Warriors Don't Cry
YA herstory
"'The crowd is moving fast. They've broken the barriers. These
kids are trapped in here.'
'Good Lord, you're right,' another voice said. 'We may have to
let the mob have one of those kids, so's we can distract them long
enough to get the others out.'
'Let one of these kids hang? How's that gonna look? Niggers or
not, they're children, and we got a job to do.'"
Can you imagine being a teen and overhearing the above
conversation take place at your school, a place that is supposed to
be, at the very least, safe? Try to wrap your mind around being a
teen and hearing one of the adults in charge seriously ponder turning
one of your friends or you over to a lynch mob of angry whites
breaking into the building. This is only one of the horrifying
situations Melba Pattillo Beals portrays in her eye opening Warriors
Don't Cry.
In 1954 in Brown v. Board of Education the Supreme Court
mandated an end to segregation in education. Not all states and towns
took kindly to this edict. Little Rock, Arkansas was bitterly opposed
to integration. Governor Faubus was throwing his considerable weight
in on the segregationists' side.
Beals was one of the nine students chosen to integrate Central
High in 1957. In Warriors Don't Cry she shares the story of her
ordeal. It's an excellent book to introduce middle and high school
students to this less than great chapter in American history. It's
also a good read for those of us well beyond its target demographics.
There are plenty in the alt right today with attitudes as venemous as
those of the segregationists who attempted to lynch the teens.
American schools are even more segregated than they were in 1957.
And, as Beals reminds us, we have a long way to go to achieve racial
equality.
"The first round of this battle was never about integration in
my opinion. It was always about access--access to opportunity, to
resources, to freedom. The enemy was more visible, the battle lines
drawn in plain sight. What I call the 'new racism' is about success--
success in terms of cultural, social, and economic status."
On a personal note, Friday I had another epiphany, making it three in
three days. I'd changed the format for my memoir from poetry which
segued poorly to a poetry/prose hybrid which didn't excite me all that
much. A sentence popped into my head when I was talking to friends at
Women's Resource Center. Despite having made my air breathing debut
September 21, 1951, I am not a big fan of the folks born in the
fifteen years following World War II. At home the sentence grew into
two pages. At that point I knew that I had my memoir voice. I also
realized it has to do with demographics, with whom I want my readers
to be. I want to choose them intentionally, not by default. When I
did my Artsapalooza poetry debut I went by Julia Hathaway and drew the
70 something crowd. Jules Hathaway drew college to working. I hit
the sweet spot with Too Cool Jules--working and college with even some
high school. For readers I want mostly people 40 and down, those who
share my idealism and passion, those I understand and communicate with
best, those who might actually listen to me, and the small number of
older folks who didn't sell out or give up. Like Elizabeth Warren. I
would love for her to read it. I am going to get as much of the first
draft done as possible summer break. Hopefully.
A great big shout out goes out to the chums with whom I hang out at
Womens Resource Center and Rainbow Resource Room.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Sunday, April 28, 2019
Stormy Seas
Stormy Seas
Juvenile nonfiction
"A wall of water hits. Huge gusts of wind rip across the deck.
We're in the tail of a storm. Waves taller than a house rock the
boat...When night comes it gets worse. It's impossible to sleep.
Everyone is crowded together on the cold, wet metal floor. People are
so hungry and dehydrated it's like being surrounded by the dead..."
Jose is describing his nightmarish voyage from Cuba to the
United States. Fidel Castro had come to power in 1959. Jose's
family, considered to be enemies of the state, was desperate to flee
but deterred by severe penalties inflicted on deserters. Then Castro
said that anyone who wanted to leave could.
Jose is one of the protagonists featured in Mary Beth
Leatherdale and Eleanor Shakespeare's Stormy Seas: Stories of Young
Boat Refugees. Readers will also meet:
*Ruth who was trying to get away from the Nazis,
*Phu who was the only family member his mother could afford to smuggle
out of Vietnam;
*Majeeba, a member of a persecuted minority, who fled Taliban
controlled Afghanistan,
and *Mohamed, an orphan who fled Ivory Coast to find a place where he
could live in peace.
I highly recommend this succinct volume with compelling
narratives and illustrations.
On a personal note, Thursday I had my second epiphany in that many
days. I always try to make sure new student workers who are learning
safety rules don't hurt themselves. Recently I realized that it's
dangerous for them to copy shortcuts used by more experienced
workers. I've been talking up the need to set safe examples for
them. I've learned that I can see problems, feel comfortable
addressing them, and can engender buy in. I don't know about you, but
I see them as future manager traits.
A great big shout out goes out to the amazing work family I look
forward to seeing whenever I work a shift.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Juvenile nonfiction
"A wall of water hits. Huge gusts of wind rip across the deck.
We're in the tail of a storm. Waves taller than a house rock the
boat...When night comes it gets worse. It's impossible to sleep.
Everyone is crowded together on the cold, wet metal floor. People are
so hungry and dehydrated it's like being surrounded by the dead..."
Jose is describing his nightmarish voyage from Cuba to the
United States. Fidel Castro had come to power in 1959. Jose's
family, considered to be enemies of the state, was desperate to flee
but deterred by severe penalties inflicted on deserters. Then Castro
said that anyone who wanted to leave could.
Jose is one of the protagonists featured in Mary Beth
Leatherdale and Eleanor Shakespeare's Stormy Seas: Stories of Young
Boat Refugees. Readers will also meet:
*Ruth who was trying to get away from the Nazis,
*Phu who was the only family member his mother could afford to smuggle
out of Vietnam;
*Majeeba, a member of a persecuted minority, who fled Taliban
controlled Afghanistan,
and *Mohamed, an orphan who fled Ivory Coast to find a place where he
could live in peace.
I highly recommend this succinct volume with compelling
narratives and illustrations.
On a personal note, Thursday I had my second epiphany in that many
days. I always try to make sure new student workers who are learning
safety rules don't hurt themselves. Recently I realized that it's
dangerous for them to copy shortcuts used by more experienced
workers. I've been talking up the need to set safe examples for
them. I've learned that I can see problems, feel comfortable
addressing them, and can engender buy in. I don't know about you, but
I see them as future manager traits.
A great big shout out goes out to the amazing work family I look
forward to seeing whenever I work a shift.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
A Path Of Stars
A Path Of Stars
Picture book
Dara, protagonist of Anne Sibley O'Brien's A Path Of Stars,
loves her name which translates to star. Her beloved grandmother, Lok
Yeay, chose it. She loves her grandmother's stories of her growing up
years.
Lok Yeay has sad memories also. War in her native Cambodia took
most of her family. She fled with only her baby daughter and her
brother, Lok Ta. They had lost everyone and everything else. After
an arduous journey they arrived at a refugee camp. Shortly after they
parted ways: Lok Yeay flying to Maine with her child and Lok Ta
returning to Cambodia. Lok Yeay looks forward to taking her family to
Cambodia to meet her beloved brother...
...until one day she learns that he died. She retreats to her
bed. The house is too quiet. Dara thinks she knows how to bring the
light back into her grandmother's eyes...
...and you have to read the book to discover her plan.
On a personal note, I decided to start on one goal, namely cutting out
foods that aren't good for me. I now have a composition book in which
I write what I eat and drink for meals and snacks. Not only will that
help me focus, it will give my future doctor valuable information. I
hope she appreciates that. I'm having no problem with will (or rather
won't) power. But it's a struggle to take in 2,000 calories a day on
mostly healthy choices.
A great big shout out goes out to my fellow UMaine students and profs
as we head into the last week of classes and the catering folks in
dining services who are out straight providing food for a myriad of
celebrations.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Picture book
Dara, protagonist of Anne Sibley O'Brien's A Path Of Stars,
loves her name which translates to star. Her beloved grandmother, Lok
Yeay, chose it. She loves her grandmother's stories of her growing up
years.
Lok Yeay has sad memories also. War in her native Cambodia took
most of her family. She fled with only her baby daughter and her
brother, Lok Ta. They had lost everyone and everything else. After
an arduous journey they arrived at a refugee camp. Shortly after they
parted ways: Lok Yeay flying to Maine with her child and Lok Ta
returning to Cambodia. Lok Yeay looks forward to taking her family to
Cambodia to meet her beloved brother...
...until one day she learns that he died. She retreats to her
bed. The house is too quiet. Dara thinks she knows how to bring the
light back into her grandmother's eyes...
...and you have to read the book to discover her plan.
On a personal note, I decided to start on one goal, namely cutting out
foods that aren't good for me. I now have a composition book in which
I write what I eat and drink for meals and snacks. Not only will that
help me focus, it will give my future doctor valuable information. I
hope she appreciates that. I'm having no problem with will (or rather
won't) power. But it's a struggle to take in 2,000 calories a day on
mostly healthy choices.
A great big shout out goes out to my fellow UMaine students and profs
as we head into the last week of classes and the catering folks in
dining services who are out straight providing food for a myriad of
celebrations.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Zen Teen
Zen Teen
YA/adult nonfiction
"Mindfulness is about creating space in our minds and our lives,
some breathing room for pauses, rest, and reflection. More of the
good stuff that helps us mindfully craft our lives...so we are happier
and calmer and feel like we have some control in navigating our
journey. Just like you developed healthy habits when you were a kid,
such as learning how to share and brushing your teeth, you can also
develop the habit of mindfulness now as a teen."
I would add, or an adult. Although designed for and marketed to
adolescents, Tanya Carroll Richardson's Zen Teen is applicable to any
life stage. I know a lot of highly educated professional adults who
can use its wisdom. Yes, I know there are books for adults on this
topic. In my mind, this volume is a lot more lucid and fresh.
Here's the thing. The old time developmental psychologists who
posited human development as a one size fits all predictable linear
progression (usually based on white male CIS hetero progression) were
badly mistaken. For example, there is often not one stage where you
discover your identity. Divorce, the loss of a job, a crippling car
accident, or any other trauma can send you back to square one. In my
case parenting had been my focus for so long I had to figure out who I
was apart from being a mom at the same time my kids were navigating
who am I outside of the family. We were in the same space. There is
no stage at which one can't profit from awareness.
Mindfulness is the thread that ties the forty exercises in Zen
Teen together. Some of them include:
*journal;
*give yourself a break;
*try self-love;
*try aroma therapy;
*try a digital detox;
*look for simple pleasures;
and *find your soul tribe.
This isn't a book you need to read cover to cover. Flip through
and linger over what seems most interesting. Even one of the
practices--say, giving yourself a break--when practiced regularly, can
make a big difference in your life.
The soul tribe one was my favorite. Blood and marriage ties
don't always bring people together. Sometimes it really helps to
build a family of soul mates: people with whom you connect on a deep
level, people with whom you can be yourself, people who care enough to
speak up if they have concerns. I have that in my 3 BFFs: Lisa and
Mazie with whom I've shared a decade and Jodi who shares so many of my
beliefs and goals. In school I have soul mates. At work I have some
awesome soul mates like Anna, my dog rescuing manager. These
relationships add so much to my life.
The digital detox is something nearly everyone these days can
benefit from. It can help to decide which media uses are useful or
bring you joy and which are time kills or worse. What brings me joy?
Emails from treasured friends, higher education research, and, of
course, cats being adorable. What I pass on: all the rest.
Which of these ideas resonates the most with you? Guess you
need to read the book to find out.
On a personal note, on Wednesday I was talking to a student about a
deeply personal matter. My understanding was what he wanted.
Suddenly I thought that if my obit was in the paper soon, if I died
too early due to something I could have prevented, a lot of people,
starting with my family and close friends, would lose someone they
really need. So I decided to go way out of my comfort zone and start
getting yearly check ups beginning summer break. I have reason to be
wary of doctors. I almost died and almost didn't get a broken bone
set because 2 medical douches bags didn't listen to me. Beyond that I
have six other experiences of doctors behaving badly. But I am going
to Mabel Wadsworth, the most radical feminist healthcare facility in
the area. I have decided I want a collaborative doctor-patient
relationship where the doctor listens as well as a vetinarian and
respects my intelligence. And before I go I am going to prepare a
list of my my health assets and challenges and what I am working on.
I've decided to give this to my kids as a Mothers Day gift. The
timing is purrr (Joey is on my lap) fect.
A great big shout out goes out to vetinarians who have a lot to teach
their peers who specialize in two footed mammals.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA/adult nonfiction
"Mindfulness is about creating space in our minds and our lives,
some breathing room for pauses, rest, and reflection. More of the
good stuff that helps us mindfully craft our lives...so we are happier
and calmer and feel like we have some control in navigating our
journey. Just like you developed healthy habits when you were a kid,
such as learning how to share and brushing your teeth, you can also
develop the habit of mindfulness now as a teen."
I would add, or an adult. Although designed for and marketed to
adolescents, Tanya Carroll Richardson's Zen Teen is applicable to any
life stage. I know a lot of highly educated professional adults who
can use its wisdom. Yes, I know there are books for adults on this
topic. In my mind, this volume is a lot more lucid and fresh.
Here's the thing. The old time developmental psychologists who
posited human development as a one size fits all predictable linear
progression (usually based on white male CIS hetero progression) were
badly mistaken. For example, there is often not one stage where you
discover your identity. Divorce, the loss of a job, a crippling car
accident, or any other trauma can send you back to square one. In my
case parenting had been my focus for so long I had to figure out who I
was apart from being a mom at the same time my kids were navigating
who am I outside of the family. We were in the same space. There is
no stage at which one can't profit from awareness.
Mindfulness is the thread that ties the forty exercises in Zen
Teen together. Some of them include:
*journal;
*give yourself a break;
*try self-love;
*try aroma therapy;
*try a digital detox;
*look for simple pleasures;
and *find your soul tribe.
This isn't a book you need to read cover to cover. Flip through
and linger over what seems most interesting. Even one of the
practices--say, giving yourself a break--when practiced regularly, can
make a big difference in your life.
The soul tribe one was my favorite. Blood and marriage ties
don't always bring people together. Sometimes it really helps to
build a family of soul mates: people with whom you connect on a deep
level, people with whom you can be yourself, people who care enough to
speak up if they have concerns. I have that in my 3 BFFs: Lisa and
Mazie with whom I've shared a decade and Jodi who shares so many of my
beliefs and goals. In school I have soul mates. At work I have some
awesome soul mates like Anna, my dog rescuing manager. These
relationships add so much to my life.
The digital detox is something nearly everyone these days can
benefit from. It can help to decide which media uses are useful or
bring you joy and which are time kills or worse. What brings me joy?
