I Am An Emotional Creature
YA/adult nonfiction
"Dear Emotional Creature
You know who you are. I wrote this book because I believe in
you. I believe in your authenticity, your uniqueness, your intensity,
your wildness...I love your restlessness and your hunger. You are one
of our greatest natural resources. You possess a necessary agency and
energy that if unleashed could transform, inspire, and heal the world."
These days emotions have a bad press. People tend to ascribe
the emotional nature of children and teens to immaturity or those all
consuming hormones. A major part of adulting is learning to distrust
emotion and intuition and abandon agency to fit better into a plastic
world. In my opinion this is one of the reasons our world is so
screwed up.
[You may have noticed that I am a very emotional reviewer.]
I really enjoyed reading and am joyously engaged in reviewing
Eve Ensler's I Am An Emotional Creature. Ensler, quoted above,
totally gets it. She sees and celebrates the passion and authenticity
of girls. She went around the world, to remote villages as well as
suburbs, talking to them singly and in groups. She included the
destitute and enslaved. She used her findings to create the poetry
and prose pieces that, along with girl fact sidebars describing perils
facing girls today, make up this fine book.
*Things I Heard About Sex reveals a great deal of ambiguity and
confusion;
*hunger blog contains the intimate thoughts of body obsession taken to
the extreme. [A girl fact speaks of the mortality rate associated
with anorexia];
*A letter to popular singer Rihanna is concerned with intimate
violence. [The girl fact states the number of high school students
who experience abusive relationships].
My only caveat for an adult thinking of recommending I Am An
Emotional Creature is read it first. Not all kids in the target
demographics are ready for the lived experiences of trafficking
victims, child soldiers, and kids who are sold to the highest bidder
so the rest of the family can survive.
Actually read the book for yourself even if your only children
are fur babies. Don't be one of the people who disdain or dismiss
younger folks because:
"You scare us. You remind us of what we have been forced to
shut down or abandon in ourselves in order to fit in. You ask us by
your being to question, to wake up, to reperceive. Sometimes I think
we are telling you we are protecting you when really we are protecting
ourselves from our own feelings of self betrayal and loss."
There is good news. This self betrayal and loss facet of
adulting is not irreversible. Yes, question!!! Wake the Hell Up!!!
Definitely reperceive!!! If people try to stop you, exercise your
agency, passion, and power fearlessly.
Like me.
On a purrrsonal note, with Eugene going to camp and no cat companion I
found this weekend to be long and lonesome. I was a very emotional
creature. I should have an easy week coming up. Wednesday I'll get
to donate blood and then chill volunteering and eating pizza and
snacks at the canteen. Anna has had the wisdom to give me the night
off. She has also given me Saturday off so I can go to my family's
early Halloween party. I'll get to see all my kids!!! I am so
excited for that!!!
I will say I'm nervous about donating blood. I'm afraid I won't have
enough iron even though I've been iron packing so much I feel queasy
if I see Cheerios, spinach, or anything concocted from dead cows.
Great big shout outs go out to Anna and to the best little cat in the
world without whom I am a very emotional creature.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Dear Heartbreak
Dear Heartbreak
YA nonfiction
"Oscar Wilde said that 'The heart was meant to be broken.' I
don't know if that's true, but I know that after hearts break they can
be put back together in new and startling ways, and you're forever
different because of it. Our hearts are resilient. They can go a
hundred rounds in the ring, get knocked out, and the next day be right
in there, fists up. But how do you keep from getting the shit beaten
out of you by love? What do you do when you're up against the ropes?"
One of the things that makes coping with heartbreak so
challenging is the tendency to go it alone. If you feel like you're
the only one who has such a troubling, demeaning, or weird experience
you tend to clam up. The subsequent silence reinforces the belief
that you're the only one so stupid, gullible, ugly...basically
worthless. Silence is heartbreak's BFF.
This makes Heather Demetrios' concept for Dear Heartbreak
nothing less than brilliant. She put out a global call for young
adults to submit letters they wrote to Heartbreak. A cadre of well
known YA authors had access to those letters. Each chose a letter
that really spoke to them and answered it. The eloquent and poignant
pairings make up the text of the book. The letters are touching,
candid, authentic, and, although very much unique, about nearly
universal experiences: crushes gone wrong, betrayals, abusive
relationships, dishonesties, and fears of being deficiently different.
I think a lot of young adults (or even older adults) coping with
heartbreak will find assurance in these pages and in the concept that
even really together professional writers went through similar shit in
their younger years.
As Demetrios writes at the end of her introduction, "I hope
these pages give you as much faith in love and in our ability to learn
and grow after we've been hurt as they've given me..."
On a purrrsonal note, another week has flown by. School is going
great. My big challenge has been shaking the virus that hit me like a
semi on my birthday. I was lucky enough to be allowed to work
dishroom so I could fulfill my responsibilities without getting our
diners sick. Yesterday and today I was living on the edge: taking
time from schoolwork to volunteer. Yesterday I put in time at the
library and community garden. Today I did the Paws on Parade walk to
raise money for the Humane Society. I was in my new unicorn costume.
Eugene is at camp this weekend. I'm so out of my mind lonely. What a
difference a purrrfect cat used to make.
A great big shout out goes out to the people and pups who participated
playfully in Paws on Parade and the best little cat in the world who
left a huge pawprint on my broken heart.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA nonfiction
"Oscar Wilde said that 'The heart was meant to be broken.' I
don't know if that's true, but I know that after hearts break they can
be put back together in new and startling ways, and you're forever
different because of it. Our hearts are resilient. They can go a
hundred rounds in the ring, get knocked out, and the next day be right
in there, fists up. But how do you keep from getting the shit beaten
out of you by love? What do you do when you're up against the ropes?"
