C.H. Armstrong's Blog, page 6
October 14, 2015
I May Be Sick
So this morning I sent out the first round of ARCs to bloggers and reviewers for my novel, The Edge of Nowhere. I'm not gonna lie -- I've spent all day feeling like I'm gonna throw up. Yes -- I'm that nervous.
To date, the only people who've read this novel are:
1. My beta readers (all friends and family).
2. My publisher and editors.
As of this moment, it's in the hands of people who know nothing about me.
1. They don't know that this was my first work of fiction, or that my original goals didn't include having it published.
2. They don't know that this book was a cathartic act intended to help me understand my grandmother better.
3. And they don't know that the biggest catalyst for having this book published is because, in many ways, this is the story of my dad's family and my dad is suffering from dementia. He's rapidly losing his short-term memory. I need to get this book in his hands while he's with me enough to enjoy it.
The act of placing a finished work in the hands of readers is very personal. It's not too different from sending your first child out into the world and having no control over the strangers they meet or how they'll be treated. You hope they'll make some friends, but you know that there will be some people who will instantly dislike them. But you also hope that those who dislike them will remain relatively kind. After all, not every person likes every other person.
So off you go, my child. I've done all that I can to prepare you for the world. You're on your own now!
If you're an established blogger and are interested in being part of my blog tour, send me an e-mail. I could still use a few more book bloggers of my tour.
For now, I think I'll go grab a pillow and head to the bathroom to worship that porcelain god. I'm just so glad I cleaned the toilets today!
Until next time...
Cathie
To date, the only people who've read this novel are:
1. My beta readers (all friends and family).
2. My publisher and editors.
As of this moment, it's in the hands of people who know nothing about me.
1. They don't know that this was my first work of fiction, or that my original goals didn't include having it published.
2. They don't know that this book was a cathartic act intended to help me understand my grandmother better.
3. And they don't know that the biggest catalyst for having this book published is because, in many ways, this is the story of my dad's family and my dad is suffering from dementia. He's rapidly losing his short-term memory. I need to get this book in his hands while he's with me enough to enjoy it.
The act of placing a finished work in the hands of readers is very personal. It's not too different from sending your first child out into the world and having no control over the strangers they meet or how they'll be treated. You hope they'll make some friends, but you know that there will be some people who will instantly dislike them. But you also hope that those who dislike them will remain relatively kind. After all, not every person likes every other person.
So off you go, my child. I've done all that I can to prepare you for the world. You're on your own now!
If you're an established blogger and are interested in being part of my blog tour, send me an e-mail. I could still use a few more book bloggers of my tour.
For now, I think I'll go grab a pillow and head to the bathroom to worship that porcelain god. I'm just so glad I cleaned the toilets today!
Until next time...
Cathie
October 13, 2015
Working on a New Book
Well, there's only so much a person can do in terms of promotions while waiting for the release of a book, so I'm back to writing -- and I'm really excited at my work in progress.
All I can really tell you at this point is that it'll be a work of women's fiction, written in a man's first person point of view, and the photo below is the model who inspired the main character.
Can't wait!
Are you intrigued? His name is Brock O'Hurn, and he looks like a mother-in-law's dream. I say "mother-in-law" because I'm far too old to be thinking about him in any other way. But y'all are welcome to! :)
All I can really tell you at this point is that it'll be a work of women's fiction, written in a man's first person point of view, and the photo below is the model who inspired the main character.
Can't wait!
Are you intrigued? His name is Brock O'Hurn, and he looks like a mother-in-law's dream. I say "mother-in-law" because I'm far too old to be thinking about him in any other way. But y'all are welcome to! :)
October 1, 2015
When Book Banners Go Too Far...
Today marks Day Five of Banned Books Week, and how could we possibly come close to finishing out the week without commenting on one of the most well-loved and most-challenged author for several decades running: Judy Blume.
If you were ever a child (and isn't that every one of us), then Judy Blume's name is at least familiar to you. She wrote the books that helped many of us get through adolescence. She was the adult in our lives who told us that our experiences were normal! She told us about the facts of life, and she told them to us straight. And we appreciated and loved her for it. But, for her efforts, she's been one of the most challenged authors ever.