Emails from treasured friends, higher education research, and, of
course, cats being adorable. What I pass on: all the rest.
Which of these ideas resonates the most with you? Guess you
need to read the book to find out.
On a personal note, on Wednesday I was talking to a student about a
deeply personal matter. My understanding was what he wanted.
Suddenly I thought that if my obit was in the paper soon, if I died
too early due to something I could have prevented, a lot of people,
starting with my family and close friends, would lose someone they
really need. So I decided to go way out of my comfort zone and start
getting yearly check ups beginning summer break. I have reason to be
wary of doctors. I almost died and almost didn't get a broken bone
set because 2 medical douches bags didn't listen to me. Beyond that I
have six other experiences of doctors behaving badly. But I am going
to Mabel Wadsworth, the most radical feminist healthcare facility in
the area. I have decided I want a collaborative doctor-patient
relationship where the doctor listens as well as a vetinarian and
respects my intelligence. And before I go I am going to prepare a
list of my my health assets and challenges and what I am working on.
I've decided to give this to my kids as a Mothers Day gift. The
timing is purrr (Joey is on my lap) fect.
A great big shout out goes out to vetinarians who have a lot to teach
their peers who specialize in two footed mammals.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Friday, April 26, 2019
Auma's Long Run
Auma's Long Run
Juvenile fiction
"One afternoon, as I looked at Baba, a silent fear gripped my heart.
Whatever strength Baba had seemed to have gained over Christmas was
long gone. He spent every day in bed, he barely ate, and his cough
was worse. Everyone had completely stopped talking about his
illness. Even Baby stopped asking when Baba was going to get better
so he could swing her around and around."
Auma, narrator of Eucabeth Odhiambo's Auma's Long Run, is a
strong runner who has won races for her primary school. With a father
who spends much of the year working in Nairobi and sends home pay, she
and her siblings have been able to afford school fees and uniforms.
In fact she plans to ace the qualifying exams and attend high school
on a track scholarship.
Only Auma knows that there is something horribly wrong in her
village. Many people are dying of a mysterious disease. Parents are
leaving their children orphaned. Some blame evil spirits. Some say
there is a filthy disease only sinners get. Auma is determined to
find the cause and cure so that friends, kin, and community members
won't keep dying.
One day Baba comes home from Nairobi unexpectedly. His illness
becomes worse until he dies. Auma's mother follows shortly. She and
her remaining family, a fragile grandmother and three younger
siblings, are in a terrible plight. How will they even have enough to
eat, never mind keep the children in school? There is no help for
orphans in the village. Auma's best friend's little sister had
starved to death at the age of four.
Auma's grandmother wants her to drop out of school and marry so
that a husband will keep the family from starving. She feels that
giving up on her dream would be like dying inside. But she feels the
suffering of her siblings very keenly. You'll have to read the book
to see how she resolves this terrible dilemma, heavier than the ones
most of us in America face as adults.
Odhiambo grew up in Kenya in the '80s and 90's. HIV/AIDS was
spreading while information was sparse and the topic was taboo. In
the 2000s she studied HIV/AIDS education in schools in her native
land. She talked to AIDS orphans who had nursed their parents and
then had to keep themselves and their siblings from starving.
"In some sense I wrote the story of all of us--my story, the
story of the girls and women I grew up around. I wanted to explore
some of the issues that thread through the lives of women: a woman's
place in society, relationships, marriage, childbearing, motherhood,
strength, confidence, and respect. Above all I wanted to honor the
resilience of HIV/AIDS orphans, many of whom overcame their trauma to
be successful adults but have no platform to tell their stories..."
Odhiambo has the amazing ability to take a frightening plight
and make it something school children can understand and develop
empathy for. This is her debut novel. I hope she has the writing bug
something fierce and is, even as I write this, working on another
brilliant novel.
On a personal note, Wednesday at the blood drive I had an unexpected
epiphany hit me like an unpredicted burst of sunshine on a rainy day.
Probably the seed for it had been sown Monday. I'd gone to the Bears
Den for a ginger ale. One of the workers asked me if I was still at
Wells. I quipped back, "Did you read my obituary in the newspaper?"
Another worker who must not have gotten the vocabulary word in her
school days asked in an excited voice if my obituary was in the
newspaper. Not exactly the kind of question you expect to hear...
...unless a zombie apocalypse has started. Anyway that word must have
embedded itself in my subconscience because on Wednesday...
...you'll have to read my next review to catch the next part of the
story.
A great big shout out goes out to all who work to help HIV/AIDS orphans.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Juvenile fiction
"One afternoon, as I looked at Baba, a silent fear gripped my heart.
Whatever strength Baba had seemed to have gained over Christmas was
long gone. He spent every day in bed, he barely ate, and his cough
was worse. Everyone had completely stopped talking about his
illness. Even Baby stopped asking when Baba was going to get better
so he could swing her around and around."
Auma, narrator of Eucabeth Odhiambo's Auma's Long Run, is a
strong runner who has won races for her primary school. With a father
who spends much of the year working in Nairobi and sends home pay, she
and her siblings have been able to afford school fees and uniforms.
In fact she plans to ace the qualifying exams and attend high school
on a track scholarship.
Only Auma knows that there is something horribly wrong in her
village. Many people are dying of a mysterious disease. Parents are
leaving their children orphaned. Some blame evil spirits. Some say
there is a filthy disease only sinners get. Auma is determined to
find the cause and cure so that friends, kin, and community members
won't keep dying.
One day Baba comes home from Nairobi unexpectedly. His illness
becomes worse until he dies. Auma's mother follows shortly. She and
her remaining family, a fragile grandmother and three younger
siblings, are in a terrible plight. How will they even have enough to
eat, never mind keep the children in school? There is no help for
orphans in the village. Auma's best friend's little sister had
starved to death at the age of four.
Auma's grandmother wants her to drop out of school and marry so
that a husband will keep the family from starving. She feels that
giving up on her dream would be like dying inside. But she feels the
suffering of her siblings very keenly. You'll have to read the book
to see how she resolves this terrible dilemma, heavier than the ones
most of us in America face as adults.
Odhiambo grew up in Kenya in the '80s and 90's. HIV/AIDS was
spreading while information was sparse and the topic was taboo. In
the 2000s she studied HIV/AIDS education in schools in her native
land. She talked to AIDS orphans who had nursed their parents and
then had to keep themselves and their siblings from starving.
"In some sense I wrote the story of all of us--my story, the
story of the girls and women I grew up around. I wanted to explore
some of the issues that thread through the lives of women: a woman's
place in society, relationships, marriage, childbearing, motherhood,
strength, confidence, and respect. Above all I wanted to honor the
resilience of HIV/AIDS orphans, many of whom overcame their trauma to
be successful adults but have no platform to tell their stories..."
Odhiambo has the amazing ability to take a frightening plight
and make it something school children can understand and develop
empathy for. This is her debut novel. I hope she has the writing bug
something fierce and is, even as I write this, working on another
brilliant novel.
On a personal note, Wednesday at the blood drive I had an unexpected
epiphany hit me like an unpredicted burst of sunshine on a rainy day.
Probably the seed for it had been sown Monday. I'd gone to the Bears
Den for a ginger ale. One of the workers asked me if I was still at
Wells. I quipped back, "Did you read my obituary in the newspaper?"
Another worker who must not have gotten the vocabulary word in her
school days asked in an excited voice if my obituary was in the
newspaper. Not exactly the kind of question you expect to hear...
...unless a zombie apocalypse has started. Anyway that word must have
embedded itself in my subconscience because on Wednesday...
...you'll have to read my next review to catch the next part of the
story.
A great big shout out goes out to all who work to help HIV/AIDS orphans.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Thursday, April 25, 2019
Go, Little Green Truck!
Go, Little Green Truck!
Picture book
Standing just five feet tall, I am a pushover for stories
featuring pint sized protagonists. Needless to say, I fell hard for
Roni Schotter's Go, Little Green Truck!
Little Green is a very proud pick up truck. Polished and
strong, he does all kinds of work for Farmer Gray and his family. All
is well until the morning he sees Farmer Gray driving a new blue pick
up truck. Little Green is literally put out to pasture.
Is all lost for our diminuitive hero? Read the book and see.
On a personal note, I had two successes Wednesday. I saw the picture
frame I painted for Jodi in the art gallery. It looked so good
surrounded by all the other art. I was very proud. At 67 I'm still
having firsts. If you're eager to take life up on its invitations you
never know where it will take you. Then I was able to donate blood
again and volunteer in the canteen. The Red Cross nurses were so
proud of me because they'd known I would not give up.
A great big shout out goes out to all who participated in the LGBTQ
art gallery and the blood drive. And to the best little cat in the
world who helped me rest up from donating.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Picture book
Standing just five feet tall, I am a pushover for stories
featuring pint sized protagonists. Needless to say, I fell hard for
Roni Schotter's Go, Little Green Truck!
Little Green is a very proud pick up truck. Polished and
strong, he does all kinds of work for Farmer Gray and his family. All
is well until the morning he sees Farmer Gray driving a new blue pick
up truck. Little Green is literally put out to pasture.
Is all lost for our diminuitive hero? Read the book and see.
On a personal note, I had two successes Wednesday. I saw the picture
frame I painted for Jodi in the art gallery. It looked so good
surrounded by all the other art. I was very proud. At 67 I'm still
having firsts. If you're eager to take life up on its invitations you
never know where it will take you. Then I was able to donate blood
again and volunteer in the canteen. The Red Cross nurses were so
proud of me because they'd known I would not give up.
A great big shout out goes out to all who participated in the LGBTQ
art gallery and the blood drive. And to the best little cat in the
world who helped me rest up from donating.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
The Curse Of The Good Girl
The Curse Of The Good Girl
Parenting
"Our culture is teaching girls to embrace a version of selfhood
that sharply curtails their power and potential. In particular, the
pressure to be 'Good'--unnervingly nice, polite, modest, and selfless--
diminishes girls' authenticity and personal autonomy.
The Curse of the Good Girl erects a psychological glass ceiling
that begins its destructive sprawl in girlhood and extends across the
female life span, stunting the growth and habits essential to being a
strong woman. This book traces the impact of the curse on girls'
development, and provides parents with strategies to break its spell."
Even as girls are hitting new levels of outward achievement,
they are inwardly crippled by the stereotype of the Good Girl and its
conflicting pressures. That's the message of Rachel Simmons' The
Curse Of The Good Girl. A girl is supposed to excell in academics
while demonstrating leadership and balancing a menu of sports, clubs,
and volunteering--and make it all look effortless. She is to be
popular with conflict free relationships. Taking risks is taboo.
Heaven forbid she makes a mistake. Of course she must never show
negative emotions.
"The Good Girl walked a treacherous line, balancing mixed
messages about how far she should go and how strong she should be: she
was to be enthusiastic while being quiet; smart with no opinions on
things; intelligent, but a follower; popular but quiet. She should be
something but not too much."
I see a lot of these traits when I talk to UMaine students. So
many women talk about not trying things they might really enjoy
(singing is a big one) because they might not/probably wouldn't be
good enough. Even those who would encourage a friend to go for it
seem to feel they don't have the right to subject other people to less
than perfection.
Simmons shows us that the limitations imposed by the pressure to
adopt a Good Girl persona follow girls not only through college, but
into adult life. Women raising daughters are often crippled by the
very strong pressures to be Perfect Mother (perfect children, spotless
house, perfect body, flawless career/home balance...) Fortunately
there is lots of good advice on breaking free from both crippling
personas.
I'd highly recommend The Curse Of The Good Girl to mothers and
professionals who work with middle and high school and college students.
On a personal note, I had the most amazing Monday anyone could
possibly have. When I went in to UMaine I noticed that there were
paints and plain wood picture frames in Rainbow Resource Room. I
decided to paint one for Jodi. I painted Love You To The Moon (only
the shape instead of the word) And Back in yellow and the background
in blue. I put lots of gold glitter and translucent white glitter on
it. People thought it was beautiful so I agreed to put it in the
LGBTQ art gallery which is today. I read the newspaper and went
outside. There was a group hanging up tee shirts with writing on them
by sexual assault survivors. I drew a rainbow and wrote: Silence
kills. Don't be a clueless bystander and teach your sons that NO
means NO. When I came back in I said I HAD TO get some work done. I
actually started with good intentions. Then someone wanted me to go
out to the parking lot where there was an Earth Festival going on. It
was awesome. I got a free ice cream and got to pet the most adorable
baby goats!!! I got to see a good friend I hadn't seen in awhile.
Mary Ellen and I share a vision of Christianity that involves loving
other humans, the creatures that share our world, and the beautiful
but battered globe we spin through space on and fighting for fairness
and justice. She was very happy that I am so happy in grad school.
She was giving out some shirts and gave me a beautiful long sleeved
blue Voices For Peace one. Every time I wear it I will think of her.
At work I did tables. There were plenty of drag show attendees at
supper and they were telling me how much they loved seeing me in it
and they'd cheered for me and I nailed it. :-) Then I finished the
purrrrfect day in the studio with the best little cat in the world
draped across my shoulder purring in my ear. Today is the gallery.
I'll actually get a few minutes to see it between work and the blood
drive. I have been eating iron rich foods like crazy. In November my
iron was too low. In January my blood was too slow. I hope all goes
well today because I'm working on my tenth gallon and I want to reach
that milestone.
Great big shout outs go out to all involved in my most marvelous Monday.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Parenting
"Our culture is teaching girls to embrace a version of selfhood
that sharply curtails their power and potential. In particular, the
pressure to be 'Good'--unnervingly nice, polite, modest, and selfless--
diminishes girls' authenticity and personal autonomy.
The Curse of the Good Girl erects a psychological glass ceiling
that begins its destructive sprawl in girlhood and extends across the
female life span, stunting the growth and habits essential to being a
strong woman. This book traces the impact of the curse on girls'
development, and provides parents with strategies to break its spell."
Even as girls are hitting new levels of outward achievement,
they are inwardly crippled by the stereotype of the Good Girl and its
conflicting pressures. That's the message of Rachel Simmons' The
Curse Of The Good Girl. A girl is supposed to excell in academics
while demonstrating leadership and balancing a menu of sports, clubs,
and volunteering--and make it all look effortless. She is to be
popular with conflict free relationships. Taking risks is taboo.
Heaven forbid she makes a mistake. Of course she must never show
negative emotions.