One of the things that makes coping with heartbreak so
challenging is the tendency to go it alone. If you feel like you're
the only one who has such a troubling, demeaning, or weird experience
you tend to clam up. The subsequent silence reinforces the belief
that you're the only one so stupid, gullible, ugly...basically
worthless. Silence is heartbreak's BFF.
This makes Heather Demetrios' concept for Dear Heartbreak
nothing less than brilliant. She put out a global call for young
adults to submit letters they wrote to Heartbreak. A cadre of well
known YA authors had access to those letters. Each chose a letter
that really spoke to them and answered it. The eloquent and poignant
pairings make up the text of the book. The letters are touching,
candid, authentic, and, although very much unique, about nearly
universal experiences: crushes gone wrong, betrayals, abusive
relationships, dishonesties, and fears of being deficiently different.
I think a lot of young adults (or even older adults) coping with
heartbreak will find assurance in these pages and in the concept that
even really together professional writers went through similar shit in
their younger years.
As Demetrios writes at the end of her introduction, "I hope
these pages give you as much faith in love and in our ability to learn
and grow after we've been hurt as they've given me..."
On a purrrsonal note, another week has flown by. School is going
great. My big challenge has been shaking the virus that hit me like a
semi on my birthday. I was lucky enough to be allowed to work
dishroom so I could fulfill my responsibilities without getting our
diners sick. Yesterday and today I was living on the edge: taking
time from schoolwork to volunteer. Yesterday I put in time at the
library and community garden. Today I did the Paws on Parade walk to
raise money for the Humane Society. I was in my new unicorn costume.
Eugene is at camp this weekend. I'm so out of my mind lonely. What a
difference a purrrfect cat used to make.
A great big shout out goes out to the people and pups who participated
playfully in Paws on Parade and the best little cat in the world who
left a huge pawprint on my broken heart.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
History vs Women
History vs Women
YA/adult herstory
"History vs Women: The Defiant Lives That They Don't Want You To
Know aims to explore the lives and accomplishments of fascinating
women across the world who defied cultural expectations and social
pressures that sought to limit their ambition and erase them from the
history books. When they were told that women should aspire to be
submissive and good, they decided instead to be defiant and great.
Their uncompromising lives and thrilling exploits are a reminder that
the stories we tell about women--in tv shows, comic books, as well as
in real life--often reflect the stereotypes and limitations that have
been created for them, rather than the world-changing feats they have
already achieved."
Anita Sarkeesian and Ebony Adams were deeply troubled that while
the achievements of males have been obsessively recorded, those of
their equally brilliant and courageous female peers weren't considered
important. In this amazing book, through painsticking research, often
complicated by dearth of primary sources, they share the stories of
twenty-five women who lived and often died too boldly to merit
oblivian. Some of these women are:
*Lucy Hicks Anderson who lived the gender she knew herself to be in a
world that insisted on calling her a man;
*Fatima Al-Fihri, who in 859, upon inheriting a lot of money, created
a mosque that would become a world-reknowned university;
*Ching Shih who ran one of the biggest pirate fleets ever with an iron
hand;
*Murasaki Shikibi who wrote the book that is considered to be the
first modern novel,
and *director and scriptwriter Lois Weber who, in the early 20th
Century, while her peers strove not to offend, addressed topics in her
films that are still controversial in today's world.
These women were kick ass world changers. If you're a feminist
or ally you gotta read the book. Then ask yourself who you would have
added. Learn more about her. Share her story.
On a personal note, before Rachel Carson Edith Patch was warning us
about the unintended consequences of tampering with the web of life.
Her speculations on a world without insects were way ahead of her
time. She came along in a world that consigned women who weren't
desperately poor (nobody ever protects them) to stuff like tea
parties. She fought her way into entomology, a field in which most
practitioners thought women were too delicate to do stuff like chasing
grasshoppers. In addition to speaking inconvenient truths to life in
a clueless society and breaking into a field that made her feel much
less than welcome, she did two more things that really impressed me.
1) Instead of penning jargon filled treatises to impress her peers,
she wrote in regular language to educate everyday people. She believed
that the problems of the environment needed engagement from the
degreeless as well as the scientists and professors. 2) She wrote
books for children that didn't condescend. She believed they deserved
the truth as much as everyone else. She believed that their learning
should include messy, unpredictable, hands on learning instead of just
passive rote memorization.
A great big shout out goes out to all who seek out and share knowledge
about less well known sheroes.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA/adult herstory
"History vs Women: The Defiant Lives That They Don't Want You To
Know aims to explore the lives and accomplishments of fascinating
women across the world who defied cultural expectations and social
pressures that sought to limit their ambition and erase them from the
history books. When they were told that women should aspire to be
submissive and good, they decided instead to be defiant and great.
Their uncompromising lives and thrilling exploits are a reminder that
the stories we tell about women--in tv shows, comic books, as well as
in real life--often reflect the stereotypes and limitations that have
been created for them, rather than the world-changing feats they have
already achieved."
Anita Sarkeesian and Ebony Adams were deeply troubled that while
the achievements of males have been obsessively recorded, those of
their equally brilliant and courageous female peers weren't considered
important. In this amazing book, through painsticking research, often
complicated by dearth of primary sources, they share the stories of
twenty-five women who lived and often died too boldly to merit
oblivian. Some of these women are:
*Lucy Hicks Anderson who lived the gender she knew herself to be in a
world that insisted on calling her a man;
*Fatima Al-Fihri, who in 859, upon inheriting a lot of money, created
a mosque that would become a world-reknowned university;
*Ching Shih who ran one of the biggest pirate fleets ever with an iron
hand;
*Murasaki Shikibi who wrote the book that is considered to be the
first modern novel,
and *director and scriptwriter Lois Weber who, in the early 20th
Century, while her peers strove not to offend, addressed topics in her
films that are still controversial in today's world.
