Barbara Venkataraman's Blog: A Trip on the Mobius Strip, page 2
February 1, 2023
Black History Month Reading-FREE book
Today begins Black History Month in which we celebrate the achievements of Black Americans and take a sobering look at how far we still have to go to achieve equality for people of color.
As a Floridian, I watch with horror as our governor tries to erase black history in Florida and marginalize people of color, banning books from classrooms so students can't learn about Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass, or Martin Luther King Jr., or read books by Toni Morrison. It's gut-wrenching and, together, we need to raise our voices in opposition.
Ironically, the only thing Governor DeSantis ever did for the black community was posthumously pardon the Groveland Four--and he wouldn't have done it if it weren't politically advantageous at the time.
The Groveland Four were four young black men falsely convicted of a heinous crime in Jim Crow Florida in 1949. Their story is all too familiar but stands out because Thurgood Marshall chose to represent them in their appeal. Gilbert King told the story of this shameful chapter in Florida history in his Pulitzer Prize winning book: Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America.
After reading this book for a college assignment, my son Josh decided to help the families pursue posthumous pardons for the men and after four years and many setbacks he was successful.
If you would like to read about his quest for justice and become inspired to start your own, I'm giving away FREE EBOOKS of our book: "Accidental Activist: Justice for the Groveland Four" for the entire month of February.
Blurb:
Discover the incredible four-year quest for justice for The Groveland Four, and learn how to pursue your own causes, whatever they may be.
Accidental Activist is a primer for positive action, and a journey through Florida's past as well as its future. Some of the things you will learn by reading this book:
Everything takes more time than you think
Nothing ever goes according to plan
Help can come from unexpected places
Time is on your side
Everyone is connected
You can reach your tipping point for success and not even realize it
Your goals can change along the way
Flexibility is key
Let's get started, shall we?
Book link: https://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Act...
As a Floridian, I watch with horror as our governor tries to erase black history in Florida and marginalize people of color, banning books from classrooms so students can't learn about Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass, or Martin Luther King Jr., or read books by Toni Morrison. It's gut-wrenching and, together, we need to raise our voices in opposition.
Ironically, the only thing Governor DeSantis ever did for the black community was posthumously pardon the Groveland Four--and he wouldn't have done it if it weren't politically advantageous at the time.
The Groveland Four were four young black men falsely convicted of a heinous crime in Jim Crow Florida in 1949. Their story is all too familiar but stands out because Thurgood Marshall chose to represent them in their appeal. Gilbert King told the story of this shameful chapter in Florida history in his Pulitzer Prize winning book: Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America.
After reading this book for a college assignment, my son Josh decided to help the families pursue posthumous pardons for the men and after four years and many setbacks he was successful.
If you would like to read about his quest for justice and become inspired to start your own, I'm giving away FREE EBOOKS of our book: "Accidental Activist: Justice for the Groveland Four" for the entire month of February.
Blurb:
Discover the incredible four-year quest for justice for The Groveland Four, and learn how to pursue your own causes, whatever they may be.
Accidental Activist is a primer for positive action, and a journey through Florida's past as well as its future. Some of the things you will learn by reading this book:
Everything takes more time than you think
Nothing ever goes according to plan
Help can come from unexpected places
Time is on your side
Everyone is connected
You can reach your tipping point for success and not even realize it
Your goals can change along the way
Flexibility is key
Let's get started, shall we?
Book link: https://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Act...
December 2, 2022
Perma-free ebooks! :-D
For your reading pleasure, my publisher, Next Chapter, has a wide variety of perma-free books you can access 2 ways.
First, you can subscribe to their free daily newsletter where they highlight new releases, perma-free series, first titles, as well as full-priced books: https://www.nextchapter.pub/newsletter Always a fun read!
Second, you can check out the free books page: https://www.nextchapter.pub/free-books
Happy reading to all and to all a good night! :-D
First, you can subscribe to their free daily newsletter where they highlight new releases, perma-free series, first titles, as well as full-priced books: https://www.nextchapter.pub/newsletter Always a fun read!