"The Good Girl walked a treacherous line, balancing mixed
messages about how far she should go and how strong she should be: she
was to be enthusiastic while being quiet; smart with no opinions on
things; intelligent, but a follower; popular but quiet. She should be
something but not too much."
I see a lot of these traits when I talk to UMaine students. So
many women talk about not trying things they might really enjoy
(singing is a big one) because they might not/probably wouldn't be
good enough. Even those who would encourage a friend to go for it
seem to feel they don't have the right to subject other people to less
than perfection.
Simmons shows us that the limitations imposed by the pressure to
adopt a Good Girl persona follow girls not only through college, but
into adult life. Women raising daughters are often crippled by the
very strong pressures to be Perfect Mother (perfect children, spotless
house, perfect body, flawless career/home balance...) Fortunately
there is lots of good advice on breaking free from both crippling
personas.
I'd highly recommend The Curse Of The Good Girl to mothers and
professionals who work with middle and high school and college students.
On a personal note, I had the most amazing Monday anyone could
possibly have. When I went in to UMaine I noticed that there were
paints and plain wood picture frames in Rainbow Resource Room. I
decided to paint one for Jodi. I painted Love You To The Moon (only
the shape instead of the word) And Back in yellow and the background
in blue. I put lots of gold glitter and translucent white glitter on
it. People thought it was beautiful so I agreed to put it in the
LGBTQ art gallery which is today. I read the newspaper and went
outside. There was a group hanging up tee shirts with writing on them
by sexual assault survivors. I drew a rainbow and wrote: Silence
kills. Don't be a clueless bystander and teach your sons that NO
means NO. When I came back in I said I HAD TO get some work done. I
actually started with good intentions. Then someone wanted me to go
out to the parking lot where there was an Earth Festival going on. It
was awesome. I got a free ice cream and got to pet the most adorable
baby goats!!! I got to see a good friend I hadn't seen in awhile.
Mary Ellen and I share a vision of Christianity that involves loving
other humans, the creatures that share our world, and the beautiful
but battered globe we spin through space on and fighting for fairness
and justice. She was very happy that I am so happy in grad school.
She was giving out some shirts and gave me a beautiful long sleeved
blue Voices For Peace one. Every time I wear it I will think of her.
At work I did tables. There were plenty of drag show attendees at
supper and they were telling me how much they loved seeing me in it
and they'd cheered for me and I nailed it. :-) Then I finished the
purrrrfect day in the studio with the best little cat in the world
draped across my shoulder purring in my ear. Today is the gallery.
I'll actually get a few minutes to see it between work and the blood
drive. I have been eating iron rich foods like crazy. In November my
iron was too low. In January my blood was too slow. I hope all goes
well today because I'm working on my tenth gallon and I want to reach
that milestone.
Great big shout outs go out to all involved in my most marvelous Monday.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Monday, April 22, 2019
Living With The Enemy
Living With The Enemy
Adult photojournalism
"...he picked up the baby, and he said, with a mad look in his
eyes, 'You better shut this goddamn kid up, or else I am going to kill
it.' I said, 'Just put him down.' But he kept hanging onto him
violently. I thought, 'Oh, God, he's going to break his little body.'
And I told him, 'Bob, put him down!' I said, 'You son of a bitch!
That's all you're good for is beating up women and kids.'
Minutes later Joanne grabbed Bob's shotgun, closed her eyes, and
one blast put an end to her husband, her marriage, and a decade of
abuse."
Photojournalist Donna Ferrato grew up in a home marked by
domestic violence. It didn't make her radar for much of her adult
life. Then on assignment she saw a man hit his wife. This experience
wreaked havoc with her lifelong belief that "Home is a refuge from the
chaos of life." It made her determined to document domestic violence.
"Much of this book [Living With The Enemy] was born out of
frustration--first because I felt powerless in the face of the
violence I had seen, and second, because for a long time no magazine
would publish the pictures..."
Society has too often looked at wife battering in a different
way than it perceives other forms of violence. Men have gotten away
with doing terrible things to the women they allegedly love. If
they'd done the same thing to strangers they'd have been put away for
decades. There's the whole patriarchy thing about a man's home bring
his castle. Ferrato wanted to show that brutal crime is brutal crime,
no matter where or against whom it is committed.
She does so in spades. The photos and stories behind them will
enrage you and break your heart. There are mauled and mangled women.
There are two little boys--one who takes his toy weapons to bed and
reassures his mom that if dad comes he'll stop him and one who screams
at his dad (who is being arrested) to never come back. There's a
hypervigilent little girl who saw her father burn and stab her mother.
The last part of the book should really enrage you. It starts
with the story of Becca who shot her husband with his revolver.
Escalating abuse had caused her to decide to take their children and
leave Don. He'd started strangling her. He'd told her when she was
dead he'd kill their seven children. Struggling to survive, she'd
found the gun he kept in the car. She'd fired through the floor (a
warning) before she shot him.
She was sentenced to fifty years with no possibility of parole.
She isn't the only one serving anywhere up to life for protecting self
and children.
Progress has been made since the book was published, but not
nearly enough. The day after I wrote this review I read an article
about victims of intimate violence being at risk for serious brain
damage. They may not receive treatment for brain injuries. Being hit
repeatedly can lead to cumulative traumatic brain injuries. Brain
injuries can impair women's abilities to perceive they are in or
escape from abusive situations.
On a personal note, well, I have good news to share. Once again I
have been invited to do an Atrsapalooza gig. Artsapalooza is a very
special late June night in downtown Orono. All the venues from the
library through the shops and restaurants to the churches and the
space in front of the fire station are sites for music, dance, and
readings. It's a celebration of community and creativity and a mighty
fine place to perform. I will be sharing 40 minutes of my original
poetry.
A great big shout out goes out to Connie Carter and her team who are
in charge of handling the planning, logistics, and trouble shooting
that make the event not only beautiful, but possible.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult photojournalism
"...he picked up the baby, and he said, with a mad look in his
eyes, 'You better shut this goddamn kid up, or else I am going to kill
it.' I said, 'Just put him down.' But he kept hanging onto him
violently. I thought, 'Oh, God, he's going to break his little body.'
And I told him, 'Bob, put him down!' I said, 'You son of a bitch!
That's all you're good for is beating up women and kids.'
Minutes later Joanne grabbed Bob's shotgun, closed her eyes, and
one blast put an end to her husband, her marriage, and a decade of
abuse."
Photojournalist Donna Ferrato grew up in a home marked by
domestic violence. It didn't make her radar for much of her adult
life. Then on assignment she saw a man hit his wife. This experience
wreaked havoc with her lifelong belief that "Home is a refuge from the
chaos of life." It made her determined to document domestic violence.
"Much of this book [Living With The Enemy] was born out of
frustration--first because I felt powerless in the face of the
violence I had seen, and second, because for a long time no magazine
would publish the pictures..."
Society has too often looked at wife battering in a different
way than it perceives other forms of violence. Men have gotten away
with doing terrible things to the women they allegedly love. If
they'd done the same thing to strangers they'd have been put away for
decades. There's the whole patriarchy thing about a man's home bring
his castle. Ferrato wanted to show that brutal crime is brutal crime,
no matter where or against whom it is committed.
She does so in spades. The photos and stories behind them will
enrage you and break your heart. There are mauled and mangled women.
There are two little boys--one who takes his toy weapons to bed and
reassures his mom that if dad comes he'll stop him and one who screams
at his dad (who is being arrested) to never come back. There's a
hypervigilent little girl who saw her father burn and stab her mother.
The last part of the book should really enrage you. It starts
with the story of Becca who shot her husband with his revolver.
Escalating abuse had caused her to decide to take their children and
leave Don. He'd started strangling her. He'd told her when she was
dead he'd kill their seven children. Struggling to survive, she'd
found the gun he kept in the car. She'd fired through the floor (a
warning) before she shot him.
She was sentenced to fifty years with no possibility of parole.
She isn't the only one serving anywhere up to life for protecting self
and children.
Progress has been made since the book was published, but not
nearly enough. The day after I wrote this review I read an article
about victims of intimate violence being at risk for serious brain
damage. They may not receive treatment for brain injuries. Being hit
repeatedly can lead to cumulative traumatic brain injuries. Brain
injuries can impair women's abilities to perceive they are in or
escape from abusive situations.
On a personal note, well, I have good news to share. Once again I
have been invited to do an Atrsapalooza gig. Artsapalooza is a very
special late June night in downtown Orono. All the venues from the
library through the shops and restaurants to the churches and the
space in front of the fire station are sites for music, dance, and
readings. It's a celebration of community and creativity and a mighty
fine place to perform. I will be sharing 40 minutes of my original
poetry.
A great big shout out goes out to Connie Carter and her team who are
in charge of handling the planning, logistics, and trouble shooting
that make the event not only beautiful, but possible.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Sunday, April 21, 2019
Gospel According To The Klan
Gospel According To The Klan
Adult nonfiction
"According to Hiram Wesley Evans, the second Imperial Wizard of
the Klan, 'The angels that must have anxiously watched the Reformation
from its beginning must have hovered around Stone Mountain
Thanksgiving night, 1915, and shouted Hosannahs to the highest
Heaven.' For Evans, the founding moment of the order was the second
Reformation. Those joyous angels watched in awe as the order was
born, and that event signalled that society might be salvaged. Evans
believed that the Klan had the potentiality to reform Christianity
much in the same way that Martin Luther had 'saved' the church within
the first Refornation."
Yes, I realize that Kelly J. Baker's Gospel According To The
Klan is the third KKK book we've read recently. Although they contain
much of the same information, each has a different slant. Baker
claims that other scholars have underestimated the centrality of
Protestantism to KKK beliefs and practice, even to go as far as accuse
them of cynical manipulation of beliefs, and uses documentation of how
they officially saw themselves to show the importance to them of the
correct religious beliefs. Among the topics covered are:
*how rites and symbols such as the baptism like initiation and the
flaming cross were connected with Christ's life and teachings and the
white robe and hood symbolized members' loyalty not only to the
organization, but to Christ.
"Who can look upon a multitude of white robed Klansmen without
thinking of the equality and unselfishness of that throng of white
robed saints in the Glory Land? May the God in Heaven, who looks not
upon outward appearance, but upon the heart find every Klansman worthy
of the robe and mask he wears.";
*how the Klan insistence on nationalism and Protestantism being one
and the same led to vehement objections to the Bible being taken out
of public schools,
and *how a masculinized Christ was to be the role model for every
Klansman.
Basically, without downplaying the quite repulsive deeds of the
Klan, Baker shows us that in a number of ways the KKK's difference
from many evangelical Protestants who didn't burn crosses was one of
degree, not absolutes. The reborn Klan was a lot more mainstream than
we may feel comfortable admitting.
On a personal note, I've been seeing a lot of signs of spring: my
first robin, a chipmunk, a tiny squirrel with a tail the size of my
pinkie finger, new grass... The daffodils in front of Wells are on
bloom and mine have started coming up. We had the traditional Easter
gathering at the in-laws. It was wonderful seeing all my kids. My
brother-in-law was there. I never can take him for granted because he
keeps getting redeployed. It was nice to see one of Eugene's cousins
without anyone having to die for that to happen. All in all, it was a
really nice gathering on a dreary, drizzly day.
A great big shout out goes out to all my readers who celebrate Easter
with hopes you are having a blessed one.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
"According to Hiram Wesley Evans, the second Imperial Wizard of
the Klan, 'The angels that must have anxiously watched the Reformation
from its beginning must have hovered around Stone Mountain
Thanksgiving night, 1915, and shouted Hosannahs to the highest
Heaven.' For Evans, the founding moment of the order was the second
Reformation. Those joyous angels watched in awe as the order was
born, and that event signalled that society might be salvaged. Evans
believed that the Klan had the potentiality to reform Christianity
much in the same way that Martin Luther had 'saved' the church within
the first Refornation."
Yes, I realize that Kelly J. Baker's Gospel According To The
Klan is the third KKK book we've read recently. Although they contain
much of the same information, each has a different slant. Baker
claims that other scholars have underestimated the centrality of
Protestantism to KKK beliefs and practice, even to go as far as accuse
them of cynical manipulation of beliefs, and uses documentation of how
they officially saw themselves to show the importance to them of the
correct religious beliefs. Among the topics covered are:
*how rites and symbols such as the baptism like initiation and the
flaming cross were connected with Christ's life and teachings and the
white robe and hood symbolized members' loyalty not only to the
organization, but to Christ.
"Who can look upon a multitude of white robed Klansmen without
thinking of the equality and unselfishness of that throng of white
robed saints in the Glory Land? May the God in Heaven, who looks not
upon outward appearance, but upon the heart find every Klansman worthy
of the robe and mask he wears.";
*how the Klan insistence on nationalism and Protestantism being one
and the same led to vehement objections to the Bible being taken out
of public schools,
and *how a masculinized Christ was to be the role model for every
Klansman.
Basically, without downplaying the quite repulsive deeds of the
Klan, Baker shows us that in a number of ways the KKK's difference
from many evangelical Protestants who didn't burn crosses was one of
degree, not absolutes. The reborn Klan was a lot more mainstream than
we may feel comfortable admitting.
On a personal note, I've been seeing a lot of signs of spring: my
first robin, a chipmunk, a tiny squirrel with a tail the size of my
pinkie finger, new grass... The daffodils in front of Wells are on
bloom and mine have started coming up. We had the traditional Easter
gathering at the in-laws. It was wonderful seeing all my kids. My
brother-in-law was there. I never can take him for granted because he
keeps getting redeployed. It was nice to see one of Eugene's cousins
without anyone having to die for that to happen. All in all, it was a
really nice gathering on a dreary, drizzly day.
A great big shout out goes out to all my readers who celebrate Easter
with hopes you are having a blessed one.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Pushout
Pushout
Adult nonfiction
"in 2007, six-year-old Desre'e Watson was placed in handcuffs by
the Avon Park Police Department for having a bad tantrum in her
Florida classroom. According to the police, Desre'e was kicking and
scratching, which presented a threat to the safety of others in the
school, specifically her classmates and her teacher. According to
police chief Frank Mercurio, 'When there is an outburst of violence,
we have a duty to protect and make the school a safe environment for
the students, staff, and faculty. That's why at this point, the
person was arrested, regardless what [sic] the age."
Whoa! Hold the presses! A six-year-old considered such a
threat a presumably much bigger police officer had to handcuff her?
