Body Electric (adult nonfiction)

     Elizabeth Allan heads up the higher education program I got my masters in. She has managed the teaching and research requirements for tenured professorship while raising a family. Wonder woman's secret identity? And she takes a personal interest in each student. I greatly respect and look up to her.

     My very first semester back in 2018 she impressed upon my classmates and me the importance of regular study breaks. After a certain amount of seat time we were to get up and do something active--maybe laundry, walking, whatever got us moving. This was a key element in academic success. It was the opposite of the nose to the grindstone approach taken by most academics I'd previously encountered. I loved it. Each time I came back from a break I felt a renewal of my energy, curiosity, and ability to engage with the material.

     But she didn't just preach. She incorporated this into her teaching. Regularly during classes she divided us into groups and assigned us topics. After the allotted time each group would report our findings to the class. Several hour long classes just flew by.

     Manoush Zomorodi, author of Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-being, would say that Elizabeth was giving us a key not only to academic success, but to life long health and well-being. 

     When my Adam was a little boy he wanted to be a construction worker like his dad whom he thought hung the moon and the stars. Eugene said "No. I want you to work with your head, not your hands." 

     Humankind as a whole is rapidly getting away from physical movement not only on the job but in the realms of home and leisure. Why bowl or go out with friends when there's TV and social media? The accessibility of screens has really accelerated the trend.

     Recent science has shown the harm this sedentary life does to our minds and bodies. Zomorodi fills readers on all the ways this happens. But she holds out a very strong ray of hope for us all. And it's not through specialists or drugs or anything obscenely expensive. It's through including get off your butt and do something active breaks in your day.

     In 2023 Zomorodi recruited NPR listeners to participate in an experiment by incorporating movement breaks into their days. Over 20,000 people participated. The positive results were very strong. From participants' narratives she was able to create a set of best practices. I certainly learned a lot and I bet you will too. The text is quite accessible and there is a beautiful blend of research and personal stories. 

     The challenge we now face is getting workplaces to see the benefits of movement breaks and incorporating them into our practices and cultures. 

     I would recommend Body Electric to anyone who is concerned about the effects of a screen centered, sedentary life style and to parents. Remember our kids can lead pretty sedentary lives between school and home where screens too often take the place of active play. 

     BTW while I was reading and reviewing Body Electric I took regular breaks for stuff like dishes, laundry which in the summer involves hanging clothes outside, room cleaning, getting the mail, walking, exercise biking, dancing, and--my favorite--playing with my sweet cat, Tobago. 

On a purrrsonal note, I had an AWESOME weekend. Both days the weather was perfect--sunny and breezy. After our Governers breakfast Saturday Eugene and I went on a road trip all the way to Presque Isle. For people unfamiliar with Maine geography, that's almost as far as you can get without crossing over into Canada. We saw wildlife including deer 🦌. We stopped at lots of yard sales and got plenty of treasures. My favorites were a professional looking backpack for when I get a student services job and an old fashioned button jar. We got subs and had a picnic lunch. I spent the evening reading near my flowers 💐. Sunday I spent most of the day reading for the readathon. In the evening there was an ice cream social put on by Black Bear Mutual Aid Fund and the Town of Orono behind the Orono Public Library. It drew quite a lively crowd including plenty of kids. I was, of course, paparazzi. I had a wonderful time time taking pictures and hanging with friends. It was a truly enchanted evening. I had a special treat: regular ice cream--lemon sorbet. Heavenly!!! 

A great big shout out goes out to Dr. Elizabeth Allan--exemplary teacher, researcher, leader, and, human being. The world is better for having her in it. And I am a better version of me from her presence in my life and heart.

Jules Hathaway 

     

     

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Our America (adult nonfiction)

     Ken Burns' Our America is a photographic chronicle of the good, the bad, and the ugly in United States history. It's beautifully simple in format. Each page layout consists of a black and white photograph. They go in chronological order from the invention of the camera up through the 21st Century. The illustration notes in the back tell the stories behind them. The photos are the work of this nation's greatest photographers--artists like Margaret Bourke-White, Dorothea Lange, and Lewis Hine as well as lesser known and unknown picturetakers. 

     Some of the pictured are very famous people who played major roles in this nation's history--people like presidents, Supreme Court justices, and Civil Rights legends. Some are people known only to family and friends--soldiers, child laborers, and desperately poor folks standing in Depression era breadlines. The photographers often capture the dignity and individuality of the latter. A 1912 picture taken in Washington, D.C. shows the resolute determination on the faces of often orphaned and homeless children who earned a meager living hawking newspapers on the streets. 

     Some pictures are of America's finer moments. But this country's evils are also on display. A picture of an enslaved man shows his back covered with a network of deep scars from whippings. A picture of dead soldiers brings home the terrible cost of the Civil War. People express grief and shock after a church bombing that killed four young girls. 

