How much do the actions and thoughts of our ancestors shape our lives and limit our experience? Louise Erdrich's A Plague of Doves tells the story of residents in the tiny town of Pluto, North Dakota, on the edge of the Ojibwe reservation. The town and the reservation are fictional, but Erdrich, the daughter of a … Continue reading Bound Together: Ancestry and Prejudice in Louis Erdrich’s The Plague of Doves
history
Quote for Today: Steve Maraboli
It is surprising to me that one of the great crimes of history has gone unnoticed; the abduction of god by religions. This slight-of-hand has been the cause of countless blood-shed and has been found at the root of innumerable acts of evil. The argument continues today, as to which religion the true god belongs, … Continue reading Quote for Today: Steve Maraboli
Quote for Today: William Faulkner
We have a few old mouth-to-mouth tales; we exhume from old trunks and boxes and drawers letters without salutation or signature, in which men and women who once lived and breathed are now merely initials or nicknames out of some now incomprehensible affection which sound to us like Sanskrit or Chocktaw; we see dimly … Continue reading Quote for Today: William Faulkner
Resilience Does Not Forget: June 4, 1989 by Sherry Cheng
Years after a catastrophe, resilience continues to express itself. Memory lets us relive and reinterpret past events, unpacking things that overwhelmed us and growing our response over time. It is not an easy process. The approach of a date, a particular smell, image, or snippet of music can send us back to a deeply fearful … Continue reading Resilience Does Not Forget: June 4, 1989 by Sherry Cheng
Quote for Today: David McCullough
Reading history is good for all of us. If you know history, you know that there is no such thing as a self-made man or self-made woman. We are shaped by people we have never met. Yes, reading history will make you a better citizen and more appreciative of the law, and of freedom, and … Continue reading Quote for Today: David McCullough
In a Land of Queens: Daughters of Yemen
Presided over by Queens in ancient and medieval times, modern Yemen has been called the worst place to be female. Women in Yemen are encouraged to stay home rather than going to school or work. Almost half of Yemeni women are married by the age of eighteen and child brides are common. Many have … Continue reading In a Land of Queens: Daughters of Yemen
Portraits of a Nation: The Devastating Beauty of Yemen
Challenged by the unknown and unfamiliar, we often turn away. Can our curiosity help us to become better, kinder people? This is the first post of a series exploring foreign cultures. We begin with Yemen, focusing not on the bloodshed and the destruction wreaked upon her, but the humanity and beauty that make her both … Continue reading Portraits of a Nation: The Devastating Beauty of Yemen
