I am a woman and I study and teach literature. Until relatively recently in my life, this has seemed a pretty normal, womanly thing to do. Not only am I a teacher – a typically female profession – but I… Read more ›
It is so short and jumbled and jangled, Sam, because there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre. Everybody is supposed to be dead, to never say anything or want anything ever again. Everything is supposed to be very… Read more ›
When I saw the protesters in Texas dressed like Handmaids protesting restrictive abortion laws, I knew I had a new life goal. I mean, think about it. This protest marries literally every single one of my interests. Books. Feminism. Protesting. Politics.… Read more ›
I’m over at We Are Teachers this week, talking about nine women of color in literature that all high school students should be reading: 1. Sethe from Beloved Beloved by Toni Morrison is an unforgettable novel about Sethe, a woman who… Read more ›
For this anthology, Avital wanted to create a space where women could debunk the myth of the “good mother.” You know the one: every aspect of her life is perfect, and she does it all while raising perfect kids. She never has a meltdown, or goes a few days without showering, and her kids will probably grow up to be geniuses.
Well, guess what? That mom actually doesn’t exist. Read more ›
Playing House: Notes of a Reluctant Mother by Lauren Slater My rating: 2 of 5 stars In Playing House: Notes of a Reluctant Mother, Lauren Slater tackles the tough stuff of life from deciding whether or not to have a… Read more ›
Just to be clear, I LOVE Out of Print Clothing. Not only do they have awesome clothes and accessories that are well-made, reasonably priced, and fit well, each of their products features a unique book cover which helps spread the… Read more ›
To the aforementioned students: You are, at this very moment, coming of age. It makes sense, then, why you would identify so much with the Holden Caulfields and Stephen Dedaluses of our literature class. You are mostly males between the… Read more ›
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz My rating: 3 of 5 stars Many of you have asked for my review of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, so here it is. I hope to hear… Read more ›
I have of late, but wherefore I know not, lost all my mirth, forgone all with my disposition that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory; this most excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave… Read more ›
“Miss. You really need to lay off on all of these essays. Writing is hard!” Yes, a student actually said this to me the other day, and before we respond to the whining of this generation and how, when we… Read more ›
This blog post was originally written for the Teaching Tolerance blog, but, as a mutual decision, we decided not to publish it. They were concerned that I was calling out the AP and College Board without sufficient evidence. My intention… Read more ›
“Oh we’re just happy if they’re reading.” It’s a phrase I hear often as a teacher. We give students books that have interesting covers, aren’t very long, and that grab young readers within the first chapter. If reluctant readers don’t… Read more ›
Oh my god, I love Catcher in the Rye. Seriously. Love it. Every time. I tried to explain to my students the other day why I loved it. They haven’t read it, so they were confused. “Is it about baseball?”… Read more ›
I love love LOVE this article about teaching Macbeth to junior high students that appeared in the New York Times a few weeks ago: Reading Shakespeare sounds like pandemonium. They take 10 minutes just to give out parts, one boy… Read more ›
For the past two years, I have asked my students to go on a quest through literature in my classes. They think of a time in their lives that they felt discriminated against or like an outcast. Then, they explain… Read more ›
Bitter is the New Black : Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass, Or, Why You Should Never Carry A Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office by Jen Lancaster My rating: 3 of 5 stars I checked out Jen Lancaster’s… Read more ›
Submissions are officially open for the seventh edition of the Feminist Odyssey Blog Carnival! The theme for this month is Women in Literature, and it will be hosted by Our Feminist {Play} School. The deadline is December 20, so get… Read more ›
The Huffington Post ran a piece yesterday about the five books every high school student should read before going to college. It was a pretty good list, and I agree that most of those books are incredibly important for teenagers,… Read more ›
When a director and screenwriter team up to adapt a book to a full-length feature film, the results are often mixed. The complexity of well-written stories often makes it difficult to do them justice in the span of a couple… Read more ›