My childhood would not have been complete without many of Blume's books. She was part of the "village" that raised me. Among my favorites were:
Are You there God? It's Me, Margaret: One of the best books to cover that confusing time when a girl leaves behind childhood and takes her first steps toward womanhood. Blume's address of menstruation and buying that first bra took away some of the embarrassment that an 11-year old me felt at the time.
Blubber: Long before it became social taboo to bully kids, Judy Blume was tackling this topic in her books. She made it clear that it wasn't acceptable, and allowed those readers who'd been bullied an opportunity to finally gain some self esteem and come out on top!
Forever: Truly the first romance novel I ever read, Forever tells the story of young love and first experiences. Sure, it explores sex from a teenage perspective, but can you honestly say that -- as a teen -- you weren't curious about sex and, in many cases, too embarrassed to discuss it with your parents? Blume takes the agony out of the wanting to know. It's beautifully written and remains one of my favorites to this day.
These are only a few of the many issues Blume has tackled that has made her the target of not only would-be book banners, but real-life bullies! Yes, bullies! According to an article in The Guardian , some people weren't happy with simply banning Blume's books. Some people went so far as to make personal threats to her safety. The Guardian quotes Blume as saying:
"I went to a couple of places two years ago and I got seven hundred and something hate-mail warnings – 'We know where you are going to be and we'll be there waiting for you', that sort of thing," says Blume. "My publisher sent me with a bodyguard. He was wonderful, I loved knowing he was there. And nothing happened and probably nothing would have happened, but it was very scary."
The Guardian's article was dated July of 2014! That means that as late as just three years ago, people in the United States not only wanted to ban her books, but wished to do her personal harm! Wow! How's that for living in the Home of the Free?
I'm now 45 and owe a good bit of my love for reading to Judy Blume. I also owe more than a small part of my own self-esteem to her as well. To Judy Blume, I bow down low and say, simply, THANK YOU!
September 30, 2015
Banned Books Week: Day 4 - Captain Underpants
Continuing the theme of Banned Books Week, below is the article I ran on my blog this morning at C.H. Armstrong Books & Blog. Enjoy!
Here we are at day four of Banned Books Week! Today, I want to talk about one of my favorite books written for young readers: Captain Underpants!
Really? Captain Underpants? Yes! Captain Underpants! I love these books! I loved them roughly fifteen years ago when my daughter (now 19) brought the first one home and, since then, I've loved every one I've seen. I couldn't wait until my 11 year-old son was ready for them!
Why do I like them? Because they're funny, and because they capture the interests of young and reluctant readers. I remember sitting up late one night with my mother-in-law -- long after my daughter had gone to bed -- as we laughed so hard we cried over some of the antics of Pilkey's characters. They were charming, a whole lot goofy, and were exactly what my daughter needed at that time to spark an interest in reading. So, to sum up the why of what there is to love about Captain Underpants, I'd say that there are far toofew books out there that can capture the attention of young and reluctant readers in the way that Captain Underpants can. That, alone, makes it a winner in my book!
According to the American Library Association, Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants series was the most challenged book for two straight years -- 2012 and 2013. Surprisingly, Pilkey's books didn't make the top ten list for 2014 -- though I'll bet it's somewhere on the list of top twenty or thirty.
As the parent of a reluctant reader (two, actually), I searched for books like Captain Underpants. I'm a firm believer that children don't truly dislike reading. Rather, they've not discovered what they like to read. It takes time. Some people are still searching for their niche as adults. My job as a parent is to help my children find that niche so that they can fill it sooner rather than later.
So what's "wrong" with Captain Underpants? According to an NPR article, Pilkey himself suspects that one of the underlying reasons for some of the challenges is that the book's main characters "challenge authority." NPR quotes Pilkey as saying:
Ahhhh...This goes back to a theme I mentioned earlier this week -- the need for our children to discover that the world around them is bigger than themselves, and that they need to think critically and come to their own conclusions. As parents, of course we don't want our children to be disrespectful, but do we really want them to not question something they know is wrong, even if the perpetrator of the wrong-doing is an authority figure?
