I’m an introvert, and if there’s one thing I hate it’s interacting with people I don’t know. So when I finished reading Born a Crime while on an airplane, and found myself fighting the urge to wake up the woman next to me and tell her how great it was, I knew this book must be pretty special. Born a Crime is the story of Trevor Noah’s childhood growing up in South Africa. Trevor’s father is white, and his mother black. Since he was born […]
Why do we write?
“Why do we write? A chorus erupts. Because we cannot simply live.” I adore Patti Smith. I’ve never been a huge fan of her music or followed her career. To me she is an artist that lives on the edge of my perception. I know her, but she is just there. A few years ago I picked up “Just Kids”, I don’t remember why. I loved it. Patti Smith lives life straight from the heart. In devotion Smith takes the time to reflect […]
More AIM conversations than I expected.
Where Am I Now is Mara Wilson’s memoir – if you don’t remember, she’s the kid from Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire. It’s not a bad book despite the low rating (I’m torn between a 2 and a 3 but since I read it a few weeks ago and remember it with a feeling of mild annoyance, I guess I’m going to round down), it just has the same problems as every memoir by a young adult that I’ve ever read: a lack of/really odd sense […]
Keep Going
Hillary Clinton’s memoir covering the historic 2016 US presidential elections is, of course, as uniquely polarizing as her person is. The book, as it has been said by many others, will change no one’s mind. And, while it’s impossible to know any intentions beyond those stated, changing minds seemed to no longer be on the agenda. Instead, the memoir serves the intended purpose(s) of a memoir: an account of her personal experiences and what she took away from them. The beginning dragged for me. There […]
Getting woke for beginners.
It’s kind of hard to review this book without sounding like a jackass. I really wanted to love it based on the salty cover and title, and I think I was just really prepared to be the “you” in question, get called on my bullshit, and, well, do better. Luvvie is a super likable and engaging writer, and parts of it were great. The first half was more about her views and anecdotes on life, people, friendship, money, dating. Nothing groundbreaking but there was some […]
The Urban Indian Boy Enjoys Good Health Insurance
In my developmental English classes, my students and I often read Sherman Alexie’s literacy narrative, “Superman and Me,” where he describes learning to read at age three, puzzling out the meaning of text by looking at the frames of a comic book. He traces his impulse to read to his father—a man who filled the family house with books of all kinds—often purchased used and sometimes by the pound. He writes, “My father loved books and because I loved my father with an aching devotion, […]
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