The Class

The Class

Adult nonfiction
I have less than fond memories of high school science classes
which were a tedious round of lectures, assigned readings, quizes,
exams, and "experiments" which involved the replication of what had
been done oh only about a gazillion times. Tedious, forgettable,
blah. My son, in contrast, was able to help design a water filter for
a part of the world in which it was needed. He was psyched to have a
project that was relevant and useful. I love that an increasing
number of teachers and schools (although not nearly enough) are
realizing that students not only don't need to be taught old school,
but actually have something to contribute to the world. When I heard
about Heather Won Tesoreiro's The Class I was quick to get my hands on
it.
Scientist Andy Bramante had made a mid career switch from the
corporate world to education, becoming a teacher at Greenwich
(Connecticut) High School. His class is highly unusual. There aren't
any textbooks, lectures, and tests. Instead each student pursues an
independent research interest that's relevant and cutting edge. For
example,
*Sophia suffered from Lyme disease for years before receiving a
correct diagnosis. She worked on a more effective way of getting past
the defenses of Lyme disease cells.
*Romano was a football player with an abusive coach when he developed
an admiration for Andy's class. "...And then I look at the kids and
I'm like, they're so smart and they're successful and they're nice."
He worked on developing a liquid bandage that could include an
antibiotic.
*Olivia had been horrified by both the Ebola epidemic in West Africa
and the indifference of much of the rest of the world. She worked on
a quick, inexpensive method of diagnosis that used ingredients that
wouldn't require refrigeration.
And those are only a few of the students you'll follow over the
course of a year. It's not all academics. You'll learn about their
friendships, their family relationships, the personal issues they
struggled with--even their attempts to snag those all Important prom
dates.
The only thing in the book that rubbed me the wrong way was its
emphasis on the elite competitions the students engaged in. I know
that the competitive angle is what would grab a lot of people's
attention. To me it was the icing on the cake. What really mattered
was the freedom and equipment and human resource access that enabled
the students to pursue very relevant challenges they were passionate
about.
I believe the competitive emphasis also gets us off the hook as
far as expanding access to this method to the majority of students we
don't consider the creme de la creme. These students need it even
more. In Maine some lower income coastal communities were
experiencing serious drop out problems. Students, not seeing the
relevance of more traditional bodies of knowledge, were leaving school
as soon as possible to follow in the family lobstering tradition. But
when someone was insightful enough to develop curriculum centered
around researching the threats to this traditional and beloved way of
life and solutions that could enable future generations to pursue it,
the students were fully engaged, getting better grades, and sticking
around to earn their diplomas.
If you care about education in America and the powerful promise
of new directions it can be taken in, you'll find The Class to be a
must read.
On a purrrsonal note, well I accomplished my goal of moving the second
bookcase from Adam's old room into my shed. It involved serious
furniture wrestling. There was a heavy bed in front of the wood
bookcase. The bookcase had to be lifted over the bed and dragged out
of the room and trailor. I'd just maneuvered it down the steps
without dropping it on my toes when a seriously muscular guy asked if
I could use any help. He carried it to the shed and put it right
where I wanted it. The shed looks as great as I knew it would. Now,
except for my Saturday work shift, I have the long weekend to work on
the trailer.
A great big shout out goes out to the guy who helped me with the
bookcase and the best little cat in the world who would have made the
cleaning project so much less dull and dreary.
jules hathaway


