Day 2,267, Quasi-Quarantine: Sectarian Violence, Toxic Masculinity Propel Shattering "Young Mungo"

 

“Mungo’s capacity for love frustrated her. His loving wasn’t selflessness; he simply couldn’t help it. Mo-Maw needed so little and he produced too much, so that it all seemed a horrible waste. It was a harvest no one had seeded, and it blossomed from a vine no one had tended. It should have withered years ago, like hers had, like Hamish’s had. Yet Mungo had all this love to give and it lay about him like ripened fruit and nobody bothered to gather it up.”

This novel of desperation is run through with an inescapable sense of dread and impending violence, as Douglas Stuart explores the underbelly of Glasgow.

“The sun was not yet fully overhead in the sky, and everything beautiful was all already ruined.”

Mungo Hamilton is a neglected 15-year-old struggling with a warped existence that makes love and violence two sides of the same coin. An alcoholic mother, an aspirational sister, and a gang-leader brother use him for their own needs, ignoring his own questions about sexuality and how to cope with the toxic masculinity that surrounds him.

“The men had looked at him as though they knew what lay inside his soul, things he still had not even admitted to himself. They knew the inescapable shame of it, how isolated it made him feel, and they had used that to separate him from his home and do as they pleased.”

Subjected to unspeakable violence, Mungo manages to carve out a friendship with James, whose religion, family challenges, and identity questions make him the worst possible fit in Mungo's environment. The pair wages battle against upbringings that have rendered love almost impossible. Almost.

“It seemed like this boy could not have spent a day on the same streets that Mungo knew, never needed any of its callous posturing, the self-protective swagger, the dirty promise of hitting first. There was nothing guarded or fearful about him. Mungo couldn’t help but smile back up at him. ‘I’m Mungo.’”

I discovered a copy of Stuart's debut novel, "Shuggie Bain," in a bookstore in Edinburgh and I forking loved it, ranking it No. 5 in the Scooties top five books of the year 2023. Stuart's work evokes Dickens, so it was useful to escape the overwhelming neglect and poverty by finishing this one at the Sanderling in cathartic Duck, NC.

“It was only a matter of time before James would be hurt, and for what? For liking Mungo Hamilton, the ruiner of all good things.”

If I had to identify some quibbles, I think Douglas offers up a rather one-dimensional depiction of an entire region. He also gives short shrift to Mungo's mother, Maureen, and I for one would have preferred a little more of a glimpse into her internal life.

“She had asked for violence out of a gentle soul and it made her feel like she had trampled a patch of fresh snow.”

“Jodie thought about how Mungo had moulded himself so entirely around Mo-Maw, how she had formed him into the exact component piece that she had been missing, and now that she didn’t need him anymore, he was stuck in this weird specific shape.”

When Mungo's sister Jodie turns traitor, it feels like the final knife in the back. But despite "Young Mungo" being a devastating read, filling readers with every emotion, it finds its way to an ending riddled with hope and tinges of redemption.

“He was watching, and he was waiting, and he was leaving all at the same time.”

Day 2,261, Quasi-Quarantine: Reaches And Questionable Positional Value Slow Some Momentum On Day Two Of Dolphins Draft

After landing a pair of promising first-rounders on the first day of the draft, the 'Fins came into day two of the NFL Draft with four picks -- one in the second round and three in the third round. With their initial pick, Miami landed Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (6-1, 231 pounds) at No. 43, then they followed up with Rodriguez's teammate, receiver Caleb Douglas (6-3, 206, No. 75); Ohio State tight end Will Kacmarek (6-5, 261, No. 87); and Louisville wideout Chris Bell (6-1, 222, No. 94). 

The pluses: Rodriguez was analyst Dane Brugler's No. 40 overall player and second-ranked linebacker in the draft, so the Dolphins got strong value with the selection. Miami was desperate for receivers after losing Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine in the offseason, so bringing in young talent with size and speed was crucial. Kacmarek is seen as a road-grader of a blocker on the edges, a core need in getting tailback De'Von Achane out in space.

Rodriguez won the Chuck Bednarik, Lombardi, and Butkus awards, added the Bronko Nagurski Trophy for good measure, and finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy race. He's a turnover machine (19 career forced turnovers) with tremendous instincts who should be an immediate starter in coach Jeff Hafley's new defense.

