I am visiting Portland, Oregon, this week for an academic conference and to receive an award for my dissertation (yay!). Yesterday, I visited Powell's City of Books. It is amazing. It was my first time there! I can't believe I haven't been there before. Here are some scenes from this amazing 68,000 square foot bookstore.
Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad (2016) tricked me for a moment. It portrays the famous underground railroad, a network of abolitionists and volunteers who helped slaves escape the south and head north in nineteenth century America, as an actual railroad with trains and tunnels. I thought that I had somehow missed something in history classes,... Continue Reading →
I began this novel with a sigh. After reading the first few pages, I thought, “Not another novel written from a female perspective that is all about how important her husband is.” I wanted to read something about an actual wife, not a wife just telling us about her husband. Well, it turned out that... Continue Reading →
“A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what it’s for.” –Laurel Clark (astronaut killed in Columbia accident) I marched with a group of 200 men and women on Saturday in one of the sister marches to the Women’s March on Washington. I know there are many who did not think this was “appropriate”... Continue Reading →
I recently tried to read Corduroy Mansions, the first book in a series by Alexander McCall Smith. As you may recall, I love Smith's work. But after starting, and then stopping, this book, I realized something. I love the series featuring Isabel Dalhousie. And I love Precious Ramotswe of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.... Continue Reading →
I recently began work as a visiting assistant professor at a new university. I've finally settled into my office. My books surround me, and I love the feeling of it. Here is my favorite section of the shelf. It seems timely. I like being surrounded by books.
My good friend Britney Mills has compiled a collection of stories about motherhood that is now available on Amazon. And my story is in it! The Motherhood Trek: Stories of the Smiles, Tears, and Surprises of Being a Mother Check out the full book: https://www.amazon.com/Motherhood-Trek-Stories-smiles-surprised-ebook/dp/B01N0DLCVS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479698893&sr=8-1&keywords=the+motherhood+trek Here is my personal story that appears in the book. Post-Partum... 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 →
I just realized that I may not live to see a female president in the United States. I just realized that the America I live in is not the America I thought I lived in. I’m part of a religious community that often laments the state of “the world.” I often hear peple say... Continue Reading →
