers will be drawn in by Millburn's obvious talent at crafting words.


Further Information:

Title of Book: As Decade Fades

Cost: $15 for paperback, $7 for Kindle edition

Size: 284 pages

Publisher: Asymmetrical Press

Release Date: Dec. 25, 2012

Author Website:  http://joshuafieldsmillburn.com/

Author's Blog: http://www.theminimalists.com/

The Black Curtain Society

At the beginning of the Black Curtain Society meeting on Friday there was a giant piece of paper lying on the floor. Brandon Breiner and Emma Barry struggled to fold it.

“They’re doing giant origami,” explained Dan Stone, the club’s faculty adviser.

There are many clubs on campus, but the Black Curtain Society, LBCC’s theater club, is the only one where you’ll get to see someone making a 3-foot paper crane during the meeting.

The Black Curtain Society is a club for students who want to get involved in any form of theater. However, the club places an emphasis on improv comedy. Though the club meetings are full of fundraising and performance ideas, the meetings are informal with lots of jokes and laughter.

Co-presidents Emma Barry and Kim Willaman have worked hard to make the club what it is. According to Barry, the Black Curtain Society has been floundering for quite some time. The previous presidents were often extremely busy, with little extra time to devote to the club. Last summer Barry and Willaman decided to take on the presidency together, which has worked out quite well.

One of the current goals of the club is to put on improv shows as a fundraiser. Last fall, a group of LBCC students performed at the Eagles’ Club in Albany. The show was about half rehearsed and half improv, and it was a huge hit. The Eagles’ Club is asking them to come back, and Barry and Willaman are working to find other venues as well. 
These shows would be student-run, and not for credit, as paying for credits is a major hardship for some people who want to get involved in theater. Equipment comes from the people involved, with most actors wearing clothes they already own. The proceeds of the shows go back into the Black Curtain Society fund.

Barry and Willaman hope to build up the fund, and use the money not only to do fun things like attend shows, but also to submit plays to festivals and pay for various competitions. “We have a lot of very talented people,” says Willaman, who is eager to help these people get the recognition she feels they deserve. But recognition, of course, takes money, which is why the club is so focused on fundraising at the moment.

According to Willaman, theater is something everyone should get involved in, because it’s an excuse to act immature but still do something constructive, improving your communication skills and learning to think on your feet. “You can act like a nut, and people appreciate it,” she said.

Stone chimed in and said that people should get involved in theater because “their life depends on it.” He further explained that the arts are what make us human, and theater is a combination of all the arts, incorporating dance, music, and visual arts.

After Friday's meeting was over, Rose Taylor approached Stone and asked if she could get involved backstage.

“Of course!” said Stone, enthusiastically.

Taylor thanked him, and then said that she had trouble getting involved in clubs because people saw that she was in a wheelchair and were afraid she would hurt herself. But she figured of all the clubs, the theater club would probably be the least discriminating.

This made the club members laugh, because it’s so true. The theater club doesn’t just tolerate differences, it embraces them. No matter who you are, if you have any interest in theater and are willing to help out in whatever way you can, the Black Curtain Society will embrace you.


Get Involved:

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/groups/blackcurtainsociety

Co-presidents’ email address:  blackcurtainoflb@gmail.com

Dan Stone’s email address:  dan.stone@linnbenton.edu

Meeting time: 3:30 p.m. Fridays in the Russell Tripp Theater on the Albany campus