HAVING AND BEING HAD

Eula Biss is clearly conflicted about the whole enterprise of becoming a homeowner as she contemplates capitalism and privilege in the U.S. Narrator Alex McKenna has a deep, rich voice, and she knows exactly when to pause and which phrases to emphasize to capture the author's thoughtfulness, ironic observations, and deep probing for truth. This audiobook consists of many brief essays touching on diverse aspects of capitalism, but McKenna keeps us engaged and connected to the whole. Writing is of paramount importance to Biss. As a young woman, she had a variety of jobs, working until she had enough money to quit and write. Now in her 40s, she is a professor with a comfortable income but finds that her university "work" interferes with her real "work" of writing. She concludes, "I need another word." A.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2020]