way to or back from camp we can find a yard sale or thrift shop or
flea market and add to it.
Friday, July 31, 2020
Before and After
Before and After
Adult nonfiction
"Under the autocratic control of Georgia Tann, and thanks to her
effective grip on look-the-other-way politicians, TCHS [Tennessee
Children's Home Society] managed to operate in Memphis from 1924 to
1950 without scrutiny or interference. Approximately five thousand
children, many of whom were not actually orphaned, passed through the
agency's doors. An unknown number, estimated at five hundred,
perished in unregulated, often squalid, holding facilities. Others
were delivered into homes that faced little or no scrutiny, to parents
who, for a host of reasons, could not adopt conventionally.
Imagine you've just given birth to a healthy baby. The next
morning you're told that the baby died during the night. The hospital
will take care of the burial. Only the baby is alive and well and
being smuggled to a couple desperate to become parents and willing to
pay a hefty price. This was only one of the ruses that helped Georgia
Tann, who had doctors and social workers on her payroll, become a very
wealthy woman.
When Tann died and her empire went down with her the children
whose lives she had forever changed were scattered all over the
country. They grew up and had children of their own. Then in 2017
something amazing happened. Many were reading Lisa Wingate's Before
We Were Yours and realizing that it told their stories.
Connie Wilson was one of those enlightened adoptees. She became
a book club speaker. One day she emailed Wingate a suggestion. How
about a reunion of TCHS survivors?
Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate's Before and After consists of
two interwoven strands. One is the coverage of the preparations for
the reunion and the event itself, including a visit to the cemetary
where a monument marks the final resting place of some of Tann's
littlest victims. The other strand is the poignant stories of some of
the adopted children, now parents and grandparents.
Although the narratives abd photographs are spell binding in
their own right, Before and After offers one more substantial
benefit. It can help readers more fully appreciate our families whom
it sometimes can be easy to take for granted.
On a purrrsonal note, look at that! We're at another weekend! I hope
you had a good week. I did. My anniversary was awesome. I had
several visitors. Lisa delivered my food box which included plums,
grapefruit, and more granny smith apples for pie baking. Diane
brought me community garden organic veggies. Emily brought me library
books plus the index cards I needed and the candy bars I coveted.
During the days I got enough work done to justify my evenings of total
luxury reading outside in the evening breeze with freeze pops and
other snacks. And with charming little Tobago I am never all alone.
I hope you have fun weekend plans. I am probably going to camp with
Eugene for the weekend. Bringing my library books of course.
Speaking of books, this review makes book #1737 which is pretty good
for about nine years. And there are so many great books yet to read.
(Jules)
Another good week for me. I am loving this shelter in place advice.
I am a big fan of Dr. Fauci and his good advice. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to our family and friends whom we never
take for granted and Dr. Fauci who should be totally running America's
COVID response.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
"Under the autocratic control of Georgia Tann, and thanks to her
effective grip on look-the-other-way politicians, TCHS [Tennessee
Children's Home Society] managed to operate in Memphis from 1924 to
1950 without scrutiny or interference. Approximately five thousand
children, many of whom were not actually orphaned, passed through the
agency's doors. An unknown number, estimated at five hundred,
perished in unregulated, often squalid, holding facilities. Others
were delivered into homes that faced little or no scrutiny, to parents
who, for a host of reasons, could not adopt conventionally.
Imagine you've just given birth to a healthy baby. The next
morning you're told that the baby died during the night. The hospital
will take care of the burial. Only the baby is alive and well and
being smuggled to a couple desperate to become parents and willing to
pay a hefty price. This was only one of the ruses that helped Georgia
Tann, who had doctors and social workers on her payroll, become a very
wealthy woman.
When Tann died and her empire went down with her the children
whose lives she had forever changed were scattered all over the
country. They grew up and had children of their own. Then in 2017
something amazing happened. Many were reading Lisa Wingate's Before
We Were Yours and realizing that it told their stories.
Connie Wilson was one of those enlightened adoptees. She became
a book club speaker. One day she emailed Wingate a suggestion. How
about a reunion of TCHS survivors?
Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate's Before and After consists of
two interwoven strands. One is the coverage of the preparations for
the reunion and the event itself, including a visit to the cemetary
where a monument marks the final resting place of some of Tann's
littlest victims. The other strand is the poignant stories of some of
the adopted children, now parents and grandparents.
Although the narratives abd photographs are spell binding in
their own right, Before and After offers one more substantial
benefit. It can help readers more fully appreciate our families whom
it sometimes can be easy to take for granted.
On a purrrsonal note, look at that! We're at another weekend! I hope
you had a good week. I did. My anniversary was awesome. I had
several visitors. Lisa delivered my food box which included plums,
grapefruit, and more granny smith apples for pie baking. Diane
brought me community garden organic veggies. Emily brought me library
books plus the index cards I needed and the candy bars I coveted.
During the days I got enough work done to justify my evenings of total
luxury reading outside in the evening breeze with freeze pops and
other snacks. And with charming little Tobago I am never all alone.
I hope you have fun weekend plans. I am probably going to camp with
Eugene for the weekend. Bringing my library books of course.
Speaking of books, this review makes book #1737 which is pretty good
for about nine years. And there are so many great books yet to read.
(Jules)
Another good week for me. I am loving this shelter in place advice.
I am a big fan of Dr. Fauci and his good advice. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to our family and friends whom we never
take for granted and Dr. Fauci who should be totally running America's
COVID response.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
pandemic achievements has been learning to make a decent pie crust
thanks to my son-in-law's recipe. You can find it at https://amberandbriansrecipe.blogspot.com
and if you're in need of a crafts project there's amberscraftaweek.blogspot.com
Thursday, July 30, 2020
YES! (magazine)
YES! (magazine)
"We want to hear from you. What has to happen to go beyond the
slogan and ensure that Black lives really matter? Add your response
to the prompt in the comments. We will publish some in our upcoming
'Black Lives Matter' issue."
Before this pandemic changed our lives so drastically one of the
things I loved about Friday was the email arrival of the YES!
electronic newsletter. There were cutting edge articles on a wide
range of issues of crucial importance, such as climate change,
poverty, and racism, put out by a group of vibrant writers. The
pieces were thrillingly intersectional. Of course you can't have
climate justice without racial justice. There were also seeds of hope
stories. There was always at least one article that inspired me or
made me see an event or challenge through new eyes.
Then the pandemic happened and YES! became even more generous.
Their pieces come into my email on a daily basis.
But the writers and editors don't want the communication to be
one sided. Recently they decided to change an issue's focus to Black
Lives Matter because of the renewed urgency of the issue. They listed
the above quoted invitation and shared some of the great answers they
received.
Quality cutting-edge journalism doesn't come cheap. If you can
afford to, subscribe to this fine print quarterly. If you want to do
a real mitzvah, bankroll a subscription for your local library. A lot
of people will be grateful.
On a purrrsonal note, yesterday was my 31st wedding anniversary. I
made a really nice supper: barbeque pork chops, mashed potatoes, and
corn on the cob topped off with apple pie. Since I had no way to get
to the store I'd made Eugene's gift: a scrapbook of some of his
favorite photos (which I will add to). He gave me a homemade card and
money. Hello textbooks! He had wanted to take me to a dine in
restaurant. I just said there is no way I'd feel comfortable eating
in a restaurant with air conditioning to blow any coronaviruses
around. It will take a long time or a vaccine for me to trust indoor
restaurant dining.
Every anniversary amazes me. It means we're still together. My
parents' marriage was a cautionary tale--about as much of endorsement
for matrimony as Freddy Kreuger is for moving to Elm Street. Happily
for a long term after was not something I saw in my future. (Jules)
That is good. I do not want a divorce in my family. I need both my
hoomans. (Tobago).
A great big shout out goes out to Eugene.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
"We want to hear from you. What has to happen to go beyond the
slogan and ensure that Black lives really matter? Add your response
to the prompt in the comments. We will publish some in our upcoming
'Black Lives Matter' issue."
Before this pandemic changed our lives so drastically one of the
things I loved about Friday was the email arrival of the YES!
electronic newsletter. There were cutting edge articles on a wide
range of issues of crucial importance, such as climate change,
poverty, and racism, put out by a group of vibrant writers. The
pieces were thrillingly intersectional. Of course you can't have
climate justice without racial justice. There were also seeds of hope
stories. There was always at least one article that inspired me or
made me see an event or challenge through new eyes.
Then the pandemic happened and YES! became even more generous.
Their pieces come into my email on a daily basis.
But the writers and editors don't want the communication to be
one sided. Recently they decided to change an issue's focus to Black
Lives Matter because of the renewed urgency of the issue. They listed
the above quoted invitation and shared some of the great answers they
received.
Quality cutting-edge journalism doesn't come cheap. If you can
afford to, subscribe to this fine print quarterly. If you want to do
a real mitzvah, bankroll a subscription for your local library. A lot
of people will be grateful.
On a purrrsonal note, yesterday was my 31st wedding anniversary. I
made a really nice supper: barbeque pork chops, mashed potatoes, and
corn on the cob topped off with apple pie. Since I had no way to get
to the store I'd made Eugene's gift: a scrapbook of some of his
favorite photos (which I will add to). He gave me a homemade card and
money. Hello textbooks! He had wanted to take me to a dine in
restaurant. I just said there is no way I'd feel comfortable eating
in a restaurant with air conditioning to blow any coronaviruses
around. It will take a long time or a vaccine for me to trust indoor
restaurant dining.
Every anniversary amazes me. It means we're still together. My
parents' marriage was a cautionary tale--about as much of endorsement
for matrimony as Freddy Kreuger is for moving to Elm Street. Happily
for a long term after was not something I saw in my future. (Jules)
That is good. I do not want a divorce in my family. I need both my
hoomans. (Tobago).
A great big shout out goes out to Eugene.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
The Line Becomes A River
The Line Becomes A River
Adult nonfiction
"Jose looked up at me. When you were on the border, he asked,
did you ever find drugs? Sure, I told him. More than you can
imagine...But mostly I arrested migrants, I confessed. People looking
for a better life."