You see, that's what reading does! Reading opens the mind of the reader. It teaches him to think for himself and to make opinions about the world around him.
Kudos to Dav Pilkey and others like him who aren't afraid to make our children think.
Do you have a child struggling to understand about banned books? Do you struggle with how to handle a book that you don't want your child to read? No worries! As a parent, it's you're right to decide appropriate reading material for your own children. This wonderful video by Dav Pilkey might help you navigate the waters of how to handle the situation if you find that you disagree with a book in your child's library. Enjoy!
The Adventures of Captain Underpants
Dav Pilkey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=114&a...
Here we are at day four of Banned Books Week! Today, I want to talk about one of my favorite books written for young readers: Captain Underpants!
Really? Captain Underpants? Yes! Captain Underpants! I love these books! I loved them roughly fifteen years ago when my daughter (now 19) brought the first one home and, since then, I've loved every one I've seen. I couldn't wait until my 11 year-old son was ready for them!
Why do I like them? Because they're funny, and because they capture the interests of young and reluctant readers. I remember sitting up late one night with my mother-in-law -- long after my daughter had gone to bed -- as we laughed so hard we cried over some of the antics of Pilkey's characters. They were charming, a whole lot goofy, and were exactly what my daughter needed at that time to spark an interest in reading. So, to sum up the why of what there is to love about Captain Underpants, I'd say that there are far toofew books out there that can capture the attention of young and reluctant readers in the way that Captain Underpants can. That, alone, makes it a winner in my book!According to the American Library Association, Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants series was the most challenged book for two straight years -- 2012 and 2013. Surprisingly, Pilkey's books didn't make the top ten list for 2014 -- though I'll bet it's somewhere on the list of top twenty or thirty.
As the parent of a reluctant reader (two, actually), I searched for books like Captain Underpants. I'm a firm believer that children don't truly dislike reading. Rather, they've not discovered what they like to read. It takes time. Some people are still searching for their niche as adults. My job as a parent is to help my children find that niche so that they can fill it sooner rather than later.
So what's "wrong" with Captain Underpants? According to an NPR article, Pilkey himself suspects that one of the underlying reasons for some of the challenges is that the book's main characters "challenge authority." NPR quotes Pilkey as saying:
"I don't consider the books to be anti-authoritarian," he says, "but I do think it is important, if you think something is wrong, to question authority — because, you know, there are villains in real life, and they don't always wear black capes and black hats. Sometimes they're dressed like authority figures. And kids need to know that it's important to question them."
Ahhhh...This goes back to a theme I mentioned earlier this week -- the need for our children to discover that the world around them is bigger than themselves, and that they need to think critically and come to their own conclusions. As parents, of course we don't want our children to be disrespectful, but do we really want them to not question something they know is wrong, even if the perpetrator of the wrong-doing is an authority figure?
You see, that's what reading does! Reading opens the mind of the reader. It teaches him to think for himself and to make opinions about the world around him.
Kudos to Dav Pilkey and others like him who aren't afraid to make our children think.
Do you have a child struggling to understand about banned books? Do you struggle with how to handle a book that you don't want your child to read? No worries! As a parent, it's you're right to decide appropriate reading material for your own children. This wonderful video by Dav Pilkey might help you navigate the waters of how to handle the situation if you find that you disagree with a book in your child's library. Enjoy!
The Adventures of Captain Underpants
Dav Pilkey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=114&a...
September 29, 2015
SHOULD "TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD" BE BANNED?
Good morning! Today I return to my favorite subject and the topic for this week: Banned and Challenged Books! Can there be any better topic for discussion ever? The following article ran on my website this morning at C.H. Armstrong Books & Blog. I hope you enjoy it here!
Just about anyone who knows me at all knows that my favorite book in the entire world is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I've said many times that this book -- more than any other influence in my life -- shaped the person I am today. The lessons of tolerance, acceptance and understanding are deeply ingrained in the adult I have become; and I owe a huge debt to Ms. Lee and my high school English teachers for those lessons.
