When I picked up this book as the latest read for my local book club, I was immediately filled with a sense of dread. Called “A Fall of Marigolds.” Pretty flowers on the cover. About a scarf? Oof. This did not sound like I was the target audience, and I steeled myself for yet another book club meeting where I would give a low rating and sound like a cranky cynic. I don’t know if it is because I went in with low expectations, but […]
You’ll write many stories, but every one will be to some greater or lesser degree about this story.
I am, in all honesty and with true sincerity, starting to question reality. Remember when I read The Drawing of the Three (Dark Tower #2) and complained that King needs an editor because he shouldn’t be referring to his own work (the film version of The Shining) as content experienced by new characters in this totally different world? And then I read Wizard and Glass (Dark Tower #4) and I was like, “TUBE NECK HOW DARE YOU?!” but then totally turned around on it, and […]
Clever unforgettable post 9/11 tale, from the “other” side
With all that is going on in our world, and specifically in our country due to the orange baboon in charge, my friend and I decided we wanted to do something to educate ourselves, specifically regarding Muslim people. Sort of a “fight the piles of ignorance with education” personal growth assignment. I came across an article via lithub that gave 10 contemporary books to read, so we both took a look. She narrowed down the list to a few, and then I made the final call. […]
9/11 Revisited.
The Terror Dream by Susan Faludi It’s been something like, oh, I don’t know, 5 or 6 weeks since I posted any reviews here. I’m 30 reviews behind and TOTALLY NOT PANICKING AT ALL. I taught a summer class, and then I added another part-time teaching gig on top of the primary and online gigs that I have, so exhaustion is high and time is low. I’m going to try to catch up over the weekend, but if you really want real-time updates, follow me […]
102 minutes inside the Twin Towers.
First, some long but necessary background. On 9/11/11, I was 13. I was living in Michigan with my grandparents and being incompetently homeschooled (read: not schooled at all). No one in my house cared or talked about politics, and I was pretty sheltered. So when the planes hit, I was sitting on my grandparents’ couch, home alone, eating cereal. It was obvious from the news coverage that this was a Big Deal, but I had no context whatsoever for it. War and terrorism were totally […]
If You Can’t Do Edgy Humor Right Then Don’t Do It at All
I was in the Midwest for 9/11, in my high school chemistry class. The teacher still made up complete our lab work and still expected our lab reports on September 12th. So 9/11 was a sad day, but it wasn’t until I moved to New York State years later that I realized how much that day changed people here. Everyone here has a story of sorrow or almost sorrow. I don’t know if there is acceptable 9/11 humor. But I know it’s not this mess. […]