Ah, February! Valentine's Day, Library Lovers' Month, Black History Month, Condom Week???, Groundhog Day, Chinese New Year, Presidents' Day, Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday, Daytona 500...there is a lot to celebrate this month. Today I wanted to celebrate something else: my literacy.
I was lucky enough as a kid to have educated parents who cared enough about my education to teach me to read. It seems so standard now in 2010. It's bizarre to even imagine kids out there who don't recognize D-O-G. Or L-O-V-E.
I love language, and I loved reading even before I could muster enough brainpower to sound out the words on the pages. I don't know where I would be without words, and the power of literacy.
I do really cherish it as power. And I believe it is a human right. We all deserve to know what thoughts are being communicated in our societies and in our cultures, and we deserve a chance to enter the conversation ourselves. Reading and writing get us there. When I was younger, I was always so enthralled by the stories of Southern whites teaching Black slaves to read -- the fictional account of Bethlehem and Susannah in Jennifer Armstrong's Steal Away particularly made an impression on me. It shook me to realize someone could actually (in my child's mind) get in trouble for teaching someone how to spell cat. And that someone else could get in trouble for learning. My parents always put such a high value on education. Knowing what some people went through just to learn how to read kept me from taking my own literacy for granted. Those stories helped me understand the importance of literacy, and they fully expanded my idea of true freedom. Freedom really was knowledge. Power, and empowerment, really could be found in education.
This is why I wanted to share with you a new initiative to expand literacy for children across the world. Room to Read, Crushpad, and Twitter have all joined up to create The Fledgling Initiative, a campaign for positive change in the lives of children all over the globe. Room to Read, a global nonprofit, is an organization that has to date "established more than 700 schools and over 7,000 bilingual libraries with five million books, and supports the education of nearly 7,000 girls. Room to Read’s programs have already reached more than three million children..."
Twitter, of course, is one of the Web's leaders in social networking/microblogging. By teaming up with Crushpad, a DIY winery in San Fran, Twitter has created and branded its own label (Fledgling wines), which will be sold to benefit Room to Read. And, because it's Twitter, The Fledgling Initiative now has one of the best venues in communication to help spread the word. Follow @Fledgling to stay up to date on Twitter's wine-making. There will even be times where you can participate in the creation.
Crushpad, based in San Francisco, is a winery that specializes in consumer customization. For The Fledgling Initiative, they've helped Twitter come up with two limited edition wines (a Pinot Noir and a Chardonnay). For every bottle sold, $5 will be donated to Room to Read. Buying a whole case is equal to providing 60 local-language books to the children who need them most.
For more information on this amazing effort, check out this article and video at ServiceNation.org. Or, head straight to the source: visit http://www.twitter.com/fledgling, http://www.fledglingwine.com, or http://www.roomtoread.org.
I'm not really a wine-o, but this kind of thing I can get behind. I can't wait to get my wine. Finally, drinking to help the kids.
Showing posts with label Things To Bookmark. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Things To Bookmark. Show all posts
Books for the Holidays
I started doing my Christmas shopping last weekend, but it was nearly impossible because I don't have anyone's list yet (yes, the family goes by lists, we take all the fun out of everything, blah, blah, blah. I tend to end my list with "And lots of surprises!"...just to mix it up a little).
Anyway, I stumbled across this web site called Buy Books for the Holidays a few weeks ago, and I wanted to share it with you, as we'll all soon be struggling to claw ourselves out from the hellish pit more popularly known as the holiday shopping season. I think the concept of buying people books for the holidays is pretty cool, for two reasons: A) it will relieve me from the humdrum, mindless shopping fueled by THE CHRISTMAS LIST; and B) who doesn't like "lots of surprises"? Everyone's list should end with lots of surprises. The web site is really cool, giving new gift ideas every week, which are often organized by age group or trend. The site also features some great bookish charities, reminding us that giving, the biggest hallmark of the season, extends beyond the close circle of family and friends.
I think what I like most about this idea is that it actually forces you to really think about the person you're buying for. Books are very personal, very intimate items. It's very hard for one person to comprehend another's taste. I feel like even if the person you're buying for has been your best friend since you were three years old, you still have a pretty good chance of f*ing it up. That's why I always asked for gift cards to Borders or Barnes & Noble. Not even Santa Claus knew what I liked to read...and he knew it all.
