Christian Cooper

Road trip audio book!

I knew going in that I was mostly going to be interested in Christian Cooper's employment stint at Marvel Comics and his encounter with the Central Park Karen, but I had reservations about his birdwatching hobby being the focus of the title. I do have to say though that his love and enthusiasm for the pastime won me over, and I found myself anticipating his next avian encounter as his life story unfolded.

I'm almost tempted to give his birding television show a try.

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Introduction -- 1. An Incident in Central Park -- 2. Blackbird -- 3. The Book of Ramus -- 4. Halcyon Days -- 5. In a Happy Place -- 6. Knocking Down Doors in the House of Ideas -- 7. Life Turned Upside Down -- 8. Elegy -- 9. On Top of the World -- 10. Family Matters -- 11. The Tragedy of Francis -- 12. Another Incident in Central Park -- 13. Out of Alabama -- Acknowledgments… (meer)

[4.25] Imagine trying to stage a literary juggling act that tackles all of the following topics in one smooth-flowing autobiography: birding, racial injustice, the comic book industry, Marvel superheroes, social activism, depression, family dysfunction, travel, LGBTQ issues and the many faces of New York City’s Central Park. If this sounds like an impossible mission, read Cooper’s engaging, insightful and inspirational work. The author is best known as the Black birder whose 2020 encounter with an entitled white woman in Central Park made global headlines. This incident makes up only a sliver of the book but serves as an effective launching board for Cooper’s twist-filled life story. True, those of us who are not enamored with birds might find a few of the meandering nature excursions a bit slow-moving. But Cooper's contagious passion for this pastime might just spur me to procure a birding book and a pair of binoculars.… (meer)

The draw was birds and curiosity about an incident in Central Park. Cooper deftly handles the latter in the opening chapter and another later on. He captures birding, birders, and birds well and cleverly inserts tips for birders that help beginners and resonate with the experienced.

Mostly it’s a biography of a guy with whom I found a lot in common. Time and again I was reminded of my unlike childhood, imagining how we might have hit it off. Just as easily I could imagine a growing distance between us and a natural parting as our courses diverged.

The autobiography is often frank and regularly repetitious, but breezily written so not embarrassing or bothersome to read. Once is enough, though. For more Christian Cooper, I’ll seek out his diverse other work.… (meer)