Gina Harris's Blog, page 70

February 24, 2020

Black History Month: School integration

Looking back at history with an eye to women or people of color is important, and generally disappointing. You knew there was racism, you knew there was slavery, you knew some people were murdered, but then the more you look the more there is, and the worse we have been.

For example, I have thought the return to actual, open Nazis was a departure from where we had been. Sure, we have backtracked, and it comes from not honestly examining the past, but at least until recently we didn't have any illusions about Nazis being bad.

Raoul Peck's I Am Not Your Negro was not initially on my radar, but the library had a viewing. I couldn't make that but I checked out the DVD and watched it. It turns out that people protesting school integration in the South used a lot of swastikas.

Brown versus the Kansas Board of Education was decided in 1954. Most of the famous photos of Black students going into formerly segregated schools happened between 1957 and 1960. Younger students were probably mostly born after the war, and even seniors for those years wouldn't necessarily remember it, but still, the war is not an abstract at that point. Parents and grandparents and teachers and certainly all of the adult protestors should have remembered the United States rising up and winning the war against evil. Sure, we didn't live up to that promise in a lot of ways, but swastikas in 1957? Really?

I watched documentaries about the Brown case and the attempts at integration in Clinton, Tennessee and Baltimore, Maryland, as well as reading a book from one of the Clinton 12, Jo Ann Allen Boyce.

It was disturbing to see that so many of the early students ended up dropping out or transferring or moving away. There was harassment at schools and at home. Sometimes interracial relationships that had been friendly before integration changed after, perhaps indicating that one factor in the harmony was everyone knowing their place.

In some areas, white people were able to strike a blow for segregation by withdrawing their kids. Ruby Bridges was the only child in her class for her first year of school. It makes me have to wonder, when did we integrate? Are we integrated yet?

bell hooks switched from a segregated to an integrated school a few years later. (It should have been the late 60s, but I can't find the exact date.) She writes about going from teachers who believed in their abilities (though still having some issues with colorism) to going to a school with more hostility. Some people tried to reach across, and some committed to their duty, but there was a lot of hostility.

That is a common theme with other students. Would they have been better off staying at the other schools? That sounds terrible, but the problem isn't the integration, it's doing it without the commitment to the welfare of the students. How do you reach the point of people accepting integration without starting it before they accept it? Do you have to sacrifice students?

It looks different out here in the Northwest. When I was in grade school, I could count the number of Black students in the school on one hand. In junior high I would have needed both hands, but you get the idea. It wasn't all white, because there were several students with Asian and Latinx heritages, but it was pretty white. That was not due to any school policy, but because our neighborhoods weren't integrated. Racist policy from years back did lay behind that.

Oddly, the thing that has made our area more integrated now (besides immigration) is that gentrification has pushed a lot of people out of their historical areas as they have gotten more expensive. I like the greater diversity, but that doesn't make gentrification a good thing. Plus, the new high school drew its boundaries very carefully to try and get the students most likely to excel, which means we have one high school that is very wealthy and one with a high homeless population. Fixing the social problems would probably do more to fix the schools, but when you are in charge of the schools, what helps most? What works best?

I don't have any answers; I just think the questions are important.

I also believe there are answers out there, and that good things can be done if enough of us will decide that we want it.
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 24, 2020 17:21

February 21, 2020

Band Review: The Frst

The Frst is an alternative indie-pop-rock band based in Nashville.

Spearheaded by Mikei Gray - whose interview was posted yesterday - the band pulls from the rich local music scene to bring in talented musicians and capture what happens.

It would not be at all surprising if that mix ended up producing mostly party anthems, but that has not been the result. I think that can be attributed to two things.

Firstly, the influences on the band are too diverse for one single sound to dominate. Gray has played with groups like the Steve Miller Band, Florida Georgia Line, and Sean Kingston. For bands liked they list (among others) Imagine Dragons, Jason Mraz, and Haim. There is a lot to draw on.