When I went to suppers at the Wilson Center there were sometimes
displays centered around important social justice issues. The one I
recall most vividly was one made up of objects abandoned in the desert
by people attempting to cross the border from Mexico into the United
States without official documentation. They were collected by a group
of good Samaritans who go through the badlands, seeking to help
refugees survive--leaving jugs of water, giving out food, and
rendering medical assistance. The display consisted of mostly humble,
everyday items: a toothbrush, a tattered tee shirt, a photograph or
letter, an empty food can... The one that most grabbed my attention
was a toddler size ruffled shirt decorated with a Disney character. I
wondered if that baby had survived and found a safe place in which to
grow up.
I also wondered about the people who enforced the rules. What
kind of person could cut up water jugs in a place where death from
thirst is a constant danger? What would induce a human being to
enforce monstrous laws that return innocent people including children
to lives of poverty and peril? So I found Francisco Cantu's The Line
Becomes A River to be a fascinating read.
Cantu was an unlikely Border Patrol hire. His grandfather was a
Mexican immigrant. His mother couldn't understand why he'd chosen
that line of work, especially since he had a college degree. It was
higher education, however, that gave him that goal. After four years
of studying international relations, he felt that even though he
learned about the policy and history of the border, he didn't
understand the region.
"...I'm tired of reading about the border in books. I want to
be on the ground, out in the field. I want to see the realities of
the border day in and day out. I know it might be ugly, I know it
might be dangerous, but I don't see any better way to truly understand
the place."
The reality Cantu sees on the ground is a lot different from
what he gleaned from books and lectures. He takes readers with him on
patrol, candidly sharing details of his work. He's equally candid
with his growing disquietude, first manifested in nightmares.
And he is candid when an undocumented friend of his crosses the
border to be with his dying mother in Mexico and is jailed returning
to his wife and three sons. That's when he comes to regret his
complicity in the system.
If you want a better understanding of the tragedies caused by
our broken and abusive immigration system, you'll find The Line
Becomes A River to be a must read.
On a purrrsonal note, We had quite the storm last night: rain,
thunder, lightning. We even had a tornado warning. Tobago was one
scared cat. Today we're back to muggy. I'm very excited for my 31st
wedding anniversary tomorrow. (Jules).
It was too scary. The thunder was loud. The lightning looked like it
tore up the sky. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to Eugene.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
"Jose looked up at me. When you were on the border, he asked,
did you ever find drugs? Sure, I told him. More than you can
imagine...But mostly I arrested migrants, I confessed. People looking
for a better life."
When I went to suppers at the Wilson Center there were sometimes
displays centered around important social justice issues. The one I
recall most vividly was one made up of objects abandoned in the desert
by people attempting to cross the border from Mexico into the United
States without official documentation. They were collected by a group
of good Samaritans who go through the badlands, seeking to help
refugees survive--leaving jugs of water, giving out food, and
rendering medical assistance. The display consisted of mostly humble,
everyday items: a toothbrush, a tattered tee shirt, a photograph or
letter, an empty food can... The one that most grabbed my attention
was a toddler size ruffled shirt decorated with a Disney character. I
wondered if that baby had survived and found a safe place in which to
grow up.
I also wondered about the people who enforced the rules. What
kind of person could cut up water jugs in a place where death from
thirst is a constant danger? What would induce a human being to
enforce monstrous laws that return innocent people including children
to lives of poverty and peril? So I found Francisco Cantu's The Line
Becomes A River to be a fascinating read.
Cantu was an unlikely Border Patrol hire. His grandfather was a
Mexican immigrant. His mother couldn't understand why he'd chosen
that line of work, especially since he had a college degree. It was
higher education, however, that gave him that goal. After four years
of studying international relations, he felt that even though he
learned about the policy and history of the border, he didn't
understand the region.
"...I'm tired of reading about the border in books. I want to
be on the ground, out in the field. I want to see the realities of
the border day in and day out. I know it might be ugly, I know it
might be dangerous, but I don't see any better way to truly understand
the place."
The reality Cantu sees on the ground is a lot different from
what he gleaned from books and lectures. He takes readers with him on
patrol, candidly sharing details of his work. He's equally candid
with his growing disquietude, first manifested in nightmares.
And he is candid when an undocumented friend of his crosses the
border to be with his dying mother in Mexico and is jailed returning
to his wife and three sons. That's when he comes to regret his
complicity in the system.
If you want a better understanding of the tragedies caused by
our broken and abusive immigration system, you'll find The Line
Becomes A River to be a must read.
On a purrrsonal note, We had quite the storm last night: rain,
thunder, lightning. We even had a tornado warning. Tobago was one
scared cat. Today we're back to muggy. I'm very excited for my 31st
wedding anniversary tomorrow. (Jules).
It was too scary. The thunder was loud. The lightning looked like it
tore up the sky. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to Eugene.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Sunday, July 26, 2020
birthday. Last November she was in intensive care on a ventilator
with a blood clot and fluid on her lungs. They didn't know if she
would live. Now she is breathing on her own and living in her home.
She got safely out of rehab before COVID-19 arrived. Way to go, Arlene!
1919
1919
History in poems
It was a hot Chicago day--just four degrees short of 100.
People headed for the beaches for heat relief. Back then there were
White beaches and Black beaches. When Black teens drifted into a
White zone White guys started throwing stones. One boy, Eugene
Williams, died. White police officers refused to arrest anyone.
What started out as an ordinary miserable day turned into the
Chicago Race Riot of 1919. When it was over 38 people were dead, 537
injured, and a thousand homeless.
A long term Chicago native, Ewe Ewing, was doing research for a
book on racism in her hometown's educational system. She found a 1922
document, The Negro in Chicago: A Study on Race Relations and a Race
Riot, to be not only useful, but inspiring.
"...This report was prepared by a committee appointed by the
governor, made up of six Black men and six White men, all deemed by
their peers to be upstanding and respectable citizens. Its stated
purpose was to dissect the 1919 race riot that had happened in Chicago
three years prior, to analyze its causes, and try to prevent something
like that from happening again. In order to figure out the race riot,
the authors reasoned what they really had to figure out was the
reality of everyday life for Black people in their era, and so that's
what they set out to do."
For her research Ewing needed only one small part of the
report. But she kept reading other sections, fascinated by the
glimpses they gave her into Black lives in her home city a century
earlier. Instead of pedantic and dull, she found it reminding her of
poetry.
Ewing's 1919 is a response to the report on the form of poetry.
It's intended to start conversations about a key but overlooked
historical event many people would have no interest in reading
government reports about. It covers a period of time that goes from
the first Great Migration that brought 60,000 Black people from the
South to Chicago to the aftermath of the riot. Each poem is preceded
by the fragment of discourse that inspired it.
A paragraph on how little Whites knew about Blacks, even those
working in their homes, is followed by a poem that includes this stanza:
"my mother taught me
to be silent in their homes.
they forget you're there.
this way you pass as a ghost.
come and go as you please, hushed."
A statement on the heat on the fatal day and those leading up to
it is followed by a poem in the form of a call and answer that starts
off:
"man it was so hot
how hot was it
it was so hot
you could cook an egg
on that big forehead of yours
you a lie..."
A poem about cars of maurading Whites terrorizing Black
neighborhoods and Blacks defending themselves is followed by one of
the scariest poems in the book. A child is sent to take the trash
out. He (In 1919 this was a boy's chore) is paralyzed with fear when
a motorcycle "barreled toward me like a dart." His father springs to
his defense, shooting the rider who lies dying in the garbage.
The period photographs are very eloquent. In my favorite a
group of migrating Blacks (maybe a family) poses with their
suitcases. They are dressed in their best. Their expressions are a
blend of determination and trepidation. In another a large group of
White men and boys is gathering behind a row of wooden houses. Their
excitement and thirst for action are evident--even in a century old
black and white photograph.
1919 is deceptively slim--about the size of a picture book. It
could be skimmed in less than an hour. But it is deserving of a lot
more contemplation. It can lead to powerful insights about the event
it was structured around abd the world in which we live today.
On a purrrsonal note, I'm having quite an eventful weekend. Saturday
Eugene and I found a yard sale in the morning. He bought me the
really cool stuff pictured below. In the afternoon we went to his
mother's birthday party. All my kids and Brian and Jacob were there.
It was wonderful to see them! We had cake (which I'll send) and ice
cream and refreshments. I had little gifts for my kids which they
appreciated. It was such a wonderful afternoon!
Today I went to the old house (the one in which he grew up) with
Eugene. He mowed enough grass that I could place Queen Anne's lace on
Joey cat's grave. The first anniversary of his death is August 11.
(Jules)
I think it will rain soon. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to precious Joey cat, wherever his soul
may be.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
History in poems
It was a hot Chicago day--just four degrees short of 100.
People headed for the beaches for heat relief. Back then there were
White beaches and Black beaches. When Black teens drifted into a
White zone White guys started throwing stones. One boy, Eugene
Williams, died. White police officers refused to arrest anyone.
What started out as an ordinary miserable day turned into the
Chicago Race Riot of 1919. When it was over 38 people were dead, 537
injured, and a thousand homeless.
A long term Chicago native, Ewe Ewing, was doing research for a
book on racism in her hometown's educational system. She found a 1922
document, The Negro in Chicago: A Study on Race Relations and a Race
Riot, to be not only useful, but inspiring.
"...This report was prepared by a committee appointed by the
governor, made up of six Black men and six White men, all deemed by
their peers to be upstanding and respectable citizens. Its stated
purpose was to dissect the 1919 race riot that had happened in Chicago
three years prior, to analyze its causes, and try to prevent something
like that from happening again. In order to figure out the race riot,
the authors reasoned what they really had to figure out was the
reality of everyday life for Black people in their era, and so that's
what they set out to do."
For her research Ewing needed only one small part of the
report. But she kept reading other sections, fascinated by the
glimpses they gave her into Black lives in her home city a century
earlier. Instead of pedantic and dull, she found it reminding her of
poetry.
Ewing's 1919 is a response to the report on the form of poetry.
It's intended to start conversations about a key but overlooked
historical event many people would have no interest in reading
government reports about. It covers a period of time that goes from
the first Great Migration that brought 60,000 Black people from the
South to Chicago to the aftermath of the riot. Each poem is preceded
by the fragment of discourse that inspired it.
