Somehow, I had never sat down to read Maus. I've had students report on it for years. I've seen examples of panels again and again over student shouldSomehow, I had never sat down to read Maus. I've had students report on it for years. I've seen examples of panels again and again over student shoulders, in other people's classrooms, in curriculum examples. I knew the power and the impact of the book by reputation, if not first hand knowledge.
As ever, I made sure to read it before teaching it, but I had to catch my breath before reading Part 2. As I write this, my students are just moving beyond the first blushes of excitement that the book talks about sex, uses the occasional dirty word, and offers the grim prospect of bloodshed. The slow grasping that most of the tertiary characters we meet, or hear, or see briefly are dead and gone and taken away is a compelling build, that takes you gently into the world and ensures you're every bit as affected by the losses as the Spiegelmans were.
Above all else, the complexity is captivating. It isn't a simplified morality tale with good and bad, or right and wrong. There are questions to be had about everyone's behavior, before the war, during it, and after. You are impelled to care for Vladek and other survivors not because they are passive victims of atrocities, but because they are human beings, flawed and beautiful and each worth protecting. ...more
The suddenness and ubiquity of the devastating pandemic in this book is appropriately distinct from the slow moving train wreck that we all lived throThe suddenness and ubiquity of the devastating pandemic in this book is appropriately distinct from the slow moving train wreck that we all lived through during the COVID-19 pandemic. But while St. John Mandel wrote this book before that, and I read it after the worst of the illness, there's a comforting throughline that she manages to plumb: the universality of human need for connections, transcendence, for an audience.
Rather than dwelling on the good ol' before times, or the harsh realities of the shattered present, she makes plain the humanity of it all: bickering artists will always be bickering artists, fickle romances will sting just as much in your private circle of survivors as they did splashed about on gossip magazine covers. The quest for relevance and importance can lead us to create art, or care for one another, or the past, or for our own vision of divinity.
The author captures all of this without succumbing to the trap of speechifying or purpling up the prose with noisy imagery. The characters speak for themselves and it becomes supremely easy to see ourselves, to see our whole world mirrored in her story...even if there had never been a need to shut down the world for 18 months....more
I cannot fully articulate how wildly the swerve contained in this book hit me, so forgive the odd analogy.
As it starts, there's every hint that The TrI cannot fully articulate how wildly the swerve contained in this book hit me, so forgive the odd analogy.
As it starts, there's every hint that The Trees is a run-of-the-mill murder mystery, with fish-out-of-water cops and increasingly dramatic and grisly deaths, all with echoes of the lynching of Emmett Till. It's effective and familiar but not exactly ground-breaking, especially for jaded readers who recognize the tropes.
Then, with a subtle and deft hand that defies transparent identification, it changes. I still can't think of when precisely. I couldn't name how exactly. But before you quite realize it, you're as confounded and confused as those fish-out-of-water cops. And as the drama escalates and the world inverts and redoubles on itself, it becomes a literary jewel wrapped in a Monster-of-the-Week X-Files episode.
The weight, the cost, the message, the style, I can't think of another book that so completely unwound my expectations and predictions as this one. It is utterly mind-bending, and, as a result, I'm going to be dwelling on it for a while....more
It has to be said: this book had me absolutely buzzing. After not running for months, I stretched and stretched and stretched my miles to listen to thIt has to be said: this book had me absolutely buzzing. After not running for months, I stretched and stretched and stretched my miles to listen to the ending of the third section. When my headphones gave out I just blasted it in the middle of a dark twin cities morning. I dove laughingly onto my son, and gushed to my wife that she had to read it, then texted an old student that this was his kind of book. I was giddy with the joy of reading. It was supremely, sublimely affecting.
It must be said that the narration was a huge boost for me. I've always liked Michael Boatman, so his kickoff was a treat. I'd have deeply appreciated a full playbill though so I could pay respect to some of the other sterling performances, all of which came to a head in the baffling e-mail thread climax that crafted suspense and intrigue and poignant affection for a Dickensian sized crew of characters that I was shocked I could hold on to in my head.
That everything clicked and clattered into place from one word to the next, like each syllable played a part in some joyous Rube Goldberg machine is simple thrilling. That she then hits the breaks and brings us all the way down to a meditation on art and family and privacy wraps the whole thing up in a stunning balance of excitement and zen-like exhalation.
I've read technology run amok books. I've read dystopian books. I've read interlocking narrative books and listened to well worked audiobooks. All of them, all together, all at once...it was wonderful....more
To be completely fair, this book is one of my favorites because it is a book that was almost perfectly tailored to where I have been and what I have nTo be completely fair, this book is one of my favorites because it is a book that was almost perfectly tailored to where I have been and what I have needed in my career.
