Gotta love the Jesuits for they are "woke" lol. If you read the book, you'll find that Father G. addresses wokeness and (to paraphrase) finds that to Gotta love the Jesuits for they are "woke" lol. If you read the book, you'll find that Father G. addresses wokeness and (to paraphrase) finds that to be woke (awake) is what the good book instructs us to be. Boyle's signature style of sprinkling the text with self-reflection, homeboy/homegirl stories, and a little bit of West & East theology/philosophy does not fail in this quick read. Bottom line, this shines a light on the WE and lays the groundwork to give grace to those who are trying to divide by recognizing that they are struggling to find their own wholeness. ...more
Started listening to this before the US elections in November 2024, however, it was a public library audio that didn't get finished in time so I waiteStarted listening to this before the US elections in November 2024, however, it was a public library audio that didn't get finished in time so I waited in queue until two days ago. Fast forward to February 14, 2025, I finished the last quarter of the book in continued awe of Navalny and his vision. Unlike the "Navalny was pro imperialism" commentary in other recent reviews, I took away a very different view - a man proud of the land and its people but not its current politics. If he were an imperialist he'd not stirred the hornet nest with his first lawsuit. He continued despite the threats because social justice was imperative to creating a new way of politic for the people. He never stopped fighting for justice in a corrupt system. And while he doesn't proselytize, Navalny's references to his faith in the last part of his prison diaries tells me this truly was a man on a humanitarian mission advocating for a better way of life for his family and fellow Russians.
For fellow US folks who are on the fence to start this book..give it a go if you're at all concerned about where our country is headed in 2025 as we see our Judicial branch crumbling and our Congress not far behind. Navalny's end message certainly made me smh when he named the things that need to happen to create a different Russia, notably, a judicial branch and congressional system that are not corruptible against the powers in charge. We seem to be moving backwards.......more
75% done but feel that this transcript of a May 2024 conversation on equality between Sandel & Piketty is painfully dated for US readers as of Februar75% done but feel that this transcript of a May 2024 conversation on equality between Sandel & Piketty is painfully dated for US readers as of February 2025. Reading it isn't without merit (pun kinda intended) for those, like me, who have not studied economics. What is amusing, however, is the deep dive into education equality and steps to bridge the gap since the US is now considering eliminating DoE, ergo, any idea seems preposterous... though I did find the lottery idea fascinating. Will update this mini review if there is a strong finish.
**updated 3.5 stars I stand with previous thoughts after finishing the book. The final few pages delve into identity as one of the three ideologies that seem to be causing friction in achieving the goal of equality. It felt a bit simplistic and siloed. This feeling was reinforced by Sandel's example of his encounter with an Iowan in an elevator while they both were vacationing in Florida. The Iowa woman had asked Sandel where he was from and he replied Boston. She proceeded to state that she was from Iowa and went on about Iowans not being uneducated but in a manner that was very defensive. Sandel used this to emphasize his points about folks in rural areas feeling that they are being criticized and are viewed less than because of where they reside. While I understood his argument, I believe that identity politics are far more nuanced and a wide net cannot be cast. As a person who is also from Iowa, I've never felt inferior when traveling and meeting folks from larger urban areas. Granted, I never brag about IA being a place to visit (and it has gotten so much worse since our state is determined to be ruled by the folks behind Project 2025) yet, people are people and our intelligence manifests in many different ways. Anyhoo, I'd like to see a follow-up in May 2025 because the equality question has risen in complexity in the US in the last 30 days. ~...more
Listened to a recent Dan Harris podcast with Zenju Earthlyn Manuel that struck a chord. In many ways, I thought I've nothing in common with Manuel, yeListened to a recent Dan Harris podcast with Zenju Earthlyn Manuel that struck a chord. In many ways, I thought I've nothing in common with Manuel, yet the words were felt too deeply for that to be true. Ergo, I got ahold of this on audio, read by ZEM, and did a deep dive. Granted, I need to relisten because it was at set at 2x speed, however, the gems that I needed to hear, stuck.
Zenju Earthlyn Manuel writes in a way that takes you alongside without judgement or lecture. However, I am far from a perfect human and have errored many times in letting other get away with bad behavior because I believed a narrative about "us and them and me". ZEM reminds me that these embodied narratives are to be reflected upon and understood for what they are...which is often not the truth.
The first listen offered me two takeaways to immediately reflect upon: the dangers of letting ancestral and societal belief systems "live" regarding race, sexuality, and gender [I'd add age too] & believing that one's outward appearance is who we are....or a reflection of who we are...and letting others set that as our "worth" is an imprisonment of soullessness (my interpretation).