Second, you can check out the free books page: https://www.nextchapter.pub/free-books
Happy reading to all and to all a good night! :-D
November 21, 2022
New audio-book! Download codes available:-D
New audio-book! My new book, Duck for Cover & Other Tales, is now an audio-book, narrated by the wonderful Emily Wilson. If you would like a download code and are willing to write a short review, please message me. :-D
https://www.amazon.com/Duck-Cover-Oth...
https://www.amazon.com/Duck-Cover-Oth...
October 1, 2022
Halloween and Book of the Month. :-D
Happy October!
If you have 30 seconds today or tomorrow, please vote for my new book as Book of the Month on Long and Short Reviews. :-D Thx! Here's the link:
http://www.longandshortreviews.com/un...
It wouldn't be Halloween without spooky videos and books. Check out THE JOKER JOURNAL, a great video based on Heath Ledger preparing to portray The Joker:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3saW2...
Also, if you'd like a review copy of SCARY SHORTS, my flash fiction collaboration, just send me a message.
BLURB:
Halloween Flash Fiction, what could be more fun? Capture a mood, a phobia, a scary experience, using exactly 100 words. Stories like A Drive in the Country, Halloween Stew, Skeleton Crew, Something About Her Shadow, and Candy Corn will give you the creeps, keep you up at night as you stare at the ceiling. Other stories like Careful What You Wish For and Paying the Piper will make you think twice about your bad decisions.
Link: https://www.amazon.com/Scary-Shorts-H...
If you have 30 seconds today or tomorrow, please vote for my new book as Book of the Month on Long and Short Reviews. :-D Thx! Here's the link:
http://www.longandshortreviews.com/un...
It wouldn't be Halloween without spooky videos and books. Check out THE JOKER JOURNAL, a great video based on Heath Ledger preparing to portray The Joker:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3saW2...
Also, if you'd like a review copy of SCARY SHORTS, my flash fiction collaboration, just send me a message.
BLURB:
Halloween Flash Fiction, what could be more fun? Capture a mood, a phobia, a scary experience, using exactly 100 words. Stories like A Drive in the Country, Halloween Stew, Skeleton Crew, Something About Her Shadow, and Candy Corn will give you the creeps, keep you up at night as you stare at the ceiling. Other stories like Careful What You Wish For and Paying the Piper will make you think twice about your bad decisions.
Link: https://www.amazon.com/Scary-Shorts-H...
July 22, 2022
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS TO ME
Respect, we all deserve it and, as women, we often have to demand it. Aretha Franklin taught us that. And our female protagonists, don't they also deserve respect? Absolutely! When they get it, we rejoice. Can you think of a children's book where the heroine rocks feminism so hard that the National Organization for Women sold it on their website? It's The Paper Bag Princess, by Robert Munsch, which has sold over seven million copies since its publication in 1980 and is still going strong.
In this classic, Munsch breaks the stereotype of the princess who must be rescued in order to find her happily ever after. Instead, it is Princess Elizabeth who sets out to rescue Prince Ronald, her betrothed, after he's kidnapped by a dragon that destroys her castle and her clothes. Donning a paper bag, she pursues the dragon to its lair, tricks it, and rescues Ronald, who is ungrateful and insults her appearance. She calls him a bum and breaks off the engagement, delighted to be rid of him. The motto? Girls can rescue themselves, demand respect, and call it out when they are disrespected.
To borrow an old advertising slogan, you've come a long way, baby. While women certainly have a long way to go to achieve equality, we often forget how far we've come. For example, a 17th-century law in Massachusetts declared that women would be subjected to the same treatment as witches if they lured men into marriage via the use of high-heeled shoes. Since then, there have been numerous Supreme Court cases dealing with what women were permitted to wear at work and whether their boss could make them wear make-up (the ruling was they could!). In 1948, the Court upheld a Michigan law prohibiting women from being licensed as bartenders. In 1970, sixty female employees of Newsweek filed a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that Newsweek had a policy of only allowing men to be reporters. They won their case and were hired. Incredibly, barring women from practicing law wasn't prohibited until 1971, and it wasn't until 1974 that women were able to obtain a credit card without their husband's signature. It took another decade for the courts to rule a husband couldn't unilaterally take out a second mortgage on joint property.
