Anti-racism

February Book Report

~ kofriedery ~ Leave a comment

“Sleep is good, he said, and books are better.” – George R. R. Martin. I found myself sacrificing sleep this month because the books were so good!

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins – (Actually finished this one in January but forgot to include it in my January Book Report.) If you are a fan of the original Hunger Games books, definitely read this one! It’s a pretty interested prequel, taking a closer look at President Snow’s childhood and how he became the monster we see in the main books. Lots of interesting commentary on power dynamics, political corruption, and “othering” of people. But in the end, it’s very much a young adult book so it doesn’t get overly deep.

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson – The final book of the first Mistborn trilogy. I enjoyed it! It was LONG. I mean, the other two were long also but this one felt like it took longer to read. Maybe because there were a lot more diverging story lines in this one and more plot points to keep track of. But I felt it wrapped up the story really well and the ending was in keeping with the books.

When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O’Neal – I enjoyed this book but in the end, I’m not entirely sure how to describe it. It was not a dense read but it dealt with some pretty heavy subjects (sexual assault, addiction, childhood trauma). The main character wades through her own trauma response while trying to reconnect with a lost family member, but at the same time she gets involved in a vacation love story… I also didn’t really like the ending, it felt false. But endings don’t ruin the entire book for me. So I’d recommend this if you aren’t sensitive to difficult topics but also just want something easy to read.

Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith – Galbraith is a pseudonym of JK Rowling, presumably to discourage her young Harry Potter fans from picking up these books since they explore violent issues such as murder, domestic abuse, and sexual assault. This fifth installment in the series is no different. The primary characters are a seasoned private detective and his temp-turned-business partner. While this wasn’t my favorite of the series so far, it was still an interesting read and definitely kept me guessing. Rowling does a great job of bringing the reader along in the investigation, providing enough clues to make you think you know what’s happening and then bringing in a truly surprising twist at the end. And the twist doesn’t come out of nowhere, the detectives always walk back through the clues and you realize it was there all along. Anyway, if you like good detective novels I’d recommend it, but start at the beginning of the series with Cuckoo’s Calling.

How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi – This book is good. Dense, but good. I am glad I read some of the other antiracism books I’ve discussed in previous posts first, because it gave me a good foundation to really engage in some of Kendi’s deeper points. He writes like an academic, but it’s not like reading a dry textbook. He does a great job of peeling back the layers of racism to expose all the hidden nuances by discussing his own journey as a black man from racist ideas to being an antiracist activist. Highly recommend for those who are serious about continuing their journey of unlearning and learning.

“In our work and in our living, we must recognize that difference is a reason for celebration and growth, rather than a reason for destruction.” – Audre Lorde

~ kofriedery ~ Leave a comment

This year was the first year since I graduated from my public school career that I’ve taken intentional steps to learn about Black history during February. I spent maybe 15-20 minutes a day reading the daily emails in the 28 Days of Black History series from Anti-Racism Daily, looking at content posted on Instagram by some of the influencers I follow and looking up the prompts from Rachel Cargle’s Discover Our Glory series. What I learned was challenging, uplifting, heartbreaking, and powerful. I so wish I had learned more about some of these people in the many years of Black History Month curriculum in school; a chance to see the breadth and depth of Black history…which, after all, is American history.

Billie Holiday – Yes I knew who Billie Holiday was before now, I’d listened to her recordings of popular jazz standards. But I’d never heard her sing “Strange Fruit” based on a poem about lynchings in the south. I’d never learned about how the FBI targeted her for her drug use, how her hospital room was raided as she was dying and she was placed under police guard and handcuffed. She had a troubled life, sure, but no one deserves such indignity in death.

Glenn Burke – Co-inventor of the high five! I had never heard the high-five story and for such a ubiquitous gesture, it seems like something I would have known. He was also the first publicly gay player in Major League Baseball and suffered a lot of prejudice because of it. The LA Dodgers even offered him money to get married before trading him to the Oakland As.

Matthew Henson – He was an arctic explorer with Robert Peary and claims to be the first man to reach the geographic North Pole and planted the American flag. He ended up being the first African American to be made a life member of The Explorers Club and was subsequently elevated to the highest level of membership. During his explorations he studied Inuit survival techniques and learned their language.