Why was a cop even involved in what should have been routine classroom
behavior management? It must be an isolated incident. Right?
Wrong! In Georgia Salecia Johnson (also six) was not only handcuffed,
but delivered to the police station. In Illinois Jmiyha Rickman, an
eight-year-old special needs child, was held in a police vehicle
nearly two hours.
If you wonder what the Hell is going on [and I certainly hope
you do] read Monique W. Morris' Pushout: The Criminalization of Black
Girls in Schools. For many years we've heard of how black boys are
caught in the school to prison pipeline. Morris gives us a timely
reminder that black girls are also victims of cops in schools and zero
tolerance policies. In fact, due to a convergence of gender, sexual
orientation, race, and poverty, they can be even more vulnerable.
Some of the reasons are:
*In the minds of too many teachers and administrators black girls have
bad attitudes. Seen through this filter, even innocuous behaviors can
be seen as disciplinary matters. Even black students who try to play
by the rules get less support than white peers.
*Age compression can lead teachers and administrators to assume that
black girls are more sexually knowledgeable and less in need of
protection than white peers.
*Dress codes penalize black girls not only for wearing garments that
might distract boys from their studies, but for having dreads, Afros,
and other black hair styles. Appearance can criminalize.
*The impoverished schools that many black girls attend are the most
likely to implement zero tolerance policies.
Despite all the psychic and physical violence done to black
girls in places that should be safe, affirming, and welcoming havens
for all children, dedicated to their physical, intellectual,
emotional, and social growth, Morris has hope. She ends the book with
very good suggestions for moving schools in a better direction. Read
this fine book if you care about education in America.
On a personal note, back in March after I'd attended a tangible (non
virtual) work training my assistant manager, Anna informed us that we
had to do a bunch of electronic trainings with tests we had to get 85
or better on to keep our jobs. It's a campus wide annual thing. I
was something like paralyzed with terror. I love my job. Luckily
Jodi, my former manager and still mentor, offered to help me. We did
one a week on Fridays. I actually liked the work because it meant
time with Jodi. Anna was very pleased when I gave her the paperwork
so I could get paid for doing them. I think that's like an
incentive. We both agreed Jodi is awesome.
Amazingly Jodi still wants to keep meeting with me. How did I get
this lucky?
A great big shout out goes out to Jodi and Anna.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
"in 2007, six-year-old Desre'e Watson was placed in handcuffs by
the Avon Park Police Department for having a bad tantrum in her
Florida classroom. According to the police, Desre'e was kicking and
scratching, which presented a threat to the safety of others in the
school, specifically her classmates and her teacher. According to
police chief Frank Mercurio, 'When there is an outburst of violence,
we have a duty to protect and make the school a safe environment for
the students, staff, and faculty. That's why at this point, the
person was arrested, regardless what [sic] the age."
Whoa! Hold the presses! A six-year-old considered such a
threat a presumably much bigger police officer had to handcuff her?
Why was a cop even involved in what should have been routine classroom
behavior management? It must be an isolated incident. Right?
Wrong! In Georgia Salecia Johnson (also six) was not only handcuffed,
but delivered to the police station. In Illinois Jmiyha Rickman, an
eight-year-old special needs child, was held in a police vehicle
nearly two hours.
If you wonder what the Hell is going on [and I certainly hope
you do] read Monique W. Morris' Pushout: The Criminalization of Black
Girls in Schools. For many years we've heard of how black boys are
caught in the school to prison pipeline. Morris gives us a timely
reminder that black girls are also victims of cops in schools and zero
tolerance policies. In fact, due to a convergence of gender, sexual
orientation, race, and poverty, they can be even more vulnerable.
Some of the reasons are:
*In the minds of too many teachers and administrators black girls have
bad attitudes. Seen through this filter, even innocuous behaviors can
be seen as disciplinary matters. Even black students who try to play
by the rules get less support than white peers.
*Age compression can lead teachers and administrators to assume that
black girls are more sexually knowledgeable and less in need of
protection than white peers.
*Dress codes penalize black girls not only for wearing garments that
might distract boys from their studies, but for having dreads, Afros,
and other black hair styles. Appearance can criminalize.
*The impoverished schools that many black girls attend are the most
likely to implement zero tolerance policies.
Despite all the psychic and physical violence done to black
girls in places that should be safe, affirming, and welcoming havens
for all children, dedicated to their physical, intellectual,
emotional, and social growth, Morris has hope. She ends the book with
very good suggestions for moving schools in a better direction. Read
this fine book if you care about education in America.
On a personal note, back in March after I'd attended a tangible (non
virtual) work training my assistant manager, Anna informed us that we
had to do a bunch of electronic trainings with tests we had to get 85
or better on to keep our jobs. It's a campus wide annual thing. I
was something like paralyzed with terror. I love my job. Luckily
Jodi, my former manager and still mentor, offered to help me. We did
one a week on Fridays. I actually liked the work because it meant
time with Jodi. Anna was very pleased when I gave her the paperwork
so I could get paid for doing them. I think that's like an
incentive. We both agreed Jodi is awesome.
Amazingly Jodi still wants to keep meeting with me. How did I get
this lucky?
A great big shout out goes out to Jodi and Anna.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
The Art Of Losing
The Art Of Losing
YA/adult fiction
"Why didn't I drive Audrey home from the party we went to? Who
was driving the car that she was in? Why didn't I make sure that she
had a ride home? How could I have let this happen?
Guilt warred with anger until an anxious, bitter stew simmered
in my stomach. Audrey shouldn't get to be the victim when I was the
one who'd been betrayed?"
Harley, protagonist of Lizzy Mason's The Art Of Losing, is in a
hospital waiting room with her parents. Her little sister, Audrey,
who has been in a car accident, is in surgery. Nobody knows if she'll
ever be restored to herself...
...or even keep on breathing. Information about the accident
begins to filter in as they wait. The car Audrey was riding shotgun
in ran a red light and was hit on the passenger side. The very drunk
driver who had been taking Audrey home was Harley's boyfriend Mike...
...the same Mike who was the reason Harley had left the party
early. She had caught Mike and Audrey in a bedroom of the party house
with Mike's shirt on the floor. Feeling betrayed, she had stormed
out, not realizing that Audrey had no safe way home.
As Audrey slumbers in an artificial coma, induced to help her
brain heal and the family hovers around her, anxiously waiting to see
if she'll ever wake up, a childhood friend reenters Harley's life.
Raf quickly becomes someone she can rely on, someone she may even be
in love with. But he's just out of drug and alcohol rehab with no
guarantee of not backsliding. Will he end up hurting her like
alcoholic Mike did?
Mason must have received the same advice all aspiring writers
receive: write about what you know. At sixteen, using alcohol and
drugs to cope with depression and anxiety, she was put into rehab by
her parents. In a required 12 step program she became aware of her
privilege, meeting teens coping with addiction and trauma without the
benefit of a rehab like hers.
"The Art Of Losing is about making mistakes, accepting things
you can't change, and figuring out when to forgive and when to walk
away. But mostly, it's about loss, especially the loss of the life
you expected to have and the terror of realizing you have to reimagine
your future.
I hope this book will help make the possibilities a little
clearer for someone who needs it."
Mason's candid, captivating voice is a welcome addition to the
YA fiction world. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
On a very personal note, the book brought up memories for me. One was
from when I was eleven and Harriet (nine) was in the hospital with
spinal meningitis fighting for her life. My parents would leave me in
the waiting room with a stack of books while they stayed with
Harriet. The chair was orange and uncomfortable. My feet didn't
touch the floor. Nurses would bring me snacks and drinks from vending
machines and the cafeteria. Like Harley, I felt guilt. Mom and I had
rushed from a Girl Scout camping trip to the hospital. The night
before we left home Harriet hadn't let me play her new Mouse Trap
game. I had yelled, "I hate you. I hope you die." It took me decades
to realize it wasn't my fault through either my anger or mom's not
being at home to get Harriet to the hospital sooner.
The other memory was my dad's alcoholism. After our parents divorced
Harriet was considered too fragile to do the noncustodial parent
visitation thing. Only I wasn't. Taking the train to visit him was
scary because sometimes, under the influence, he put me in dangerous
situations. Where he had no inhibitions about driving under the
influence, I am very lucky I was never in Audrey's situation. Mom
told me never to ride with drunk or drugged friends, never knowing
that her ex husband was the prime offender.
When I was old enough and Mom and Harriet were in North Carolina I
ditched my father because he wasn't going to change.
I have never before said that last sentence aloud or put it in writing.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA/adult fiction
"Why didn't I drive Audrey home from the party we went to? Who
was driving the car that she was in? Why didn't I make sure that she
had a ride home? How could I have let this happen?
Guilt warred with anger until an anxious, bitter stew simmered
in my stomach. Audrey shouldn't get to be the victim when I was the
one who'd been betrayed?"
Harley, protagonist of Lizzy Mason's The Art Of Losing, is in a
hospital waiting room with her parents. Her little sister, Audrey,
who has been in a car accident, is in surgery. Nobody knows if she'll
ever be restored to herself...
...or even keep on breathing. Information about the accident
begins to filter in as they wait. The car Audrey was riding shotgun
in ran a red light and was hit on the passenger side. The very drunk
driver who had been taking Audrey home was Harley's boyfriend Mike...
...the same Mike who was the reason Harley had left the party
early. She had caught Mike and Audrey in a bedroom of the party house
with Mike's shirt on the floor. Feeling betrayed, she had stormed
out, not realizing that Audrey had no safe way home.
As Audrey slumbers in an artificial coma, induced to help her
brain heal and the family hovers around her, anxiously waiting to see
if she'll ever wake up, a childhood friend reenters Harley's life.
Raf quickly becomes someone she can rely on, someone she may even be
in love with. But he's just out of drug and alcohol rehab with no
guarantee of not backsliding. Will he end up hurting her like
alcoholic Mike did?
Mason must have received the same advice all aspiring writers
receive: write about what you know. At sixteen, using alcohol and
drugs to cope with depression and anxiety, she was put into rehab by
her parents. In a required 12 step program she became aware of her
privilege, meeting teens coping with addiction and trauma without the
benefit of a rehab like hers.
"The Art Of Losing is about making mistakes, accepting things
you can't change, and figuring out when to forgive and when to walk
away. But mostly, it's about loss, especially the loss of the life
you expected to have and the terror of realizing you have to reimagine
your future.
I hope this book will help make the possibilities a little
clearer for someone who needs it."
Mason's candid, captivating voice is a welcome addition to the
YA fiction world. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
On a very personal note, the book brought up memories for me. One was
from when I was eleven and Harriet (nine) was in the hospital with
spinal meningitis fighting for her life. My parents would leave me in
the waiting room with a stack of books while they stayed with
Harriet. The chair was orange and uncomfortable. My feet didn't
touch the floor. Nurses would bring me snacks and drinks from vending
machines and the cafeteria. Like Harley, I felt guilt. Mom and I had
rushed from a Girl Scout camping trip to the hospital. The night
before we left home Harriet hadn't let me play her new Mouse Trap
game. I had yelled, "I hate you. I hope you die." It took me decades
to realize it wasn't my fault through either my anger or mom's not
being at home to get Harriet to the hospital sooner.
The other memory was my dad's alcoholism. After our parents divorced
Harriet was considered too fragile to do the noncustodial parent
visitation thing. Only I wasn't. Taking the train to visit him was
scary because sometimes, under the influence, he put me in dangerous
situations. Where he had no inhibitions about driving under the
influence, I am very lucky I was never in Audrey's situation. Mom
told me never to ride with drunk or drugged friends, never knowing
that her ex husband was the prime offender.
When I was old enough and Mom and Harriet were in North Carolina I
ditched my father because he wasn't going to change.
I have never before said that last sentence aloud or put it in writing.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Saturday, April 20, 2019
The Music Of What Happens
The Music Of What Happens
YA/adult fiction
"But then I think of the stuff we hear at school. No means no,
which some of the stupider-ass baseball dudes translate as, "No means
yes, yes means anal." Which wasn't funny then. And I said no. Naw.
So is this like, rape-minus? Is that a thing? If you aren't
overpowered, if you could have left but you didn't, because you were
curious, maybe, that's not rape, right?" (Max)
"I promised my dad four years ago, right before he died, that I
would take care of her. And I'm trying so hard. When Mom melts down,
I do the best I can to make meals and I let her cry on my shoulder and
I do the shopping. And when she morphs into normal, awesome Mom
again, I don't even mention the other stuff because I'm glad she's
back. But I guess doing all that isn't good enough."
Max and Jordan, narrators of Bill Konigsberg's The Music Of What
Happens, make up a very unlikely odd couple. Other than the fact that
they're both gay, they seem to have little in common. Max is a jock,
a baseball player who hangs with two bros from the team. He was
taught by his now divorced and absent father to warrior up when in
pain. Jordan is a shy poet. He is burdened with responsibilities no
high school student should. At school they were unaware of each
other's existence.
But it's summer. The life insurance money Jordan and his mother
have been living on has run out. In fact they owe $5,000 in mortgage
payments. In an attempt to not lose their home they are taking
Jordan's father's food truck, Coq Au Vinny, on the road. Only his
mother panics, sure she can't handle the work, has a melt down, and
hires Max to take her place.
Can two high school students learn all the complexities of
running a food truck well enough to not only cover expenses, but pay
the back mortgage before eviction happens? Can they get along in such
proximity, especially where each is dealing with trauma?
You have to read the book to see.
The Music Of What Happens not only provides a fascinating
narrative with captivating characters, but opens up wider discussions
in regard to the subject of consent. Usually when we discuss no
meaning no we're assuming the no sayer to be a girl or woman and the
disregarder to be a boy or man. Here they're both guys.
On a personal note, the student employment people capped off student
employee appreciation week with a pancake breakfast on Wednesday and
an ice cream social Friday. Commuter Lounge guys cooked up pancakes
on Thursday. I had whole wheat with blueberries and raspberries
topped with real maple syrup and whipped cream. Simply divine!
Working in dining services, I know good food when I eat it!
Great big shout outs go out to the student employment office people
and the commuter lounge pancake chefs.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA/adult fiction
"But then I think of the stuff we hear at school. No means no,
which some of the stupider-ass baseball dudes translate as, "No means
yes, yes means anal." Which wasn't funny then. And I said no. Naw.