Douglas measures 6-3, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds, and led the Red Raiders in receiving yards (846) and touchdowns (seven) as a senior. He's credited with a large catch radius, smooth transitions, sharp cuts, and solid special-teams coverage ability. 

Kacmarek was Brugler's No. 7 overall tight end and he's accustomed to playing both inline and in multiple-tight end sets -- the direction the NFL is going. He demonstrates a lot of physicality in the run game and has produced when called upon in the passing game, catching 23 of 27 targets without a drop. Kacmarek is seen as a leader with impeccable technique, strong hands, and impressive agility for his size.

Using one of the picks acquired in the Waddle trade to Denver, Bell was perhaps the team's best value pick despite the injury, an ACL tear suffered in November of his senior year. As a three-year starter with eye-catching strength and explosion, he was considered the No. 47 overall player and No. 8 wide receiver by Brugler. Analysts like Bell's body control, acceleration, ability to run after the catch, willingness to go over the middle, steady improvement, and competitive fire.

The minuses: With the No. 11 pick of the second round, another off-ball linebacker felt like a bit of a luxury at this stage of the rebuild. Rodriguez will also be 24 when the season starts, is somewhat undersized, and has marginal special teams experience.

Simply put, Douglas represented terrible value where he was chosen. Considered the No. 241 overall player and the No. 31 wideout in the draft by Brugler, he went at a prime spot at No. 75. Douglas dropped 10 passes in his last two years, possesses average play strength, and struggles with focus, contested catches, and disguising routes -- a combination that led to him being ranked so low by so many analysts.

Similar to Rodriguez, Kacmarek represented questionable positional value, with a blocking tight end feeling pretty rich for the No. 87 overall selection (acquired from the Eagles for edge Jaelen Phillips). In addition, he was tabbed as the No. 111 overall player by Brugler, primarily due to his unrefined receiving (just two touchdowns in two seasons for the Buckeyes), route-running, and separation skills.

In addition to needing to get healthy, Bell must develop his route tree, curb his pushing-off habits, and manage his emotions. He was whistled for 16 penalties in three seasons, including six flags in 11 games as a senior. He's an unpolished, straight-line athlete with marginal lateral agility and questionable availability for training camp.

The best-case scenario: Using his impressive instincts, Rodriguez pairs nicely with Jordyn Brooks from the jump, bringing much-needed play-making ability to the front seven. Douglas adapts to the pro game much more quickly than anticipated, giving quarterback Malik Willis a desperately needed, sizeable threat in the passing game. Kacmarek unlocks Miami's physical and perimeter running games while surprising as an auxiliary target through the air, while Bell's rehab goes without a hitch and he establishes himself as a size/speed handful relatively early in the campaign.

The worst-case scenario: Due to struggles in navigating traffic and getting off blocks, Rodriguez ends up being a sub-package 'backer with little experience to fall back on in impacting the third phase. Douglas is overwhelmed by learning a new playbook while correcting all the holes in his game; Kacmarek's one-dimensionality limits his play packages; and Bell is slow to return to full health, essentially taking a redshirt year.

The bottom line: It's hard to escape the feeling that the 'Fins did a little with a lot on the second day of the draft. The cynical view is that Miami came out of the second day of the draft without a contributor who will play the majority of the snaps on either side of the ball, an almost-unforgiveable mismanagement of draft resources. 

The Dolphins took two receivers who feel like long shots to impact the team in the first half of the season, a pure blocking tight end, and a player who plays the same position as the squad's lone first-team All-Pro (Brooks).

Of course, as the best-case scenario demonstrates, there is upside here, and a lot of it. In the long term, the Bell selection could end up being a coup for the 'Fins, but past draft disasters -- albeit under a different regime -- have put an early, pessimistic tint on the second-day efforts.

Day 2,260, Quasi-Quarantine: "Journey Without Maps" Documents A Harrowing Venture Through Africa's Interior

“Later I got used to not caring a damn, just to walking and staying put when I had walked far enough, at some village of which I didn’t know the name, to letting myself drift with Africa.”

Graham Greene's account of a four-week, head-long scamper through the interior of Liberia stands as a strong commentary on the impacts of colonialism in early-20th-century Africa. He and his retinue -- including his companion, a cousin he barely mentions -- covered some 350 miles on foot, braving a number of physical and cultural dangers.

“ … The peculiarly Protestant characteristic of combining martyrdom with absurdity.”