In addition, there is an intentionality to the formation and management of the band that almost necessitates a thoughtfulness to what happens.

The songs are rock, but there is a philosophy to them, and a gentleness behind them. That doesn't mean that you can't find a current of funk running through "Seven Eleven", and I would even go so far as to say it is a Southern funk, but that does not define it.

There are currently six tracks out, all with videos. I think "Rules" is my favorite, but "Another One" may be the one that comes back to me more later.

That's one of the great things about music; it has effects you can't always predict. More than that, the effects matter.

I believe that The Frst understands that.

https://www.thefrst.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thefrstofficial/
https://www.youtube.com/user/MikeiGray
https://twitter.com/thefrstofficial
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 21, 2020 15:46

February 20, 2020

Interview: 5 questions with MIKEI GRAY

Mikei Gray has started band The Frst after playing live guitar with many musicians for the past decade. A review of The Frst will be posted tomorrow, but today we get to know Mikei a little better.

This interview was conducted via e-mail.

"Another One" relates to distracted driving and road rage, less common for song topics; tell us about some other song inspirations?

Well, Cycles was written about the cyclical nature of everything in life- music, fashion, politics, culture. Rules is pretty self explanatory, although it's meant more light hearted than it's often taken.
Ammo is about letting go of the past and more troubling times.

Pawn Shop, while a fun ode to a long standing Rock & Roll tradition of using what you've got around you and having to make it work, is also tribute to growing up in Gainesville, FL. At the time, there was no Guitar Center or anything and Lipham's (the only music store in town) wasn't keen on Punk then, so I spent a lot of time jamming in Pawn Shops with my Dad. He was always haggling them down on some weird guitar that we'd chop up and try to make sound better.

"There is no I in First" but, you are the driving force behind the band; how do you balance leadership with listening?

The nature of the song determines everything; which musicians are going to play on the record, who's going to mix it, etc... Ultimately, the music gets played for a small group of folks that we trust for honest feedback, not 'yes man kinda crap', but it's more about watching reactions and movements more than what people are saying.

What do you like most and least about being based in Nashville?


We wouldn't exist if it weren't for Nashville. Rock and Alternative music are a tightly knit underground community, which plays a large part of what led us to form in The Frst place (pardon the pun). And that in itself really is the best and worst part of Nashville. Okay the CMA traffic maybe the worst, but aside from that.... [Laughs]

You have spent a decade playing guitar for and with other musicians; what are some things that you have learned during that time?
Do exactly what you want to do now, because tomorrow probably isn't going to happen the way you think it will. When it does, it 's a wonderful surprise. Musically speaking, it may only take one song to catch an audience, but if you want to keep them you better have a plan, and fast. Otherwise they'll split because we have every flavor in the world at our finger tips. It's inspiring, but it also raises the bar. Finally, just ride the waves, there's a lot of ups and downs in any musicians career, be happy for your peers and just make music every single day!

What do you bring to the studio?
For the most part we're operating out of our own studio at the Missing i Records office, Jeff probably has to bring the most and that's just an extra snare drum and maybe a few cymbals. The rest of the gear is setup, mic's placed, ready to flip a switch and start rocking. We record everything we play, because you never know when the magic is going to hit, and when it does, it isn't the same on the second pass, (Are you catching a theme here?) so we will frequently stop and rewind and see exactly how a few bars of a jam transpired. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It sounds like Mikei is doing exactly what he should be. Tune in tomorrow for more on The Frst!
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 20, 2020 13:22

February 19, 2020

Black History Month: Random readings

Even when I have a defined reading plan things do not always go as expected; without a plan everything was always going to be all over the place. I did want to spend a little time on how and why I read what I read. Me adding things and getting distracted  and mission creep are all common themes; here's some delineation of how that works sometimes. It's not all-inclusive, because that would take too long, and sometimes I don't even know.