So is this like, rape-minus? Is that a thing? If you aren't
overpowered, if you could have left but you didn't, because you were
curious, maybe, that's not rape, right?" (Max)
"I promised my dad four years ago, right before he died, that I
would take care of her. And I'm trying so hard. When Mom melts down,
I do the best I can to make meals and I let her cry on my shoulder and
I do the shopping. And when she morphs into normal, awesome Mom
again, I don't even mention the other stuff because I'm glad she's
back. But I guess doing all that isn't good enough."
Max and Jordan, narrators of Bill Konigsberg's The Music Of What
Happens, make up a very unlikely odd couple. Other than the fact that
they're both gay, they seem to have little in common. Max is a jock,
a baseball player who hangs with two bros from the team. He was
taught by his now divorced and absent father to warrior up when in
pain. Jordan is a shy poet. He is burdened with responsibilities no
high school student should. At school they were unaware of each
other's existence.
But it's summer. The life insurance money Jordan and his mother
have been living on has run out. In fact they owe $5,000 in mortgage
payments. In an attempt to not lose their home they are taking
Jordan's father's food truck, Coq Au Vinny, on the road. Only his
mother panics, sure she can't handle the work, has a melt down, and
hires Max to take her place.
Can two high school students learn all the complexities of
running a food truck well enough to not only cover expenses, but pay
the back mortgage before eviction happens? Can they get along in such
proximity, especially where each is dealing with trauma?
You have to read the book to see.
The Music Of What Happens not only provides a fascinating
narrative with captivating characters, but opens up wider discussions
in regard to the subject of consent. Usually when we discuss no
meaning no we're assuming the no sayer to be a girl or woman and the
disregarder to be a boy or man. Here they're both guys.
On a personal note, the student employment people capped off student
employee appreciation week with a pancake breakfast on Wednesday and
an ice cream social Friday. Commuter Lounge guys cooked up pancakes
on Thursday. I had whole wheat with blueberries and raspberries
topped with real maple syrup and whipped cream. Simply divine!
Working in dining services, I know good food when I eat it!
Great big shout outs go out to the student employment office people
and the commuter lounge pancake chefs.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Behind The Mask Of Chivalry
Behind The Mask Of Chivalry
Adult nonfiction
"This book is about the most powerful movement of the far right
that America has yet produced: the Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s. The
story it tells is disturbing. For it has to explain, among other
things, how it was that sane, ordinary men came to believe that
Catholics were stockpiling weapons to take over the country, that a
cabal of Jewish bankers controlled world affairs, and that white
people must ready themselves for an imminent race war with people of
color..."
Nancy McLean's Behind The Mask Of Chivalry, a well researched
and eminently readable narrative, tells the story of one of the most
alarming chapters in American history. I found it especially
fascinating for three reasons.
1) The cross burners were reacting to a number of perceived
threats to their identity. As men used to a patriarchy under which
they were unquestioned heads of households, they had to contend with
wives becoming more assertive after working outside the home and
daughters indulging in dangerous pastimes like dancing. As lower
middle class folks they were simultaneously afraid of the power of
monopolies and other big businesses and the striking and union joining
of the impoverished working class. As fundamentalist Protestants they
harbored suspicions about Catholics and Jews. As whites who saw many
other whites falling from farm ownership to tenancy and factory labor
while some blacks were overcoming formidable obstacles to become
educated, enter the professions, and acquire property, they were
desperate to keep "inferiors" in their place. MacLean weaves all the
threads together to describe a movement that is much more complex than
most people think.
2) MacLean focused on one particular Klan chapter: Athens
[Georgia] Klan Number Five. Its leaders didn't destroy their records
like most of their peers did. So she had at her disposal materials
such as tracts, correspondance, and minutes which she could integrate
with other sources like oral histories, public record, and published
materials.
3) Many of the factors we read about in the book give evidence
of the too strong similarities between the world of the revived Klan
and the one we're inhabiting today. Isn't there something about those
who don't learn from history being doomed to repeat it?
On a personal note, I had an amazing day yesterday. It was the
Women's Resource Center's clothes swap. Basically people brought in
clothes they no longer wanted. A group of us laid them out on
tables. People browsed and took what they wanted. A couple of people
called it a free for all. (Obviously they'd never witnessed the old
Filene's basement sales where women in pin curls and dresses and
stockings assaulted one another over sheet sets and blouses.) I called
it a love in. People were so excited over their finds. People around
them were so happy for them. People were thrilled if someone they
knew took home something they donated. The stuff that wasn't taken
went to Black Bear Exchange.
I worked from set up to clean up with a short lunch break. I even
made the rounds of the Union telling everyone about their chance for
free clothes. Of course I found a lot of super cute stuff including
cat shirts, cat socks, a hoodie with cat paw prints, a Hogwarts
hoodie, and all kinds of awesome clothes. (When my partner saw the
bags of clothes I was going to donate he thought I was slimming down
my wardrobe. Little did he know!)
As if that wasn't enough to make a day the folks at the student
employment office, who are doing student employee appreciation week,
had a feast featuring Moe's barbeque. Any day featuring free clothes
including cat shirts, free barbeque, assessment class, and continuing
compliments on my drag show performance is purrrrrfect. (As I write
this Joey is draped across my shoulders purring.)
Great big shout outs go out to the WRC crew for putting the swap on,
Anna McDormand for giving the day off so I could volunteer at it, the
student employment office people, my assessment classmates and prof,
and, of course, my best little cat in the world.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
"This book is about the most powerful movement of the far right
that America has yet produced: the Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s. The
story it tells is disturbing. For it has to explain, among other
things, how it was that sane, ordinary men came to believe that
Catholics were stockpiling weapons to take over the country, that a
cabal of Jewish bankers controlled world affairs, and that white
people must ready themselves for an imminent race war with people of
color..."
Nancy McLean's Behind The Mask Of Chivalry, a well researched
and eminently readable narrative, tells the story of one of the most
alarming chapters in American history. I found it especially
fascinating for three reasons.
1) The cross burners were reacting to a number of perceived
threats to their identity. As men used to a patriarchy under which
they were unquestioned heads of households, they had to contend with
wives becoming more assertive after working outside the home and
daughters indulging in dangerous pastimes like dancing. As lower
middle class folks they were simultaneously afraid of the power of
monopolies and other big businesses and the striking and union joining
of the impoverished working class. As fundamentalist Protestants they
harbored suspicions about Catholics and Jews. As whites who saw many
other whites falling from farm ownership to tenancy and factory labor
while some blacks were overcoming formidable obstacles to become
educated, enter the professions, and acquire property, they were
desperate to keep "inferiors" in their place. MacLean weaves all the
threads together to describe a movement that is much more complex than
most people think.
2) MacLean focused on one particular Klan chapter: Athens
[Georgia] Klan Number Five. Its leaders didn't destroy their records
like most of their peers did. So she had at her disposal materials
such as tracts, correspondance, and minutes which she could integrate
with other sources like oral histories, public record, and published
materials.
3) Many of the factors we read about in the book give evidence
of the too strong similarities between the world of the revived Klan
and the one we're inhabiting today. Isn't there something about those
who don't learn from history being doomed to repeat it?
On a personal note, I had an amazing day yesterday. It was the
Women's Resource Center's clothes swap. Basically people brought in
clothes they no longer wanted. A group of us laid them out on
tables. People browsed and took what they wanted. A couple of people
called it a free for all. (Obviously they'd never witnessed the old
Filene's basement sales where women in pin curls and dresses and
stockings assaulted one another over sheet sets and blouses.) I called
it a love in. People were so excited over their finds. People around
them were so happy for them. People were thrilled if someone they
knew took home something they donated. The stuff that wasn't taken
went to Black Bear Exchange.
I worked from set up to clean up with a short lunch break. I even
made the rounds of the Union telling everyone about their chance for
free clothes. Of course I found a lot of super cute stuff including
cat shirts, cat socks, a hoodie with cat paw prints, a Hogwarts
hoodie, and all kinds of awesome clothes. (When my partner saw the
bags of clothes I was going to donate he thought I was slimming down
my wardrobe. Little did he know!)
As if that wasn't enough to make a day the folks at the student
employment office, who are doing student employee appreciation week,
had a feast featuring Moe's barbeque. Any day featuring free clothes
including cat shirts, free barbeque, assessment class, and continuing
compliments on my drag show performance is purrrrrfect. (As I write
this Joey is draped across my shoulders purring.)
Great big shout outs go out to the WRC crew for putting the swap on,
Anna McDormand for giving the day off so I could volunteer at it, the
student employment office people, my assessment classmates and prof,
and, of course, my best little cat in the world.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Sunday, April 14, 2019
On The Come Up
On The Come Up
YA/adult fiction
"I might have to kill somebody tonight.
It could be somebody I know. It could be a stranger. It could
be somebody who's never battled before. It could be somebody who's a
pro at it. It doesn't matter how many punch lines they throw at or how
nice their flow is. I'll have to kill them.
First, I gotta get the call. To get the call, I gotta get the
hell out of Mrs. Murray's class."
The call Bri, narrator of Angie Thomas' On The Come Up, is
waiting for is from a DJ who decides who gets in on freestyle rap
battles. Rap is her life. Her father was a legendary rapper before
he was killed by a member of a rival gang. She wants to carry out his
legacy.
"Tonight may be the perfect time, and the Ring is the perfect
place. It's one of the most sacred spots in Garden Heights, second
only to Christ Temple. You can't call yourself a rapper until you've
battled in the Ring."
Bri's mom, a recovered drug addict, is pushing college on her.
The class Bri has to get out of is an ACT prep. She's frustrated that
her mom won't see her dream as valid. She also wonders if college is
all it's cracked up to be. Her brother, Trey, graduated with honors.
"He also moved back home this summer. He couldn't find a decent
job, and as of three weeks ago, he makes pizzas for minimum wage. It
doesn't give me much to look forward to."
There is another reason, however, that Bri feels compelled to
make it big in rap: her family's serious financial struggles. Her
mom loses her job and finds her drug history standing in the way of
getting another. Her family falls behind on bills and gets eviction
notices. If she can make the right connections her family will be
safe from money stress.
Only life is more complicated than that. The song that brings
Bri into the public eye seems to support all the negative stereotypes
concerning black girls from impoverished communities. And some of the
lyrics may provoke the gang fighting that claimed her father's life.
Thomas' debut novel, The Hate U Give, established her as a
writer of substance. On The Come Up is even richer and more nuanced.
This reviewer can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
On a personal note: last night was the UMaine Pride Week Drag Show.
We were in the Collins Center for the Performing Arts, only the
premier venue on the whole campus. I nailed the title song from
Grease and was in pretty amazing company. The crowd got their money's
worth. Their love sent us so high we could just about touch the
stars. When we weren't on stage we were living it up talking and
taking pictures. Nights like that are treasures.
A great big shout out and sincere gratitude go out to my fellow drag
royalty, our fans, all the people behind the scenes, and Jane and Rob
who put the whole show together.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA/adult fiction
"I might have to kill somebody tonight.
It could be somebody I know. It could be a stranger. It could
be somebody who's never battled before. It could be somebody who's a
pro at it. It doesn't matter how many punch lines they throw at or how
nice their flow is. I'll have to kill them.
First, I gotta get the call. To get the call, I gotta get the
hell out of Mrs. Murray's class."
The call Bri, narrator of Angie Thomas' On The Come Up, is
waiting for is from a DJ who decides who gets in on freestyle rap
battles. Rap is her life. Her father was a legendary rapper before
he was killed by a member of a rival gang. She wants to carry out his
legacy.
"Tonight may be the perfect time, and the Ring is the perfect
place. It's one of the most sacred spots in Garden Heights, second
only to Christ Temple. You can't call yourself a rapper until you've
battled in the Ring."
Bri's mom, a recovered drug addict, is pushing college on her.
The class Bri has to get out of is an ACT prep. She's frustrated that
her mom won't see her dream as valid. She also wonders if college is
all it's cracked up to be. Her brother, Trey, graduated with honors.
"He also moved back home this summer. He couldn't find a decent
job, and as of three weeks ago, he makes pizzas for minimum wage. It
doesn't give me much to look forward to."
There is another reason, however, that Bri feels compelled to
make it big in rap: her family's serious financial struggles. Her
mom loses her job and finds her drug history standing in the way of
getting another. Her family falls behind on bills and gets eviction
notices. If she can make the right connections her family will be
safe from money stress.
Only life is more complicated than that. The song that brings
Bri into the public eye seems to support all the negative stereotypes
concerning black girls from impoverished communities. And some of the
lyrics may provoke the gang fighting that claimed her father's life.
Thomas' debut novel, The Hate U Give, established her as a
writer of substance. On The Come Up is even richer and more nuanced.
This reviewer can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
On a personal note: last night was the UMaine Pride Week Drag Show.
We were in the Collins Center for the Performing Arts, only the
premier venue on the whole campus. I nailed the title song from
Grease and was in pretty amazing company. The crowd got their money's
worth. Their love sent us so high we could just about touch the
stars. When we weren't on stage we were living it up talking and
taking pictures. Nights like that are treasures.
A great big shout out and sincere gratitude go out to my fellow drag
royalty, our fans, all the people behind the scenes, and Jane and Rob
who put the whole show together.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Friday, April 12, 2019
Social Media Wellness
Social Media Wellness
Adult nonfiction
"The reality is that social media and related technology are
unlikely to go away but instead will continue to evolve. Over the
past fifteen years I've come to realize that we are having the wrong
conversations with our kids when it comes to social media and related
technology. We can't ignore our tweens' and teens' social media use,
and we need to resist talking about social media and online use from a
place of fear and misunderstanding. Our efforts will be more
effective if we can focus on helping the next generation to develop
better ways to organize their time online and in real life."
When it comes to the many books out there for parents concerned
about kids' involvement with social media, not all are created equal.
They range from the didactic to the more nuanced and flexible. Ana
Homayoun's Social Media Wellness is very much on the nuanced and
flexible side, so much so that I see it as immensely relevant for
student affairs professionals working with college students as well as
parents of trend and preteens.
The Internet and social media represent the biggest quantum leap
in communications technology since the one that enabled me to read and
review this volume--the printing press. Some see it as amazing grace;
others view it as the end of civilization as we know it. Homayoun
sees it as a tool with both promise and dangers. She frames Internet
conversations around three anchor points: socialization, self-
regulation, and safety.
"Socialization relates to how students treat others and
themselves, and how they can decide whether or not to engage or
disengage online (and in real life). Self-regulation refers to how we
can provide structure and guidance around compartmentalizing and
filtering the many potential online distractions that make it
difficult to complete work, and how we can build consistent
opportunities for reflection and single tasking (instead of
multitasking). Safety covers both personal safety as well as group
and community safety, and it focuses on physical safety in addition to
social and emotional safety..."
