Do You Remember Being Born is about 75 year old poet Marian Ffarmer getting invited to spend a week in Silicon Valley to write a poem with an AI named Charlotte. But this book is so much more than that. It's a beautiful story of what it means to grow old and be human.

The writing in this book was absolutely stunning. It's essentially a poem in itself. I loved all of the characters, and I loved how real they all felt. I also liked how the book would switch from present day Marion Ffarmer in first person POV, to her reflecting on her life in second person POV (I always love a story that uses second person POV since it's not used too often).

The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the pacing; I found that it moved fairly slow, and I probably would've liked it better if it was just a teensy bit shorter.

Overall, this was a very pretty story, and I highly recommend reading this once it comes out on September 05.

A big thank you to Netgalley and Pengiun Random House Publishing for the gifted copy. ( )

[3.75] Talk about a book that showcases a timely topic. The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and its sweeping implications is one of the most debated issues among my college communications students. Sean Michaels has written a fascinating book that explores the essence of creativity and what it means to be human. It’s a thought-provoking tale of an aging poet who is enticed by Big Tech to spend a week collaborating on a poem with an AI creation named Charlotte. Don’t expect any insights into the economic or legal implications of AI. Instead, the novel focuses all of its literary prowess creating a vivid character study of a complicated artist. The author employs inventive techniques that pay off in the end. The frequent flashbacks that shed light on the main character’s life can disrupt cohesion, and I found my interest waning in a few spots. Still, the flashbacks are essential ingredients in an otherwise engaging character portrait. ( )

Marian Ffarmer is a world-renowned poet and a legend in the making—but only now, at 75 years old, is she beginning to believe in the security of her successes. Unfortunately, a poet’s accomplishments don’t necessarily translate to capital, and as her adult son struggles to buy his first home, her confidence in her choices begins to fray. Marian’s pristine life of mind—for which she’s sacrificed nearly all personal relationships, from romance to friendship to motherhood—has come at a cost.

Then comes a cryptic invitation from the Tech Company. Come to California, the invitation beckons, and write with a machine. The Company’s lucrative offer—for Marian to co-author a poem in a ‘historic partnership’ with their cutting-edge poetry bot, named Charlotte—chafes at everything she believes about artmaking as an individual pursuit . . . yet, it’s a second chance she can’t resist. And so to California she goes, a sell-out and a skeptic, for an encounter that will unsettle her life, her work and even her understanding of kinship.