Starting out with a theme

Affrilachia by Frank X. Walker

I really thought that while focusing on film it would make sense to read some poetry too, and that this would be a good start. Then I just didn't find any other poets that I hadn't read yet. I have been pretty good about incorporating poetry into other months. I wanted to read some Frances E.W. Harper, but I couldn't find her book. I just didn't get back to that idea, except that the Boyce book was kind of poetry too.


Because of people I know on Twitter
Missing Daddy by Mariame Kaba
Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists: A Graphic History of Women's Fight for their Rights by Mikki Kendall and A D'Amico

I follow Kaba and Kendall, and was excited to find their books available. Kaba's book is a children's book, covering a not well-filled niche. Kendall's book is amazing for how much it covers. It could easily fit into a college curriculum. That should be checked out.

Still from Twitter, but not quite as personally connected
Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry and Vashti Harrison
The Deep by Rivers Solomon and clipping.


Solomon wrote their novel inspired by a song by clipping., though that is kind of oversimplifying it. The book got a lot of Twitter buzz, and it was deserved. I don't tend to read a lot of fiction because there is so much non-fiction I want to get to, but it has a purpose too. It's important to remember that, and balance it some.

Hair Love got Twitter buzz and Oscar buzz, because there is a video short too. They are both really good, but here is your guide, based on my perception: the book is more from the girl's point of view, and the video identifies more with her father. Perhaps because of that, I understood the book better after seeing the video, so I would start with that.
Just because of how library searches work

The Headless Haunt and Other African-American Ghost Stories by James Haskins

I Love My Hair! by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley and E. B. Lewis

It is actually quite logical that I Love My Hair! came up when I was searching for Hair Love. The book of ghost stories did not really relate to what I was looking for, but hey, sometimes there is serendipity. I love "real" ghost stories.

Because of the Goodreads book awards
Sulwe by Lupita N'yongo and Vashti Harrison

Once a year I am encouraged to vote for books in 16 different categories. Generally I have only read a handful of the books in maybe three or four categories, but I still look through them and I usually check out a few of the children's books. In this case I am quite fond of Lupita N'yongo, and I was already familiar with Harrison's gorgeous art from Hair Love.


Suggested by a friend 
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

I posted an article about the Black Panther breakfast program, and a friend mentioned there was a book about it from the point of view of children participating. I liked it. We may be separated by time and race, but as an overly responsible older sibling, I related a lot to the main character.

I read an article

The Promise of Change by Jo Ann Allen Boyce

One of the exciting things about this last round was how current so many of the books were; people were talking about them and nominating them because they were new. Most of that was happening in 2019, but I was reading things in the year they came out and that is not that common. Anyway, I read a review of Boyce's book, and decided to read the book itself.

That was the book that blended the most with my unexpected watching, and that is something I need to write about a little more next week.
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 19, 2020 15:47

February 18, 2020

Black History Month: Spotlight on Sean Qualls

On a separate note, I have decided this year to get back to my goal of checking out all of the Caldecott Medal winners. I am just checking out five a month, so it is not overwhelming.

It makes sense to write about that here, because some of them aren't very well-written. This is disappointing, but logical; the award is for the illustrations, not the text. (And it's still not as disappointing as some of the more racist illustrations and text, especially for 1940 and 1941.)

I decided I wanted to focus on the work of Sean Qualls because reading two books he had illustrated showed me that I really liked his style. It may have helped that I liked those books. However, Emmanuel's Dream was an award winner for the content. I don't remember if The Poet Slave of Cuba was on the recommended list for readings related to Cuba, or if I read it because I really liked Margarita Engle after reading some on the list, those were recommendations based on text.

The fact is, illustrating is a business.

To be fair, there were sometimes notes from the illustrator, and there were books that he liked better than I did. Maybe he made himself like them to be able to do a good job, or maybe he grew fond of them after working on them and thinking about them and trying to make the best work of them. That being said, finding an illustrator you like may not be the best way to find books where you like how they were written.

And yet, maybe it's not a terrible way either. Some of the books were pretty good, and I don't know that I would have found them in another way. Some of them could still inspire good discussions. All of them have good art. I really like his collage style. It is fun that there were a couple of collaborations with his wife.

