Americanah (2013) by Chimamanda Adichie was a Christmas present from 2014 that I very slowly made my way through. While I appreciated its sensitivity to and illumination of blackness both nationally and globally, I found its complex story sometimes felt like work. It was worth it in the end.
The Beast Side: Living and Dying While Black in America (2015) by D. Watkins is a easy to read collection of essays about growing up in an under-resourced community and then making it out. It is in many ways the opposite of the Brief and Tragic Life of Robert Peace. It also deals well with current events.
Bitch Planet Book One (2015) by Kelly Sue Deconnick and Vaelntine de Landro is a graphic dystopian story about women who are "non-compliant" being sent to their own planet. I love that it is a celebration of how women can overcome even the fiercest oppression.
Between the Dark and the Daylight: Embracing the Contradictions of Life (2015) by Joan Chittister is a beautiful reflection on the spiritual complexities that we all face in life. It reminds us that we are three-dimensional people living in a world without easy answers.
We Should All Be Feminists (2013) by Chimamanda Adichie is a book I wasn't convinced I need to own because it is easily available as a TED Talk, but then I decided that it certainly wouldn't hurt to have that title statement up on my bookshelf. It is a lovely gem of a book. My favorite quote is "I am angry. We should all be angry. Anger has a long history of bringing about positive change. But I am also hopeful, because I believe deeply in the ability of human beings to remake themselves off the better."
Mercy in the City (2014) by Kerry Webber is a pondering of faith in the modern world. Kerry explores what it means for her to be young and Catholic in New York City and how her faith grounds her. I especially appreciate that she is a Mercy Associate, as I am a Sacred Heart Associate.
Sacred Space for Lent 2016 by The Irish Jesuits includes weekly reflections and daily scripture readings. It was a lovely way to have reflection built into each day.
Revelation and Revolution: Answering the Call to Radical Faithfulness (2015) by Steve Chase is a reflection on how Quakers can follow in the footsteps of Martin Luther King in building the Beloved Community. He makes a strong case for the spiritual basis for activism.
Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death, and Redemption in an American Prison (2013) by Shaka Senghor is one man's story of how he came to prison and how he used prison as a catalyst to turn his life around to be a force to better his community and the world. His life is a testament to the challenges of the prison-industrial complex and to the difference that individuals can make within and to that system.
Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War (2012) is by Leymah Gbowee, a 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner. Her story is one of how she turned her life around by finding strength first within herself and then ultimately in and through other women. She was a leader as women successfully fought fearlessly for peace in Liberia.
Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America (2014) by Linda Tirado is one woman's story of what it is like to live in poverty in America. She knows from experience that people who haven't experienced poverty have a hard time wrapping their minds around the struggles of the poor. She uses her life as a case study to illustrate the complexities of life for those below the poverty line. She makes it clear that those of us above the poverty line have much to learn from the other side.
I'd Rather Teach Peace (2002) by Colman McCarthy is a journey through Colman's adventures in teaching nonviolence. When I was at the War Resisters League Conference in 2013 and asked folks there what I needed to know as I took on a new job in Social Action, I was told again and again to read this book. I now understand why. Colman reminds us that the work we do matters.
Half a Yellow Sun (2006) by Chimamanda Adichie is a powerful story of the Nigerian cil war. One of its messages is that no one is safe in war. It also shares complex stories of transformation. I began it years ago and gave up in the middle. This week I watched the far inferior movie, but the prospect of the richer written story compelled me to return to the book.
Homegoing: A Novel (2016) by Yaa Gyasi beautifully weaves together the stories of one African family and two separate branches of their family tree - one in the US and one in Ghana. Each chapter is from a new character's perspective (with the branches alternating chapters), always moving forward chronologically. I love how clearly it shows the impact of one generation on the next while also showing the power of individuals to break the cycle.
The Fire Next Time (1962) by James Baldwin is essentially the original Between the World and Me (and actually includes a line about "between the world and me"). It is a thoughtful analysis of the relationship between Blacks, Whites, and America from the 1960s. It is shocking how much of it is exactly the same today.
