This Thing Of Ours

     Ossie, narrator of Frederick Joseph's This Thing Of Ours, has based his future on basketball. It has earned him a scholarship to an affluent private school. It would have been his ticket to one of the universities that are courting him and a way to carry on his father's legacy...

     ...except a game injury, a torn ACL, ends his basketball career. Six months months later he dreads returning to school. "But, Grandma, they're all just gonna see me and think There he goes--he had it all and lost it. They'll just see a failure."

     Ossie gets a new surge of enthusiasm when he gets accepted into a highly selective creative writing program run by a dedicated and innovative teacher. He learns that he's really good at and enjoys writing. Basketball is not all that defines him. He gains two close friends, Luis and Naima, who are two of the very few students of color in the predominantly white school. And he loves being immersed in the rich literature that reflects his cultural heritage. 

     Unfortunately Ossie has rich white  classmates with influential parents who do not appreciate diversity in their readings. 

     "Matthew sits upright again, clearly eager to enlighten us all. 'If Black people like James Baldwin spent less time complaining about white people, they could be picking themselves up by the bootstraps like the rest of us and actually become something.'"

     They're claiming reverse racism. Their parents are acting on their grievances. Suddenly the writing program and their teacher's career are in danger. 

     Although This Thing Of Ours is fiction, it's all too real world prophetic. Joseph sees the writing on the wall. With Trump and his minions going after every vestige of diversity, equity, and inclusion and the DeSantis crew striving to whitewash curriculum and ban baby ban we're going to have to fight tooth and nail to protect the hard won gains we've made and build on them. Complacency is a luxury we can't afford. 

On a purrrsonal note, today was most definitely wonderful. It was Maine Hello in Black Bear Nation--the day first year students arrive on campus and student volunteers carry their stuff to their rooms. My special role is parent whisperer. I talk to parents about how they're feeling. They really appreciate it. It's a very special day of welcoming and community building. Not even the rain could dampen spirits. 

Got any special plans for the Labor Day weekend? Eugene and I are headed for camp after our traditional Governor's breakfast. 

A great big shout out goes out to all who participated in Maine Hello and Channel 5 News for their most excellent coverage. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Another of my Pollinator pictures. Do all you can to help these little guys. We really need them in this world 🌎. 

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Athlete Is Agender (juvenile Nonfiction)

     "There's something inherently powerful about undermining stereotypes. About celebrating queer kids as strong, athletic champions on the field, in the rink, or in the pool. There's something uniquely special about witnessing a player use they/them pronouns on an Olympic field, or watching two married teammates win an WNBA championship, or watching a soccer player open up, despite the toxic culture of his sport, to say, 'I'm gay.'

     We are everywhere, we deserve to be everywhere, and we can excel everywhere."

     That's the inspiring message of Athlete Is Agender. The profiled athletes have found joy and belonging in a wide range of sports. Some have had to fight against stereotypes and prejudice to gain the right to compete. Some of them include:

*trans track star Cece Telfer,

*first NFL player to come out as gay Carl Nassib, 

*Karleigh Webb who played football as both a male and a female, 

*nonbinary figure skater A. J. Sass

and so many others.

The athletes' narratives are very candid and vulnerable. Many queer kids will be able to see hope in them. I love this reminder in the introduction: "While these contributors are out and proud members of the LGBTQ+ community, being a queer athlete in no way means you need to feel pressure to be out, or to be a public figure or role model. Knowing that it brings you joy to put on a baseball mitt, or to tie up your running shoes for a race, or to sit on the bench and cheer for your teammates, or to climb on that horse...these are things that matter. You matter."

     Athlete Is Agender belongs in every school and public library. 

On a purrrsonal note, not all queer athletes (I'm non binary) compete against other people or teams. Since the stroke my opponent is residual brain damage. When I first tried to run nothing happened. My brain wasn't sending signals to my legs and feet. And my first running could be more accurately described as lurching. Now I can run short distances with a normal gait, something that took me over a year to achieve. When I asked my husband for a basketball he thought it would be a waste of money. It wasn't. This summer I'm working on strength and stamina to get ready for the mountain climbing event that I'm planning to raise money for Black Bear Mutual Aid Fund. Nearly every day I'm walking an hour and feeling like an athlete. I'm changing my diet to keep my blood pressure under better control which means giving up the foods I really love. I am an athlete and a champion.

