Not long ago, my Californian friend Issa* told me she was surprised when her students rejected the New York Times as “too liberal.” She didn’t know what else one could recommend. Then, Midwesterner Betsy* told me she can’t find a news sources that all her friends trust. Fellow conservatives…
There are many ways to hold a Thanksgiving dinner. Often, we throw a party when good things happen. A father celebrates when his missing son comes home. A child is born, people marry, finish school, or get promoted. The harvest comes in, a trade deal is made, or fattened…
I’m a big pusher for libraries. “Did you know they have free stuff?” I say. You roll your eyes. Yes, you know. “I mean, they have books, but did you know they have other free stuff?” *** It’s easy to take the free thing for granted, but many early…
As I mentioned, I recently tried being a guy on Facebook to see what would happen. But even as a guy, I still only see the ladies. Not that my lady friends try to be dominant; in fact, many are quite self-effacing. But with 400+ lady friends, the posts-photos-ads-articles all reinforce each other: inspirational…
Recently, I got fed up with being a lady on Facebook. The marketing. The advertisements for empowered baby clothes (“she’s a rocket scientist!”) and faintly healthy food (“try three papaya-sweet corn bars for only $12.99!”). I tried adjusting my ad settings, denying my prior interests in travel, science, and…
“Do you need this?” I ask, holding up the ballerina music box. “…And this?” I hold up a handful of seashells and a crushed sand dollar in a plastic baggie. Julie shakes her head. I quickly sort things into piles, pulling her back into the room when she starts…
Last fall, I co-led a biweekly reading group on race and procedural justice for my local community. Our participants included a pastor, scientist, software engineer, writer, librarian, mathematician, and startup employee—a range of Asian and Anglo middle class folks
Are you thinking about applying to library school? Wondering how to get into the field? I’m summarizing some of the advice I’ve passed along to mentees and prospective students here, with tips on places to look for more on libraryland. Start reading blogs in the field. Get a sense…
My grandfather Bob Fischer passed away today, just shy of his 81st birthday. A few years ago, I asked him to tell me about his childhood, his working life, and his family life. Our conversation is long, but I’d love to share it with you. I’m happy to pass it…
I’m loving the conversation about #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear. It’s hard to hear the stories–and frustrating when people protest that “not all Christians…” or “but what about X religion?” without pausing to listen. And yet… it’s helpful to hear women express the frustration of being told that the genders are equally honored–while…