There is no earth without the stars. When we die, Dragonfly says, we go to the farther camps. Death is not the end of life. There is life in the fart There is no earth without the stars. When we die, Dragonfly says, we go to the farther camps. Death is not the end of life. There is life in the farther camps. The stars are fires in the farther camps. (N. Scott Momaday, p.22)
Earth Keeper was a deeply moving read that allowed me to travel to the vast plains and the southwest canyons in my mind's eye. Poems are short and concise, mostly less than twenty lines, and their impact (at times) took me by surprise. Momaday honors the reader with insight into his Kiowa culture and weaves many poems with a special narrator, Dragonfly. The poems honoring the loss/gift of the horse, the man named "Stone", and the unknown woman buried in the east are so brief, yet they left me wishing to know each person more.
3.5ish... but I'm not usually a popular fiction reader, ergo, this may be too low. I listened to this at a 2x pace and the reader was excellent. Danzy3.5ish... but I'm not usually a popular fiction reader, ergo, this may be too low. I listened to this at a 2x pace and the reader was excellent. Danzy Senna addresses key themes of race, creative careers, and socio-cultural norms in pop culture and the entertainment industry. One could lightly compare it to Everett's "Erasure" without the biting dialogue or the clever plot line. Senna's characters brings to light problems often reinforced by the system | gatekeepers in the creative industries, academia, and american society. Senna unpacked a lot regarding racism, ageism, economics, and relationships, yet the novel remained upbeat and fast paced. The ending seemed rushed, but it did offer closure. ...more
Listened to this one...read by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Above all, I encourage folks to read this book through the lens in which it was written: to bring attListened to this one...read by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Above all, I encourage folks to read this book through the lens in which it was written: to bring attention to the power of words, the destructive nature of oppression and colonialism, and the importance of giving voice to those that are marginalized.
"The Message" was presented through the lens of Coates experiencing three very different places in the world (South Carolina, Senegal, and Israel & Palestine territories) with an underlying theme of oppression in various forms. Never does Coates claim to be an authority on Palestine or Israel. What he does repeat (as he has in many interviews) is that the Palestinian | Palestinian-American voice has remained non existent for decades in American media | publishing whereas the Israeli voice has agency within media | publishing. He was trying to shine a light where it is often not shown. The through-line of oppression | colonialism is not a stretch considering the writer is Coates, an African-American who has experienced his own oppression | racism as well as the ancestral legacy that is part of America's history. The fact that folks are drilling down on the part of the book about Palestine in a combative way is thought-provoking considering the larger context of the book.
We all come at things through a different lens. I felt that this was reiterated many times by Coates in the book and during interviews. He understands that to have someone speak for him, as a African-American man, is to cause erasure in the name of "othering", ergo, he was careful not to "other" by making his commentary of his visit to Israel & Palestine self-reflective. Recent podcasts with Ezra Klein & Trevor Noah are placing a lot of eyes on this book. If you are a humanists, I highly recommend reading it for yourself before wading into the divisive commentary....more
The title of this book reminded me of Etheridge Knight's poem "The Sun Came", however, the tone of the two works are not the same. Anthony Ray Hinton The title of this book reminded me of Etheridge Knight's poem "The Sun Came", however, the tone of the two works are not the same. Anthony Ray Hinton spent 30 years on death row in Alabama due to a multitude of sins, none that were his own. Hinton story is horrific, a nightmare, yet if you are an American and paying attention to our criminal justice system, the narrative is nothing new. Hinton was failed by a system that has different sets of rules based on race, class, and sex. As a poor, young Black man in Alabama he got played by a system that included a racist prosecutor (McGregor), substandard appointed defense attorney, and a justice system that does not want to recognize its own failures. Hinton is another extraordinary man whose life was saved because of the diligence of Bryan Stevenson (Just Mercy).
I'm grateful that the title of this book stopped me when scrolling for a new audio book. It brought me to tears a few times today as I listened straight through. Hinton is a beacon. He shines a light for others, exemplifying how those that found faith in something that is beyond them can be a prism. He reminds me of the importance of believing in what cannot be known, and to let the imagination roam because it can save oneself and/or those around you because it generates resilience.
Finally, this book should be assigned to all L1 students to read. Law students will some day be in positions of power and must remember that the system still works against so many in this country. This book should also be read by anyone who thinks the death penalty is just. As Hinton and Stevenson show, there should not be a death penalty when the system deciding death is fraught with racism, classism, and economic inequality.