The Fire This Time (2016) was edited by Jesmyn Ward and is a collection of essays by some of the most inspiring writers of today. It answers the call of The Fire Next Time for a new generation. I love the connection I felt to the contributors as I read. They helped me know that as I struggle for justice and search for how my Light can be of use, I am in good company.
Underground Airlines (2016) by Ben Winters considers what life in the US would be like today if slavery had not been abolished. The sad conclusion is that the experience for free black people would not be that different. The book also leads us to ask how often we accept things we know are problematic because we feel as though we are not in a position to impact change. How often do we use policies as a shield to guard against our individual responsibility?
Dear Committee Members (2014) by Julie Schumacher is a hilarious novel through letters that goes through the year of a snarky English professor. It brings to light many of the jokes we all know about academia while also just letting us enjoy what would happen if we did not have a filter!
Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death, and Redemption in an American Prison (2013) by Shaka Senghor is one man's story of how he came to prison and how he used prison as a catalyst to turn his life around to be a force to better his community and the world. His life is a testament to the challenges of the prison-industrial complex and to the difference that individuals can make within and to that system.
Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War (2012) is by Leymah Gbowee, a 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner. Her story is one of how she turned her life around by finding strength first within herself and then ultimately in and through other women. She was a leader as women successfully fought fearlessly for peace in Liberia.
Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America (2014) by Linda Tirado is one woman's story of what it is like to live in poverty in America. She knows from experience that people who haven't experienced poverty have a hard time wrapping their minds around the struggles of the poor. She uses her life as a case study to illustrate the complexities of life for those below the poverty line. She makes it clear that those of us above the poverty line have much to learn from the other side.
I'd Rather Teach Peace (2002) by Colman McCarthy is a journey through Colman's adventures in teaching nonviolence. When I was at the War Resisters League Conference in 2013 and asked folks there what I needed to know as I took on a new job in Social Action, I was told again and again to read this book. I now understand why. Colman reminds us that the work we do matters.
Half a Yellow Sun (2006) by Chimamanda Adichie is a powerful story of the Nigerian cil war. One of its messages is that no one is safe in war. It also shares complex stories of transformation. I began it years ago and gave up in the middle. This week I watched the far inferior movie, but the prospect of the richer written story compelled me to return to the book.
Homegoing: A Novel (2016) by Yaa Gyasi beautifully weaves together the stories of one African family and two separate branches of their family tree - one in the US and one in Ghana. Each chapter is from a new character's perspective (with the branches alternating chapters), always moving forward chronologically. I love how clearly it shows the impact of one generation on the next while also showing the power of individuals to break the cycle.
The Fire Next Time (1962) by James Baldwin is essentially the original Between the World and Me (and actually includes a line about "between the world and me"). It is a thoughtful analysis of the relationship between Blacks, Whites, and America from the 1960s. It is shocking how much of it is exactly the same today.
The Fire This Time (2016) was edited by Jesmyn Ward and is a collection of essays by some of the most inspiring writers of today. It answers the call of The Fire Next Time for a new generation. I love the connection I felt to the contributors as I read. They helped me know that as I struggle for justice and search for how my Light can be of use, I am in good company.
Underground Airlines (2016) by Ben Winters considers what life in the US would be like today if slavery had not been abolished. The sad conclusion is that the experience for free black people would not be that different. The book also leads us to ask how often we accept things we know are problematic because we feel as though we are not in a position to impact change. How often do we use policies as a shield to guard against our individual responsibility?
Dear Committee Members (2014) by Julie Schumacher is a hilarious novel through letters that goes through the year of a snarky English professor. It brings to light many of the jokes we all know about academia while also just letting us enjoy what would happen if we did not have a filter!
How to Raise An Adult: Break Free of the Overpatenting Trap (2015) by Julie Lythcott-Haims was our staff summer read. I wasn't expecting to love this book since I'm not a parent, but it contained life lessons for everyone working with kids or even who are young adults themselves. It serves as a great reminder to focus on what's important and to not obsess over the small stuff.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (2016) by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany is a delightful next chapter in the Harry Potter world. It brings characters we love back to life while also introducing the challenges of parenting/"adulting."