To Kill a Mockingbird has been widely challenged in the 50-odd years since its publication. Before we can understand why it's been challenged, first let me tell you a little about the book for those who haven't read it.
To Kill a Mockingbird tells the story of a young girl growing up in Alabama before the Civil Rights Movement. If you know anything about the more southern states, it will come as no surprise to you that race relations are still an issue; and it was most definitely an issue when the book takes place in 1940s Alabama. The book's protagonist, Scout Finch, is five or six years old and ignorant of the racial tensions around her. She's been raised by a single father, Atticus, whose presence in her life is somewhat omnipotent.
Atticus is -- to this day and in my mind -- the wisest man ever. He teaches his children life lessons though his own actions, and through analogies.
The core of the story centers around Scout's day-to-day life in Macomb, Alabama. Her father, a respected attorney and town leader, has been asked defend an innocent black man accused of raping a white woman. The only way for this man to hope for proper representation and a fair trial in this segregated southern town is through Atticus. So he takes on the legal representation and stands against "his own people" to defend a black man. As you can imagine, this doesn't sit well with the people of Macomb, and their anger touches those closest to Atticus -- maybe most especially Scout and her older brother, Jem.
Through the novel, Atticus teaches his children several important lessons. The most important of which is probably those of kindness, tolerance and acceptance. He teaches them not to judge without knowledge, and not to hurt others by vicious words and thoughtless deeds. It truly is, in my mind, an instruction manual of sorts for how to live life.
As a child reader, the lessons of To Kill a Mockingbird made an indelible impression upon me and have followed me my entire life. I remember as though it were yesterday the words of Atticus Finch as he told Jem, “It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” He goes on to explain that mockingbirds do nothing to draw the wrath of people; they just fly around making beautiful music for people to enjoy. Even as a child, I was able to connect the dots and understand that Atticus Finch wasn’t just referring to mockingbirds -- he was talking about people, too. Just as it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird, it should also be a sin to hurt others for no better reason than the color of their skin, or because they’re different and that difference scares us. Even then, it seemed clear to me that racism was about fear, and I’ve made a conscious decision not to be fearful in my life.
Why then, with so many important lessons, has To Kill a Mockingbird -- a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction -- found itself challenged so many times? What could really be wrong with challenging…wrong?
According to the Banned Book Awareness website, the first major challenge to this novel came in 1966 in Hanover, Virginia, when a parent argued that using rape as one of the central themes of a novel was immoral. Cleary this didn't sit well with the author, Harper Lee. About the author's reaction, the article states:
Have I mentioned that Harper Lee is my hero?
The article goes on to explain that future challenges seemed to center around the theme of racism, some saying that the central theme of discrimination wasn't addressed harshly enough. And still other challenges were issued on the basis of language, such as the words "damn" and "whore lady." In the 1980s, some schools called it a "filthy, trashy novel."
Really? If To Kill a Mockingbird is a "filthy, trashy novel," then I'd argue that our country needs a whole lot more "filthy, trashy novels."
The last challenge I could find for this novel came in 2011 when it once again made the Top Ten List for that year's most frequently banned books.
All of this leads me to the one question I always come back to when it comes to banned and challenged books: why? Why does one person (or a group of people) feel that their personal, moral, or religious beliefs are more important than the First Amendment? Why does anyone think it's okay dictate for others what is or isn't appropriate reading material?
One of the best aspects of To Kill a Mockingbird is that it makes people think. For me, it made me think so hard that it influenced who I became as a person. And really, isn't that what we want for our children? Don't we want them to become independent thinkers and to see the world around them as something bigger than themselves?
If you haven't read this novel, I'd strongly encourage it. Buy it. Read it. Share it with your children. Give it as a gift for college graduation. I wasn't kidding when I referred to it as an instruction manual for how to live life. It's that good!
Have you read To Kill a Mockingbird? If so, what do you think? Would you let our 8th grader read it? I'd love to hear your comments.