As someone who has managed anxiety for much of my adult life, and, even more, as someone who tried (and often failed) to stuff both my anxiety and my depression way down deep when he entered the classroom, I've needed a voice like Elena Aguilar's to prompt me to question what I have done, and provide actionable steps to do something new.
Aguilar's guided practice through a year was so appropos to where I am now, and what I've been trying to work through that I couldn't help but dig in and devour what she suggests. The distance and universality made it easier for me to take in, because while I've had friends and colleagues and students try to nurture my stores of resilience, I've always feared that they were just being polite, or simply avoiding unpleasant truths: to hear stories of so many other teachers who have dealt with the same things and questioned the same issues, I felt at home and yet encouraged to drive ever onward towards improving my work.
I may not stay in the classroom forever, but I will always be grateful to think on the author's suggestions as I find my way in the world....more
There's a deception at the front of Vanishing Half. The book itself plays with the ideas of deception and lies; whether any lie told for a greater gooThere's a deception at the front of Vanishing Half. The book itself plays with the ideas of deception and lies; whether any lie told for a greater good is justified, whether deception is still deception if you live it for long stretches of life; how performance is both a lie and an accepted truth. But before those weighty themes there's a deception that confounds a reader's expectations before they've been settled.
The opening is so reminiscent of a Lifetime Original Movie. Small town girl returns home after romantic hardship, reconnects with her mother, her daughter, and the one who got away (while remaining invested in the estranged sister she can't find). The beats feel familiar and the characters feel so engaging that if you gave me a cup of cocoa and a warm blanket, I'd be in binge-watching mode.
But that opening is as deceptive as the characters and their lives throughout the rest of the book. Bennett navigates deftly through a world of liars without malice and all the fear and complications that come from it. It allows her to delve into issues of race, gender, class, education, colorism, liberation, empowerment, sexual orientation, fame, and family. Through it all, the writing is as easy to savor as those initial beats, with the added benefit of sincere internal conflict.
It's an excellent piece of literature thanks in large part to the honesty around why we lie (even to ourselves about liking Lifetime Movies)....more
I’ve said before that I can see an alternate dimension where I’m a sports writer. But no matter what dimension I’m in, it’s hard to imagine me matchinI’ve said before that I can see an alternate dimension where I’m a sports writer. But no matter what dimension I’m in, it’s hard to imagine me matching Yang’s ability to convey a story, a thrill, an alternate perspective.
His superb graphic novels (American Born Chinese and Boxers & Saints) might have more heft to their themes and subjects, but Dragon Hoops is a stellar addition to his works.
Telling the story of an elite basketball program in the thick of their most anticipated story has a natural rhythm, and Yang doesn’t challenge or reinvent the tradition (early struggles, coming together, surging together with unlikely heroes toward the championship game), but he does find new beats to hit: the challenge of living up to your older sister’s athletic legacy; the legacy of catholic school in minority communities, the unique challenge of Asian American players in the game.
This combined with his easy, winning writing style makes for an excellent read and a treat of a sports book that’s both traditional and novel, along with a host of character studies to admire. ...more
In reviewing the stories I’ve heard over the years on LeVar Burton Reads, I realized that Rebecca Roanhorse’s stories consistently stood out to me. HeIn reviewing the stories I’ve heard over the years on LeVar Burton Reads, I realized that Rebecca Roanhorse’s stories consistently stood out to me. Her work manages to bring distinctively innovative speculation to stories from more traditional cultures. So I was naturally interested in her series.
The world of Black Star is so complete, so engaging, and so distinctive that my high hopes were fully surpassed. Roanhorse’s world, replete with politicking, philosophy, and personal tragedy masterfully amplifies a central theory: you don’t need a Euro-centric fantasy setting to showcase all the strengths fantasy writing has.
As she unfolds the sublime and the surreal (divine avatars, raven war mounts, suddenly realizing a character is a FREAKIN MERMAID!!!), the serious thematic and moral messaging embeds itself easily in your mind. The thrill of the story, the question of righteousness, power and survival are there inviting you to start the second book. But so is the style and the setting.
Speculative fiction isn’t always my favorite, but Roanhorse is fast becoming one.
In 15 years as a teacher, I've spent 1 in a school where most kids looked like me. Working with students and families of color has enriched my life inIn 15 years as a teacher, I've spent 1 in a school where most kids looked like me. Working with students and families of color has enriched my life in so many ways. But for as much as I want to do to change the existing norms and systems that harm my students and my families, I know that I've enabled, affirmed and perpetuated racist systems and policies.