These women were kick ass world changers. If you're a feminist
or ally you gotta read the book. Then ask yourself who you would have
added. Learn more about her. Share her story.
On a personal note, before Rachel Carson Edith Patch was warning us
about the unintended consequences of tampering with the web of life.
Her speculations on a world without insects were way ahead of her
time. She came along in a world that consigned women who weren't
desperately poor (nobody ever protects them) to stuff like tea
parties. She fought her way into entomology, a field in which most
practitioners thought women were too delicate to do stuff like chasing
grasshoppers. In addition to speaking inconvenient truths to life in
a clueless society and breaking into a field that made her feel much
less than welcome, she did two more things that really impressed me.
1) Instead of penning jargon filled treatises to impress her peers,
she wrote in regular language to educate everyday people. She believed
that the problems of the environment needed engagement from the
degreeless as well as the scientists and professors. 2) She wrote
books for children that didn't condescend. She believed they deserved
the truth as much as everyone else. She believed that their learning
should include messy, unpredictable, hands on learning instead of just
passive rote memorization.
A great big shout out goes out to all who seek out and share knowledge
about less well known sheroes.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Dog Days of History
Dog Days of History
Juvenile nonfiction
When I saw Sarah Albee's lavishly illustrated Dog Days of
History [a National Geographic book BTW] I suspected my manager at
work, Anna McDormand, would want me to check it out and review it for
her and all the others who cherish canine companionship. To be
truthful, though, I found the book simply irrosistible and I'm a cat
person.
Albee starts her narrative 15,000 years ago, looking at how dogs
parted company with wolves and adapted to human hangouts. She takes
on a magical world wide tour across time to the present, presenting us
with gems that even Anna might not have discovered such as:
*The Canary Islands were not named after birds. They were teeming
with wild dogs. (Canis in Latin);
*Dogs in the Renaissance were kitchen helpers;
*Puritan dogs served as human foot warmers during day long (!!!)
church services;
and *Saint Bernard dogs earned their name by rescuing lost and injured
travelers in the treacherous Great Saint Bernard Pass through the Alps.
My recommendation to Anna and all those who thing dogs are the
cats' pajamas: hie thee to the nearest library or bookstore to learn
how fabulous your favorite critters really are.
On a purrrsonal note, Anna loves dogs more than she loves people. So
I tell her we student workers are her dog pack and in her job she gets
to bring out the best in us. She says we're all purebreds and
champions. And which am I? Here are some clues.
1) I have a small and muscular build.
2) I'm instensely loyal, and in it for the long haul.
3) When it's snowing I plow through the white stuff to the bus stop to
get to school and work.
Yep. I'm Anna's little huskie.
A great big shout goes out to Anna and the best little cat in the
world whom I'm missing like crazy.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Juvenile nonfiction
When I saw Sarah Albee's lavishly illustrated Dog Days of
History [a National Geographic book BTW] I suspected my manager at
work, Anna McDormand, would want me to check it out and review it for
her and all the others who cherish canine companionship. To be
truthful, though, I found the book simply irrosistible and I'm a cat
person.
Albee starts her narrative 15,000 years ago, looking at how dogs
parted company with wolves and adapted to human hangouts. She takes
on a magical world wide tour across time to the present, presenting us
with gems that even Anna might not have discovered such as:
*The Canary Islands were not named after birds. They were teeming
with wild dogs. (Canis in Latin);
*Dogs in the Renaissance were kitchen helpers;
*Puritan dogs served as human foot warmers during day long (!!!)
church services;
and *Saint Bernard dogs earned their name by rescuing lost and injured
travelers in the treacherous Great Saint Bernard Pass through the Alps.
My recommendation to Anna and all those who thing dogs are the
cats' pajamas: hie thee to the nearest library or bookstore to learn
how fabulous your favorite critters really are.
On a purrrsonal note, Anna loves dogs more than she loves people. So
I tell her we student workers are her dog pack and in her job she gets
to bring out the best in us. She says we're all purebreds and
champions. And which am I? Here are some clues.
1) I have a small and muscular build.
2) I'm instensely loyal, and in it for the long haul.
3) When it's snowing I plow through the white stuff to the bus stop to
get to school and work.
Yep. I'm Anna's little huskie.
A great big shout goes out to Anna and the best little cat in the
world whom I'm missing like crazy.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
When The Moon Comes
When The Moon Comes
Picture book
Paul Harbridge's When The Moon Comes is a magical book taking
readers back to a time when children would wait for a special moment,
parents didn't feel the need to micromanage their activities, and both
generations could read the seasonal signs of nature.
After a mild November there is a December cold snap and the
beaver flood freezes. The kids want to play hockey. Arthur reminds
them they must wait for the full moon. When it snows Arthur reassures
them the ice is waiting under the snow. Finally it is time...
...and the kids are more than ready to enjoy a tradition
probably passed down through the decades directly from older to
younger kids without parental mediation.
Harbridge's text and Matt James' illustrations blend perfectly
to convey the children's excitement and the vivid sense of time and
place that is too often lacking in today's fast paced world.
On a purrrsonal note, I know it's probably hard to understand why I
get so desperately lonely at home. I adore my husband. But you can't
expect one person to meet all your needs. Sometimes he's at camp. I
want him to go as often as he can. He deserves it. But when it's
night and he's away I see every shadow and hear every unexpected
noise. Also he's an introvert who needs to recharge after work by
watching his big ass tv. I prefer books and companionship at night.
The kids used to be that. So when they grew and flew Joey took over.
He was all I needed to feel like I'm not on the other side of the
moon. Now without him situations that I could have handled with him,
like being sick on my birthday, feel unbearably sad.