In the meantime...Because I feel so strongly about this novel, I leave below links where you can satisfy your curiosity by instantly purchasing a copy. Do it - you'll thank me later!
Just about anyone who knows me at all knows that my favorite book in the entire world is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I've said many times that this book -- more than any other influence in my life -- shaped the person I am today. The lessons of tolerance, acceptance and understanding are deeply ingrained in the adult I have become; and I owe a huge debt to Ms. Lee and my high school English teachers for those lessons.To Kill a Mockingbird has been widely challenged in the 50-odd years since its publication. Before we can understand why it's been challenged, first let me tell you a little about the book for those who haven't read it.
To Kill a Mockingbird tells the story of a young girl growing up in Alabama before the Civil Rights Movement. If you know anything about the more southern states, it will come as no surprise to you that race relations are still an issue; and it was most definitely an issue when the book takes place in 1940s Alabama. The book's protagonist, Scout Finch, is five or six years old and ignorant of the racial tensions around her. She's been raised by a single father, Atticus, whose presence in her life is somewhat omnipotent.
Atticus is -- to this day and in my mind -- the wisest man ever. He teaches his children life lessons though his own actions, and through analogies.
The core of the story centers around Scout's day-to-day life in Macomb, Alabama. Her father, a respected attorney and town leader, has been asked defend an innocent black man accused of raping a white woman. The only way for this man to hope for proper representation and a fair trial in this segregated southern town is through Atticus. So he takes on the legal representation and stands against "his own people" to defend a black man. As you can imagine, this doesn't sit well with the people of Macomb, and their anger touches those closest to Atticus -- maybe most especially Scout and her older brother, Jem.
Through the novel, Atticus teaches his children several important lessons. The most important of which is probably those of kindness, tolerance and acceptance. He teaches them not to judge without knowledge, and not to hurt others by vicious words and thoughtless deeds. It truly is, in my mind, an instruction manual of sorts for how to live life.
As a child reader, the lessons of To Kill a Mockingbird made an indelible impression upon me and have followed me my entire life. I remember as though it were yesterday the words of Atticus Finch as he told Jem, “It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” He goes on to explain that mockingbirds do nothing to draw the wrath of people; they just fly around making beautiful music for people to enjoy. Even as a child, I was able to connect the dots and understand that Atticus Finch wasn’t just referring to mockingbirds -- he was talking about people, too. Just as it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird, it should also be a sin to hurt others for no better reason than the color of their skin, or because they’re different and that difference scares us. Even then, it seemed clear to me that racism was about fear, and I’ve made a conscious decision not to be fearful in my life.
Why then, with so many important lessons, has To Kill a Mockingbird -- a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction -- found itself challenged so many times? What could really be wrong with challenging…wrong?
According to the Banned Book Awareness website, the first major challenge to this novel came in 1966 in Hanover, Virginia, when a parent argued that using rape as one of the central themes of a novel was immoral. Cleary this didn't sit well with the author, Harper Lee. About the author's reaction, the article states:
Upon learning that school administrators were holding hearings regarding the book’s appropriateness for the classroom, Harper Lee sent $10 to The Richmond News Leader suggesting it to be used toward the enrollment of “the Hanover County School Board in any first grade of its choice.”
Have I mentioned that Harper Lee is my hero?
The article goes on to explain that future challenges seemed to center around the theme of racism, some saying that the central theme of discrimination wasn't addressed harshly enough. And still other challenges were issued on the basis of language, such as the words "damn" and "whore lady." In the 1980s, some schools called it a "filthy, trashy novel."
Really? If To Kill a Mockingbird is a "filthy, trashy novel," then I'd argue that our country needs a whole lot more "filthy, trashy novels."
The last challenge I could find for this novel came in 2011 when it once again made the Top Ten List for that year's most frequently banned books.
All of this leads me to the one question I always come back to when it comes to banned and challenged books: why? Why does one person (or a group of people) feel that their personal, moral, or religious beliefs are more important than the First Amendment? Why does anyone think it's okay dictate for others what is or isn't appropriate reading material?