Listened to this memoir read by the author. Hua Hsu provides insight into personal experiences as an Asian American growing up in CA while having one Listened to this memoir read by the author. Hua Hsu provides insight into personal experiences as an Asian American growing up in CA while having one of his parents (father) continue to keep residence in Taiwan. Hsu revisits his coming of age during the 90s through a socio-cultural lens with a heavy focus on his college years. In college, he meets Ken, a Japanese-American, who seems a bit Hsu's nemesis yet becomes one of his closest friends. To everyone's horror, especially Hsu's, Ken is killed in a carjacking on a night that Hsu had been with him at a party and decides to leave. The last few chapters explore survivors guilt and the natural struggles that Hsu has as he copes with this deep loss.
This felt like a very brief foray that starts whimsical and ends quite somberly. Hsu is relational in his writing and one is able to sit on the sidelines without much struggle to track his exploration of the past. As someone who grew up in the Midwest and is of relative age to the author, the 90s pop culture and phenomena Hsu unpacks was a Gen X walk down memory lane. Having lost friends in my late 20s and early 30s, I related to the grief that Hsu explores. I appreciated the insight into Hsu's world and hope that this book allowed him space to further process the loss of Ken....more
Wilhelm shares his scholarship and quest to make this a tangible translation for the West when there was not one. It details the history of how the orWilhelm shares his scholarship and quest to make this a tangible translation for the West when there was not one. It details the history of how the oracle came to rise in Chinese culture and ways it was used by various rulers and visionaries over the centuries. There is a deep dive into the trigrams (yin & yang lines), the ten wings, and the evolution of interpretation.The yarrow sticks and coin method are briefly discussed in this text, but the methodologies are not the focus.
The I Ching has been a looming interest of mine since studying Eastern philosophy decades ago. The oracle felt too complicated to want to delve deeper, however, too many references to it as of late peaked my curiosity. This seems like a solid book, however, I remain cautious with translations and interpretations by outsiders that explore socio-cultural and philosophical matters. Even those with the greatest respect for another's cultural practices and philosophies can unknowingly bring their own biases and cultural ignorance. ...more
Rebecca Solnit traveled an independent, solitary road in her late teens and early 20s which set the foundation for her sociopolitical-cultural commentRebecca Solnit traveled an independent, solitary road in her late teens and early 20s which set the foundation for her sociopolitical-cultural commentary that has gained traction over the last two decades. This memoir made me realize that I'd be a different person today if I'd encountered more brave women friends like Solnit in my early 20s. This brief book offers glimpses into Solnit living in San Francisco as a struggling independent student turned writer while the world of sexism, racism, and homophobia took shape around her in various districts throughout San Francisco and the country. She unpacks what it means to be a female writer in an industry dominated by white males. She understands her privilege of being white, but more times than not, being female created more closed doors than open ones when she was starting out. As a reader who is middle aged, nothing in this book is new or shocking, however, it is an apt reminder of where we have been, where we are now, and that the gains can quickly dissipate in a society that still heralds the patriarchy as the high court of North America. Women continue to fight for existence in the US, especially if Black, Brown, Indigenous, and LGBTQIA+. First Solnit book I've listened to...will not be my last. ...more
3.5 Andre Perry offers a glimpse into his 20s & 30s through the lens of race and culture. Readers meet Perry in his 20s while he is living in San Fran3.5 Andre Perry offers a glimpse into his 20s & 30s through the lens of race and culture. Readers meet Perry in his 20s while he is living in San Fransisco as a struggling writer & band member. He reflects on living in several of the districts around San Fransisco in the early aughts as a creative and as a Black man. Perry becomes Midwest bound to continue his writing at UIowa Writers Workshop program. It is here where he unpacks several experiences of being a Black man in a state that is 90 percent white. He shares the nuances of Iowa City, a liberal oasis in a conservative state, that is still far from progressive when it comes to white folks addressing their own racism. Perry takes the reader along on his many benders, which offer insight into the times and how Perry navigates his internal tensions with becoming a writer and feelings of being an outsider. The writing style is conversational, descriptive, and deeply honest.
While living in IC, Perry's name came up because he has done a lot since his WW shop days. He has revamped a major independent arts venue and has recently been appointed the Director of a major performing arts venue associated with the University. I became curious about Perry's perspective on IC, especially since he decided to stay all these years later. That mystery was not solved, however, his ability to re-energize two performing art centers in this town makes a lot of sense after reading his quips on various music genres and cultural scenes. Perry has excellent, eclectic taste and approaches art culture writing very briefly....more
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