DJ School by Anu Ambasna (Mini Kus! #122)

When I thought DJ School was going to go right, it took a hard left! Ambasna’s work begins with the innocuous idea of people being inspired toward certain creative or career endeavors when experiencing something as simple as a song. It touches on societal pressures to “choose a lane” and pick a career, when it can be so much more rewarding to dabble in multiple hobbies or side-hustles. There’s a beautifully expansive half-page shot of the narrator’s first club experience that’s colorful, lush, and enveloping, it actually feels like a whole new world opening up to the protagonist. I’d love to own that original art! Suddenly, as the narrator embarks on the titular DJ School, the secret trick to the trade is revealed (though I wish they would have called it the secret “tip” for reasons that will become obvious once you read the book), and it becomes a commentary on the purported value of things like art school. The central question being, if you have innate talent in any industry, why do you need an art degree (or any degree for that matter), some professional certification, resume-building credentials, or to attend DJ School? It’s all kind of a sham, and I enjoyed the satirical absurd tone used to point it out. By the end, it’s suggested that to some degree we all have to buy into this and “play the game,” some doors will only be opened if you have that piece of paper on the wall.