“The greatest pleasure in science comes from theories that derive the solution to some deep puzzle from a small set of simple principles in a surprising way.”
On the 50th anniversary of the publication of THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE, it’s quite extraordinary to be able to point to significant advancements for women, especially women of color, in both government and business. The United States still has much work to do to include all voices in our literary and historical canon, but the publication of some recent books shows that we are moving in the right direction. A great example is a memoir that combines a gripping story of remarkable achievement with an audio performance that’s a tour-de-force: MY BELOVED WORLD, by Associate Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, with narration by actor Rita Moreno.Justice Sotomayor’s is a true American story, and it will surely inspire those who might question whether they have the credentials or smarts to succeed in life. Sotomayor’s message is simple: Persevere and work hard. She writes about the strength that her mother needed to ensure her children’s success, and she voices doubts about her own path and whether she could actually achieve at the high level she learned to demand from herself.What makes the book a crowning achievement, though, is the work of narrator Rita Moreno. It turns out to be an inspired choice, and one that Sotomayor sees as a crucial decision in the recording process.
“The first time I saw Rita Moreno was on screen in “West Side Story.” I knew in watching her performance that she set a gold standard for professional achievement. When I thought about someone bringing MY BELOVED WORLD to life in spoken words, I knew Rita Moreno, the consummate actor, would be perfect. No one could have spoken both English and Spanish as flawlessly as she has, and no one else could have captured the passion behind my words so unerringly. Two women in two different worlds have found commonality.”
The book is one of those rare treats that combine words and audio into an experience that will delight the mind as well as the soul. It will also reinforce the notion that we are a diverse nation, and that’s one of our greatest strengths.
Chinua Achebe, the Nigerian novelist seen by millions as the father of African literature, has died at the age of 82.
African papers were reporting his death following an illness and hospital stay in Boston this morning, and both his agent and his publisher later confirmed the news to the Guardian.
Simon Winder, publishing director at Penguin, called him an “utterly remarkable man”.
“Chinua Achebe is the greatest of African writers and we are all desolate to hear of his death,” he said.
In a statement, Achebe’s family requested privacy, and paid tribute to “one of the great literary voices of all time. He was also a beloved husband, father, uncle and grandfather, whose wisdom and courage are an inspiration to all who knew him.”
A novelist, poet and essayist, Achebe was perhaps best known for his first novel Things Fall Apart, which was published in 1958. The story of the Igbo warrior Okonkwo and the colonial era, it has sold more than 10m copies around the world and has been published in 50 languages. Achebe depicts an Igbo village as the white men arrive at the end of the 19th century, taking its title from the WB Yeats poem, which continues: “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.”
High school is a place where you seem to live or die by the clique you are part of. Perhaps you’re the football star or the cheerleader captain, on the opposite end of the “popularity” spectrum are the band geeks or nerds. Each clique seems to(or at least attempt) define how you act, look, dress, where you hang out, who you hang out with, and who you should never end up with or as.
A rather disturbing trend that comes along with certain cliques are what makes other cliques “uncool” or “outsiders”. Yet what makes certain groups outsiders are just human characteristics; For someone who is original, an “outside-the-box thinker”, courageous, or passionate, it does not make them “different”, “weird”, or anything close to being an outsider”.
That is what Alexandra Robbins pushes for in her book – you should not be afraid to be different and that no clique can single handily defines who you are.
The key parts of her novel center around seven unique people who each belong to a different clique within their respected schools. You have Danielle who is labeled as a Loner, Eli is the Nerd who even his own mother attacks him for not being “normal,” Mark (referred to as Blue throughout the book) is the Gamer who is barely passing school, Joy is the New Girl who is attacked for being raised differently, and then there is Noah who is the Band Geek. Interestingly enough there is also Whitney who belongs to the popular clique,unwillingly, and Regan who is not even a student but a facility member at her school. Robbins follows the characters as they make their way through the school year with a twist half way into their year that none of them see coming.
This book is a great read if you have ever felt out-of-place in high school, misunderstood in class, bullied in the halls, or left alone in the cafeteria. Every story is unique in its own way and will leave you shocked, angry, happy, proud, or at times depressed.
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