Florynce Kennedy – Oh man do I wish I had known about this woman earlier. This one is probably due to my own ignorance of the early first wave feminists, but honestly we hear so much about Gloria Steinem and less about Florynce who traveled and lectured alongside her. She was instrumental in the Miss America protest of 1968, founded the Feminist Party and the National Women’s Political Caucus. She came up with the idea to protest the lack of women’s bathrooms at Harvard by pouring fake urine on the front steps of the university’s Lowell Hall. And she did it all wearing a cowboy hat, pink sunglasses, and false eyelashes! This is a woman I wish I had learned about in high school.

Bayard Rustin – Rustin was active and instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement. He helped organize the first of the Freedom Rides and worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr in putting together the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. However, he was distanced from King after a US Representative threatened to leak rumors of a sexual relationship between the two, knowing that Rustin was known to be gay. Rustin still participated in the movement and helped organize the March on Washington. He was not given public credit at the time due to other civil rights leaders seeing his sexuality as a “liability.”

Audre Lorde – As an English major, I’ve read Lorde’s poetry before. It is beautiful and powerful. But this is an example of a writer who has had huge influence on intersectionality, womanism, third wave feminism, and discussions of identity. I am fascinated by her for so much more than her poetry now and I can’t wait to learn more.

This is just a small sampling of the Black historical figures that crossed through my email and social media this month. I am so happy I took the extra time each day to learn and I’m inspired to do more.

“Accountability breeds responsibility” – Stephen R. Covey

~ kofriedery ~ Leave a comment

I’m writing this on the first day of February and I spent my journaling time this morning reflecting on January and how I did with the goals I set for myself. I do think accountability is a big part of working toward your goals, whether it’s a public announcement on a blog or just letting one close friend know what you are working towards. And since I let you all know what my January goals were I’m going to give an update here.

Be Present – my goal for January was to journal every day. I think I missed 2 or 3 days during the month, but overall I was pretty consistent for the month. I used some journal prompts to do some deeper reflection on 2020 and some dreaming about 2021. I plan to continue the daily practice of journaling for February. I am also going to be more intentional about time-blocking my days and weeks so I can be more present and focused in my tasks.

Focus on the Essential – I am very proud of myself for doing no unnecessary spending this month on material things! We did splurge on takeout a couple times, but I stuck to my goal of no new skincare products, hair care products, clothing or home decor items! It actually wasn’t too difficult until I realized that my birthday month always comes with a few “free gift with purchase” rewards at some of my favorite stores. But I then I reminded myself that even though it’s free…it isn’t something I need and therefore it was okay to let it go! I’ll continue this into February, only purchasing replacements for empties and instead making sure to use what I already have. I know I have a couple necessary clothing purchases to make, but I’m going to do my research and be really intentional about what I buy, focusing on quality that will last a long time and also looking into the sustainability practices of the companies I buy from.

Stay Connected – Well I wasn’t successful in this goal completely. I wanted to have two video calls with friends and my second one ended up getting rescheduled to later this week. I did however get to FaceTime with my family a couple times and drove up to the mountains to spend my birthday with my parents instead of being alone, even though it would have been easier to just stay home. Overall I think I made a good effort of staying connected to people instead of isolating myself! For February I want to continue doing one or two video calls, but also making an effort to reach out to a friend via text at the beginning of each week.

Activate Inner SJW – In January I made an effort to engage more on social media and share items that resonated with me. While I did share more than I had before, it didn’t feel like enough. I also signed up for Anti-Racism Daily, which is a daily email newsletter focusing on a different topic every day. I’ve really appreciated the information shared there and have also signed up for their 28 Days of Black History virtual exhibition emails for this month that will share a different work celebrating Black history in the U.S. I also plan to engage with Rachel Cargle’s daily #DiscoverOurGlory learning series where she will be providing daily prompts for people to research and learn about.

I had a couple other goals for the month that I also want to report on:

  • Walk 1 mile every day: I got outside and walked every day! A handful of days I didn’t do a full mile, but still proud of my discipline here. A couple of those short days were due to weather or local roadwork in my neighborhood, so anticipating a cold and snowy February my updated goal will be at least 30 minutes of activity every day, either inside or outside.
  • Write 500 words every week day: I did really well on this one until last week. As I said above – my plan for February is to adjust my time-blocking strategy to hopefully promote more focus and productivity. So…writing for long periods of time on a few days rather than short sessions every day. Overall I’d like to add 5,000 words to my novel manuscript by the end of the month, as well as explore some other ideas for my writing.
  • Read 5 books every month: done and done for January. And I have my February list already picked out! I read 25 books in 2020 and I think I’ll easily hit 60+ this year.