A great big shout out goes out to the best little cat in the world who
left massive paw prints on my broken heart.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Picture book
Paul Harbridge's When The Moon Comes is a magical book taking
readers back to a time when children would wait for a special moment,
parents didn't feel the need to micromanage their activities, and both
generations could read the seasonal signs of nature.
After a mild November there is a December cold snap and the
beaver flood freezes. The kids want to play hockey. Arthur reminds
them they must wait for the full moon. When it snows Arthur reassures
them the ice is waiting under the snow. Finally it is time...
...and the kids are more than ready to enjoy a tradition
probably passed down through the decades directly from older to
younger kids without parental mediation.
Harbridge's text and Matt James' illustrations blend perfectly
to convey the children's excitement and the vivid sense of time and
place that is too often lacking in today's fast paced world.
On a purrrsonal note, I know it's probably hard to understand why I
get so desperately lonely at home. I adore my husband. But you can't
expect one person to meet all your needs. Sometimes he's at camp. I
want him to go as often as he can. He deserves it. But when it's
night and he's away I see every shadow and hear every unexpected
noise. Also he's an introvert who needs to recharge after work by
watching his big ass tv. I prefer books and companionship at night.
The kids used to be that. So when they grew and flew Joey took over.
He was all I needed to feel like I'm not on the other side of the
moon. Now without him situations that I could have handled with him,
like being sick on my birthday, feel unbearably sad.
A great big shout out goes out to the best little cat in the world who
left massive paw prints on my broken heart.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Those Shoes
Those Shoes
Picture book
Have you ever coveted an item that everyone but you seems to
have? If so, you'll relate to the everychild narrator of Maribeth
Boelts' Those Shoes. One by one other boys in his class wear a
certain style of shoe. He covets them, even dreaming of them. But
his family can only budget for needs, not wants. Things get worse
when one of his shoes falls apart and the guidance counselor sets him
up with a pair that nearly all the other kids laugh at.
When he finds a pair of the shoes he can afford at the thrift
shop they're uncomfortably too small. What's a kid to do?
Read the book and find out.
On a purrrsonal note, this is a truly crappy birthday. I did get nice
gifts and cards. I'd been coming down with a bug going around campus:
sore throat, ear ache, headache, tiredness. Last night I hardly got
any sleep. Today I struggled through a work shift. When I ate it was
like chowing down on broken glass. The last hour of work it was a
struggle to stay on my feet. I can't focus on studying or sleep. I'm
hungry but we have nothing I can eat. The store is two miles away. If
Joey was here he would have cuddled with me and helped me cope. But
it's my first birthday in ages without him.
A great big shout out goes out to the best little cat in the world who
could make crappy days brighter.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Picture book
Have you ever coveted an item that everyone but you seems to
have? If so, you'll relate to the everychild narrator of Maribeth
Boelts' Those Shoes. One by one other boys in his class wear a
certain style of shoe. He covets them, even dreaming of them. But
his family can only budget for needs, not wants. Things get worse
when one of his shoes falls apart and the guidance counselor sets him
up with a pair that nearly all the other kids laugh at.
When he finds a pair of the shoes he can afford at the thrift
shop they're uncomfortably too small. What's a kid to do?
Read the book and find out.
On a purrrsonal note, this is a truly crappy birthday. I did get nice
gifts and cards. I'd been coming down with a bug going around campus:
sore throat, ear ache, headache, tiredness. Last night I hardly got
any sleep. Today I struggled through a work shift. When I ate it was
like chowing down on broken glass. The last hour of work it was a
struggle to stay on my feet. I can't focus on studying or sleep. I'm
hungry but we have nothing I can eat. The store is two miles away. If
Joey was here he would have cuddled with me and helped me cope. But
it's my first birthday in ages without him.
A great big shout out goes out to the best little cat in the world who
could make crappy days brighter.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
What We Talk About
What We Talk About
Adult nonfiction
"...Discussions about rape are so often irrational, and
sometimes outright bizarre. It's the only crime to which people
respond by wanting to lock up the victims. It's the only crime that
is so bad that victims are supposed to be destroyed beyond repair by
it, but simultaneously not so bad that the men who do it should be
treated like other criminals."
Sohaila Abdulaali (quoted above), author of What We Talk About
When We Talk About Rape, knows what she's talking about. When she was
only 17, she and a friend were kidnapped by armed men who gang raped
her, hurt them both, and threatened to kill them. Fast forward a few
decades. She had written her undergraduate and graduate theses on
rape and run a rape crisis center. Although she didn't want to be
defined by the crime that had been committed against her, she thought
a great deal about rape and wrote one of the most nuanced,
comprehensive books on the subject I've ever seen. Her story and
those of other survivors are tied together by cogent analysis. Some
of the topics she covers are:
*the mixed consequences for sharing one's story or keeping it a secret;
*the complexities surrounding any definition of consent;
and *that ultimate taboo topic--incest.
Currently a lot more people are talking about rape. Not all the
conversations, however, shed much light. This thought provoking
volume adds much depth to the discourse, potentially moving it in a
good direction. I'd especially recommend it for women and gender
study classes.
On a purrrsonal note, the week just flew by in a blur of school,
homework, work, commuting, cooking, and all that jazz. At work I
realized how far I've come from this time last year. I did get in an
hour of volunteering at the library which brings me up to 87 1/2.
Today is my birthday. I'm going to work a crazy busy (family and
friends weekend) brunch shift and come home to homework. Tomorrow
Eugene will take his mom leaf peeping. He invited me but I can't take
that much time fr my school work. I'm trying to get enough ahead so I
can be in the drag show before October break.
A great big shout out to the coworkers who will be feeding the crowd
with me and the best little cat in the world.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
"...Discussions about rape are so often irrational, and
sometimes outright bizarre. It's the only crime to which people
respond by wanting to lock up the victims. It's the only crime that
is so bad that victims are supposed to be destroyed beyond repair by
it, but simultaneously not so bad that the men who do it should be
treated like other criminals."