That being said, Phillis' Big Test and especially Two Friends: Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass do not do justice to the history, and most of the letters in A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader are not that great. How We Are Smart isn't that convincing, but that may be more of a problem with how multiple intelligence story is understood. None of those are on Qualls.

Dizzy was great, and putting it together with books on Ella Fitzgerald and John Coltrane makes for a nice theme. Sally Derby's book, Jump Back, Paul not only educates about Paul Dunbar but gives a kind of blueprint for appreciating poetry. There is also impressive work with words by Langston Hughes and Toni Morrison and Mandela family members. I really liked Who Will I Be, Lord?

I think Bird in a Box could have used better editing, but it was still entertaining.

It is a recurring theme of these months that as you cast a wide net not everything is of equal quality, but the search is still worthwhile. A book you give three stars is still pretty good, even if not as good as the five star books.

I see posters in the library about reading your child 1000 books before they start kindergarten. That seems like a lot, but that is basically reading them one book a night for three years (a bit less), and you have five years before kindergarten. Of course, there will be repeats, but there is room for many different books.

Of course, buying that many books would be expensive and impossible to store. Be a good patron of your library and it will be easy. They were only missing one of the books listed under Sean Qualls. I will find that one eventually, and I have requested the two that came out new since I looked.

I must have enjoyed the looking.

https://www.seanqualls.com/
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 18, 2020 15:25

February 17, 2020

Black History Month 2019 AND 2020!

Last February I was so behind in the other readings that I decided to would change my focus and watch movies by Black directors instead. In addition, because there were so many stupid, racist things happening in February, I gave the month a do-over, posting content from June 19th through July 31st.

https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2019/07/do-over-black-history-month-2019-and.html

https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2019/06/i-cant-even.html

I am still not where I want to be, but I am ready to give a status of what I have done and what I will be doing.

I have watched 24 intended films by Black directors, plus the first three seasons of Key & Peele. I am going to start writing about those. I am also still going to try getting in one more documentary series, two more dramatic films, and one extended video for a concept album. I believe I can do it!

(I also just went to see a play, which I will get back to at the end of this post.)

There was also some reading. I mentioned wanting to check out more books illustrated by Sean Qualls, which I have done. I also thought maybe I would do some books, like maybe some poetry books or something. That didn't turn out quite as expected, but I will write about what I did read.

In addition, at one point I had this ambitious idea that I would be watching some of the media every day, and when I had days when I couldn't do one of the movies or one of my television shows (I have finally seen the second season and that one episode from the third season of Black~ish), I would search out things I could watch. I saw a few short documentaries that had not initially been on my radar. There was one on Emmett Till, but the others were on school segregation, or de-segregation. Viewing those, and reading Jo Ann Allen Boyce's book, plus some reading from bell hooks' (though that is from the education list)... yeah, I have some thoughts.

Song-wise, I am pulling the daily songs from some of my favorite artists from this post:
https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2015/07/musical-black-girls.html
I would like to be reviewing Black artists - and interviewing them - but I am having a hard time getting anyone to agree to interviews (asking a good friend first may have given me an unrealistic sense of the possibility) and most of the relevant artists I have been wanting to review have very long catalogs that I could never make it through now. Fortunately, most of the bands that have followed me recently are newer and I can at least get through their content, whether or not I can get them to answer questions.They're pretty white though.
Looking ahead, I think my 2019 and 2020 Asian Pacific American Heritage readings are just going to blend together, and that's okay. I think that is going to happen for 2020 and 2021 Black History Month reading as well. I have about 130 books to read, and I have not started yet. It's going to take a while.
Now, with a list of that size, I don't know that it will make sense to wait to completion to start writing. I may do posts on groupings of books all throughout the year. That is what I have been doing with the death, dementia and wholeness reading, and it seems to work out okay. Sometimes I may not even have to write about a book that I read; I don't know. 
I do think that as I go through the music reviews over the years (getting closer to being ready!), it may make sense to log book-related posts, and start thinking about which books have been the most essential. What are my picks? Because some are better than others, but I don't regret any of it. I am glad to have put time into this.
Now, about that play! A friend sent me this link, about events happening through the month:
https://blackhistoryfestival.org/
The month is winding down, but there are still things you can do, and the web page lets you browse the schedule by week. You do still have two chances to see the Who I Am play, which my friend and I saw Saturday night. I recommend going if you can. I recommend that for the knowledge, and for the spirit, and for the support of local art and youth performance.
There are always opportunities to learn more and understand more. You do need to look.
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 17, 2020 16:46

