I've been saying for years that Rachel Shukert is the best writer of my generation. This reminiscence proves it. Paralyzing economic anxiety is a centerpiece of my life and the lives of friends, family members, and colleagues. It's not just the lack of steady jobs, the 'cobbling together' of a living, it's the crippling debt, the apocalyptic vision of a future in which we won't EVER be able to save and retire like our parents. (Although, on the upside, we probably won't mind since the meltdown of the global economy and the catastrophic collapse of the ecosystem will probably render moot any quaint notions of 'retirement'). But it's something NOBODY talks about. We might make gallows-humor jokes about how little money we have, but that's the extent of it. It feels like Rachel Shukert is breaking some kind of major societal taboo in the writing of this, and I'm so glad she did, because the reading of it made me feel less alone. But don't let the serious subject-matter deter you from purchasing the piece, because Shukert confronts the issue with characteristically methodical prose, relentless humor and, ultimately, optimism. Economic concerns have prevented me from putting myself out onto the dating 'marketplace,' feeling that, as an impecunious ragamuffin, my value is 0. I've often wondered what it would be like to be struggling financially, AND in a relationship. 'Wondered,' because even though I know people in this situation, NOBODY TALKS ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE. At least, not until now. I imagined it would be pure hell. What I learned from this piece is that it can certainly be hell, but it can also be something else entirely, depending on one's partner and one's perspective. I was reminded of Erich Fromm's THE ART OF LOVING while reading CRAZY STUPID MONEY. In THE ART OF LOVING, Fromm wrote, "Modern man has transformed himself into a commodity; he experiences his life energy as an investment with which he should make the highest profit, considering his position and the situation on the personality market. He is alienated from himself, from his fellow men and from nature. His main aim is profitable exchange of his skills, knowledge, and of himself, his "personality package" with others who are equally intent on a fair and profitable exchange.” This is the conditioning we all undergo in our society, is it not? Relationships are seen as economic arrangements, perhaps above all else. If that's the foundation, what happens when that erodes? Fromm also wrote that love "requires discipline, concentration, patience, faith, and the overcoming of narcissism. It isn't a feeling, it is a practice.” This piece seems to buttress that assertion. Well worth your time. An exceedingly funny, thoughtful, engaging and well-written piece.
Justin Sluyter
Sarah Zucker