     Sometimes the setting is the story as in the gorgeous photos of national parks and the architectural masterpiece crafted by human hands.

     I'd call this an investment book. You can keep coming back to enjoy it, sometimes with different intentions. There are no wrong ways to enjoy it. It would be of special interest to people with a lively interest in the past or folks like me who love the artistry and inspiration that photography can be at its best.

On a purrrsonal note, I've enjoyed taking pictures since I got my first camera. When my kids were young I took pictures to preserve memories and share with my mother who lived about 1,000 miles away. As photography became digital I documented my life and photographed events for organizations, once filling in for a professional who last minute ditched Bangor Public Library right before a reading festival. A fun hobby turned into a passion after the stroke. I found myself unable to do my volunteer specialty--shelf reading. I promised the librarians I'd find another way to make myself useful. Photography was it. The first summer I took pictures of the children's garden magic happened. The kids brought out the best in me. They were so natural, so engaged in their activities. I fell in love with the art. Now I'm figuring out how to create a portfolio and listing photography as a skill on my resume. 

A great big shout out goes out to the photographers who created the pictures and Burns for bringing them together and making them accessible. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Amber's book launch

And here's the happy couple after their successful promotional event. 

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Amber's book launch

Left to right that's Brian's mom, Amber, me, and Eugene. He hates having his picture taken. 

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Amber's book launch

That's her husband, Brian, holding up the book. 

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Amber's book launch

It was the launch for her second book, Hallowed Deadly Seeds. It was held in the Orono Public Library. It was a lot of fun. 

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Street Smarts

     In my much younger years I was hired to house sit for an affluent family that was going on vacation. The house was posh and obviously full of expensive possessions. One night just past midnight suspicious noises woke me up. The room I was sleeping in was just above the kitchen door. I tiptoed to a window without turning on a light. Yep a guy was working on picking the lock.

     I knew if he got in and saw me things would get ugly. Especially if he was armed. But I had thought up a strategy ahead of time based on what people do in the middle of the night. I walked down the hall, turned on the bathroom light, and a few minutes later flushed the toilet. He took off like a bat out of hell. 

     Dannah Eve, author of Street Smarts, would have approved that strategy. If I summed up the gist of her advice it would be: shit happens (and not just to other people!); know how to protect yourself. She very much doesn't want us to skip through life blithely thinking nothing like that could ever happen to me. But she also doesn't want us paralyzed by fear. Consider her book to be a toolkit for going through life in the sweet in between space.

     Eve has several of what I call overarching principles. One very important one is trust your instincts. If a person, place, or situation creeps you out follow your gut. Don't play nice and stick around. Lie if you have to. Break social conventions if that's called for. Just get the Hell out. And don't go off alone with someone if you're seeing red flags, even if your friends think he's a really nice guy.

     Another is to be constantly aware of your surroundings, even if they're veryfamiliar ones. On campus or off I'm constantly seeing people walking around with their eyes glued to their phones. So not a good idea.

     Another is lie to survive. Despite what society teaches us, telling the truth is not always a good idea. If a potential molester backs off in fear of your nonexistent husband--good.

     In the body of the book Eve applies the principles to the kinds of situations we may very well find ourselves in: driving a motor vehicle, dating, going out with the girls, at work, living alone, traveling alone, being a college student, and using electronics. The volume is peppered with real life safety stories Her advice is comprehensive and actionable. I bet most of us could gain a lot from reading the book.

     In her conclusion Eve tells readers: "My hope is that after reading this book, you feel empowered with knowledge. I want you to lean into the power of awareness, tap into your intuition, and refuse to shrink back. I want you to carry this confidence forward, knowing that with each step, you're living a life that's bold, aware, and unmistakably strong."

     Amen to that!

     I personally believe Street Smarts belongs in every home where there are people. Keep it in a handy place to reference it whenever you need to. It's also a valuable acquisition for college and public libraries. 

On a purrrsonal note, this week I had two of my annual medical check ups. Yesterday I saw my  neurologist (if you survive a stroke you get one of those) and my new primary care provider. After two years of trying I got in with a practice suited to my needs. I am very happy with my new PCP and the practice as a whole. 

If you ever get stuck with a medical practitioner that you aren't satisfied with, if it's feasible, try to discuss the reasons you aren't happy. If that doesn't work  find a new one. Don't just stay put in a bad situation. It's your health, your body, your agency. This is harder with specialists if you live in a state like mine where there are so damn few of them.

Oh yeah, I'm in radient health. I've got my blood pressure under control due to my adhering to the diet from Hell, commitment to exercise, and all the other due diligence stuff. YAY ME!!!

Jules Hathaway 

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