One of my most magical experiences this summer was when a neighbor invited me to swim in his pool whenever I wanted. I hadn't swam since before the stroke. At first I kept sinking like a stone. But every time I pulled myself back to the surface I tried again. And then I felt something waking up in my arms and legs. Like my brain was remembering and cueing the muscles in. The first time I crossed the pool, my body cutting through the water, was pure joy. I'm gonna find a way to swim during the months when outdoor swimming is not an option in Maine. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Here it is--my first cat tattoo. Isn't it just purrrfect? The absolute cat's pajamas!!!

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Shampoo Unicorn

     Shampoo Unicorn 🦄 is one of the books in which the setting plays as large a role as the characters. We're talking small Southern town, the kind Trump would have swept with his MAGA talk. Sports, especially football, reign supreme. Varsity male athletes just about walk on water as far as fans are concerned. Patriotism is required. And religion is Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God meets Republican family values. There are some things that  royally piss off Angry God. Anything that deviates from CIS hetero seems to top the list.

     The three narrators unfortunately have to live there. Brian is one of the hosts of a podcast, Shampoo Unicorn, that deals with "the hell that is being a high school queer in small-town rural America". Greg is a gridiron 🏈 star with pretty big secrets. His bitter father is abusive to him and his nother. He's as gay as Brian. Leslie, who lives in a nearby town, is a she trapped in a he body who can only be herself online and must make up incentives to keep on getting up.

     But then:

     Greg is caught being intimate with another  boy. Both are expelled from school.

     Crossing a parking lot after a job interview Greg is nearly killed in what's either a hit and run or a hate crime. He languishes in a coma. 

     Brian starts using his real name in his podcast.

     Leslie comes out to her mother. 

     Shampoo Unicorn 🦄 is an ultimately uplifting narrative about creating community in the midst of prejudice and hatred. I recommend this fine book for public, high school, and college libraries. Many queer students in higher education face high parental pressure to stay in the closet. Imagine being 18 and being told that if you come out or transition your parents will either stop paying your tuition or not let you come home. 

On a purrrsonal note, I had a fabulous weekend. Saturday morning my friend Catherine and I made a Goodwill run. Among other finds I snagged the purrrfect chair for outside reading. Then Amber and Brian threw a wonderful family barbecue. All my kids and their significant others were there. It was for sure quality time. As always Brian was the chef extraordinaire. His veggie kebabs were out of this world 🌎. 

And now the answer to my riddle: today I got my first tattoo. I used the money from my drag show tips. It was a cat of course. I totally adore it. I'll post a picture tomorrow. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Isn't this the most purrrfect chair for a Squishmellow lover? It's even my size which is child size. My friend Catherine spotted it and brought it to my attention when we were chilling and treasure hunting at Goodwill. Good thing she had her car. It would have been hard to take home by bus.

The final clue: now that it's so imminent I'm getting a little nervous. Will I be able to go through with it? We'll know in less than 24 hours.

Jules Hathaway 

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Pink Glass Houses (adult fiction)

     If you want a highly engaging, totally yummy beach read for those precious last surf and sun days of summer you can't do better than Asha Elias's Pink Glass Houses. It's Mean Girls grown older and more powerful and just as mean. 

     Melody is certainly not in Kansas anymore. A new arrival in Miami Beach, she wants to find kindred souls and establish herself professionally. She finds her children's new school's PTA to be alarming, possibly even unethical. The fund raising events are more suitable for Hollywood galas than elementary school socials. And rules and ethics seem to be something to get around. 

     Maybe it's time for a new sheriff in town?

     It won't be easy running for PTA president. Charlotte, current VP of fund raising, has had her ❤️ set on that for years. Nothing is going to get in the way of her holding that spot. And she has influential and wealthy backers.

     "Charlotte and her PTA mafia think they are so progressive for sending their kids to public school, as though we should all bow down and thank them for lowering themselves to our level, to allow their children to be educated in the same building as ours."

     Darcy is no fan of Charlotte and the rest of the PTA mafia. She'd like nothing better than seeing a newcomer take charge and make Sunset Academy ethical again. 

     I'm sure you've heard the saying about people who live in glass houses. Well over the course of a school year there is going to be a hell of rock throwing and intrigue and totally over the top drama...

     ...if you're anything like me you'll want to come along for the ride. Can you guess who will prevail before the last chapter?

On a purrrsonal note, I was afraid I'd missed out on Old Town Riverfest. It's a several day festival with cool events including fireworks 🎆. They put on an awesome show last year. I googled it this morning and found out it's September 18-21. Now I have something else to look forward to! My birthday is the 21st!!! 

Today's clue: like just about everything else in my life it's about God or evolution's most purrrfect creation--cats of course. 

A great big shout out goes out to the people who are planning Riverfest.

Jules Hathaway 

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