I loved The Night Watchman, so I wanted to get my hands on Erdrich’s new book ASAP. There was a ghost in The Night Watchman and there is a ghost in The Sentence, but they are very different ghosts in very different stories, both rewarding reads. The Sentence begins on All Souls Day in 2019
Reading this book with the sun at my back on a Sunday — there’s a lot to unpack here. I’ll post a description from City of Asylum where I learned about this new read: “Humans are storytelling animals. Stories are what make our societies possible. Countless books celebrate their virtues. But Jonathan Gottschall, an expert
This is a very moving documentary about the women survivors of Chernobyl who refused to leave their homes after the area was legally condemned because of the danger of radiation poisoning. The film was made in 2015, but I did a bit of research, and I think some of the women are still living. I
Padraig O Tuama explores this poem in a June, 2021 episode, which is so apt today. Sixteen minutes of listening–but not enough. https://onbeing.org/programs/ilya-kaminsky-we-lived-happily-during-the-war/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Lit%20Hub%20Daily:%20February%2025%2C%202022&utm_term=lithub_master_list
A promise made by Pa to Ma when she is on her deathbed is not kept by Pa, and that failure is the underpinning of this multi-decade family story. Ma, Pa, Anton, Astrid, and Amor: parents and children. The book’s setting is post-apartheid Pretoria, South Africa, on a family farm. The Swart family is white
Meraki Radio continues and sometimes magic happens. Sergeant Major Denver D. Dill emailed me after listening to the archives and learning about Francis Resta, my former co-host and friend. Denver D. Dill was researching Francis’s father, Francis Resta, who was West Point Band’s Commander — a position that was sought after by over 400 applicants.
This is one of the many books being banned in several states in the USA. I was happy to see it was quickly available at my library and picked it up to read over a beach weekend. I am about halfway through but felt I should post before I finish, since it’s that good! The
I watched the Academy Award nominated documentary Attica which is free as part of Black History Month. I knew about the 1971 rebellion inside Attica, but I never realized how brutal it truly was. It is extremely hard to watch; the film is a very graphic history lesson. It certainly deserves an Oscar! A warning–it
I was surprised to discover that Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor has written children’s books. Her latest is Just Help. Out of curiosity, I signed up for a live zoom conversation between Justice Sotomayor and America Ferrera about writing the book. The Justice especially impressed me when she responded to three children from the audience who
Spent some time with George & Martha this morning — they are hilarious! I love the sequence of five stories that are connected but can be read independently, and some are only a page or two. We have a few George & Martha volumes — all of which are page turners. If you haven’t met
Seasonal Reading 