Sometime in late April a few weeks before the close of another school year, I ask the children, gathered at my feet for a story to close their eyes. Most of them do, and it’s fun to see who’s peeking. “Imagine that you’re in your bed in the morning, and you wake up before anyone … Continue reading The Backyard Bird Chronicles: Amy Tan’s Log of Lore and Love
“Vivi is dizzy with wanting pink. The kind of pink Merilee, Miranda and Wanda have.” We’ve all been dizzy with wanting something. The opening of Pink, a picture book by children's author Nan Gregory, is completely relatable. But notice: Vivi doesn't want just any pink. Her working class parents, who live in a brown apartment … Continue reading Help Children Understand Mimetic Desire with this Perfectly Pink Picture Book
I watched Oppenheimer twice. By now, whether you’ve seen the film or not, you’ve at at least heard that this year's Oscar winning Best Picture is beautiful, mesmerizing and thought provoking, with incredible performances at every level of its cast. The glittering, destructive power of the atomic bomb, the intensity of American concern that Nazi … Continue reading Resentment’s Destructive Power: Watching Oppenheimer while Reading René Girard
Calvin and Hobbes, Bill Watterson's beloved comic strip, once depicted Calvin in a philosophical stance, opining to his stuffed tiger that “today’s TV-reared audience is hip and sophisticated.” “This stuff doesn’t affect us,” the impish Calvin continues. “We can separate fact from fiction. We understand satire and irony. We’re detached and jaded viewers who aren’t … Continue reading Favorite Reads of 2023: Four Unexpected Delights