That knowledge has left me tired, frustrated, discouraged and disgusted with myself.
But this is not a book that wagged a finger and shamed me. It neither excused nor accused me. It widened the aperture through which I see the work I do, and, through Kendi's engaging, conversational style, pushed me to critique every inch of the work I do, the spaces I occupy, and the ways I react to my setbacks.
Reading Kendi's personable reflections on the ingrained and easy acceptance of the norms felt clarifying. What do I do to push back on my own family who bring deficit views or blanket statements to our holiday talks? What do I do to hold a high bar for students while still questioning who is setting the bar, and why, how could we amplify student intelligence in more anti-racist ways?
I struggle. Generations before me struggled. Multitudes of others struggle too. Even Kendi struggles. We share that struggle. So, what are we going to do about it? ...more
A book like this, with enough awards to fill a cover, and enough raves to make the BTS army look over their shoulder, often preparSweet, fancy Moses!
A book like this, with enough awards to fill a cover, and enough raves to make the BTS army look over their shoulder, often prepares me for disappointment.
NOPE.
I can't remember the last time a fantasy story wrapped me up and carried me away like this. Even without the customary exposition dump (Hi, Hagrid), I tracked and internalized the world of the Stillness quickly. As stories and themes weave, interlock, and reorganize themselves in fascinating and jaw dropping ways, the world builds inch by inch, mystery by mystery. It never ceased to engage me.
Bookended by tragedy it's not a book I'm going to run out and binge, but holy hell fires, that was a good book....more
One of the most emotionally taxing days in my life was visiting Elmina Fortress in Cape Coast, Ghana. To see the grim brutality, the confined spaces, One of the most emotionally taxing days in my life was visiting Elmina Fortress in Cape Coast, Ghana. To see the grim brutality, the confined spaces, the unforgiving stone, left me acutely aware of the travesty, the inhumanity, visited upon people because of racist ideology and colonial barbarity. And to be clear: my emotions are nothing (NOTHING) compared to what others physically endured, or the centuries of trauma visited upon their ancestors.
It seems small repayment that from all this pain we have this beautiful book, that from all the agony and angst of centuries past, we have a book. But books are solace for the soul, a balm for troubled hearts. And this book is absolutely that.
The centuries of history, the cross-continental struggle, the intimate portraits of love, loneliness, despair, and joy that fill these pages surpasses any textbook or museum piece. It builds understanding, sympathy, empathy, and appreciation for all that came before and all that is yet to come.
This book is a marvel, and I’m so happy to have read it....more
When I was a kid you pretty much went from Matt Christopher to grown up books. In my house that meant my dad's set of Horatio Hornblowers or my mom's When I was a kid you pretty much went from Matt Christopher to grown up books. In my house that meant my dad's set of Horatio Hornblowers or my mom's near complete collection of Christie.
I don't know when I read this one in my growing as a reader, but I know it blew my mind when I did. This was dark, but still compulsively readable. This was scary, but still easy to sit with on a sunny day or a stormy night. The characters were tiny, but clear and vivid.
I didn't understand the queasy racial undertones or all of the denouement, but the book that teaches you that good versus evil is not a foregone conclusion is always special: that was this book for me....more
When you've heard all the adulation, all the praise, and all the admonitions to read a book so thoroughly heralded as the best book of the year, what When you've heard all the adulation, all the praise, and all the admonitions to read a book so thoroughly heralded as the best book of the year, what do you say in your review?
There was a time in my life I thought I ought to recite the names of the US presidents in chronological order. It was a little challenge, but, thanks There was a time in my life I thought I ought to recite the names of the US presidents in chronological order. It was a little challenge, but, thanks to primary history class tests you really only need to worry about Van Buren to Buchanan (and to a lesser extent Hayes through Hoover). So, for a little while, Lincoln was my safe haven, a sign I'd made it through the log cabin/Mexican-American-war-veteran rough patch on my way to a the-good-government/gilded-age glut.
At a time of deep division, I find myself coming back to Lincoln as my safe haven again: less because he's the solution to America's animosity, and more because he seems a model for how to struggle and survive.
That George Saunders' novel perfectly captures that struggle, that safe harbor of sage counsel and thoughtful penitence is impressive. That he does it in a unique style and voice is marvelous. That he manages to elicit laughs and tears, parental fears and devout doubts, Eugene-O'Neill-level-dread and Neil-Simon-level-affection is truly amazing. This is a rare novel that can spur the imagination and succor the weary soul, or at least my weary soul.
