Sharif versus Judy: who does Adjoua love more?

Our latest thoughts on "The Uproar" -- and an Ink Book Club special event with Suleika Jaouad.

Happy weekend, Ink Book Club members. We’re entering week three of our conversation around The Uproar, by Karim Dimechkie. In our Wednesday discussion this past week, Anand and I (and several of you!) discussed some of the novel’s themes, including, as Anand put it, how the novel is “a giant illumination of unaffordability as a social cancer.”

We also talked about “neurotic dog moms,” as reader Cheryl dubbed herself, and how the proliferation of dogs and chatbots may signal that we are losing our capacity for relationality (though we do love dogs). We wondered, in fact, if it was possible that Adjoua, Sharif’s wife, might love their dog Judy more than she loves her husband. And we explored one question I found especially intriguing: we’ve previously probed whether Sharif’s goodness is performative, but are we at the end of an era of aspiring do-gooders? The recent behavior of the oligarchs makes us think that aspiration may be a thing of the past.

We won’t have a live book club discussion this Wednesday, though we will be on the Ink Book Club chat throughout the week. Also, don’t forget that Karim Dimechkie will join us live on Wednesday, July 23, at 12:30 p.m. Eastern to discuss his utterly provocative novel. One reader who raced through the book at the speed of lightning got to the end and had this to say: “Holy Smokes!”

We second that emotion!

AND NOW FOR A BOOK CLUB BONUS: On Tuesday, July 15 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern, Anand and I will be joined by the incredible SULEIKA JAOUD, the author of the bestselling memoir Between Two Kingdoms, and most recently The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life. Suleika is also the subject, along with her husband, the musician Jon Batiste, of the Oscar-nominated documentary American Symphony.

The Book of Alchemy explores “the art of journaling,” a practice that “allows us to navigate life’s waters, be they turbulent or calm, and to learn to hold the paradoxes — the beautiful and cruel facts of our existence — in an open palm.” When I read the book’s introduction, which Suleika titles “The Way In,” I was moved to follow her lead and began doing “morning pages,” i.e., each morning before even brushing my teeth or drinking coffee, writing three pages in a journal. This became her’s (and mine) morning meditation, a clarifying few moments. In adopting this ritual, I, too, feel clearer, less anxious, and better able to face the day’s challenges. Especially in light of the divisiveness and chaos around us, this exercise is vital self-care. And there is zero shame in self-care, btw. I can’t express how much pen to paper in my journal has made a difference.

Suleika will join us to discuss the book and share her learnings, which have helped her immeasurably as she’s faced illness and loss. Please join us for this special edition of The Ink Book Club.

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And we’ll leave you with a few questions to ponder as we continue our journey through Karim Dimechkie’s The Uproar:

1. How is a social novelist’s lens especially useful in better understanding our politics?

2. Sharif’s reputation is badly tarnished after a video goes viral. What do you think the author is trying to convey here about cancellation? In the age of shamelessness, is “cancel culture” a thing of the past? Or is this a way for the otherwise powerless to exact accountability?

3. Anand vocalized what a lot of us were thinking when he asked whether Adjoua, actually loves their dog, Judy, more than her husband. What are your thoughts?

Please share your thoughts, comments, or questions of your own in the comments below, and we’ll talk more about The Uproar in the Book Club Chat this week.

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How to participate in the Book Club

We’ll post questions — our discussion guide — every Sunday, and every other Wednesday we’ll meet for a discussion with the Club or a visit from an author or other special guest. Look out for posts with further details. We’ll also host chat threads to get your insight on key questions in advance of our meetings. For our next meeting, on Wednesday, July 23, at 12:30 p.m. Eastern, we’ll be joined by Karim Dimechkie, author of The Uproar.

To participate in our meetings and author talks on Substack Live, join from your phone or tablet with the Substack app. You can watch on desktop at The Ink, and comment and ask questions in our chat, but you won’t be able to join the live video discussion. Book Club meetings are open to paid subscribers to The Ink, so if you haven’t become part of our community, please join us today.

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Photo by Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images; Suleika Jaoud photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images for The New York Times