“All my life, I have fought against white domination and black domination, and cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society. It is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” —Nelson Mandela, 20 April 1964 Today I visited the prison where Mandela was held until 1990. We were led in a tour... Continue Reading →
I’ve decided that there is a type of book that I like more than any other. It is a book that explores art/literature and artists/writers and that jumps back and forth between time. It is a book that includes old letters that somehow inform the present day of the characters. It is a book that... Continue Reading →
It has been a long time since I’ve cried while reading a book. However, it happened recently when I finished The Light Between Oceans (2012) by M. L. Stedman. I did not just leak a few tears. I sobbed. I found out about the book from a movie trailer. The book is a movie now,... Continue Reading →
We arrived in Pune, India, late last night from Chennai. Today's adventure consisted of a three-hour nap, followed by a buffet lunch. Once we gathered ourselves and overcame some of the travel tiredness, we headed out to see the Aga Khan Palace, built in 1892. It is the place where Mahatma Gandhi, his wife Kasturba Gandhi,... Continue Reading →
Read previous chapters here. Chapter 14 Leda drives Walt to the physical therapist several times a week. His mobility seems to have improved, although lately he is less agreeable and more uncontrollable. His body is rejecting its treatment, telling him that he is no longer the master of it. This frustrates Walt, a man who... Continue Reading →
I recently visited my new university, which will begin employing me soon, for some preparatory meetings. As I waited for one meeting to start, I struck up a conversation with a student who was sitting near me. I asked him if he was an English major, since those are the students I will be teaching.... Continue Reading →
My kids and I are ready for summer. Perhaps even a “crazy summer.” But I suspect that any summer plans we make or carry out will not be as crazy as the summer the Gaither sisters have in Oakland, California, in Rita Williams-Garcia’s book One Crazy Summer (2010). Delphine, age ten, and her younger sisters... Continue Reading →
Olivia turned to me while she worked on her homework. They were studying microbiology in sixth grade last week, and because Olivia wants to be an epidemiologist, she had been intrigued by this unit of science. "Mom, what is a disease that hasn't been cured yet?" "AIDS," I replied. "Mom, what's AIDS?" she responded. My... Continue Reading →
From July of 2013 to August of 2015, I worked in a history library as an intern for a remarkable scholar who has become one of my dearest friends. Her name is Jenny, and she is fighting leukemia again. I don’t want to focus on her illness, however. I want to focus on her influence... Continue Reading →
From as early as I can remember, I was taught to be proud of my Spanish heritage. My siblings and I all have Spanish middle names. “You are a quarter Spanish,” my mother would always say. My dad would teach me words and phrases, and Spanish colors and numbers were a regular part of my... Continue Reading →
The Bookshelf of Emily J. 