One of the best aspects of To Kill a Mockingbird is that it makes people think. For me, it made me think so hard that it influenced who I became as a person. And really, isn't that what we want for our children? Don't we want them to become independent thinkers and to see the world around them as something bigger than themselves?
If you haven't read this novel, I'd strongly encourage it. Buy it. Read it. Share it with your children. Give it as a gift for college graduation. I wasn't kidding when I referred to it as an instruction manual for how to live life. It's that good!
Have you read To Kill a Mockingbird? If so, what do you think? Would you let our 8th grader read it? I'd love to hear your comments.
In the meantime...Because I feel so strongly about this novel, I leave below links where you can satisfy your curiosity by instantly purchasing a copy. Do it - you'll thank me later!
September 28, 2015
BANNED BOOKS WEEK: DAY TWO
This morning, I'm reblogging a post that ran on my website: C.H. Armstrong Books & Blog. It seemed relevant to all readers, so I thought you'd enjoy it.
In honor of Banned Books Week, I have decided to dedicate this entire week to celebrating banned and challenged books.
This morning as I was trying to decide which topic or book to cover in celebration of challenged and banned books, I ran across an article that completely shocked me. Just in time for this week's celebration, a parent in Tennessee has challenged one of the best books I've ever read: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
First let me tell you that I don't like non-fiction in general. With that said, I will now tell you that Henrietta Lacks is not only non-fiction, but is also one of the most memorable books in my overflowing library of books I've read. Knowing this about me should tell you that it must be a really wonderful book to be on my list of best books ever.
According to an article on the Banned Books Week Website, Jackie Sims -- whose son attends Knoxville's L&N STEM Academy -- believes Rebecca Skloot's true story about a woman with cervical cancer to be "pornographic." I had to laugh out loud as Skloot's response on Facebook.
TOUCHÉ, MS. SKLOOT! YOU ARE MY HERO!
The Banned Books website quotes local TV Station WBIR as follows: "Her son has been provided with an alternate text, per district policy, but Sims said she wants the text out of the hands of all Knox County Schools students."
AND THERE, MY FRIENDS, IS THE PROBLEM:
One parent deciding for an entire school district whether assigned reading material is appropriate for not only her own child, but every child within the district.
For those who are unaware, STEM stands for Science, Technology, Education and Math. Generally speaking, a STEM Academy School, in most cases, would be a "choice" school for students with higher academic abilities -- a school where kids are challenged to think beyond the textbook for greater success in the real world. Reading is a critical piece of thinking beyond the textbook, and advanced level classes (sometimes called Honors or even AP) are intended to make students think for themselves. The whole point is that these students are already high-level thinkers and need literature that forces them to make decisions about the world around them. To remove this book -- and others like it -- from school bookshelves or curriculum is to retard the learning process for these kids.
LET ME REITERATE WHAT I SAID YESTERDAY:
It is totally appropriate for a parent to decide that specific reading material is inappropriate for her own child. It is not, however, appropriate for one parent to decide appropriate reading material for all children.
In this regard -- while I disagree with her -- I commend this parent for knowing what her child is reading and taking action to "protect" his sensibilities. BUT, I draw the line with any individual who feels he or she has the right to decide for an entire reading population what is and is not appropriate reading, and that's what Ms. Sims is attempting to do.
For those who are unfamiliar with this book, allow me to give you a brief overview: Mrs. Henrietta Lacks was a poor black woman in the 1950s who suffered from cervical cancer. In the midst of her treatment, several of her cells were collected without her knowledge or permission, and those cells went on to pave the way for tremendous breakthroughs in medical science. Her cells became known as HeLa, and they are an immortal line of cells that are still being used today in the advancement of science as it relates to numerous medical issues.
The science community has made billions of dollars off of Mrs. Lacks' cells, and yet she never received a dime. In fact, her family still lives in poverty. Rebecca Skloot's book tells the story of Mrs. Lacks' life and discusses the rights and wrongs of collecting and using her sells without permission or compensation. It's a book that makes you think, and isn't that what we want our kids to do? Isn't that the goal of education?