For Saunders and his cast of historical halflings, the world is held as a stage where everyone must play a part (and all of theirs are sad). And in Lincoln, there to mourn his son, they see truth, life, and love.
It's tempting to make Lincoln greater than he was, a god more than a man, just as there is a temptation to make a book, no matter how lauded a scripture more than a story. I won't call Lincoln a god, or this book my new bible, but I k ow they mean more to me than a name in a list or a spine on the shelf....more
It's a beautiful thing for a teacher when kids come to you already on fire with love for a book. For three years, senior after senior, young men and yIt's a beautiful thing for a teacher when kids come to you already on fire with love for a book. For three years, senior after senior, young men and young women, book worms and reluctant readers, black and white, came to me eager to share their love for this book. I loved hearing their excitement, and after finally reading it myself, I'm delighted to share their enthusiasm.
The prose is gorgeous in its poetic expression and brutal in its thematic development. The characters are, by turns, haunting and hauntingly familiar. The narrative captures the universal and the idiosyncratic with easy style and energy.
It's a beautiful thing when your students burn with passion for a book; it's even more beautiful when you burn with the same passion....more
Amid the recent dystopia-looza trend in popular fiction, it's tempting to contrast themes, characters, motifs, or plausible inspirations. This book reAmid the recent dystopia-looza trend in popular fiction, it's tempting to contrast themes, characters, motifs, or plausible inspirations. This book refuses to be a part of any such contrasts, vaulting far above the teeming throng to a powerful position as one of THE contemporary dystopian classics (as Orwell and Huxley did before her).
The motifs and themes aren't self-contained creatures to satisfy one book or support isolated what-if wondering. They are big sprawling inventions to invite conversation on a grand scale. Costumes, verb tenses, comfort/solace; the nature of humanity to chafe at perfection, the mythologizing of rebellion, the acceptance of safety in the face of abandonment; these are traits and devices worthy of consideration every day.
Atwood's babbling brook of consciousness never loses the reader as Hemingway's reveries or Marquez's magic might, but it still informs the unreality of Gilead and accentuates the humanity of our narrator Offred. Indeed, her wavering and uncertainty encourages more thematic awareness and attachment than the more tangible narrators/protagonists of other recent dystopias.
But maybe the best aspect (and certainly my favorite) of the book is the ease with which Atwood establishes how easy it is to slip into this dystopia. The subtle justifications of protection, the promises of justice from sexual predators, they're all easy to latch on to. In doing so, Atwood demands you ask yourself if you would draw the line before a safer society becomes a brutally repressive one. You cannot calmly defend a stance and refuse to acknowledge the threat in your own beliefs.
We may live in dark times. We may read the dystopia-looza narratives till our world spins properly again. But when normalcy does return, then, as now, this book deserves a central spot in a study of how we live and who we are....more
There is no end to the struggle for civil rights, and this volume of the March series makes it clear that,Beautiful. Inspiring. Agonizing. Imperative.
There is no end to the struggle for civil rights, and this volume of the March series makes it clear that, though your history book moved on, our nation didn't. As Lewis and his colleagues expand on the personal conflicts and political positioning of so many, you realize how personal this public campaign was (and still is for many).
In particular, the increased awareness of public speeches, brought to life in starkly focused panels, and prickly writing turns the orations of the day (from Dr King, Minister El-Shabazz, Governors Wallace & Rockefeller, Senator Goldwater, President Johnson and Lewis himself) into weapons in the struggle. As pointed and provocative as the violent struggles in Selma.
In the end, Congressman Lewis captures a story we think we know and demands we reexamine both what we remember and what we are doing now. It is as vital and urgent as ever, and I'm going to hold my copies close....more
As the March trilogy moves on to the most iconic moment in many memories of the Civil Rights Movement (the March on Washington) the deepening of charaAs the March trilogy moves on to the most iconic moment in many memories of the Civil Rights Movement (the March on Washington) the deepening of characters and immersive story telling of Lewis and his collaborators expands a reader's horizons. What else did you neglect to retain from those bygone unit tests? Who are these scores of people who fought for freedom, and why do we discuss so few of their stories?
A committed reader can feel their investment in the story grow, even before the stakes of the movement grow. When the bombs and the billyclubs and the bricks begin to hit, they hurt so much more than textbooks or even movie clips made clear. This isn't just a history of America it's a history of the words and actions that assaulted centuries of tradition, and a reflection of the movement we see now....more
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