Faith, Courage, and Survival in a Time of Trouble (2005) was written by my friend France Pruitt (as told to Judy Priven) about her experience escaping the Holocaust with the help of generous souls in France who were willing to protect her family at their own high risk. It humanizes both World War II and the face of heroism.
TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking (2016) by Chris Anderson makes me deeply proud to be a part of the TED community. I read all the chapters about speaking before I gave my Ignite talk this spring, and it was incredibly useful in helping me to build my ideas into a talk that was as impactful as possible.
Underground Railroad (2016) by Colson Whitehead gets in the mud of not only slavery but the ways that the legacy of slavery are not easily escaped. Every chapter is brings new messy situations full of pain. It reminds me of the show Underground in the way that it makes its audience come to terms with the fact that there are no happy endings when life begins in slavery.
Faith, Courage, and Survival in a Time of Trouble (2005) was written by my friend France Pruitt (as told to Judy Priven) about her experience escaping the Holocaust with the help of generous souls in France who were willing to protect her family at their own high risk. It humanizes both World War II and the face of heroism.
TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking (2016) by Chris Anderson makes me deeply proud to be a part of the TED community. I read all the chapters about speaking before I gave my Ignite talk this spring, and it was incredibly useful in helping me to build my ideas into a talk that was as impactful as possible.
Underground Railroad (2016) by Colson Whitehead gets in the mud of not only slavery but the ways that the legacy of slavery are not easily escaped. Every chapter is brings new messy situations full of pain. It reminds me of the show Underground in the way that it makes its audience come to terms with the fact that there are no happy endings when life begins in slavery.
Black Panther: A Nation under Our Feet (2016) by Ta-Nehisi Coates was disappointing. It had some great one-liners about leadership, but the story was too confusing for me to get anything out of it. The original Black Panther comic from the 1960s that was included at the end was my favorite part!
This is Modern Art (2016) is a play by Kevin Coval and Idris Goodwin about the graffiti done on the outside of the the Chicago Museum of Modern Art in 2010. The play points to the fact that graffiti is a way of making one's presence known in a society that acts as though not all lives matter. It presents graffiti as a response to marginalization. I believe it raises important questions, and I enjoyed pondering them.
This is Modern Art (2016) is a play by Kevin Coval and Idris Goodwin about the graffiti done on the outside of the the Chicago Museum of Modern Art in 2010. The play points to the fact that graffiti is a way of making one's presence known in a society that acts as though not all lives matter. It presents graffiti as a response to marginalization. I believe it raises important questions, and I enjoyed pondering them.
I read Kindred (1979) by Octavia Butler because I've been hearing about how important Octavia Butler's voice was in expanding the cultural space for black writers. Kindred itself is about a woman from 1976 who gets pulled through time to the ante-bellum South by one of her ancestors. It allows all of us a window into an ever-present question of how we might have fared in a previous time. It was not a comfortable read, but I enjoyed it more as I got to know the characters.
March:Book Three (2016) is the finale of John Lewis' trilogy about the Selma march and the Inauguration of Barack Obama. I am continually blown away by the bravery of civil rights icons. Amazing too that John Lewis led a sit-in as recently as this summer!
I read The Vegetarian (2007/2015 in English) by Han Kang (translated by Deborah Smith) because I kept hearing about how good it was. I'm a fan of closure and clarity, and this book does not have either of those as its goals. It does, however, provide very interesting food for thought about mental illness and family and societal values.
I absolutely love the poetry of Elizabeth Acevedo. She embodies exactly the kind of grounded strength to which I aspire. Her poetry collection Beastgirl and Other Origin Myths (2016) is as powerful as she is. And the cover has the most gorgeous art that I have ever seen on a book.
I've been reading B.J. Novak's One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories (2014) for longer than I had any business taking. He is hilarious and so is his book. Some of the stories are as short as two lines, and the longest is just over 15. It made for a great book to read on the Metro or in other moments when I had no mental energy but needed to entertain myself. I'll miss having it as a crutch in that way!
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