Homayoun describes herself as an accidental social media
expert. She started out as an educational consultant who helped
students gain more purpose and organization and better time management
and wellness. Over the past decade she noticed the increasing presence
of technology and social media in the classroom. So she researched
and developed insights that helped her reach students who were swamped
by a flood of distractions. She began giving talks to help teachers
and parents become fluent (or at least not illiterate) in the social
media "language." Social Media Wellness packages much of her insight
and wisdom in a form parents, teachers, and other concerned
professionals can consume at their own pace.
Another group of professionals who could really profit from the
book is current and future (like moi!) college student affairs
professionals. High school grads don't morph into instant adults in
the 2 1/2 month interlude between schools. A lot of them arrive,
struggling with over busy lives, to a place where pressures are ramped
up. There is no parental supervision. For some freshpeople it's the
first significant time away from home. There's more work and less
scaffolding. And welcome to the wonderful world of parties.
Actually adults can also use Homayoun's advice to improve our
own lives. Many of us, having added social media membership to
already full lives, run ourselves ragged, cutting down on sleep,
mindfulness, and other restorers of health. If this sounds anything
like you, I'd urge you to read the book.
On a personal note, my mentor, Jodi, has been helping me with the
annual electronic trainings necessary for me to keep my job. Last
week we went through a series of videos about sexual harassment in the
workplace narrated by Betsy Sweet, whom I have met in real, as well as
virtual, life. All week I saw Betsy in my dreams asking questions on
the topic. But at least I understood what she was talking about.
This week's was about Internet security and all the nasty things
scammers, phishers, and hackers (for whom Hell should have a special
ring) can do to you and your institution. Yikes! Not only is this
seriously scary stuff, but there were about a zillion terms I was
clueless about. Like cookies. I'm sure the ones they talked about
have nothing to do with the jam filled delicacies I'm so fond of.
Jodi is confident that I will master this brave new world. Since I
have to even use computers for homework I'll take her word for it. At
least I passed the quiz.
We are now less than 24 hours from the DRAG SHOW.
a great big shout out goes out to Jodi who is totally saving my life
(as in my chance to keep the job I love) by helping me meet this
challenge.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
"The reality is that social media and related technology are
unlikely to go away but instead will continue to evolve. Over the
past fifteen years I've come to realize that we are having the wrong
conversations with our kids when it comes to social media and related
technology. We can't ignore our tweens' and teens' social media use,
and we need to resist talking about social media and online use from a
place of fear and misunderstanding. Our efforts will be more
effective if we can focus on helping the next generation to develop
better ways to organize their time online and in real life."
When it comes to the many books out there for parents concerned
about kids' involvement with social media, not all are created equal.
They range from the didactic to the more nuanced and flexible. Ana
Homayoun's Social Media Wellness is very much on the nuanced and
flexible side, so much so that I see it as immensely relevant for
student affairs professionals working with college students as well as
parents of trend and preteens.
The Internet and social media represent the biggest quantum leap
in communications technology since the one that enabled me to read and
review this volume--the printing press. Some see it as amazing grace;
others view it as the end of civilization as we know it. Homayoun
sees it as a tool with both promise and dangers. She frames Internet
conversations around three anchor points: socialization, self-
regulation, and safety.
"Socialization relates to how students treat others and
themselves, and how they can decide whether or not to engage or
disengage online (and in real life). Self-regulation refers to how we
can provide structure and guidance around compartmentalizing and
filtering the many potential online distractions that make it
difficult to complete work, and how we can build consistent
opportunities for reflection and single tasking (instead of
multitasking). Safety covers both personal safety as well as group
and community safety, and it focuses on physical safety in addition to
social and emotional safety..."
Homayoun describes herself as an accidental social media
expert. She started out as an educational consultant who helped
students gain more purpose and organization and better time management
and wellness. Over the past decade she noticed the increasing presence
of technology and social media in the classroom. So she researched
and developed insights that helped her reach students who were swamped
by a flood of distractions. She began giving talks to help teachers
and parents become fluent (or at least not illiterate) in the social
media "language." Social Media Wellness packages much of her insight
and wisdom in a form parents, teachers, and other concerned
professionals can consume at their own pace.
Another group of professionals who could really profit from the
book is current and future (like moi!) college student affairs
professionals. High school grads don't morph into instant adults in
the 2 1/2 month interlude between schools. A lot of them arrive,
struggling with over busy lives, to a place where pressures are ramped
up. There is no parental supervision. For some freshpeople it's the
first significant time away from home. There's more work and less
scaffolding. And welcome to the wonderful world of parties.
Actually adults can also use Homayoun's advice to improve our
own lives. Many of us, having added social media membership to
already full lives, run ourselves ragged, cutting down on sleep,
mindfulness, and other restorers of health. If this sounds anything
like you, I'd urge you to read the book.
On a personal note, my mentor, Jodi, has been helping me with the
annual electronic trainings necessary for me to keep my job. Last
week we went through a series of videos about sexual harassment in the
workplace narrated by Betsy Sweet, whom I have met in real, as well as
virtual, life. All week I saw Betsy in my dreams asking questions on
the topic. But at least I understood what she was talking about.
This week's was about Internet security and all the nasty things
scammers, phishers, and hackers (for whom Hell should have a special
ring) can do to you and your institution. Yikes! Not only is this
seriously scary stuff, but there were about a zillion terms I was
clueless about. Like cookies. I'm sure the ones they talked about
have nothing to do with the jam filled delicacies I'm so fond of.
Jodi is confident that I will master this brave new world. Since I
have to even use computers for homework I'll take her word for it. At
least I passed the quiz.
We are now less than 24 hours from the DRAG SHOW.
a great big shout out goes out to Jodi who is totally saving my life
(as in my chance to keep the job I love) by helping me meet this
challenge.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Puddin'
Puddin'
YA/adult fiction
"MELISSA: I think we should let them act on their own.
ME [Callie]: I don't know. Will they feel that we're abandoning them?
SAM: Listen, y'all. It's my senior year and this season is already
going down in flames. I feel like we might as well make it
memorable. But either all three of us go or none of us go. Y'all
know where I stand."
Callie's mother led the Clover City High School Shamrocks to
become 1992 National Dance Team Champions. Callie has been primed to
follow in her mom's footsteps. Dance is her life. She is devastated
when, right before regionals, the local gym that is the team's primary
sponsor pulls out.
Callie isn't the only one who's upset. The team decides on a
revenge prank. What was supposed to be a mere toilet papering evolves
quickly into a total trashing of the place. Callie is identified.
The rest of the team decides to let her take the fall. The gym owner,
rather than pressing charges, lets her work off the damages.
"But that [becoming thin] never happened, and I don't think it
ever will. My magic truth--the thing that has changed everything for
me--is this: the body I have shouldn't change how deserving I am of
my dreams. I stopped obsessing over my body being too round or too
wide or too lumpy. Because I'm not too much of anything. I'm just
enough. Even when I don't feel like I am."
Along with crafts, Millie and her mother have bonded over diets
and other weight loss strategies. Only now Millie has decided to stop
trying in vain to bring out her inner thin girl. This is the summer
she plans to attend a competitive broadcast journalism camp instead of
returning to weight loss camp. Her mom is not going to take the news
well.
Millie works for her uncle and aunt who own the gym. She's the
one who finds the place trashed. When she learns that she will be
working with Callie, who isn't exactly nice to kids not in her elite
group, she feels a sense of doom.
So how will this very odd couple play out?
You've gotta read Julie Murphy's Puddin' and see. With sumner
vaca on the horizon I plan to get my hands on Murphy's previous books
including the companion volume to Puddin', Dumplin'.
On a personal note, I did manage to get a ride home Monday night. It
snowed again Tuesday. So much for Puxatawny Phil not seeing his
shadow! School is going well. Work is going very well. I'm staying
on over the summer. There was a stuff an animal event for Pride
Week. I got a darling rainbow striped zebra with pink eyes. I named
them Florence because I promised my work friend, Flo, that I would
name something after her.
Just two more weeks to the Drag Show!
A great big shout out goes out to all the fine folks celebrating Pride
Week.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA/adult fiction
"MELISSA: I think we should let them act on their own.
ME [Callie]: I don't know. Will they feel that we're abandoning them?
SAM: Listen, y'all. It's my senior year and this season is already
going down in flames. I feel like we might as well make it
memorable. But either all three of us go or none of us go. Y'all
know where I stand."
Callie's mother led the Clover City High School Shamrocks to
become 1992 National Dance Team Champions. Callie has been primed to
follow in her mom's footsteps. Dance is her life. She is devastated
when, right before regionals, the local gym that is the team's primary
sponsor pulls out.
Callie isn't the only one who's upset. The team decides on a
revenge prank. What was supposed to be a mere toilet papering evolves
quickly into a total trashing of the place. Callie is identified.
The rest of the team decides to let her take the fall. The gym owner,
rather than pressing charges, lets her work off the damages.
"But that [becoming thin] never happened, and I don't think it
ever will. My magic truth--the thing that has changed everything for
me--is this: the body I have shouldn't change how deserving I am of
my dreams. I stopped obsessing over my body being too round or too
wide or too lumpy. Because I'm not too much of anything. I'm just
enough. Even when I don't feel like I am."
Along with crafts, Millie and her mother have bonded over diets
and other weight loss strategies. Only now Millie has decided to stop
trying in vain to bring out her inner thin girl. This is the summer
she plans to attend a competitive broadcast journalism camp instead of
returning to weight loss camp. Her mom is not going to take the news
well.
Millie works for her uncle and aunt who own the gym. She's the
one who finds the place trashed. When she learns that she will be
working with Callie, who isn't exactly nice to kids not in her elite
group, she feels a sense of doom.
So how will this very odd couple play out?
You've gotta read Julie Murphy's Puddin' and see. With sumner
vaca on the horizon I plan to get my hands on Murphy's previous books
including the companion volume to Puddin', Dumplin'.
On a personal note, I did manage to get a ride home Monday night. It
snowed again Tuesday. So much for Puxatawny Phil not seeing his
shadow! School is going well. Work is going very well. I'm staying
on over the summer. There was a stuff an animal event for Pride
Week. I got a darling rainbow striped zebra with pink eyes. I named
them Florence because I promised my work friend, Flo, that I would
name something after her.
Just two more weeks to the Drag Show!
A great big shout out goes out to all the fine folks celebrating Pride
Week.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Monday, April 8, 2019
Starstruck
Starstruck
Juvenile biography
Have you noticed how hard it's getting to see stars in the sky
unless you live out in the boonies? Growing up in the light polluted
Bronx, Neil DeGrasse Tyson could count only twelve. A trip to the
Hayden Planetarium gave him a glimpse at what seemed like millions and
changed his life forever. "The universe called me." His parents
believed in him. They bought him science books and even a telescope
which allowed him to see the stars from his rooftop.
There were others who did not share their faith. Some people
would call the police upon seeing a black boy on the roof and
mistaking his telescope for a weapon. Even when he was excelling at
the Bronx High School of Science, friends thought Neil would have a
better chance of becoming a professional athlete or community organizer.
For Neil, however, even the sky was not the limit. Kathleen
Krull and Paul Brewer's Starstruck shows readers how he answered that
early call from the universe.
On a personal note, yesterday was sunny with temps that went into the
50s. Today stars aren't what we're seeing in the sky. It's snowing
out. Meteorologists are calling for something like eight inches. At
UMaine we had the flag raising for Pride Week inside. Classes after
1:00 were cancelled. Of course that doesn't mean I can go home.
Being on the supper shift up to Wells I'm essential personnel. My
husband will be working so I have no clue how I'll get home. If I
can't find a ride I'll just have to channel my inner huskie and walk
home. Life is full of adventures.
A great big shout out goes out to all the fine folks who will make
Pride Week a true celebration.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Juvenile biography
Have you noticed how hard it's getting to see stars in the sky
unless you live out in the boonies? Growing up in the light polluted
Bronx, Neil DeGrasse Tyson could count only twelve. A trip to the
Hayden Planetarium gave him a glimpse at what seemed like millions and
changed his life forever. "The universe called me." His parents
believed in him. They bought him science books and even a telescope
which allowed him to see the stars from his rooftop.
There were others who did not share their faith. Some people
would call the police upon seeing a black boy on the roof and
mistaking his telescope for a weapon. Even when he was excelling at
the Bronx High School of Science, friends thought Neil would have a
better chance of becoming a professional athlete or community organizer.
For Neil, however, even the sky was not the limit. Kathleen
Krull and Paul Brewer's Starstruck shows readers how he answered that
early call from the universe.
On a personal note, yesterday was sunny with temps that went into the
50s. Today stars aren't what we're seeing in the sky. It's snowing
out. Meteorologists are calling for something like eight inches. At
UMaine we had the flag raising for Pride Week inside. Classes after
1:00 were cancelled. Of course that doesn't mean I can go home.
Being on the supper shift up to Wells I'm essential personnel. My
husband will be working so I have no clue how I'll get home. If I
can't find a ride I'll just have to channel my inner huskie and walk
home. Life is full of adventures.
A great big shout out goes out to all the fine folks who will make
Pride Week a true celebration.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Pass Go And Collect $200
Pass Go And Collect $200
Juvenile herstory
Chances are you've played Monopoly at least once in your life.
It's one of those classics hanging out in many people's game closets--
the original as well as the numerous special editions. But how much
do you know about how this ubiquitous passtime came to be?
I didn't know or really care to know. It seemed so
materialistic. A game where the objective is to get as rich as
possible by bankrupting other players has as much appeal to me as
becoming besties with the dog next door has to Joey cat (who is draped
across my shoulders purring as I write this). But then I read Tanya
Lee Stone's Pass Go And Collect $200. I learned two fascinating facts.
Although a man has been credited with inventing the game, its
creator was really a woman.
This glorification of capitalism on steroids actually came about
as a protest of the less than savory practices of landlords of her day.
As a child, my older daughter, Amber, used to create her own
board games. The earliest Monopoly games were home made. Is there an
issue your family or friends really care about? Creating a game
around it is a great way to learn more...
...and who knows? Maybe a few of you can go big and create a
way to enlighten many others.