February 14, 2020

Band Review: Stormy Strong

Stormy Strong self-describes as "Saltwater Rock". The dress appears to be more yacht rock, and there is a strong nautical theme -- at least in the videos -- for this Santa Cruz band.

Their best songs are probably "Stolen Winter's Kiss" and "Holiday". However, there are two songs that tease -- "Burning Bridges" and "Where Is My Mind" -- that start off reminiscent of other songs. (Specifically "Dyslexic Heart" by Paul Westerberg and for the other with the feedback many, but it ends up usually reminding me of "Time Stands Still" by The All-American Rejects.)

When these reminders happen it feels like a cheat, because you remember this better song, and you want the current song to rise to that level. Then it doesn't, but the original song gets stuck in your head so maybe it works out.

That's not to say that Stormy Strong is horrible, or even bad, but it does feel insufficient. Maybe there should be more emotional depth or more technical proficiency or more effort spent.

There was a series of commercials for Carl's Jr. and Hardee's where there was an emotionally withholding adventurer father and his mess of a son. I know it is at least partially based on their Facebook bio, but I kind of feel like this is what that son's band would be like. It's not bad listening, but it probably is not what was intended.

https://www.stormystrong.com/

https://www.facebook.com/stormystrongmusic/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYCknjorRi9PUnc3cxacHbA

https://twitter.com/stormystrong
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 14, 2020 15:37

February 12, 2020

Just Mercy

Yesterday's post was short but today will make up for it. Sorry.

I saw Just Mercy, and it was an emotional roller coaster.

This isn't exactly going to be a review, though I will say it was good and I can give some details on that. It also isn't going to contain much in the way of spoilers, though there is one. This is more about my reaction to it.

Just Mercy is the story of Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. The movie follows him as a recent graduate of Harvard law school, going down to Alabama to work with death row inmates. It was directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who is credited as a writer along with Stevenson himself and Andrew Lanham.

I am more used to Jamie Foxx from comedy, so it would be easy to forget that he is a good dramatic actor, but he is. I have been impressed with Michael B. Jordan's acting for a while now.

The subject matter is important, and that is felt, but things move along at a brisk pace, with moments of grace and beauty.

Those moments were probably helpful for those of us on the emotional roller coaster.

I had not done a lot of research or planning regarding the movie. I needed to get out of the house and I had heard some good feedback on the film, so I went.

I read a profile of Bryan Stevenson a few years ago (it was from 2012), and there was a part that stuck with me. I looked it up again, so I am going to quote it:
He then walked with Richardson to the execution chamber.

“Bryan, it has been so strange,” the condemned man said. “All day long people have been saying to me, ‘What can I do to help you?’ I got up this morning, ‘What can I get you for breakfast? What can I get you for lunch? What can I get you for dinner? Can I get you some stamps to mail your last letters? Do you need the phone? Do you need water? Do you need coffee? How can we help you?’ More people have said what can they do to help me in the last 14 hours of my life than they ever did” before.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/why-mass-incarceration-defines-us-as-a-society-135793245/ 

So your spoiler is that this happens in the movie. Among the multiple death row inmates there is one execution.