A paragraph on how little Whites knew about Blacks, even those
working in their homes, is followed by a poem that includes this stanza:
"my mother taught me
to be silent in their homes.
they forget you're there.
this way you pass as a ghost.
come and go as you please, hushed."
A statement on the heat on the fatal day and those leading up to
it is followed by a poem in the form of a call and answer that starts
off:
"man it was so hot
how hot was it
it was so hot
you could cook an egg
on that big forehead of yours
you a lie..."
A poem about cars of maurading Whites terrorizing Black
neighborhoods and Blacks defending themselves is followed by one of
the scariest poems in the book. A child is sent to take the trash
out. He (In 1919 this was a boy's chore) is paralyzed with fear when
a motorcycle "barreled toward me like a dart." His father springs to
his defense, shooting the rider who lies dying in the garbage.
The period photographs are very eloquent. In my favorite a
group of migrating Blacks (maybe a family) poses with their
suitcases. They are dressed in their best. Their expressions are a
blend of determination and trepidation. In another a large group of
White men and boys is gathering behind a row of wooden houses. Their
excitement and thirst for action are evident--even in a century old
black and white photograph.
1919 is deceptively slim--about the size of a picture book. It
could be skimmed in less than an hour. But it is deserving of a lot
more contemplation. It can lead to powerful insights about the event
it was structured around abd the world in which we live today.
On a purrrsonal note, I'm having quite an eventful weekend. Saturday
Eugene and I found a yard sale in the morning. He bought me the
really cool stuff pictured below. In the afternoon we went to his
mother's birthday party. All my kids and Brian and Jacob were there.
It was wonderful to see them! We had cake (which I'll send) and ice
cream and refreshments. I had little gifts for my kids which they
appreciated. It was such a wonderful afternoon!
Today I went to the old house (the one in which he grew up) with
Eugene. He mowed enough grass that I could place Queen Anne's lace on
Joey cat's grave. The first anniversary of his death is August 11.
(Jules)
I think it will rain soon. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to precious Joey cat, wherever his soul
may be.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Saturday, July 25, 2020
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Friday, July 24, 2020
The Girl With The Louding Voice
The Girl With The Louding Voice
Adult fiction
"...I don't want to marry any mens or any boys or any other
person forever, so I ask Papa again, talking real slow so he will be
catching every word I am saying and not mistaking me in his answer:
'Papa, is this bride-price for me or for another person?'
And my Papa, he nod his head slowly, slow, not minding the tears
standing in my eyes or the opening wide of my mouth, as he is saying:
'The bride-price is for you, Adunni. You will be marrying Morufu next
week.'"
Imagine that you are fourteen. You adore school and dream of
being a teacher. Your mother worked hard to pay your school
expenses. Now she is dead. You can no longer go to school. Your
father has just announced that in order to afford rent and food he is
marrying you off to an adult man who already has two wives and four
children.
That's the plight of Adunni, protagonist of Abi Dare's The Girl
With The Louding Voice. After the wedding she's taken into a home in
which one of the senior wives seriously resents her.
"'Husband snatcher, welcome-o,' she says to the candle, breeze
from her mouth making the fire to sleep. 'When I finish with you in
this house, you will curse the day your mother born you. Ashewo
[prostitute].'"
Morufu has taken a third wife because his two others bear him
only daughters. He's promised Adunni's dad a big cash payoff if she
produces his son. Adunni knows that pregnancy will kill off any slim
chance she has of achieving her dream.
It looks like things can't get worse. But they do. When a
tragedy has Adunni running for her life, she finds herself in the
hands of a slave trader who sells her to a woman who makes her work
from morning to night, allows her only one meal a day, and beats her
frequently.
Amazingly, even under the bleakest of situations, Adunni doesn't
give up. You'll find yourself rooting for her.
What's scary is that even though The Girl With The Louding Voice
is a work of fiction, it's based on reality. According to the book,
1) Despite child marriage being illegal in Nigeria, 17% of girls are
married before they're fifteen.
2) Fifteen million Nigerian children are victims of human trafficking.
On a purrrsonal note, well once again we're just about up to a
weekend. I hope your week has been good. Mine surely has. Wednesday
Lisa delivered me my food box. There were excellent treats: plums
(which I haven't had in ages), grapefruit, apples, bottles of flavored
water, and two flavors of fruit filled crescent rolls. Also other
good stuff. And we had a chance to talk which is always precious.
Today my friend Emily who delivers me library books brought me over
nine from Bangor Public Library including two more Simone St. James
mysteries and some hot off the press racism related volumes. I will
have fun reading and reviewing them. That's for sure! She got to
meet Tobago today. She likes my pretty girl. (Jules)
Well I like her too. She brings my hooman all the books she wants.
So I know she is nice. And she is pretty too. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to our good friends, Lisa and Emily.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult fiction
"...I don't want to marry any mens or any boys or any other
person forever, so I ask Papa again, talking real slow so he will be
catching every word I am saying and not mistaking me in his answer:
'Papa, is this bride-price for me or for another person?'
And my Papa, he nod his head slowly, slow, not minding the tears
standing in my eyes or the opening wide of my mouth, as he is saying:
'The bride-price is for you, Adunni. You will be marrying Morufu next
week.'"
Imagine that you are fourteen. You adore school and dream of
being a teacher. Your mother worked hard to pay your school
expenses. Now she is dead. You can no longer go to school. Your
father has just announced that in order to afford rent and food he is
marrying you off to an adult man who already has two wives and four
children.
That's the plight of Adunni, protagonist of Abi Dare's The Girl
With The Louding Voice. After the wedding she's taken into a home in
which one of the senior wives seriously resents her.
"'Husband snatcher, welcome-o,' she says to the candle, breeze
from her mouth making the fire to sleep. 'When I finish with you in
this house, you will curse the day your mother born you. Ashewo
[prostitute].'"
Morufu has taken a third wife because his two others bear him
only daughters. He's promised Adunni's dad a big cash payoff if she
produces his son. Adunni knows that pregnancy will kill off any slim
chance she has of achieving her dream.
It looks like things can't get worse. But they do. When a
tragedy has Adunni running for her life, she finds herself in the
hands of a slave trader who sells her to a woman who makes her work
from morning to night, allows her only one meal a day, and beats her
frequently.
Amazingly, even under the bleakest of situations, Adunni doesn't
give up. You'll find yourself rooting for her.
What's scary is that even though The Girl With The Louding Voice
is a work of fiction, it's based on reality. According to the book,
1) Despite child marriage being illegal in Nigeria, 17% of girls are
married before they're fifteen.
2) Fifteen million Nigerian children are victims of human trafficking.
On a purrrsonal note, well once again we're just about up to a
weekend. I hope your week has been good. Mine surely has. Wednesday
Lisa delivered me my food box. There were excellent treats: plums
(which I haven't had in ages), grapefruit, apples, bottles of flavored
water, and two flavors of fruit filled crescent rolls. Also other
good stuff. And we had a chance to talk which is always precious.
Today my friend Emily who delivers me library books brought me over
nine from Bangor Public Library including two more Simone St. James
mysteries and some hot off the press racism related volumes. I will
have fun reading and reviewing them. That's for sure! She got to
meet Tobago today. She likes my pretty girl. (Jules)
Well I like her too. She brings my hooman all the books she wants.
So I know she is nice. And she is pretty too. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to our good friends, Lisa and Emily.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Monday, July 20, 2020
Re:
Just the photo we need right now--cool and refreshing and SO calming.
On Sun, Jul 19, 2020 at 7:17 PM Marion Hopkins <hoppycar@aol.com> wrote:
A very nice quiet relaxing photo. Good job.
Sent from my iPad
> On Jul 19, 2020, at 2:32 PM, Julia Hathaway <beaniebabylover@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> <photo.jpg>
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPod
buy DA 50-90 backlinkscheap
Buy DA50 to 90 backlinks and increase your ranks instantly
http://www.str8-creative.io/product/250-da50-90-backlinks/
order now while the offer lasts
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Str8 Creative Team
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order now while the offer lasts
thank you
Str8 Creative Team
Sunday, July 19, 2020
Re:
Excellent! So true.
Sent from my iPad
> On Jul 19, 2020, at 2:36 PM, Julia Hathaway <beaniebabylover@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> <photo.jpg>
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPod
Sent from my iPad
> On Jul 19, 2020, at 2:36 PM, Julia Hathaway <beaniebabylover@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> <photo.jpg>
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPod
Re:
A very nice quiet relaxing photo. Good job.
Sent from my iPad
> On Jul 19, 2020, at 2:32 PM, Julia Hathaway <beaniebabylover@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> <photo.jpg>
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPod
Sent from my iPad
> On Jul 19, 2020, at 2:32 PM, Julia Hathaway <beaniebabylover@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> <photo.jpg>
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPod
Say The Word
Say The Word
Adult fiction
"Fran draws a quavering breath. 'Honey, I'm sorry, but--well,
your mom had a stroke last night. The doctors don't think she'll make
it. You really should come.' She chokes and adds, 'I'm so sorry,
Shawna,' before hanging up on me."
Can you imagine getting that phone call...as a high school
student?
When Shawna, protagonist of Jeannine Garsee's Say The Word, was
seven her rather flighty artist mother, Penny, came out as a lesbian
and ran away to New York with her lover, Fran. Since then she's lived
with her controlling, perfectionist father, who really wishes he had a
son.
Shawna has adapted by splitting herself into three
personalities. Perfect Shawna aces her schoolwork, is polite, and
makes her father proud. Pathetic Shawna craves attention. Evil
Shawna, unles stifled by Perfect Shawna, says the things her bodymates
don't dare to.
When Shawna arrives in New York she's caught in a mightmarish
situation. Her mother is connected to machines, only barely alive,
and unconscious. She has to deal with people she barely knows--Fran
and her two sons. Older son, Arye, makes it plain that he doesn't
like her. Then when Daddy dearest arrives things go from bad to worse.
If you fancy a riveting narrative with a teen protagonist
dealing with conflicting loyalties and emotions in a very difficult
situation you'll find Say The Word to be a must read.
