My Own Words
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Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a genius and an icon. Her collection of speeches and writings in My Own Words is a masterclass in communication and debate. Unfortunately like many others I wasn’t paying enough attention when I first picked this up, so I assumed this was a biography or memoir. I’ll admit I ended up skimming some of the speeches/briefs because I’m not a lawyer and simply didn’t have the context to understand. That being said, I didn’t need to be a lawyer to get value from most of the writings. RBG’s biographers also did an excellent job adding context before each piece to give the reader an idea of where she was in her life and career at the time, as well as what the political environment looked like.
I was partway through My Own Words when Roe fell. I struggled to keep reading it afterwards; a
huge part of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life philosophy was focused on how much she and her fellow justices respected each other as people even if they didn’t agree and their ability to set aside their personal beliefs in favor of discussing the pure logic of each case. The only conclusion I can come to is that she held herself and the court to a higher standard that the conservative majority hold themselves to today. (For some really excellent analysis of decisions the current court is handing down, check out the Boom! Lawyered podcast.) It hurt to see the good faith evident in her words that simply doesn’t exist today.
This isn’t a fast read, but it’s easy to break it up to read a chapter at a time. It’s definitely worth reading to get a glimpse into Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s thought processes and outlook on life. She changed the world and I aspire to one day be even 1/10 as eloquent in my writing as she was. I was going to pair this with a gin cocktail but when I realized RBG was a foodie I broke out my favorite fancy cider instead. Malus X Feminam is an ice wine made from pressed apples with a flavor profile somewhere between apple cider and a mild whiskey. Its the perfect after dinner sipping drink, and pairs excellently with a book you want to digest slowly.