“Reading brings us unknown friends” – Honoré de Balzac

~ kofriedery ~ Leave a comment

December Book Report! Just a month late! Since I took the last couple weeks of December off from blogging, my intention was to post my December book report at the beginning of January. But then other things took priority. So this Friday I’m posting my December books and next Friday I’ll post my January books.

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren – this was a cute and light Christmas-themed read. It was a bit like Groudhog’s Day for the Christmas season! A young woman finds herself stuck in a bit of a time loop as she tries to figure out what she truly wants in life. Very heartwarming if a little too neatly wrapped up in a bow by the end. But overall an enjoyable read that gives all the warm fuzzy feels of the season!

Untamed by Glennon Doyle – I had heard a huge variety of reactions to this book, so I decided to read it myself. At the end, I felt like I had a huge variety of reactions within my own feelings. There were some chapters that I completely resonated with and others that had me almost rolling my eyes. Glennon works very hard to inspire women to choose their own paths throughout her stories, just some of them fell a little flat for me in terms of feeling relatable to what I face day-to-day. But overall, a great testament to finding your truth and living it out loud.

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Channing Brown – Beautifully written book that gives transparent insight into the life of a Black woman in America. Of all the books I’ve read since last summer on the experiences of BIPOC and systemic racism, this one spoke to me in a different way. I think it was due to the similarities I could see in certain environments she described – her high school, her workplaces. The familiarities in situations brought the disparity of experiences into sharp contrast for me in a way I hadn’t fully understood before. I saw myself in some of the interactions she described with white people and it was eye-opening for me in a new way. I would highly recommend this book!

Honeymoon and Second Honeymoon by James Patterson – I read these books because I was working through James Patterson’s MasterClass course on fiction writing and he uses Honeymoon as an example for a couple of topics. When I was younger I was very much into Mary Higgins Clark and Nelson DeMille books. James Patterson’s books are in the same vein – murder, FBI, suspense, etc… I wouldn’t necessarily recommend these books, but they weren’t bad!

The Obelisk Gate and The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin – These are the remaining two books in the Broken Earth series that I started in November (The Fifth Season). Again, these go very deep into continuing to build this fantasy world, each book getting deeper into the history and political structures of this particular culture. Themes include the different ways people act when society breaks down, difficult family dynamics, exploitation of different groups of people, etc… I would highly recommend if you are someone who loves fantasy and world building and, again, are okay with things not being fully explained up front…or at all. Personally, I loved the full series!

“Let’s be reasonable and add an eighth day to the week that is devoted exclusively to reading.” – Lena Dunham

~ kofriedery ~ Leave a comment

Those of you who know me well won’t be surprised that book reports were my absolute favorite type of homework when I was little. Reading and writing AND getting to share my opinion?!? Heaven. So much so that I was an English Literature major in undergrad!

So here on the blog I plan to return to the book reports of old and share my reads for the month and what I thought of them! I did not purchase any of these books, I have a digital library app and an Audible subscription. I actually just canceled my Audible subscription and replaced it with Kindle Unlimited, I’ll let you know what I think in November’s Book Report.

Hope you enjoy and maybe pick up a new recommendation along the way.

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes – I technically finished this book at the end of September, but enjoyed it so much I wanted to include it here! It was a quick read, I think I finished it in a weekend. It’s a cozy, feel-good romantic read with an easy to follow storyline. I would definitely recommend if you are looking for a good girl-meets-boy book to read with a warm beverage as it gets colder outside.

Open Book by Jessica Simpson – Y’all! I really loved this book, so much more than I thought I would! It’s long, but easy to read in small chunks. I appreciate the focus on loving yourself as you are and Jessica’s journey to this conclusion. It’s a genuine and candid look into her life as a teen pop star and the struggles that come along with that. But…it also gives the goods on behind the scenes of her romantic relationships and family dynamics. It is a pleasing mixture of authentic self-reflection and tabloid-y gossip.

Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein – This was another quick, easy love story set against the backdrop of competitive gymnastics. I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as Evvie Drake, but it was still an enjoyable read. The story moves pretty quickly and some events feel like the resolutions were rushed. This gives it a bit of a superficial feel given some of the conflicts that arise. Like, there was one situation I remember in particular where a character realized the error of their ways, changed direction, and everyone just forgave them. It didn’t feel realistic to me. But, I’d give it a solid B- for another quick, easy girl-meets-boy story.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley – This book fits into the suspense/thriller category, but it didn’t quite pack the same punch as books like Gone Girl or The Girl on the Train. The structure of the book includes flashback chapters from different character viewpoints interspersed with narration of “current” action. That might sound complicated, but it’s actually really easy to follow what is happening in the storyline. There are very few sympathetic characters and there’s a big emphasis put on how “posh” everyone is. I sped through this book but didn’t really feel pulled in like I have with other thrillers. I will give Lucy Foley credit for the slow reveal of character secrets. The way she writes makes the reader feel like they are figuring out the plot twists ahead of time, but then the full reveal is still a shocking surprise. If you like this genre you’ll enjoy the book.