Sohaila Abdulaali (quoted above), author of What We Talk About
When We Talk About Rape, knows what she's talking about. When she was
only 17, she and a friend were kidnapped by armed men who gang raped
her, hurt them both, and threatened to kill them. Fast forward a few
decades. She had written her undergraduate and graduate theses on
rape and run a rape crisis center. Although she didn't want to be
defined by the crime that had been committed against her, she thought
a great deal about rape and wrote one of the most nuanced,
comprehensive books on the subject I've ever seen. Her story and
those of other survivors are tied together by cogent analysis. Some
of the topics she covers are:
*the mixed consequences for sharing one's story or keeping it a secret;
*the complexities surrounding any definition of consent;
and *that ultimate taboo topic--incest.
Currently a lot more people are talking about rape. Not all the
conversations, however, shed much light. This thought provoking
volume adds much depth to the discourse, potentially moving it in a
good direction. I'd especially recommend it for women and gender
study classes.
On a purrrsonal note, the week just flew by in a blur of school,
homework, work, commuting, cooking, and all that jazz. At work I
realized how far I've come from this time last year. I did get in an
hour of volunteering at the library which brings me up to 87 1/2.
Today is my birthday. I'm going to work a crazy busy (family and
friends weekend) brunch shift and come home to homework. Tomorrow
Eugene will take his mom leaf peeping. He invited me but I can't take
that much time fr my school work. I'm trying to get enough ahead so I
can be in the drag show before October break.
A great big shout out to the coworkers who will be feeding the crowd
with me and the best little cat in the world.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Nature Play At Home
Nature Play At Home
Adult nonfiction
When I flipped through Nancy Strineste's Nature Play at Home my
reaction was, "Oh, crap! Why wasn't this around when my kids were
little?" But I couldn't put the book down. The photographs were so
engaging and the ideas so inspiring I had to add it to my already tall
stack of to borrows. Also I realized I can still have fun with it.
You'll have to read this review through to the end to find out how.
When my kids were students at the Veazie Community School I
noticed an interesting dynamic take place at recess. The kids had a
state-of-the-art playground with equipment for climbing, swinging,
crawling through tunnels, hanging, and balancing--all situated on
injury preventing materials. This play area was surrounded by forests
which the kids were often reminded to stay out of. I bet you can
guess what I'm going to say. There were kids, including at least one
of mine, who crossed into no-child's-land whenever the teacher on duty
was occuppied with something other than guarding the border.
A lot of the teachers and parents had no idea why all the kids
weren't content to stay on their own perfect turf. I understood.
Strineste would have also. Kids know instinctly that they need time
in nature. It's fun. It boosts physical and psychological health and
lowers stress. It provides much needed challenges, the conquering of
which boosts self esteem. There's surprise, change, and
unpredictability. When play is unstructured and bossy adults like
coaches are out of the picture kids can take ownership, creating rules
and negotiating differences. How in the world can any mass
manufactured playground even begin to compete with that?
Strineste, who has backgrounds in both landscape design and
early childhood education, provides a wealth of ideas for teaming up
with Mother Nature to enhance children's optimal physical, emotional,
mental, and social health and development and promote creativity and
joie de vivre. There are projects, large and small, that can be done
independently for a home of collaboratively for a school, church, or
other larger entity. There are ideas that will fit in with just about
any budget. Instructions can be followed by those of us who aren't
architects or engineers. And there are so many gorgeous, inspiring
photographs. A few ideas that caught my eye are:
*insect hotels and hatching butterflies from caterpillars,
*turning downed tree parts into climbing areas,
*recycling stones or old bricks in a spiral shaped herb garden,
*creating all kinds of paths,
*playhouses with living roofs,
and *outside art in a wide range of mediums. And there are so many
more!
If you have kids to home or grands in need of quality time
Nature Play at Home is one of the best investments you can make. But
why limit the fun to kids? Don't at least a few of you want to jump
in leaves, wade in puddles, explore tide pools to see who lives there,
swing, build and sleep in an igloo, see what you can create with found
treasures...in other words, have fun?
Just saying.
As far why I'm going to buy my own copy of the book, my kids may
be grown, but I have a BFF whose son and daughter have only just begun.
On a purrrsonal note, I wrote this review on one of the most
bittersweet days of my life. It was raining, the drops drumming on
the roof. Joey and I were curled up together. When he slept I read
and wrote. When he was awake, he nuzzled and head rubbed me, sang his
purrr song, and gave me kitty kisses while I petted his soft, sturdy,
warm body, loving how his whole body vibrated as he purred. This was
a way of chilling on we'd treasured for years. But he had cancer. I
was happy that medicine and TLC were buying him good time, but sad
that the magic wouldn't last forever. Even now, months later, posting
this review brings tears to my eyes.
A great big shout out goes out to the best little cat in the world
whom I miss deeply and desperately.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
When I flipped through Nancy Strineste's Nature Play at Home my
reaction was, "Oh, crap! Why wasn't this around when my kids were
little?" But I couldn't put the book down. The photographs were so
engaging and the ideas so inspiring I had to add it to my already tall
stack of to borrows. Also I realized I can still have fun with it.
You'll have to read this review through to the end to find out how.
When my kids were students at the Veazie Community School I
noticed an interesting dynamic take place at recess. The kids had a
state-of-the-art playground with equipment for climbing, swinging,
crawling through tunnels, hanging, and balancing--all situated on
injury preventing materials. This play area was surrounded by forests
which the kids were often reminded to stay out of. I bet you can
guess what I'm going to say. There were kids, including at least one
of mine, who crossed into no-child's-land whenever the teacher on duty
was occuppied with something other than guarding the border.