Speaking of property, it wasn't until 1900 that American women had the right to own real property. Did I say women? I meant married women. Prior to that, as Harriet Beecher Stowe explained in 1869: "A married woman can make no contract and hold no property; whatever she inherits or earns becomes at that moment the property of her husband. ... Though he acquired a fortune through her, or though she earn a fortune through her talents, he is the sole master of it, and she cannot draw a penny. ... [I]n the English common law a married woman is nothing at all. She passes out of legal existence."
Think about the poor female authors! A married woman's right to contract with a publisher and control her earnings depended on the state where she and her husband lived.
The full end of the legal subordination of a wife to her husband came in 1981(!) when the Supreme Court held that a Louisiana Head and Master law, which gave sole control of marital property to the husband, was unconstitutional.
Historically, stories about women were framed around what rights women had--or lacked. We all know the familiar trope of the old-timey villain tying the poor woman to the railroad tracks but we don't remember that it's based on a 1914 serial film melodrama called The Perils of Pauline. Per Wikipedia, Pauline was an ambitious young heiress with an independent nature (in the time before women could vote in the United States) and a desire for adventure. The premise of the story was that Pauline's wealthy guardian Sanford Marvin, upon his death, left her inheritance in the care of his secretary, Raymond Owen, until the time of her marriage. Pauline wants to wait a while before marrying her beau, Harry, as her dream is to go out and have adventures then write about them afterward. Owen, hoping to keep the money, tries to turn Pauline's various adventures against her. He hires men to sabotage her plans, or kidnap or murder her, and often Harry ends up coming to her rescue when she is trapped on a cliff or tied up in a house set afire. As the series goes on, she is also shown to be able to extricate herself from various predicaments. Finally, after being trapped on an abandoned ship being used for target practice, Pauline has had enough of adventuring and agrees to marry Harry. Personally, I think it would've been more satisfying for Pauline to keep having adventures.
Which brings me to National Women's Equality Day on August 26th. National Women's Equality Day commemorates the day in 1920 when women were finally guaranteed the right to vote by the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, after fighting for that right for over seventy years. Yes, women are tenacious and we don't back down. We don't need rescuing; we can rescue ourselves, but when we embrace stereotypes of women as weak, helpless, or less capable than men, it's detrimental to all women. Like us, our female protagonists are full-fledged people, capable of making their own decisions, in charge of their own lives. Even Disney caught on to the evolution of the princess from a sleeping beauty who needs a prince's kiss to the magical Elsa who saves her sister from the evil Hans.
So, here's to our sisters, both real and fictional, strong women all!
In this classic, Munsch breaks the stereotype of the princess who must be rescued in order to find her happily ever after. Instead, it is Princess Elizabeth who sets out to rescue Prince Ronald, her betrothed, after he's kidnapped by a dragon that destroys her castle and her clothes. Donning a paper bag, she pursues the dragon to its lair, tricks it, and rescues Ronald, who is ungrateful and insults her appearance. She calls him a bum and breaks off the engagement, delighted to be rid of him. The motto? Girls can rescue themselves, demand respect, and call it out when they are disrespected.
To borrow an old advertising slogan, you've come a long way, baby. While women certainly have a long way to go to achieve equality, we often forget how far we've come. For example, a 17th-century law in Massachusetts declared that women would be subjected to the same treatment as witches if they lured men into marriage via the use of high-heeled shoes. Since then, there have been numerous Supreme Court cases dealing with what women were permitted to wear at work and whether their boss could make them wear make-up (the ruling was they could!). In 1948, the Court upheld a Michigan law prohibiting women from being licensed as bartenders. In 1970, sixty female employees of Newsweek filed a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that Newsweek had a policy of only allowing men to be reporters. They won their case and were hired. Incredibly, barring women from practicing law wasn't prohibited until 1971, and it wasn't until 1974 that women were able to obtain a credit card without their husband's signature. It took another decade for the courts to rule a husband couldn't unilaterally take out a second mortgage on joint property.