I said it stuck with me, but that is not exactly right. It hit me hard then - to only have people looking out for you on the last day of your life, and how much does that affect why your life is ending that way - but it's been a while, and I hadn't thought of it. I certainly hadn't remembered Stevenson's name.

I suddenly realized that this was his story, and this is what was happening now. Knowing more about the man being executed and relating to him in a different way, I cried a lot. I can't even swear they were the first tears; there was a lot that was touching in the movie, and me crying at movies is not at all rare.

But that wasn't even the real roller coaster.

There is kindness and devotion to justice and humanity in the movie, but there is also a lot of horrifying injustice greatly facilitated by racism. There were moments of humiliation and fear, and there was a lot of hopelessness with that. Sure, Bryan Stevenson could have decided to work somewhere more hospitable than Alabama, but then what about those men? There were a lot of people suffering under that system, and relocating is expensive. It's not always possible.

So the real ups and downs were moving back and forth between "Burn the whole thing down!" anger and the understanding that going in bent on destruction is more likely to harm than help, and more likely to harm those who have already suffered the most without deserving it.

That is not completely unfamiliar, either to me or to readers who have been with me for a while. I am going to make two other points about that today.

One is a reminder that when you have a system like that, based on higher ups getting to dominate the people "below" them, there are repercussions for those higher up too.

I do believe there is soul damage for those who abuse, but that is not my primary concern. You still have a young woman murdered, even though she is white. A Black person being wrongly convicted of her death doesn't make the community any safer. A need to be able to control Black people doesn't protect a white convict from horrifying manipulation. Whiteness doesn't save an officer from being fired when his conscience interferes with the railroading. Privilege has its limits when the whole system is based on domination.

Amidst all of that frustration, there was one thought that might help. Once you get a conscience and accept the reality of your privilege, it is easy to feel guilty about it. It may be more valuable to think of it as a tool.

If there are situations where you are safer, if you don't have to get worn down by the microaggressions, if people are more likely to listen to a person of color if you endorse what they are saying, maybe there is good that can be done with it.

My thoughts on that are partially from recently hearing Ijeoma Oluo, author of So You Want to Talk About Race, speak.

The burden of change often falls disproportionately on the marginalized, even though they have less power for enacting that change. There are opportunities to support and speak up and improve.  To amplify.

I knew that already, but the movie was a strong reminder of how much improvement is needed, in so many ways. There must be at least as many ways to help.

Checking out that book and that movie might be a good start. I am going to have some more posts about movies.
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 12, 2020 16:37

February 11, 2020

Ups and downs and arounds

I recently got my first paycheck for caring for my mother.

The way things appear to be going, the house payment will take all of that, and all I can hope is that it won't mess up my insurance. For now, though, I had a little extra money and I was able to finally order a new pair of shoes, and get a Tri-met Hop card, and take care of little things that have been needed and overdue.

There has been a sense of euphoria with it; it is going on four years since my last paycheck. The euphoria is tempered by knowing that having this extra is temporary, and that my financial situation is still pretty bad.

It is also tempered by a realization that it is sad that being able to get something I need is triggering such a rush. It is good to appreciate the little things, but it shouldn't be this hard for anyone to get by.

The shoes are a big deal. I have plantar fasciitis so when that isn't supported, that involves a lot of pain. My old pair of shoes did support it, but they have been worn down past the point of support for several months now.

I had a conversation a couple of years ago about disability that was kind of theoretical, but kind of not. A woman had been taking a class, and after one lecture she approached her professor because she was not sure if her nearsightedness made her disabled or not.

That led to some interesting discussion, for her with her professor then, for us later, about how that lack of clear definition affects things, and about the fluidity of disability. Here is the concrete thing for me though: I am missing out on a lot if I don't have my glasses. Regarding that fluidity, I used to only need glasses for things at a distance, and now I have issues with small print as well. That is something aging does. Regardless, in terms of my ability to participate in things, and appreciate what is around me, and know what is going on in my surroundings, glasses are really important.

