Unthinkable

Incredibly remarkable memoir of Representative Jamie Raskin, as he reflects on the period of December 2020 to now (December 2021, basically) - from when his son, Tommy, died by suicide, to the week after, when the January 6 insurrection of the US Capitol occurred.

The first half of the book is a gut-wrenching and heartbreaking reflection on Tommy's final days, as well as Tommy growing up. Raskin adored and adores his son, who he beautifully calls a “radical visitor from a progressive far future” (I paraphrase, but the idea struck me). Hearing about this kind, intelligent boy being consumed by depression and OCD was just so incredibly sad.

Raskin then vividly describes - with a novelist's eye for human details - the alienating and terrifying attack on the Capitol. He jokes at one point about all the middle-aged congressmen running for their lives through various underground hallways; “I didn't think we had it in us.”

The second half of the book describes - also in great, quotidian detail - the second impeachment trial of Trump for inciting a riot. Raskin was asked by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to be the lead impeachment manager, something which fit him perfectly, as a former professor of constitutional law and, in general, giant democracy nerd.

So this book was a tearjerker, a chilling warning of fascism/authoritarianism in America, and an inspiration. Raskin is really amazing. He writes with enormous enthusiasm, lyrical and intelligent and emotional. He made the day-to-day reality of being in Congress fascinating and involving and exciting - like “The West Wing”! He made me want to watch CSPAN, for the love of God, haha. We're really lucky to have him in Congress.