On a purrrsonal note, I'm having a very nice weekend. I took
yesterday off to cruise around Maine with Eugene. The photo below is
from where we had a lunch picnic. We stopped at yard sales and
discovered where the Ellsworth Goodwill is. We got lots of
treasures. I got five more books for my second peak stash and a
really cute shirt which I'll post after I post this. That really was
a treat. (Jules)
My hoomans had a date. Romance is in the air. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes to Eugene.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult fiction
"Fran draws a quavering breath. 'Honey, I'm sorry, but--well,
your mom had a stroke last night. The doctors don't think she'll make
it. You really should come.' She chokes and adds, 'I'm so sorry,
Shawna,' before hanging up on me."
Can you imagine getting that phone call...as a high school
student?
When Shawna, protagonist of Jeannine Garsee's Say The Word, was
seven her rather flighty artist mother, Penny, came out as a lesbian
and ran away to New York with her lover, Fran. Since then she's lived
with her controlling, perfectionist father, who really wishes he had a
son.
Shawna has adapted by splitting herself into three
personalities. Perfect Shawna aces her schoolwork, is polite, and
makes her father proud. Pathetic Shawna craves attention. Evil
Shawna, unles stifled by Perfect Shawna, says the things her bodymates
don't dare to.
When Shawna arrives in New York she's caught in a mightmarish
situation. Her mother is connected to machines, only barely alive,
and unconscious. She has to deal with people she barely knows--Fran
and her two sons. Older son, Arye, makes it plain that he doesn't
like her. Then when Daddy dearest arrives things go from bad to worse.
If you fancy a riveting narrative with a teen protagonist
dealing with conflicting loyalties and emotions in a very difficult
situation you'll find Say The Word to be a must read.
On a purrrsonal note, I'm having a very nice weekend. I took
yesterday off to cruise around Maine with Eugene. The photo below is
from where we had a lunch picnic. We stopped at yard sales and
discovered where the Ellsworth Goodwill is. We got lots of
treasures. I got five more books for my second peak stash and a
really cute shirt which I'll post after I post this. That really was
a treat. (Jules)
My hoomans had a date. Romance is in the air. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes to Eugene.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Thursday, July 16, 2020
The Nightmarys
The Nightmarys
Juvenile/YA fiction
"Timothy's Brother, Ben, opened his mouth wide and showed him
his purple, swollen tongue.
Timothy screamed.
Ben stared at him with big eyes the same color as the Chinese
dragon, the same color as the specimin in Timothy's classroom.
Swirling. Black. Mad."
You've probably had at least a few nightmares, maybe even some
really scary ones. I had one of my most terrifying ones when I left
the hospital after giving birth. As I got into bed I felt a hard lump
on my breast. That night I dreamed that I was on a balloon soaring
into the sky with no way to get back to Earth. Fortunately the lump
was a clogged milk duct. Life went on.
What if there was an artifact that could enable its owner to
read everyone's deepest fears? What if the owner could cause people
to experience those nightmares in their waking hours? What if that
artifact needed to be charged from time to time? What if that process
necessitated human sacrifice? Those are the spine chilling premises
of Dan Poblicki's The Nightmarys.
Timothy's soldier brother, Ben, has been in a horrifying
incident overseas. He lies in a coma in a military hospital. Only
Timothy has been seeing mutilated versions of him in many ordinary
places.
Abigail has just moved to Timothy's town and enrolled in his
school. Two bullies who had made her life miserable in her old school
visit her in the deep of night. They want her to go with them.
A prehistoric jawbone with an artificial tooth is supposed to,
in association with a dark goddess, give its holder unlimited revenge
potential by bringing enemies' worst fears to life. It's missing from
its place in the town museum. It's running low on energy, in need of
a blood sacrifice.
Will two seventh graders be able to locate and destroy it before
it has a chance to feed?
You'll want to read the book to see.
On a purrrsonal note, I finally wrapped up the annotated
bibliography. Of course I'll continue to add to it because there are
always new relevant books. Now the difficult part: how to get it out
to the people who could use it. It's much too long for this blog.
We're enjoying lovely summer days. Not too many muggy days so far.
(Jules).
It is nice nice weather (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to you, our readers. We hope that,
despite the pandemic, you're finding ways to have summer fun.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Juvenile/YA fiction
"Timothy's Brother, Ben, opened his mouth wide and showed him
his purple, swollen tongue.
Timothy screamed.
Ben stared at him with big eyes the same color as the Chinese
dragon, the same color as the specimin in Timothy's classroom.
Swirling. Black. Mad."
You've probably had at least a few nightmares, maybe even some
really scary ones. I had one of my most terrifying ones when I left
the hospital after giving birth. As I got into bed I felt a hard lump
on my breast. That night I dreamed that I was on a balloon soaring
into the sky with no way to get back to Earth. Fortunately the lump
was a clogged milk duct. Life went on.
What if there was an artifact that could enable its owner to
read everyone's deepest fears? What if the owner could cause people
to experience those nightmares in their waking hours? What if that
artifact needed to be charged from time to time? What if that process
necessitated human sacrifice? Those are the spine chilling premises
of Dan Poblicki's The Nightmarys.
Timothy's soldier brother, Ben, has been in a horrifying
incident overseas. He lies in a coma in a military hospital. Only
Timothy has been seeing mutilated versions of him in many ordinary
places.
Abigail has just moved to Timothy's town and enrolled in his
school. Two bullies who had made her life miserable in her old school
visit her in the deep of night. They want her to go with them.
A prehistoric jawbone with an artificial tooth is supposed to,
in association with a dark goddess, give its holder unlimited revenge
potential by bringing enemies' worst fears to life. It's missing from
its place in the town museum. It's running low on energy, in need of
a blood sacrifice.
Will two seventh graders be able to locate and destroy it before
it has a chance to feed?
You'll want to read the book to see.
On a purrrsonal note, I finally wrapped up the annotated
bibliography. Of course I'll continue to add to it because there are
always new relevant books. Now the difficult part: how to get it out
to the people who could use it. It's much too long for this blog.
We're enjoying lovely summer days. Not too many muggy days so far.
(Jules).
It is nice nice weather (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to you, our readers. We hope that,
despite the pandemic, you're finding ways to have summer fun.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
For Better And Worse
For Better And Worse
Adult Mystery
"'Don't you remember our very first date? When you told me that
you and I were smart enough to get away with murder?'
'I was trying to impress you! Hell, I was trying to get you
into bed!' Will ran a hand through his hair--the same one he'd just
punched a wall with--and winced. 'I wasn't proposing that we actually
go out and start killing people like a couple of sociopaths.'"
Natalie and Will have come a long way since their first law
school date. They have earned their degrees, moved to a small town in
Florida, and established themselves professionally. Married, they are
raising an eleven-year-old son, Charlie, when we meet up with them
again. They seem to be drifting apart. Natalie senses that Will may
be having an affair. Soon they'll yearn for the day when those were
their biggest concerns.
Robert Gibbons, the principal of Charlie's school, is accused of
child molestation. A child, Tate, has complained of inappropriate
touching. Many people are skeptical. Tate is a foster child with a
troubled past who acts out a lot.
"Just a few minutes earlier, I was sure that the Robert Gibbons
I knew couldn't be a child molester. But contrarily, everyone's
willingness to assume the worst of this child turned my stomach. So
what if Tate Mason had had a rough life? What if he had set that
fire? Did that mean that he couldn't also be victimized by a
predatory adult?"
When Natalie asks Charlie if the principal has ever touched him
her worst suspicions are confirmed. She is not about to have him talk
to the police. A defense attorney, she has seen what her colleagues
do to children in court to exonerate their clients. But she knows
that Tate's testimony might not be strong enough to secure a
conviction...
...which would leave Gibbons free to hurt other trusting
children...
...not on her watch!
Can Natalie (and possibly Will) commit and get away with
murder? You'll want to read the book to find out!
On a purrrsonal note, I am enjoying a most excellent batch of mystery
books. Now and then I feel a twinge of guilt for reading books in
which the characters, even the ghosts, are white and nothing race
related happens. Then I remind myself probably a lot of people who
read my blog enjoy mysteries. Anyway, my church friend, Emily,
delivered them. She also brought over a bunch of toys that made kids
in the trailer park really happy when I distributed them. Tobago
too. She is mothering two little plush cats I think she sees as her
kittens. (Jules)
That was an exciting day. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to our very gracious and helpful
friend, Emily.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult Mystery
"'Don't you remember our very first date? When you told me that
you and I were smart enough to get away with murder?'
'I was trying to impress you! Hell, I was trying to get you
into bed!' Will ran a hand through his hair--the same one he'd just
punched a wall with--and winced. 'I wasn't proposing that we actually
go out and start killing people like a couple of sociopaths.'"
Natalie and Will have come a long way since their first law
school date. They have earned their degrees, moved to a small town in
Florida, and established themselves professionally. Married, they are
raising an eleven-year-old son, Charlie, when we meet up with them
again. They seem to be drifting apart. Natalie senses that Will may
be having an affair. Soon they'll yearn for the day when those were
their biggest concerns.
Robert Gibbons, the principal of Charlie's school, is accused of
child molestation. A child, Tate, has complained of inappropriate
touching. Many people are skeptical. Tate is a foster child with a
troubled past who acts out a lot.
"Just a few minutes earlier, I was sure that the Robert Gibbons
I knew couldn't be a child molester. But contrarily, everyone's
willingness to assume the worst of this child turned my stomach. So
what if Tate Mason had had a rough life? What if he had set that
fire? Did that mean that he couldn't also be victimized by a
predatory adult?"
When Natalie asks Charlie if the principal has ever touched him
her worst suspicions are confirmed. She is not about to have him talk
to the police. A defense attorney, she has seen what her colleagues
do to children in court to exonerate their clients. But she knows
that Tate's testimony might not be strong enough to secure a
conviction...
...which would leave Gibbons free to hurt other trusting
children...
...not on her watch!
Can Natalie (and possibly Will) commit and get away with
murder? You'll want to read the book to find out!