A lot of the teachers and parents had no idea why all the kids
weren't content to stay on their own perfect turf. I understood.
Strineste would have also. Kids know instinctly that they need time
in nature. It's fun. It boosts physical and psychological health and
lowers stress. It provides much needed challenges, the conquering of
which boosts self esteem. There's surprise, change, and
unpredictability. When play is unstructured and bossy adults like
coaches are out of the picture kids can take ownership, creating rules
and negotiating differences. How in the world can any mass
manufactured playground even begin to compete with that?
Strineste, who has backgrounds in both landscape design and
early childhood education, provides a wealth of ideas for teaming up
with Mother Nature to enhance children's optimal physical, emotional,
mental, and social health and development and promote creativity and
joie de vivre. There are projects, large and small, that can be done
independently for a home of collaboratively for a school, church, or
other larger entity. There are ideas that will fit in with just about
any budget. Instructions can be followed by those of us who aren't
architects or engineers. And there are so many gorgeous, inspiring
photographs. A few ideas that caught my eye are:
*insect hotels and hatching butterflies from caterpillars,
*turning downed tree parts into climbing areas,
*recycling stones or old bricks in a spiral shaped herb garden,
*creating all kinds of paths,
*playhouses with living roofs,
and *outside art in a wide range of mediums. And there are so many
more!
If you have kids to home or grands in need of quality time
Nature Play at Home is one of the best investments you can make. But
why limit the fun to kids? Don't at least a few of you want to jump
in leaves, wade in puddles, explore tide pools to see who lives there,
swing, build and sleep in an igloo, see what you can create with found
treasures...in other words, have fun?
Just saying.
As far why I'm going to buy my own copy of the book, my kids may
be grown, but I have a BFF whose son and daughter have only just begun.
On a purrrsonal note, I wrote this review on one of the most
bittersweet days of my life. It was raining, the drops drumming on
the roof. Joey and I were curled up together. When he slept I read
and wrote. When he was awake, he nuzzled and head rubbed me, sang his
purrr song, and gave me kitty kisses while I petted his soft, sturdy,
warm body, loving how his whole body vibrated as he purred. This was
a way of chilling on we'd treasured for years. But he had cancer. I
was happy that medicine and TLC were buying him good time, but sad
that the magic wouldn't last forever. Even now, months later, posting
this review brings tears to my eyes.
A great big shout out goes out to the best little cat in the world
whom I miss deeply and desperately.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Blacklisted
Blacklisted
YA nonfiction
During World War II America and Russia had been allies, banding
together to defeat the Axis powers. Shortly after victory relations
between the two super powers turned sour over their seemingly
incompatible economic systems: capitalism and communism. Some
powerful Americans became convinced that our nation was being
infiltrated by communist agents seeking to destroy our way of life,
saboteurs who must be defeated in the interests of national security.
By 1947 even Hollywood stars and writers were not immune from loyalty
challenges. Larry Dane Brimmer brings this not so great chapter in
American history to life in Blacklisted!
October 20, 1947 nineteen men in the movie business were
summoned by the committee established to ferret out subversive
influences in the very popular motion pictures. "During that week,
witnesses friendly to the committee were allowed to accuse those whom
they suspected were communists without offering any real evidence
supporting the charge. Their accusations were based on suspicions,
rumors, or gut feelings rather than actual facts..."
Needless to say, hearings were far from fair and impartial.
There were totally different rules for friendly and hostile
witnesses. Sadly this witch hunt ended up costing innocent people's
careers, families, and lives. The nineteen were only the beginning.
Far from being an arcane bit of history, the Red Scare should
serve as a chilling omen. When he began research for Blacklisted!
Brimmer saw glaring parallels between that era and ours. Our
relations with Russia are problematic. Communists have been replaced
by terrorists, but the government still claims that a group is such a
menace to national security that their constitutional rights can be
denied. There's an obscene gap between rich and poor. Racism and
anti-immigrant bias are alive and well.
Can we say back to the future?
On a purrrsonal note, time is flying. We are already plunging into
the third week of the semester. Mine was totally school, homework,
domestic stuff, commuting, and my bedtime reading. I had three
highlights. 1) I read a paper out loud in class. It was well
received. 2) I made an outfit of really cute cat knee socks, a cat
shirt, my new standby favorite little black skirt, and black sequinned
high tops. I got SO MANY compliments. 3) I had some wonderful time
with my BFF Jodi to talk and catch up. She gave me a carton of local
blueberries which make an excellent reading snack. My lowlight was
being alone in a catless house while Eugene was at camp.
Great big shout outs go out to Jodi and the best little cat in the
world for whom my heart aches.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA nonfiction
During World War II America and Russia had been allies, banding
together to defeat the Axis powers. Shortly after victory relations
between the two super powers turned sour over their seemingly
incompatible economic systems: capitalism and communism. Some
powerful Americans became convinced that our nation was being
infiltrated by communist agents seeking to destroy our way of life,
saboteurs who must be defeated in the interests of national security.
By 1947 even Hollywood stars and writers were not immune from loyalty
challenges. Larry Dane Brimmer brings this not so great chapter in
American history to life in Blacklisted!
October 20, 1947 nineteen men in the movie business were
summoned by the committee established to ferret out subversive
influences in the very popular motion pictures. "During that week,
witnesses friendly to the committee were allowed to accuse those whom
they suspected were communists without offering any real evidence
supporting the charge. Their accusations were based on suspicions,
rumors, or gut feelings rather than actual facts..."
Needless to say, hearings were far from fair and impartial.
There were totally different rules for friendly and hostile
witnesses. Sadly this witch hunt ended up costing innocent people's
careers, families, and lives. The nineteen were only the beginning.