Speaking of property, it wasn't until 1900 that American women had the right to own real property. Did I say women? I meant married women. Prior to that, as Harriet Beecher Stowe explained in 1869: "A married woman can make no contract and hold no property; whatever she inherits or earns becomes at that moment the property of her husband. ... Though he acquired a fortune through her, or though she earn a fortune through her talents, he is the sole master of it, and she cannot draw a penny. ... [I]n the English common law a married woman is nothing at all. She passes out of legal existence."
Think about the poor female authors! A married woman's right to contract with a publisher and control her earnings depended on the state where she and her husband lived.
The full end of the legal subordination of a wife to her husband came in 1981(!) when the Supreme Court held that a Louisiana Head and Master law, which gave sole control of marital property to the husband, was unconstitutional.
Historically, stories about women were framed around what rights women had--or lacked. We all know the familiar trope of the old-timey villain tying the poor woman to the railroad tracks but we don't remember that it's based on a 1914 serial film melodrama called The Perils of Pauline. Per Wikipedia, Pauline was an ambitious young heiress with an independent nature (in the time before women could vote in the United States) and a desire for adventure. The premise of the story was that Pauline's wealthy guardian Sanford Marvin, upon his death, left her inheritance in the care of his secretary, Raymond Owen, until the time of her marriage. Pauline wants to wait a while before marrying her beau, Harry, as her dream is to go out and have adventures then write about them afterward. Owen, hoping to keep the money, tries to turn Pauline's various adventures against her. He hires men to sabotage her plans, or kidnap or murder her, and often Harry ends up coming to her rescue when she is trapped on a cliff or tied up in a house set afire. As the series goes on, she is also shown to be able to extricate herself from various predicaments. Finally, after being trapped on an abandoned ship being used for target practice, Pauline has had enough of adventuring and agrees to marry Harry. Personally, I think it would've been more satisfying for Pauline to keep having adventures.
Which brings me to National Women's Equality Day on August 26th. National Women's Equality Day commemorates the day in 1920 when women were finally guaranteed the right to vote by the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, after fighting for that right for over seventy years. Yes, women are tenacious and we don't back down. We don't need rescuing; we can rescue ourselves, but when we embrace stereotypes of women as weak, helpless, or less capable than men, it's detrimental to all women. Like us, our female protagonists are full-fledged people, capable of making their own decisions, in charge of their own lives. Even Disney caught on to the evolution of the princess from a sleeping beauty who needs a prince's kiss to the magical Elsa who saves her sister from the evil Hans.
So, here's to our sisters, both real and fictional, strong women all!
June 3, 2022
Just in Time for Summer! :-)
It's summertime and the mosquitoes are abuzz! Before we reach the dog days of summer, why not check out this summer fun?
Dog Days of Summer Flash Fiction, what a blast! The challenge: capture a mood, a memory, or an experience, using exactly 100 words. Stories like Ice Cream Hero, Lemonade Stand, and The Prank take you back to your childhood, while others like Fever Pitch, The Panty Liner Incident, and Lemonade Stand evoke summer heat and the search for relief. Other stories like What's the Buzz?, Lazy Lake, and Change of Season leave you with a smile.
Any reviewers who would like a review copy, leave a comment and I'll send you one. :-D
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...
Dog Days of Summer Flash Fiction, what a blast! The challenge: capture a mood, a memory, or an experience, using exactly 100 words. Stories like Ice Cream Hero, Lemonade Stand, and The Prank take you back to your childhood, while others like Fever Pitch, The Panty Liner Incident, and Lemonade Stand evoke summer heat and the search for relief. Other stories like What's the Buzz?, Lazy Lake, and Change of Season leave you with a smile.
Any reviewers who would like a review copy, leave a comment and I'll send you one. :-D
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...
May 2, 2022
Short Stories 'R' Us! :-D
Hi everyone!
I've been busy working on my new short story collection: Duck for Cover & Other Tales. Who likes short stories with a twist? Let me know if you'd like to read a sample. Thanks!
I've been busy working on my new short story collection: Duck for Cover & Other Tales. Who likes short stories with a twist? Let me know if you'd like to read a sample. Thanks!
February 7, 2022
Just In Time For Valentine's Day :-)
Do you need a lovely little book that reminds you what Valentine's Day is all about? Then look no further. For only 99 cents you can spread the love and Valentine hearts.
