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It’s back to school week over here, and my husband just ordered some banned books…my husband who read his first book of the year last week.  He didn’t consult me, just told me what he ordered (without looking at the bookshelves).  You know what he didn’t order?   The Handmaid’s Tale or The Testaments.  It’s ok though, they’re already on my Kindle, staring at me, excitedly looking forward to Virtual Book Club on Friday, September 17, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. CST.  Is my husband the only one doing strange things lately?  I’d love to know, but I want the full story to come out at book club, so please join us by registering here! 

As we shared on Monday, this month we are sharing books we’re reading from the Green Lights of Knox McCoy and Jamie B. Golden of the Popcast with Knox and Jamie, so what better title to begin with than Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey?  Right?!  But also, it took this interview with McConaughey and Annie F. Downs (who would recommend headphones for your listen) to sell me on the experience, and I’m oh so glad I listened!

Ok, so first things first, we don’t generally listen to audiobooks, but we do make exceptions when the holds line is dumb (*waves at Enola Holmes*) or the audiobook seems like it will be a better experience than the print (or electronic) version.  I do want to be clear here, Ashley and I love reading books.  Yes, reading.  I don’t have anything against listening to books per se, but in general, my preference is reading.  However, when both Knox and Jamie talked about how amazing the experience of listening to Matthew McConaughey read his own book was, I was hundop in for that!  It’s a short book, at 288 pages or six hours (see why I generally read?), and was a super fun adventure!  I listened while I was working, doing chores, and shopping for groceries.  I learned so many things I didn’t know about McConaughey’s life and career, and got a deep dive into a few things that I did know.  

There are so many things I do and don’t want to say about Greenlights, so I’ll stick with just a few.  Near the beginning, McConaughey says this is not a memoir, and it sort of is, but it really is just a collection of stories about his life, from his earliest memories through roughly the publication date.  Much of the writing feels like it’s in response to reviewing journals McConaughey kept over the years, and some excerpts are even included in the text (and he reads them too).  He says he didn’t write his journals to remember, but to forget, which feels very insightful and almost makes me want to take up daily journaling again.  

The title comes from the idea that life gives you greenlights, and McConaughey says even the reds and yellows will eventually turn green, which feels similar to when he later says “it was a crisis but I didn’t give the crisis credit.”  Does this scream of privilege?  Maybe a little.  I certainly don’t think a woman or a black person could have had some of the adventures McConaughey has had, but readers should also remember that he was born in the 70s, and while that doesn’t make it right, it does make it different, because the world was different back then.  

My favorite idea though, which I adore more than greenlights, is the idea of being able to “whiteout the conversation.”  Credit for this doesn’t go to McConaughey, but to his mother.  He calls to share some good news with her and, as he recalls it, she was upset with him about the order of things.  After he gets off the phone with her, while he’s still trying to wrap his head around what just happened, she calls back and asks to “whiteout the conversation,” which is permitted, and she (to quote Annie and Eddie Keep Talking) goes back to be the person she wishes she was and expresses the anticipated congratulations.  Don’t we all wish we had some whiteout for conversations from time to time?  

Ultimately, as McConaughey says, Greenlights is a collection of stories of his life, how he came to be the person he is.  He ends the book with some serious reflection, noting that life “is our story to tell” and asking “what’s your story?”  He has put me in a very reflective mood, especially with the changing season upon us as school is in the process of starting in our area of the world (and I may have just asked Ashley if it was time for witches yet).  What is the story I want to leave for others, and am I doing it?  I’m not sure, but I know that books are a piece of that story for me, as is the sharing of stories I do here and at my day job.  

Greenlights helped me to realize how much of a talented storyteller and performer McConaughey is, and I’m glad I listened to this book and didn’t read it.  I did get both the audio and e-book from the library, and after listening I flipped through the e-book to see some of the pictures and how the journals are shared (some are snapshots and others are stylized text).  I’m glad I got to see some of those photos, and enjoy McConaughey performing his writing, because it was a joy!  While I’m not likely to reread this book, I do give it four stars and will be looking out for what McConaughey does next both on and off screen, including his work as creative director for Wild Turkey Bourbon, which feels 100% on brand, especially after listening to Greenlights!

What’s your story?

~Nikki

Nikki admits above that a podcast persuaded her to read (listen) to Matthew McConaughey’s Greenlights. That podcast was released this May 2021. Knox gave his Green Light on 18 November 2020. But this girl right here?! She listened to this episode of the BiggerPockets podcast the week of November 1, 2020. BEFORE Knox gave his Green Light. BEFORE Nikki listened to Annie F. Downs in May 2021. I’m definitely sure that at that time I listened – I was walking around my neighborhood at the time – to the BP podcast I texted Nikki that we needed to put Greenlights on the TBR, most especially the audiobook. So I am going to take credit for today’s title, but Nikki is definitely the one who came up with the theme for the month.

I don’t think that Matthew McConaughey needs any true introduction and explanation of his oeuvre. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for 2013’s Dallas Buyers Club, was voted People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2005 [Nikki here: the two are not connected y’all.], and played my favorite dragon hunter Denton Van Zan in 2002’s Reign of Fire. That movie changed me. IYKYK. That’s only three things that are notable about McConaughey’s career and I am sure everyone has a favorite film he has acted in. Before I discuss my feelings about his memoir, I will mention that there are several articles including this one by AARP and this one by Politico that state McConaughey is considering running for Governor of Texas in 2022. This is not a surprise.

Listening to McConaughey read… no, not read, definitely perform his own story, was a treat. If you don’t love his sassy Southern accent and lots of cussin’ then this is not the book for you. If you can at least accept those parts of his personality, then you will probably love what he has to say. Some of my takeaways are about delayed gratification and setting up future you by facilitating yellow and red lights now that will turn INTO green lights down the road. You know how we feel about that! I will also admit that so many of his stories were filled with privilege of one kind or another that I just kept listening and driving the interstate to or from New Orleans and shaking my head in disbelief. There were also many laugh out loud moments which is less awkward driving alone than with people around you. The way he told the story of being arrested while playing the bongos in his own home while nude and high was a delight.

I will give some criticism of Greenlights, because there were several things that bothered me about his story. He seemed unabashedly proud of many of the times when he would thwart the law or morality and would only be regretful of the actions if he were to get caught at it. I’m not a big fan of that mentality. Do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do, not because you’ll get in trouble if you don’t do it that way. Like the way one summer as a kid he builds an entire treehouse by stealing lumber from the lumberyard during the night and putting it together during the day. This is not ok and it’s not acceptable to act like it is because ‘it was so long ago and I never got caught.’ I’m also not a big fan of the stories he tells of his immediate family, his parents’ relationship is a mess, his brothers, too, and some of the way they raised the children gives me cause for concern. But everyone’s an adult now so there’s not much to be said except that it happened.

I’m giving Greenlights 3.5 stars for content and allowing it to be rounded up to 4 stars for entertainment value. I won’t be listening or reading it again, but I will certainly be recommending it to anyone, specifically the audiobook. I love a good memoir performed by the author, how about you?

~Ashley

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