I'll bet it's because books are our great escape. We read when we want to get away from the world we're in...or to draw us closer to a part we don't yet know much about. Even when we read a book for the familiarity of its topic we're escaping, in a sense, because we're withdrawing deeper into a part of ourselves. To make things more complicated, our fantasy destination is always changing. For instance: sometimes I'll be in the mood for a lighthearted YA novel, sometimes I'll be in the mood for symbolic literature, sometimes I'll be in the mood for girly chick lit...sometimes I'll just feel like learning something. And sometimes -- not often -- I'll even feel like reading nothing but the funnies. Hell, yesterday all I felt like doing was finishing a crossword puzzle. That's the kind of book I needed. That's the kind of escape I was craving.
So how do you buy books for someone, when your theories on what they will and will not enjoy have a 96.8% chance of blowing up in your astonished but good-intentioned face?
Here's how I plan to do it:
But it's fun to get lost among books, isn't it?
Anyway, I stumbled across this web site called Buy Books for the Holidays a few weeks ago, and I wanted to share it with you, as we'll all soon be struggling to claw ourselves out from the hellish pit more popularly known as the holiday shopping season. I think the concept of buying people books for the holidays is pretty cool, for two reasons: A) it will relieve me from the humdrum, mindless shopping fueled by THE CHRISTMAS LIST; and B) who doesn't like "lots of surprises"? Everyone's list should end with lots of surprises. The web site is really cool, giving new gift ideas every week, which are often organized by age group or trend. The site also features some great bookish charities, reminding us that giving, the biggest hallmark of the season, extends beyond the close circle of family and friends.
I think what I like most about this idea is that it actually forces you to really think about the person you're buying for. Books are very personal, very intimate items. It's very hard for one person to comprehend another's taste. I feel like even if the person you're buying for has been your best friend since you were three years old, you still have a pretty good chance of f*ing it up. That's why I always asked for gift cards to Borders or Barnes & Noble. Not even Santa Claus knew what I liked to read...and he knew it all.
I'll bet it's because books are our great escape. We read when we want to get away from the world we're in...or to draw us closer to a part we don't yet know much about. Even when we read a book for the familiarity of its topic we're escaping, in a sense, because we're withdrawing deeper into a part of ourselves. To make things more complicated, our fantasy destination is always changing. For instance: sometimes I'll be in the mood for a lighthearted YA novel, sometimes I'll be in the mood for symbolic literature, sometimes I'll be in the mood for girly chick lit...sometimes I'll just feel like learning something. And sometimes -- not often -- I'll even feel like reading nothing but the funnies. Hell, yesterday all I felt like doing was finishing a crossword puzzle. That's the kind of book I needed. That's the kind of escape I was craving.
So how do you buy books for someone, when your theories on what they will and will not enjoy have a 96.8% chance of blowing up in your astonished but good-intentioned face?
Here's how I plan to do it:
- Don't think too much. Let the ideas come naturally; let them spark in your mind. (I'm convincing myself this provision is necessary, despite how worrisome it makes me...the Dec. 25th deadline and all.)
- Take a lot of time to browse. Plan a day if you have to. You won't know what to buy if you don't know what's out there.
- Don't set limits, especially on things like "year published." Some of the best books I've ever read were at least 5 years off the presses. This does not mean throw all caution to the wind. For example, if you're going to buy a history book or a book about science, pay attention. Some genres will be best read if the information is up-to-date.
- Know what you like to read, but don't use your preferences as a defense for buying the same book for someone else. You and your friends or family may have similar interests when it comes to reading, but you may not enjoy the same authors. I feel that the holidays are not a time to be making recommendations, because I often get the impression that recommendations are just another way of saying, "Hey, I love this book. Everyone else should also love this book. Here, read this book, because I love it."
- Look through old journals or old photo albums, watch old videos. It may jog your memory and give you an idea by reminding you about the person you love...and what they love.
- Pay attention. Take a real interest in your conversations with the giftee and see if you can't transform it into a book. If your Secret Santa loves knitting, there's a sweet-looking murder mystery series out that has knitting as a central theme. Could be by Maggie Sefton? I can't remember. Anyway, get creative. Just because she likes knitting doesn't mean you have to buy her a how-to book.
But it's fun to get lost among books, isn't it?
NaNoWriMo
The acronym for this event reminds me of the Nano Babies that were popular in gradeschool. Actually, the Tamagotchis were the popular toy, Nano Babies were for those of us who couldn't afford the more stylish electronic pet. Anyway.