On a purrrsonal note, I am enjoying a most excellent batch of mystery
books. Now and then I feel a twinge of guilt for reading books in
which the characters, even the ghosts, are white and nothing race
related happens. Then I remind myself probably a lot of people who
read my blog enjoy mysteries. Anyway, my church friend, Emily,
delivered them. She also brought over a bunch of toys that made kids
in the trailer park really happy when I distributed them. Tobago
too. She is mothering two little plush cats I think she sees as her
kittens. (Jules)
That was an exciting day. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to our very gracious and helpful
friend, Emily.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Warren
Adult biography
"Betsy babysat and never tired of talking about becoming a
teacher, an idea that riled her mother, who was raised to believe that
women who worked were just unfortunate women who couldn't find a man
and settle down. Pauline couldn't make much headway urging her
daughter to be more girly, to curl her hair once in awhile or play
with makeup. She wanted Betsy to get the ridiculous notion of
teaching out of her head, since no one in her family had finished
college, and besides, a girl's highest goal should be to marry a good
man who would give her financial security..."
Little Betsy did grow up to become a teacher. She also grew up
to become a tenured law school professor, take on Wall Street, and get
elected to the United States Senate. I bet many people reading this
review were crushed when Elizabeth Warren dropped out of this year's
presidential race. I know I was...
...but Warren is very much in the game, a firebrand who has no
trouble fighting for the non rich 95% of us the government and the
industry, and finance hot shots who bankroll their campaigns dismiss
and demonize. How did she go from a little child whose mother wanted
her to act more girly girl and give up on her "crazy" dream of
becoming a teacher to one of the most powerful and controversial women
in this nation?
Antonia Felix's Elizabeth Warren offers a wealth of insight into
this process. It takes readers through the events of Warren's
childhood, law school days, professorships, and political career, set
within the events and influences of the eras in which they happened.
It includes the thoughts of people really close to her at each stage
of her life.
The book's greatest strength lies in its attention to the
evolution of Warren's worldview. She didn't start out as a maverick
and firebrand. At one point she was a registered Republican. She had
faith in the American economy until she became interested in
bankruptcy law, then in the process of being revised, and got
permission to teach a class about it.
"She realized that her fascination with bankruptcy was, to some
extent personal. Having watched her parents suffer and argue through
the hard times that put them on the brink of losing everything, the
fear that rambled through their lives still haunted her. People who
had lost a lot and made a tough choice to get a fresh start were like
kin in a way..."
She became very conflicted. State of the art economics theories
at that time favored companies over consumers. Scholars had no idea
who bankruptcy filers actually were, so were free to make unfounded
assumptions. And there was the example of her own family. They'd
never filed for bankruptcy, even in their most precarious times. Why
couldn't other people be more like them?
Then, as a member of the Consumer Bankruptcy Project, Warren set
out to test the theoretical assumptions under which lawmakers
operated. Analyzing thousands of cases, she realized that bankruptcy
filers were not the cheaters she expected to find.
"...The truth, she found, was that the people who went bankrupt
were driven over the edge financially after losing a job, getting
divorced, or falling ill, and they looked like most of the country..."
Anyone wanting to understand Elizabeth Warren will find the book
to be a fascinating read. Fans will really enjoy the photo album in
the middle of the text.
On a purrrsonal note, I voted. These days I am very glad I am a
reader, not a tv watcher. When I make suppers I hear the ads for
candidates on Eugene's local news shows. They make me think their
writers never got out of middle school. Vote for me because my
opponent is (worst insult they can think of). Give me a break!
Reading does just that.
I will be glad when we replace the bipartisan system and eliminate the
electoral college. I believe if we work diligently towards those
worthy goals they can happen in my lifetime. (Jules)
Oh, my! What will I run for in November? I think I'll go for
household cat and mouser-in-chief. I do have the incumbent
advantage. (Tobago)
A great big shout out to all those who voted safely either by voting
absentee or by wearing masks and social distancing at their polling
places.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult biography
"Betsy babysat and never tired of talking about becoming a
teacher, an idea that riled her mother, who was raised to believe that
women who worked were just unfortunate women who couldn't find a man
and settle down. Pauline couldn't make much headway urging her
daughter to be more girly, to curl her hair once in awhile or play
with makeup. She wanted Betsy to get the ridiculous notion of
teaching out of her head, since no one in her family had finished
college, and besides, a girl's highest goal should be to marry a good
man who would give her financial security..."
Little Betsy did grow up to become a teacher. She also grew up
to become a tenured law school professor, take on Wall Street, and get
elected to the United States Senate. I bet many people reading this
review were crushed when Elizabeth Warren dropped out of this year's
presidential race. I know I was...
...but Warren is very much in the game, a firebrand who has no
trouble fighting for the non rich 95% of us the government and the
industry, and finance hot shots who bankroll their campaigns dismiss
and demonize. How did she go from a little child whose mother wanted
her to act more girly girl and give up on her "crazy" dream of
becoming a teacher to one of the most powerful and controversial women
in this nation?
Antonia Felix's Elizabeth Warren offers a wealth of insight into
this process. It takes readers through the events of Warren's
childhood, law school days, professorships, and political career, set
within the events and influences of the eras in which they happened.
It includes the thoughts of people really close to her at each stage
of her life.
The book's greatest strength lies in its attention to the
evolution of Warren's worldview. She didn't start out as a maverick
and firebrand. At one point she was a registered Republican. She had
faith in the American economy until she became interested in
bankruptcy law, then in the process of being revised, and got
permission to teach a class about it.
"She realized that her fascination with bankruptcy was, to some
extent personal. Having watched her parents suffer and argue through
the hard times that put them on the brink of losing everything, the
fear that rambled through their lives still haunted her. People who
had lost a lot and made a tough choice to get a fresh start were like
kin in a way..."
She became very conflicted. State of the art economics theories
at that time favored companies over consumers. Scholars had no idea
who bankruptcy filers actually were, so were free to make unfounded
assumptions. And there was the example of her own family. They'd
never filed for bankruptcy, even in their most precarious times. Why
couldn't other people be more like them?
Then, as a member of the Consumer Bankruptcy Project, Warren set
out to test the theoretical assumptions under which lawmakers
operated. Analyzing thousands of cases, she realized that bankruptcy
filers were not the cheaters she expected to find.
"...The truth, she found, was that the people who went bankrupt
were driven over the edge financially after losing a job, getting
divorced, or falling ill, and they looked like most of the country..."
Anyone wanting to understand Elizabeth Warren will find the book
to be a fascinating read. Fans will really enjoy the photo album in
the middle of the text.
On a purrrsonal note, I voted. These days I am very glad I am a
reader, not a tv watcher. When I make suppers I hear the ads for
candidates on Eugene's local news shows. They make me think their
writers never got out of middle school. Vote for me because my
opponent is (worst insult they can think of). Give me a break!
Reading does just that.
I will be glad when we replace the bipartisan system and eliminate the
electoral college. I believe if we work diligently towards those
worthy goals they can happen in my lifetime. (Jules)
Oh, my! What will I run for in November? I think I'll go for
household cat and mouser-in-chief. I do have the incumbent
advantage. (Tobago)
A great big shout out to all those who voted safely either by voting
absentee or by wearing masks and social distancing at their polling
places.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Killer Smile
Killer Smile
Adult mystery
I can't get enough of spine chilling tales. Whenever I pick up
one of Lisa Scottoline's mysteries I know I have a winner. Killer
Smile definitely lived up to my high expectations. It also answered a
history question I've mulled on for decades.
"It was a nightmare. Everything had been swept off her desk:
phone, legal pads, dictaphone, pencils, papers, and a Swingline
stapler lay all over the floor. Her desk drawers had been yanked
open, turned upside down on the carpet, their contents dumped..."
One night lawyer Mary Dinunzio finds her office trashed. A key
file for a case she's working on is missing. The offices of the other
lawyers in her firm haven't been touched...
...which seems really strange because the case Mary is
investigating is ice cold. Amadeo Brandolini had been an Italiam
immigrant when Pearl Harbor thrust America into World War II. He'd
been interned in an enemy alien camp in which he'd committed suicide
after learning of the death of his beloved wife. Mary is working for
his son's estate, trying to sue for reparations. She's been studying
boxes of documents and hardly finding a thing. Friends, family
members, and colleagues are urging her to cut her losses and get off
the case.
Only there's the break in and file theft. Traveling to Montana
to learn more about the internment camp, Mary finds evidence that
Brandolini's death might have been homicide. She returns to
Philadelphia to find that a lawyer working with her on the case has
been shot. And there's the black Escalade that seems to be following
her around.
In other words there are some very bad people who will stop at
nothing to keep Mary from discovering over half century old information.
Decades ago I'd learned about the Japanese internment camps.
I'd wondered why we hadn't imprisoned Italian and German immigrants
since we were also at war with their countries. Today I learned that
600,000 Italian immigrants (including Scottoline's grandparents) had
to register as enemy aliens and over 10,000 were sent to internment
camps. There is even a list of books for if I want to learn more. Yes!
On a purrrsonal note, the past few days I have been immersed in a
task. You see I was really frustrated that none of the Black Lives
Matter protests are within walking distance. And I don't have money to
donate to causes People of Color favor. So I wondered what use I am.
Then I learned that a lot more White-like-me people want to read race/
racism related literature than in the past. Only they don't know
where to find it. Louis Pasteur said that chance favors the
prepared. Well creating an annotated bibliography was something I was
very prepared to do. I went over my nine years of reviews and made up
an index card for each relevant book. I ended up with 260. Now I
have to put the document on my iPod and start finding the people to
whom to send it. (Jules)
The children have been visiting me. They like to look in the window
and talk to me. I don't blame them. I am a very pretty cat. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to the readers who want to learn more
about race and racism.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult mystery
I can't get enough of spine chilling tales. Whenever I pick up
one of Lisa Scottoline's mysteries I know I have a winner. Killer
Smile definitely lived up to my high expectations. It also answered a
history question I've mulled on for decades.
"It was a nightmare. Everything had been swept off her desk:
phone, legal pads, dictaphone, pencils, papers, and a Swingline
stapler lay all over the floor. Her desk drawers had been yanked
open, turned upside down on the carpet, their contents dumped..."
One night lawyer Mary Dinunzio finds her office trashed. A key
file for a case she's working on is missing. The offices of the other
lawyers in her firm haven't been touched...