The author continuously put his health and safety at risk in "Journey Without Maps," but the intent of his trek was often missing. He seemed bent on rushing as fast as possible through the experience much of the time, causing a reader to wonder what he had hoped to achieve.

“I felt crazy to be here in the middle of Liberia when everything I knew intimately was European. It was like a bad dream. I couldn’t remember why I had come.”

I was a big fan of Greene's work in "The Quiet American," and this certainly represents a massive departure from that style. Perhaps an element of this tale that could have benefited from more exploration was the impact of the journey on his mental state.

“Today our world seems peculiarly susceptible to brutality. There is a touch of nostalgia in the pleasure we take in gangster novels, in characters who have so agreeably simplified their emotions that they have begun living again at a level below the cerebral.”

Greene credits the ordeal for rekindling his love of life, despite latter-life admissions that it was a reckless endeavor. His interactions with villagers are perhaps the best part of the book -- especially when they serve to highlight the ways in which the natives are being taken advantage of by his countrymen and other Europeans.

“A child was crying in a tenement not far from the Lord Warden, the wail of a child too young to speak, too young to have learnt what the dark may conceal in the way of lust and murder, crying for no intelligible reason but because it still possessed the ancestral fear, the devil was dancing in its sleep.”

Day 2,254, Quasi-Quarantine: Miami Looks For Foundational Pieces On Either Side Of The Ball on Active Day One Of Draft

In what must have been something of a surprise to new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and his crew, when the clock started at pick No. 11, the Dolphins had their choice of Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Miami edge Rueben Bain. 

Instead of taking one of those standout defenders, however, Sullivan moved down one spot (acquiring two more fifth-rounders in return) and selected Alabama offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor. Then, later in the round, they moved from No. 30 to No. 27 (at the cost of moving from No. 90 to No. 138 later in the draft) to pick San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson.

The pluses: Proctor is young (won't turn 21 until close to the season) and massive (6-6, 352 pounds), with demonstrations of dominance as an All-America last season for the Tide. Scouts consider him to have rare explosiveness, good lateral agility for his size, a nasty streak, and uncommon athleticism -- he even ran the ball five times for 'Bama, including an 11-yarder. He's also durable and sound, playing 40 games at left tackle over three seasons and going 18 straight starts without a holding penalty.

Johnson is instinctive, collecting 13 pass breakups and four interceptions (including two pick-sixes) while allowing zero touchdowns and just a 41.9-percent completion rate when he was targeted. Scouts give him high marks in mechanics, awareness, fluidity, transitions, anticipation, feel, closing burst, and recovery speed. He's considered a high-character teammate, sticking with San Diego State despite many opportunities to transfer to a bigger program and earning All-America and Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors.

In addition, Johnson is versatile enough to play both man and zone, is an eager run defender, and possesses good special teams experience, even blocking a punt along the way.

The minuses: Analysts have documented Proctor's struggles to play in space and understand leverage, with poor fundamentals, discipline, and technique at times. His timing has been questioned, he's shown late recognition on pass-rushing moves, he needs work on combo blocks, and he has no experience at guard -- where the 'Fins intend to play him initially. Perhaps most troublingly, he had significant weight issues early in his career, leading Bitch Saban to bash him unnecessarily during the draft process.

For Johnson, his thin frame (6-0, 193 pounds) and average long speed have caused him to be out-physicaled on 50-50 balls on occasion. Scouts question his tackling form, level of competition, and lack of experience in the slot. He did miss one game due to injury as a senior and skipped his team's bowl game, though he did play in and show out for the Senior Bowl.

The best-case scenario: Proctor lines up next to Patrick Paul on the left side of Miami's offensive line, creating a behemoth wall for new quarterback Malik Willis and opening sizeable holes for tailback De'Von Achane. Later in the season, Proctor transitions to right tackle, giving the 'Fins promising bookend tackles for the next decade-plus.

Johnson seizes a starting job from jumpstreet, giving the secondary a desperately needed playmaker and giving coach Jeff Hafley the confidence to create some exotic packages. The rookie emerges as one of the defensive cornerstones Miami needs to start to make some noise in the AFC East.

The worst-case scenario: Proctor struggles to adjust to the guard position -- mirroring the experience of highly touted 2025 rookie Jonah Savaiinaea -- and his weight becomes in issue in second-level and reach blocks. He earns a replacement-level (or worse) grade at a lower-impact position while Downs and Bain take the league by storm.

