I must confess, I am a huge fan of personality tests and types. As soon as I hear about a type, I take the test to figure out “who” I am. I am a Capricorn (but just baaarely, because I was born at 2 am on December 22, so I am a half-Sagittarius, as well) by horoscope, an ENFJ on the Myers-Briggs, a Blue-Orange on the Color Test, and a Ravenclaw (though given a choice between that and Hufflepuff, and I was raised by two […]
Our American Tragedy
Reading Between the World and Me was a revelation for me and many others. It brought Ta-Nehisi Coates into the mainstream conversation, and it added a component to the conversation about race and systemic racism in the United States. I was eager to read his new book, We Were Eight Years In Power, because it was a compilation of Atlantic articles during Barack Obama’s tenure as president of the United States. I had also read “The First White President” and was troubled and challenged by […]
An eerie and timely reminder about women’s reproductive rights in 2017
My current research is focusing on post-9/11 dystopian literature and women’s reproductive agency. So the fact that Louise Erdrich’s new book fits neatly within these categories is highly convenient for me. Thanks, Erdrich! I was delighted to see that her new book appeared to be relevant to my project, so delighted, in fact, that I promptly broke my no-buy rule and bought the hardcover on the day it was released. Because, you know, research. Cedar Songmaker is adopted by two liberal white hippies, and her […]
An entertaining, if uneven, young adult series starter
I make it a point to read books that my students recommend to me. Overall, I’m grateful. Because of my students, I have read (and enjoyed) Wild and Room, as well as a smattering of other books. I had a rocky start with an online class at the beginning of the semester, but there was a major reconciliation that helped it continue smoothly, and one thing that happened was that a student mentioned that she was a major fan of Sarah J. Maas. I saw […]