Far from being an arcane bit of history, the Red Scare should
serve as a chilling omen. When he began research for Blacklisted!
Brimmer saw glaring parallels between that era and ours. Our
relations with Russia are problematic. Communists have been replaced
by terrorists, but the government still claims that a group is such a
menace to national security that their constitutional rights can be
denied. There's an obscene gap between rich and poor. Racism and
anti-immigrant bias are alive and well.
Can we say back to the future?
On a purrrsonal note, time is flying. We are already plunging into
the third week of the semester. Mine was totally school, homework,
domestic stuff, commuting, and my bedtime reading. I had three
highlights. 1) I read a paper out loud in class. It was well
received. 2) I made an outfit of really cute cat knee socks, a cat
shirt, my new standby favorite little black skirt, and black sequinned
high tops. I got SO MANY compliments. 3) I had some wonderful time
with my BFF Jodi to talk and catch up. She gave me a carton of local
blueberries which make an excellent reading snack. My lowlight was
being alone in a catless house while Eugene was at camp.
Great big shout outs go out to Jodi and the best little cat in the
world for whom my heart aches.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Monday, September 9, 2019
Post-Truth
Post-Truth
Adult nonfiction
"As I write this--in the spring of 2017--there is no hotter
topic of conversation than post truth. We see it in the headlines and
on tv. We overhear it in conversations at restaurants and on the
elevator. This presents an advantage and a challenge, for how to
write about something so new, evolving, and controversial?"
Lucky for us Lee McIntyre, quoted above, took up this
challenge. In his Post-Truths he helps readers understand the
daunting realities of a world in which a president can lie and get
away with it. He introduces us to concepts such as:
*how the undermining of science can lead to the acceptance of a
multiple reality mindset, especially when there's a powerful entity
with a vested interest in achieving this;
"The Tobacco Industry Research Committee was created to cast
doubt on scientific consensus that smoking cigarettes causes cancer,
to convince the media that there were two sides to the story about the
risks of tobacco and that each side should be considered with equal
weight. Finally it sought to steer politicians away from damaging the
economic interests of the tobacco companies."
*how the various forms of cognitive bias work powerfully when
rationally they shouldn't;
"In his path breaking 1955 paper 'Opinions and Social Pressure,'
Solomon Asch demonstrated that there is a social aspect to belief,
such that we may discount even the evidence of our own senses if we
think that our beliefs are not in harmony with those around us. In
short, peer pressure works..."
and *how the decline of traditional media with a commitment to
journalistic standards and ethics, coupled with the meteoric rise of
the Internet, has led to:
"And if that fails, there is always Twitter. If the media is
the enemy, then Trump can get his message directly to the people. Who
needs fact-checking when people can hear directly from the president
of the United States?"
McIntyre believes there is still time to avoid the dangerous
post-truth abyss many pundits see us rushing unstoppably into. If
this is something you care about, you'll find this fine book to be a
must read.
On a purrrsonal note: can you believe we're starting the second week
of fall semester? Talk about time flying! Here are the positives.
I'm studying student development theories and loving it. I'm making
3"x5" cards as I read to get ready for weekly quizes and the big
comprehensive final. I've turned in my first paper. Got this class
participation thing going on. The head of my academic department had
an ice cream social so faculty and students could chill and make and
eat sundaes. I saw my advisor's corgi puppy that is too cute for
words. Work goes well.
On the not so positive, nearly a month after losing Joey I am ready to
admit that I'm beyond normal grief onto clinical depression turf with
anxiety kicking in. It's beyond what I can straighten out. I am
going to see a counselor. That's what they're here for.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
"As I write this--in the spring of 2017--there is no hotter
topic of conversation than post truth. We see it in the headlines and
on tv. We overhear it in conversations at restaurants and on the
elevator. This presents an advantage and a challenge, for how to
write about something so new, evolving, and controversial?"
Lucky for us Lee McIntyre, quoted above, took up this
challenge. In his Post-Truths he helps readers understand the
daunting realities of a world in which a president can lie and get
away with it. He introduces us to concepts such as:
*how the undermining of science can lead to the acceptance of a
multiple reality mindset, especially when there's a powerful entity
with a vested interest in achieving this;
"The Tobacco Industry Research Committee was created to cast
doubt on scientific consensus that smoking cigarettes causes cancer,
to convince the media that there were two sides to the story about the
risks of tobacco and that each side should be considered with equal
weight. Finally it sought to steer politicians away from damaging the
economic interests of the tobacco companies."
*how the various forms of cognitive bias work powerfully when
rationally they shouldn't;
"In his path breaking 1955 paper 'Opinions and Social Pressure,'
Solomon Asch demonstrated that there is a social aspect to belief,
such that we may discount even the evidence of our own senses if we
think that our beliefs are not in harmony with those around us. In
short, peer pressure works..."
and *how the decline of traditional media with a commitment to
journalistic standards and ethics, coupled with the meteoric rise of
the Internet, has led to:
"And if that fails, there is always Twitter. If the media is
the enemy, then Trump can get his message directly to the people. Who
needs fact-checking when people can hear directly from the president
of the United States?"
McIntyre believes there is still time to avoid the dangerous
post-truth abyss many pundits see us rushing unstoppably into. If
this is something you care about, you'll find this fine book to be a
must read.
On a purrrsonal note: can you believe we're starting the second week
of fall semester? Talk about time flying! Here are the positives.
I'm studying student development theories and loving it. I'm making
3"x5" cards as I read to get ready for weekly quizes and the big
comprehensive final. I've turned in my first paper. Got this class
participation thing going on. The head of my academic department had
an ice cream social so faculty and students could chill and make and
eat sundaes. I saw my advisor's corgi puppy that is too cute for
words. Work goes well.