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Nevertheless We Persisted

Nevertheless We Persisted

YA/adult nonfiction
"US Senator Amy Klobuchar, author of the forward to Nevertheless
We Persisted, was on the Senate floor February 7, 2017, a day that
will live on on infamy. That was when it was said about Senator
Elizabeth Warren [who I seriously hope will become the first woman
president] "She was warned. She was given an explanation.
Nevertheless she persisted." Those very patriarchal, patronizing words
were supposed to stifle Elizabeth.
The effect was more like tossing gasoline on a conflagration and
hoping the fire will go out. It rallied a lot of people beside
Elizabeth. Nevertheless she persisted trended on social media.
People thought of times they had succeeded because of not giving up.
And that culminated in a powerful book with the same name.
"In these pages you'll read about a woman who lost her young
brother far too early and a paraplegic athlete who coaches basketball
in war-torn countries. You'll learn from hard-working underdogs,
unlikely leaders, and incredible people who took on whatever life
threw at them. They all faced adversity. They all rose above it.
And they all inspired others to join them on their journeys of hope."
There are more than forty of these amazing stories. Some of my
favorites are:
*They Didn't Succeed--I Survived by Fanny Starr. After days in a
cattle car with no food or water, no bathroom, and no room to move
Starr and her family arrived at Auschwitz, (WWII Nazi concentration
camp) where they were sent in different directions, some to be gassed
to death. At one point Starr and her sister were standing in a huge
group of prisoners on an open field. What looked like ashy snow was
falling. She realized that it contained the remains of beloved family
members. Out of sixty members of her extended family, only five
survived the Holocaust.
At 96 Starr has this to say: "To this day, I do not know how I
survived. I have a mission to tell the world about evil after being
victimized over and over...I want people to care for each other and to
be kind to one another. Though individual acts of kindness may seem
small, even forgettable in the moment, they can mean survival to
someone.";
*Sometimes You Are Better Off Not Knowing by Binta Niambi Brown.
"My high school guidance counselor told me not to apply to Ivy
League schools and elite conservatories, to ignore their various
recruitment efforts, saying that, no, I would not be admitted, and
that even if I did somehow manage admission, I would not be able to
survive academically or socially at those schools..."
Brown was the born free descendent of slaves. She grew up in a
place where the Confederacy was considered heroic and very low
expectations were held for black students. At the time she received
the above quoted advice she'd excelled in honors classes and
participated in symphony orchastras.
and *The Accidental Activist by Gavin Grimm. Grimm came out as
transgender the summer before tenth grade. By the time school resumed
he had legally changed his name and was planning to start hormones.
At first things went well. But then his mother heard about a school
board meeting "...at which a public conversation about my genitals and
restroom usage would be had and I was not notified first." That
meeting was followed by an even more viscious one. People's worst
fears were played on. The resulting policy was as bad as you'd expect
under the circumstances. That was the moment Grimm dedicated himself
to fight for the rights of transgender students.
"...it isn't just a conversation about whether or not Gavin
Grimm would be able to use the boys' restroom before he was out of
high school. It is a conversation about perseverance of transgender
youth all across the nation. Many of them--in fact, most of them--do
not have the good fortune to go to an affirming school. Even fewer
have the platform to fight back..."
Those are just a few of the amazing stories you'll find in
Nevertheless We Persisted. If you're badly in need of inspiration,
this fine book is a must read. But don't just read it and set it
aside. Think of and share times you've had to work hard to overcome
obstacles. Help friends and family members recognize and feel proud
of instances where they've persevered.
On a purrrsonal note, when I go on campus to work the supper shift
I'll be surrounded by people who will be excited about the 3 day
weekend coming up, maybe asking me about my plans. I'm totally not
feeling it. I'll work Saturday brunch and return to home alone.
Eugene will be at camp. Joey and I used to keep each other company
when Eugene was up to camp. Now I'll be rattling around in the big
old trailer. It probably doesn't help that I'm sorting the memory
laden stuff in Adam's old room so the kids will be able to turn it
into a man cave for their dad. Maybe Eugene will come home in time to
go to the barbeque his sister usually puts on. Then I'd be able to
put flowers on Joey's grave. That's one thing to look forward to--
honoring the best little cat in the world who loved me. Or is it
loves? I guess it depends on what happens after death and I have no
clue what that is.
A great big shout out goes out to you, my readers. Have a wonderful
and safe long weekend. Just remember what it's all about. These days
too many workers are getting totally screwed by corporations that are
mistakenly considered people and their buddies in gubmint. It's going
to take commitment and perseverance on our part to achieve a country
where labor affords all a means of adequate sustenance and dignity.
jules hathaway



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We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices

We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices

Juvenile nonfiction
"This book was inspired by our great-niece, Jordyn. After the
2016 presidential election, she was distraught upon hearing who had
won. She had heard the cruel and hateful words that had been spewed at
women, those with disabilities, people of different faiths, and people
of color. She had heard the talk aimed at 'taking our country back.'
Though she was only seven, some of that language of hate stayed with
her. When she found out who the next president would be, she was
frightened and confused, worried that the world as she knew it was in
imminent danger."
Wade and Cheryl Hudson knew that Jordyn wasn't the only child
experiencing those fears. They wanted to send out a message to her
millions of peers: yes, these are very scary times, but you're part
of a community that can guard and guide you through them. They invited
children's book authors and illustrators to contribute pieces for what
would become We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices.
Each piece in the book is a gem.
*Carole Boston Weatherford's The Golden Rule reminds readers that this
ageless wisdom is not unique to Christianity, but shared by religions
around the world. Jeffrey Weatherford's illustration shows hearts and
hands surrounding the world;
*A wonderfully detailed story quilt created by Cheryl Willis Hudson
illustrates an old time spiritual: The Gospel Train;
*Kelly Starling urges kids:
"March to that drumbeat of hope.
March and know you are never alone.
Standing up and speaking out,
pressing for justice,
having each other's backs,
we will celebrate change."
*Tameka Fryer Brown reassures children that:
"There are more good people
than not.
They will win.
We will win
if we believe
and don't get tired of believing."
In a world where haters are pouring out of the woodwork and
crises large and small constantly grab headlines We Rise We Resist We
Raise Our Voices can be reassuring and inspiring for children and
families.
On a purrrsonal note, I have actually been having a bit of a social
life. Last Thursday the Hasbrouk residents (to whom we in the garden
deliver veggies) had their cookout with Orono Fire and Police
departments grilling up the burgers and hot dogs. They always invite
me. It was quite the lively gathering. Friday my friend Mazie
treated me to frozen yogurt at Sweet Frog. Then we made a Goodwill
run. I found 3 shirts, 2 hand crafted journals, and a unicorn costume
that originally sold for $79.95 and will double as pajamas. I was
actually happy for two hours. It was like sunshine breaking through
clouds. Saturday I put in 4 hours at the garden. Sunday Eugene took
me out for breakfast and a ride. The leaves have started to turn in
Aroostock County. This week will be all about work, cleaning,
writing, reading while I can, and getting ready for fall term.
Great big shouts go out to the Hasbrouk residents, Orono Fire and
Police Departments, Mazie, Eugene, and the best little cat in the
world who I miss like crazy. I'm dedicating my school year to
honoring his memory, letting him inspire me to achieve big time.
jules hathaway


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Full Circle

Full Circle

Adult nonfiction
"About halfway through our second pitcher of beer, Nick said, 'I
need to tell you something, and it will probably surprise you.'
When someone prefaces a comment with that statement I always
ask, 'Is it bad news?'
'Not for me,' Nick said, 'But maybe for you. I want to change
into a woman.'"
Full Circle, written by Derry and Nicole Rundlett, adds a new
twist to the parent adjusting to transgender offspring subgenre. Nick
is old enough to join his father in beer drinking. In fact he has
children of his own.
Needless to say, Derry was in shock. He had no clue what the
implications of this transition would be for Nick's job and family or
for his own relationship with the person he considered his son, the
child he considered his closest soul mate. Fortunately for Nick, now
Nicole, he didn't close his mind and heart. Instead he hung on
through a period of pain, fear, and questioning to come out on the
side of acceptance. Fortunately for the rest of us, he candidly
shared his journey. Nicole added sidebars concerning her perspective
on a number of incidents.
Full Circle is an excellent read for LGBTQ folks and allies.
On a purrsonal note, I'd given myself a week off volunteering after
Joey died. Yesterday I went back to It. I'm too needed to take more
of a break. I put some time in shelf reading in the library and then
harvested and delivered at community garden. The garden looks lovely
and is producing well.
I moved one bookcase to the shed. The other is more of a challenge.
It's behind the high headboard of Adam's old bed. I can't lift it
over. I thought to clear the floor and swing the bed around. Only
the bed is too heavy. So I have to clear enough space to separately
move the matress, box spring, and frame. But it will be done by the
start of fall term. I'm not thinking chain saw. Yet. When I want
furniture moved I make sure it happens. I dragged a full size sofa
for blocks to a dumpster inch by sweaty inch.
A great big shout out goes out to the garden crew and the best little
cat in the world.
jules hathaway


