Here for It

         R. Eric Thomas' essays were thoroughly enjoyable. Here For It was probably my second favorite

 book we have read so far this semester. Much like Samantha Irby, Thomas does not necessarily seem to

 make fun of other people in his writing. He takes a more observational approach, where he simply

 describes the absurdity of whatever situation he is portraying. It is up to us as readers to then recognize

 that absurdity. In his essay "The Past Smelled Terrible," Thomas talks about his feelings regarding the end

 of the world. He says, "And the way we've been taught to think about it is so improbable. We are not

 going to band together and listen to a bunch of scientists to save humanity like Jake Gyllenhaal in a

 disaster movie. Sorry. You know how I know? Because a bunch of scientists are telling us how to save the

 world right now, and half the world isn't listening to them," (215). In this way, Thomas manages to point

 out the contradictions between media and real life, and assert his belief that more immediate and

 substantial progress needs to be made towards mitigating climate change. As readers, we are able to

 recognize how ridiculous this situation is, and some may even view this as a call to action. 

        Perhaps the most obvious indictment is Thomas' descriptions of attending church meetings when he

 was young. Thomas points out the sexism that was present in his church by saying that he found it weird

 no women ever gave sermons. He also brings up teenage pregnancy/pregnancy out of wedlock and says it

 was really only ever the girls who had to take responsibility in front of the congregation. He then talks

 about the excommunication of the music minister. Thomas writes, "He struggled with his sexuality for

 years... He'd even gotten married to a women, thinking that could solve his problem. But something in

 him had broken. He annulled his marriage, he confessed to the pastor that he was gay, and he'd been sent

 away. They hadn't even needed to count the votes," (199). He describes this with very little fluff, or extra

 wording. Readers can easily see how wrong this situation was based on Thomas' description alone.

 Thomas uses his writing to make observations that point out the absurdity of many aspects of society and

 church-life.