As a child, I hated history class. All that pointless memorization. All those names of European explorers, battle generals, and document drafters that blended together in my brain. So many exact dates we needed to regurgitate, and for what purpose? In my high school World History class, I balanced a cheat sheet on my thighs … Continue reading Our Histories
The landscaper said those shrubs were at the end of their life, recommended they be pulled out and replaced. That was six years ago. Yesterday I trimmed off a foot of new growth, lush and green with tiny fragrant white flowers. I let them grow in peace for five, seven, ten weeks between trimmings, as … Continue reading Persistent
Since 2016, I've made a "commitment" at the beginning of each year to read fifty books. And if you assumed that I put that word in quotes because I haven't managed to fulfill my promise to myself, you are correct. This year it's been particularly difficult for me to focus on reading whole books. Between … Continue reading Season of Reading
Those who follow me here may know that I run a website called Adoptee Reading that catalogs books on adoption either written by or recommended by adopted people. I've had some ideas rolling around in my mind lately for how I might try to expand on the site, which I hope to be able to … Continue reading The Value of the Written Word
I came across a thread on Twitter the other day by a history teacher named Seth Cotlar that I can't stop thinking about. Here's how the thread begins: The conservative freak out about the 1619 Project (of which Cotton is just the latest example) is not about history. It's about memory; about what parts of … Continue reading Re-Creation of History