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An American Summer

An American Summer

Adult nonfiction
"...The banner headline read 'Murder at a Good Address.' The
story reported on a dermotologist who was discovered bound and
brutally stabbed at his office on luxurious Michigan Avenue. I
admired the headline for its brazenness and honesty. Its subject was
one of 467 murders that year in the city, though others didn't warrant
such attention, mostly because who would want to read a feature with
the headline 'Murder at a bad address'? In Chicago, the wealthy and
the well-heeled die headline deaths and the poor and the rambling die
in silence. This is a book, I suppose, about that silence--and the
screams and howling and prayers and longing that it hides..."
If the name Alex Kotlowitz, quoted above, sounds familiar it's
because back in 2012 we read his There Are No Children Here. It was a
classic then. He'd gone where few writers would dare to tread--
Chicago's housing projects. He'd conducted hundreds of interviews and
spent much time with the subjects of the book over a period of years
to draw attention to his observation that, due to peril and privation,
kids in the projects had to grow up so fast they were denied
childhoods. He wanted people to care enough to actually do something.
With his most recent book, An American Summer: Love And Death
In Chicago, Kotlowitz takes us back to the hood. His stories, set
over a period of four months, are centered around incidents of
violence and their roots and consequences. You'll learn about:
*the grief of a mother on the first Mothers' Day after her son was
shot to death;
*the stress of a Chicago Tribune reporter covering the neighborhood on
the graveyard shift;
*the constant threats directed toward a young man, father of a toddler
who actually cooperated with police investigating a crime,
and so many more powerful and poignant stories.
Don't let the title fool you. Kotlowitz didn't just waltz in,
witness the incidents, and write and edit his manuscript. Over a
period of four years he interviewed about two hundred people "...in
their homes, at their jobs, over a meal, or, in the case of Marcelo,
over regular Sunday chess games. I attended bond hearings and trials,
hung out on street corners and on front porches, attended funerals and
vigils, visited people in prison, showed up at crime scenes, spent
time at a funeral home and in a hospital trauma unit, and on one
occassion drove from Chicago to Texas with Eddie to spend time with
his family..."
The man knows what he's talking about. Please let him enlighten
you.
On a personal note, I really enjoyed my phone conversations with my
kids and a visit from Adam and Asia. I was really happy that Eugene
got back from camp safely and refreshed. Otherwise time dragged.
Today I have a chore to wrestle with. Literally wrestle as on heavy
furniture. My reorganization of the shed involves moving two wooden
bookcases from Adam's old room out to the shed. Which I must do
myself since I don't live somewhere I have a neighbor who can lend a
hand. My husband would see no need for it. We have different ideas
for spring cleaning. For me it involves planning, comparing different
strategies to see which one would result in the most long term
efficiency, following through on my battle plan, and extensive
thinning out of stuff. His involves deep cleaning like windows and
stuff even if you have to move things back and forth. In my mind the
deep cleaning is the second step.
Great big shout outs go out to my amazing children, my dear husband,
and the best little cat in the world.
jules hathaway


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Fault Line

Fault Line

Adult nonfiction
"To many observers, Trump's victory revealed a nation deeply
divided. More troublingly, the president-elect had come to power
largely by widening these divisions. In a bruising bare-knuckle
campaign, he had thrown aside the traditional niceties of American
politics and repeatedly taunted both his own party rivals in the race
for the Republican nomination and then his general election opponant
as well. Most ominously, Trump had singled out large segments of
American society for attack..."
Do you feel frustrated that politics today are so vindictive,
vile, vengeful, vicious, and venemous? Do you ever wonder how we got
in this quagmire in the first place? Wonder no longer! Kevin Kruse
and Julian Zelizer are professors at Princeton University. In 2012
they started teaching a class centered around America's history since
1974. After several years of refining their course they decided they
had material for a book, Fault Lines, which came out this year.
Kruse and Zelizer see 1974 as the pivotal year during which
American unity began to show fault lines. The first appeared in
government following the Watergate scandal and its aftermath,
especially Ford's pardon of Nixon. Trust in the economy shattered as
Americans questioned whether they could continue to prosper or even
survive with manufacturing jobs going elsewhere. Blacks, women, and
gays struggled for their rights. And all that was just in the
seventies.
The rest of the book looks at each presidency through the lenses
of the events and movements of that time, their interpretations by
different stakeholders, and the changing customs and technologies that
increasingly divided Americans into red states and blue states where
people not only interpreted truth differently, but perceived different
truths. The accounting is thorough and multifaceted. At the end of
their narrative the authors offer this summary:
"The question that the United States faces as a divided nation
is whether we can harness the intense energy that now drives us apart
and channel it once again toward creating new and stronger bridges
that can bring us closer together. Whether the fault lines of the
past four decades will continue to fracture, or whether these rifts
will finally start to heal, is a chapter yet to come."
One we'll all be involved in writing.
On a purrrsonal note, I survived my first lunch shift following Joey's
death. Anna had a surprise for me. I was serving and teaching a new
student worker. Anna knows teaching new people is my favorite thing
to do at work so she set it up. She said I was helping her, but I
know better. People at work were very kind about my loss. They've
been there. Some shared their stories of losing beloved animal
companions.
Then I came back to the heaviness of a silent empty home. (Eugene is
at his camp). It sucked all the life out of me. I took a few minutes
to look at pictures of precious Joey. Then it was back to shed
cleaning. Home alone makes a great movie premise but a crappy life
reality.
Great big shout outs go out to Anna, my colleagues, and the best
little cat in the world whom I miss desperately.
jules hathaway