On a personal note, yesterday I was enough ahead on my homework to go
to church for the first time this year. I sang in the choir and
talked about Pride Week and the Drag Show at announcements. And you
would be amused to know I shouted AMEN! in the middle of Pastor
Lorna's sermon. It's a behavior more associated with
fundamentalists. Only at coffee hour people said I expressed what
they were feeling.
When I was preparing supper I saw something beautiful. Twenty-nine
years ago, when I was great with child (Amber) Eugene and I lived in a
dear little apartment in Orono. The night before Christmas we saw
Santa riding down our street on the back of a truck and waving to
people. The next day Eugene said my mystery gift--a heart shaped
prism--was from Santa. It hangs in my kitchen. In our warmer seasons
it makes dancing rainbows on the wall. Last night--the beginning of
UMaine's Pride Week--I saw those dear little rainbows for the first
time this year. It made my heart dance with joy.
A great big shout out goes out to Eugene who still makes sure Santa
leaves me something, even now with our kids taller than me.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Juvenile herstory
Chances are you've played Monopoly at least once in your life.
It's one of those classics hanging out in many people's game closets--
the original as well as the numerous special editions. But how much
do you know about how this ubiquitous passtime came to be?
I didn't know or really care to know. It seemed so
materialistic. A game where the objective is to get as rich as
possible by bankrupting other players has as much appeal to me as
becoming besties with the dog next door has to Joey cat (who is draped
across my shoulders purring as I write this). But then I read Tanya
Lee Stone's Pass Go And Collect $200. I learned two fascinating facts.
Although a man has been credited with inventing the game, its
creator was really a woman.
This glorification of capitalism on steroids actually came about
as a protest of the less than savory practices of landlords of her day.
As a child, my older daughter, Amber, used to create her own
board games. The earliest Monopoly games were home made. Is there an
issue your family or friends really care about? Creating a game
around it is a great way to learn more...
...and who knows? Maybe a few of you can go big and create a
way to enlighten many others.
On a personal note, yesterday I was enough ahead on my homework to go
to church for the first time this year. I sang in the choir and
talked about Pride Week and the Drag Show at announcements. And you
would be amused to know I shouted AMEN! in the middle of Pastor
Lorna's sermon. It's a behavior more associated with
fundamentalists. Only at coffee hour people said I expressed what
they were feeling.
When I was preparing supper I saw something beautiful. Twenty-nine
years ago, when I was great with child (Amber) Eugene and I lived in a
dear little apartment in Orono. The night before Christmas we saw
Santa riding down our street on the back of a truck and waving to
people. The next day Eugene said my mystery gift--a heart shaped
prism--was from Santa. It hangs in my kitchen. In our warmer seasons
it makes dancing rainbows on the wall. Last night--the beginning of
UMaine's Pride Week--I saw those dear little rainbows for the first
time this year. It made my heart dance with joy.
A great big shout out goes out to Eugene who still makes sure Santa
leaves me something, even now with our kids taller than me.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Sunday, April 7, 2019
Shrill
Shrill
Adult memoir
"Over time, the knowledge that I was too big made my life
smaller and smaller. I insisted that shoes and accessories were 'my
thing,' because my friends didn't realize that I couldn't shop for
clothes at a regular store and I was too mortified to explain it to
them. I backed out of dinner plans if I remembered the restaurant had
particularly narrow aisles or rickety chairs. I ordered salad even if
everyone else was having fish and chips. I pretended to hate skiing
because my giant men's ski pants made me look like a smokestack and I
was terrified my bulk would tip me off the chairlift..."
If you are or ever have been really overweight you'll want to
read Lindy West's Shrill. If you have am overweight loved one you can
learn a lot from the book. I know I did. West candidly tells us what
it's like to come of age as a fat (she prefers the word to euphemisms)
woman in a world that equates petiteness with femininity. She manages
to do this with disarming humor.
West learned early in life that her size made her unacceptable.
She became small in the only way she could, becoming shy and quiet.
Heading into her teens, she despaired, sure that she was missing her
years to shine, bogged down by unwieldy flesh.
Then in West's adulthood something amazing happened. She
discovered Leonard Nimoy's Full Body Project.
"...The photographs are in black and white, and they feature a
group of fat naked women laughing, smiling, embracing, gazing
fearlessly into the camera. In one they sway indolently like the
Three Graces; in another they re-create Herb Ritts' iconic pile of
supermodels. It was the first time I've ever seen fat women presented
without scorn."
West was fascinated. These women were bold and beautiful. The
photographer had told them to be proud. Maybe she too could be
proud. Maybe she could stop accepting the verdict of ignorant people
and value herself.
"...I wasn't unnatural after all; the cultural attitude that
taught me so was the real abomination. My body, I realized, was an
opportunity. It was political. It moved the world just be existing.
What a gift!"
And that was only the beginning. Read the book to see how she
morphed from shy child into comedian, actress, and Internet troll
battler.
My sibling, like West, started out fat pretty early. I remember
kids teasing her (he was her back then) mercilessly and adults
relentlessly trying to make her someone she couldn't be.
Now I have a manager I think the world of. She's someone who
takes in rescue dogs, raises veggies, and is fascinated by other
cultures. She is also gorgeous. Renaissance artists would have given
anything to have her as a model. When she tells me people have
bullied her it makes me so angry.
Please don't body shame people. And if you see someone else be
a bully please don't be a silent bystander. Step up and make a
difference.
On a personal note, UMaine has a blood drive coming up this month and
I'm signed up to donate. I love donating. But the weeks leading up
to the drive really stress me. I used to be able to take iron pills
to make sure I'd have enough iron. But now it messes up my stomach.
So I have to get all my iron in food. I feel guilty if I can't give,
so everything I eat or fail to eat becomes a moral issue. I eat so
much of iron loading stuff (like multi grain Cheerios and burgers) I
get to hate it. Then I feel guilty if I eat anything less iron
containing that I might actually enjoy like fish. It's like if I
don't get this right someone might die and it would be my fault.
(Maybe that's why I refuse to give something up for Lent. Five times
a year of focussing on what I eat is all I can handle.) This month I
feel especially pressured. In November my iron was too low. In
January it was fine. But I bled too slow. I suspect the needle was
put in wrong because I had a bruise the size of a nectarine.
Hopefully third time will be a charm. I really want to finish my
tenth gallon.
A great big shout out goes out to the Red Cross nurses who will be
coming to a campus near me soon.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult memoir
"Over time, the knowledge that I was too big made my life
smaller and smaller. I insisted that shoes and accessories were 'my
thing,' because my friends didn't realize that I couldn't shop for
clothes at a regular store and I was too mortified to explain it to
them. I backed out of dinner plans if I remembered the restaurant had
particularly narrow aisles or rickety chairs. I ordered salad even if
everyone else was having fish and chips. I pretended to hate skiing
because my giant men's ski pants made me look like a smokestack and I
was terrified my bulk would tip me off the chairlift..."
If you are or ever have been really overweight you'll want to
read Lindy West's Shrill. If you have am overweight loved one you can
learn a lot from the book. I know I did. West candidly tells us what
it's like to come of age as a fat (she prefers the word to euphemisms)
woman in a world that equates petiteness with femininity. She manages
to do this with disarming humor.
West learned early in life that her size made her unacceptable.
She became small in the only way she could, becoming shy and quiet.
Heading into her teens, she despaired, sure that she was missing her
years to shine, bogged down by unwieldy flesh.
Then in West's adulthood something amazing happened. She
discovered Leonard Nimoy's Full Body Project.
"...The photographs are in black and white, and they feature a
group of fat naked women laughing, smiling, embracing, gazing
fearlessly into the camera. In one they sway indolently like the
Three Graces; in another they re-create Herb Ritts' iconic pile of
supermodels. It was the first time I've ever seen fat women presented
without scorn."
West was fascinated. These women were bold and beautiful. The
photographer had told them to be proud. Maybe she too could be
proud. Maybe she could stop accepting the verdict of ignorant people
and value herself.
"...I wasn't unnatural after all; the cultural attitude that
taught me so was the real abomination. My body, I realized, was an
opportunity. It was political. It moved the world just be existing.
What a gift!"
And that was only the beginning. Read the book to see how she
morphed from shy child into comedian, actress, and Internet troll
battler.
My sibling, like West, started out fat pretty early. I remember
kids teasing her (he was her back then) mercilessly and adults
relentlessly trying to make her someone she couldn't be.
Now I have a manager I think the world of. She's someone who
takes in rescue dogs, raises veggies, and is fascinated by other
cultures. She is also gorgeous. Renaissance artists would have given
anything to have her as a model. When she tells me people have
bullied her it makes me so angry.
Please don't body shame people. And if you see someone else be
a bully please don't be a silent bystander. Step up and make a
difference.
On a personal note, UMaine has a blood drive coming up this month and
I'm signed up to donate. I love donating. But the weeks leading up
to the drive really stress me. I used to be able to take iron pills
to make sure I'd have enough iron. But now it messes up my stomach.
So I have to get all my iron in food. I feel guilty if I can't give,
so everything I eat or fail to eat becomes a moral issue. I eat so
much of iron loading stuff (like multi grain Cheerios and burgers) I
get to hate it. Then I feel guilty if I eat anything less iron
containing that I might actually enjoy like fish. It's like if I
don't get this right someone might die and it would be my fault.
(Maybe that's why I refuse to give something up for Lent. Five times
a year of focussing on what I eat is all I can handle.) This month I
feel especially pressured. In November my iron was too low. In
January it was fine. But I bled too slow. I suspect the needle was
put in wrong because I had a bruise the size of a nectarine.
Hopefully third time will be a charm. I really want to finish my
tenth gallon.
A great big shout out goes out to the Red Cross nurses who will be
coming to a campus near me soon.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
She Persisted Around The World
She Persisted Around The World
Recall back in 2017 we checked out Chelsea Clinton's first She
Persisted book which introduced readers to thirteen American women who
overcame formidable obstacles to achieve their goals? Her new
companion volume, She Persisted Around The World, takes us overseas to
learn about some pretty impressive sheroes including:
*one of my all time favorites, Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Wangari
Maathai, who was the first woman in her part of Africa to get a PhD
and become a college professor and started the Green Belt Movement
which has planted over fifty million trees;
*Mary Verghese, who, following a car accident that left her in a
wheelchair, shifted her focus to rehabilitation and founded India's
first rehabilitation center;
*trauma counselor Laymah Gbowee who, after living through one civil
war in Liberia, organized thousands of women to help end another;
and *ten other formidable females.
Persistence, however, is not possessed solely by such big
achievers. It can be one of the most important factors in success on
any scale. My best little cat in the world, Joey, was not supposed to
be thriving or even surviving at going on 16, having been born
medically frail. His vets say his extremely strong will to live has a
lot to do with this. In fact it was surely a factor in the decision
to do a no guarantees 4 1/2 surgery when he was almost 12.
Although persistance does not negate the need to do something
about the cruel injustices of our society, it can play a huge role in
every facet of life. What's great about it is that, although some
people manifest it more from the start, it can be acquired. The two
books can help start conversations we need to be holding with our
children, our peers, and ourselves.
*What obstacles did the women in the books face? How did they
overcome them? What resources, material and human, helped them?
*When we face obstacles what is the nature of the stumbling blocks?
What resources, material and human, do we have at our command? What
obstacles have we faced in the past? How can these experiences help?
On a personal note, I am perseverance personified. I am reaping the
rewards of not giving up. I took time out to raise my kids. I wasn't
going to stay home when they were grown and flown. That's so 1950s.
Well when I started job hunting the huge gap in my employment history
was keeping me from decent jobs. People thought I should take what I
could get--fast food or big box retail--and not try for the
impossible. Just about all my life I've been an advocate for other
people. I decided to fight as hard for myself as I did for others. I
continued to volunteer and network. When I heard about the higher
education masters program it was as if the heavens had opened to show
a chorus of angels singing. I worked hard to get in the program and
find a job to pay tuition, fees, and textbooks. The first semester
challenged me to gain the computer skills I was deficient in. But
this semester I've improved enough to be having an easier time. I am
living my dream because I did not give up.
Is there something you really want to do? If so, what's standing in
your way? How can you surmount the obstacles?
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Recall back in 2017 we checked out Chelsea Clinton's first She
Persisted book which introduced readers to thirteen American women who
overcame formidable obstacles to achieve their goals? Her new
companion volume, She Persisted Around The World, takes us overseas to
learn about some pretty impressive sheroes including:
*one of my all time favorites, Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Wangari
Maathai, who was the first woman in her part of Africa to get a PhD
and become a college professor and started the Green Belt Movement
which has planted over fifty million trees;
*Mary Verghese, who, following a car accident that left her in a
wheelchair, shifted her focus to rehabilitation and founded India's
first rehabilitation center;
*trauma counselor Laymah Gbowee who, after living through one civil
war in Liberia, organized thousands of women to help end another;
and *ten other formidable females.
Persistence, however, is not possessed solely by such big
achievers. It can be one of the most important factors in success on
any scale. My best little cat in the world, Joey, was not supposed to
be thriving or even surviving at going on 16, having been born
medically frail. His vets say his extremely strong will to live has a
lot to do with this. In fact it was surely a factor in the decision
to do a no guarantees 4 1/2 surgery when he was almost 12.
Although persistance does not negate the need to do something
about the cruel injustices of our society, it can play a huge role in
every facet of life. What's great about it is that, although some
people manifest it more from the start, it can be acquired. The two
books can help start conversations we need to be holding with our
children, our peers, and ourselves.
*What obstacles did the women in the books face? How did they
overcome them? What resources, material and human, helped them?
*When we face obstacles what is the nature of the stumbling blocks?
What resources, material and human, do we have at our command? What
obstacles have we faced in the past? How can these experiences help?
On a personal note, I am perseverance personified. I am reaping the
rewards of not giving up. I took time out to raise my kids. I wasn't
going to stay home when they were grown and flown. That's so 1950s.
Well when I started job hunting the huge gap in my employment history
was keeping me from decent jobs. People thought I should take what I
could get--fast food or big box retail--and not try for the
impossible. Just about all my life I've been an advocate for other
people. I decided to fight as hard for myself as I did for others. I
continued to volunteer and network. When I heard about the higher
education masters program it was as if the heavens had opened to show
a chorus of angels singing. I worked hard to get in the program and
find a job to pay tuition, fees, and textbooks. The first semester
challenged me to gain the computer skills I was deficient in. But
this semester I've improved enough to be having an easier time. I am
living my dream because I did not give up.
