In school, we typically learn about the Civil War and emancipation, but Reconstruction—and the period following Reconstruction, when Jim Crow laws passed throughout the South—are typically overlooked. We don’t think about black Americans again until the Civil Rights Era, nearly a century after the Civil War. The true story of Ida B. Wells takes placeContinue reading “A lesson from history and the story of Ida B. Wells”
Fighting for Life by S. Josephine Baker My rating: 5 of 5 stars First of all, Sara Josephine Baker lived an incredible life. Second of all, she has a totally relatable way of sharing her story. Originally published in 1939, this autobiography tells firsthand the story of a woman doctor (at a time when thatContinue reading “Book Review: Fighting for Life by S. Josephine Baker”
This post is part of a series recommending writing you should read — especially nonfiction. Good writing can transport you to any time or place so seamlessly that you feel like you were actually there, actually experiencing those things. Since I learned to read at five years old, doing phonetic worksheets to a cassette tape in theContinue reading “Good Reads: Life and death on the high seas”
We’ve been in this terrible cycle of, we know everything that’s wrong with America, we know everything that’s wrong with the church, we know everything that’s wrong with every hero from George Washington on. Well, that’s not right, because what you do is you denigrate things to the point of being unable to appreciate what’s great about them, and at that point, you really are telling a lie.
This post is part of a series recommending longform, narrative nonfiction (as well as other worthwhile writings). The Forgotten Internment by Eva Holland, Maisonneuve You probably know about the Japanese internment that took place in the United States during World War II (if you’re like me, you learned about it through Cynthia Kadohata’s Weedflower). But did you know thatContinue reading “Good reads: Obscure, fascinating pieces of history”
Letters keep a record. Not just of dates and events, but also of thoughts and ideas. Most Facebook and Instagram posts contain the makings of a boring letter.
This post is part of a series recommending narrative, longform journalism and nonfiction pieces. The title of this post speaks for itself. Click, read, and be surprised by the stuff that happens in real life. The Mixed-Up Brothers of Bogota by Susan Dominus, The New York Times Magazine Two sets of fraternal twins — one from the city, one fromContinue reading “Good Reads: Some are born into craziness, others have craziness thrust upon them”
Seat yourself in a movie theater. The lights dim. You hear the projector and reel whir to life. A vision floods your eyes. You’ve experienced it before: the close-ups emphasizing characters’ facial expressions; the musical themes introducing characters, melting together or clashing to enhance drama; the special effects applied to accomplish the right visual, whetherContinue reading “Alice Guy-Blache, forgotten filmmaker”