Only in America? No—only by Americans

Admittedly this is a bold claim, but I think one could make the case that the best definition of America/Americans/Americanism is This American Life (www.thisamericanlife.org). Here, in all the faded glory of radio, we hear about America and how entertainingly dysfunctional, honest, mislead, and self-obsessed we are about our confusion and inferiority. Yet all of these neuroses pale in comparison to our omnivorous culture—that problematic notion-cum-material that seduces and offends, like a philandering uncle with a thick wallet and a penchant for sharing good whiskey with anyone holding an empty glass. Maybe our culture circulates so freely because it speaks so well in ways often we cannot.

So, on a spectacular Midwestern evening, when the air hangs windless and warm beyond my living room windows, I laud Ira Glass and company for producing narratives that say so much about this solipsistic set of people we call Americans. The acts comprising this evening’s show included an American Jew exploring how the hip-and-trendy set in Krakow have made Judaism, virtually nonexistent since WWII, the latest cool, cultural commodity. Next, a lovely story read by Mira Nair (of film fame) explores the icons of love, faith, and misunderstanding for a newly married Indian-American couple. Finally, David Sedaris shares a piece about how real love is not saying what one thinks. The great thing here is that each of these stories involved expatriates of some sort, yet all were somehow immediately recognizable as quintessentially American. All of which has made me start thinking about Definer’s pressing obsession—America/Americans/Americanism.

And you, dear reader, what does America look like? How does it smell? What do we wear and what are we afraid to tell you? We can forgo the media and our president—tell me about the rest of us, walking from nondescript restaurants to large cars, eyes hidden by countless baseball caps, our waists hugged by those jeans we helped the world to realize are so comfortable. What of us? If you could shoot the movie of America who would be in it? Would there be an ending? I am looking for scripts, so pitch me a story . . .