...which seems really strange because the case Mary is
investigating is ice cold. Amadeo Brandolini had been an Italiam
immigrant when Pearl Harbor thrust America into World War II. He'd
been interned in an enemy alien camp in which he'd committed suicide
after learning of the death of his beloved wife. Mary is working for
his son's estate, trying to sue for reparations. She's been studying
boxes of documents and hardly finding a thing. Friends, family
members, and colleagues are urging her to cut her losses and get off
the case.
Only there's the break in and file theft. Traveling to Montana
to learn more about the internment camp, Mary finds evidence that
Brandolini's death might have been homicide. She returns to
Philadelphia to find that a lawyer working with her on the case has
been shot. And there's the black Escalade that seems to be following
her around.
In other words there are some very bad people who will stop at
nothing to keep Mary from discovering over half century old information.
Decades ago I'd learned about the Japanese internment camps.
I'd wondered why we hadn't imprisoned Italian and German immigrants
since we were also at war with their countries. Today I learned that
600,000 Italian immigrants (including Scottoline's grandparents) had
to register as enemy aliens and over 10,000 were sent to internment
camps. There is even a list of books for if I want to learn more. Yes!
On a purrrsonal note, the past few days I have been immersed in a
task. You see I was really frustrated that none of the Black Lives
Matter protests are within walking distance. And I don't have money to
donate to causes People of Color favor. So I wondered what use I am.
Then I learned that a lot more White-like-me people want to read race/
racism related literature than in the past. Only they don't know
where to find it. Louis Pasteur said that chance favors the
prepared. Well creating an annotated bibliography was something I was
very prepared to do. I went over my nine years of reviews and made up
an index card for each relevant book. I ended up with 260. Now I
have to put the document on my iPod and start finding the people to
whom to send it. (Jules)
The children have been visiting me. They like to look in the window
and talk to me. I don't blame them. I am a very pretty cat. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to the readers who want to learn more
about race and racism.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
camp. This is the wood stove. Even on the coldest, most blustery
days it keeps the camp toasty warm. Unlike many people Eugene doesn't
shut the camp down after the summer. He goes there year round and
uses it as a base for ice fishing.
Monday, July 13, 2020
Sunday, July 12, 2020
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Monday, July 6, 2020
Racism Without Racists
Racism Without Racists
Adult nonfiction
"How is it possible to have this tremendous degree of racial
inequality in a country where most whites claim that race is no longer
relevant? More important, how do whites explain the apparent
contradiction between their professed color blindness and the United
States' color coded inequality? In this book I attempt to answer both
these questions..."
In Racism Without Racists (quoted above) Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
refutes the claim made by many Whites in the 21st century that racism
is gone with the wind. It's instead mutated into a more subtle, more
sneaky form. Rather than men in sheets burning crosses to keep Blacks
from moving into White neighborhoods, you have deceptive real estate
agents. Instead of claims of racial intellectual inferiority to
explain Black failure to advance you get discourses on membership in
cultures that encourage laziness and dependency.
You get a racism that allows allows Whites to claim the "virtue"
of color blindness.
Bonilla-Silva dissects out the strands that contribute to this
very flawed narrative. He derives his data from surveys and
interviews involving college students and non student adults. The
points he makes are liberally interspersed with interview quotes. He
shows how you can have a society that has very racist impacts without
racist intent on the part of its dominant culture.
On a purrrsonal note, I can't believe I only read four books. I'll
blame that on the wonderful distractions provided by my family. I am
glad I had social time. And I know I'll have plenty more shelter at
home time to work on my annotated bibliography. (Jules)
Joy! Joy! Joy! My family is together again. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to all who show that we are not in some
color blind post racial utopia.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
"How is it possible to have this tremendous degree of racial
inequality in a country where most whites claim that race is no longer
relevant? More important, how do whites explain the apparent
contradiction between their professed color blindness and the United
States' color coded inequality? In this book I attempt to answer both
these questions..."
In Racism Without Racists (quoted above) Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
refutes the claim made by many Whites in the 21st century that racism
is gone with the wind. It's instead mutated into a more subtle, more
sneaky form. Rather than men in sheets burning crosses to keep Blacks
from moving into White neighborhoods, you have deceptive real estate
agents. Instead of claims of racial intellectual inferiority to
explain Black failure to advance you get discourses on membership in
cultures that encourage laziness and dependency.
You get a racism that allows allows Whites to claim the "virtue"
of color blindness.
Bonilla-Silva dissects out the strands that contribute to this
very flawed narrative. He derives his data from surveys and
interviews involving college students and non student adults. The
points he makes are liberally interspersed with interview quotes. He
shows how you can have a society that has very racist impacts without
racist intent on the part of its dominant culture.
On a purrrsonal note, I can't believe I only read four books. I'll
blame that on the wonderful distractions provided by my family. I am
glad I had social time. And I know I'll have plenty more shelter at
home time to work on my annotated bibliography. (Jules)
Joy! Joy! Joy! My family is together again. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to all who show that we are not in some
color blind post racial utopia.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
The Nickel Boys
The Nickel Boys
Adult fiction
"When they found the secret graveyard, he knew he'd have to
return. The clutch of cedars over the TV reporter's shoulder brought
back the heat on his skin, the screech of the dry flies. It wasn't
far off at all. Never will be."
Although Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys is a work of
fiction, it is based in historical reality. In 2014 Whitehead learned
of The Dozier School for Boys and began to research it. Lucky for
readers he used his findings as the background of this really
disturbing and fascinating coming of age narrative.
Ellwood Curtis was not someone you'd predict would end up in
reform school. He didn't hang out with the rough kids who did stuff
like shop lifting. In fact he had worked at a tobacco shop from the
age of thirteen. His grandmother with whom he lived set half his
paychecks away for college. As he started his senior year in high
school he was also enrolled in a class at a colored college [that was
the 1960s], Melvin Griggs Technical.
Something unfortunate happened on his way to his first college
class. His bicycle was not in good enough shape to make the seven
miles. He got a ride from a man who turned out to be driving a stolen
car.
Its promotional literature describes Nickel Academy as a school
rather than a prison, a second chance for misguided boys to learn the
essential skills for surviving and thriving in the outside world.
Education and work prepare them for vocations. Good behavior and
taking advantage of opportunities will enable them to climb through
the ranks to freedom.
Ellwood experiences a very different Nickel. When he tries to
protect another boy from bullies he is beaten so savagely he is
scarred permanently and has to spend weeks in the Nickel hospital.
Medical care is primitive. Schooling is desultory. Food and supplies
intended by the boys, not to mention boys' services to people in the
outside world, are sold for individual profit.
Most of the residents are there for minor offenses like
truancy. Some simply lack families and have nobody who will take them
in.
Nickel Boys is at the same time a spellbinding read and a real
eye opener.
On a purrrsonal note, I'd planned on reading all yesterday. But
Eugene and I ended up watching a ghost movie before bed. Now we're
back to home. Tobago was very happy to see us home. (Jules)
My hoomans are home! They are home! I am so happy! (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to you, our readers. We hope you're
having a safe and happy weekend.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult fiction
"When they found the secret graveyard, he knew he'd have to
return. The clutch of cedars over the TV reporter's shoulder brought
back the heat on his skin, the screech of the dry flies. It wasn't
far off at all. Never will be."
Although Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys is a work of
fiction, it is based in historical reality. In 2014 Whitehead learned
of The Dozier School for Boys and began to research it. Lucky for
readers he used his findings as the background of this really
disturbing and fascinating coming of age narrative.
Ellwood Curtis was not someone you'd predict would end up in
reform school. He didn't hang out with the rough kids who did stuff
like shop lifting. In fact he had worked at a tobacco shop from the
age of thirteen. His grandmother with whom he lived set half his
paychecks away for college. As he started his senior year in high
school he was also enrolled in a class at a colored college [that was
the 1960s], Melvin Griggs Technical.
Something unfortunate happened on his way to his first college
class. His bicycle was not in good enough shape to make the seven
miles. He got a ride from a man who turned out to be driving a stolen
car.
Its promotional literature describes Nickel Academy as a school
rather than a prison, a second chance for misguided boys to learn the
essential skills for surviving and thriving in the outside world.
Education and work prepare them for vocations. Good behavior and
taking advantage of opportunities will enable them to climb through
the ranks to freedom.
Ellwood experiences a very different Nickel. When he tries to
protect another boy from bullies he is beaten so savagely he is
scarred permanently and has to spend weeks in the Nickel hospital.
Medical care is primitive. Schooling is desultory. Food and supplies
intended by the boys, not to mention boys' services to people in the
outside world, are sold for individual profit.
Most of the residents are there for minor offenses like
truancy. Some simply lack families and have nobody who will take them
in.
Nickel Boys is at the same time a spellbinding read and a real
eye opener.
On a purrrsonal note, I'd planned on reading all yesterday. But
Eugene and I ended up watching a ghost movie before bed. Now we're
back to home. Tobago was very happy to see us home. (Jules)
My hoomans are home! They are home! I am so happy! (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to you, our readers. We hope you're
having a safe and happy weekend.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Well Read Black Girl
Well Read Black Girl
Adult nonfiction
Well it is almost noon on Sunday. Eugene and I are on our way
to his camp. Only it's taking us a long time to get there. We're
driving around in the 100% chance of rain. There are prospects of
thunder, lightning, and golf ball size hail. I can't help wondering
exactly why we're going to camp. But I just finished reading Glory
Edim's Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Finding Ourselves in
the truck while Eugene was having his ear talked off by the proprieter
in a gun shop. I took a picture of the drizzly vista for you all.
You'll get my reviews and pictures tomorrow because camp has no
internet.
"...Reading highlights the intersection of narrative and self-
image to create compelling explorations of identity. Reading allows
us to witness ourselves. Being a reader is an incredible gift,
providing me with a lens to help me interpret the world. Most
important, it has invigorated my imagination and allowed me to choose
which narrative I want to center and hold close."
Reading Well Read Black Girl, although delivered through print
media, had the vibrance and immediacy of a more oral experience. It's
a book lover's dream come true. Twenty-two amazing black woman
writers, luminaries such as Jesmyn Ward and Jacqueline Woodson, share
their early reading experiences including finding (or failing to find)
characters that mirrored themselves and ways in which reading has
influenced their lives and careers.