For more on this particular story, I have included below a link to the WBIR-TV story on this proposed book banning. I'd love to hear what you think. Do you think that Ms. Sims is right in her quest to keep this book out of the hands of all children in the Knoxville, Tennessee school district? If so, tell me why. I'm not sure you'll convince me, but I'd love to hear your opinion.
For more information on the Knoxville, TN challenge, follow the link below:
http://www.on.wbir.com/1UCKvY8
In honor of Banned Books Week, I have decided to dedicate this entire week to celebrating banned and challenged books.
This morning as I was trying to decide which topic or book to cover in celebration of challenged and banned books, I ran across an article that completely shocked me. Just in time for this week's celebration, a parent in Tennessee has challenged one of the best books I've ever read: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.First let me tell you that I don't like non-fiction in general. With that said, I will now tell you that Henrietta Lacks is not only non-fiction, but is also one of the most memorable books in my overflowing library of books I've read. Knowing this about me should tell you that it must be a really wonderful book to be on my list of best books ever.
According to an article on the Banned Books Week Website, Jackie Sims -- whose son attends Knoxville's L&N STEM Academy -- believes Rebecca Skloot's true story about a woman with cervical cancer to be "pornographic." I had to laugh out loud as Skloot's response on Facebook.
Rebecca Skloot said in her response:
"... a parent in Tennessee has confused gynecology with pornography..."
TOUCHÉ, MS. SKLOOT! YOU ARE MY HERO!
Ms. Skloot goes on to say:
"...my book is many things: It's a story of race and medicine, bioethics, science illiteracy, the importance of education and equality and science and so much more. But it is not anything resembling pornography."
The Banned Books website quotes local TV Station WBIR as follows: "Her son has been provided with an alternate text, per district policy, but Sims said she wants the text out of the hands of all Knox County Schools students."
AND THERE, MY FRIENDS, IS THE PROBLEM:
One parent deciding for an entire school district whether assigned reading material is appropriate for not only her own child, but every child within the district.
For those who are unaware, STEM stands for Science, Technology, Education and Math. Generally speaking, a STEM Academy School, in most cases, would be a "choice" school for students with higher academic abilities -- a school where kids are challenged to think beyond the textbook for greater success in the real world. Reading is a critical piece of thinking beyond the textbook, and advanced level classes (sometimes called Honors or even AP) are intended to make students think for themselves. The whole point is that these students are already high-level thinkers and need literature that forces them to make decisions about the world around them. To remove this book -- and others like it -- from school bookshelves or curriculum is to retard the learning process for these kids.
LET ME REITERATE WHAT I SAID YESTERDAY:
It is totally appropriate for a parent to decide that specific reading material is inappropriate for her own child. It is not, however, appropriate for one parent to decide appropriate reading material for all children.
In this regard -- while I disagree with her -- I commend this parent for knowing what her child is reading and taking action to "protect" his sensibilities. BUT, I draw the line with any individual who feels he or she has the right to decide for an entire reading population what is and is not appropriate reading, and that's what Ms. Sims is attempting to do.
For those who are unfamiliar with this book, allow me to give you a brief overview: Mrs. Henrietta Lacks was a poor black woman in the 1950s who suffered from cervical cancer. In the midst of her treatment, several of her cells were collected without her knowledge or permission, and those cells went on to pave the way for tremendous breakthroughs in medical science. Her cells became known as HeLa, and they are an immortal line of cells that are still being used today in the advancement of science as it relates to numerous medical issues.
The science community has made billions of dollars off of Mrs. Lacks' cells, and yet she never received a dime. In fact, her family still lives in poverty. Rebecca Skloot's book tells the story of Mrs. Lacks' life and discusses the rights and wrongs of collecting and using her sells without permission or compensation. It's a book that makes you think, and isn't that what we want our kids to do? Isn't that the goal of education?