November is National Novel Writing Month. Fifty thousand words in 30 days. As you may have already guessed, I signed up to participate last week.
I am not in any shape to begin writing a novel today (who came up with Halloween, anyway?), but I must. I signed up to participate and I like to think of myself as a non-welsher. I have to complete 1,667 words per day to stay on track for the assignment. For me, the hardest part of the whole exercise will be rule #2:
At least I have an idea for my story this time. It's so hard for me to come up with ideas for my writing. This one I actually thought I'd use for a short story, but since I do have such an awful time thinking up plots, I am going to see if I can't expand it into a novel. Don't worry, I'm not cheating -- I have not started writing this story yet, I only have the idea.
So what say you? Will you be joining me in this quest for authorship? I've always wanted to write a novel, but never felt it was the right time. But I've come to realize it's like having a Nano Baby: it's never the right time. So I'm starting now.
November is National Novel Writing Month. Fifty thousand words in 30 days. As you may have already guessed, I signed up to participate last week.
I am not in any shape to begin writing a novel today (who came up with Halloween, anyway?), but I must. I signed up to participate and I like to think of myself as a non-welsher. I have to complete 1,667 words per day to stay on track for the assignment. For me, the hardest part of the whole exercise will be rule #2:
Do not edit as you go. Editing is for December. Think of November as an experiment in pure output. Even if it's hard at first, leave ugly prose and poorly written passages on the page to be cleaned up later. Your inner editor will be very grumpy about this, but your inner editor is a nitpicky jerk who foolishly believes that it is possible to write a brilliant first draft if you write it slowly enough. It isn't. Every book you've ever loved started out as a beautifully flawed first draft. In November, embrace imperfection and see where it takes you.
At least I have an idea for my story this time. It's so hard for me to come up with ideas for my writing. This one I actually thought I'd use for a short story, but since I do have such an awful time thinking up plots, I am going to see if I can't expand it into a novel. Don't worry, I'm not cheating -- I have not started writing this story yet, I only have the idea.
So what say you? Will you be joining me in this quest for authorship? I've always wanted to write a novel, but never felt it was the right time. But I've come to realize it's like having a Nano Baby: it's never the right time. So I'm starting now.
Get Ready
November is going to be a wild ride for all of us. I have one week to get over myself and suck it up.
(Why am I being so mysterioso? Because it's fun! But if you're really impatient for surprises, like I am -- I couldn't even wait 9 days to turn this post into something more transparent and sensical -- click around a little. There's a big clue somewhere close-ish.)
(Why am I being so mysterioso? Because it's fun! But if you're really impatient for surprises, like I am -- I couldn't even wait 9 days to turn this post into something more transparent and sensical -- click around a little. There's a big clue somewhere close-ish.)
More on Banned Books Week
I just wanted to draw a little more attention to the response letter I linked to in my previous post. It's from July of 2008, but still very relevant. After giving it a thorough read, I think it's important to give the letter its due, as it neutrally addresses several key points about this week's purpose. The library director from Douglas County, CO really did a fantastic job putting together his argument. It reads logically and professionally. I am also very grateful he addressed every issue the parent brought up. It shows he really does care about his work, and the concerns of his library's patrons.
These two passages especially resonated with me; I think they sort of reiterate what I was trying to say in my previous post:
"How then, can we claim that the founders would support the restriction of access to a book that really is just about an idea, to be accepted or rejected as you choose? What harm has this book done to anyone? Your seven year old told you, 'Boys are not supposed to marry.' In other words, you have taught her your values, and those values have taken hold. That's what parents are supposed to do, and clearly, exposure to this book, or several, doesn't just overthrow that parental influence. It does, of course, provide evidence that not everybody agrees with each other; but that's true, isn't it?...
"Finally, then, I conclude that 'Uncle Bobby's Wedding' is a children's book, appropriately categorized and shelved in our children's picture book area. I fully appreciate that you, and some of your friends, strongly disagree with its viewpoint. But if the library is doing its job, there are lots of books in our collection that people won't agree with; there are certainly many that I object to. Library collections don't imply endorsement; they imply access to the many different ideas of our culture, which is precisely our purpose in public life."
Happy Banned Books Week, everyone!