Check out: Valentine Shorts: Flash Fiction. You won't regret it.
Valentine Flash Fiction, what could be more fun? The challenge: capture a mood, a memory, a romantic encounter, using exactly 100 words. Stories like Unmasked and Never Stop Asking will touch your heart while others like Glory Days, Puppy Love and Swipe Right will make you smile. Enjoy stories by: James J. Cudney, Jeff Homberger, Julie Morrall, Didi Oviatt, Kaitlyn Sutey and Barbara Venkataraman. This short book will lift your spirits and brighten your day, any day of the year.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08...
Check out: Valentine Shorts: Flash Fiction. You won't regret it.
Valentine Flash Fiction, what could be more fun? The challenge: capture a mood, a memory, a romantic encounter, using exactly 100 words. Stories like Unmasked and Never Stop Asking will touch your heart while others like Glory Days, Puppy Love and Swipe Right will make you smile. Enjoy stories by: James J. Cudney, Jeff Homberger, Julie Morrall, Didi Oviatt, Kaitlyn Sutey and Barbara Venkataraman. This short book will lift your spirits and brighten your day, any day of the year.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08...
February 1, 2022
Black History Month Reading
Hello!
In honor of Black History Month I'm offering free audio-book download codes for my book "Accidental Activist: Justice for the Groveland Four," a memoir I co-authored with my son Josh about his journey for justice for The Groveland Four.
The description of the book is below. Please reply in the comment section if you would like a download code.
Description:
Discover the incredible four-year quest for justice for The Groveland Four, and learn how to pursue your own causes, whatever they may be.
Accidental Activist is a primer for positive action, and a journey through Florida's past as well as its future. Some of the things you will learn by reading this book:
Everything takes more time than you think
Nothing ever goes according to plan
Help can come from unexpected places
Time is on your side
Everyone is connected
You can reach your tipping point for success and not even realize it
Your goals can change along the way
Flexibility is key
Let's get started, shall we?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
In honor of Black History Month I'm offering free audio-book download codes for my book "Accidental Activist: Justice for the Groveland Four," a memoir I co-authored with my son Josh about his journey for justice for The Groveland Four.
The description of the book is below. Please reply in the comment section if you would like a download code.
Description:
Discover the incredible four-year quest for justice for The Groveland Four, and learn how to pursue your own causes, whatever they may be.
Accidental Activist is a primer for positive action, and a journey through Florida's past as well as its future. Some of the things you will learn by reading this book:
Everything takes more time than you think
Nothing ever goes according to plan
Help can come from unexpected places
Time is on your side
Everyone is connected
You can reach your tipping point for success and not even realize it
Your goals can change along the way
Flexibility is key
Let's get started, shall we?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
January 12, 2022
Accidental Activist--Only 99¢ from 1/12-1/16
Want to be a positive force in the world? Here's your inspiration and it's only 99¢ from 1/12-1/16.
Discover the incredible four-year quest for justice for The Groveland Four, and learn how to pursue your own causes, whatever they may be.
Accidental Activist is a primer for positive action, and a journey through Florida's past as well as its future. Some of the things you will learn by reading this book:
Everything takes more time than you think
Nothing ever goes according to plan
Help can come from unexpected places
Time is on your side
Everyone is connected
You can reach your tipping point for success and not even realize it
Your goals can change along the way
Flexibility is key
Let's get started, shall we?
https://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Act...
Discover the incredible four-year quest for justice for The Groveland Four, and learn how to pursue your own causes, whatever they may be.
Accidental Activist is a primer for positive action, and a journey through Florida's past as well as its future. Some of the things you will learn by reading this book:
Everything takes more time than you think
Nothing ever goes according to plan
Help can come from unexpected places
Time is on your side
Everyone is connected
You can reach your tipping point for success and not even realize it
Your goals can change along the way
Flexibility is key
Let's get started, shall we?
https://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Act...
A Trip on the Mobius Strip
Whenever I see something funny or weird that you can relate to, I will share it. Anything that will make you smile, or shake your head, or wiggle your ears. I'd like to see that, by the way...
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