On the not so positive, nearly a month after losing Joey I am ready to
admit that I'm beyond normal grief onto clinical depression turf with
anxiety kicking in. It's beyond what I can straighten out. I am
going to see a counselor. That's what they're here for.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Monday, September 2, 2019
Real Queer America
Real Queer America
Adult nonfiction
"Real Queer America is an attempt to document what's actually
happening in the 'real America' that more and more LGBT people are
calling home--to capture some of the progressive cultural shifts that
people on the coasts don't read enough about in a media environment
that focuses mostly on a handful of of horrific incidents and
regressive laws."
Not that there aren't horrific incidents and dumb ass regressive
laws in the states that many of us write off as flyovers. Samantha
Allen, journalist and author of Real Queer America, spends lots of
time covering crappy legislation like bathroom bills. What she'd like
us to realize is that states and cities aren't as monochromatically
red or blue as the press and politicians would have us think.
"We LGBT people are already everywhere. We are born at the same
unstoppable pace in every state--North, South, red, blue--and to every
household, religious or not...and not every LGBT person born into a
conservative part of America wants to get out."
Allen proves her hypothesis in the most delightful way. She
takes readers on a tour of some places in pretty conservative states
that have vibrant LGBT populations and introduces us to folks who have
no intention of fleeing for the bright lights (and higher costs) of
New York City or California.
*In Provo, Utah there's Encircle, a vibrant LGBT youth and family
center, partly funded by Mormans, in easy sight of a temple.
"Encircle is here only because people care enough Utah to stay--
or to come back. Adam Sims, a twenty-five-year-old gay Utahan and
natural-food-store owner who volunteers at Encircle in his spare time,
tells me he was born here and never wants to move."
*New Hope, Texas has an openly transgender mayor.
"Jess told me that the people of her town don't seem to care
about what name she goes by or what gender pronouns she uses; they
care about eliminating public eyesores, like the rusty cars sitting on
cinderblocks that some residents have left on their lawns."
And those are just two examples. I know from taking this
journey. I bet you will too.
On a purrrsonal note, for me, this long weekend was long. I had fun
Saturday working brunch shift--doing tables and talking to lots of new
students. Then I came back to a catless home (which was even emptier
because Eugene had gone to camp.) I slogged along cleaning and
writing. So many things brought back memories like when I put Joey's
toys in the shed. And today's rain brought back a day when Joey was
still doing really well and we spent much of it curled up on the bed
in Adam's old room. Honestly the only thing I looked forward to was
my nightly hard lemonade. I was totally ambushed by a few minutes of
happiness today, though, because of a surprise discovery. I found two
cross stitch pieces. One is a bear drinking coffee. The other is a
detailed cup of coffee and biscotti. They were made for coffee cups.
I had two plastic cups with room for art. I made them up and they
look lovely. After I was happy, though, I was exhausted, as if the
emotion had drained all the energy out of me.
I have the backpack Adam and Asia gave me all packed for tomorrow.
Great big shout outs go out to returning and new UMaine students, Adam
and Asia, and the best little cat in the world without whom I'm only
half me.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
"Real Queer America is an attempt to document what's actually
happening in the 'real America' that more and more LGBT people are
calling home--to capture some of the progressive cultural shifts that
people on the coasts don't read enough about in a media environment
that focuses mostly on a handful of of horrific incidents and
regressive laws."
Not that there aren't horrific incidents and dumb ass regressive
laws in the states that many of us write off as flyovers. Samantha
Allen, journalist and author of Real Queer America, spends lots of
time covering crappy legislation like bathroom bills. What she'd like
us to realize is that states and cities aren't as monochromatically
red or blue as the press and politicians would have us think.
"We LGBT people are already everywhere. We are born at the same
unstoppable pace in every state--North, South, red, blue--and to every
household, religious or not...and not every LGBT person born into a
conservative part of America wants to get out."
Allen proves her hypothesis in the most delightful way. She
takes readers on a tour of some places in pretty conservative states
that have vibrant LGBT populations and introduces us to folks who have
no intention of fleeing for the bright lights (and higher costs) of
New York City or California.
*In Provo, Utah there's Encircle, a vibrant LGBT youth and family
center, partly funded by Mormans, in easy sight of a temple.
"Encircle is here only because people care enough Utah to stay--
or to come back. Adam Sims, a twenty-five-year-old gay Utahan and
natural-food-store owner who volunteers at Encircle in his spare time,
tells me he was born here and never wants to move."
*New Hope, Texas has an openly transgender mayor.
"Jess told me that the people of her town don't seem to care
about what name she goes by or what gender pronouns she uses; they
care about eliminating public eyesores, like the rusty cars sitting on
cinderblocks that some residents have left on their lawns."
And those are just two examples. I know from taking this
journey. I bet you will too.
On a purrrsonal note, for me, this long weekend was long. I had fun
Saturday working brunch shift--doing tables and talking to lots of new
students. Then I came back to a catless home (which was even emptier
because Eugene had gone to camp.) I slogged along cleaning and
writing. So many things brought back memories like when I put Joey's
toys in the shed. And today's rain brought back a day when Joey was
still doing really well and we spent much of it curled up on the bed
in Adam's old room. Honestly the only thing I looked forward to was
my nightly hard lemonade. I was totally ambushed by a few minutes of
happiness today, though, because of a surprise discovery. I found two
cross stitch pieces. One is a bear drinking coffee. The other is a
detailed cup of coffee and biscotti. They were made for coffee cups.
I had two plastic cups with room for art. I made them up and they
look lovely. After I was happy, though, I was exhausted, as if the
emotion had drained all the energy out of me.
I have the backpack Adam and Asia gave me all packed for tomorrow.
Great big shout outs go out to returning and new UMaine students, Adam
and Asia, and the best little cat in the world without whom I'm only
half me.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
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