These two passages especially resonated with me; I think they sort of reiterate what I was trying to say in my previous post:
"How then, can we claim that the founders would support the restriction of access to a book that really is just about an idea, to be accepted or rejected as you choose? What harm has this book done to anyone? Your seven year old told you, 'Boys are not supposed to marry.' In other words, you have taught her your values, and those values have taken hold. That's what parents are supposed to do, and clearly, exposure to this book, or several, doesn't just overthrow that parental influence. It does, of course, provide evidence that not everybody agrees with each other; but that's true, isn't it?...
"Finally, then, I conclude that 'Uncle Bobby's Wedding' is a children's book, appropriately categorized and shelved in our children's picture book area. I fully appreciate that you, and some of your friends, strongly disagree with its viewpoint. But if the library is doing its job, there are lots of books in our collection that people won't agree with; there are certainly many that I object to. Library collections don't imply endorsement; they imply access to the many different ideas of our culture, which is precisely our purpose in public life."
Happy Banned Books Week, everyone!
Where are All Those Reviews??
I know, I promised haughty opinions and pretentious analyses. Don't worry, I'm about halfway through The Forever War, so it shouldn't be too much longer before you see all that goodness posted all up in here. I need to finish reading it by September 29 or 30, because I want to start a new book before my beach vacation in October. Something a little less...heavy.
To tide you over, here is a story about my favorite literary term:
le mot juste: the right word.
I became fascinated with this expression my sophomore year of college, in a class called "The Lost Generation." We studied the expatriates: people like Sylvia Beach, who helped make salons famous, but we also looked at the authors who were writing from the Left Bank of Paris -- Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald...and most importantly, Ernest Hemingway.
My professor, a Hemingway scholar, would use the term le mot juste at least once a class. "Hemingway was always searching for le mot juste," he'd say.
"He was never satisfied until he found le mot juste."
"Without le mot juste, you can completely miss the meaning, wrong the tone, or smother the attitude of a sentence!"
"Did you know Hemingway wouldn't touch a drop of alcohol while he was writing, because he knew it would distract him from finding le mot juste?"
The guy had an (admirable) obsession.
I took all of his stories to heart. Even if it seemed the Hemingway anecdotes were more tall tale than truth, that class really taught me something about writing. "Advanced Composition" and The Sense of Structure only nurtured the seed that was planted during my hours spent in "The Lost Generation."
Now, whenever I write, I painstakingly read back every sentence, edit them one at a time, to make sure my meaning is clear and accurate. (See, accurate. I went back and forth for 3 minutes on that. I almost used genuine there, but I wanted le mot juste -- the right word. And the meaning does change, doesn't it? Even if it's just in what you feel when you see it.) That is why I'm so passionate about the written word. In my own search for le mot juste, I am finding out so much more about me.
Sidebar: Here's something else kind of fun. I found this URL while looking up things to include in this mot juste post: http://www.etymonline.com
To tide you over, here is a story about my favorite literary term:
le mot juste: the right word.
I became fascinated with this expression my sophomore year of college, in a class called "The Lost Generation." We studied the expatriates: people like Sylvia Beach, who helped make salons famous, but we also looked at the authors who were writing from the Left Bank of Paris -- Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald...and most importantly, Ernest Hemingway.
My professor, a Hemingway scholar, would use the term le mot juste at least once a class. "Hemingway was always searching for le mot juste," he'd say.
"He was never satisfied until he found le mot juste."
"Without le mot juste, you can completely miss the meaning, wrong the tone, or smother the attitude of a sentence!"
"Did you know Hemingway wouldn't touch a drop of alcohol while he was writing, because he knew it would distract him from finding le mot juste?"
The guy had an (admirable) obsession.
I took all of his stories to heart. Even if it seemed the Hemingway anecdotes were more tall tale than truth, that class really taught me something about writing. "Advanced Composition" and The Sense of Structure only nurtured the seed that was planted during my hours spent in "The Lost Generation."
Now, whenever I write, I painstakingly read back every sentence, edit them one at a time, to make sure my meaning is clear and accurate. (See, accurate. I went back and forth for 3 minutes on that. I almost used genuine there, but I wanted le mot juste -- the right word. And the meaning does change, doesn't it? Even if it's just in what you feel when you see it.) That is why I'm so passionate about the written word. In my own search for le mot juste, I am finding out so much more about me.
Sidebar: Here's something else kind of fun. I found this URL while looking up things to include in this mot juste post: http://www.etymonline.com
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