These days there is a rich treasure trove of literature by black
authors of different genders for adult and child Readers of Color
wishing to see themselves mirrored in books. When I was a child this
was certainly not the case. Libraries held abundant literary
validation for White children like me, yet another form of privilege
that was systemic (encompassing biases on the parts of publishers,
librarians, and those who would censor what was offered to the
public), ubiquitous and invisible to those of us privileged by skin
tone.
If you grew up White like I did, what characters reflected your
identity? I saw myself in the rowdy, assertive, and society shocking
ones: Pippi Longstocking, Harriet the Spy, Nancy Drew, Tom Sawyer,
Huck Finn, Penrod Schofield. (Being gender fluid I was as able to
identify with males as with females.) How would if have felt if,
during those identity forming years, the literary role models were all
different from you?
If it stopped there the book would be inspiring and
intoxicating. It also includes lists of works by Black woman Authors
in a number of genres. I know I plan to check out a lot of them.
Becoming familiar with this literature can give you a way of
working toward allyship. Become familiar with your local library if
you aren't already. Scan the shelves, especially in the juvenile
section to see if there is much needed racial diversity. Find out the
acquisition process and make suggestions for needed new volumes.
Since most libraries are going to be facing COVID-19 budget cuts, if
you have money yourself are are part of a larger group donating books
would be a real mitzvah.
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
Well it is almost noon on Sunday. Eugene and I are on our way
to his camp. Only it's taking us a long time to get there. We're
driving around in the 100% chance of rain. There are prospects of
thunder, lightning, and golf ball size hail. I can't help wondering
exactly why we're going to camp. But I just finished reading Glory
Edim's Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Finding Ourselves in
the truck while Eugene was having his ear talked off by the proprieter
in a gun shop. I took a picture of the drizzly vista for you all.
You'll get my reviews and pictures tomorrow because camp has no
internet.
"...Reading highlights the intersection of narrative and self-
image to create compelling explorations of identity. Reading allows
us to witness ourselves. Being a reader is an incredible gift,
providing me with a lens to help me interpret the world. Most
important, it has invigorated my imagination and allowed me to choose
which narrative I want to center and hold close."
Reading Well Read Black Girl, although delivered through print
media, had the vibrance and immediacy of a more oral experience. It's
a book lover's dream come true. Twenty-two amazing black woman
writers, luminaries such as Jesmyn Ward and Jacqueline Woodson, share
their early reading experiences including finding (or failing to find)
characters that mirrored themselves and ways in which reading has
influenced their lives and careers.
These days there is a rich treasure trove of literature by black
authors of different genders for adult and child Readers of Color
wishing to see themselves mirrored in books. When I was a child this
was certainly not the case. Libraries held abundant literary
validation for White children like me, yet another form of privilege
that was systemic (encompassing biases on the parts of publishers,
librarians, and those who would censor what was offered to the
public), ubiquitous and invisible to those of us privileged by skin
tone.
If you grew up White like I did, what characters reflected your
identity? I saw myself in the rowdy, assertive, and society shocking
ones: Pippi Longstocking, Harriet the Spy, Nancy Drew, Tom Sawyer,
Huck Finn, Penrod Schofield. (Being gender fluid I was as able to
identify with males as with females.) How would if have felt if,
during those identity forming years, the literary role models were all
different from you?
If it stopped there the book would be inspiring and
intoxicating. It also includes lists of works by Black woman Authors
in a number of genres. I know I plan to check out a lot of them.
Becoming familiar with this literature can give you a way of
working toward allyship. Become familiar with your local library if
you aren't already. Scan the shelves, especially in the juvenile
section to see if there is much needed racial diversity. Find out the
acquisition process and make suggestions for needed new volumes.
Since most libraries are going to be facing COVID-19 budget cuts, if
you have money yourself are are part of a larger group donating books
would be a real mitzvah.
Sent from my iPod
Saturday, July 4, 2020
Hood Feminism
Hood Feminism
Adult nonfiction
"...One of the biggest issues with mainstream feminist writing
has been the way the idea of what constitutes a feminist issue is
framed. We rarely talk about basic needs as a feminist issue. Food
insecurity and access to quality education, safe neighborhoods, a
living wage, and medical care are all feminist issues..."
One of the must read books for White women is Mikki Kendall's
Hood Feminism: Notes From The Women That A Movement Forgot. Her
premise is basic. As a movement that is supposed to represent all
women, feminism is failing spectacularly. There is more of an
emphasis on getting perks for the already privileged than on obtaining
the basics for the most disadvantaged communities. Keeping discourse
in the comfort zone of fragile white women can totally stiffle honest
attempts to communicate or problem solve and keep an emphasis on
intent, not impact. And the movement currently carries a lot of
racist baggage.
Each of Kendall's chapters is an in-depth look at one facet of
this problem.
*Hunger goes into the reasons for and debilitating effects of extreme
food insecurity and the harm done by judgements on the part of women
who have no clue what long term hunger is like.
"...Survival instincts drive us all, but perhaps none so
strongly as that gnawing emptiness of hunger. Whether we call it
being hangry or something else, hunger is painful even in the short
term. And yet we rarely speak of it as something for feminism to
combat, much less as something that is uniquely devastating for women."
*Reproductive Justice, Eugenics, And Maternal Mortality goes way
beyond the right to abortions. Body autonomy must also include safety
from coerced sterilization. There must be access to not only
reproductive care, but life long health care. The bias that sees
White women as good mothers and mothers of color as inadequate has to
go.
"...That mythos persists today in Welfare Queen narratives that
position children as checks and not much-loved and wanted parts of a
family. Whether the slur is 'anchor babies' or something else, no one
is safe from the racist lie that only white parents have the emotional
capacity to actually want their children."
Kendall's narrative combines keen scholarship with candid
personal experience. Hood Feminism is a must read for White women
like me who aspire to grow into allyship.
I did interrupt my reading for a family barbeque. Good food, good
conversation, perfect weather. So I didn't get to as much reading as
I wanted to. Now on to my next book.
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
"...One of the biggest issues with mainstream feminist writing
has been the way the idea of what constitutes a feminist issue is
framed. We rarely talk about basic needs as a feminist issue. Food
insecurity and access to quality education, safe neighborhoods, a
living wage, and medical care are all feminist issues..."
One of the must read books for White women is Mikki Kendall's
Hood Feminism: Notes From The Women That A Movement Forgot. Her
premise is basic. As a movement that is supposed to represent all
women, feminism is failing spectacularly. There is more of an
emphasis on getting perks for the already privileged than on obtaining
the basics for the most disadvantaged communities. Keeping discourse
in the comfort zone of fragile white women can totally stiffle honest
attempts to communicate or problem solve and keep an emphasis on
intent, not impact. And the movement currently carries a lot of
racist baggage.
Each of Kendall's chapters is an in-depth look at one facet of
this problem.
*Hunger goes into the reasons for and debilitating effects of extreme
food insecurity and the harm done by judgements on the part of women
who have no clue what long term hunger is like.
"...Survival instincts drive us all, but perhaps none so
strongly as that gnawing emptiness of hunger. Whether we call it
being hangry or something else, hunger is painful even in the short
term. And yet we rarely speak of it as something for feminism to
combat, much less as something that is uniquely devastating for women."
*Reproductive Justice, Eugenics, And Maternal Mortality goes way
beyond the right to abortions. Body autonomy must also include safety
from coerced sterilization. There must be access to not only
reproductive care, but life long health care. The bias that sees
White women as good mothers and mothers of color as inadequate has to
go.
"...That mythos persists today in Welfare Queen narratives that
position children as checks and not much-loved and wanted parts of a
family. Whether the slur is 'anchor babies' or something else, no one
is safe from the racist lie that only white parents have the emotional
capacity to actually want their children."
Kendall's narrative combines keen scholarship with candid
personal experience. Hood Feminism is a must read for White women
like me who aspire to grow into allyship.
I did interrupt my reading for a family barbeque. Good food, good
conversation, perfect weather. So I didn't get to as much reading as
I wanted to. Now on to my next book.
Sent from my iPod
Friday, July 3, 2020
The Great Influenza
The Great Influenza
Adult nonfiction
"For the influenza pandemic that erupted in 1918 was the first
great collision between nature and modern science. It was the first
great collision between a natural force and a society that included
individuals who refused either to submit to that force or simply call
upon divine intervention to save themselves from it, individuals who
instead were determined to confront this force directly, with a
developing technology and with their minds."
When the pandemic started I had no intention of reading any book
about past ones. It felt too scary. Only a few months in I
remembered the bit about those who don't learn from the mistakes of
the past being doomed to repeat them. Just as states were making
plans to reopen, Trump was trying to convince voters that the pandemic
was so last month, and mostly armed white male protesters were
fighting for their rights to go to bars and congregate in numbers I
stumbled on an article on the century old influenza pandemic. The
locales that opened up too soon after the first wave suffered the most
in the second and third. Talk about relevance! So I decided to read
John M. Barry's The Great Influenza, quoted above. I am very glad
that I did. Knowledge is power and this book provides lots of
knowledge.
There are scaring similarities between the two pandemics and the
Americas they happened in. One is that both pandemics arrived when
there were no vaccines or cures. Scientists now are scrambling just
as they did then to find a way to turn the tide which is complicated
by the ability of the viruses to continuously mutate. Another is that
it's super important for the population to undertake public health
measures to lessen the potential for contagion such as social
distancing, mask wearing, and sheltering in place whenever possible so
that health facilities won't be overwhelmed by peaks. And a third is
that in both cases the president and underlings brutally misled/are
misleading the public. Ours, focussed on getting himself reelected
and realizing that mishandling a pandemic might depress votes, is
trying to convince us that COVID-19 is a thing of the past and never
was that bad to begin with. Wilson suspected that fear of a lethal
viral pathogen might keep people from putting all their energies into
winning the war and had newspapers printing only upbeat and often
dangerously false information.