They are also expensive, and insurance coverage for them is generally not great. Like maybe insurance will cover $250, but the out of pocket cost can easily get close to that. Do we think people being able to participate is important?

Dental coverage is similar. It is not automatically covered, but it is more crucial to health than vision. Problems that start in your teeth can easily move into your bloodstream and affect other things. In addition there is a social participation factor, because there is a big stigma on missing or discolored teeth, and people are judged based on that.

Anyway, I don't intend for this to be a lengthy post, but tomorrow I want to write about a movie I saw, and this post is a lead-in.

First, we should think about what we want people to have, and how hard things should be.

And second, it should be understood that I get emotional.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 11, 2020 17:29

February 10, 2020

Rays of hope (featuring more books)

Two weeks ago I wrote about reading books about death. That also led to reading about books that had to do more with emotional healing. There were many related books about dementia too, but that is mostly a different post.

There is one connection, in that sometimes as my mother's mind gets stuck in different times and places and modes of thought, I see traces of past hurts and fears.

We hear stories from other people, and we know that she could be much worse, but she was generally a pretty easy-going, good-humored person, and that carries through. Some of the bumpy spots are pretty universal, but they aren't random either.

When I sought out information about healing and wholeness, I suppose it was initially so that I could be able to handle everything; that my weak spots could quit dragging me down. It's not that I would have been against anyone else being emotionally healthy, but I have seen more benefits, and more potential and am taking a broader view now.

One of the earlier books that impressed me the most was My Grandfather's Blessings: Stories of Strength, Refuge, and Belonging by Rachel Naomi Remen. There were stories that cut deeply - I will probably blog about those some day - but mainly there were many different examples of healing and grace, so it was a deeply positive and inspiring book.

More recently there have been three that I am thinking of together.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel A. van der Kolk

One of the most impressive parts of this for me was understanding why EMDR did not work for one person. It could be great for others; it was the wrong direction for her and that was completely logical after learning more about it. That contains a key part of the conclusion that I am getting to, so hold that thought.

Otherwise, there was a lot in here on different methods and the success they have had, and it was encouraging. I committed to re-read it, and that is one more of those things I need to get to.

Opening Up by Writing It Down: How Expressive Writing Improves Health and Eases Emotional Pain by James W. Pennebaker and Joshua M. Smyth

This is probably not the best book on expressive writing, but it was the one that the local library system had. Most of my personal healing work comes through more analytical writing, which is different. Expressive writing can be faster, and not require so much boning up beforehand, and because it can be completely private has benefits for people who can't afford professional help, or feel awkward about working with someone else. It can be a good tool.

The Transformation: Discovering Wholeness and Healing After Trauma by James S. Gordon

I haven't actually read this one yet (I have checked it out) but I did hear Dr. Gordon speak at Powell's Books recently. A few things really impressed me.

He started us off with a deep breathing exercise (it was a small group, which may have helped), and then asked us about any changes during it. He gave some background on the universality of mindfulness exercises, but also pointed out that with a simple thing you can make a change. It may be small, but for people who feel hopeless for any change, that can be huge.

Also, the excerpt he read about a young girl from Palestine who lost relatives, and her progress, was remarkably hopeful. His organization works with people in terrible circumstances, but he also takes a very broad view of trauma and stress; everyone experiences it in some way. It is easy to minimize what seems like our more usual wear and tear, because we all know some people who have it worse. That doesn't mean that we don't have wounds, or that they don't affect us, or that we wouldn't do better with some healing.

I look forward to reading the book, and I hope to take some training this summer (a lot would have to happen for that to work out, but I hope). Beyond that, probably reading the books fairly close together is a factor, but it reminds me that there are a lot of options for healing. Not everything will work for everyone, but maybe there are enough different options that there is something for everyone.

There is still a lot to work on with accessibility of care, and reducing the frequency of extreme trauma (we could do a lot there) but it is ultimately encouraging to know that there is room for hope.

Related posts:

https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2020/01/a-year-or-so-of-magical-reading.html
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on February 10, 2020 15:06