For more on this particular story, I have included below a link to the WBIR-TV story on this proposed book banning. I'd love to hear what you think. Do you think that Ms. Sims is right in her quest to keep this book out of the hands of all children in the Knoxville, Tennessee school district? If so, tell me why. I'm not sure you'll convince me, but I'd love to hear your opinion.
For more information on the Knoxville, TN challenge, follow the link below:
http://www.on.wbir.com/1UCKvY8
September 6, 2015
I made it!
I made it! I'm finally here on Goodreads! I've been an avid fan of Goodreads for years, and it's been a dream of mine for the last many years to claim "Goodreads Author Status."
If this is the first time you're seeing me, let me tell you a little about myself.
I currently live in Minnesota, but I was raised in Oklahoma. My father was one of fourteen children and, growing up during the Oklahoma Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, his family was the poorest kind of poor you can imagine. My dad's cousin pulled me aside one time about ten years ago to explain it to me.
"Cathie," he said, "I don't think you have any concept for how hard your dad and his siblings have worked to rise above poverty. When we were kids, they were dirt poor."
I thought I knew what "dirt poor" meant, but I had no idea. My dad's cousin went on to clarify for me.
"Dirt poor means exactly that. They were so poor that they couldn't even afford real floors in their home. The floor was dirt. It was quite literally the ground upon which their home was built."
I had no idea.
The more I learned about my dad and his family, the more intrigued I was. My grandmother had married a man more than twenty years her senior, and together they had a combined fourteen children. I say "combined," because my grandfather came to the marriage with five children from a previous marriage, and my grandmother went on to have four children more after his death.
Times were hard in this days. My grandfather passed away from an appendicitis rupture around 1934, leaving my grandmother with (then) ten children. Shortly thereafter, she lost the farm that was their livelihood; but she was determined to not allow her children to go hungry. She worked long hours taking in laundry and cleaning the homes of others, while her children also worked odd jobs to help supplement what she could bring in. While I've never come right out and asked, I'm not sure that all of her children finished high school. I don't think my dad did, but it's not something I'd ever ask him.
From that poverty, my dad and his siblings pulled themselves up and overcame. My father enlisted in the Army when he was too young to join legally by "borrowing" his older brother's birth certificate. This, of course, caused no end of problems in later years; but times were and they each did what they had to do to get by.
My father spent 20 years in the Army and, during this time, he enrolled in college and eventually earned three masters' degrees (History, Psychology and Counseling). He taught high school in my hometown of El Reno, OK for more than 25 years, and I'd like to believe he made a difference in the lives of his students. I know they made a difference in his own life.
Why do I give you all this backstory? Because the backstory is what prompted the writing of my book. The more I thought about those days of my father's youth -- specifically, my grandmother with all of those children -- the more I needed to know.
My grandmother passed away in the 1990s, and only my father and four siblings remain. What's left are the anecdotes without any real explanation behind them.
How did she do it? How did a 28 year old woman with (then) ten children survive alone in a time and place that defeated many grown men? If you've read The Grapes of Wrath, then you know that many Oklahomans went West for a better life; but, the truth is that most Oklahomans couldn't afford to leave. Most didn't have enough money to get out of the state, much less make it all the way to California. My grandmother and her children were among those who stayed behind.
The Edge of Nowhere is the story of my family, but it's really Oklahoma's Story. While it was inspired by my father's family -- and, in fact, includes many actual events passed down through family anecdotes -- in many ways it's the story of all Oklahomans who stayed behind. It's the story of tenacity and the strength of the human spirit. It's the story of the TRUE Spirit of Oklahoma -- that same spirit that takes Oklahomas through the devastation of tornados, floods, and even terroristic events. I hope you'll add it to your Goodreads list and let me know what you think when you're done reading.. You can find my book here. Just a note that the cover hasn't been revealed yet, but should be soon...REALLY SOON!
What more can I tell you? I'd love to answer your questions, so be sure to ask! If you're new to me, consider surfing over to my website to see what I'm up to and what kinds of things I've posted, both about my own books and the books authored by others. Here's the link to my website: C.H. Armstrong Books & Blog. I hope to see you over there!
Until next time!
Cathie