The Great Influenza carries a wealth of information. It took
Barry seven years to research and write the book. There's a twenty
page bibliography. It is, however, surprisingly readable with a great
blend of back story, science, and narrative. It gives a good sense of
what it was like to be back then, whether as a researcher trying
desperately to decode the messages encrypted in tissue samples or as a
civilian being told they have nothing to worry about even while seeing
friends and relatives die in agony.
Most of you won't read the book. So I am going to share my
biggest take on it. Let's say in a century someone is going to write
about this moment in time. We the people who aren't virologists can
do a lot to determine the direction of the narrative. Wear masks.
Socially distance. If you can do so shelter in place. Pressure
government to not take unnecessary risks with our lives. I plan to
let Governor Mills know she is not going far enough in her partial
mask mandate. Make sure money is going to protect our most vulnerable
citizens rather than make corporations richer. And in this crucial
election year make sure vote by mail is an option for all.
We're in this together.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
"For the influenza pandemic that erupted in 1918 was the first
great collision between nature and modern science. It was the first
great collision between a natural force and a society that included
individuals who refused either to submit to that force or simply call
upon divine intervention to save themselves from it, individuals who
instead were determined to confront this force directly, with a
developing technology and with their minds."
When the pandemic started I had no intention of reading any book
about past ones. It felt too scary. Only a few months in I
remembered the bit about those who don't learn from the mistakes of
the past being doomed to repeat them. Just as states were making
plans to reopen, Trump was trying to convince voters that the pandemic
was so last month, and mostly armed white male protesters were
fighting for their rights to go to bars and congregate in numbers I
stumbled on an article on the century old influenza pandemic. The
locales that opened up too soon after the first wave suffered the most
in the second and third. Talk about relevance! So I decided to read
John M. Barry's The Great Influenza, quoted above. I am very glad
that I did. Knowledge is power and this book provides lots of
knowledge.
There are scaring similarities between the two pandemics and the
Americas they happened in. One is that both pandemics arrived when
there were no vaccines or cures. Scientists now are scrambling just
as they did then to find a way to turn the tide which is complicated
by the ability of the viruses to continuously mutate. Another is that
it's super important for the population to undertake public health
measures to lessen the potential for contagion such as social
distancing, mask wearing, and sheltering in place whenever possible so
that health facilities won't be overwhelmed by peaks. And a third is
that in both cases the president and underlings brutally misled/are
misleading the public. Ours, focussed on getting himself reelected
and realizing that mishandling a pandemic might depress votes, is
trying to convince us that COVID-19 is a thing of the past and never
was that bad to begin with. Wilson suspected that fear of a lethal
viral pathogen might keep people from putting all their energies into
winning the war and had newspapers printing only upbeat and often
dangerously false information.
The Great Influenza carries a wealth of information. It took
Barry seven years to research and write the book. There's a twenty
page bibliography. It is, however, surprisingly readable with a great
blend of back story, science, and narrative. It gives a good sense of
what it was like to be back then, whether as a researcher trying
desperately to decode the messages encrypted in tissue samples or as a
civilian being told they have nothing to worry about even while seeing
friends and relatives die in agony.
Most of you won't read the book. So I am going to share my
biggest take on it. Let's say in a century someone is going to write
about this moment in time. We the people who aren't virologists can
do a lot to determine the direction of the narrative. Wear masks.
Socially distance. If you can do so shelter in place. Pressure
government to not take unnecessary risks with our lives. I plan to
let Governor Mills know she is not going far enough in her partial
mask mandate. Make sure money is going to protect our most vulnerable
citizens rather than make corporations richer. And in this crucial
election year make sure vote by mail is an option for all.
We're in this together.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Thursday, July 2, 2020
The Sun Down Motel
The Sun Down Motel
Adult mystery
"As she sat in her car, twenty-year-old Viv Delaney's hands
shook as she listened to the story. She thought about what it must be
like to lie naked as the half-frozen rain pelted your helpless skin.
How horribly cold that would be. How it was always girls who ended up
stripped and dead like roadkill. How it didn't matter how afraid or
careful you were--it could always be you.
Especially here. It could always be you."
Who can forget the shower scene from the original Psycho or
Redrum written in blood toward Stephen King's The Shining? Both
horror narratives, however, derive their power to chill not from
special effects, but from their raw glimpses into the evil and madness
that can lurk in the human soul. They also occur in hotels that are
not mere settings for the action, but as much characters as the humans
who inhabit them. Simone St. James' The Sun Down Motel is a worthy
addition.
In 1982 Viv Delaney, the black sheep of her family, had left her
home in Illinois to thumb to New York City to start a new life. Only
her second ride had taken her off course to the small town of Fells.
She approaches the Sun Down Motel, hoping that a night's stay won't
eat up too much of her dwindling savings. The owner makes her an
offer she can't refuse--the night shift working the hotel desk.
Only Sun Down isn't a run of the mill Motel 6. It is inhabited
by the dead as well as the living, sometimes more of the former than
the latter. One in particular can make locked doors slam open and all
the lights, including the neon ones that illuminate the motel's
signage, go out.
All is not well in the land of the living. Three women have
gone missing and then been found brutally slain, one dumped off on the
construction site of guess where. The deceased seemingly have nothing
in common. The police have written them off as separate incidents.
When Viv tries to persuade an officer, Alma, that the murders could be
the work of a single sociopath, perhaps a traveling salesman, she's
instructed to get substantial evidence.
Fast forward to 2017. Carly Kirk has come to Sun Down on
purpose. She's grown up with a mother who refused to talk about Viv.
Now, with her parents dead, Carly has set out to discover all she can
about the aunt who vanished mysteriously before she was even born.
When she learns that the night shift desk job at Sun Down is again
open she applies and is hired.
This may not be the smartest move she can make. What if there
had been one skilled serial killer? What if he's still practicing his
avocation? What if he'd have no problem with silencing someone who
gets too close to the truth?
If you've enjoyed stays at the Bates Motel or the Overlook you
will really want to check into The Sun Down Motel.
This time you don't have to take my word for it. My younger
daughter, Katie, is my número uno reading buddy. She has this to say:
"It was super interesting and I love how spooky they made the hotel
feel and how on edge they put you once the lights go out."
As for me, I plan to check out St. James' six previous works.
Fellow mystery fans--I think we have a winner.
On a purrrsonal note, somehow it doesn't feel like we're about to
plunge into the 4th of July weekend. For me minus the parade and
especially the fireworks it's really fizzling out. We will have a
cookout at the in-laws'. Most of the weekend I plan to work on the
annotated bibliography I am going to create for all the people who
want to read more on race/racism literature and don't know where to go
to find it. And, yes, I am dorky enough to consider writing an
annotated bibliography fun. (Jules)
I haz been in my home six months now. I like it here. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to you, our readers. Have a safe and
happy 4th. Remember to social distance and wear masks in enclosed
spaces and crowded places. We may get days off but COVID-19 doesn't.
Keep hydrated and eat healthy foods. And make sure your cats have
cool drinking water and cool places to retreat from the heat.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult mystery
"As she sat in her car, twenty-year-old Viv Delaney's hands
shook as she listened to the story. She thought about what it must be
like to lie naked as the half-frozen rain pelted your helpless skin.
How horribly cold that would be. How it was always girls who ended up
stripped and dead like roadkill. How it didn't matter how afraid or
careful you were--it could always be you.
Especially here. It could always be you."
Who can forget the shower scene from the original Psycho or
Redrum written in blood toward Stephen King's The Shining? Both
horror narratives, however, derive their power to chill not from
special effects, but from their raw glimpses into the evil and madness
that can lurk in the human soul. They also occur in hotels that are
not mere settings for the action, but as much characters as the humans
who inhabit them. Simone St. James' The Sun Down Motel is a worthy
addition.
In 1982 Viv Delaney, the black sheep of her family, had left her
home in Illinois to thumb to New York City to start a new life. Only
her second ride had taken her off course to the small town of Fells.
She approaches the Sun Down Motel, hoping that a night's stay won't
eat up too much of her dwindling savings. The owner makes her an
offer she can't refuse--the night shift working the hotel desk.
Only Sun Down isn't a run of the mill Motel 6. It is inhabited
by the dead as well as the living, sometimes more of the former than
the latter. One in particular can make locked doors slam open and all
the lights, including the neon ones that illuminate the motel's
signage, go out.
All is not well in the land of the living. Three women have
gone missing and then been found brutally slain, one dumped off on the
construction site of guess where. The deceased seemingly have nothing
in common. The police have written them off as separate incidents.
When Viv tries to persuade an officer, Alma, that the murders could be
the work of a single sociopath, perhaps a traveling salesman, she's
instructed to get substantial evidence.
Fast forward to 2017. Carly Kirk has come to Sun Down on
purpose. She's grown up with a mother who refused to talk about Viv.
Now, with her parents dead, Carly has set out to discover all she can
about the aunt who vanished mysteriously before she was even born.
When she learns that the night shift desk job at Sun Down is again
open she applies and is hired.
This may not be the smartest move she can make. What if there
had been one skilled serial killer? What if he's still practicing his
avocation? What if he'd have no problem with silencing someone who
gets too close to the truth?
If you've enjoyed stays at the Bates Motel or the Overlook you
will really want to check into The Sun Down Motel.
This time you don't have to take my word for it. My younger
daughter, Katie, is my número uno reading buddy. She has this to say:
"It was super interesting and I love how spooky they made the hotel
feel and how on edge they put you once the lights go out."
As for me, I plan to check out St. James' six previous works.
Fellow mystery fans--I think we have a winner.
On a purrrsonal note, somehow it doesn't feel like we're about to
plunge into the 4th of July weekend. For me minus the parade and
especially the fireworks it's really fizzling out. We will have a
cookout at the in-laws'. Most of the weekend I plan to work on the
annotated bibliography I am going to create for all the people who
want to read more on race/racism literature and don't know where to go
to find it. And, yes, I am dorky enough to consider writing an
annotated bibliography fun. (Jules)
I haz been in my home six months now. I like it here. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to you, our readers. Have a safe and
happy 4th. Remember to social distance and wear masks in enclosed
spaces and crowded places. We may get days off but COVID-19 doesn't.
Keep hydrated and eat healthy foods. And make sure your cats have
cool drinking water and cool places to retreat from the heat.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my iPod
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