Is there something you really want to do? If so, what's standing in
your way? How can you surmount the obstacles?
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Saturday, April 6, 2019
Slut!
Slut!
Adult nonfiction
Being known as the school slut is a terrifying experience. In
school, where social hierarchy counts for everything, the school
"slut" is a pariah, a butt of jokes, a loser. Girls and boys both
gang up on her. She endures cruel and sneering comments--slut is
often interchangeable with whore and bitch--as she walks down the
hallway. She is publically humiliated in the classroom and
cafeteria. Her body is considered public property: she is fair game
for physical harassment."
Chances are good that your high school had at least one girl who
was known as easy or a tramp. Her name appeared in lurid boys
bathroom grafitti. Male peers wanted to get into her pants or at
least get a hand under her bra, but wouldn't be caught dead taking her
to prom or to meet the parents. Girls critiqued her posture,
mannerisms, and clothes, especially if they suspected her of thinking
she was all that.
Leora Tanenbaum was one of those girls. When she was in the
ninth grade a friend spread the word that she was a slut. She was the
subject of furtive whipers, name calling, and ostracism. She felt
insecure for the rest of her high school years. She kept her
experiences to herself as she headed to college.
It wasn't until 1993, learning how many girls are the victims of
slut bashing, that Tanenbaum learned that her painful experiences
weren't unique. Following this revelation, she went to great lengths
to locate other women who had survived similar persecutions and teens
who were enduring them. She interviewed fifty women and girls from a
variety of locations and backgrounds. In Slut! she skillfully
integrates their experiences and hers with theory and background.
Tanenbaum discovered three types of girls who were at risk for a
slut label. The "loose" girls were judged by looks. Some appeared to
have a casual attitude toward sex. Others simply were early
bloomers. Paula was wearing a 36C bra in 7th grade. "In eighth
grade, classmates called Paula, a virgin, a 'five-cent whore,'
'hooker,' and 'slut.' They took her notebook and wrote things in it
like, 'You're not worth shit' and 'You're a bitch.'" Rape victims are
accused of asking for it. It can get the rapist off the hook and keep
him out of jail. The victim can be made to believe she's at least
partly to blame. The rapist's girlfriend has a "seductress" to blame
instead of having to question her guy's loyalty.
Ultimately, though, all girls who are slut shamed are victims of
the patriarchy. In the world of the 1950s there were good girls and
bad girls. The bad girls were the ones with whom boys were supposed
to sow their wild oats, a necessary developmental evil. The good
girls were the ones they married and settled down with in the
suburbs. They were the gate keepers, responsible for keeping the
relationship chaste until matrimony.
Sixty years later has a whole lot changed? Not really. Women
are still judged on what they wear and do and where they go. Men are
the only ones considered to have legitimate urges. The old double
standard just won't go away...
...which makes Slut! a must read for feminists and allies.
On a personal note, despite the snow storm on Wednesday, I had a
really great school week. Class was awesome. We did our presentations
and group projects. My small group met to code our surveys and plan
our next step. I thought I was a liability because I don't know as
much computer. They reminded me that I was the one who went to the
conference and the reason we're doing this particular project--my
enthusiasm sold them on it. I love working with them. When people
signed up for groups I wicked lucked out. Work was wonderful. Jodi
helped me with one of my electronic trainings. I got to spend time
with her. :-)
I am SO LOOKING FORWARD to next week!!! It's Pride Week. (I hope we
have good weather for the flag raising.) I'll get a build a critter
for my menagerie. It's also student employee appreciation week--my
first as a student employee!!! And Saturday the 13th I'll be in the
heavenly position of dancing in front of about 1,500 screaming drag
fans (who will adore me) at the Drag Show!!! What more could a two
spirit ask for?
Great big shout outs go out to Cam, Kayla, Alex, and Victoria who are
my project group, Jodi, the Student Employment office staff, and the
best little cat in the world who is curled up on my lap.
I love being...
...jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
Being known as the school slut is a terrifying experience. In
school, where social hierarchy counts for everything, the school
"slut" is a pariah, a butt of jokes, a loser. Girls and boys both
gang up on her. She endures cruel and sneering comments--slut is
often interchangeable with whore and bitch--as she walks down the
hallway. She is publically humiliated in the classroom and
cafeteria. Her body is considered public property: she is fair game
for physical harassment."
Chances are good that your high school had at least one girl who
was known as easy or a tramp. Her name appeared in lurid boys
bathroom grafitti. Male peers wanted to get into her pants or at
least get a hand under her bra, but wouldn't be caught dead taking her
to prom or to meet the parents. Girls critiqued her posture,
mannerisms, and clothes, especially if they suspected her of thinking
she was all that.
Leora Tanenbaum was one of those girls. When she was in the
ninth grade a friend spread the word that she was a slut. She was the
subject of furtive whipers, name calling, and ostracism. She felt
insecure for the rest of her high school years. She kept her
experiences to herself as she headed to college.
It wasn't until 1993, learning how many girls are the victims of
slut bashing, that Tanenbaum learned that her painful experiences
weren't unique. Following this revelation, she went to great lengths
to locate other women who had survived similar persecutions and teens
who were enduring them. She interviewed fifty women and girls from a
variety of locations and backgrounds. In Slut! she skillfully
integrates their experiences and hers with theory and background.
Tanenbaum discovered three types of girls who were at risk for a
slut label. The "loose" girls were judged by looks. Some appeared to
have a casual attitude toward sex. Others simply were early
bloomers. Paula was wearing a 36C bra in 7th grade. "In eighth
grade, classmates called Paula, a virgin, a 'five-cent whore,'
'hooker,' and 'slut.' They took her notebook and wrote things in it
like, 'You're not worth shit' and 'You're a bitch.'" Rape victims are
accused of asking for it. It can get the rapist off the hook and keep
him out of jail. The victim can be made to believe she's at least
partly to blame. The rapist's girlfriend has a "seductress" to blame
instead of having to question her guy's loyalty.
Ultimately, though, all girls who are slut shamed are victims of
the patriarchy. In the world of the 1950s there were good girls and
bad girls. The bad girls were the ones with whom boys were supposed
to sow their wild oats, a necessary developmental evil. The good
girls were the ones they married and settled down with in the
suburbs. They were the gate keepers, responsible for keeping the
relationship chaste until matrimony.
Sixty years later has a whole lot changed? Not really. Women
are still judged on what they wear and do and where they go. Men are
the only ones considered to have legitimate urges. The old double
standard just won't go away...
...which makes Slut! a must read for feminists and allies.
On a personal note, despite the snow storm on Wednesday, I had a
really great school week. Class was awesome. We did our presentations
and group projects. My small group met to code our surveys and plan
our next step. I thought I was a liability because I don't know as
much computer. They reminded me that I was the one who went to the
conference and the reason we're doing this particular project--my
enthusiasm sold them on it. I love working with them. When people
signed up for groups I wicked lucked out. Work was wonderful. Jodi
helped me with one of my electronic trainings. I got to spend time
with her. :-)
I am SO LOOKING FORWARD to next week!!! It's Pride Week. (I hope we
have good weather for the flag raising.) I'll get a build a critter
for my menagerie. It's also student employee appreciation week--my
first as a student employee!!! And Saturday the 13th I'll be in the
heavenly position of dancing in front of about 1,500 screaming drag
fans (who will adore me) at the Drag Show!!! What more could a two
spirit ask for?
Great big shout outs go out to Cam, Kayla, Alex, and Victoria who are
my project group, Jodi, the Student Employment office staff, and the
best little cat in the world who is curled up on my lap.
I love being...
...jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
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Monday, April 1, 2019
Saving Capitalism
Saving Capitalism
Adult nonfiction
"The threat to capitalism is no longer communism or facism but a
steady undermining of the trust modern societies need for growth and
stability. When most people stop believing they and their children
have a fair chance to make it, the tacit social contract societies
rely on for voluntary cooperation begins to unravel. In its place
come subversion, small and large--petty theft, cheating, fraud,
kickbacks, corruption. Economic resources gradually shift from
production to protection.
We have the power to change all this, recreating an economy that
works for the many, rather than the few. Contrary to Karl Marx, there
is nothing about capitalism that leads inexoribly to mounting economic
insecurity and widening inequality. The basic rules of capitalism are
not written in stone. They are written and implemented by human
brings. But to determine what must be changed, and to accomplish it,
we must first understand what has happened and why."
Robert B. Reich, author of Saving Capitalism For the Many, Not
the Few, grew up in a time (the 1950s) when a family could live
decently on one income. His father ran a women's clothing shop. His
family, while not rich, lived comfortably.
The decades right after World War II were good ones for many
American families. (There were plenty of folks like minorities,
however, who didn't share in the prosperity party). Our nation had a
large and growing middle class. Hard work was rewarded. Education
led to better jobs. Families had reason to believe that they could do
well and their children could do better.
Then things went seriously wrong. While the pay and perks of
the large corporation CEOs and Wall Street traders skyrocketed, the
pay and wealth of everyone else stagnated and declined. Decent jobs
were automated or went overseas. The replacement ones in the service
sector can't keep even full time workers out of poverty. We have the
widest have/have not gap since the Gilded Twenties segued into the
Great Depression. Like many of us, Reich wondered what the Hell was
going on. Unlike most of us, he could do the research to find out
what was going on. In Saving Capitalism For the Many, Not the Few he
explains his findings in language those of us who don't have economics
degrees can understand.
One of Reich's particularly salient points is his debunking of
the "free market" as natural, inevitable, and impersonal. Its
proponants, those who are getting obscenely rich by this myth, claim
that government intrusion can only cause failure of the system and
unmitigated disaster.
"According to this view, whatever we might do to reduce
inequality or economic insecurity--to make the economy work for most
of us--runs the risk of distorting the market and causing it to be
less efficient, or of producing unintended consequences that may end
up harming us..."
The free market is a man made invention. It is governed by
rules that were created by mere mortals in government. In the decades
following World War II the free market worked for a lot more people
because middle and working class folks were represented by entities
like strong unions. These days the rich, powerful, and well connected
have disproportionate power to write the rules governing the free
market, slanting them even more in their favor. In this regard
America's economy is like a car with no brakes and a heavy foot on the
gas pedal.
Reich also shreds the myth of meritocracy (people are worth what
they're paid), examining, in particular, the rise of the working poor
and the idle super rich. And he shares some amazing ideas about how
America's economy can once again work for the many.
This book is so timely. As I wrote it I saw an expose on
Disneyland. While many of their workers earn so little they sleep in
their cars and need SNAP, the CEO received $44 million for one year.
Taxpayers--that's you and me--give the company over one billion
dollars a year in tax breaks and public services.
If that doesn't make you angry, I don't know what will.
On a personal note, last week my advisor emailed me that I'm one of
the most dedicated, engaged students she's known as a professor. That
makes me very proud. Engagement is me. I'm glad it shows.
April Fools day is going fine. I was going to play a joke on a friend
but then he set my friends and me up with delish free food so I didn't
have the heart to.
A great big shout out goes out to all economists and other academic
folks who help us understand the forces that screw most of us.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
"The threat to capitalism is no longer communism or facism but a
steady undermining of the trust modern societies need for growth and
stability. When most people stop believing they and their children
have a fair chance to make it, the tacit social contract societies
rely on for voluntary cooperation begins to unravel. In its place
come subversion, small and large--petty theft, cheating, fraud,
kickbacks, corruption. Economic resources gradually shift from
production to protection.
We have the power to change all this, recreating an economy that
works for the many, rather than the few. Contrary to Karl Marx, there
is nothing about capitalism that leads inexoribly to mounting economic
insecurity and widening inequality. The basic rules of capitalism are
not written in stone. They are written and implemented by human
brings. But to determine what must be changed, and to accomplish it,
we must first understand what has happened and why."
Robert B. Reich, author of Saving Capitalism For the Many, Not
the Few, grew up in a time (the 1950s) when a family could live
decently on one income. His father ran a women's clothing shop. His
family, while not rich, lived comfortably.
The decades right after World War II were good ones for many
American families. (There were plenty of folks like minorities,
however, who didn't share in the prosperity party). Our nation had a
large and growing middle class. Hard work was rewarded. Education
led to better jobs. Families had reason to believe that they could do
well and their children could do better.
Then things went seriously wrong. While the pay and perks of
the large corporation CEOs and Wall Street traders skyrocketed, the
pay and wealth of everyone else stagnated and declined. Decent jobs
were automated or went overseas. The replacement ones in the service
sector can't keep even full time workers out of poverty. We have the
widest have/have not gap since the Gilded Twenties segued into the
Great Depression. Like many of us, Reich wondered what the Hell was
going on. Unlike most of us, he could do the research to find out
what was going on. In Saving Capitalism For the Many, Not the Few he
explains his findings in language those of us who don't have economics
degrees can understand.
One of Reich's particularly salient points is his debunking of
the "free market" as natural, inevitable, and impersonal. Its
proponants, those who are getting obscenely rich by this myth, claim
that government intrusion can only cause failure of the system and
unmitigated disaster.
"According to this view, whatever we might do to reduce
inequality or economic insecurity--to make the economy work for most
of us--runs the risk of distorting the market and causing it to be
less efficient, or of producing unintended consequences that may end
up harming us..."
The free market is a man made invention. It is governed by
rules that were created by mere mortals in government. In the decades
following World War II the free market worked for a lot more people
because middle and working class folks were represented by entities
like strong unions. These days the rich, powerful, and well connected
have disproportionate power to write the rules governing the free
market, slanting them even more in their favor. In this regard
America's economy is like a car with no brakes and a heavy foot on the
gas pedal.
Reich also shreds the myth of meritocracy (people are worth what
they're paid), examining, in particular, the rise of the working poor
and the idle super rich. And he shares some amazing ideas about how
America's economy can once again work for the many.
This book is so timely. As I wrote it I saw an expose on
Disneyland. While many of their workers earn so little they sleep in
their cars and need SNAP, the CEO received $44 million for one year.
Taxpayers--that's you and me--give the company over one billion
dollars a year in tax breaks and public services.
If that doesn't make you angry, I don't know what will.
On a personal note, last week my advisor emailed me that I'm one of
the most dedicated, engaged students she's known as a professor. That
makes me very proud. Engagement is me. I'm glad it shows.
April Fools day is going fine. I was going to play a joke on a friend
but then he set my friends and me up with delish free food so I didn't
have the heart to.
A great big shout out goes out to all economists and other academic
folks who help us understand the forces that screw most of us.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
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