Johnson is targeted early and often by opposing signal-callers, and he loses more than he wins against a more physical and accomplished caliber of competition. He struggles in run support and his overall impact is diminished by the level of play that surrounds him in a secondary that lacks talent and experience.

The bottom line: Proctor was rated the No. 19 overall prospect in the draft by analyst Dane Brugler, so taking him as high as Miami did was a bit of a reach. He was also rated the fourth-best offensive tackle by Brugler, and since the Dolphins plan to play him at guard, one wonders whether the team could have prioritized more pressing needs at higher-impact positions.

Johnson was rated No. 24 overall and the third-best cornerback in the draft by Brugler, and his selection goes at least some of the way toward filling a massive void in the roster. No issues whatsoever with this selection.

You could make a compelling case for drafting either player, and I'd feel better about Proctor if he eventually takes over as the starting right tackle. Being a Dolphins fan, I fear that bypassing Downs (especially) and Bain will come back to haunt the franchise, but Miami needs players -- and a lot of them. While this braintrust has yet to earn the trust of the fanbase, you have to hope they had a conviction on both of these players that will pay off in the long run.

Editor's note: See how the Dolphins followed up on Day 2 of the draft.

Day 2,248, Quasi-Quarantine: Pacing, Humor Propel "Lost Lambs" To Must-Read Status

“She did not subscribe to the notion that some things were the way they were, always had been, always would be. That the sun set early in the winter, limiting playtime. That, once out, toothpaste could not be put back in the tube. Things only were the way they were because she had not yet been around to fix them.”

Mix bizarre family dynamics and teen angst, stir vigorously, insert dark themes, and somehow produce freshly baked hilarity? Somehow that's what Madeline Cash has achieved with her debut novel, "Lost Lambs."

“Louise was in a prison of her own mundanity. She’d taken to intentionally throwing out the metal forks with the food scraps when she scraped her dinner plate, just so that she might feel a momentary rush.”

Three teenage girls face adolescent challenges interlaced with global scandals while their parents experiment with an open, confusing marriage. The result is a series of subplots that ends up overlapping in delightful ways at the end.

“It was the best part of a new relationship, when you could fill a library with what you didn’t know about another person. Pure potential.”

The slight quibbles are that Cash employs an intentional stylistic device that doesn't quite work and ends up being an unnecessary distraction. Also, the pivotal scene in the mansion resolves without a real explanation of what happens.

Beyond that, "Lost Lambs" is an escapist's delight, capturing the weighty, existential issues of our time without ever forgetting to laugh.

“Control what people do and you’re a king. Control how people think and you’re a god.”

Day 2,246, Quasi-Quarantine: The Sharing Spirit Was Missing With This Noel Puzzle

 

'Twas the season for puzzling, and this one was a good follow-up to another Yule puzzle we'd wrapped up a bit earlier. It was a fun one, but unfortunately my partner worked on it quite a bit behind my back and ruined part of the experience.

7.1, would cobble together again with a better teammate

Day 2,245, Quasi-Quarantine: Fever-Dream Writing Of "Brawler" Undermined By Cardboard Characters

“I look around and can see it in so many other women, passed down from a time beyond history, this wind that is dark and ceaseless and raging within.”

~“Wind”

This gut-wrenching collection features short stories that include large twists and real emotion. Groff examines gender dynamics, relationships between guardians and children, and the lasting effects of trauma.

Some of the standouts include "Wind," "What's the Time, Mr. Wolf?", and "Under the Wave." In addition, "Between the Shadow and the Soul" was complex, "Such Small Hands" was nuanced, "Annunciation" had a compelling ending, and "Sunland" was straight-up gutting.

“Oh, but she hadn’t wanted to leave him, not really, had she. She had just wanted to know what it was like to brush up against the dazzling future again. She felt the part of her that the lush spring had stirred to life go dormant, deep in her, once more. She knew that it would not awaken again in her lifetime.”

~“Between the Shadow and the Soul”

I had some experience with Groff's work, but the short-story form feels like a better fit for her than the novel. Despite it coming highly recommended, "Fates & Furies" was a bit overwrought for me. 

While the bulk of these tales highlight one-dimensional male characters -- with a lack of nuance hurting some of the plots -- "Brawler" as a whole is well worth the time for those readers ready to experience a full range of feelings.

“But that was the moment when she knew he would lie to her, and everything her spun away from him, and he was the one she hated as she walked out the door.”

~“Brawler”