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A Football Duo

A Football Duo

Juvenile fiction
Normally, despite my great love for the UMaine Black Bears, I
avoid football fiction like the plague. Often the plots surrounding
the sport are as substantial as watered down KoolAid. Two volumes by
Tim Green, however, were exceptions to this bias of mind. They use
the sport to lure fans into considering some pretty relevant issues.
"Reality hit him, and he jumped up and tab for home.
Somehow, between ragged breaths, he told his mother what had
happened. They got back to his dad before the ambulance and Danny
stood useless, while his mom sat on the roadside with his father's
head in her lap. The paramedics arrived and tried to revive him."
All his life Danny, protagonist of The Big Game, has been told
that he's a chip off the old block. He's growing up in a Texas town
where football rules. His dad, Daniel, a Superbowl champion, is
royalty and he's the heir to the throne...
...until things go tragically wrong. Daniel, believing Danny
needs to get in shape for football season, takes him for an early
morning run. He collapses and dies. Not only is Danny grieving the
loss of his beloved father in a place with very rigid gendered
stereotypes for behavior, but he has two other issues to cope with.
He can't read. His dad has told him not to worry about school
and teachers. He's headed for the big leagues. He's gotten to middle
school basically illiterate because he's such a powerhouse player his
teachers look the other way to keep him in the game. Only now he has
a teacher from away who doesn't know how things work or want to
learn. If he doesn't do well enough academically, she'll flunk him,
making him ineligible for that all important big game.
Then there's his own injury. A stress fracture keeps him on
crutches for five weeks. In this time other players are making
themselves indispensable, working their way up. Even if he totally
recovers Danny may not make the big game starting line up.
What does a teen do when the structure around which he plans to
build his world is being taken from him. Read the book and see.

"HOSPITAL ADMITTANCE REPORT
EDWARD YOUNG
13-YEAR-OLD MALE, HEAD TRAUMA
POSSIBLE INTERCRANIAL BLEED
NO EXTERNAL INJURIES
COMATOSE, NEEDS TOTAL RESPIRATORY CARE
CONDITION: CRITICAL"
Teddy (13) is in a coma. It's the result of a hard hit during a
scrimmage on the last day of pre season training camp. His anxious
family keeps vigil, desperate for him to recover. His fellow players
and town rally around him, especially the jv captain and head coach.
But is there more to the story? Early on there are hints of a
last day of camp tradition where seniors coach incoming freshmen and
prizes are awarded for the hardest hits. Was hazing involved? Were
some community members concerned not only with Teddy's health, but
with making sure certain facts never came to light?
Game changer is a riveting narrative focussed on a very timely
topic.

On a perrrsonal note, last night I got the most beautiful surprise!
Amber and Brian came over. Amber gave me the most beautiful card.
She'd made it herself. It has pictures of Joey at various stages of
his life with me and the kids, his pawprint, and his name in silver.
She's making them for family members and Joey's vets. She gave me the
first one. That is the most precious gift anyone could give me.
Great big shout outs go out to Amber and Brian and to the best little
cat in the world who lives on in the hearts of all who love him.
jules hathaway



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