The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi – I have some very mixed feelings about this book. The author goes through her Lazy Genius principles chapter by chapter, the idea is to create systems that allow yourself to be lazy about the things that don’t matter to you so you can have margin for the things that do. Think…meal planning so you aren’t stressed every day at dinner time. Overall I found myself nodding along and every once in awhile I had a true Aha! moment, but if you are someone who generally feels like you have your shit together…this book is going to feel a little obvious and basic, with just a few revelations sprinkle throughout. Also, the last few chapters get very touchy feely, which isn’t a bad thing, but it felt like an abrupt change in direction to go from talking about batching tasks to being kind to yourself. I would recommend following the author on instagram or listening to her podcast if you are looking for insight into her process…but I can’t say I’d recommend the book. One caveat: I listened to this book through Audible with the author narrating and I typically find it difficult to listen to books that aren’t storytelling…so that could have something to do with my (lack of) recommendation.

Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad – This book comes up over and over on lists of anti-racist reading/learning resources. It is structured as a 28 day personal reflection with journal prompts at the end of each chapter. I’ll be honest, it took me more than 28 days to get through because I just wasn’t consistent in my routine when I started it. Finishing this week I very much feel like I have a better understanding of systemic racism and how my beliefs and actions fit into it. Some days were more eye-opening than others, but I walked away from each day with additional insight. I would encourage everyone to read this and do the journal prompts along with it. It will feel daunting to those who haven’t already been engaged in this kind of learning and you’ll need to be willing to take an honest look at your personal complicity into the systems that promote whiteness above other races in this country. I think I would have gotten even more out of it if I had a reading partner or group to discuss it with, so I’d recommend seeking that out if you decide to dive in.

“There’s no such thing as a vote that doesn’t matter. It all matters.” – Barack Obama

~ kofriedery ~ Leave a comment

The 2020 election is right around the corner and we cannot stay silent this year. You cannot let this opportunity to make your voice heard pass you by. It is SO important to exercise your right to vote. As President Obama said, every vote matters. This is true where you feel it or not.

Recently, I had a virtual happy hour with some ladies. And we were asked by the organizer to avoid discussing politics. I 100% understand her reason for asking and respected the request during that time. I joked that I’d have to look up other topics for conversation, but the truth is we have so much going on in our lives that it was pretty easy to avoid any controversial topics. And I really did want to hear about new jobs, new babies, new marriages, etc… I didn’t want to spend the time talking about Trump’s handling of COVID, or how Biden isn’t quite as progressive as I’d like, or my opinions on Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation hearing so far. I wanted to just catch up with my girlfriends.

However, it did get me thinking about how much of my daily thoughts and conversations would be considered political. And the truth is, I’m okay with that! I’m okay being political. Especially right now.

This year feels so much more urgent than other elections. With a pandemic ravaging communities, our country’s history of systemic racism being put in the spotlight (and then being denied by the highest office), and the continued struggle for healthcare, women’s rights, the economy on the line, this is a BIG year to make some important decisions. And these are not decisions that any of us should be taking lightly.

The fact of the matter is that I strongly believe we cannot allow another four years of a Trump presidency. I believe there are groups of people who will be at high risk if he is voted in for another term. We’ve already seen instances of domestic terrorist groups latching on to his words as mantras, permission to do unthinkable harm to other Americans. I worry for young girls who will grow up without access to healthcare that will allow them to make safe and informed decisions about their bodies and their futures. I worry about the safety and well-being of immigrants who comes to our country hoping for a better life. I worry about the homeless who are treated as less than, about those struggling with addiction who will have increasingly limited options to get help.

I hope my impassioned words don’t come across as disingenuous because I truly believe there is so much at stake this year. We all have an obligation to look at the whole picture and make a decision that will move our country in the right direction. And not for some abstract idea of what makes America great. Because what makes America great is it’s people. If we continue to ignore that there are people in danger and hurting…we will never be great.