Category: Culture
What stories do you fear?
Recently, I saw a meme with a list of old banned books, saying, “kids, read these!” But I’d bet none of those are the books people are afraid of today. Kids see through this. No one stares in fear when you pull out Catcher in the Rye, or pulls…
Stepping out of your media bubble
Not long ago, my Californian friend Issa* told me she was surprised when her students rejected the New York Times as “too liberal.” She didn’t know what else one could recommend. Then, Midwesterner Betsy* told me she can’t find a news sources that all her friends trust. Fellow conservatives…
The “real” family: who lives together and why?
During the pandemic year, Amos* and I have been living with our families. First, we stayed with his parents and adult brother. Then, when mom’s cancer returned, I went to stay with my parents and their adult child, interspersed with time at my widowed grandmother’s house. It feels odd,…
Thoughts on money, gender, and power
One of the most memorable statements I’ve read was that the cliché, women want men with money and power works just as well if you take out the “men with.” Women want money and power. I appreciate this. Most women do want men. And we do want money and…
How to celebrate all 12 days of Christmas (minus partridges)
Twelfth Night update: So the twelve days of Christmas are almost over… but in my defense, I’ve been busy celebrating with family! I’ve also been contemplating how to mark the days between stockings and kings, especially if you’re not particularly fond of medieval saints. I think I’ve got it,…
If money were no object…
Well, the gentleman gave an excellent Christmas gift this year… even after I said I didn’t need anything. If money were no object… If money were no object, I’d put an end to class disparity. If money were no object, I’d topple corrupt financial systems for you. If money…
Generous ways to celebrate the winter holidays
In the last few years, I’ve shared about alternative gifts to give at Christmas, unusual Christmas songs, and Christmas in my ancestral region of Alsace, France. So of course I enjoy calendars of fun things to do at Christmas: Kindness Advent Calendars But I was even more charmed when a…
Many Thanksgivings
There are many ways to hold a Thanksgiving dinner. Often, we throw a party when good things happen. A father celebrates when his missing son comes home. A child is born, people marry, finish school, or get promoted. The harvest comes in, a trade deal is made, or fattened…
Where are all the diverse librarians? A data-driven reflection
1. on library demographics Soon after my $20,000 library degree, I surveyed other grads about their experiences. Starting salaries in the Library Journal’s annual Salaries & Placements survey looked great… but they seemed to be missing half of all graduates. Perhaps, I thought, they left out the MLIS grads…